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One second to remember【??】, bringing you an exciting novel reading.
Seven days later, Ding Ze and Li Qing arrived at Twilight City. After the five of them gathered, they headed towards the Ye Family.
The Ye Family resided in Loyalty Mountain, located one hundred kilometers from Twilight City. Hundreds of years ago, during the cold weapon era, the Fire Religion Nation launched a massive raid on Twilight City, advancing rapidly and nearly reaching the capital. The generals led by the Ye Family constructed a stronghold at Giant Spirit Mountain with an army of one hundred thousand soldiers. One side was supported by faith, while the other had no way to retreat. A fierce battle ensued at Giant Spirit Mountain that lasted for five days. As Twilight City faced imminent defeat against overwhelming odds, a general from the Ye Family organized a hundred brave warriors, including twenty direct descendants of the Ye Family. They descended from a cliff under the cover of night to launch a surprise attack on the enemy camp, setting fires and spreading rumors while assassinating their commander. All one hundred warriors perished, but Twilight City seized the opportunity amidst the chaos in the enemy's ranks to counterattack, creating a classic historical example of victory in adversity.
The emperor designated the area as Loyalty Mountain, which now houses the largest cemetery on the planet. To honor those who died protecting Twilight City, they were all buried in Loyalty Mountain. Today, after years of peace, Loyalty Mountain has become a park and a leisure spot for residents of two nearby small cities on weekends. The highest point of Loyalty Mountain is General Ridge, where the Ye Family resides. Before announcing constitutional monarchy, the royal family granted General Mountain to the Ye Family and conferred upon them the honor of Hereditary Earl. General Ridge is now part of the Ye Family's private territory.
The highway leads directly there; however, halfway up the mountain, the car stopped. Ahead was a bridge built over an abyss that was less than three meters wide. The driver informed them that General Ridge was just across the bridge and that all surrounding areas above and including the highway were part of the Ye Family's private territory.
The five of them got out of the car. At the bridge's location was a small outpost where two security guards in uniforms stopped them politely: "Sorry, ahead is private territory."
Ding Ze said, "My name is Ding Ze; please notify someone."
One guard stayed behind while the other went to a booth to make a call. About ten minutes later, two cars arrived on the other side of the bridge. From the first car stepped out a man who walked towards Ding Ze and his group. He appeared to be around thirty years old with sharp eyes and an upright posture but had an air of elegance about him.
Ding Ze whispered, "Ye Xin, Head Steward of the Ye Family. It’s said he missed two Alliance Assessments for the sake of the Ye Family."
"Is he strong?" Li Qing asked.
"Enhancement type; he specializes in reinforcement and Warrior Class."
"Dual specialization?" Li Qing was quite surprised.
Ye Xin approached them with politeness, placing his hand on his left chest and slightly bowing: "Hello everyone, young master, I am Ye Xin. Thank you for your hard work on your journey; my lord is already waiting for you at home. Please follow me."
Five people crossed the bridge and got into the car, which drove along the mountain road. Cui Ming, Mi Xiaonan, and Li Qing were in another vehicle. They noticed a cemetery on the hillside and asked the driver, "Why is there a cemetery here?"
The driver replied, "This is all Ye Family territory. Even in death, the Ye Family does not wish to be worshipped by others, so they have not been interred in the Martyrs' Cemetery but are buried here instead."
"Are you also from the Ye Family?"
"I am not," the driver said. "I am an employee of the Ye Family. The Ye Family is large, with many members, so they employ a lot of people."
The car reached the top of the mountain, where there was a twelve-meter-high iron gate. The left side of the gate opened slightly to allow the car to enter. Mi Xiaonan asked, "Is this gate still in use?"
"It serves a purpose," Cui Ming answered.
The mountaintop had been flattened and was quite spacious, resembling a miniature city belonging to the Ye Family. There were side roads, main thoroughfares, and green belts. Children played on both sides of the road while some women watched over them and chatted about daily life. The driver answered all questions; there was little distinction between direct descendants and collateral branches within the Ye Family. Thus, their population was substantial. Currently, over two hundred members of the Ye Family resided here, not including daughters-in-law from outside marriages. Some members even had two or three wives.
Three wives were certainly illegal, but this was one of the privileges granted to those in power who practiced cultivation. A cultivator marrying an ordinary woman had a 10% chance of having children who were potential cultivators. Feelings were secondary; it was primarily for reproductive purposes.
The head of the Ye Family was an elderly man in his sixties who had served as patriarch for fifteen years. He had three wives and twelve children, three of whom were cultivators: one was his eldest daughter and adopted daughter, Ding Ze's mother; another was Yellen, whom Cui Ming had met previously; and the last was Yellen's sister named Ye Shi, who had been betrothed to Ding Ze in his youth. Neither of these women was a potential head of the family; currently, there were three potential heads of the family, with one named Ding Wen being particularly recognized among collateral branch cultivators.
Yellen and Jayce, the prince of Twilight City, stood outside the main building to greet the five individuals as they exited their vehicle. After introductions and handshakes were exchanged, Yellen invited everyone inside. The first floor led through residential buildings to a grassy area at the back, where a small stream flowed—an artificial diversion from a mountain spring. After modification, it formed a pond measuring four hundred square meters and five meters deep. An elderly man dressed in brown sat on a bench by the pond fishing. Beside him were tea utensils connected to power from the building for boiling water. A young woman used an electric kettle to fill with fresh water from the pond.
This elderly man was Ye Wentian, the head of the family. Hearing their voices, he set aside his fishing rod and turned to look at them before starting to brew tea. Around the tea table were six small stools that had clearly been prepared in advance.
As they approached, Ding Ze stepped forward and said, "Greetings, Grandfather."
The others followed suit with "Greetings, Senior." This title had been debated among them for quite some time last night before deciding on using this rarely employed term.
"Ah. Please sit," Ye Wentian beckoned with his thin hand. The five sat down alongside Jayce while Yellen and Ye Xin stood behind him.
"Ding Ze" placed a large box on the coffee table and said, "This is what you wanted."
"Ye Wentian" pushed a teacup towards everyone and asked, "Is there any resentment?"
"No," "Ding Ze" replied.
The steward, "Ye Xin," said, "Young Master, the Master means that there will be no ceremony; you will be directly entered into the family registry, including your mother."
"Ding Ze" replied, "Grandfather, I already know that my mother is your adopted daughter, as well as some matters regarding the Ye Family and Ding Family."
"Ye Wentian" nodded, "Then there's no need for me to explain. It seems you are not very happy about this."
"Ding Ze" smiled, "Grandfather, I have just gotten used to living like an ordinary person. Suddenly becoming part of a noble family feels like riding a roller coaster. I am grateful for the Master's favor, but to put it bluntly, I have no blood relation with you. My biological mother is my mother; she is close to you, but I am not close to you. You taking me in is merely giving face to my mother. I think it's better if I just walk my own path."
"Ye Wentian" said, "Noble families have their advantages; no one dares to provoke you, and it will be much easier for you to do things. What ordinary cultivators cherish as treasures are seen as quite ordinary in noble families. Ye Xin."
"Ye Xin" took out a large box from under the coffee table and opened it. Inside was a large piece of unrefined Force Ore. "Ye Wentian" said, "Noble families have their capabilities; this ore is of medium grade but is notable for its size, which is relatively rare among noble families."
"Cui Ming" looked at "Li Qing" in confusion: Why does a noble family have Force Ore?
"Li Qing" replied, "When constructing Hero City, ordinary people couldn't work in Force areas for long periods. Therefore, the builders of Hero City were mainly from the Four Great Families. They obtained varying quantities and qualities of Force Ore while transforming Hero City."
Hero City was originally Divine Cult City. Due to the enormous Force Stones buried underground, it experienced frequent earthquakes, causing nearby residents to migrate away. After the alliance was established, this area was transformed. Because deep excavation was required and ordinary people's bodies couldn't withstand it, the Four Great Families took on this task. Naturally, they ended up with a lot of scrap material during the transformation process. At that time, they didn't possess the technology to forge Force Stones; they simply kept some Force Ore as souvenirs. Because of these souvenirs, later generations began researching the forging of Force Ore and the crafting techniques for Force Stones.
Before this time, Force Stones were extremely rare. Magic Stones were somewhat better; thousands of years ago, when wizards discovered that Magic Stones could enhance their spells, they began researching the technique of forging Magic Stones into staffs. However, over time, Magic Stones have become increasingly scarce; currently, places where magical ore can be obtained are limited to Antarctica.
"Ye Wentian" said, "I plan to tailor something for you and have an Artisan help you forge a weapon, equipment, or treasure. If you don't intend to join the Ye Family, that's fine too; I'll give you this piece of Force Stone."
"Ding Ze said, 'Thank you, Grandfather, but I am not a member of the Ye Family and have no right to take this. You should keep it for yourself.'
'Are you resenting me?' Ye Wentian asked.
'No, Grandfather, you misunderstood. I just believe that life outside of a prestigious family is easier,' Ding Ze replied. 'Like a phoenix rising from the ashes. Although I am just a small ant reborn after drinking, since I have been reborn, I do not want to walk the old path again. Many people think being born into a noble family is a blessing; I see it differently. How many children are forced to marry someone they do not like? How many family members sacrifice for the sake of their clan? What is a family? My friend Cui Ming said it well: it's just a group of rogues banding together to bully the weak, not much different from a gang. As for the Ye Family, they have guarded Twilight City for generations, which I respect, but I have no emotional ties to Twilight City.'
Ding Ze's voice grew heavy as he continued, 'The most important thing is that my mother did not die of illness; she was driven to suicide. If I were to join the Ye Family or the Ding Family, that would be unfilial and foolish. If your mother were my biological mother, would you still act this way? If yes, then I would find noble families terrifying. If no, then I would see them as selfish. For both emotional and rational reasons, I will never become part of any noble family in this lifetime.'
'Cough.' Cui Ming coughed lightly and leaned in closer, whispering, 'What about your girlfriend?' She married someone from the Ye Family.
Ding Ze had already thought this through and replied, 'She has her own path; I will walk my own bridge.'
Cui Ming nodded. 'The seven-year itch; you two have been childhood sweethearts for too long and might find it tiresome...'
'Dare to fight, Cui Ming?' Ding Ze asked.
Cui Ming smiled in response. 'I’m just reminding you not to speak too confidently. Old man, here’s the thing: Ding Ze has heard some past stories and naturally feels emotional about them. As it stands now, Ding Ze definitely won’t join the Ye Family, but matters of love are unpredictable; let nature take its course?'
Ye Wentian looked at Cui Ming. 'I didn’t expect Ding Ze to have such a cunning friend.'
'Haha, I'm naturally unlikable; I talk too much and offend people on both sides,' Cui Ming shook his head. 'I’ll keep my mouth shut.' (To be continued.)"
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