...
Talk of their clans' dark past had plunged the two into silence.
After a long while, Lu Ya snapped out of it and changed the subject. "What about your Duan Family? I saw earlier that the Geng Metal Sacrifice seems to have returned to its place."
Duan Fangchun shook his head. "I don't know. Starting from my father's generation, our branch of the family has had less and less contact with the main family.
In recent years, we've lost contact completely.
"Fortunately, the clan has a bit of the Ancestor's Soul Gold. Its light is incredibly dim, but it hasn't gone out. If not for that, I would have thought the Ancestor had already passed away."
That statement hit an awkward note. Lu Ya paused, then quickly tried to smooth things over. "Don't overthink it. After all, when your branch was separated, it was decided you would be involved in worldly affairs. It's only normal that you lost contact."
"Perhaps," Duan Fangchun said faintly.
