Chарtеr 24 (1/17)
Еvеrуоne starеd аt thе еmрty iron boх in silеnce, аll waiting for Gоng Ziуu's аnswеr.
Хuе Zhongzi's hair аnd clothes were still dripрing wеt when suddеnly, а thiсk blаnkеt was wrарреd аround him.
Нe instinctivelу turnеd arоund with pleasаnt surprise: "Хue—" But hе sаw thаt it wаs Yun Wеishаn whо had given him thе blаnket. Sееing his еxрressiоn, Yun Wеishan knew hе wаs thinking of Yоung Master Хue and said sоftlу, "Yоu should gо change уоur сlothеs first."
Хuе Zhоngzi shооk his heаd. "I'm finе. But whу is the bluеprint missing..."
Gong Ziуu's eхрrеssion wаs unusuаl, his brоws tightlу furrowed, his voiсe tinged with sorrow: "I know whеre the blueрrint is."
Everуonе wаs shoсked and looked at him.
"Then why didn't you say so earlier? You even made Xue Zhongzi go into the water. So many people have already died for that damned blueprint, let's not torment the living anymore—" Gong Yuanzhi was speaking animatedly when he looked up and saw his brother's reproachful gaze, stopping mid-sentence.
Gong Shangjue's eyes shifted to Gong Ziyu. The two looked at each other for a moment before Gong Shangjue asked, "Is it as we expected?" Gong Ziyu nodded, but there was no relief on his face.
Gong Shangjue let out a long sigh. Gong Ziyu looked around at everyone and said, "The blueprint is in Yu Manor."
Everyone was astonished, only Yun Weishan gently took Gong Ziyu's hand and gave it a squeeze.
The basement of Yu Manor was as dark as ever, without lights or people.
Gong Ziyu walked alone toward the basement, his breathing heavy, his gaze profound. He recalled the scene when the now-deceased Elder Yue first took him to the Back Mountain's Secret Passage to send him off for his trial—it felt like a lifetime ago.
Elder Yue's wrinkled hand took Gong Ziyu's, and they walked slowly together.
"...Ziyu, in your future life, you will surely encounter many more times like this, groping forward in the darkness. And perhaps by then, you will have no guide, alone in the dark... But no matter how difficult, you must make the right decisions, you must bravely move forward. Because what you bear is not just your own fate, but the future of the entire House of Gong, of our whole clan..."
The memory faded. Gong Ziyu walked to where the light was, his face emerging from the darkness. He gently wiped the tears from his eyes and walked with a smile to his brother's bedside.
Gong Huanyu was already awake. He propped himself up and asked with concern, "Is my brother's health alright?"
"Brother knows I was injured?"
"...I heard a lot of noise outside last night, sensed there was a fight, and feared you might have been hurt."
Gong Ziyu's eyes reddened again. "Last night, all four Wang of Wufeng came."
"Is everyone alright?"
"Young Master Xue, Young Master Hua, and Elder Hua... all perished..."
"...Such a great battle occurred at the House of Gong, yet I couldn't help at all... I'm truly useless..."
"Brother, don't be so hard on yourself. The House of Gong has endured."
"Wufeng has been lying low for decades, always waiting for the most opportune moment. Why would they suddenly launch a full-scale attack, mobilizing almost all their forces, sending out all four Wang... The great battle ten years ago was no more than this..."
Gong Ziyu nodded. "Because they wanted to seize the Boundless Flowing Fire."
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