I Can See Your Combat Power

Having said his piece, Elder Xu Yin breathed a sigh of relief, his expression relaxed as he said, “Let’s divide it this way; I think it’s quite good.

Ji Fu felt a surprising stir in his heart, staring intently at Elder Xu Yin’s face as

if trying to comprehend his true intentions.

While scions of noble families are obliged to establish their own power, they do not depend on their families to make arrangements for them. Success depends not only on personal cultivation, but also on the power one can establish.

The former is about strength, the latter about capability and finesse. Both are indispensable to the children of sacred lands.

He could accept that Elder Xu Yin was a scheming, ambitious man – his true nature clearly revealed by his cousin – but he couldn’t fathom why Elder Xu Yin would step back from asserting himself.

Tang Luo was even more puzzled. Furrowing his brows, he asked, “Have you forgotten your dreams?”

Secret techniques can indeed buy loyalty, but even after winning hearts, wealth is still needed for armament. Spiritual medicines, weapons, and armors all come at a high price. Tang Luo’s plan to provide armor for all members of Cultivation Ground N0.7 alone would cost millions of gold.

Given Elder Xu Yin’s prideful nature, how could he amass a fortune to support his ambitions? Without the foundation of this treasury, where could he find a powerful army?

in response to Tang Luo’s questioning, Elder Xu Yin laughed heartily, “Hey, I can handle that myself!”

“You really can’t,” Tang Luo retorted coldly, puncturing Elder Xu Yin’s boast.

“Be clear-minded. What you’re giving up now could save you decades of wealth accumulation. Don’t regret it later!”

Since Tang Luo had stated that he would accept the conditions proposed by Elder Xu Yin, he wouldn’t go back on his word. But to him, Elder Xu Yin s strategy of refusing payment was merely a momentary impulse. The discussion today wasn’t about who would pay a dinner bill, but about an opportunity that could save decades of wealth accumulation.

Furthermore, the Han family wouldn’t be grateful to Elder Xu Yin. In their view, one hundred percent of the treasury should belong to the Han family. Any resources taken by others were deemed an invasion. Their seemingly accommodating attitude was only due to their lack of confidence in breaking new ground and the threat of clan extermination. If half of the treasury was taken and the secret techniques and core skills of the family were lost, this would certainly become a thorn in the Han family’s heart.

The Han family would hold grudges against both Tang Luo and Elder Xu Yin, so

Elder Xu Yin’s approach wouldn’t win their hearts at all!

Elder Xu Yin coughed awkwardly when counter-argued, but he had his own considerations for his decision.

He murmured, “Little brother, you don’t know. The Han family has greatly benefitted Longzhou. In ancient times, when terrifying beasts roamed the land, it was the Han and Bu ancestors who staved off the Demon race, providing the human race a chance to breathe. Everyone applauds the deeds of Saint Bu, but no one remembers that in ancient times, the Han family was the foremost line of defense for the human race. The most ferocious and powerful members of the Demon Race were confronted by the Han family. In that most challenging era, many virtuous people from the Han family sacrificed their lives in battle. Each of them was worthy of sainthood.”

“Among the fiercest monsters, three out of four were killed or exiled by the Han family. Each time, the Han family was left battered and fragmented, taking centuries to recover.”

“There was a monster named Xiang Liu that lurked in Longjiang; its body carried a deadly poison, fatal to even powerful warriors in the Fierce Realm from just its scent. The blood it spilled could corrode the bodies of powerful warriors in the King Realm. This monster resided in the heart of the river, polluting its waters, making them undrinkable. If unchecked, the toxin would infect the entire Longjiang river, costing billions of lives.”

“At the time, Saint Bu, Saint Han, and Saint An fought Xiang Liu together thrice. The closest they came was severing five of its heads only to have it escape. The blood of Xiang Liu would spill onto the land, causing it to wither and crops to cease growing. If left alone, Longzhou would cease to exist.” “When all the Saints were helpless, it was an ancestor of the Han clan who, endowed with the divine bloodline, stepped forward. Risking his own life, he dragged Xiang Liu into the hidden realm. From that point on, Xiang Liu disappeared from our world, and Longzhou was able to preserve its existence. This constitutes the sole instance of the divine hidden bloodline in our world.” Xu Yin sighed and looked earnestly at Tang Luo, “Without the Han family, Longzhou would have become a forbidden land for life. Therefore, you see, no amount of honor and deference shown to the descendants of the Han family can be deemed excessive.”

History wields power. Tang Luo might perceive the past as merely a collection of information, with no impact on his present actions. But for those who carry the sacred bond from the ancient times till now, this history is a glorious and formidable past which was won at the cost of countless lives, establishing the human territory amidst dire conflict with the beasts.

The seemingly detached demeanour of the sacred land inheritors is not just born of formidable martial strength, but also of that indelible glory. Elder Xu Yin’s step back is not for Ji Fu or the hundreds of thousands of survivors from the Han family, but for those ancestors who died fighting against monsters. Envisage their sorrow to learn that their descendants were defeated, not by corruption, not by beasts, but by their own comrades whom they sacrificed their lives to protect.”

“Ah ” Tang Luo also sighed along with Elder Xu Yin. Although he didn’t possess such an intense sense of historical honor, he still understood Elder Xu Yin’s stance.

It would seem that this is what it means to bestow benevolence upon future generations. Being the descendants of a great hero who once saved the world, people tend to show them some deference. Some express this in overt actions, while others preserve it in their hearts.

Elder Xu Yin obviously belonged to the latter category, so it seemed natural for him to make concessions, even if such decisions could add complexities to his dreams and ambitions.

“Then why give me one-tenth of the share? What does that mean?” Tang Luo asked despite already knowing the answer. He understood that Elder Xu Yin was trying to strike a balance, because if he gave all of his share to Ji Fu, he feared that Tang Luo might have objections, which could further complicate matters for Ji Fu.

“Ahahaha…” Elder Xu Yin laughed awkwardly, “Cousin, remember you lent me a box of gold bars? Consider this my repayment—”

“Little Cousin!” Ji Fu’s eyes welled up as he couldn’t hold back his surge of emotion. He bowed deeply to Elder Xu Yin, a traditional gesture of gratitude. Overwhelmed with emotions, he struggled to express his gratitude. In the few years following the fall of the Han family, many relatives had approached them under the pretext of offering protection, only to desire their skills and secret techniques. Some even attempted to control the last members of the Han family.

Over the first few hundred years following their family’s downfall, they saw too many ugly sides of human nature. Was changing their identity the first choice? Certainly not. Who would choose to conceal a surname with such resplendent history and disappear from history unless they had been extremely disappointed with their own kin?

Who could imagine that the Xu Clan of Yuanzhou, which had virtually no connections to the Han family, would remember the history of the Han family so clearly? For Ji Fu, this was undoubtedly the greatest respect..