"Let me say a few words first." The Purple Smoke Sect Master was the first to speak, breaking the oppressive silence that hung over the room.
"Hongxue, are you certain the young man's name is Jiang Yu?" the Purple Smoke Sect Master asked in a low voice.
"There's no mistake about that." Yin Hongxue sobbed as she spoke. "His name is indeed Jiang Yu. His father has always called him 'Yu'er.'"
"Sigh, then it's most likely true. The two Jiao of Huaishan have pledged their allegiance to Young Master Jiang Chen. And Young Master Jiang Chen sent the two Jiao of Huaishan here to collect them. That means Young Master Jiang Chen knows about this matter."
"Since he knows about it, and those Huaishan elders didn't go on a killing spree, it's clear that Young Master Jiang Chen did not order them to do so."
The Purple Smoke Sect Master's analysis was fairly well-reasoned.
Hearing this, everyone felt slightly more at ease.
"We can be certain that those two father and son must have a deep connection with Young Master Jiang Chen. Otherwise, he would never have sent a Spirit King realm powerhouse to personally escort them."
"We can also be certain that Young Master Jiang Chen has no intention of destroying our Purple Smoke Sect's lineage. If he did, a single word from him beforehand would have been enough — the two Jiao of Huaishan would never have been so courteous with us. This proves that the rumors about him are true: Young Master Jiang Chen is indeed a man of principle, not some brute who lorded his power over everyone indiscriminately."
"Finally, one more thing we can be certain of: Young Master Jiang Chen likely has no interest in settling scores after the fact. In our eyes, this may seem like a catastrophe that could annihilate our entire sect. But at his level of status and prestige, everything he does is a major affair. Why would he waste his time haggling with a minor sect and small fry like us? If he truly wanted to crush us, he wouldn't need to settle scores later — he could simply destroy us outright."
The Purple Smoke Sect Master laid out his reasoning at length, and everyone agreed it made a great deal of sense.
One of the elders let out a sigh of relief: "The Sect Master speaks wisely. In Young Master Jiang Chen's eyes, we're probably nothing more than tiny shrimp. He has no interest in dealing with the likes of us."
"That's right. Though those two father and son suffered some hardship, at least they're still alive — not missing any limbs. The only regret is that Jiang Yu's father was covered in wounds. But those injuries shouldn't be fatal. Perhaps Young Master Jiang Chen sent the two Jiao of Huaishan to act on Jiang Yu's wishes. If Jiang Yu wanted revenge, the elder Jiao would have intervened. If Jiang Yu didn't want revenge, the matter would simply pass."
"Well said. Fortunately, Jiang Yu doesn't seem like the type to hold grudges over every slight…"
Everyone chimed in, their voices filling the hall with animated discussion.
The Purple Smoke Sect's ancestral elder had remained silent throughout, lost in thought.
After everyone had spoken their piece, the ancestral elder finally let out a soft sigh: "Though this matter has already passed, it's not without the risk of lingering consequences."
"Ancestral Elder, fortune and misfortune have always gone hand in hand. This event may be a calamity for our Purple Smoke Sect, but within it lies an opportunity as well."
"How so?"
"If that Jiang Yu truly is a kinsman of Young Master Jiang Chen, we can use this occasion to travel to Glazed Royal City and offer our apology. Then we can take the chance to report the strange phenomenon at Sunken Fragrance Valley to Glazed Royal City, using it as an opportunity to forge ties with them. The anomaly at Sunken Fragrance Valley has left every sect and power in the Fengming Lower Domain utterly helpless. Who knows — perhaps Glazed Royal City has a solution? If the matter at Sunken Fragrance Valley can become a chance to ingratiate ourselves with Glazed Royal City, then for our Purple Smoke Sect, this could be an incredible blessing."
The moment this proposal was put forth, everyone's eyes lit up.
This truly was a tremendous turning point.
The ancestral elder's eyes gleamed as well, and he murmured thoughtfully: "This proposal is an excellent one. The matter at Sunken Fragrance Valley is something the Fengming Lower Domain is powerless to investigate. Perhaps seeking aid from Glazed Royal City would be a very wise decision indeed."
…
Jiao Yun did not fail Jiang Chen's expectations, bringing Jiang Tong and his son back to Glazed Royal City.
Along the way, Jiang Tong and his son still felt as though they were walking through a dream. Their emotions were a mix of elation and apprehension.
Though Jiao Yun had already explained things plainly enough, this dreamlike sensation made it hard for them — who had been imprisoned just moments ago — to fully accept this sudden turn of fortune.
It was only when they entered Glazed Royal City, arrived at the Young Master's Manor, and finally laid eyes on Jiang Chen that their suspended hearts settled back into place.
Jiang Feng was overjoyed to see his long-lost brother Jiang Tong.
And Jiang Tong, having survived a great calamity and reunited with his elder brother — only to discover that his brother had already been reunited with his sister-in-law, the whole family happily together once more — was so moved that tears streamed down his cheeks.
Jiang Tong had always held the deepest respect for his elder brother Jiang Feng. He had long felt great sorrow over his brother's family troubles. Now, seeing that his brother's family was whole again, he was genuinely overjoyed.
When Jiang Yu saw Jiang Chen, his heart swelled with joy as well.
"Brother Chen, once again you've saved me," Jiang Yu sighed. "Who would have thought that after ten years apart, you've already become the Young Master of Glazed Royal City, admired by all under heaven."
"Good lad — these years of tribulation seem to have matured you quite a bit. Very good, very good! I thought you might have asked Jiao Yun to go on a killing spree. Mm — as expected of a son of the Jiang clan. With such broadmindedness, you're destined for great things. From now on, you'll live here in the Young Master's Manor. The martial cultivation you've fallen behind on over these ten years — catch up at your own pace."
Jiang Yu's throat tightened. He simply nodded, his eyes rimming red as he fought back the tears, refusing to let them fall.
Jiang Chen patted him on the shoulder: "Whatever grievances you suffered — they're all in the past now."
"Xue Tong, keep Jiang Yu company these next few days," Jiang Chen instructed.
Xue Tong was Jiang Chen's cousin on his mother's side, while Jiang Yu was Jiang Chen's cousin on his father's side. Though they shared no direct blood relation, they were quite familiar with one another.
Having Xue Tong accompany Jiang Yu was a fitting arrangement.
With Jiang Tong and Jiang Yu safely brought home at last, Jiang Chen could finally set this matter entirely to rest.