The next day, the blazing fireball in the sky continued to spew scorching flames, and the air seemed intensely distorted by the searing heat. Inside the Chen Family's spacious and imposing main courtyard, an imposing crowd surged toward the front gates like an unstoppable, surging tide. Judging by this massive and grand formation, there were no fewer than fifty people. Leading the procession at the front was a teenager of around fifteen years of age—none other than the toadying lackey who often hovered around Yuan Hua. Following closely behind him were three venerable elders. Upon closer inspection, these three elders were none of other than Chen Qian, the First Elder of the Chen Family; Chen Hanlin, the Patriarch; and Chen Jintao, the Second Elder.
Chen Qian's expression appeared as calm as still water, without the slightest ripple, yet a flash of mocking laughter inadvertently crossed his murky eyes.
On Chen Jintao's face, however, excitement was hard to conceal, with an expression as though a world-shaking secret that would shock the family was about to be revealed.
In contrast, Chen Hanlin wore a dark expression. Compared to yesterday, his face, lined with the traces of time, looked even more aged and haggard. The bizarre theft of the sword manual, which remained missing, had kept him awake all night.
Scores of people, like a winding and majestic long dragon, marched majestically out of the spacious and solemn gates of the Chen Family. They then stepped into the bustling and crowded streets, heading straight for the rolling mountains behind Fenglin City.
The Chen Family had always been hailed as the foremost noble clan in Fenglin City, and every move they made drew the attention of the crowd. Such a massive and startling display instantly aroused the curious gazes of the entire city.
Along the way, the crowds that had originally bustled and clamored on the streets were stunned by this sudden and unusual spectacle, consciously stepping aside to clear a wide path and respectfully letting them pass first. Wherever they went, they drew the curious and speculative gazes of everyone gathered, and various whispers spread like a tidal wave.
"What on earth are the Chen Family up to?"
"Look at this formation. Could something earth-shattering be about to happen?"
People's hearts were filled with puzzlement, confusion, and lingering curiosity...
Following all the way, when people finally discovered that they were heading straight into the back mountains, they could not help but be dumbfounded, their hearts even more confused and shrouded in fog. Some bolder individuals, driven by intense curiosity, followed along as well, but shortly after entering the mountains, they were mercilessly intercepted by members of the Chen Family. This left some people full of resentment and dissatisfaction yet utterly helpless, angry but daring not speak out. This situation also caused all kinds of absurd rumors to spread rapidly through Fenglin City.
Some rumored that a mysterious immortal's dwelling had been discovered inside.
Others swore up and down that endless amounts of gold and silver treasures were hidden there.
Still others asserted with absolute certainty that it was an earth-shattering treasure.
......
Be that as it may, in that secluded and remote little valley, after meticulous, thorough, and unremitting searches by the Chen Family members, the sword manual was ultimately recovered in an extremely concealed and unnoticeable cave, which allowed Chen Hanlin and the others to breathe a massive sigh of relief.
All sorts of absurd rumors grew more and more outrageous with each retelling, each one more laughable than the last. Yet those who knew the truth scoffed at these rumors, finding them utterly preposterous.
At noon, inside the Chen Family's Law Enforcement Hall.
"Creeak."
The iron door was shoved open forcefully from the outside, and a harsh, dazzling beam of light pierced in like a sharp sword. Chen Yingjian, curled up in the corner, instinctively blinked rapidly and raised a hand to block his eyes out of instinct, trying to shield himself from the sudden, blinding glare.
A moment later, once his eyes had adjusted to the intensely dazzling light, he slowly lowered his hand.
"Young Master Xiaojian, the Patriarch summons you." The person who had come was a middle-aged man—an enforcer of the Law Enforcement Hall and a confidant of Chen Haotian. Therefore, he still maintained the respect due to Chen Yingjian as usual, without the slightest hint of contempt in his eyes.
"Oh." Chen Yingjian simply gave a brief response, then slowly stood up and walked out of the iron room with slow, heavy steps. As he passed by the middle-aged man, he turned his head to take one deep look at the small, dark room, then resolutely turned around and strode toward the main assembly hall, knowing full well that this matter was far from over.
The middle-aged man watched the thin and somewhat desolate, lonely figure walking ahead, sighed softly, and followed closely behind.
After navigating several long and winding paths, Chen Yingjian's footsteps paused slightly. Looking at the magnificent, solemn, and imposing main assembly hall ahead, his heart suddenly grew much heavier. Taking a gentle, deep breath without a trace of hesitation, he dragged his leaden footsteps forward and walked toward the grand hall with unyielding determination.
......
Inside the main assembly hall, upon the central main seat, Chen Hanlin sat quietly in his chair, eyes closed tightly in deep contemplation, his aged face expressionless.
On the table before him, wisps of white mist rose in spirals from a teacup, floating in the air and diffusing a faint, fragrant aroma.
In the chairs on either side, Chen Qian and Second Elder Chen Jintao leisurely held teacups, quietly sipping the fresh, green tea within...
Both sides of the hall were filled with seated people, amidst whom hushed whispers arose from time to time. Judging by this posture, they were clearly holding some sort of crucial meeting that concerned the fate of the family.
As time slowly passed, someone finally lost their patience and stood up. Bowing slightly toward the main seat with cupped fists, he said with anger and solemnity: "Patriarch, this Chen Yingjian is so audacious as to steal an ancestral artifact! Such lawless behavior is simply an act of supreme disrespect toward the family! In my view, he must be severely punished without leniency and driven out of the family to uphold family discipline and make an example to others!"
As soon as his voice fell, many others also stood up one after another, expressing their opinions with righteous indignation.
"Indeed, Patriarch! For an unworthy descendant like Chen Yingjian to commit such a disgraceful and morally corrupt act—if he is not strictly punished, where will the dignity of the family lie?" an elder of the clan said angrily.
"We absolutely cannot let him off easily! He has brought shame and humiliation upon our entire family; he must be heavily penalized so he deeply understands the painful consequences of betraying the family!" A young clan member clenched his fists, his face filled with indignation.
"He ought to be expelled from the family! From now on, he is not allowed to set foot inside the family gates for even half a step, and he must pay a heavy price for his towering crimes!" someone shouted.
"Otherwise, wouldn't the family rules become mere scraps of paper? How could our family's reputation be preserved? We must teach him a severe lesson he will remember for a lifetime, carved into his very bones!" a middle-aged clan member declared righteously and passionately.
"That's right, exactly! Such an ungrateful, faithless, and shameless scoundrel does not deserve to remain among a noble clan like our Chen Family!" A female relative could not help but voice her condemnation, her face full of fury.
"Expel him from the family! Let him wander the streets and fend for himself, and see if he ever dares to commit evil deeds again!"
"Throw him out! Our Chen Family cannot accommodate such a morally degenerate scum!"
"Such a shameless and disgraced wretch deserves the most severe and cruel punishment!"
"His actions are simply a wanton trampling of the family's honor, and he must be severely punished to set an example!"
"Make him know the might of our Chen Family, so he will never dare to commit such a rebellious crime again!"
"Do not let his stain continue to sully our family's pristine reputation and fame!"
The crime of stealing the clan's ancestral artifact instantly ignited the long-suppressed anger in the hearts of the clan members. Their expressions instantly turned exceptionally agitated, and the hall instantly became as noisy as an exploding pot.
Sitting in the upper-right seat, Chen Haotian's complexion was so gloomy it seemed as though water could drip from it. Heartache and disappointment intertwined within his heart, and his inner thoughts were a chaotic, untangible mess. He had actively participated in the search for the sword manual in the valley that morning, always firmly believing in his heart that his nephew would never commit such an ungrateful act. Yet, never had he imagined the ultimate outcome would turn out like this. This little nephew had truly disappointed him to the extreme.
Chen Hanlin frowned slightly. His half-closed eyes were completely unshaken by the din in the hall; as if he hadn't heard a thing, he remained immersed in his own thoughts.
Seeing this, Chen Qian on the left side flashed a fierce glint in his bulging eyes, glanced at the motionless Chen Hanlin, and a faint sneer curled the corner of his mouth. He picked up his teacup, gently blew away the tea froth, and then drank it down in one gulp. With half-closed eyes, he wore a look of utter enjoyment at the taste of the tea. After a long while, he finally set down the empty teacup, rolled up his sleeves, and lightly wiped away the lingering droplets of water from the corner of his mouth.
"Everyone, quiet down for a moment." Chen Qian slowly stood up, his gaze sweeping across the hall like lightning, and raised a hand in a gesture for silence.
Seeing Chen Qian's gesture, the man named Shushu was the first to obediently shut his mouth and stop making a sound.
Seeing this, quite a few people also sensibly closed their mouths, and in an instant, the noisy hall grew quiet.
"I can understand your feelings, and am I not just as angry? But the country has its laws, and the clan has its rules. Chen Yingjian defied clan law and stole our clan's ancestral artifact, a crime that cannot be forgiven. We will definitely punish such a person severely without leniency, and we will surely give him a painful and bone-chilling lesson. Therefore, we will give the entire clan a satisfactory answer next." Chen Qian cast a subtle, sidelong glance at Chen Haotian as he spoke.
"Good!"
"Good!"
"The First Elder is wise!"
Immediately, thunderous applause broke out in the hall, with shouts of approval rising one after another, deafening to the ears.
At the head of the hall, Chen Hanlin slowly opened his eyes, glanced at the impassioned atmosphere in the hall, frowned slightly at his white brows, and cast a sidelong glance at the "self-righteous" Chen Qian. Paying him no mind, he closed his eyes once more and leaned back against the back of his chair.
......
As time slowly ticked by, the hall gradually quieted down.
"Thud, thud, thud."
Heavy footsteps abruptly sounded from outside the hall and echoed into the spacious chamber. At that moment, almost everyone raised their heads simultaneously, their gazes locking onto the front gates in unison. At this instant, aside from the nervous breathing of the crowd, there was no other sound in the hall.
Chen Hanlin, seated at the head, also slightly opened his somewhat murky eyelids, his brown eyes gazing toward the exterior of the hall.
Chen Yingjian strode into the hall with his head held high. His gaze was firm and fearless, sweeping across the crowd in a swift motion before finally locking onto Chen Hanlin and Chen Qian.