My Gentle and Pure Sect Leader Husband - Chapter 77

“An ant trying to shake a tree……” The City Lord seemed to smile, then slowly straightened up, turning his back to Ye Gucheng while looking at the walls surrounding the secret chamber.

The walls were carved with murals of unknown age, depicting the once glorious Ye dynasty.

“Indeed, an ant trying to shake a great tree……” The thin man wore thick, heavy robes and cloak, like an immovable weight pressing down on his frail body. He lifted his head to gaze at the murals on the wall and murmured softly, “How laughable and presumptuous.”

Ye Gucheng’s fingers tightened around the book, about to speak.

However, the light, floating laughter that escaped from his father’s throat interrupted what the young man wanted to say. Ye Gucheng hesitated, looking uncertainly at his father.

“But the ant, who prided itself on having lofty aspirations, couldn’t see clearly the enormous entity before it. It still believed it was aboard that once-invincible ship that sailed through stormy seas with no one to stop it. It still believed that the Ye family……” The man’s lips curled into a cold, indifferent arc, “could return to the glory and honor of once residing in the palace and having absolute power.”

Ye Gucheng looked at his father’s back, quietly committing every word his father said today deep into his heart.

“When the Yuan troops entered the pass and continuously broke through cities, penetrating into the heart of the Central Plains, the Ye clan, along with soldiers and civilians, defended to the death the three cities of the capital, Lin’an, and Jinling.

But in secret, they still collected some of their wealth and had elderly clan elders take all the infants of the clan away from the Central Plains to escape overseas.

After floating on the sea for several months, the ship eventually ran aground on a desolate island. The vessel was already damaged and no longer capable of setting sail, so the Ye clan people settled down, naming this island… Flying Immortal Island.”

“Soon, the Ye clan discovered the barbarian tribes that originally inhabited the island. Through conflict and struggle, they took control of the island, oppressing them year after year, generation after generation, and established this city.

The former barbarians of the island were civilized into citizens of the city. They were taught to dress properly and wash their faces, taught language no different from the Central Plains, reading and writing…

Finally, this city became a lonely city on the sea, named Baiyun City.”

The City Lord gazed deeply at the murals on the wall, narrating how the last spark of a fallen dynasty gradually grew from a weak torch to eventually accumulate kindling and burn into the city-wide flame of today.

Although the Ye Dynasty had never revered the cloud pattern, cloud patterns could be seen flowing in the carvings of the imperial city and in embroidered garments.

Flying Immortal Island’s Baiyun City was the romance and nostalgia exclusive to the Ye clan.

Across the sea, gazing from afar at the homeland that had completely changed.

The young man had unknowingly stepped forward and stood to the side behind his father, joining him in examining the murals on the wall.

But from childhood, he had not been taught by the elders like the other brothers of the clan, but was raised by his father who kept him close at all times.

His father had always only told him that he was the Young City Lord of Baiyun City, the successor of Flying Immortal Island, never mentioning even a word about the former Ye Dynasty. Therefore, Ye Gucheng did not have much sense of honor or belonging to the Ye Dynasty, but instead had deep attachment and care for the city beneath his feet.

Ye Gucheng’s gaze gradually shifted from the murals to his father. He observed his father’s face, which bore the marks of long-term illness, and pondered silently.

Would such a father… truly task him with dedicating his life to overthrowing the Central Plains dynasty and restoring the Ye Dynasty?

“Your mother, according to the Ye clan’s genealogy, you could completely address her as aunt.”

After a long silence, the man suddenly spoke, his words striking like thunder from a clear sky, shattering the clarity in Ye Gucheng’s mind.

He stared at his father in shock, exclaiming, “How could this be… Mother is not Father’s cousin…”

Ye Gucheng’s mother had been bedridden for years, never leaving her chambers even during festivals, and had hardly any interaction with Ye Gucheng. Even so, the natural yearning for his mother had led Ye Gucheng to learn much about her from others.

The man’s voice was calm as he spoke harsh words, yet his eyes revealed warmth and tenderness at the thought of her.

“She was the matriarch chosen by the elders for the Ye clan leader, with the purest bloodline, a Ye lineage that had never intermarried with barbarians.”

“The direct lineage of the Ye clan has been maintaining the purity of their bloodline through such means, generation after generation. The City Lords of Baiyun City, the leaders of the Ye clan, have all been physically frail individuals. Even those with violent and uncontrollable temperaments found city affairs firmly in the hands of the Elders’ Hall.”

At this point, the man smiled and said, “Fortunately, though I lack a healthy and long-lived body, I have a very clear mind.”

“And even more fortunate is that your mother is the same.”

The man turned around, raised his arms to gently grip Ye Gucheng’s shoulders, and bent down to look at his already tall son at eye level.

“Ah Cheng, your mother nearly gave her life to bring you into this world, not because of the Ye clan’s responsibility, but because she loved you very much.”

“However, she dared not see you, nor could she see you.”

Ye Gucheng bit his lower lip, his pupils trembling.

“The matriarch of the Ye clan does not have the freedom of the Ye clan leader. From birth, they are raised as matriarch candidates, until the age when the most suitable one is selected to marry the Ye clan leader, and the rest are sent to other Ye clan direct lineage households with relatively pure bloodlines.

Your mother was a woman of great wisdom. She knew she could not resist the Elders’ Hall that held absolute power in Baiyun City, so she concealed her true nature, became the most outstanding candidate, and came to my side.”

“We did not want to have children, hoping to end the so-called Ye imperial bloodline, with the position of Ye clan leader to be selected from other direct lineages or branches that were not terminally ill.”

“But… the Elders’ Hall planted spies around your mother, and upon learning that we had never consummated our marriage, they gave your mother medicine to increase fertility, and then switched the incense in our chambers.”

“It was then that we realized that the Ye direct lineage had not lacked intelligent individuals, but these despicable methods passed down from the palace were already being skillfully employed by the Elders’ Hall on the Ye direct lineage. The Elders’ Hall had already consumed and controlled the Ye clan to this extent. A Ye clan leader trapped alone in the City Lord’s mansion could do nothing.”

“As long as the Ye clan’s direct heir was not born, there would be more uncontrolled accidents.”

“Soon after, your mother was diagnosed with a child.”

The man slowly released his son’s shoulders, his palm hesitated, pressed down slightly with a bit of force, and then slid down to hang at his side.

He took two steps to the side, but this movement triggered the energy within his body, causing continuous coughing. Only after being carefully helped by Ye Gucheng to sit in a chair did his breathing finally ease somewhat.

“But Ah Cheng, what surprised and delighted us was that you were intelligent and healthy… like a miracle.” He looked up at his son standing before him, his sickly face smiling openly as he said, “Therefore, we would never allow the hands of the Elders’ Hall to reach you.”

Ye Gucheng, who had been lowering his eyes in thought, suddenly raised them to look at his father. His hand, which had not left his father’s arm, suddenly gripped with force, as if using all his strength, trembling and disbelieving.

“When both parents die, one must observe mourning for three years each.” The man’s eyes flashed with reluctance, but still, word by word, he carved the bloody truth into his son’s chest. “Three years later, it will be your father’s turn.”

For this, that gentle and tenacious woman endured year after year of illness, wasting away on her sickbed, not daring to see her beloved son even once.

For this, no matter how painful, the man had to stand in front of his son until he grew up, enduring until the oil in his lamp was exhausted, doing his utmost to buy time for him, and teaching him everything he had learned in his lifetime.

He slowly raised his hand, his fingertips soothingly caressing the young man’s pale cheek.

“Ah Cheng, Flying Immortal Island is a solitary island, and Baiyun City is a solitary city.”

“It has trapped the once proud and beautiful Ye clan, trapped the good intentions of the ancestors who wanted the Ye bloodline to survive.”

“Demons and vultures have stolen the torch of the Ye clan, incubating and nurturing their rotting, laughable ambitions. They have extended their hands towards the Central Plains, towards the Great Ming Dynasty, and even… have already reached the royal family.”

The blood of deceitful, aggressive invaders flowed in the Second Prince’s body. The vultures that had occupied this solitary city circled, laughing, celebrating the victory they were about to welcome, yet completely unaware that the waves of destruction were about to arrive.

“The Emperor of the Great Ming knows that the Second Prince’s lineage is not legitimate, but has remained silent over these years, waiting for a suitable opportunity.”

“Either the Ye clan is found guilty and surrenders the city; or… the remnants of the former dynasty are eliminated root and branch.”

“You shouldn’t have been named with the character ‘Gu’. It was I who persuaded the Elders Hall, saying that you would be a City Lord who would bring glory to Flying Immortal Island and Baiyun City, and to call yourself ‘lonely’ was most appropriate.”

“But what your father and mother truly wanted to give you were the characters ‘Gu Cheng’.” (TL: lonely city)

“Though the Ye Dynasty no longer exists, the descendants of Ye still remain, and the Ye city still stands.”

“Ah Cheng, as a descendant of Ye, you should follow the ancestral teachings of Ye, you should eliminate the villains, protect the citizens of the city, and restore a clear sky to your domain.”

“You must uproot the corrupt foundations on this once-hopeful solitary island that gave the Ye descendants a chance of survival, and defend this last remaining solitary city left by the Ye clan.”

“Ah Cheng, this city is waiting for you to grow up. Can you protect her?”

In the cold, dim secret chamber, all was quiet. The young man raised his hand, holding onto his father’s hand that was placed against the side of his face, and word by word, with strict demeanor and awe-inspiring presence, said: “Father.”

–Your son swears to you, swears to the Ye ancestors, with the passion in his chest and the sword in his hand.

“Ye clan’s lonely city, I will protect it.”

……

“Although the martial arts world is now suppressed by the court and not as prosperous as during the reign of the former emperor of the Great Ming, our Ye clan has already angered the emperor over the matter of the Second Prince. Moreover, the current emperor is not of a gentle nature and we absolutely cannot act rashly.”

“The current plan to strategize from the sidelines of the martial arts world is not a bad strategy, but although the Ye clan possesses many internal energy cultivation techniques and supreme martial arts, I no longer have the strength to continue teaching you in this path.”

“Ah Cheng, remember, when you go to the Central Plains, although it is for experience, if you are fortunate enough to meet a good teacher, you must humbly seek instruction.”

“The imperial family of the Central Plains now has only two princes eligible to ascend the throne. The First Prince is ambitious and difficult to deal with, and the emperor has not yet reached his twilight years, so he probably won’t establish a crown prince of such age.”

“Remember this pattern. If you encounter someone related to this pattern, you must befriend them.”

“If you can form a good relationship with the Third Prince of the Central Plains through this person, and lend a hand during the current chaotic succession struggle, then wait until he ascends the throne to negotiate the matter of Flying Immortal Island, that would be the best strategy.”

****

Ye Gucheng suddenly sat up, his body already drenched in cold sweat.

Since he had set sail for the Central Plains, and gradually shaken off the maids and guards planted by the Elders’ Hall at his side, coming alone to the Luocha Sect outside the pass, he had never dreamed of this conversation with his father before leaving in the past few months.

But he did not believe he would forget this conversation.

Ye Gucheng got out of bed, slowly walked to the window, reached out to prop up the window, and quietly gazed at the distant, undulating snowy mountains outside the window.

He suddenly took paper and brush from the table, poured tea water to grind the ink, picked up the brush and drew a pear blossom on the paper.

Three branches with six flowers, lifelike.

“Brother Ye, can’t you sleep either?”

The small head that suddenly popped up from beneath the window made Ye Gucheng’s brush tip pause.

Just now, while lost in thought, he had actually failed to notice that there was a little dumpling crouching under the window.

“…Mmm.”

“I can’t sleep either, I’m a bit worried about Ninth Brother. He’s been acting strange these past two days, locking himself in his room and not coming out no matter how much I call him.” The little dumpling sighed like a little adult, stood on tiptoe by the window, trying hard to look inside the window. “What is Brother Ye drawing?”

This pattern was only described by his father as a friend’s seal, nothing that couldn’t be seen, so Ye Gucheng pushed the paper towards the window.

In the next moment, he heard the little dumpling let out a light exclamation.

Ye Gucheng’s gaze intensified, and he asked urgently, “Have you seen this pattern?!”

The little dumpling was startled, lost grip, and the small body that had been clinging to the window suddenly fell down!

“Be careful!”

Ye Gucheng’s pupils contracted, and he quickly reached out through the window to grab.

The little dumpling’s hand slipped past his fingertips. In a flash, a figure darted over and steadily caught the little dumpling in their arms.

Ye Gucheng was stunned for a moment, and asked hesitantly, “…Your Highness?”

Yan Hongyin held the little dumpling, who was uncharacteristically quiet and huddled in her arms as if frightened, with one arm, while her other hand reached into the window to take the paper from the table.

“This pear blossom, where did you get it from?”