Taking the opportunity of traveling through books

The clan is in danger and the dream is in turmoil

My heart pounded in my chest, and a foreboding grew stronger. The family gate seemed so close, yet it felt like a thousand miles away. The moment we pushed open the gate, the sight before us stunned Hao Yang and me. The once orderly courtyard was now a shambles, with broken walls and smoke lingering in the air. Wounded clansmen groaned in pain, and the air was thick with the smell of blood.

Elder Wei saw us, as if he had grabbed a life-saving straw. His voice trembled and he could not speak a word: "Yao'er...Haoyang...the family...something happened..."

I grabbed Elder Wei's arm and said, "Elder, what happened?"

"The family... was attacked... by a mysterious force... the defensive formation was broken..." Elder Wei spoke intermittently, tears streaming down his face.

I felt dizzy. Could it be that the previous assassination was just a cover, and the real target was the family? Hao Yang and I looked at each other, and we saw shock and worry in each other's eyes.

"Elder, take me to see it." I forced myself to calm down.

Following Elder Wei, we arrived at the family treasury. The door stood open, revealing a chaotic mess inside. Shelves that once held precious treasures were now empty. My heart sank. These treasures were not only the family's wealth, but also a symbol of its legacy.

"How could this happen..." I muttered to myself, a feeling of powerlessness coming over me.

Hao Yang held my hand. His palm was warm and strong, which gave me a sense of comfort. "Yao'er, don't worry. We will find out everything."

We began to carefully examine the treasure trove, hoping to find some clue. Fragments lay scattered on the ground. I picked one up and discovered it was a fragment of a jade pendant passed down from our ancestors. This jade pendant was a symbol of our family and the key to our forbidden land. Now it was shattered into pieces, and my heart ached like a needle.

"It seems that the enemy is well prepared." Hao Yang said in a deep voice.

"But why did they steal these treasures?" I was puzzled.

"Perhaps, they are not just after the treasure." Hao Yang's eyes became deep, "Perhaps, they have a bigger conspiracy."

As night fell, the family was enveloped in sadness and panic. Hao Yang and I sat in the courtyard in silence.

"Yao'er," Hao Yang suddenly said, "Have you ever thought that it might be someone within the family who did it?"

I looked up at him suddenly, "You mean..."

"Those who opposed us being together before might collude with foreign enemies and do harm to the family." Hao Yang's voice was very low, but it exploded like a bomb in my heart.

I shook my head. “No, I don’t believe it…”

"I know it's hard for you to accept, but we have to consider this possibility." Hao Yang's eyes were firm. "For the sake of our family, we must find out the truth."

I took a deep breath. I knew Hao Yang was right. Although I didn't want to believe that someone in my family would do such a thing, for the sake of my family's safety, I had to put aside my grudges and investigate this matter thoroughly.

"Tomorrow, we will start the investigation." I said in a firm tone.

Hao Yang nodded and held me in his arms. "Don't be afraid, I will always be with you."

There was a commotion in the distance, as if someone was arguing. My heart sank. It looked like this investigation wasn't going to go smoothly... I stood up and walked towards the sound...

The noise came from the direction of the meeting room. I walked over quickly, followed closely by Hao Yang. Before I even entered the room, I heard Wei Xue's sharp voice: "Wei Yao, what do you mean? Suspecting us of colluding with foreign enemies? What evidence do you have?"

I pushed the door open and saw Wei Xue pointing at my nose, her face filled with anger. Several other members of the clan who had previously opposed Hao Yang and I being together were also there, their faces sullen. Elder Wei sat in the main seat, his brow furrowed, his face weary.

"Xue'er, don't be rude!" Elder Wei scolded.

Wei Xue ignored him and continued, "The family has encountered such a great disaster, but instead of thinking about how to deal with it, you doubt us. What are you thinking?"

I took a deep breath and tried to stay calm. "I didn't say it was you. I just said there was a possibility. We need to investigate all suspicious people and reveal the truth to the family."

"Checking us? You are insulting us!" another tribesman said angrily.

"I understand everyone's feelings," I said, trying to slow down my tone. "But for the safety of our family, we have to do this. If everyone is innocent, then suspicion will naturally be cleared."

"That's a nice thing to say! Who knows if you will frame me?" Wei Xue snorted coldly.

I was about to retort when suddenly, the ground shook violently and cracks began to appear on the walls of the meeting room.

"What's going on?" everyone exclaimed.

"Oh no, they are coming again!" Elder Wei's face changed drastically.

Without time to think, Hao Yang and I rushed out of the meeting room. In the night sky, we saw dark shadows flying towards the family, emitting a frightening aura.

"All tribesmen, prepare to meet the enemy!" I shouted.

Those still able to fight in the clan gathered together, forming a defensive formation. However, the enemy's strength far exceeded our imagination. They manipulated a mysterious power, easily breaking through our defenses. One by one, members of the clan fell, screams echoing incessantly.

Hao Yang was beside me, fending off the enemy's attacks. I waved the spirit sword in my hand, but felt powerless.

"Yao'er, be careful!" Hao Yang suddenly pushed me away, and a black shadow flew past my cheek, leaving a blood mark.

"Hao Yang!" I exclaimed.

Hao Yang also had several more wounds on his body, but he didn't care at all and continued to fight with the enemy.

At this moment, I noticed that the shadows seemed to be extremely sensitive to the power of the spirit pearl. Whenever the spirit pearl flickered, they became more violent. Could this mysterious power be related to the spirit pearl?

I was about to take a closer look when an enemy suddenly appeared, interrupting my train of thought. I quickly dodged, but was still hit. A sharp pain rang through my chest, and I stumbled back a few steps.

"Yao'er!" Hao Yang shouted anxiously.

I endured the pain and tried to continue fighting, but I noticed that the spirit pearl suddenly began to flicker, and then... a powerful and chaotic force erupted from the spirit pearl... This force...