Cruel Family Law

I have no idea what happened. I could only say, "How would I know? When I dueled Young Master Ouyang's attendant, he was watching from the side. After the duel, I asked Young Master Ouyang to bring his attendant's mother to my residence. Then he left. What does that have to do with me? Perhaps Young Master Ouyang was frightened by our match. That's also very possible."

"Don't spout nonsense. Even if my third son were incompetent, he wouldn't suffer brain damage from watching a duel. You just admitted that my son turned pale in the small garden, and besides you, who else was there? Could it have been your four or five-year-old sworn siblings? Speak up!" Old Ghost Ouyang stared at me, his hair and beard bristling, looking as if he wanted to devour me, roaring madly.

I was startled. Were they going to blame the innocent A Xing and Xiangyu? Not only was that impossible to believe, but I would never agree to it. I turned my head and looked at my father. My mother also looked anxiously at the head of the family.

My father's brow was tightly furrowed. When he heard me say that the servant's words were true, he knew things were going badly. Although he loved and doted on his son, he was a good father. But he was also the current head of the Zhang Family, and he had to consider his family. Offending the Ouyang Family, while not a major issue for the Zhang Family itself, would at least cripple their entire business network in the Far East. Moreover, the Ouyang Family had cooperated with the Zhang Family for a long time, which was why they had become the second most powerful family after the Four Great Families. If this relationship were severed, the Zhang Family could easily fall from third place to fourth. There was no other way; they couldn't let the entire family suffer because of one son.

"Everyone, since that is the case, I will have someone bring Young Master Ouyang's attendant and my son's sworn siblings here," my father said, standing up and looking at the people around him, speaking in a clear voice.

Others knew that my father intended to shift the blame to others, but who dared to speak up? Old Ghost Ouyang wanted to say something, but given my father's prominent status and the lack of any reason, he remained silent.

I was shocked. This was going to be pinned on my sworn brothers and sisters. This was impossible. A surge of anger ignited in my heart, and my mind went blank.

"What? I admit that this happened because of me. He only became like this because of my aura. What does it have to do with anyone else? If you have a problem, come at me. I'll take it all," I declared to Old Ghost Ouyang with great bravado.

My mother immediately rushed to my side and said, "Little San, don't be so strong. You know how much this hurts your mother's heart. Do you know that your mother carried you for ten months and eight days, constantly feeling you playing inside me? I know you are my precious son, the apple of my eye. I won't let outsiders bully you, I won't let outsiders bully you, do you understand? Sob sob..."

I tried my best not to let my tears fall, but I couldn't help it. I couldn't. I looked at my mother quietly. My heart churned like a stormy sea. I suddenly lowered my head and used my cultivation to evaporate my tears. I looked up and smiled at my mother, saying, "Mother, don't be like this. I'm fine, aren't I? Why are you crying? Don't you know that when Mother cries, Little San feels very sad too? I'm fine, don't you see I'm alright? Stop crying."

My father looked at me without a word, just staring at me, his eyes unmoving. He just looked at me, his beloved son, his troublemaking son. His face was expressionless, but in his heart, he was shouting furiously: Why, why? Just because I'm the head of the Zhang Family, I have to wrong my six-year-old son? The Zhang Family, the Zhang Family, hahaha...

The entire hall was shrouded in a suffocating atmosphere. No one dared to speak. Even Old Ghost Ouyang, upon seeing my father's terrifyingly cold expression, didn't dare to say anything more. Although they were the most powerful family outside the Four Great Families...

...The gap between the Ouyang Family and the Four Great Families was like the difference between a moderately well-off family and a billionaire's family. Their businesses might not seem that different, but the assets of the Four Great Families had been accumulated over hundreds, even thousands, of years. Their assets each exceeded ten billion taels of silver. In its prime, even the national treasury of the Tang Dynasty only had over ten billion taels of silver. They were not just rich enough to rival the nation; they were rich enough to overpower it. Who in this world dared to speak out under the wrath of the head of the Zhang Family, one of the Four Great Families?

At this moment, Old Ghost Ouyang regretted his actions. How could he risk a two-hundred-year-old family for a son who was already finished? His son was gone, but he could have more children. And even though his son lacked intelligence, he would still get married and have children. How could he shift the blame to someone else? At this moment, Old Ghost Ouyang was contemplating how to help the third young master of the Zhang Family evade punishment. He knew how cruel the Four Great Families were in punishing the sons of their patriarchs, as it was for the sake of the family's lineage and to prevent fratricide.

Suddenly, a flash of light struck Old Ghost Ouyang's mind. "He only became like this because of my aura." "Aura can injure people, aura can injure people, haha..."

Old Ghost Ouyang declared loudly, "Everyone, please let this old man speak."

My father glanced at Old Ghost Ouyang and said indifferently, "Patriarch Ouyang, please speak."

Old Ghost Ouyang smiled and said, "Everyone, I believe you all know that injuring someone with one's aura is a technique only attainable by masters who have reached the Innate Realm. The earliest person to reach the Innate Realm on the entire Azure Dragon Continent was Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, thirteen hundred years ago. At that time, Xiang Yu, as the foremost expert in the world, only reached the Innate Realm at the age of twelve. Li Bai, the Poet Sword Immortal, who ranked second, only reached the Innate Realm at fourteen. How could the third young master, who is only six years old, possibly have reached the Innate Realm? His sworn siblings are even younger than the third young master, so it's impossible for them too. The only possibility is my son's attendant, Lang Feng. When Lang Feng came to my house, he was already capable of killing ferocious tigers. All the servants in my mansion know this."

A faint smile appeared on my father's face. My mother seemed to relax considerably after hearing this and smiled at me. The atmosphere in the hall immediately livened up, and everyone began to say, "How could this have anything to do with the third young master!" "I said it too, how could the adorable third young master harm Young Master Ouyang?" "Right, right, only that lowly servant Lang Feng would do something like this."...

Old Ghost Ouyang's eyes gleamed as if he had seen an unparalleled beauty, and he shouted, "Guards, bring Lang Feng here!"

Everyone in the hall was smiling. Wasn't it a happy occasion for everyone if the blame was shifted to a lowly commoner?

My body trembled. Brother Lang Feng, no, no, it can't be. This is going to implicate Brother Lang Feng. He'll be in serious trouble. Old Ghost Ouyang wouldn't hesitate to take his life. What about his lonely mother? I looked at my mother, who was smiling, and said bitterly in my heart: I'm sorry, Mother, I'm sorry...

I looked at the people smiling around me and let out a bitter, earth-shattering aura...

The entire hall fell silent, staring at me, who had unleashed a monstrous aura. It wasn't just because I had reached the Innate Realm at the age of six, but also because this meant I had admitted to being the culprit who caused Ouyang Liang's condition. What now? Everyone in the hall was in chaos.

The Prefect of Suzhou City was also in a state of turmoil. The third young master had openly admitted it himself. Was he still going to be protected?

My mother looked at me, her heart about to shatter. She cried out silently in her heart: Little San, why is this happening? Why? Why did you have to admit it...

Old Ghost Ouyang looked at me and said with a bitter smile: Third Young Master, I let you off the hook, why can't you let yourself off the hook? You're not letting my Ouyang Family off the hook either. Ancestors, how much will my Ouyang Family lose because of this? Zhang Tiande won't openly move against my Ouyang Family, but in secret, he'll definitely cause trouble for us. It's all my fault for being so impulsive...

My father looked at me, his heart bleeding: Little San, are you trying to force me?

The entire hall stared at me, who was emitting a monstrous aura, in complete silence. The hall was plunged into an even greater oppression.

"The Elder Council has unanimously decided: Patriarch Zhang, your priority is the family's interests." An old man walked to the entrance of the hall and said this before turning to leave.

This statement left Zhang Tiande's face deathly pale.

My father looked at me, his gaze cold and devoid of any emotion, his eyes fixed on me. A voice from hell seemed to echo in the hall, "According to the family laws of the Zhang Family, Zhang Xingfeng is expelled from the Zhang Family's genealogy and is forbidden to return to the Zhang Family forever. All servants of Star Peak Pavilion are to immediately leave the Zhang Family. The formal punishment will be decided by the Elder Council tomorrow."

I stared blankly at my father. What? Leave the Zhang Family, never to return? Never to return? Hahaha... never to return, never to return, haha...

I looked at my father and smiled. Three years ago, you still carried me to the Yuwen Family to show off my martial arts... The day before yesterday, you were still playing hide-and-seek with me... And now, now you want to expel me from the Zhang Family, drive me from my home, and forbid me to return forever? Haha...

"Dad, Dad, you want to drive me away, don't you? You want to drive me away? Answer me, answer me, answer me!"

My father looked at me, his face ashen. "—Yes—" He turned and entered the inner hall.

"Oh, you really want to drive me away? Haha... Drive me away, such cruel family laws, such cruel family laws! Fine, fine, I agree, I'll leave. I'll leave..." I stared at the empty seats in the center of the hall and roared madly.

I turned and rushed out, activating all my cultivation. I ran wildly, my mind filled with my father, his care for me when I was young, the look on his face as he fed me... his decisiveness just now, his unhesitating expulsion of me, his merciless "yes." I frantically pushed my cultivation, and my figure instantly left the Zhang Family. Like a ghost, I fled Suzhou City...

"—Little San—" My mother stood at the door, calling out to me, then suddenly collapsed at the entrance.

Old Ghost Ouyang watched all this, wanting to cry but having no tears.

The two second-rank experts of the Zhang Mansion stared at the street where my figure had disappeared, their faces filled with shock.

On the grand tutor's chair in the back hall, the esteemed head of the Zhang Family closed his eyes, but two clear tear tracks ran down his face. He murmured, "Little San..." and two more tears flowed down.

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