Clan Gathering

"Father, tomorrow when we go to the Ancestral Residence, the clan elders will surely use the clan rules and righteousness to pressure us. When that happens, you should guide the conversation and force them into a corner using those very rules..."

After his father calmed down slightly, Jiang Chen brought up the matter of the Ancestral Residence for tomorrow.

"Rest assured, I know how to deal with those old fogies."

Jiang Sihai laughed heartily, no longer worried at all about the trip to the Ancestral Residence tomorrow.

"By the way, Father, there is one thing you need to prepare for."

Immediately after, Jiang Chen spoke about the Zheng Clan.

In the past, when the Zheng Clan had no suspicions, there was naturally no need to mention it, lest the family worry.

But since the Zheng Clan had already made their move, he had to inform them.

If he kept hiding it at a time like this, they might be caught off guard.

"Zheng Hao and the others... were killed by you?!"

The smile on Jiang Sihai's face froze as he stared blankly at Jiang Chen, who looked as calm as ever.

When he first learned that Zhang Hao and the others had been ambushed, he had been worried that Jiang Chen might be caught in the crossfire.

It turned out his worry had been for nothing.

This whole thing was Jiang Chen's doing.

At this moment, he suddenly felt as if a layer of mist had shrouded Jiang Chen.

He found that he could no longer see through his own son!

"Chen'er, what do you intend to do then?"

After the shock subsided, Jiang Sihai's expression turned solemn.

The deed was done, and there was no use dwelling on it; now, they had to consider how to handle the potential aftermath.

If this were the Jiang Chen of six months ago, he certainly wouldn't have asked for his opinion.

But things were different now.

From now on, the family's affairs would require Jiang Chen's input.

Such was the weight of a martial artist.

"I will stay at the Martial Arts Hall from now on. That way, even if the Zheng Clan has suspicions, there is nothing they can do to me."

"The priority is the house; you need to be extra vigilant and make sure no one finds a loophole."

Jiang Chen said.

This was the reason he had laid everything out on the table.

He wasn't worried about the Zheng Clan making a move on him, but rather that the home needed to be properly guarded.

"Rest assured, your father hasn't lived these decades in vain."

Seeing that Jiang Chen was worried about the family, Jiang Sihai smiled.

Although he was not a martial artist himself, he had never lacked martial artists by his side.

It was just that in the past, the martial artists he hired were stationed at various shops, and it wasn't until the Azure Dragon Gang appeared that he specifically hired people to live in the house.

Since Jiang Chen didn't need him to worry, he felt relieved.

"Father, by the end of the year, whether it is the Green Wolf Gang or the Zheng Clan, all hidden dangers and troubles will be resolved."

Jiang Chen gave his word.

The current troubles all stemmed from his strength being too weak.

Once he had a sufficient foundation, these things would no longer be issues.

"Chen'er, don't put too much pressure on yourself; take it slow."

Hearing this, Jiang Sihai patted Jiang Chen on the shoulder.

He could sense Jiang Chen's urgency; he suspected that besides the matter with the Zheng Clan, Jiang Chen had other things he hadn't spoken of.

Regarding this, he did not ask further.

Just like with the Zheng Clan, when the time was right, Jiang Chen would naturally tell him.

"What are you two, father and son, whispering about in the study?"

At this moment, the door was knocked, and Lin Shuyun arrived, having finished preparing the meal.

"Mother, I have stepped into the Three Qi and Blood Gates."

Jiang Chen announced the good news.

"Three... Qi and Blood Gates?!"

Lin Shuyun's reaction was the same as Jiang Sihai's; she stood frozen in place.

"Is this true?!"

It took a long while for her to gradually regain her senses, and she looked at Jiang Sihai in disbelief.

"Chen'er really broke through."

Jiang Sihai nodded with a smile, confirming the matter.

"That's wonderful! I knew it, my son would definitely achieve great things!"

Lin Shuyun was instantly ecstatic, jumping for joy in her excitement.

Ever since Jiang Chen joined the Martial Arts Hall, the idle gossip had never ceased.

Everyone said that Jiang Chen was nothing but a piece of mud that couldn't be plastered onto a wall.

She had heard it all, feeling anxious in her heart, yet unable to refute it.

After all, the Jiang Chen of the past had truly been disappointing to the extreme.

Fortunately, the heavens had opened their eyes; a life-or-death crisis had not only made Jiang Chen completely wake up, but also granted him shocking cultivation talent.

In just two short months, he had stepped into the Three Qi and Blood Gates.

She would like to see who would dare to gossip behind their backs from now on.

"Chen'er must be hungry too, let's go eat first."

Jiang Sihai could naturally understand Lin Shuyun's wild joy and said with a smile.

"Chen'er, Mother made your favorite braised pig trotters..."

With a face full of joy, Lin Shuyun pulled Jiang Chen along to eat.

Amidst laughter and joy, dinner came to an end.

Jiang Chen did not slack off and returned to his room to meditate and cultivate.

The night passed without incident, and by the next day at the hour of the dragon, the sun had risen.

"Young Master, it is time to go to the Ancestral Residence."

The door was knocked, and the maid's voice came through.

"Alright!"

Jiang Chen finished his cultivation, changed into clean clothes, and came to the main hall.

"Let's go."

Jiang Sihai had already prepared the carriage.

After about half an hour, the carriage arrived at the Ancestral Residence.

"Sihai, I haven't seen you in a few months, you've put on weight again."

Outside the Ancestral Residence, Jiang Junyue, who was already waiting, walked up with a smile.

"Sigh, once a man reaches middle age, he gains weight even from drinking water."

Jiang Sihai smiled and exchanged pleasantries.

He and Jiang Junyue had not gotten along since they were children.

To be precise, they had been competing since they were young.

From their rankings in school to the business of their shops, the two had to compete for superiority in everything.

All of this only came to an end when Jiang Xuan was tested and found to have medium-grade bones.

It could be said that Jiang Junyue had risen in status thanks to his son.

"Fourth Uncle!"

Jiang Chen also greeted him.

"Chen'er is here."

Jiang Junyue smiled and looked Jiang Chen over.

Judging by his complexion, he was indeed much more spirited.

It seemed Jiang Sihai hadn't lied; Jiang Chen had truly stepped into the Second Qi and Blood Gate.

This secretly pleased him.

For someone with ordinary bone talent to cultivate this quickly, he must have taken forbidden drugs.

He wondered what kind of expression Jiang Sihai would have when he found out about this later.

They had competed for half their lives, and when it came to their offspring, he had completely crushed Jiang Sihai.

"Let's go in first, don't keep the clan elders waiting."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the three of them entered the Ancestral Residence.

In the spacious main hall, the clan elders were all gathered.

In the main seat, naturally, sat Jiang Guiyuan, who was the pillar of their martial strength.

On both sides sat the clan elders who formed the core fighting force.

Those who could become core elders were all martial artists without exception.

Although their cultivation levels varied, every one of them had at least stepped onto the path of martial arts.

"Grandfather, Sihai and Chen'er have arrived."

Seeing Jiang Sihai and Jiang Chen approach, the gazes of Jiang Guiyuan and the others all fell upon Jiang Chen.

"Hm?"

Taking a closer look, the expressions of Jiang Guiyuan and the others shifted slightly.

They were all martial artists, so their eyes were naturally sharp and discerning.

Compared to over half a year ago, Jiang Chen had clearly changed; he was full of vitality, his gaze was clear, and his entire temperament had transformed.

He didn't look like someone who had consumed forbidden drugs at all.

"Third Granduncle, Seventh Uncle..."

Jiang Sihai bowed in greeting.

"Third Granduncle, Seventh Uncle..."

Jiang Chen followed suit.

"Sit."

Jiang Guiyuan said with a chuckle.

"Sihai, the reason we asked you to come today is the same matter we discussed last time. The current situation in the Prefecture City is volatile, and the Jiang Clan is in a dire predicament. To break this deadlock, we must throw all our support behind Xuan'er."

"That's right. Xuan'er has already begun to assault the True Martial Realm. Once he officially breaks through, he will have the hope of becoming a personal disciple of the White Ape Martial Hall. If he then secures a good ranking in the Martial Exam, no one will dare to covet us again."

"Sihai, we know you are also thinking of Chen'er, but in the face of the clan's survival, we must prioritize the big picture."

"Once Xuan'er gains a firm foothold in the City Guard, or even joins an Upper Sect, Chen'er will benefit as well..."

After the maidservants served tea, the elders began to speak.

On one side was the righteousness of the entire clan, and on the other was a pie-in-the-sky promise; their rhetoric was remarkably smooth.

Throughout this process, Jiang Guiyuan and Jiang Junyue did not say a word.

"The elders are absolutely right!"

"When a martial arts genius emerges in the clan, we must gather all the clan's resources to cultivate them. This clan rule must not be broken by anyone!"

After the elders finished speaking, Jiang Sihai set down his teacup, and the moment he opened his mouth, his tone was one of profound agreement!