CHAPTER 1870: CHAPTER 1863: ELDER BROTHER FRIENDLY, YOUNGER BROTHER RESPECTFUL

Recalling this life of escape, the middle-aged man couldn’t help feeling a wave of regret. After all, the Wu Family couldn’t accommodate him. Had he known earlier, he should have resolutely followed the Wen Family to the end.

While he was filled with emotions, delighted voices came from outside the carriage, "Ah, we greet the Patriarch!"

"Gather everyone together. Reinforcements will arrive soon." A familiar yet slightly unfamiliar voice said slowly.

"Yes, I will make arrangements at once!"

Hearing this voice, the middle-aged man excitedly pushed open the carriage door and immediately saw the visitor. It was none other than the new Patriarch of the Huayu Family, Huayu Ting.

"Long time no see, brother." Facing his elder brother, Huayu Ting still maintained an expressionless face, bowing his head slightly and speaking lightly.

"Finally, I longed for your arrival, brother." Huayu Xuan said excitedly.

Hearing his words, Huayu Ting gave a faint smile and said no more. Although the person before him was his elder brother, he acted like they were strangers, lacking the familiarity that should exist between blood siblings.

Before long, all the attendants had gathered. The lead attendant jogged to Huayu Ting, bowing respectfully, "Patriarch, everyone is assembled and ready to set off at any time."

"Hmm," Huayu Ting gently nodded and then turned to him and said, "You go first. I have some words to exchange with my brother."

"This..."

The attendant glanced at Huayu Xuan, appearing at a loss.

"You go ahead. The Patriarch is an unparalleled master; there’s no danger for me." Huayu Xuan waved his hand and said to him.

"Yes, I understand..."

The attendant bowed again, then slowly retreated, leading the others out of the camp first.

Now, only Huayu Xuan and his brother remained in the camp. Despite being blood brothers, they seemed somewhat unfamiliar after years apart.

"We haven’t seen each other for years. I thought you would’ve been promoted, but now you’re fleeing so embarrassedly?" After everyone left, Huayu Ting spoke in a slightly mocking tone.

"The situation is ever-changing, treacherous and unpredictable. Following the wrong people leads to suffering." Huayu Xuan wasn’t angry but shook his head and sighed.

"You were ordered south to conquer, achieving great military merits. Now, under the New Dynasty Elegant Politics, those who feast don’t value your reputation but instead expel you based on your position. Such an Imperial Court is not worth serving."

Huayu Ting’s words seemed to offer him a way out.

"Brother, don’t speak so recklessly. The Imperial Court has its faults; the harm lies with the treacherous. My return this time is to reorganize and watch for the right moment to make a move." Huayu Xuan waved his hand and said.

"So, you plan to stay home for a while and then decide?"

"Exactly," after a pause, Huayu Xuan seemed to notice his concern and added, "You inherit the Patriarch’s position, it’s timely and fitting. Though I’m the elder brother, lacking the virtue to secure the Patriarch’s role."

"Haha..." Hearing his words, Huayu Ting faintly smiled, gently shook his head, and said, "I never thought so. My inheritance of the Patriarch role is natural, wherefore the concerns?"

"Uh, yes, yes..."

Huayu Xuan appeared a bit embarrassed.

The two fell into a brief silence, which was extremely awkward. Though both had plenty to say, neither opened their mouths.

As if to break the silence, Huayu Ting spoke first after a moment, "Though you’re in Shengjing, your heart is with the main family. You know everything about the family affairs like the back of your hand."

"What, what do you mean?" Huayu Xuan showed a slightly awkward smile and asked hesitantly.

"So, you must know a lot about me, right?"

"Brother, what are you really saying?" Huayu Xuan pretended to be surprised and asked.

Huayu Ting seemed to have anticipated his reaction. He faintly smiled, paced with his hands behind his back, and said: "I have great news to tell you, brother."

"What great news?" Huayu Xuan steadied his breath and asked calmly.

"Fei Yu is pregnant again. You are soon to have another adorable nephew." Huayu Ting said.

"Is, is that so, it’s indeed worth celebrating..."

As Huayu Xuan spoke, he suddenly seemed to realize something. His whole body twitched unnaturally, forcing a smile and feigning ignorance, "Fei, Fei Yu is a maid in our family, right... why haven’t I heard of your marriage?"

"No," Huayu Ting gently shook his head, eyeing Huayu Xuan as he spoke each word, "She is, a member of the Demon Clan. She and I already have four children, but unfortunately, our eldest son died at the hands of our father..."

As he spoke, his emotions were still unresolved, so each word was through gritted teeth, causing his teeth to clench loudly.

"A member of the Demon Clan, brother, you..."

Huayu Xuan’s eyes widened, unable to speak.

"To avenge my son, I killed our father and incidentally killed Huayu Rong, who blindly investigated this matter. Brother, do you think I did the right thing?"

Huayu Ting said calmly, telling a horrifying story.

"You, you..."

Huayu Xuan was too shocked to speak, his whole body began to tremble without reason, and a chill surged from his spine to his brain.

"Did I do wrong?" Huayu Ting looked at Huayu Xuan and asked indifferently.

Before he could reply, Huayu Ting continued, "All I did was to protect my family, which includes Fei Yu and my children, not our father, nor you..."

"I once naively considered you and our father as family. But what did I get in return? Father tortured my son to death right before my eyes. He was my own flesh and blood, he was Fei Yu’s and my child. From that moment, my family consisted only of Fei Yu and the children."

"Is, is that so, considering, father’s actions were indeed wrong..."

Huayu Xuan trembled, with cold sweat continuously streaming down his face.

"Brother thinks so too?"

"Of course... it’s all in the past now, let’s let it go..."

"Is that so." Huayu Ting nodded gently and then continued, "But I can’t let it go, as there are still some people alive in this world that make me uneasy..."

After saying so, he glanced at Huayu Xuan deliberately.

"Bro, brother, I’m your elder brother, we are true siblings, we are kin, connected by blood..." Huayu Xuan couldn’t help but start pleading.

"True siblings? Haha..."

Huayu Ting seemed to hear the funniest joke in the world, finally unable to suppress his laughter, filled with sarcasm.

He turned to face Huayu Xuan, slowly walking towards him, speaking as he walked, "True brother, you sent people to monitor me? True brother, you sent people to threaten me?"

"No, no such thing, absolutely no such thing!" Huayu Xuan waved his hands repeatedly, speaking excitedly.

"Brother believes himself to be insightful, commanding troops with proficiency and directing the central forces to the four corners. But brother doesn’t really think others are mere pawns to be manipulated at will, does he? Brother doesn’t really think I don’t know about the informants you placed around me, does he?"

"Returning home this time, I’ve lost all power and status, seeking only to live out my days without involving myself in politics. Brother, give me a chance..."

Huayu Xuan finally understood that everything had been exposed, so he began to plead.

"But, the things I’ve done..."

"I know nothing, I remember nothing. Brother, uh, Patriarch... please permit me to survive..."

Watching his elder brother pleading bitterly before him, Huayu Ting sighed softly, closed his eyes slightly, and spoke, "Now that I’ve attained Golden Core Realm cultivation, you are but a weak scholar. Compared to you, I would indeed not be honorable..."

"Right, right..." Huayu Xuan said excitedly.

"But... how can I trust you, brother?"

"Huh!"

"In West Outer Heaven, you sold out foreigners; in the Imperial Court, you betrayed the Wen Family; against me, you threatened with benefits. Brother is so treacherous and unpredictable, how could I trust his words?"

"I won’t say anything, I don’t know anything. You are the Patriarch, whatever you say is what it is, I just plead to survive..." Huayu Xuan pleaded humbly.

Seeing his brother kneeling and begging before him, a hint of pity flashed through Huayu Ting’s eyes, but it was quickly covered by a cold expression.

He could never forget the disaster this family had brought upon him. In his eyes, Huayu Xuan was never a relative, but a bomb that could explode at any moment.