Han Yu's eyes narrowed as he continued reading. The tone was desperate and full of bitterness.
In their desperation, the Patriarch and the elders decided to attempt what was once forbidden. They spoke of the Ritual of Returning Blood, an ancient rite ant to awaken dormant lineages and strengthen the veins of the next generation.
Grandfather was among those who supported it, though I begged him to reconsider. The ritual required the essence of an entire generation to act as catalyst. They gathered all the youths, those under fifty years old and began at midnight.
Han Yu felt his stomach twist. He could already guess what had gone wrong.
But sothing went terribly awry. Instead of awakening the bloodline, the ritual ignited it. The resonance beca uncontrollable, spreading through the clan's formation arrays like wildfire. One by one, their blood began to boil from within. The screams could be heard from miles away.
And then… everything exploded.
The clan estate vanished, leaving behind only a crater soaked with crimson light.
Han Yu's hands tightened around the parchnt. His pulse quickened as the horrific image ford in his mind, the entire clan annihilated in a single breath of madness.
He swallowed hard, forcing himself to continue reading.
It is said that for a brief mont, the heavens above the Ju estate glowed red as blood, and a crimson mist rose to the clouds. So claim they saw faces within that mist, screaming. Others said it was the bloodline itself, rejecting the sacrilege they had committed.
Han Yu leaned back and exhaled shakily. He had seen many brutal things since entering this sect, but this was on another level. An entire lineage erased, not by war or invasion, but by their own hands.
He rubbed his temples and whispered, "No wonder Ju Fan never went back."
The next letter he opened ca from the local administrative office again. This one was more formal, more detached, a businesslike in tone.
To Ju Fan, sole surviving heir of the Ju Clan estate,
As per the inheritance statutes of the Blood Moon Continent, the entirety of the Ju Clan's remaining assets, titles, and lands are hereby transferred to you. However, given the scope of destruction and the damages caused to neighboring estates and public lands, reparations and cleanup efforts have been initiated. The cost of these efforts, along with legal docuntation and spiritual purification procedures, will be deducted from the total inheritance amount.
Han Yu could practically feel the bureaucratic greed dripping from between the lines. He read further, his expression darkening.
Upon completion of these deductions, the remaining inheritance will be delivered through the Sect Treasury within one lunar cycle. Please note that future disputes may result in delayed distribution.
He exhaled sharply and muttered, "Delayed distribution my foot. They probably took ninety percent of it."
He flipped to the next letter. This one confird his suspicion.
To Ju Fan,
Following our previous correspondence, we have calculated the reparations and administrative costs required for reconstruction. Unfortunately, due to the magnitude of the incident, the costs exceed ninety-eight percent of your clan's estate. You will receive the remaining portion in the amount of 1,200 Mid Grade spirit stones, transferred via official channels.
Han Yu's eyes widened in disbelief. 'One thousand two hundred? For an entire clan's fortune?'
He could not help but laugh dryly. "They didn't even try to hide it. They robbed him blind."
But as he read the last few lines, the laughter faded.
We extend our condolences for your loss and hope the matter will now be considered resolved.
"Resolved. As if erasing a clan could be signed off with a stamp and a polite apology."
Han Yu sat there for a long ti, the papers spread across the floor like the remains of a forgotten tragedy. He could picture Ju Fan receiving these letters, one after another, each one slicing deeper into his heart.
Then, at the very bottom of the stack, he found one last piece of parchnt. Unlike the others, it was unfinished. The handwriting was rough, the ink darker, as if written in anger. It was not addressed to anyone, but the first few lines told Han Yu everything he needed to know.
To those who sit in their marble halls and feast upon my family's blood,
You think you can bury the Ju Clan's na beneath your ledgers and seals. You think you can steal what is ours and call it justice. But I rember. I will always rember.
The writing beca more uneven, as though Ju Fan's emotions had overco him.
You owe my birthright. You owe the blood of every na written in those decrees. If you will not return what is mine, I will co for it myself. I will co for all of you...
Han Yu's eyes followed the last few strokes of ink, which trailed off mid-sentence. The brush must have slipped from Ju Fan's hand at that very mont. The final line ended abruptly, like a blade halted mid-strike.
He stared at it for a long while.
The cave was silent except for the faint hiss of his talisman's fla. He could almost feel the weight of Ju Fan's fury hanging in the air, even now. And yet, sothing about the letter's unfinished end made Han Yu hesitate.
Had Ju Fan changed his mind? Had he realized that vengeance would bring him nothing? Or had sothing happened before he could act?
Han Yu closed his eyes briefly.
The story that unfolded before him was both tragic and haunting. A family's fall. A son's silence. A survivor's fury smothered by circumstance.
He gently folded the half-written letter and placed it back into the box with the rest, closing the lid with care.
"Ju Fan," he murmured softly, "you really carried a lot more than blood on your hands."
As he sat there, surrounded by the ghosts of soone else's past, Han Yu could not help but feel a shiver crawl up his spine. He had co to the Slaughtered Moon Divine Blood Sect seeking answers, but it seed every answer carried a new curse.
The fla dimd slightly, and for the first ti in a long while, Han Yu felt truly alone.
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