Chapter 72: Enemy Troops Arrive

"Wennan, Wenbin, the two of you, kneel down!" Ji Yuanzhen took the family rod and continued expressionlessly.

"Grandfather!"

"Grand-uncle!"

Ji Wennan and Ji Wenbin's faces changed drastically.

"I said kneel down!" Ji Yuanzhen suddenly raised his voice, his gaze severe.

Ji Wennan and Ji Wenbin looked at each other and helplessly stepped forward to kneel.

Seeing them kneel, Ji Yuanzhen picked up the family rod in his hand and struck down on their shoulders and backs with "Bang! Bang! Bang!" sounds.

"You two idiots, cowards! You have no ability yourselves and failed to protect your family, yet you blame Wenyue! Are you still men?

You don't even think about it; without Wenyue, you would still be fifth-rank Great Martial Masters, and reaching the sixth-rank in this lifetime would be the limit!

Now it's better; you ate the Phoenix Cry Pill she refined, yet you turn around and blame her for giving the Phoenix Cry Pill to someone else. She refined the elixir; what's wrong with giving one to her savior?

I knew about this, and I nodded and agreed to it. Are you going to blame and scold me too? And what is your status? When is it your turn to blame and scold an elder... cough cough!"

Ji Yuanzhen scolded while hitting them, getting angrier the more he hit and scolded, until he finally affected his injured meridians and couldn't help but cough violently.

"Father, please, please don't get angry!"

"Uncle, please rest, rest!"

Ji Shouli and the second-generation disciples hurriedly tried to persuade him.

"Yes, big brother, rest. They are still young and don't understand things. I will teach them a harsh lesson later. This is an extraordinary time; let's spare them this once." An elderly elder with white hair smiled bitterly and tried to persuade him.

"They are already twenty-something, almost thirty, and you say they are still young? With just this bit of potential and vision, even if my Ji Clan survives this disaster, there will be no chance for it to rise again!" Ji Yuanzhen threw the family rod aside, tears streaming down his face.

"Grandfather, it's all my fault, it's all my fault! Wuwu!" Seeing that his grandfather not only didn't blame her but instead used the family rod to hit her two cousins, Ji Wenyue felt even more self-reproach and couldn't help but sob in his arms.

"Silly girl, what does this have to do with you? Do you think the Ji Clan could have escaped this disaster if you had married Ding Chu Shan or Xu Shixiong?" Ji Yuanzhen reached out and stroked Ji Wenyue's head, sighing long and hard.

"No matter who you married, the Ji Clan would have been treated as cannon fodder and sent to the front lines. And if the person you married lost, the Ji Clan would have been directly exterminated.

If the person you married won, he would be the sole power, and with the Ji Clan suffering heavy casualties, the entire Ji Clan would have become your dowry, to be ordered around like pigs and dogs in the future.

In any case, no matter who you married, the Ji Clan couldn't have had a good ending. Why not stand tall, fight for a breath, and plan for development elsewhere?

It's just that Grandfather didn't expect Xu Zhiyuan, Ding Bangcheng, and the others to be so cold-blooded, ruthless, and greedy. So many years of friendship, so many years of tribute, couldn't even buy us a way out.

In order to keep us here and seize the wealth accumulated by my Ji Clan over several generations, they didn't even hesitate to temporarily set aside their conflicts and join forces to deal with... cough cough! Beasts! Cough cough!"

Speaking of his indignation, Ji Yuanzhen's chest heaved, and he coughed violently.

Ji Wenyue hurriedly patted his back gently.

"You two bastards, and all of you, must remember that every decision carries unknown risks. Once a decision is made, you must accept the consequences and move forward; you must never blame heaven or others!

Think about it, if the Ji Clan were exterminated because Wenyue married the wrong person, would you blame Wenyue for marrying the wrong person?" Ji Yuanzhen caught his breath and said with a serious expression.

Ji Wennan and Ji Wenbin both lowered their heads in shame.

"And you must remember that people recruited halfway are ultimately unreliable! Once you reach Qingzhou, you must find ways to cultivate your own clansmen and adopt orphans with talent for martial arts.

Those recruited halfway with money can only be used to put on a show; you must never let them intervene in important matters again.

Fortunately, Wenyue can already refine the Phoenix Cry Pill. As long as you can escape this disaster and gain a foothold in Qingzhou, the Ji Clan will be able to continuously cultivate powerful disciples!

Therefore, no matter what happens next, anyone among you can be sacrificed, but only Wenyue—you must protect her well!" Ji Yuanzhen continued.

"Then what about you, Grandfather?" Ji Wenyue seemed to hear something in Ji Yuanzhen's words, her delicate body trembling slightly as she looked up at him with tear-filled eyes.

"Grandfather is old and cannot accompany you to Qingzhou!" Ji Yuanzhen stroked Ji Wenyue's head again and said: "How good it would have been if you had been born in Grandfather's era!"

"Grandfather, you are a seventh-rank Great Wu Shi. Even if you damaged your meridians using secret medicine, as long as we escape to Qingzhou, Wenyue can find a way to heal your injuries!" Ji Wenyue choked up.

"Silly child! The road ahead is long; do you think the Xu Clan and the others will let us go?" Ji Yuanzhen smiled.

"Yes, if it weren't for the sudden heavy rain, I'm afraid they would have already caught up. So we can only stay here for a while to replenish food and take medicine to restore our qi and strength; we must set off again immediately.

In a while, if they catch up, you don't need to worry about us old men; just take the people and flee toward Qingzhou! As long as you escape, the Ji Clan will have hope of rising again!" The elderly elder with white hair said just now.

"Swish! Swish!"

The elder's voice had just fallen when the sound of arrows piercing the air rang out in the rain.

"Clang! Clang!"

"Ah!"

Some arrows were blocked, and some Ji Clan members were hit.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

The guards shouted loudly.

The people in the ancestral hall stood up one after another.

The women and children were so scared they huddled together.

Ji Yuanzhen didn't rush to stand up, but calmly pressed his ear to the ground to listen.

Soon, Ji Yuanzhen stood up and said calmly: "I, Yuanwei, and Yuanbo will each lead some men to charge out from the front gate and the two sides of the ancestral hall to attract their attention.

Shouli, you take Wenbin and the other second and third-generation disciples above the fifth-rank to protect Wenyue and take the opportunity to escape from the back of the village! Remember, you must protect Wenyue well; the hope of the Ji Clan's rise lies entirely in her!"

After speaking, Ji Yuanzhen took out a bottle of medicine from his bosom and swallowed it without hesitation.

The medicine entered his throat.

Ji Yuanzhen, whose face had been sallow and who had seemed terminally ill, suddenly became radiant, and his thin body seemed to become powerful and tall.

Powerful and explosive qi surged within his body, exuding a terrifying aura.

Two other elderly elders saw this and also resolutely took the medicine.

"Then what about them?" Ji Shouli looked at the women and children huddled together, his eyes red.

"Tie the children to your bodies and take them away!" Ji Yuanzhen said with difficulty.

Then he pointed to a few disciples and resolutely turned to stride toward the gate of the ancestral hall.

"I wonder which old friend has come this time?" Ji Yuanzhen stood proudly at the gate, holding a large saber in the rain, and with one slash, an arrow was cut into two and fell into the rain.

PS: There will be another update at noon.