This year's Coming-of-Age Ceremony was undoubtedly the grandest and most lively one the Yang family had held in recent years.
Because Yang Chen had made a single astonishing cry that shook the world, displaying talent so shocking it defied worldly understanding, the Yang family's upper ranks had been overjoyed while also entering negotiations with quite a few outside clans.
Negotiations over what? Naturally, cooperation.
Under normal circumstances, even if a Lineage held a Coming-of-Age Ceremony, it would not open it to outsiders. But why did the Great Wilderness Hundred Clans all prefer to open their Coming-of-Age Ceremonies to the public? Because a Coming-of-Age Ceremony was the perfect opportunity for a tribe to display its strength to the outside world.
If a Lineage held its Coming-of-Age Ceremony and not a single genius emerged, what prospects could such a Lineage possibly have? Even cooperation would be meaningless. But if a Lineage possessed countless geniuses, it represented the tribe's future prospects. Cooperating early would bring a hundred benefits and not a single harm.
Yang Chen's performance today was even comparable to geniuses personally raised by major tribes. Coupled with the Li Family Commerce Association announcing its cooperation with the Yang family, it further bolstered the Yang family's prestige. The leaders of those small outside tribes were now scrambling over one another to discuss cooperation with the Yang family.
There were even quite a few patriarchs of outside clans who personally proposed marriage alliances, intending to marry the finest young women of their clans to Yang Chen and bind the two families together.
But the Yang Family Patriarch was no fool who had lived into wisdom. He knew Yang Chen had now become a prized delicacy, so how could he be in any hurry to settle Yang Chen's marriage? Whenever he negotiated with others, he never once mentioned Yang Chen's marriage.
Yang Chen knew nothing of this. He had already thrown himself wholeheartedly into cultivating the Hunyuan Spear Technique.
As he cultivated, an entire night silently slipped away.
When Yang Chen opened his eyes, it was already dawn. A knock sounded at the door. Rising in surprise, Yang Chen opened it and found that Gu Mingyue, that little girl, had come looking for him early in the morning.
"Mingyue, what is it so early in the morning?" Yang Chen asked curiously.
Whether Gu Mingyue was nervous or something else, the moment she looked at Yang Chen, her pretty face flushed red like a bright apple, delicate and charming. She lowered her head, her uncooperative heart racing, and she did not even dare look at Yang Chen.
This shift in her feelings had happened over the course of just one night. Before, she had considered Yang Chen worthless, so no matter how she spoke with him, nothing could go wrong. But now things were different. Yang Chen's performance yesterday had utterly magnified his towering image in her heart.
What young girl did not harbor springtime feelings? Yang Chen's performance yesterday had conquered the girls of the outside clans, and naturally, it had conquered Gu Mingyue as well.
The instant Gu Mingyue saw Yang Chen, her heart began pounding fiercely. Pinching the corner of her clothes, she softly said, "Y-young Master, the Patriarch sent someone over just now. He said he wants you to go see him. He has some important matters to instruct you about."
"Oh? The Patriarch wants to see me?" Yang Chen raised a brow, somewhat surprised, but he quickly understood.
With his hands behind his back, he said, "Have all the outsiders left?"
"Yes. The Patriarch and the Lineage's upper ranks spent the whole night sending those outsiders away. As soon as dawn broke, he had Mingyue call for you to go over." Gu Mingyue said softly and obediently, like a little bird.
Yang Chen nodded thoughtfully. "Very well. I'll go have a look at the Patriarch's place. Help me pack a few changes of clothes."
"Yes, Young Master." Gu Mingyue was thrilled.
Yang Chen did not pay much attention to Gu Mingyue's emotional fluctuations. Lowering his gaze to the blushing Gu Mingyue, he smiled faintly. "Mingyue, you look much prettier than before in your new clothes. If you lack spirit stones, just ask your young master for them."
The speaker had no such intention, but the listener took it to heart. Gu Mingyue had only just calmed herself when she heard Yang Chen praise her beauty, and her heart immediately began pounding again. She hurriedly said, "Y-young Master, Mingyue will prepare your clothes."
The moment her words fell, the little girl fled in a puff of smoke.
Yang Chen laughed helplessly and did not take it to heart. Before long, he changed into fresh clothes and set off for the Yang Family Patriarch's residence.
This time, unlike the last, his way was far smoother. Yang Jinhe's old servant had clearly received Yang Jinhe's permission beforehand. The moment Yang Chen arrived, the old servant respectfully invited him inside.
The moment he entered, Yang Chen saw the hall filled with upper-ranking members. Even Yang Chen, who had attended no shortage of grand occasions, was slightly startled. Judging by the scene in the room, even if not every Yang family high-ranking member had gathered here, at least seventy to eighty percent of them had arrived.
The Second Master Yang and Fourth Master Yang, whom Yang Chen knew well, were among them too.
"Yang Chen, you've come." Yang Jinhe's attitude toward Yang Chen had taken a complete turn. His smile was warm and amiable, like a spring breeze.
Yang Chen did not dare show disrespect. Bowing, he said, "Yang Chen greets all the elders!"
"Mm, Yang Chen, we elders all saw your performance yesterday."
"Haha, well done. Those bandits were so arrogant. Did they truly think our Yang family was some soft persimmon that could be squeezed at will? Their arrogance had to be beaten down. If we let them continue acting so overbearingly, they would really climb onto our noses and faces."
Quite a few of the Yang family's upper ranks had completely changed their attitudes toward Yang Chen and began praising him.
Yang Chen sighed inwardly. These people really are practical. At the same time, he lamented the benefits strength had brought him. It seemed that no matter where one went in this world, the foremost condition for earning others' respect was possessing sufficient strength.
Though Yang Chen's thoughts churned, he naturally put on the proper manner as he said, "You elders flatter me. What Yang Chen did yesterday was merely what I ought to have done."
"Young, yet not hot-blooded and impetuous. You know humility. Good, good, good."
"It seems Yang Chen's temperament has been honed quite well."
"After suffering one setback and failure, Yang Chen awakened to the truth. Look how good he is now. Life needs setbacks. I think the reason the other juniors of our Lineage failed to perform up to standard at the Coming-of-Age Ceremony was precisely because they had never encountered setbacks."
These Yang family elders spared no effort in expressing their satisfaction with Yang Chen. Of course, not everyone was sincere in their attitude toward him. At the very least, the Yang family's Eighth Elder, seated in a corner and also known as Eighth Master Yang, was clearly different from the others in how he treated Yang Chen.
Yang Chen turned his eyes and saw Eighth Master Yang say coldly, "Patriarch, we came here today to discuss important matters. Though Yang Chen is outstanding, he is still a junior. He does not belong in this hall of high-level deliberations, does he?"
"Eighth, what do you mean by this again? What is wrong with letting Yang Chen broaden his horizons in advance?" Second Master Yang snorted.
The two were longtime rivals in the Yang family. Everyone knew it, and Yang Chen knew some of it as well.
Eighth Master Yang sneered. "Everyone knows Yang Chen is close to you. Naturally, you would speak for him. But by the rules, Yang Chen is so young, yet he is here together with us. Where does that leave the standing of us old fellows? Everyone, don't you think that is the truth?"
Eighth Master Yang truly knew how to form factions. The moment he opened his mouth, he brought up the interests of everyone present.
And indeed, a few people bought it.
Even though Yang Chen had performed brilliantly yesterday, this sort of occasion truly was not one someone of his current status could attend. If someone of his status could come, then what status did that leave them with?
Many people who styled themselves as noble and distinguished cared greatly about "status." Anything that made them feel as though they had lowered themselves would prompt them to strike back as swiftly as if someone had stepped on a fox's tail.
There was certainly no shortage of such people in this hall.
Sure enough, after Eighth Master Yang finished speaking, several more upper-ranking members of the Lineage pointed at Yang Chen and began whispering without restraint.
"Indeed, this brat Yang Chen is being far too disrespectful."
"At an occasion this grand, isn't it still rather unsuitable for this brat to be here, considering his status?"
"Who knows what the Patriarch is thinking? This brat truly takes a hand when given an inch. The Patriarch invited him, so he simply came?"
Just as the situation was heading toward an irreconcilable mess, Yang Jinhe, the Yang Family Patriarch, finally let out a cold snort. "Eighth Elder, Second Elder, as you two quarrel here, do you have any regard for me, the Patriarch? And you, Eighth Elder, keep saying Yang Chen is unfit for today's meeting. Then let me tell you: this meeting was convened because of Yang Chen in the first place. Why should Yang Chen not be here? Or should we simply adjourn this meeting today?"
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