190 The Grudge of the Family of Generals (1/2)
Shame was painted on Wang Yutang’s face. ”Initially, it wasn’t for the sworn brother… when the marshal was done vomiting blood in anger, the marshal’s son had sent an expert into Yutang to kidnap Shangguan Wudi’s wife and children…”
As soon as his words were uttered, there were murmurs of disgust among the other generals.
On the battlefield, life and death were determined by extreme measures; one could and one would be able to use any contemptible tactic available to him; winner takes it all. However, using any trick beyond that of warfare was taboo; holding hostages was the lowest and most tasteless tactic of all. Any general who did this would be stripped off his qualification to be listed in the continent’s notable generals, no matter how valiant he was, what came out of his battles or what merit he could achieve in the future. To involve another man's wife and children were the biggest taboo to the militants!
To use such a despicable tactic against a generation’s hero was all the more disgusting and vile!
”Shangguan Wudi received a letter saying that if he charged into the enemy as promised and died among them, his wife and son would be released. If he could save them, the grudge would be forgotten then and there. However, after Shangguan Wudi’s wife knew that she was being used to threaten her husband, she immediately took her own life, but not before killing her own child that she held in her embrace.”
”The woman had said, ‘I will not let my worthless life determine my husband's destiny. He will die if he meets the enemy; if I die and leave my son alive, he shall be ashamed for the rest of his life, knowing his father has died for him when he grows up. Let him go to the underworld with his mother; his mother has done you and your father wrong in this life, I hope I can make up for it in the next.”
”After she finished her words, she killed her son and herself; a smile lingering on her lips.”
”Shangguan Wudi was fighting through the throngs of the enemy when he found out that his wife and son had died. Aggrieved, he decided to die amongst the cavalry – all because he didn't want to live any longer…”
From the side, Shangguan Lingxiu’s cold voice said, ”Ancestor Wudi’s death is a great shame to the Shangguan Family. From then on, the Shangguan Family has sworn that if this blood grudge is not avenged to put an end to the past, it shall forever be veiled in the name of dying for a sworn brother!”
”Only when the blood grudge is avenged that our grandmother and uncle’s memorial tablets will return to our ancestral hall. This is the blood oath made by ancestor Wudi using his dantian’s Qi before he died; one that Shangguan’s descendants remember by heart!”
All the generals stood in silent awe.
”It was then that the continent’s militants set a new rule – no matter how the slaughter in battlefield went or what tactics were used, the opponents family, wife, and child, shall never be touched.”
Shangguan Lingxiu’s words were like iced beads that were scattered to the ground, chilling yet ringing clear to the ear.
Yun Yang asked from the side, ”What would fulfill the requirements for it to be called revenge?”
The Empire of Ziyou’s Old Marshal Wang Yutang closed his eyes solemnly.
Shangguan Lingxiu said faintly, ”The Empire of Ziyou’s marshal then was Zi Hengzong. The one who had done such an uncouth thing after he died was his son, Zi Yicheng. After the incident, Zi Yicheng rebelled and removed the Empire of Ziyou’s emperor from his throne, turning his own family to royalty… until today…”
”To end this grudge, the Empire of Ziyou will have to be wiped out; Ziyou’s royalty has to be exterminated. Only then will this end!”
The expression of Marshal Zi Yuanlong from the Empire of Ziyou turned ugly. He was the Empire of Ziyou’s royal blood; he could not refrain from feeling shaken when faced with this historical case.
Shangguan Lingxiu looked at him and said coldly, ”Marshal Zi doesn’t have to worry, we will not attack you when you’re in Yutang. Your death needs to take place on the battlefield; the termination of Ziyou needs to happen formally as we break Ziyou’s army and charge into Zitian City. We shall uproot the imperial Zi lineage, witnessed by the heroes in this world!”
Shangguan Lingxiu said softly, ”This is the only military grudge left in this continent, recognized and acknowledged by the nations! There is no grace nor resentment involved for the rest, whether they live or die, win or lose!”
”The promise of no grace, nor resentment despite the hostility originates from here.”
Shangguan Lingxiu looked calm and at peace but Yun Yang had sucked in a cold breath listening to her.
To destroy the Empire of Ziyou and uproot its royal members!
It seemed to be an impossible revenge to exact.
Yun Yang was never one to belittle himself. It was not wrong to say that he was full of himself, regarding himself highly. For a single family to uproot an imperial family, however... Yun Yang did not have such a plan for now – it was simply too ambitious!
”Generations of the Shangguan Family shall attempt to fulfill this wish; whatever it takes, we shall reunite Ancestor Wudi’s family in the underworld!”
Shangguan Lingxiu continued softly, ”From the ancestors of the Shangguan Family, five or six out of ten among those at the memorial tablets here have stories similar to Ancestor Wudi… If all of you want to pay your respects to each of them, I’m afraid it will take too long.”
This was obviously an implied order for the guests to leave.
Even Han Sanhe dared not object when faced with the order to leave by the Shangguan Family.
How many among those in the legion of ancestral tablets had contributed many more meritorious deeds than him?
How much more among them were the life-long idols of militants in this world?
These were not just ancestral tablets, they were the heroic souls of militants.
As long as one was a militant, it wasn't entirely incorrect to say that coming to this place was a pilgrimage.