220: Chapter 220 Let's send some of the children away first!

Yan Family Fort.

A Family guarded by three Foundation Establishment Cultivators, wiped out overnight.

Even if he were at the Middle Stage of the False Core, it would be no easy feat to breach a Family guarded by three Foundation Establishment Cultivators with their defensive Grand Array activated.

Ye Changge's gaze darkened slightly.

Unless there was an inside man within Yan Family Fort.

And not just an ordinary inside man, but one capable of deactivating the defensive Grand Array at a critical moment or dismantling the defenses from within.

As this thought arose, a chill ran through Ye Changge's heart.

The Jin Family had been lurking in the territory of the Lingxiao Sect for sixty years. In those sixty years, how many secret pawns had they developed? How many families had they infiltrated?

The destruction of Yan Family Fort might just be the beginning.

If one day, the Ye Family of Longmai Mountain were also targeted by the Jin Family...

Ye Changge took a deep breath, removed the jade slip from his forehead, and returned it to the maid.

"Thank you." He said briefly, then turned and walked out of the Zhiwei Pavilion.

He had originally intended to stay in Qingyun City for a day or two to see if there were any suitable spiritual materials or Magical Artifacts to buy.

But now, he changed his mind.

Return home as soon as possible.

In the current situation, although the Ye Family of Longmai Mountain had not been summoned to join the war and was temporarily safe, Jin Shirong was still at large, and no one knew who his next target would be.

Yan Family Fort was not far from Longmai Mountain, but not particularly close either.

If Jin Shirong were truly insane enough to make a move against the Ye Family...

Ye Changge's gaze turned cold.

He did indeed have a trump card. Once the Fourth-Tier True Spirit Willow Tree was utilized, even a Core Formation True Person would have to suffer the consequences.

But that thing could not be exposed unless it was an absolute last resort.

Once exposed, what awaited him would not be the revenge of the Jin Family's remnants, but the covetousness of the entire Cultivation World.

"I hope everything is well at home."

Ye Changge thought silently to himself.

He quickened his pace, heading toward where Xiao Jin was outside the city.

Meanwhile, in Changge Hall on Longmai Mountain.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone into the hall through the carved lattice windows, casting mottled light and shadows on the floor.

Lu Shiyin sat behind a long desk, a thick stack of documents spread out before her, her vermilion brush occasionally adding annotations to certain places.

She was wearing a pale green dress today, her hair coiled in a cloud bun, adorned only with a simple jade hairpin—elegant and dignified.

Yet, between her delicate brows, there was a faint layer of fatigue.

Handling Family affairs was never easy.

Especially in the current situation.

The incident involving the Jin Family of Jinxia Mountain had long spread across the territory of the Lingxiao Sect. The news of Yan Family Fort being wiped out overnight made every Foundation Establishment Family feel insecure.

The Ye Family of Longmai Mountain was no exception.

For the past month, she had to process news sent from various industries, adjust patrol routes, strengthen the defense of spiritual fields, and arrange for Family disciples to take turns guarding the nodes of the Grand Array almost every day.

Although several elders in the Family shared a lot of the work, the final decision still rested with her, the matriarch.

Lu Shiyin put down the vermilion brush, rubbed her brow, and sighed softly.

If only her husband were here.

As soon as this thought arose, she shook her head slightly and suppressed it.

Since her husband was away on a long journey, she had to hold this Family together.

This was her responsibility as the matriarch.

And it was something she was willing to bear.

Footsteps suddenly came from outside the hall.

Lu Shiyin raised her head and looked toward the hall entrance.

A familiar figure walked in.

The man was about fifty years old, with a square face, his brows and eyes somewhat similar to Ye Changge's, only with a bit more vicissitudes and steadiness.

It was none other than Ye Kaishan, Ye Changge's father, and the nominal head of the Ye Family of Longmai Mountain.

"Father, you are here."

Lu Shiyin hurriedly stood up and bowed slightly.

Ye Kaishan waved his hand, signaling her not to be overly formal, but his face carried obvious signs of worry.

He sat down on the side, was silent for a moment, and finally spoke:

"Shiyin, is there still no news of Changge?"

Hearing this, Lu Shiyin's fingers tightened slightly.

She lowered her eyes and shook her head gently.

"No."

As she said these two words, she felt an indescribable feeling in her heart.

When her husband left, he said it would take two months at the shortest, and half a year at the longest.

Now, it had already been one year and three months.

Far exceeding the deadline he had originally stated.

She believed her husband would not meet with any mishap, and she believed he would definitely return.

But...

In the current situation, with demonic cultivators running rampant, the Jin Family's remnants at large, and Yan Family Fort wiped out overnight...

It would be a lie to say she wasn't worried.

But she never showed this worry in front of others.

She was the matriarch; if she panicked, what would the people below her do?

Lu Shiyin raised her head and looked at Ye Kaishan, her voice steady:

"My husband... has always kept his word. Since he said he would return, he will definitely return."

Ye Kaishan looked at this gentle, dignified, yet resilient daughter-in-law, and sighed inwardly.

He nodded, did not continue to press, and instead brought up another matter.

"I just returned from Biluo Lake and discussed it with the Old Ancestor."

Ye Kaishan paused, his tone becoming a bit lower:

"You know the current situation. The Jin Family's remnants are at large, and Yan Family Fort is not far from us, yet not particularly close. If that Jin Shirong were truly insane enough to target us..."

He did not continue, but the meaning was already very clear.

Lu Shiyin listened quietly without interrupting.

Ye Kaishan took a deep breath and continued:

"The Old Ancestor and I mean... to take precautions and send some of the children away first."

Lu Shiyin's eyes moved slightly.

Ye Kaishan looked into her eyes and said word by word:

"For a Family, the most important thing is not the spiritual land, nor the industries, but fresh blood. As long as the children are safe, the Family still has hope."

He paused, his voice dropping:

"If... if it really comes to that point, at least the Family line won't be broken."

There was silence in the hall for a moment.

Lu Shiyin lowered her eyes and bit her lip gently.

She understood.

Of course she understood.

What Ye Kaishan said was the truth, a preparation any Family would make when facing an existential crisis.

But...

Send the children away?

Send away the children she watched being born, watched growing up, watched learning to babble and taking their first faltering steps?

She took a deep breath, raised her head, her gaze calm and firm:

"Father, regarding this matter... please allow me to think about it some more."

Ye Kaishan nodded, not urging her.

"Think it over carefully, there is no rush for a day or two."

He stood up, patted his robes, and walked toward the outside of the hall.

When he reached the hall entrance, he suddenly stopped and looked back at Lu Shiyin.

"Shiyin, you have worked hard."

Lu Shiyin was slightly startled, then shook her head gently:

"Father, you are too kind, this is what I should do."

Ye Kaishan did not say anything more and turned to leave.

The hall became quiet again.

Lu Shiyin sat alone behind the long desk, looking at the darkening sky outside the window, remaining motionless for a long time.

In the distant sky, the last trace of sunset was fading, and the night was like ink, slowly enveloping the earth.

She sighed softly, withdrew her gaze, picked up the vermilion brush again, and continued to review the thick pile of documents.

No matter what, life had to go on.

The Family had to keep running.

The children still needed to eat, Cultivate, and grow up.

Before her husband returned—

She was the backbone of the Ye Family of Longmai Mountain.