CHAPTER 653: CHAPTER 653: SIMULATION PRACTICE

Wenshu started out behaving normally, but when she began speaking uneasily, I too couldn’t help but sigh.

How could Zhenxue’s sharp intuition not be aware of it? Wenshu’s trouble must definitely have something to do with that man in the suit.

So I immediately asked, "Wenshu, those people just now..."

"They’re all trash! None of them are worth anything!"

Wenshu’s response, though rash, carried a truth I couldn’t deny. But with Chen Xue standing right in front of us, I quickly added, "Miss, please don’t mind her rough language! Regardless, those people are no good. I just hope the enigmatic young lady understands this."

"Then what kind of people are they really?"

Chen didn’t want to delve deeper into Wenshu’s words, even though her intuition told her otherwise. In the past, she would’ve avoided these matters out of fear, but now...

Even though she hadn’t officially ascended to become the Hidden Sword Sect Master, a transformation had undoubtedly taken place!

The demeanor of those people earlier was clear enough, and Wenshu’s reluctance made it all the more aggravating!

So naturally, she pressed further for answers!

And now, fearing Wenshu’s deflection, Chen Xue said, "Wenshu, I’m no longer a child. I’ve left home; what exactly happened? Tell me the truth!"

Wenshu initially intended to remain evasive, but when her eyes met Chen Xue’s, she froze!

Because those eyes reminded her so much of the same purity that once shone in Chen Xue’s father, Ren Zhenhao, and his usual serious demeanor!

Inside the barbershop, Wenshu finally let out a long sigh and relented. "Alright! Fine, you’re all grown up now, Chen Xue. These are things you would have found out sooner or later. I’ll... I’ll tell you! Ten years ago... well, honestly, nothing particularly special happened. The number of cultivators started increasing, and the balance of the world’s order felt more precarious... And then... we fell into decline after the dreaded Tiger’s Roar!"

"Decline? What do you mean, decline?!"

Chen Xue’s earnest questions betrayed her confusion.

"It’s just that... instead of people caring for each other..."

Wenshu’s voice trailed off. "Regardless, this world isn’t the same as it was ten years ago. China isn’t the same as it was ten years ago. Our family’s trajectory has not been on a steady course for a decade now.

"In today’s roadmaps, even our final stronghold, the Times Plaza you see now, is all that’s left of our legacy. A struggling fragment."

"This Times Plaza... is truly all that remains of the family?"

Upon hearing this, even Yang Chuan and Fang Chao, standing nearby, were taken aback!

Ren Zhenhao had once been renowned for his top-tier reputation, but even he only had a handful of prestigious properties under his name.

And now, only this Times Plaza remained?

How heavy a burden to carry!

But Wenshu evidently hadn’t finished speaking.

Glancing at Chen Xue’s expression, Lady Shu sighed once more. "Still, this place isn’t even truly ours! The people you saw earlier are the rightful future owners of it. That’s why Enyu has already handed over the rights to seal it off long ago."

"What’s going on? Who exactly are they?"

Chen Xue’s tone sharpened with urgency. She grasped that Wenshu’s talk of the Chen Family’s decline was intertwined with those individuals and their influence.

But Wenshu, unwilling to elaborate any further, simply shook her head and said, "Miss, it no longer matters now who they are. What’s important is that the Jin Family has risen, and despite our decline, even a skinny camel is bigger than a horse. Miss Jin is better positioned to steer the winds of change."

"But that doesn’t solve anything!"

Chen Xue immediately frowned. "Why won’t you tell me what happened to our family, Wenshu? If you won’t tell me, I’ll find out from others myself!"

She turned as if to leave the office.

Wenshu was alarmed and quickly stepped forward to grab her arm, holding her back. "Miss! Please don’t act rashly! Those people... they aren’t easy to deal with!"

"And neither am I!"

Chen Xue snorted defiantly before stepping into Yang Qian and Qi Yuan’s presence and landing a swift strike to the right. "And with Sister Yan by my side, what do we have to be afraid of?"

Her sisterly bond exuded confidence.

Hearing Chen Xue’s bold words, Wenshu couldn’t help redirecting her gaze toward Yang Chuan and Qi Yuan.

Though Qi Yuan’s name was not unfamiliar, Yang... Yang Chuan was another matter entirely. The renowned Mr. Yang.

Wenshu, who had once been Ren Zhenhao’s trusted aide, had seen Yang Chuan from afar back when the Jiangsu Medical Association was still active. But the person before her now seemed altogether different.

"You... Are you truly Mr. Yang?" Wenshu asked, glancing at Yang Chuan, skepticism written on her face.

Yang Chuan smiled faintly and wiped his face, instantly altering his demeanor to reflect a calm, meditative state—once more reverting to his former composure.

Despite having laid low during the years after the Olympic Mountain incident, Yang Chuan remained globally renowned as a formidable figure, rising high above the rest before his self-imposed seclusion.

As soon as Wenshu processed Yang Chuan’s transformation, her eyes widened in disbelief. "You’re... Are you really...? Truly..."

"It’s me. Yang Chuan."

Yang Chuan’s smile was faint but firm. "Chen Xue is like a sister to me, and Elder Chen was one of my staunchest allies in the past. So, Miss Chen, rest assured. Your family matters—everything—will be resolved."

"Really?"

Hearing this, Wenshu finally exhaled a deep sigh of relief. "Alright! If Mr. Yang says so, then I’ll speak plainly. Those people below... they’re all members of the arrogant and domineering Jin Family!"

"The Jin Family? Jin Genxi’s Jin Family?"

Shuang Bu frowned.

The name carried heavy weight. Even Yang Chuan’s memory stirred at hearing it. That year, during Jin Genxi’s golden era, Yang Chuan had shattered his hegemony, destroying Jin Family estates in the process.

Back then, Jin Genxi’s audacity reached new heights—but now, traces of that fall loomed shockingly into the present.

Wenshu continued with a nod. "Yes... Yes, it’s that Jin Genxi’s Jin Family!"

"The Jin Family’s chaotic rise... It was said the Nordic Palace’s subtle workings provided them leverage. Afterward, the shifting powers left us cornered," Wenshu explained, her voice controlled but laden with frustration. "Our fall and their rise... it’s an incessant cycle..."

The words hung heavily in the air.

But Yang Chuan understood it all clearly now.

Years ago, Jin Genxi perished due to Yang Chuan’s own hand. It wasn’t the workings of the Good Palace or others; it was personal.

For the ten years Yang Chuan remained absent, opportunists and faith-driven zealots like Enbai’s God exploited the absence to fuel their schemes. Jin Family bet everything on sacred connections to strike back and ascend once more.

But as Wenshu timidly glanced at her audience, her voice grew softer. "Ultimately, even with our influence, the mundane Chen Family couldn’t outlast the Jin Family manipulated by divine forces."

"Brother Tian... It’s all my fault!" Chen Xue finally faltered and leaned toward Yang Chuan.

But Yang Chuan gently patted her shoulder. "Chen Xue, there’s no need for apologies. Despite the delay, I’ve returned at last. And now that I’m here, these troubles are no longer troubles."

Those words carried unwavering certainty, and Chen Xue’s gaze lit up with hope at once.

For Yang Chuan was no mere figure.

Upon his return, he destroyed the Olympic Mountain, killed Emperor Shen himself, and emerged unshaken.

With him by their side, there was truly nothing left to fear!