Chapter 278 - 155: "Hey Hey, It’s Your Turn.

Chapter 278: Chapter 155: "Hey Hey, It’s Your Turn.

"..."

The old man standing behind the woman in brocade stiffened. He had guessed their identities might have been compromised, but it was only a suspicion. He hadn’t expected to be found out for real—and so quickly.

Chen Fan had come personally.

The Mortal Realm Lord was receiving them in person.

’This was no great honor. It was a sign of crisis.’

"You’re Chen Fan?"

The woman in the brocade dress looked at Chen Fan, who stood before her leaning on his Jade Staff, her eyes full of curiosity. "So you’re the one who single-handedly created the Mortal Realm? I heard you’re a very powerful Architect, but you look so young."

"And you are?"

Chen Fan asked with a cheerful smile.

He seemed extremely easygoing.

In reality, he was. ’The Dark Pavilion does all the killing,’ he mused. ’What’s it got to do with me?’

"Domain Lord Chen."

The old man behind her stepped forward, cupped his fists in a salute, and said in a solemn voice, "We are from the Jiangnan He Family. We’ve come only to observe Mortal City and have no ill intentions."

’It’s my turn to speak now.’

’The Young Miss is away from the clan for the first time. She speaks without considering the weight of her words, and it wouldn’t do to make enemies because of it.’

"The Jiangnan He Family?"

Chen Fan nodded thoughtfully. Soon, a Sound Transmission Talisman in his robes grew hot. He took it out, listened for a moment, and then said with a smile, "There’s no such power in Jiangnan. You’re from Guanxi, aren’t you?"

"It is truly Jiangnan," the old man said gravely after a brief pause.

"We are a Hidden Clan from Jiangnan. We do not normally operate in the outside world, so our name is not well known."

"I see."

"Please, come inside."

Chen Fan smiled and gestured for them to follow him into a nearby shop.

’In my past life, when I read novels, I often came across the concept of Hidden Clans. They were always depicted as immensely powerful. I always wanted to ask, if they’re so strong, why are they hiding? I never thought I’d actually meet a real, live Hidden Clan in this life.’

’How interesting.’

...

「Inside a shop in Mortal City.」

Chen Fan poured each of them a cup of tea and asked with a smile,

"From the caliber of your group, I can tell the Jiangnan He Family behind you is not weak. Why remain in seclusion?"

"..."

The woman in brocade no longer spoke, sitting obediently to the side.

The old man had taken over the conversation completely.

He hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Domain Lord Chen, do you eat meat?"

"Of course."

"Is it savory?"

"It’s not bad."

"Then, if you were to witness the slaughter with your own eyes, Domain Lord Chen, would you still find it so savory?"

Chen Fan gave a noncommittal nod, offering no specific response.

"As the saying goes, ’A gentleman keeps his distance from the kitchen.’" The wrinkles on the old man’s face rippled as he spoke in a low voice. "The Jiangnan He Family possesses a certain degree of power, but we cannot shelter all of humanity. Every year, we can only watch helplessly as the common people are slaughtered by Ghost Objects."

"Since we cannot save them."

"We simply choose to close our eyes and not look."

"It lessens the guilt."

"When you are powerless and see the common people being slaughtered by Ghost Objects, you don’t feel much emotional turmoil. That’s because you can barely save yourself, let alone worry about others."

"But when you have a certain amount of power and can still only watch as they are slaughtered, it begins to weigh on your heart."

"Just as—"

"If, for instance, Jiangbei City were being slaughtered by Ghost Objects right now, I believe you too would feel a certain discomfort, Domain Lord Chen."

"Even if you don’t know anyone in Jiangbei City, Jiangbei is your territory, after all."

"But if one lives in seclusion."

"One can reduce this feeling of guilt, looking after only oneself and ignoring the plight of the world."

"..."

Chen Fan nodded thoughtfully. It was the first time he had heard such an explanation for living in seclusion, and it sounded somewhat reasonable.

"This is my first time encountering a Hidden Clan."

"If there’s one, there must be others."

"So, do all of you hide away for this reason?"

"Not entirely."

The old man shook his head. "The main reason is that the Eternal Night is like a tide; it will one day recede. The Ghost Objects within the Eternal Night are endless. Killing them is meaningless. Preserving ourselves to endure the Eternal Night—that is the primary reason the Hidden Clans remain in seclusion."

"It will one day recede?"

Chen Fan laughed.

"Surely you know this, Domain Lord Chen?"

The old man’s brow furrowed slightly. "The current Eternal Night on the Eternal Night Continent is not the first. It has come before, and it has always receded in the end. Tides rise and fall. When a tide rises, it must also fall."

"Tides rise and fall, you say?"

Chen Fan leaned back in his chair, raised his teacup, and took a small sip without speaking.

He didn’t bother arguing the point.

But he was certain of one thing.

’When the Eternal Night last descended, it’s impossible to know if it receded on its own or if it was repelled by the combined forces of the powers from Ancient Times.’

’But one thing is certain.’

’The Eternal Night isn’t something that will just eventually go away on its own.’

’A tide may rise...’

’...but it isn’t guaranteed to fall.’

’Just like... the New Continent. That was a continent completely devoured by the Ghost Tide, a land where the Eternal Night’s tide never fell. To simply hide away is to wait for death.’

But he didn’t want to bring this up.

There was no point.

"Let’s not talk about that."

Chen Fan changed the subject, looking at the clearly aged man before him. He spoke softly, "What is your purpose in coming to the Mortal Realm?"

According to the information Zhou Mo had provided, the old man before him was nearly two hundred years old.

’The Eternal Night Calendar has only been running for a little over three hundred years.’

’This guy has lived through more than half of the Eternal Night.’

"Firstly, as I said, to observe Mortal City."

"And secondly, we would like to open a shop in Mortal City."

"Open a shop?"

Chen Fan smiled as he refilled his own cup. "Aren’t you in seclusion? Do you still need to open shops?"

"Even seclusion requires Ghost Stones to maintain."

The old man said gravely, "In truth, several of the Hidden Clans of Jiangnan have businesses in the outside world. They just don’t operate under their family names. The contact between the clans and their businesses is infrequent—some once every five years, others once every three."