Chapter 138. Xu family refugees.
A month had passed since the joint attack from the Peng Family and Hao Family.
The once powerful Xu Family had been reduced to a group of scattered survivors, forced to hide within the depths of the Yew Woods.
Inside one of the secluded caves, several Xu Family disciples sat silently around a dim fire.
The cave itself was crude, but it had provided them with something they desperately needed, shelter.
There were a few dried meats, water containers, and basic tools left behind.
Judging from the traces within the cave, this place was likely an abandoned hunter’s cabin.
It was not a place where the cultivators of the Xu Family should have ended up.
But now, they had no other choice.
Their foundation had been destroyed, their estates had been lost, most of their elders had fallen, and their enemies now controlled the surrounding cities.
There was nowhere left for them to return to.
At the center of the cave sat Xu Wenshan, the uncle of Xu Qingyue.
His expression was far more exhausted than it had ever been.
A month ago, he was still an elder of one of the most influential families in Azure Willow City.
Now, he was merely the leader of a group of survivors desperately struggling to stay alive.
As he looked over the remaining disciples, a bitter feeling filled his heart.
They had lost far too much.
Just then, a disciple hurriedly entered the cave.
"Elder Wen."
Xu Wenshan raised his head.
"What happened?"
The disciple hesitated for a moment before handing over a communication jade.
"There is a message from the Lin Family."
Xu Wenshan’s expression changed slightly.
The Lin Family.
The disciple lowered his voice.
"The Lin Family branch is willing to take in as many Xu Family members as possible."
The entire cave immediately fell silent.
For a moment, no one spoke and only exchanged uncertain glances.
After being hunted for an entire month, they had finally received help, but this help did not come from an ally.
Xu Wenshan slowly tightened his grip around the communication jade.
How had the Xu Family fallen?
Lin Xuan had personally killed Xu Wenyuan and the core elders, leaving the Xu Family without the pillars that had supported it for generations.
After that, the joint attack from the Peng Family and Hao Family became the final blow that pushed the Xu Family into complete ruin.
Xu Wenshan slowly closed his eyes.
The hatred between the Xu Family and Lin Xuan could not simply disappear because of a single offer.
The man who destroyed their foundation was now the same person extending a hand toward their remaining members.
Yet, as Xu Wenshan looked at the exhausted disciples sitting around the cave, his heart gradually softened.
These young members of the Xu Family had not participated in Xu Wenyuan’s decision.
They were not the ones who had ambushed Lin Xuan.
They were only the ones left behind to bear the consequences of the previous generation’s actions.
Xu Wenshan could not allow them to spend the rest of their lives hiding within the Yew Woods, living as fugitives and carrying a burden that was never theirs.
Even if the person offering them a place to return to was Lin Xuan...
He still had to consider the future of the Xu Family.
For a moment, none of the disciples dared to break the silence.
Then, one of the younger Xu Family disciples suddenly stood up.
"Elder Wen."
His voice carried firm determination.
"We cannot accept this offer."
Xu Wenshan turned his gaze toward him.
The disciple clenched his fists tightly.
"We are members of the Xu Family. Even if the Xu Family has fallen, our bloodline and legacy remain. One day, we will rebuild everything that was lost."
The other disciples slowly raised their heads.
Their faces carried grief, but their eyes still burned with stubborn pride.
"We will rely on our own strength to restore the Xu Family. Our identity and our family’s name are things we will protect until the end."
Another disciple stepped forward and bowed.
"Elder Wen, please do not worry about us. We can endure the hardships ahead. We can survive within the Yew Woods until we gather enough strength. We will rebuild the Xu Family with our own hands."
Their voices were not loud, but every word carried determination.
Xu Wenshan silently looked at the younger generation before him.
He understood their feelings.
The Xu Family had existed for hundred of years.
Their pride, their heritage, and their identity were deeply rooted within their hearts.
Just as he was about to respond, the communication jade in his hand suddenly flickered.
A voice came from the other side.
"Uh... Elder Wen, there is also something else."
The hesitation in the voice immediately attracted everyone’s attention.
Xu Wenshan frowned slightly.
"What is it?"
The person on the other side paused briefly before continuing.
"The Lin Family said that if the Xu Family accepts their offer, they will help search for Senior Sister Xu."
The entire cave fell silent once again and Xu Wenshan’s expression changed.
The voice continued.
"They also promised to help rebuild the Xu Family and the Lin Family said that the young miss is still alive."
For a moment, everyone present froze.
The fire continued to crackle softly, yet nobody paid attention to it.
The disciples stared at the communication jade in Xu Wenshan’s hand as if they had heard something beyond belief.
"The young miss is still alive?"
The words escaped as quiet whispers, their eyes widened in shock.
To the remaining members of the Xu Family, Xu Qingyue was more than the daughter of their former Patriarch.
She was the reason many of them had survived the destruction of their family.
They had thought she perished after replacing herself as the formation eye, yet now, they received news that the young miss had survived.
Xu Wenshan’s hand trembled slightly as he held the communication jade.
"Alive..."
He murmured softly.
"Qingyue is alive?"