Fortunately, Huang’er and Yan Qingsang were staying in Jiang Chen’s residence at the moment and weren’t here to hear what Ziju Min had said. Otherwise, Huang’er might not have been able to come to terms with the development.
Thank heavens that her grandfather was safe.
But that didn’t make Jiang Chen feel much better. For Huang’er, the family she cared about the most were her parents, who were still in the Boundless Prison.
Noting Jiang Chen’s silence, Ziju Min knew that the young man was affected by the news.
After a long pause, Jiang Chen took in a deep breath and asked, “Did the sacred land not realize at all when House Yan was destroyed?”
He might not like House Yan, but that was still Huang’er’s family. It was infuriating to have them destroyed right under the sacred land’s nose. It had happened while he was away to help the Martial Sacred Land. The Eternal Sacred Land was partially to blame for not paying enough attention.
Of course, this wasn’t a good time to point fingers.
Ziju Min sighed. “It all happened very suddenly. The forefather wasn’t in the sacred land at that time. When news came that House Yan had been destroyed, the first prime personally led a team to investigate. They arrived to find House Yan already in ruins with no survivors.”
“Any bodies?” asked Jiang Chen.
Ziju Min sighed, his eyes pitying. “Almost none that are intact.”
“Then how do you know the perpetrator is an escapee from the Boundless Prison?” Jiang Chen questioned.
“Rumors and some of the findings from our own investigation.” Ziju Min couldn’t give him a full answer.
Jiang Chen was on friendly terms with Ziju Min so didn’t push the elder too hard. Besides, the perpetrator must have hidden his tracks well when he annihilated House Yan. It was only natural that the sacred land hadn’t reacted in time.
Eternal Divine Nation had just been through a large scale rebellion. Restoration was in order. The sacred land had trouble taking care of its own business, let alone others’.
Jiang Chen asked a few more questions, but the elder didn’t seem to know much about the details. Jiang Chen sat with him for a while before excusing himself.
As soon as he stepped into his residence, Huang’er and Yan Qingsang came up to him.
“Brother Chen, are we going back to House Yan now?”
Jiang Chen’s heart ached when he saw her eager expression. He struggled to find the right words.
Huang’er was clever enough to note his hesitant look. She paused. “Has something happened, Brother Chen?”
Jiang Chen took in a deep breath. “I’ll take you to your grandfather and Elder Shun first, Huang’er.”
Elder Shun had settled down in a residence in the sacred land. Hua Ming, the disciple Jiang Chen had taken in back in Bluesmoke, was there as well.
His response cemented Huang’er’s suspicion. A hint of sadness tinted her expression. “Brother Chen, is there no news about my parents yet?”
Jiang Chen looked back at her grimly. “Huang’er, Qingsang, something terrible has happened to House Yan.”
“What is it?” asked a blank Yan Qingsang.
“I’m sorry. House Yan… House Yan has been exterminated.” Jiang Chen wasn’t going to keep them in the dark. He couldn’t even if he wanted to.
“What?” Yan Qingsang paled. Huang’er staggered backwards.
“Don’t worry,” Jiang Chen hurried out. “Elder Wanjun is safe. Elder Shun, too.”
“What about my father?” Yan Qingsang blurted out.
“Your father? He wasn’t in the House Yan home base. He should be fine.”
Yan Qingsang’s father had long lost his place in House Yan’s headquarters due to his limited talent and cultivation. He’d established his own branch of the family elsewhere. What happened to House Yan wouldn’t have happened to the subsidiary branches.
There were too many of them to eliminate.
Yan Qingsang and Huang’er calmed down a little once they heard that their closest family was safe.
“Who did it? Any idea?”
Jiang Chen shook his head. “According to the sacred land, it was an expert who escaped from the Boundless Prison. However, this is an unusual situation and there’s no concrete proof yet. We need to find Elder Wanjun first and hear him out.”
Neither Huang’er nor Yan Qingsang were that close to House Yan, but its fall still hit them hard. Fortunately, those they truly cared about were safe.
The massacre had a serious impact on Yan Wanjun. When Jiang Chen saw the elder, he’d aged visibly, and there was a heavy air around him.
Jiang Chen knew Yan Wanjun had a different relationship with House Yan. At his age, he’d been through a lot more with the family. Its destruction therefore hit him a lot harder and scarred deeper.
As for Elder Shun, he was simply one of Yan Wanjun’s aides. He wasn’t as attached to House Yan as Yan Wanjun was.
Moreover, the cruelty House Yan had shown him had greatly diluted whatever love he had for the family. He was still affected by its destruction, but he seemed a lot better than Elder Wanjun.
Seeing his grandson and granddaughter put a slight smile on Yan Wanjun’s face.
“Elder Wanjun, fate has mercifully left Huang’er and young master Qingsang alone,” Elder Shun said comfortingly. “Your bloodline remains intact. There’s a spark of hope. House Yan will rise again one day.”
Yan Wanjun sighed deeply. “I’ve done so much and sacrificed so much for the family, but I ended up being exiled. Upon my return, I don’t even have a family to go back to. They’re all dead. I don’t know who I should take my anger out on. I blamed the patriarch for being petty and unreliable, but he died with the house. I can blame him no more. I simply want to know who the perpetrator is. I need to get to the bottom of this senseless tragedy. Who murdered my clan, and for what?”
“Elder Wanjun, we’ll get to the bottom of this,” Jiang Chen assured. “It’s rare for a family to be cruelly massacred for no reason even in the martial dao world.”
Jiang Chen had made many enemies since the start of his journey, but he hadn’t exterminated a family clan before. One should only focus on those who had wronged him. It wasn’t right to target an entire family.
“Grandfather, have you… heard anything about my parents?“ Huang’er couldn’t help but ask.
She cared more about her parents than House Yan. Since the murderer had something to do with the Boundless Prison, she couldn’t stop herself from worrying.
“Nothing yet. The family was trying to rescue your parents, but when I returned, they were already wiped out.”
Yan Wanjun was befuddled as well. How did House Yan anger an expert escaping from the Boundless Prison? Was it because of their plan to rescue Huang’er’s parents?
