The night deepened, and Chu Wansong's chauffeured car was the first to drive into the Tan Palace affluent district, parking in the garage of Villa No. 9.
"Wuming, Villa No. 8 next door is Huangfu Qing's residence."
After getting out of the car, Chu Wansong pointed to the villa next door. Seeing Jiang Wuming looked confused, he added, "Huangfu Qing is the father of Huangfu Yingjun and Huangfu Weixia. He is almost certainly the next successor of the Huangfu family."
"Uncle Chu, after Xiaofeng called you, Huangfu Yingjun also called his father, Huangfu Qing. If I'm not mistaken, Huangfu Qing must have spoken to you, right?" Jiang Wuming asked.
"He did. I spoke with him, and we agreed that tonight's events should be considered as if they never happened."
Chu Wansong smiled, not elaborating on the details with Jiang Wuming. "Let's go to the study. I'll tell you some old stories."
"Alright, Uncle Chu."
Jiang Wuming nodded and followed Chu Wansong into the main villa building.
More than what Chu Wansong had discussed with Huangfu Qing tonight, Jiang Wuming was more curious as to why Chu Wansong was helping him in this way.
Chu Wansong's villa was luxuriously decorated. There was no old-fashioned rosewood furniture, no precious vases or ornaments, and no famous paintings or calligraphy on the walls. The only antique item was a spear placed in the study.
The spear was forged from black iron, with a sharp tip. There were faint dark red stains on it, left by blood that had seeped into the metal.
"Wuming, this spear belongs to your Jiang family."
Chu Wansong sat at his desk and dropped a bombshell.
"The Jiang family?" Jiang Wuming was slightly taken aback.
"Yes."
Chu Wansong nodded first, then said thoughtfully, "It seems you know nothing about the Jiang family's affairs?"
"Yes, after I was born, my parents were no longer around. I never met any other members of the Jiang family, nor did anyone tell me anything about the Jiang family," Jiang Wuming said with a complex tone.
"Your ancestral home is on the Huadong Peninsula. The Jiang family participated in the famous Guan Dong migration in history, moving from the Huadong Peninsula to the Northeast, settling in our Chu Family Village.
When the Jiang family first arrived in Chu Family Village, they faced ostracism. However, the Jiang family elder, your great-grandfather, did not permit any Jiang family disciples to harm the villagers of Chu Family Village.
At first, the villagers of Chu Family Village thought the Jiang family was easy to bully, but later they realized that was not the case.
The Jiang family ancestors practiced martial arts, and your great-grandfather's martial arts were exceptionally high. His spear techniques were superb.
Your grandfather, your second and third grandfathers also inherited the Jiang family's martial arts. If they wanted to harm the villagers of Chu Family Village, each of them could easily take on ten.
When the villagers of Chu Family Village learned of this, they no longer dared to bully the Jiang family. Many villagers followed your great-grandfather to practice martial arts. Your great-grandfather, forgetting past grievances, was also very generous, teaching them everything he knew.
In the last century, the Ren Kingdom launched a war against the Long Kingdom. The Northeast fell, and the Ren Kingdom implemented a scorched-earth policy of 'kill all, burn all, loot all.' The land was devastated, and Chu Family Village was not spared.
However, the villagers of Chu Family Village did not wait to be slaughtered. Under the leadership of your great-grandfather, they resisted the invaders.
At that time, your great-grandfather instructed all the women and children of Chu Family Village to hide in the mountains, while the men stayed behind to fight the devils with him.
The first time, the devils sent a squad of over fifty men. Your great-grandfather, along with your three grandfathers, annihilated them!
The second time, the devils sent a company, nearly two hundred men. Your great-grandfather led the men of Chu Family Village to engage them. They wiped out all the devils, but also suffered many casualties."
The third time, the devils sent a regiment, numbering over 3,000 and equipped with superior weaponry. Your great-grandfather ordered your grandfather to lead the villagers of Chu Family Village who had not practiced martial arts into the mountains to escort the village's women and children to safety. He himself, along with your second and third grandfathers and other martial arts practitioners among the villagers, engaged in guerrilla warfare against the devils.
In that battle, your great-grandfather and his men killed 1,500 devils, half the enemy's total strength, but they all perished.
Among them, the military of the Ren Kingdom learned of your great-grandfather's existence and specifically dispatched a martial arts master from the Ren Kingdom to issue a death challenge to your great-grandfather in the name of martial arts.
At that time, all those who had followed him into battle, except for your great-grandfather, had already died.
Your great-grandfather, carrying the Chu family's spear alone, went to the enemy camp and engaged in a life-and-death battle with the Ren Kingdom martial arts master. He was ultimately no match for his opponent and was killed during the duel. His body was hung from a large tree in front of Chu Family Village.
When your grandfather learned of this, he told the villagers of Chu Family Village to continue their escape. He himself returned to Chu Family Village, attempting to retrieve your great-grandfather's body, but failed and was also killed.
The bodies of your great-grandfather and your grandfather were hung on the tree, exposed to the sun, and eventually eaten by vultures, leaving no remains.
Chu Wansong's tone was filled with grief and respect as he spoke.
*Crack!*
Jiang Wuming quietly clenched his fists, a surge of killing intent emanating from him. He could vividly imagine how tragic the scene must have been.
"Uncle Chu, the devils clearly set a trap to kill my great-grandfather. He could have refused the death challenge from that Ren Kingdom martial arts master. Why did he go to face him alone?"
Shortly after, Jiang Wuming calmed his emotions and asked the question that was troubling him.
"The people of the Long Kingdom will never be slaves, and the martial artists of the Long Kingdom will never be cowards!"
Chu Wansong replied in a low tone, "These were your great-grandfather's exact words at the Ren Kingdom military camp. When a Ren Kingdom officer wrote his memoirs after the war, he specifically recorded that battle, including this sentence.
As you said, according to the memoir written by that Ren Kingdom officer, the Ren Kingdom military had no intention of letting your great-grandfather leave that day.
At the time, at least ten machine guns were aimed at the dueling arena. Even if your great-grandfather defeated the Ren Kingdom martial arts master, he would have been mowed down by gunfire.
Your great-grandfather never intended to leave either. He went with the resolve to die.
If he had defeated the Ren Kingdom martial arts master on the dueling field, it would have boosted the morale of the Long Kingdom and served as an inspiration for more Long Kingdom martial artists to join the war and resist the invasion of the Ren Kingdom army!"
Jiang Wuming fell silent, his fists clenched. He could feel the tragic heroism of his great-grandfather.
"Wuming, your Jiang family saved Chu Family Village. If the Jiang family hadn't moved to Chu Family Village, and if your great-grandfather hadn't made proper arrangements, the villagers of Chu Family Village would have been massacred like those in other villages!"
Chu Wansong's voice grew emotional as he continued, "Later, after the war ended, the villagers of Chu Family Village settled elsewhere, but your grandmother took your father and left.
At that time, the villagers of Chu Family Village didn't know where they had gone. Later, they learned that your grandmother had taken your father back to Chu Family Village.
She considered it her hometown, raised your father there, and eventually buried him on the mountain behind Chu Family Village, facing the large tree in front of the village.
"Uncle Chu, how did you know about what happened later? Did my father tell you?"
Jiang Wuming felt a pang of pain in his heart, and as he realized something, he couldn't help but ask.