stonecrandall 726. Behind-the-scenes details
726. Behind-the-scenes details
Xiao Ding didn't answer, but just looked at his third brother, remaining silent for several breaths, as if he was making up his mind. Facing Xiao Yan's deep and solemn gaze, he knew his third brother's temper; even if he didn't say anything, he would definitely find out the truth.
"Xiao Yanzi, you need to be mentally prepared."
"Brother, you say it." Xiao Yan's tone unconsciously turned cold and hard at this moment. Of course, both Xiao Ding and Lu Qing knew very well that this state was definitely not directed at them.
"The one who attacked me is the ancient clan!"
Faced with this answer, Xiao Yan was momentarily stunned. He had actually had a vague premonition, but it was too heavy for him to believe, and he was unwilling to believe it. Now, having his elder brother confirm it with his own words, it felt like a heavy hammer had struck his heart.
Back then, he learned from a protector of the Soul Hall that the Soul Hall intended to harm the Xiao family. At that time, Xiao Yan was merely a Dou Huang, and facing a behemoth like the Soul Hall that dominated the Central Continent, ensuring his own safety was no easy task. At that time, Xiao Yan truly had no way to protect his clansmen, so he could only turn to the power behind Xun'er, the Ancient Clan, for help.
Even though he already knew that the ancient jade was very likely related to the legendary opportunity of becoming a Dou Di, Xiao Yan did not hesitate at all and gave it away directly.
After all, the so-called opportunity to become a Dou Di is too ethereal and unpredictable, but family and clansmen are real and tangible, and no opportunity can be more important than family.
Therefore, Xiao Yan personally arranged for most of his family members to come to the Ancient Clan, hoping to find a safe and secure place for the Xiao family.
Over the years, his family had always been a source of worry for him. He had always wanted to make a name for himself through his own strength so that he could openly bring his family away. Now he possessed that strength, but when he arrived at the Ancient Clan, he discovered that they were planning to harm his own elder brother. This completely threw Xiao Yan into turmoil.
Seeing Xiao Yan's devastated state, Xiao Ding felt a pang of pity. As the eldest brother, he knew his third brother all too well, and he knew all too well how much Xiao Yan valued the safety of the clan. Of course, he would never doubt Xiao Yan's intentions, and he had never harbored a single grudge against Xiao Yan for anything that had happened.
"What about Xun'er? Why didn't she stop this?" Xun'er was the last remaining hope in Xiao Yan's heart.
Xiao Ding sighed deeply: "It's a long story."
"At first, although our lives within the ancient tribe were somewhat restricted, and we had to be careful in our words and actions, it was generally quite safe. We will always remember this kindness of protection, and my father and I have always restrained our tribesmen from causing any trouble for the ancient tribe. We are just waiting for you to come and take us away."
"Xun'er did take good care of us. A significant number of our clansmen broke through their strength bottlenecks at that time. Even with my Dou Ling strength, I believe it would have been difficult to achieve that if I hadn't come to the Ancient Clan."
Then, Xiao Ding exchanged a glance with his wife, Lu Qing: "Even your sister-in-law is a member of the ancient clan from a different clan."
Hearing his elder brother mention Xun'er's sacrifices back then, and confirming his sister-in-law's connection to him, Xiao Yan's tense expression finally eased slightly. He had indeed met Xun'er at the Starfall Pavilion back then, which was enough to prove that she had indeed been taking good care of the Xiao family members.
"However, all of this changed three years ago."
Hearing this, Xiao Yan's heart trembled. Three years—this point in time was far too significant. Just three years prior, the Pill Tower and the Spirit Clan had gone to war, and in that blood-soaked night, almost everyone in the Central Continent believed they were dead.
"At first, when we received that news, we were simply grieving your passing. It was from that moment that we completely lost all our freedom; no one in the clan could leave the ancient tribe."
"Even your sister-in-law, if she wanted to leave, would definitely be under special guard. Ostensibly for protection, it's really like being kept under surveillance!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan's clenched fists turned white at the knuckles and cracked. He couldn't imagine the despair his clansmen must have felt when news of his disappearance or even his "death" arrived, nor could he believe that the ancient clan would so cruelly take advantage of his misfortune. At this thought, his killing intent became uncontrollable.
"The only thing to be thankful for is that, in those first three years, although they restricted our freedom and made things difficult for us at every turn, they didn't directly attack us. If the ancient clan had taken action three years ago, probably no one in the Xiao family would have survived until today."
Xiao Yan forced himself to remain calm; he needed to know every detail: "When did they start their attack?"
"More than a month ago, the ancient clan seemed to have received some kind of clear instruction. They strongly demanded that our clansmen go out in batches to carry out some tasks for them. Your sister-in-law and I both came out with a mission this time."
Xiao Ding's voice was filled with grief and indignation: "Most of our clansmen are only at the Dou Shi level, with the strongest being at the Dou Ling level. The outcome of placing them in the Central Plains is obvious. As long as they step out of the Ancient Realm to carry out this so-called mission, the final result is almost always an unexpected danger or disappearance. Of those who can return alive, less than one in ten survives."
"In these three years, Xun'er has never shown her face, and I haven't even seen her once. I tried to inquire from various sources, but I only got some vague information. It seems that she has been in seclusion deep in the ancient clan, and no one is allowed to disturb her. Even the people of the ancient clan haven't seen her much in these three years."
"I suspect that the reason the ancient clans attacked us is mostly because of you. It's highly likely that your actions in stirring up trouble in Zhongzhou in recent years have touched the interests of some members of the ancient clans, which is why they started to take action against the Xiao family after news of your demise spread."
"As for why they started killing like this more than a month ago, I have no idea."
"I know."
Xiao Yan's deep voice rang out, tinged with painful understanding. His heart was consumed by rage, but reason still compelled him to suppress his impulse, clearly explaining to his brother, "Because a little over a month ago, the Yan Clan, another family descended from Dou Di, was almost bloodily wiped out overnight. At this sensitive and chaotic juncture, attacking the Xiao family would leave no trace whatsoever, as the news of the Yan Clan's annihilation could easily be completely concealed."
"They want my clan's ancient jade, yet they also want to eliminate everyone in the Xiao family, all without damaging their own good reputation. The Ancient Clan, what a fine Ancient Clan!"