Chapter 422 Liu Lie Bows His Head! Four Eclipse-level Treasures Acquired?

As Jiang Yun's voice fell.

The entire square fell into a brief, deathly silence.

Then, it suddenly erupted into a frenzy.

"What?! Not only a sincere apology, but each person must compensate with a treasure?!"

A middle-aged member of the Liu Family widened his eyes, his mouth hanging open so wide it could almost fit a fist.

"This... this condition is too ruthless! The four Grand Elders are all Eclipse Moon Rank Experts; could the treasures in their hands be anything ordinary? Any item they take out would likely be above the Falling Star Rank, perhaps even Eclipsing Moon Rank good stuff!"

"More than just ruthless, this is practically carving out their flesh!"

Another Liu Family disciple spoke with a Face full of shock.

"Think about it. Although the four Grand Elders are Eclipse Moon Rank Experts, Eclipsing Moon Rank treasures aren't as common as cabbages on the street. Even for them, each probably only has one or two items that truly qualify as supreme treasures. For each to take one out now is equivalent to stripping them of their most prized possessions!"

"But then again, they brought this on themselves."

A white-haired old man stroked his beard and spoke slowly.

"Just now, the four of them made things so difficult for Grand Tutor Dongxuan, calling him a posturing fraud and a spy of unknown origin, even forcing him to undergo a public test. Now that he has proven his ability and is demanding an apology and compensation in return, isn't that only natural and right?"

"Exactly! You bear the consequences of your own mistakes. It's only fair!"

"But... one treasure each, that price is indeed a bit high. I wonder if the four Grand Elders can bear to part with them."

"Bear to part? That depends on whether they think their Face is more important or the future of the Liu Family."

The Liu Family members whispered among themselves, discussing the matter fervently.

Most of the people looking at Liu Lie and the other three had a hint of schadenfreude in their eyes.

After all.

The aggressive and condescending attitude of Liu Lie and the other three just now had been witnessed by every clansman present.

Although they didn't dare say anything out of respect for their status as Grand Elders, many were inwardly displeased.

Seeing the four of them outmaneuvered by Jiang Yun now, they felt no sympathy; instead, they found it most satisfying.

In the center of the square, the expressions of Liu Lie and the others had turned extremely ugly.

Liu Lie's old Face flushed red, then turned ashen, and finally went completely dark. The wrinkles on his Face trembled violently, and the corners of his mouth twitched almost uncontrollably.

"Boy! Don't push your luck!"

He finally couldn't hold it in anymore, his voice as sharp as nails scraping across a stone slab.

"You want us to apologize? This old man accepts that! But each of us must also give a treasure as compensation? Why... why don't you just go and rob someone!"

The tall, thin Grand Elder behind him also stepped forward, his Face flushed.

"Elder Lie is right! Grand Tutor Dongxuan, your condition is simply too much! Although we questioned you, it was for the sake of the Liu Family's interests, not out of malice. If you want an apology, we can apologize. But for each of us to compensate with a Eclipsing Moon Rank treasure? That is absolutely impossible!"

The slightly plump Grand Elder was even more direct, his voice filled with anger and resentment.

"Do you know what a Eclipsing Moon Rank treasure represents? This old man has lived for nearly three hundred years and has only managed to save up two Eclipsing Moon Rank treasures! You demand one just like that? This is practically gouging out my heart!"

The fourth Grand Elder also spoke through gritted teeth.

"Grand Tutor Dongxuan, leave a path open for future encounters. Aren't you afraid of retribution for being so ruthless?"

The voices of the four grew increasingly shrill and furious.

The pressure of Eclipse Moon Rank Experts unconsciously radiated from them, making the surrounding air feel a bit heavier.

Eclipsing Moon Rank treasures!

Those were items they had obtained through countless efforts and by risking their lives in various Secret Realms and dangerous lands!

They were the Foundations of their hidden reserves!

They were the Face and Foundation of their status as Eclipse Moon Rank Experts!

In each of their hands, treasures that truly qualified as Eclipsing Moon Rank were only one or two.

At most, there were three.

To suddenly give one to Jiang Yun was equivalent to carving a piece of flesh right off their bodies!

How could they not feel the sting?

How could they not be angry?

However.

Their furious roars, in the eyes of Liu Qingyun, caused a wave of unspeakable satisfaction to rise within him.

Liu Qingyun stood with his hands behind his back, his expression calm, but a gleam of schadenfreude flashed deep within his eyes.

These four Old Fellows, relying on their status as Grand Elders, opposed him, the Family head, at every turn.

When he advocated using outside help to revitalize the Liu Family, they would jump out and say ancestral laws cannot be changed and outsiders cannot be trusted.

When he wanted to invite an Appraiser to identify the soul crystal, they obstructed him in every way, saying he was a poor judge of character and was turning to anyone in desperation.

Just now, in front of the entire clan, they had questioned his invited guest, claiming he was blinded by a fraud and was treating the Liu Family's future as a joke.

That aggressive posture.

It was clearly an attempt to seize the opportunity to weaken his authority as the Family head.

Now, it was perfect.

They had kicked a steel plate.

This Grand Tutor Dongxuan was no soft persimmon to be easily squeezed.

Didn't you want to question him?

Didn't you want a test?

Now that he has proven himself with strength, he has delivered a beautiful counterattack.

Not only does he want a public apology, but he also wants a treasure from each of you as compensation!

This slap to the Face was truly ruthless.

Liu Qingyun was secretly delighted, but his Face remained impassive.

He coughed lightly and spoke.

"Elder Lie, fellow Elders."

His voice was steady and deliberate, carrying the unique authority of a Family head.

"I have heard Grand Tutor Dongxuan's conditions clearly. A sincere apology and one treasure from each person as compensation. This condition can be seen as heavy or light."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the increasingly ugly expressions of Liu Lie and the other three.

"It is heavy because Eclipsing Moon Rank treasures are indeed precious. The four Elders must have gone through many hardships and paid a great price to accumulate these assets. To suddenly ask for one from each of you is indeed like carving out flesh. This, I can understand."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of Liu Lie and the others softened slightly.

However, Liu Qingyun's tone shifted.

"But..."

His voice suddenly became serious.

"It is light because, compared to the future of our Liu Family and whether the soul crystal main body can be reactivated, what do a few Eclipsing Moon Rank treasures matter?"

His gaze fixed directly on Liu Lie and the others as he spoke word for word.

"Four Elders, you repeatedly said just now that everything you did was for the sake of the Liu Family's interests. You questioned Grand Tutor Dongxuan, saying his abilities were insufficient for our Family's appraisal. You demanded a public test, saying that if he failed, it would be due to the Family head's poor judgment."

"Now, Grand Tutor Dongxuan has proven himself with strength. Everyone has witnessed his appraisal ability. He is the only hope our Liu Family has had in three hundred years to reactivate the soul crystal main body."

His voice suddenly rose.

"At such a time, are you going to let this hope be extinguished just because you can't bear to part with a few treasures?"

Every word was like a knife, every sentence like a sword.

Liu Lie's Face instantly turned pale.

Every word Liu Qingyun spoke used their own previous statements to slap them in the Face.

They had just said everything was for the Liu Family's interests, and now Liu Qingyun was using the Liu Family's future to pressure them.

They had questioned the Family head's judgment; now Liu Qingyun was showing them who truly understood the bigger picture.

They had just forced Jiang Yun to undergo a public test.

Now Liu Qingyun was letting them taste what it was like to be publicly roasted over a fire.

Those words were their own.

Now, Liu Qingyun had thrown them all back at them.

And with interest, to boot.

The three Grand Elders behind Liu Lie looked even worse than he did.

The tall, thin Grand Elder's lips trembled violently; he wanted to speak but couldn't find the words.

Cold sweat increasingly broke out on the plump Grand Elder's forehead, streaming down his cheeks.

The fourth Grand Elder's fists were clenched tight.

His head was bowed so low he couldn't lift it.

After Liu Qingyun finished, Elder Liu Lan also stepped forward.

Her water-blue dress fluttered gently in the wind, and her voice was cool and firm.

"The Patriarch is right. Grand Elders, the soul crystal main body concerns the Foundation and future of our Liu Family. After the incident three hundred years ago, the soul crystal gradually lost its effectiveness, and our Liu Family's strength began to decline year by year. If it cannot be reactivated, in a few hundred years, our Liu Family might not even qualify as a second-rate power."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over the Liu Family members present.

"At that time, what is lost will not just be a few Eclipsing Moon Rank treasures. It will be the thousands of years of Legacy of our Liu Family and the future of all our clansmen!"

Her voice was not loud, yet it reached the ears of everyone present clearly.

"Are the four Grand Elders going to disregard the future of our entire Liu Family for the sake of a few treasures?"

These words were like a pot of hot oil poured onto an already raging fire.

The Liu Family members in the square instantly erupted.

"Elder Liu Lan is right! The soul crystal main body concerns our Liu Family's Foundation! What do a few Eclipsing Moon Rank treasures matter?"

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"Four Grand Elders, didn't you keep saying earlier that everything you did was for the sake of the Family? Now that it's time to truly contribute to the Family, why are you suddenly reluctant?"

"Exactly! When you were questioning Grand Tutor Dongxuan, why didn't you think about the consequences? Now that he has proven himself, you refuse to pay the price? Is this what you call doing it for the Family?"

"I think they aren't doing it for the Family at all, just for their own Face!"

"Right! They made things difficult for an honored guest just for their own Face, and now they are reluctant to offer compensation with treasures. Do people like this even deserve to be Grand Elders?"

The voices of the crowd gathered together like a torrent, pressing down upon Liu Lie and the other three.

The members of the Family, who usually held Liu Lie and the other three in awe, now stood up one by one, accusing them with righteous indignation.

It wasn't because they no longer respected the Grand Elders, but because Elder Liu Lan's words had struck at the core of their interests.

The future of the Family concerned the fate of every single member of the Family.

If the soul crystal main body could not be activated and the Family's strength continued to decline, then everyone present would become victims of that decline.

In comparison, what were those few Eclipsing Moon Rank treasures belonging to Liu Lie and the others worth?

Besides, it wasn't coming out of their own pockets.

The three Grand Elders, including Supreme Elder Liu Yunshan, also spoke up.

Supreme Elder Liu Yunshan stroked his snow-white beard, looking at Liu Lie and the other three with a calm gaze.

"Elder Lie, fellow Elders. The girl Liu Lan is right; this matter concerns the Foundation of our Family. The conditions proposed by Grand Tutor Dongxuan, while harsh, are not unreasonable. You questioned him earlier and damaged his dignity, so it is only natural and right for him to demand an apology and compensation now."

Another Grand Elder nodded in agreement.

"Indeed. Grand Tutor Dongxuan is someone valued by President Yun Xi and is a Grand Elder of the Appraisers Guild. His dignity represents the Face of the Appraisers Guild. If the Appraisers Guild develops a grudge against our Family because of the difficulties you four caused, the loss will be far greater than just a few treasures."

The third Grand Elder was even more direct.

"The four of you, prioritize the big picture. Treasures can be found again if lost, but if the Family's future is gone, then everything is gone."

The words of the three Grand Elders pressed down on Liu Lie and the other three like three great mountains.

If the words of Liu Qingyun and Elder Liu Lan carried a hint of taking the opportunity to suppress them, then the words of Supreme Elder Liu Yunshan and the other two were purely fair and just.

They were Grand Elders, of the same generation and status as Liu Lie and the others.

Liu Lie and his group could not refute their words.

Liu Lie's expression was indescribably ugly.

His lips trembled violently, and the wrinkles on his Face twitched as if they were about to fall off.

His hands were tightly clenched into fists, his knuckles white from the force, and his entire arm was trembling slightly.

The three Grand Elders behind him looked ashen, cold sweat pouring down their foreheads.

Their hearts were bleeding.

Eclipsing Moon Rank treasures!

Those were Eclipsing Moon Rank treasures!

It's not coming out of your pockets, so of course you can speak lightly!

It's easy to talk when you aren't the one paying!

They really wanted to shout these words out.

But reason told them... they couldn't.

Because once they said it, it would be equal to admitting they placed their own private interests above the future of the Family.

Then, as Grand Elders, they would truly be finished.

Jiang Yun took in all of this, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned beneath his silver-white mask.

They couldn't take it anymore?

This was far from enough.

When he was questioned, mocked, and made things difficult for by these four in public earlier, did they ever think about his feelings?

Did they ever think about leaving a way out for others?

Since they dared to act first, they shouldn't blame him for retaliating.

If they wanted to blame someone, they could only blame themselves for choosing him, a tough bone, to be their soft pawn.

Jiang Yun spoke.

His voice remained flat, revealing no joy or anger.

"Elders."

His gaze swept calmly over the increasingly ugly expressions of Liu Lie and the other three.

"Although this Junior is young, I believe I have some ability in the path of Appraisal. I passed the Grand Tutor Level Assessment. The position of Grand Elder of the Appraisers Guild was personally conferred by President Yun Xi. And I have also identified this soul crystal fragment."

He paused, his tone suddenly turning cold.

"If you Elders truly do not trust this Junior and feel that my ability is insufficient to identify the soul crystal main body of the Family, then this Junior will not force the issue."

"This Junior can simply leave right now."

As soon as these words were spoken, the whole place was in an uproar.

The members of the Family widened their eyes, their eyes filled with panic.

"What? Grand Tutor Dongxuan is leaving?"

"No! If he leaves, what will happen to our Family's soul crystal main body? Wait another three hundred years?"

"Grand Tutor Dongxuan, please calm down! Please calm down!"

Liu Qingyun's expression also changed.

He hurriedly spoke up.

"Grand Tutor Dongxuan..."

Jiang Yun did not give him a chance to speak.

He raised his hand, stopping him.

His gaze remained on Liu Lie and the other three, his tone as calm as if he were discussing a trivial matter.

"Elders, this Junior has many things to attend to. I have affairs to deal with at Sky Dome Academy, and President Yun Xi is waiting for this Junior to return to the Appraisers Guild to report back."

With every matter he mentioned, the Faces of Liu Lie and the other three grew a shade paler.

"This Junior does not have the time to waste in the Family."

His voice suddenly sharpened, cold as ice.

"Since you Elders are unwilling to trust this Junior, an outsider, and are also reluctant to offer treasures to compensate for my losses, then let this matter end here."

After speaking, he turned around directly.

His movements were crisp and decisive, without a hint of hesitation.

He took a step and began walking toward the outside of the square.

One step.

Two steps.

Three steps.

Every step was like a heavy hammer, striking the hearts of Liu Lie and the other three.

The gazes of the Family members all converged on Liu Lie and the other three.

In those gazes, there was anxiety, anger, disappointment, and entreaty.

"Elder Lie! Say something!"

"Exactly! If Grand Tutor Dongxuan leaves, what will happen to our Family's soul crystal main body?"

"You were quite talkative earlier! Why are you mute now?"

"Grand Elders, I beg you, prioritize the big picture!"

These voices gathered together like a great mountain, pressing down so hard that Liu Lie and the other three could barely breathe.

Cold sweat increased on their foreheads.

Their backs were already soaked with sweat.

Their legs were even trembling slightly.

Liu Lie looked back at the three Grand Elders behind him.

Their Faces were full of struggle and pain.

Eclipsing Moon Rank treasures—those were their lifelines.

But at this moment, the eyes of the entire Family were pressing down on them.

The Patriarch, Liu Lan, Grand Elders like Supreme Elder Liu Yunshan, managing Elders, hundreds of clansmen... everyone was watching them.

If Jiang Yun really left and the soul crystal main body could not be activated, and the Family's strength continued to decline, then the four of them would be the eternal sinners of the Family.

When that time came, without the Patriarch needing to speak, the spit of the entire Family could drown them.

Their positions as Grand Elders would also definitely not be preserved.

Compared to the position of Grand Elder, compared to their Foundation in the Family, a Eclipsing Moon Rank treasure... it didn't seem so hard to part with after all.

Liu Qingshan's expression was calm, and he did not stop him.

At this moment, he had completely understood Jiang Yun's intention.

He secretly sighed at Jiang Yun's high level of means and depth of scheming.

He had so easily reversed the situation and cleverly used the emotions of everyone in the Family to pressure the four Grand Elders.

He was simply playing with human hearts in the palm of his hand.

Liu Qingshan no longer dared to underestimate this young Grand Tutor Level Appraiser before him.

Jiang Yun's footsteps did not stop.

Four steps.

Five steps.

He had already reached the edge of the square; a few more steps and he would have stepped onto the stone path he came from.

Just then.

"Stay!"

A hoarse and sharp voice came from behind.

That voice was full of struggle and unwillingness, yet it also carried a hint of helpless submission.

Jiang Yun's footsteps paused slightly.

He did not turn back.

Liu Lie's old Face had now completely turned the color of a pig's liver.

His lips trembled violently, and the wrinkles on his Face twitched as if they were about to fall off.

His hands were tightly clenched into fists, his knuckles white, and his entire arm was trembling.

The three Grand Elders behind him all lowered their heads, their shoulders trembling slightly, whether from anger or shame, it was unknown.

Liu Lie gritted his teeth, squeezing out one word at a time from between his teeth.

Each word sounded as if it were being gouged out alive from his throat, carrying endless heartache and humiliation.

"Apologize... We are willing to apologize!"

He took a deep breath, his voice suddenly rising, carrying a sense of desperate resignation.

"The treasures! We are also willing to give them!"

"We ask Grand Tutor Dongxuan... to stay!"