Chapter 61: The Patriarch’s Decision
The Patriarch’s Decision
Victor remained seated in silence.
His fingers rested lightly against the armrest as his golden eyes looked far beyond the great hall, as though they could see across mountains and rivers to Blackstone City itself.
For a long moment, neither man spoke.
The quiet only heightened the tension.
Magnus stood with his head lowered, not daring to interrupt the Clan Patriarch’s thoughts.
At last, Victor spoke.
"So..."
"The Crimson Abyss Sect intends to use the Whitecliff Family as its blade."
His voice was calm, but every word carried quiet authority.
"And the Whitecliff Family intends to use this broken engagement as an excuse to devour the Blackstone City branch of the Salvatore Family."
Magnus immediately nodded.
"Yes, Clan Patriarch."
"They’ve already begun taking action."
"Every move they’ve made over the past two years has pushed us closer to the edge."
"The broken engagement is merely the final excuse."
Victor’s expression remained unreadable.
Among powerful families, there were rarely actions born from impulse.
Every move served a purpose.
Every insult concealed another objective.
The Whitecliff Family wasn’t simply humiliating Austin.
They were testing the strength of the Salvatore Family.
If the branch family showed weakness...
The next step would be complete annexation.
Victor understood everything almost instantly.
This was the way great clans struggled for survival.
There were no eternal friendships.
No everlasting alliances.
Only interests.
Only strength.
Only those powerful enough to protect what belonged to them could continue standing.
Compared to the conflict itself, however...
Victor found someone else far more interesting.
Austin Salvatore.
As Magnus described his son, Victor couldn’t help narrowing his eyes slightly.
A genius...
Whose cultivation continuously declines...
A broken engagement...
A protective father willing to cross hundreds of kilometers to seek help...
And now a powerful sect suppressing him...
One coincidence might be chance.
Several together...
Rarely were.
A trace of amusement appeared deep within Victor’s eyes.
Interesting...
Very interesting.
If this continues...
The next thing Magnus tells me will probably be that Austin carries an old ring everywhere he goes.
Victor almost laughed inwardly.
The pattern was simply too familiar.
Whether it was coincidence or destiny...
He intended to see it for himself.
"I understand."
Victor’s calm voice broke the silence.
"The Whitecliff Family..."
"The Crimson Abyss Sect..."
"They certainly have courage."
The temperature inside the hall seemed to drop several degrees.
Magnus instinctively held his breath.
Although Victor’s tone remained gentle...
He could feel an invisible pressure filling the room.
It wasn’t anger.
It was absolute confidence.
The confidence of someone who viewed both the Whitecliff Family and the Crimson Abyss Sect as little more than obstacles on the road ahead.
Victor slowly rose from his chair.
His black robe embroidered with golden dragons swayed gently as he walked toward the window.
Sunlight poured into the room, illuminating his figure.
From behind, he looked like an emperor overlooking the world.
His deep golden eyes gazed toward the distant horizon.
The Crimson Abyss Sect...
Recently, that name had appeared far too often.
They had secretly nurtured Tobias Ashthorn.
They had dispatched an elder to spy on the Salvatore Family.
Now they were interfering with one of the Salvatore branch families.
Victor smiled faintly.
"It seems..."
"The Crimson Abyss Sect truly enjoys inviting trouble."
His words were soft.
Yet they carried unquestionable certainty.
Magnus looked at the young Clan Patriarch with growing admiration.
Throughout their conversation...
Victor had never once shown hesitation.
Not even after hearing that the Crimson Abyss Sect possessed numerous Heavenly Genesis Realm elders and a sect master at the peak of that realm.
Instead...
He remained completely composed.
That calmness alone inspired confidence.
Unable to contain himself, Magnus spoke cautiously.
"Clan Patriarch..."
"Putting the Whitecliff Family aside..."
"The Crimson Abyss Sect is extremely powerful."
"Their Sect Master has reached the Great Perfection of the Heavenly Genesis Realm."
"And every elder beneath him is also within the Heavenly Genesis Realm."
"I’m afraid..."
His voice gradually trailed off.
Victor turned around.
"The Crimson Abyss Sect?"
His tone remained indifferent.
Just those four words alone caused Magnus’ heart to settle.
It was as though no matter how great the danger became...
Everything would be resolved so long as Victor stood before it.
Magnus had witnessed the astonishing transformation of the main family during his journey here.
Everywhere he looked, disciples cultivated diligently.
The family’s aura had become completely different from the past.
He had even sensed several younger clan members whose cultivation already rivaled his own.
All of it...
All of it had happened because of the man standing before him.
How deep was Victor’s strength?
Magnus couldn’t even begin to guess.
But one thing was certain.
Their Clan Patriarch had never once disappointed anyone.
"This matter concerns the honor of the entire Salvatore Family."
His gaze settled on Magnus, unwavering.
"I’ll handle it myself."
The words weren’t loud.
They weren’t dramatic.
He simply stated them as though the outcome had already been decided.
There was no room for doubt.
No room for refusal.
Magnus stared at him in disbelief.
The tightness in his chest finally gave way, and before he even realized it, his vision had blurred.
His eyes turned red.
For months, he had carried this burden alone—watching his son suffer humiliation, enduring ridicule from outsiders, and feeling powerless to defend his own family. Every day had chipped away at his pride.
Now...
Someone had finally stepped forward.
Someone powerful enough to restore what they had lost.
Without hesitation, Magnus dropped to one knee.
His head lowered deeply.
"Thank you... Clan Patriarch."
His voice shook uncontrollably, thick with emotion.
It wasn’t just gratitude.
It was relief.
Hope.
The kind of hope a drowning man feels when he finally sees land after believing he would never escape the storm.
For the first time in what felt like an eternity...
He believed his son could stand tall again.
He believed his family could wash away the shame that had followed them for so long.
Most importantly...
He believed the dignity of the Salvatore name would be reclaimed.
Victor looked down at the kneeling elder for a quiet moment before giving a small shake of his head.
"You don’t need to thank me."
His voice softened slightly.
"We’re family."
The simple sentence struck Magnus harder than any grand declaration could have.
Family.
Not subordinate.
Not elder.
Not servant.
Family.
Magnus unconsciously clenched his fists, his heart warming at those words.
After a brief silence, Victor seemed to remember something. A hint of amusement flickered across his face, replacing the solemn atmosphere.
"There is one thing I’m curious about."
Magnus lifted his head, blinking in confusion.
"...Clan Patriarch?"
Victor rubbed his chin thoughtfully before smiling.
"Has Austin ever said something like..."
He raised a finger as if recalling the exact wording.
"’Today you look down on me...’"
Then another finger.
"’But one day...’"
A faint grin spread across his face.
"’You’ll realize the person you once despised has already risen beyond your reach.’"
Silence.
Magnus’s expression froze.
His eyes slowly widened.
His mouth opened slightly.
For several long seconds, he simply stared at Victor as though his mind had stopped working.
"...Huh?"