Otherworld Advance Team-Chapter 1752 - 1745: Revealing the Origins

A little boy with a curious expression ran up to Cheng Ziang, looking up at him with big, bright eyes full of curiosity.

"Are you brother’s guest?" The little boy hesitated for a moment, then pointed at him and asked.

Faced with this, Cheng Ziang couldn’t help but smile, but before he could speak, a maid who was out of breath ran up to them, bowed respectfully, and said, "Young Master, don’t run around the mansion, you might bump into others."

Noticing Cheng Ziang, she quickly added, "Young Master, don’t point at guests like that, it’s very rude. Remember how the Young Mansion taught you."

Hearing the maid’s words, the little boy blinked, then withdrew his hand and took a step back, bowing politely and saying, "I’m sorry, guest."

"Oh, there’s no need for that," Cheng Ziang, at a loss, waved his hands helplessly.

Hun Jiansi, standing nearby, not only didn’t help but instead laughed maliciously.

"I apologize, guest. It was my mistake that led to the Young Master’s rudeness," the maid also bowed to Cheng Ziang.

"Ah, no need to be so courteous, I don’t feel offended," Cheng Ziang was even more at a loss.

Used to the arrogance of the people of Kyushu, encountering this situation was rare, and he found himself at a loss for what to do.

Fortunately, after the maid apologized, she took the curious boy away, not letting him continue to embarrass Cheng Ziang, allowing him to escape from the awkward situation.

"Phew..."

Cheng Ziang breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at Hun Jiansi, who had a face full of malice, with a slight frown and asked, "Are all Yichuan Clan people like this?"

"Hmm, pretty much," Hun Jiansi thought for a moment, tilted her head and said, "They say it’s called... etiquette or something, but it’s very troublesome and awkward."

"I don’t find it awkward, it even feels somewhat familiar," Cheng Ziang shook his head and said, almost to himself.

After resting at Liangyu Mansion for the night, Xing Hu eagerly demanded to investigate Qingtang’s lineage the next day. Ichuan Fei brought them to the mansion’s main hall and also invited the Advance Team’s Cheng Ziang, Hu Daoke, and Baiyue as witnesses.

Once everyone was ready, Ichuan Fei stood up from his chair, walked into the center of the group, looked at Xing Hu, then at Qingtang, appearing as if he had something to say but stopped. Then, he walked to the door of the hall and waved his hand, dismissing the surrounding servants and mansion guards.

"What are you trying to do?" Xing Hu immediately became nervous upon seeing his actions.

"Why are you so nervous? I’m not a cultivator, are you afraid I’ll eat you?" Ichuan Fei chuckled without turning his head.

"I just feel you’re up to no good," Xing Hu frowned and said.

"Don’t be nervous, relax," Ichuan Fei turned around and walked with his hands behind his back, saying, "What we are going to talk about is the family’s business of the Ichuan Clan, no outsiders can be present."

"Then what about them?" Xing Hu wasn’t one to easily admit defeat and immediately pointed at Cheng Ziang and the others.

"Uh, actually we can leave too," Cheng Ziang scratched his head and said awkwardly.

"No need," Ichuan Fei sighed lightly, gave Xing Hu a sidelong glance, and said reassuringly, "These three are honored guests of the Ichuan Clan, I trust their character, so I am willing to let them listen in on the clan’s affairs."

"Since that’s the case, let’s begin. I just want to know if you’ll acknowledge Qingtang," Xing Hu said with anticipation.

"Alright," Ichuan Fei nodded and then looked at Xing Hu, saying unhurriedly, "Based on the information you provided, and combined with the Ichuan Clan’s genealogy, it appears that there are indeed clansmen of the Ichuan Clan who have fallen to Jiangzhou."

"Isn’t that right," Xing Hu became immediately excited, "If so, why not acknowledge Qingtang?"

"Can you let me finish?" Ichuan Fei sighed again.

"Xing Hu," Cheng Ziang interjected somewhat helplessly, "Calm down, you’re here to seek family, not to find fault."

Feeling dismissed by the two, Xing Hu pursed his lips but ultimately kept quiet.

"Xing Hu, how old are you this year?" Ichuan Fei suddenly asked abruptly.

"Eh, uh, twenty-six..." Xing Hu hesitated for a moment in confusion before replying.

"And she?" Ichuan Fei looked at Qingtang.

"She’s the same age as me," Xing Hu said.

"Then it fits." Ichuan Fei nodded his head with satisfaction.

"Fits, then that means..."

"Yes, the timing matches," Ichuan Fei kept nodding.

"So, Qingtang is..."

"That is, twenty-six years ago..." Ichuan Fei ignored him and his thoughts traveled back to twenty-six years ago with blurred memories.

Twenty-six years ago, snow was falling thickly, the Liangyu Mansion’s hall was brightly lit. A half-naked man was kneeling tied up before an old man, beside him was a girl covering her face and crying.

Though there was a bonfire, the temperature inside the hall seemed to have dropped to freezing. A line of elite mansion guards stood in formation on either side of the main hall, their left hands gripping their waist swords, staring coldly at the bare-chested man.

The old man had white hair, appearing frail yet possessing an air of authority that commanded respect without anger. He merely closed his eyes, but the people around him could still feel his formidable presence.

Beside the old man, knelt a child only a few years old. He looked uneasily at the two people, occasionally glancing up at the old man, not daring to utter a sound.

After an unknown amount of time, the flickering candlelight in the hall seemed to crackle, and the old man slowly opened his cloudy eyes, looking at the man with disappointment.

"Yishan, despite my trust in you, making you Yichuan Yue’s attendant. What audacity to consort with the Young Master of the Ichuan Clan," the old man spoke in a hoarse voice full of disappointment.

"I am willing to face any punishment, all that I ask is for Master to spare the Young Master, after all, she is already with child," the man named Yishan bowed his head, said in shame.

"Hmph!"

Hearing his words, the old man suddenly erupted with anger, slammed the table in front of him heavily, and said furiously: "You dare say you should be flayed, having made my daughter’s belly swell, I was indeed blind to let such a traitor into the Ichuan Clan and even bestowed upon you a surname."

Indeed, Yishan wasn’t the man’s original name. But the name wasn’t common like a civilian name which has no surname. Yi was his surname, Shan was his name, hence his full name Yishan.

The Yi surname was derived from the Ichuan Clan, a major surname typically gives one of its characters, as a surname to trusted aides. Ichuan Clan gave Yi, it could also give the character Chuan, but not both, as this would devalue the surname Ichuan Clan.

Though there’s a tradition of bestowing surnames, not everyone can receive a surname. Those who get bestowed a surname are considered half members of the major clan, earning half a surname. Thus showing how disappointed the old man was in Yishan.

"I acknowledge my crime, I accept all punishments, but I beg of Master not to implicate the Young Master, I’m willing to bear all punishment. Even if being flayed cannot repay Master’s kindness for giving me a chance," the man said loudly with his head bowed.

Hearing the man’s words, the girl referred to as Yichuan Yue also wiped her tears, knelt properly, and repeatedly kowtowed sobbing, "Ungrateful daughter, seeking father’s punishment. It was the daughter who seduced Yishan, please do not implicate him, I am willing to die as atonement to uphold family rules after giving birth."

"The child is innocent, do not harm him, hence you need not kneel and kowtow," the old man deeply inhaled and sighed longingly, waving his hand.

He then ignored their desperate pleas, looking at the young yet perceptive child, and seriously asked: "Fei’er, consorting with clan members, according to family rules, how should it be dealt with?"

Upon hearing this, the child looked from the old man to the two individuals. For a moment, a trace of hesitation arose in his heart, but he quickly calmed down.

"Replying to grandfather, if according to family rules, the man should be flayed, the woman should be drowned!" the child uttered ruthless words starkly contrasting his tender tone.

"If the clanswoman is pregnant, what then?" the elder continued to ask.

"This..." The child found himself speechless and didn’t know how to respond.

Seeing the child’s bewildered expression, the elder closed his eyes again, contemplated for a moment, then slowly called out: "Fei’er."

"Yes, grandfather," Hearing the call, the child raised his head to look at the elder anew.

"National laws and family rules are all subject to human intentions. The Ichuan Clan’s family rules are for safeguarding the clan’s interests, is this right?" The elder asked leisurely.

"Yes." The child nodded vigorously.

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