General Xia suddenly became much easier to talk to. Of his most valued old subordinates, only one was seriously ill and in danger of death. The others had minor illnesses and pains covered by the military's public medical care, so there was no need to trouble Lin Yao. This matter was already enough to satisfy him.
"Open your mouth, open your mouth," Lin Yao suddenly said.
General Xia, who was laughing for some reason, unconsciously opened his mouth after hearing the repeated requests, though not very wide.
With a flick of his finger, Lin Yao sent a super "Life-Giving Pill" into the old man's mouth.
It melts in your mouth and leaves a lingering fragrance.
The feeling of comfort that penetrated to the very depths of his soul made General Xia want to groan.
"This pill is much more expensive than your eight million. Don't keep accusing me of extorting you, you've ruined my reputation." Lin Yao shouted. "Go back to your room and meditate to practice your skills. It will be very helpful for a half-baked martial artist like you."
"Ah~" General Xia, who was just about to make a sound, suddenly stopped talking, worried that he would spit out such expensive saliva. He closed his mouth, waved to Lin Yao, and rushed back to his room, almost bumping into Xia Yuwen at the door.
"Ah Yao, have some bird's nest." Xia Yuwen, somewhat bewildered, handed the bird's nest to Lin Yao. "What happened to my grandfather?"
"It's nothing, you'll be my wife from now on." Lin Yao smiled. "This bird's nest tastes good, you should have a bowl too."
"This is the only bowl left. I originally cooked four bowls, and even prepared some for Uncle Cheng. Now I've poured out two bowls." Xia Yuwen looked regretfully at the two porcelain bowls on the ground by the door.
"It's okay, you eat. Your grandpa won't eat tonight. He went back to his room to sleep and he definitely won't come out." Lin Yao picked up the remaining bowl of bird's nest and stuffed it into Xia Yuwen's hands.
At this moment, Lin Yao couldn't bring himself to feed Xia Yuwen, even though he really wanted to.
********
The heavy iron gate slowly rose, making a creaking sound that was quite jarring.
"Patriarch, the ancestral precepts say that we must not go directly to see that thing." Jiang Nianba's expression was stern, and his tone was extremely anxious.
"Elder, please stop trying to persuade me. This is the only way now." Jiang Liu turned to look at the only remaining peak Earth-level expert in the Jiang family, his eyes filled with desolation and a kind of desperate madness.
The Jiang family, once a glorious force, rose to prominence in just a few decades, becoming one of the four great families. Just when it seemed they could continue to rise in the rankings in another one or two decades, they were dealt a heavy blow by the Yi family of Yanji.
Jiang Nianyao, the commander of the Changzhou Military Region, was transferred to Beijing, and the vacant position of commander of the Changzhou Military Region was filled by someone sent by the military headquarters.
The military forces in other areas were also eliminated one by one. Although this purge was not thorough, it showed a trend that the Jiang family's influence in the military would be completely dissipated within two years.
The incident in the local political arena, where a large number of officials from five southern provinces were invited to the disciplinary committee for questioning, had a significant impact nationwide. However, Jiang Liu knew that it wasn't because those people had committed heinous acts of corruption, bribery, or dereliction of duty, but because they all bore the label of being Jiang family representatives. This was the real reason for these officials' downfall.
Aristocratic families are not allowed to engage in politics, but the Jiang family skirted the rules and cultivated their political power over decades, preparing for future rise to power. However, they did not expect that they had long been watched and remembered by the central government and other major aristocratic families, and this time they launched a concentrated attack.
Even if some escaped, Jiang Liu didn't have any hope. It must be because the country was worried that dealing with too many people at once would cause instability. The remaining people would probably be eliminated one by one.
The Jiang family, without a special stroke of luck, will never be able to turn their fortunes around.
Because the Yi family of Yanji is the most resilient family in the world, and the most fearless group of people. To fight against such a person, only those with absolute strength, the strength to kill with a single blow, can achieve true victory over the Yi family.
As the successor and current head of the Jiang family during its most critical moment, Jiang Liu bears a tremendous responsibility. He can no longer evade it; he must fight back.
Fight against fate, never give up even if there is only a glimmer of hope!
And the Yi family! This sworn enemy family must be eradicated completely!
We will not tolerate this!
"Jiang Liu, as your uncle, I have something to say to you." Jiang Nianba suddenly knelt down towards the outside of the cave entrance. "Ancestors above, please bless the Jiang family to safely overcome this calamity! Jiang Nianba, a member of the Jiang family, is willing to risk his life to protect it."
Standing up, Jiang Nianba said solemnly to Jiang Liu, "The ancestral rules forbid us from touching what's inside, or even getting within a hundred meters of it. It must be an unknown and terrifying entity."
“Although the Jiang family has benefited from that place over the years, there must be some truth to their ancestral teachings. Your going there might bring the Jiang family to their utter destruction. We should leave the country, develop our business abroad, and then come back decades later to wipe out the Yi family.”
"Jiang Liu, listen to your uncle, don't go. I'm begging you, let's go abroad!"
"Otherwise, Liu'er, let your uncle assassinate the Yi family members. As long as you're careful, with your uncle's skills, no one except the Yi family's eldest elder can stop me!" Jiang Nianba's eyes suddenly flashed with a fierce aura, a fierce aura that was completely different from the usual style of the Jiang family members.
“It’s too late, it’s all too late.” Jiang Liu shook his head, tears streaming down his face. He thought of his lost father, brothers, uncles and aunts. “The Yi family rose too quickly. If I don’t go, I’ll never be able to take revenge.”
"Moreover, given the nature of the Yi family, they will not allow us to develop smoothly abroad. Once we are abroad, they will be even more unscrupulous and will simply kill all of us Jiang family members."
"I'm sorry, uncle."
As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Nianba fell straight to the ground. His eyes could still move, but he could not speak or move his body at all.
This is the privilege of the Jiang family head, who can exert control over any member of the Jiang family. In front of the family head, no member of the Jiang family can resist unless they reach the Heavenly Realm.
This is also an ancestral precept.
Gently wiping away the tears that had flowed from Jiang Nianba's eyes, Jiang Liu also shed tears. "Uncle, if I don't come back, please appoint a family head and then take them abroad to hide as far away as possible. It would be best to settle them in batches and not let them contact each other, leaving a spark of hope for the Jiang family."
Jiang Liu knew that Jiang Nianba could hear him. He could tell from the increasingly damp feeling in his palms that his uncle was in pain, but he had no choice but to go against the ancestral teachings to meet that being.
The solid iron gate, half a meter away, slowly closed, completely blocking out the light from outside, plunging everything into darkness.
The lights came on, and a long, seemingly endless passage appeared before Jiang Liu.
Carrying the emergency light, Jiang Liu wiped away his tears and steadily walked towards the distant black hole.
Winding, spiraling.
I don't know how long I walked; it felt like five hours, a whole day, or even longer.
Jiang Liu only saw light ahead when he felt hungry.
The temperature underground was rising higher and higher, and even the river at the top of the sub-region felt sweating profusely and its mouth was dry.
Turning the corner, the scene before him made him stop breathing, even forgetting the intense heat emanating from his body.