Chapter 2656: A More Reasonable Explanation
At this point, the Wan Family certainly wouldn’t sit idly by, so they informed the government of Gao Hui’s whereabouts and cooperated with other players to expel Gao Hui.
It was expulsion, not a manhunt. Most players hunting Gao Hui were from Yu Country. As for how Gao Hui died, he wasn’t too sure. Some say he died not long after leaving the Wan Family, but later it was heard he appeared elsewhere, making it hard to discern truth from rumors.
As for the National Treasure, Wan Ping didn’t even know what it was.
Xu Huo smiled and glanced at Beibao beside him, "I was really lucky to find a real descendant of the Gao Family as soon as I arrived at the Moon Corner Duchy."
"Both of you are descendants of the Gao Family. Wouldn’t you greet each other?"
The smile on Wan Ping’s face finally faded a little. He turned to Beibao and sighed after a moment, "It seems no matter how much I explain, you won’t believe me?"
Beibao’s words could be true or false and had some ambiguous parts, but the Wan Family appeared in the genealogy written by the Dou Family, and the fact that Gao Hui later came to the Wan Family explained a lot—especially with Wan Yao’s "self-revelation."
Xu Huo released the person from the container prop, "Your youngest son wanted to inherit the Gao surname, so he approached Beibao. Last night, as soon as Minister Wang died, he eagerly slipped over to the Capital City and I bumped right into him."
"That’s why I say I’m lucky." He lifted Wan Yao’s head to face his father, his tone ice-cold: "I believe over the past few hundred years, there must have been descendants of the Gao Family who caused their entire lineage to disappear due to their loose lips."
"Dad..." Wan Yao, immobilized due to medication, glared angrily at Xu Huo and pleaded with Wan Ping.
Wan Ping was silent for a long time before finally saying, "I am not a descendant of the Gao Family. The true descendant is my late wife, but she merely carried the Gao surname, not the genuine Gao Family bloodline."
"She explained this to me before she gave birth to the eldest. Having the Gao surname is just having a surname; it doesn’t count for much. A surname made famous centuries ago, lots of people adopt this surname to gain prestige."
"Gao Hui’s approach to me was unexpected. He demanded my support to reclaim Yu Country when he arrived."
"For a small merchant to get caught up in a war never ends well. I tried many ways to refuse him, but he not only refused to leave—he threatened me with my family. It was then that I learned my wife had donated substantial money and goods to her homeland during her lifetime."
"There’s nothing wrong with Yu Country people, but donating to a warring side inevitably raises suspicions. Besides, the Moon Corner Duchy has always been plagued with internal conflict. If someone suspected we intended to enlist Yu Country to interfere in Moon Corner’s affairs or utilize Moon Corner to bolster Yu Country, our situation could become precarious."
"But Gao Hui had lists of multiple donations, clearly documented, making it easy to verify. So, we could only drive him away. The idea of killing him with borrowed hands was considered since he wasn’t exactly virtuous, and his death would benefit the region."
Wan Ping glanced at Wan Yao as he spoke, "What he heard was likely my argument with the eldest. The eldest believed that since his mother inherited the Gao surname, she surely hoped her descendants would continue to do so. But what’s the point? It’s just a common surname, inheriting it brings no benefit. Instead, it might invite danger. We’re rooted in the Moon Corner Duchy, what relevance does Yu Country have to us?"
His explanation was reasonable, even more persuasive than Xu Huo’s earlier speculated list.
Xu Huo paused before asking, "Did your wife say why she insisted on passing down this surname before she died?"
Wan Ping shook his head, "She couldn’t explain. Her parents didn’t clarify either. Perhaps it was a longing for her homeland born from the devastation and displacement."
This greatly differed from Beibao’s account.
Beibao was almost certain Wan Ping inherited the Gao surname.
"I see," Xu Huo nodded slightly, then asked, "Which child did you ultimately choose to inherit the Gao surname?"
"I didn’t agree with the eldest’s proposal," Wan Ping replied, "nor do I want any involvement with Yu Country’s internal affairs."
"Bring them all over. I want to meet them," Xu Huo ordered without leaving room for refusal. "If inheriting the Gao surname yields no benefits, it couldn’t have lasted four hundred years. Perhaps unknowingly, you’ve had a child inherit the Gao surname."
Wan Ping frowned, thinking for a moment, then instructed the butler to contact his children and his brother’s children, even including the adopted ones.
Xu Huo turned to Beibao beside him, "You’re here to identify them."
Beibao hesitantly stepped forward, her gaze sweeping over their faces one by one. Long after, she raised her hand and pointed to one of them, knowing whom Xu Huo sought, about to speak when she saw him flipping through his terminal device, casually glancing at her.
Eyes filled with deep regret, Beibao tightly closed her mouth.
"Is your fourth son not present?" Xu Huo questioned Wan Ping.
Wan Ping remained unfazed, "He is a player, often entering instances, spending much time away from home."
In the Dou Family’s genealogy, Wan Ping, along with his third and fourth brothers, eldest and second sons, are believed by the Dou Family to be descendants of the Gao Family.
According to Beibao’s account, Wan Ping’s wife is the Gao Family descendant, and Wan Ping as her husband was chosen to inherit the Gao surname, selecting his fourth son to inherit it further.
In the overlapping information between the two accounts, only Wan Ping is a common figure. Considering the possibility of errors in both accounts, whether Wan Ping is a child nurtured by Gao Family descendants or simply inherited the Gao surname through marriage is of minor importance. What matters is that both Wan Ping and Beibao are conspicuously concealing the absence of one person.
Xu Huo wasted no more words and directly asked Wan Ping’s eldest son, Wan Chuan, "Did your fourth brother inherit the Gao surname?"
"I don’t know..."
"When did he leave Zone 039?"
"Three minutes ago..."
Xu Huo smiled faintly at Wan Ping, "Still want to waste time?"
Wan Ping looked at the dozens of young members in the main hall, his demeanor hardened, "I’ve told you everything I know."
As he stood, among the young generation of the Wan Family appeared a few players. They immediately surrounded Xu Huo, buying time for others to escape. But soon they realized teleportation props were unusable, so they activated the non-gaming mode simulation device of the castle.
As the instrument’s power enveloped the castle, all props became ineffective, leaving only the device operational.
Xu Huo manipulated the Time Ray, resonating with the Time Force to disable several pieces of equipment flying towards him. Then he used his own device to seal off the castle. As several barriers enveloped the interior, the players accompanying Wan Ping had to bring out their instruments to break through layer by layer.
Kicking aside two nearby players, Xu Huo commanded the Wan Family members present, "Capture them."