CG Chapter 138: What was it all for?
Black Cloud City had multiple clans lying inside of it, but from them, the four clans of Di, Long, Hua, and Ma, alongside the Xiao Clan of the City Lord's Manor, formed the Four Great and One Supreme of Black Cloud.
Of course, that was but a shabby title used by a couple of big fishes in a small pond trying to over-exemplify their qualities. But in reality, they were but a weak bunch of idiots.
At least that's what the true giants thought.
But in life, you should never take things as is, and shouldn't just focus on the superficial, as sometimes what lies under is far greater than that which is above.
Just as the moon's light is but a reflection of the light of the sun, the true powers always hide deep, not caring for the short-term benefits and glory, but instead focusing on the long game and having control over the world for generations.
Inside one of the manors of this city, and to be exact, inside the office of the Xiao City Lord Manor, Xiao Li, the lord of the city and a Ki-Stirring Third-rated Inner Path expert, was sitting on a meditation mat as he talked to himself.
At least, that's what it would look like to any passerby.
"And so it begins."
"Sigh!"
The City Lord had a dejected look on his face at the moment as he let out a heavy breath from his mouth. Quickly, this sigh turned into manic laughter that echoed throughout the whole room.
"Hahahahaha!"
But just as quickly as it came, the laugh turned into a smile, and, finally, a look of complete calm.
At the same moment, he regained his calm, a trickle of blood came from the side of his mouth, but he didn't seem to care, keeping the same indifferent expression.
He asked the wall in front of him a question, looking like a complete madman.
"Was I wrong when I decided to take my family and run away all those years ago?"
"I thought escaping the capital would spare us the trouble and schemes of the royal family. But who would have known that the schemes of the royal family are far sweeter than the bitterness of this chaos."
"We… are unable to rise again, are we?"
Unfortunately, no one had answered his question even after a while, but this seemed to have made him even angrier.
"Answer me! Answer me! Why… don't you… answer."
Surprisingly enough, a voice finally replied to his question.
"My lord… forgive me, as I have no right to answer. If you had stayed back then, you might have died at the hands of that Wu Wuqing, just like the royal family. However, due to your decisive decision back then, the Xiao family still has a hope of rising back, even if only a weak leaf remains."
Hearing that voice reply, Xiao Li seemed to have gained more of his calm, as he finally let out a deeper breath, exhaling a strong breath that seemed to have carried his long-lingering pain and anguish.
The burden of carrying the entire clan's weight on his shoulders and having no one to rely on made him feel like a small boat in the vast sea that would get thrown wherever the wind blew.
"Blade. What is the name of the song from your hometown? The one you played for me when we first met?"
The hidden man replied, "I think you mean Dead Man Walking, my lord."
"Yes, it's that one." Xiao Li smiled. "I want you to play it for me."
"Now, my lord?" asked the man with a sense of sadness, knowing what was going to happen.
"Yes. Will you do me one final favor… I want to hear it before I breathe my last breath."
…
The song carrying a strange and sad melody echoed in the Lord's chambers, but no one was there to listen other than the person who was playing, and the fallen corpse of the City Lord…
With that, a generation's legend had fallen, and a man was finally freed from his long loyal servitude.
…
At the same time, far from Black Cloud City and its clans, a cruel yet far too familiar scene was at play.
The Fang Clan's ancestral house was one of the strongest houses in a neighboring empire, and inside the house courtyard, loud screams echoed through the manor and almost filled the entire empire.
The old patriarch of Fang kicked the dark-skinned boy who was no older than thirteen to the other side.
Walking to his side as blood poured from his wounds while he coughed in pain. But more than the pain of his wounds, he felt a deeper pain because the person who was kicking him was…
"You bastard, do you truly think you carry the name of Fang? You lowly son of a black-skinned whore who couldn't even survive until the morning after giving birth."
"Heh! You even killed your mother, yet you have the face to sneak into the training ground and try to understand our ancestral secrets, instead of feeling shame."
The patriarch paused before continuing in a regretful tone.
"Sigh! I should have killed you the day you were born instead of having you as a mark of shame in our clan's honor."
"I…"
The boy tried to say something, but his voice seemed to give up, as the light within his eyes almost completely faded.
The crime of being of low birth seemed to be worse than the sins of killers to him. He was guilty the moment he breathed his first breath, long before he knew who he was.
Finally, the patriarch turned his back, and the anger seemed to fade like it was just an act.
"Strip him off his clothes and cut his hair before throwing him out the city gate. I don't want to see his face in this life again. His crimes can be considered as treason. Consider yourself lucky, and don't say that this lord didn't show you mercy."
As he said that with his back to the boy, the patriarch had a wide grin crossing his face, despite how angry he sounded.
Not known to the boy at that time, him passing the guards and hearing the news of the training was all a play by the patriarch so he could have him stripped and thrown away without ruining the reputation and honor of the clan.
And so, another piece had unknowingly entered the chessboard, but how it would react with other pieces and what kind of ripple effect it would have was yet to be seen.