Chapter 4472: The Lu
âThe last stone.â Purpose said: âLetâs go to the Lu to negotiate then.â
Their expression looked rather strange when the Lu was brought up.
âI donât think there is anyone in charge after the geezerâs passing.â Wise murmured.
âThe current clan master is Daqi who is up there in age now.â Jian Ming shrugged.
âWe need to go because the last stone is required anyway.â Wise Ancestor decided.
They knew that all four stones were essential for the union. However, there seemed to be something going on with the Lu.
âVirtuous Nephew, I think you might be able to convince their clan master for the dao stone.â Wise Ancestor suggested.
âHehehe.â Jian Ming laughed: âAncestors, donât make it hard for a junior like me. The Lu Clan Master might not do anything crazy but he might either close the door or hit me with a broom.â
He made it clear that he didnât want to go to the Lu.
âOur four clans have always been one, he wonât be that bad.â Purpose said without confidence.
âHah, hard to say. My old man tried to come express sympathy last year but he didnât even get inside.â Jian Ming laughed.
âI came for the funeral as well but the Lu didnât see me. At least they gave me enough face to not chase me away with brooms.â Wise sighed and said.
âLooks like it is impossible to get the dao stone from them then.â Jian Ming said: âThe Lu probably didnât want to do it back then, just like everyone else, no?â
Everyoneâs expression became awkward after hearing this.
âLetâs go and see.â Wise Ancestor pondered for a bit before speaking: âWe must have the last stone.â
âWhat if they simply refuse?â Purpose prepared for the worst?
âHmm, steal or rob?â Jian Mingâs eyes rolled back and forth.
âNot suitable.â Wise shook his head: âHow can we steal from family? Preposterous.â
âThe boy has a point.â Purpose said.
âWe can only do our best, persuade them with feelings and logic.â Wise decided.
It seemed that the trio wasnât optimistic about their chances in the slightest.
âWho will be the messenger?â Jian Ming shrugged: âNot me, they didnât give my old man any face, so theyâll do the same to a junior like me.â
This left the group in a tough position. Since they were ancestors, they couldnât handle being refused entry at the door. It would be too humiliating.
âFine, Iâll go to the Lu for the last stone.â Li Qiye who has been staring at the tree interrupted the group.
âYou will ,Young Noble?â The trio was caught by surprise.
âYour four clans are connected with me, it is worth my effort.â Li Qiye said.
They didnât understand this connection he brought up. Nonetheless, they absolutely would never refuse his suggestion.
âWeâll go together with you, Young Noble.â Wise suggested.
âLetâs prepare some gifts to show our sincerity.â Purpose hurriedly said.
Li Qiye stared at them and said: âSeems like there is some guilty conscience going on here. Did your three clans team up and bully the Lu?â
âNo, of course notâ¦â Purpose smiled awkwardly and answered with a feeble tone.
âThen why the guilty conscience?â Li Qiye asked.
They couldnât answer right away. Eventually, Wise coughed and said: âThe truth is that it was just a misunderstanding. We had no intention of bullying them, itâs just that it had to be done back then for the Lu to avoid trouble. It was the best choice for the Lu and everyone. Plus, weâre trying our best to compensate them for it.â
âBest for the Lu and everyone? A lot of assholes in the world try to justify their actions by bringing up the greater good when in reality, it was selfish in nature. Worst of all, they would assume the moral high ground too.â Li Qiye criticized.
The trio had no response once more.
âCompensation is absolutely in order.â Jian Ming eventually said: âThe four clans are one. Though there is a crack, we should try our best to mend it.â
âRight, the feud shouldnât continue.â The two ancestors solemnly nodded.
âLetâs go.â Li Qiye said and descended. The trio hurried after him.
***
This was no longer the golden age of the four clans. They werenât prestigious and famous across the realm any longer.
However, their land was still fertile and their population was relatively acceptable. The only exception was the Lu.
Their declination was awfully apparent compared to the other three. Their territories were just as large as their counterparts. However, they were barren; even the streets looked abandoned.
It seemed that their population was declining at a rapid rate, making it harder for them to prosper and keep up with business.
Of course, the other three clans didnât take advantage of this to take over the Luâs towns. They, at the very least, maintained this final line and still considered the Lu as family.
Sure enough, as the group entered the Lu, they could see the desolation along the way.
The other three clans didnât produce any supreme genius but at least they still had many descendants. The same couldnât be said about the Lu.