Top-tier Unruly Master

Chapter 2302: Chapter 2337: Afraid to Trust

At that time, Ding Aohuang’s mother was so enraged by the incident that she fell seriously ill, and eventually passed away in the tenth year of Ding Aohuang’s departure, leaving no one to discipline Ding Aoshuang. She developed a proud and rebellious personality, often causing major incidents. Since Ding Fan’s Ancestral Master was in seclusion cultivating, none of the elders in the family dared to manage her. After dealing with the troubles she caused, they grew increasingly disappointed with her.

Later, Ding Aoshuang secretly fell in love with a young master, but he was not a young master from the Eastern Central Plains, but from a small family.

Her father was in seclusion cultivating, her mother passed away from illness, her brother was missing, and Ding Aoshuang became rebellious and arrogant. After falling in love with this young master, she became irretrievable, spending her days with him. The entire Eastern Central Plains was stirred by the matter.

When her family found out, they naturally did not agree. What was Ding Aoshuang’s identity? She was the daughter of one of the eleven Royal Families. How could she marry a young master from a small family? Moreover, he wasn’t even from a family in the Eastern Central Plains. The Sirius Clan had always had many enemies, what if that young master was an undercover agent?

So...

Ling Wanru’s tragedy happened to Ding Aoshuang. All of her affairs were reported to her father, Ding Zhanpeng, by the elders. Ding Zhanpeng personally ordered that Ding Aoshuang be locked away for three years, then forced her to marry Yun Haitao.

After being imprisoned for three years, Ding Aoshuang did not give up. On the day of the wedding, she escaped to find the young master from the small family. However, the small family had disappeared. The Sirius Clan had sent people to threaten that small family, and they were so frightened that they fled without a trace.

Ding Aoshuang was captured and sent to Yunxiao Palace. Ding Aoshuang accepted her fate, but Yun Haitao became the laughingstock of the Eastern Central Plains. Naturally, he was very dissatisfied, feeling as if he was wearing a green hat.

In earlier years, it was somewhat better, but after an incident with Ding Fan’s Ancestral Master, Ding Zhanpeng, Yun Haitao began to drink excessively, and every time he got drunk, he would abuse Ding Aoshuang.

Ding Aoshuang did not complain to her family in vain, but how could the Ding family’s elders handle such matters? They could only discreetly mention it to Yunxiao Palace, and after each mention, Yun Haitao would restrain himself a bit, but it wouldn’t be long before he started again.

Her father was in trouble, her brother was missing, her mother had died, and the elders did not care. Ding Aoshuang completely accepted her fate. Over the years, she had been tortured, hanging on the brink of life and death, gradually submitting to adversity. If it weren’t for thinking of her father and grandfather, she would have taken her own life long ago.

This is a sad story, as many women in powerful families cannot independently marry. Such things are evident, and Ding Fan was also not unaware, so it is hard to say who was at fault.

Of course, Ding Fan chose to help his own kin, his only elder sister. Whoever dared to bully her, he would never let them get away with it.

"Well, Elder Sister, your engagement has been annulled. You no longer have to return to suffer. You can live with me at the Ding Ding Family. If anyone from the Sirius Clan dares show you a bad face, I will twist off their head for you to kick as a ball."

Ding Fan looked at Ding Aoshuang’s tear-filled eyes, sighed softly, patted her on the shoulder, then took out a few Medicine Pills for her to treat her injuries before asking, "Elder Sister, what happened with Ancestral Master?"

Ding Aoshuang had long taken the medicine for her wounds, but they hadn’t completely healed. She shook her head and said, "I don’t know, no one will tell me. Only the elders have the right to know, but... I heard some rumors. Like ten years ago, my father went to the Southern Border alone to find my brother, and ended up severely injured. After returning, he went into seclusion to heal, and hasn’t come out for ten years. Because of this, Sirius City was also sealed."

"Was he severely injured?"

Ding Fan slightly furrowed his brows, recalling the Great Elder’s expression when mentioning Ancestral Master and those silent elders. His heart grew particularly heavy, feeling that Ancestral Master seemed seriously hurt, otherwise, the Ding Family would not have closed the city gates, forbidding disciples to leave.

For the Sirius Clan’s decision to close the city and seal information, Ding Fan could understand.

The leader of the clan had been seriously wounded, indeed the clan should close the city, act discretely, and let no news leak out, otherwise it would be easily attacked by enemies.

Ding Fan pondered for a long time, his eyes suddenly swept towards Zhong Zhiyong and Crimson Flame, saying, "Do you sense someone nearby using Divine Sense to explore us?"

Crimson Flame and Zhong Zhiyong quickly closed their eyes, extended their Divine Senses, and sensed. After a while, both nodded. Ding Fan softly asked, "Elder Sister, do you think I can trust our clansmen? I mean... that kind of unlimited trust. Is the Great Elder such a person?"

Ding Fan could now only trust Ding Aoshuang. If Ding Aoshuang said the Great Elder was trustworthy, he would tell him about Ding Aohuang’s whereabouts. As long as the Great Elder was willing to go find him, he could easily rescue Ding Aohuang from Frostbite Cliff.

Ding Aoshuang felt a little down, wondering why Ding Fan would ask such a question. Seeing Ding Fan so solemn, she pondered, but after a while, she shook her head and said, "I think... no one can be absolutely trusted, including both Great Elders!"

"Both Great Elders?"

Ding Fan was a bit confused. Wasn’t there only one Great Elder? How come he had never seen another Great Elder?

"Yes, two Great Elders!"

Ding Aoshuang looked at Ding Fan questioningly, saying to him, "No one ever told you? The Great Elder you just saw is from our Great-Grandfather’s generation, even my grandfather calls him Great Uncle, and the other Great Elder is not in the family. He’s been out for over a year, he’s from my grandfather’s generation; we all call him Grandfather, and his son, my father’s elder brother, we call the Great Elder!"

"Oh!"

Ding Fan nodded, expressing the doubts in his heart: "What about the Great Elder? I haven’t seen him since I returned."

"He is in seclusion for cultivation!"

Ding Aoshuang explained: "He entered seclusion for cultivation years ago, probably to break through to the Eighth Level of the Divine Realm. He reached the peak of the Seventh Level of the Divine Realm long ago, and this time he’s been in seclusion for so long, surely to break through to the Eighth Level of the Divine Realm!"

"Eighth Level of the Divine Realm?"

Ding Fan was greatly shocked. He had never thought there would be a cultivator at the Eighth Level of the Divine Realm. All he had heard and seen was that the highest was the Seventh Level of the Divine Realm, and though he had heard of the Ninth Level of the Divine Realm, this was the first time he heard that someone was cultivating at the Eighth Level of the Divine Realm.

He finally understood that the Ding Family might have a possibility of attaining experts at the Eighth Level of the Divine Realm, so he asked Ding Aoshuang, "Auntie, is the Great Elder close to succeeding in his breakthrough?"

Ding Aoshuang nodded and said, "Perhaps he is. The Seventh Level of the Divine Realm is the realm of royalty in the Divine Realm, and the Eighth Level of the Divine Realm is like a deity. Both Great Elders and your Ancestral Master are experts at the Eighth Level of the Divine Realm. You must understand that having only three Eighth Level experts makes a Level Eight force. Maybe... because father had an accident, and now there aren’t three Eighth Level experts in our clan, they had to seal off Sirius City."

"That’s probably it!"

Ding Fan suddenly realized, as he once suspected there should be three cultivators of some realm within an Eight Level force. Only now did he know there were truly people cultivating at the Eighth Level of the Divine Realm, and the Sirius Ding Family actually had three such cultivators. The strength of the Ding Family was indeed beyond ordinary.

After a pause, Ding Fan said softly, "Aunt, you said no one can be trusted. Why is that? Is no one loyal to the Ancestral Master?"

"The human heart is two-faced!"

Ding Aoshuang glanced outside, and Ding Fan motioned to Crimson Flame and Zhong Zhiyong to guard outside. Watching them leave, Ding Aoshuang spoke softly, "If your Ancestral Master were well, the family would undoubtedly have countless loyalists to him. But after these ten years, I think everyone has changed from how they used to be. Ding Fan, you may not understand, but a large force or family, while united outwardly, has severe internal conflicts. The elders of the family seldom consider things from an emotional standpoint, as the family’s interests come first."

"We are no longer in power now, it’s your Granduncle’s branch that holds power. The Great Elder, Second Elder, and Third Elder are all your Granduncle’s sons. You should be able to feel their attitude towards you."

"The other elders, including the Great Elder, will consider the overall interests of the Ding Family. If something major occurs, they will definitely side with the Great Elder and his branch because now... your Granduncle’s branch represents the entire Ding Family, the entire Sirius Clan, and their interests."

"If your Ancestral Master were unharmed, everything would change because his combat power is terrifying, and he’s even stronger than the Great Uncle. Unfortunately... I’m not sure how he is now!"

Upon hearing this, Ding Aoshuang’s expression dimmed once more, and Ding Fan sighed lightly. If his Ancestral Master could awaken, why would he need to seek help from other elders? Having his Ancestral Master rescue the master would suffice.

Ding Aoshuang made a valid point. The Second Elder, Third Elder, and Fourth Elder had indeed been unfriendly towards him, and Ding Fan understood why.

Previously, his Ancestral Master was in power within the Ding Family, but now that his Ancestral Master was in trouble, it was the Great Elder’s branch in control. It was apparent that his three uncles became elders, showcasing that the Second Elder’s power in the Elders’ Hall was substantial, and when he spoke, the other elders rarely disagreed.

Now, Ding Fan understood why over the years, no one from the Sirius Clan had gone to the Northern Wastelands to find Ding Aohuang.

What would they find him for? To inherit the position of the family head? Wouldn’t his Granduncle’s branch, which had finally risen, be suppressed again if he returned?

His Granduncle’s branch had finally gained power, and naturally, they didn’t want the power to return to Ding Aohuang’s branch. So after Ding Fan returned, he underwent various interrogations, and some even showed killing intent. To this day, neither the Second Elder nor the Third Elder had mentioned his status as the family heir.

"No one can be trusted!"

Ding Fan pondered for a moment, confirming this point. Human hearts are fickle. Now, the Great Elder’s branch represents the Sirius Clan, symbolizing the whole Ding Family’s interests. If other neutral elders, even those close to his Ancestral Master, had quietly sided with the Great Elder’s branch, wouldn’t revealing Ding Aohuang’s whereabouts be like delivering a sheep to the wolf’s mouth?

For instance, the Seventh Elder’s way of handling things today left Ding Fan uneasy. Although the elders treated him kindly, they couldn’t be entirely trusted. Who knows what they think after living so long?

Of course, some must still have absolute loyalty to his Ancestral Master. However, neither Ding Fan nor Ding Aoshuang knew who was loyal or treacherous and did not dare trust these elders. Even if the Seventh Elder declared loyalty, could he truly be trusted?

If...

No one can be trusted, then what meaning does Ding Fan’s return to the Ding Family hold? Wasn’t he back to find a family expert to rescue Ding Aohuang and Xia Mengqing?

The Frostbite Cliff is challenging to enter even for those at the Seventh Level of the Divine Realm. Without the strong support of the Sirius Clan, who else could he turn to? The Eighth Level experts of the Divine Realm must be scarce. Even if Ding Fan were fortunate to meet them, they might not be able to help. Even if they were willing to help, he couldn’t completely trust outsiders.

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