Clan Rules (Continued)

"Whether he says it or not, the result is the same. Since he's going to fight for us, he has to use the Si Clan's martial arts. Once he does, Aunt will have an excuse to question him. Now that he's admitted it, we've saved ourselves the trouble of arguing." Si Jingyu was quite calm about the matter.

Si Shuiyun was still dissatisfied. "Why couldn't the Mohist School send a woman? That would have saved us a lot of trouble."

Si Jingyu laughed and said, "Because I only have one younger brother, not a younger sister."

"They don't necessarily have to impersonate your brother, Miss. They could just impersonate any member of the clan. After all, clan members disappear every few years anyway," Si Shuiyun muttered softly. "Besides, they specifically chose a man who looks so much like you, Miss. Maybe they have ulterior motives and want to make it seem real..."

"That's great too, having such a fun younger brother. I've always dreamed of having a brother or sister since I was little."

"What's funny about that? This person doesn't think before they speak, they're reckless, they say things they shouldn't, and they don't care if others feel embarrassed."

Recalling yesterday's events, Si Jingyu laughed and said, "That's what makes him interesting. He does things in a completely unconventional way, never following any rules. He even openly brought the unspoken rules into the open. It's the first time I've ever met such a 'unique' person."

After hesitating for a moment, Si Shuiyun stammered, "Miss, you must be careful. I've heard that when a woman becomes interested in a man, it means love is just beginning to blossom."

Si Jingyu was taken aback by these words. After a moment of silence, she shook her head and said softly, "Love is too far removed from me. I probably won't fall in love with anyone in this lifetime."

While the two were communicating Secret Voice Transmission, the other side had completely erupted into a chaotic argument.

A close confidant supporting the clan leader retorted, "Where was Elder Mu hiding, trembling in fear, when the young clan leader's younger brother stood up and fought the traitors?"

"I originally planned to send my daughter to compete, but we were a step too late, and someone else stole the credit."

"Anyone can talk big, but it's all empty talk. Everyone saw with their own eyes that when our manor was threatened by the major Aristocratic Clan, it was the young patriarch's younger brother who stepped forward and resolved the crisis. It can be said that everyone in the Water Mirror Manor owes him a debt of gratitude. Now, Elder Mu not only fails to repay the debt but also incites us to severely punish our meritorious servant. Does he want the world to laugh at our Si Clan for being ungrateful?"

"Merit is merit, and fault is fault. The two cannot be confused. He has made contributions, and we should reward him. However, he has violated the family rules, and we should punish him. We must know that a country has its laws, and a family has its rules. The Si Clan has been able to continue to this day because of the rules set by our ancestors. Just because someone is the patriarch's son, should we condone him breaking the family rules?" Si Huamu said righteously.

"Hehe, judging from Elder Mu's current behavior, anyone who didn't know better would think you were a disciple of the Legalist School! Young Master Ming violated the family rules, but he also saved everyone. His merits clearly outweigh his mistakes. Even if it's not entirely excusable, at least his merits and demerits cancel each other out."

Using merit to offset demerit is a common practice in a society based on human relationships. No one thinks this practice is wrong. In the Sea Continent, apart from the Legalist School and Mohist School who can truly "make a difference" and "let the law have no sentimentality," other schools of thought are not very strict in this regard. Even the Military School, who emphasize "the ruthlessness of military law," often have instances where a general makes a mistake, and the commander decides not to punish him immediately, but instead gives him another chance to make merit, and then the merits and demerits are offset, and he is spared this time.

"Without rules, how can there be order! Speaking of merits, who among you hasn't made great contributions to the Lineage? Are you suggesting that if anyone makes a mistake in the future, you should use your merits to offset it? This must not be set a precedent, otherwise the authority of the family rules will be completely destroyed, and the clan members will treat the family rules as nothing, trampling on them at will. A thousand-year-old foundation could be destroyed in the blink of an eye!"

Si Huamu was clearly well-prepared for today's challenges, and her sophistry was so logical and well-founded that it left the opponents speechless.

They can't very well step forward and say they haven't done anything to benefit the Lineage, can they?

Si Huamu was quite pleased with everyone's reaction. When she turned around, she saw Si Jingyu having a private chat with her personal maid, completely ignoring the debate in the room. She was immediately enraged.

"Clan leader, this matter concerns the Si Clan's millennia-old foundation. How should it be handled? Please give everyone a satisfactory explanation!"

She addressed the clan leader as "clan leader," but her gaze was fixed on Si Jingyu. Everyone knew that the Si Clan was now in power under the leadership of the young clan leader, who was not a power-hungry person and even disliked dealing with tedious and trivial matters, so he was happy to delegate power to his daughter.

This infuriated Si Huamu even more. If you have no attachment to the position of clan leader, why do you insist on taking it from me?

As Si Huamu questioned her, everyone in the council hall focused their attention on Si Jingyu, wondering how she would respond—would she uphold justice and punish family ties, or stubbornly protect her out of favoritism?

Si Jingyu showed no sign of nervousness. Despite her young age, she exuded a remarkable composure, as if everything was under her control. This leadership aura was a major reason why the entire Si Clan family was willing to obey her orders.

"I have three questions for everyone," Si Jingyu, not directly answering whether she agreed or disagreed, but instead holding up three fingers. "My first question is, why did the Si Clan suffer such a calamity yesterday?"

The group exchanged bewildered glances; the question seemed rather puzzling because the answer was so simple.

"Naturally, it's because our ancestor has passed away."

"Yes, if our ancestor were alive, would they dare to unite and interrogate Water Mirror Manor even if they had ten times the courage?"

"Ultimately, it's because there are no martial arts masters to oversee things. Although we are disciples of the Shaman School and studying dance is our primary duty, in this era, without the power to intimidate others, we can't even protect ourselves, let alone study anything else. Our ancestors realized this, which is why they passed down the 'Water Moon Precious Mirror,' a martial arts classic."

After everyone reached a consensus, Si Jingyu asked, "The second question is, how strong is my younger brother?"

"Very strong, virtually unmatched below the Spirit Transformation stage."

"Even Spirit Transformation Grandmaster couldn't withstand that final punch yesterday. That punch destroyed even the ultimate techniques."

"Although that traitor was of low character, one has to admit that his martial arts were indeed formidable. He had mastered the 'Innate Twelve Coils Techniques' to perfection, and with his Level Twelve Internal Cultivation, he was a top-tier expert below the Spirit Transformation. It's a pity he couldn't even withstand a single punch."

Si Huamu sensed something was wrong and quickly said, "What good is strength if it can't be used for righteous purposes? To my Si Clan, he's a great threat."

Si Jingyu ignored her and continued, "The third question is, if he's not a member of our Si Clan, but a complete outsider, how should we treat him?"

After the three questions were posed, everyone suddenly realized the truth.

"That's right! The reason our Si Clan is being bullied is because we lack a martial arts expert to protect us. Now that we have one, we can't just kick him out, can we?"

"Although the young clan leader's younger brother is not Spirit Transformation expert, after yesterday's battle, which martial artist below the Spirit Transformation would dare to provoke him? Those Aristocratic Clan clans would have to think twice before making a move against us."

"Under normal circumstances, Spirit Transformation Grandmaster wouldn't attack a junior, otherwise it would be considered bullying the weak and would invite controversy. But if no Spirit Transformation is mobilized, who would have the courage to take that punch yesterday?"

The topic suddenly shifted, and the crowd stopped arguing about whether the young clan leader and her brother should be punished. Instead, they discussed how to win over Si Ming, something they were extremely experienced in.

The land of gentle pleasures is also the graveyard of heroes. As disciples of the Shaman School, the women of the Si Clan practiced dance from a young age to train their figures. They were all graceful, supple, and had slender waists. Moreover, the Si Clan was a well-known Lineage of beauties.

Seeing that things were not going well, Si Huamu hurriedly said loudly, "Everyone, if we open this door today and do not punish this person, what if other men in the clan follow suit and also demand to cultivate the 'Water Moon Precious Mirror'?"

"It's just an exception. If we don't allow it, what can they do about it?"

Si Huamu sneered and threw out her trump card, "What if the young clan leader's brother stands up for them?"

Before anyone could react, Si Jingyu said, "I have an idea about this. From today onwards, we will amend the clan rules to allow male members of the clan to cultivate the 'Water Moon Precious Mirror'."

Before anyone could react to the shock, Si Huamu immediately rebuked, "Are you willing to break the Si Clan's thousand-year-old tradition and tamper with the rules left by our ancestors just to protect your younger brother? Don't you have any sense of responsibility as the young clan leader? With such selfishness and disregard for personal gain, what right do you have to become the next clan leader?"

Si Jingyu did not join in the emotional outburst, but calmly said, "The Si Clan rules consist of sixteen major laws and one hundred and thirty-two minor precepts. However, when the Si Clan ancestors first established their foundation, they only set up three major laws and twenty minor laws. So, where did these extra family rules come from? They certainly didn't appear out of thin air. They were all added and revised by our ancestors based on the Lineage's situation at the time. Since our predecessors could change the family rules, why can't we?"

Si Huamu hurriedly said, "What right do you have to compare yourself to those who came before you? They devoted themselves to the continuation of their Lineage, even unto death. No one would be like you, blurring the lines between public and private matters!"

Si Jingyu shook her head and said, "The idea that the present is not as good as the past is a Confucian School idea. Our Shaman School doesn't follow that. Just like the dance we practice now, it has actually undergone thousands of revisions. We constantly summarize our experience, eliminating or modifying movements that are not smooth or beautiful. Even today, we are still striving for perfection. Rules are rigid, but people are flexible. We abide by family rules because they can make the Lineage live better. If they can't, what's wrong with revising them?"