The First-Grade Lion Realm, Wanchuan Pier.
Yu Yunchan walked out of the Dispatcher’s house, utterly dejected.
Her maid Leng Yue, who had been by her side since childhood as both friend and servant, hurried up to meet her.
"Miss..."
But upon seeing her mistress’s expression, Leng Yue swallowed back the rest of her words, sighed softly, and then helped Yu Yunchan onto the carriage.
Once they were seated, Leng Yue whispered, "Miss, did we fail again?"
Yu Yunchan nodded bitterly, "I waited in the reception hall for a whole hour, but didn’t even get to see the Dispatcher’s wife. In the end, a servant came and said she went to offer incense at a temple outside the city."
"But her carriage was clearly in the courtyard. It’s obvious she didn’t want to see me."
At the end of her words, Yu Yunchan let out a long sigh, her eyes filled with despair.
Leng Yue, hearing this, felt a surge of anger, saying resentfully, "A bunch of fair-weather friends. When the old master was still alive, these madams eagerly came to see you every day, and now that something’s happened, they avoid you like the plague. It’s disheartening."
Yu Yunchan lowered her head and said in a somber tone, "You can’t really blame them. After all, the one plotting for my Yu family’s assets is the Commander-in-Chief of Wanchuan Pier. I’m just a bit unwilling to accept it. After all, the efforts of generations of the Yu family... will ultimately be ruined by my hands..."
Looking at Yu Yunchan’s thin shoulders, the maid Leng Yue felt a pang of heartache, "Miss, don’t put too much pressure on yourself. You’ve done well enough. Who could have guessed that the old master would suddenly pass away..."
Leng Yue didn’t dare to continue, afraid of evoking more of Yu Yunchan’s sorrow.
After all, the past period had been incredibly tough for the miss.
Since two months ago, when Yu Hongtu—once the Heaven-Supporting White Jade Pillar of the Yu family, whose Martial Dao strength had reached the pinnacle of the Heaven-Breaking Pass—suddenly died, the Yu family, once among the ten great families of the First-Grade Lion Realm and controlling the fate of hundreds of thousands of dockworkers at Wanchuan Pier, had seen its status plummet.
Without a suitable heir, even though Yu Hongtu had married over a hundred concubines and fathered hundreds of offspring, the majority were mediocre, and even the strongest among them had not broken through the Heaven-Breaking Pass, completely incapable of supporting such a vast family.
In such circumstances, the Yu family naturally became a succulent piece of meat, attracting countless greedy eyes.
Yet when the family was on the brink of chaos, Yu Yunchan, who had long stayed away from public view, stepped forward, using forceful methods to clear out some opportunistic and unruly disciples and servants. She then began contacting various sides, displaying her Heaven-Breaking level of prowess.
These actions successfully helped stabilize the precarious position of the Yu family.
If things continued this way, the Yu family’s strength might temporarily diminish, but it would not take more than three to five years for it to regain its former glory.
But at this critical juncture, Kuang Zongfa, the Commander-in-Chief of Wanchuan Pier and one of the most powerful figures in the First-Grade Lion Realm, suddenly attacked, making it clear that he wanted the vast estate of the Yu family.
Under such circumstances, although those covetous gazes disappeared, the Yu family’s situation became even more dangerous.
Because Kuang Zongfa held an exceptionally special status, being the Sect Leader of the First-Grade Lion Realm behind the scenes, sent by the No-Self No-Form School of the Profound Celestial Upper Mysterious Realm.
This representative was mostly symbolic, and due to the unique position of the First-Grade Lion Realm as a necessary route on this prosperous sea path, it was considered one of the No-Self No-Form School’s most crucial colonies.
Thus, most of the time, this Commander-in-Chief was really just a figurehead, seldom getting involved in the internal power struggles of the First-Grade Lion Realm.
He would even step in to mediate when the various factions fought too fiercely.
Yet such a influential figure suddenly targeted the Yu family, naturally causing other forces to immediately withdraw, leaving the Yu family in dire straits.
The message Kuang Zongfa conveyed to the Yu family was quite simple, and it was only one sentence.
In a month, he wanted ninety-five percent of the Yu family’s wealth, plus Yu Yunchan herself.
Once the message was delivered, the entire Yu family fell silent.
Everyone was plunged into despair.
Ninety-five percent of the wealth would reduce these once pampered Yu family scions to ordinary people.
Though they could still lead a relatively comfortable life with the remaining five percent of the wealth,
such a disparity was something they absolutely could not accept.
But what else could they do if they didn’t accept it?
In the First-Grade Lion Realm, Kuang Zongfa’s orders sometimes held the weight of an imperial edict.
So, most of these Yu family scions resigned themselves to fate.
Only Yu Yunchan was unwilling to give up.
Though Kuang Zongfa named and demanded her specifically, Yu Yunchan herself did not care too much about that.
Reputation was important, and she was also her father Yu Hongtu’s most beloved daughter,
but compared with the whole family, she was still insignificant.
She would even take herself to him willingly if Kuang Zongfa just said the word.
But everything was premised on the Yu family still standing.
Now that Kuang Zongfa had openly torn his mask and directly demanded ninety-five percent of the family’s wealth plus her, how could Yu Yunchan agree?
So during this time, Yu Yunchan didn’t remain idle. She continued her networking efforts, hoping to change the Yu family’s fate.
But each outcome was like her experience today at the Wharf Dispatcher’s house.