The guard had spoken of a sect, probably a small, humble family hidden in the mountains. On the Holy Court Continent, the replacent of families was a common occurrence, even many once-prosperous Noble Families, if their descendants were not virtuous, would squander their wealth over centuries and eventually et the sa fate.
Such families often lacked powerful masters, barely maintaining their existence with one or two Sword Masters or High-level Knights, while the majority were ordinary people without any cultivation.
It was unimaginable how vicious Han Family’s enemies were, slaughtering hundreds of the Han Family mbers, not sparing even these people.
"I wronged you, Brother Han," Qu Shanling patted Han Jinglun’s shoulder, offering comfort.
Facing such ruthless foes, let alone an ordinary Han Jinglun without any cultivation, even he, Qu Shanling, felt helpless and couldn’t bla him too much.
"Do you rember if your Han Family had offended anyone?" Mu Hanyan interjected at this point.
"Our Han Family has been rchants for generations, and offending people is inevitable, but our family mbers have always rembered our ancestor’s teachings to be cautious. We never act rashly, and we know very well who we can afford to offend and who we cannot—it definitely wasn’t their doing." Han Jinglun asserted confidently.
Hearing this, Mu Hanyan knew that avenging the Han Family tragedy was an impossible task.
The Han Family, while low-profile, was wealthy enough to rival nations. Although they kept to themselves, their residence was surely heavily fortified. Having money, they could hire any skilled expert, and with friends worldwide, many were willing to risk their lives for them.
Yet, even with such asures, they couldn’t escape the fate of annihilation, hinting at how formidable their enemies must have been.
Not to ntion the powerless Han Jinglun, even she, Mu Hanyan, would need to think twice before trying to intervene on his behalf.
However, Mu Hanyan had no such intentions. Not to speak of a wealthy but root-shallow and powerless family like the Han Family, even those famous Noble Families throughout history, many had t the sa fate of destruction. Not long ago in her previous life, the Mu Family of Heishi City was also nearly annihilated.
If she truly intended to act as the arm of Heaven, she would likely never rest her whole life.
"Since my Master cautioned you against harboring thoughts of vengeance, and your grandfather said the sa, then let it be," Qu Shanling sighed, knowing that sending Han Jinglun for revenge would be akin to sending him to his death, especially after thirty years had passed; even if he wanted revenge, where could he possibly find the culprits?
Though he had resigned himself to fate, the reopening of old wounds still inevitably brought lancholy and sorrow to Han Jinglun.
"By the way, why haven’t I seen your sister-in-law and nephew? Didn’t they co with you?" Not wanting to dwell on the painful past, Qu Shanling changed the subject.
"When I was sent out of Forest City by my grandfather, they had gone back to their maternal ho. By the ti I managed to get there, I learned that my father-in-law’s whole family had also t a horrific end, perishing in a fire, leaving not even their remains to be found." As he said this, Han Jinglun shed a few more old tears.
"No, that’s not right; they might not be dead yet." Upon hearing his words, Qu Shanling was slightly shaken and spoke with certainty.
"What, you said they are not dead?" Han Jinglun, his face still streaked with tears, looked at Qu Shanling in shock and delight.
"Indeed, when the Han Family faced great peril, I was too young to be of help and have always felt guilty. When I grew up, I began to search everywhere for you and other mbers of the Han Family. I had heard a piece of information suggesting that your sister-in-law had left her parental ho to return to Forest City, but she changed her plans halfway and did not return. If I’m not mistaken, she must have heard about the Han Family’s annihilation en route. Knowing the strength of the enemies, she decided not to return to Forest City. Since she was still traveling, she probably couldn’t make it back to her parental ho in ti, and thus, fortuitously escaped harm," said Qu Shanling.
"Shan Ling, are you telling the truth? Are you not deceiving ?" Han Jinglun grabbed Qu Shanling’s arm anxiously and asked.
"This information ca from a rchant, who had dealings with the business associations under the Han Family. He happened to have seen your sister-in-law a few tis, so he rembered her. Let think, the person’s na was Zhao Shi... Zhao Shi..." Qu Shanling said.
"Zhao Shichang!" Han Jinglun said eagerly.
"Correct, it’s Zhao Shichang," Qu Shanling confird enthusiastically, patting his thigh.
"That’s right then, that’s right. Zhao Shichang is a man of simple nature. I once intended to support him, which is why I brought him to the Han Family several tis. He had seen Shufang then," Han Jinglun said excitedly, referring to his wife’s maiden na.
"Did he say where they went afterward?" Han Jinglun quickly asked.
"He only ntioned that it was in the direction of the Capital, but he did not specify the exact location. I thought they, mother and son, were going to rendezvous with you. I was afraid that asking too closely would reveal their whereabouts and lead to disaster, so I did not pursue further. Little did I expect; you have been hiding in Cangshan City all these years, completely unaware that they are still alive," Qu Shanling said.
In fact, he knew that the people who had annihilated the Han Family would never allow Han Jinglun to survive, so he had always acted covertly and dared not seek out Han Jinglun. If he hadn’t found him, it might have been bearable, but finding him could have endangered him.
"I will go to the Capital right now," Han Jinglun said and promptly ran outside.
"Wait." Qu Shanling grabbed Han Jinglun and spoke seriously, "Those people killed so many to eradicate all traces; you were safe in Cangshan City. But once you go to the Capital, they might discover your tracks. That could endanger not only your life but the lives of your wife and children as well."
Hearing this, Han Jinglun imdiately cooled down. Although he did not know why the Qu Family had faced extinction, the intent to uproot was clearer than ever. Thirty years was not a long ti; those people might still be alive. His rash journey to the Capital indeed could endanger his family’s lives.
"What should I do then? My sister-in-law, a woman who has to evade enemies and take care of a child all these years... I don’t even know how she managed to survive, or even... even if they are still alive. If I can’t find them, I won’t be content even in death," said Han Jinglun, tears streaming down his face.
Previously, he didn’t know that his wife and children were alive, and hiding in Cangshan City was just a way to bide his ti, but now that he knew, his longing surged like a tidal wave, unstoppable.
"You shouldn’t handle this matter yourself. Besides, even if you were to inquire everywhere without any reservations, who knows how long it would take? Instead, let’s ask the Young Master to help," Qu Shanling suggested with a smile.
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