Public Humiliation

Hearing their words, Xu Yin's expression changed again and again. If she had not been in such a hurry to get to the council hall for the Lineage meeting, she would have ordered someone to tie these fellows up and whip them on the spot.

Su Chen, on the other hand, said softly, "Auntie, why bother arguing with ignorant fools? Don't let them anger you into harming your health."

In the martial world, ignorant idiots who merely echoed whatever others said could only meet one end in the end—bringing about their own destruction.

That was why Su Chen did not argue with them. Nor did he have the spare time to waste on them.

Before long, the three arrived at the council hall.

The Jiang Family council hall was a spacious, brightly lit rectangular hall.

By the time the three arrived, four tables had already been arranged inside, with a total of fifty or sixty seats beside them.

Most of the seats were occupied, the hall packed with people and buzzing with activity.

"Second Sister-in-law, you certainly came late today!"

The speaker was a lavishly dressed man seated at the central table. He had a full beard and looked rough and bold.

His voice was astonishingly loud as well. With that shout, everyone in the hall immediately turned to look over.

Xu Yin's expression did not change. She said coolly, "Thank you for your concern, Third Brother. But there is still a quarter of an hour before the Lineage meeting begins. No matter how you look at it, I am not late, so there is no need for you to shout so loudly, is there?"

"Hehe, Second Sister-in-law, you are thinking too much! Second Brother is not here. Can't I show some concern for you in his place?" The rough-looking man shrugged, still smiling, though his gaze carried a trace of mockery.

Standing nearby, Su Chen watched the rough-looking man, and his face gradually matched the one in his memories.

Jiang He, the Jiang Family's Third Master.

One of the Jiang Family's current rulers.

"We don't need your fake kindness." Jiang Tingyi was straightforward by nature and could not help retorting.

"Tingyi, that is where you are wrong."

At that very moment, a slow, unhurried voice suddenly came from the side. "When elders are speaking, it is already improper for a junior like you to interrupt. Yet you even talk back to your elders. It truly chills the hearts of us uncles."

Su Chen glanced sideways.

The speaker was dressed like a middle-aged scholar, waving a fan and wearing two thin mustaches. He looked refined and cultured.

His seat was likewise at the central table, likewise in the seat of honor.

Su Chen narrowed his eyes. He was just as familiar with this face.

Jiang Shan, the Jiang Family's First Master.

He too was one of the Jiang Family's current rulers.

The late Old Master Jiang had four sons: the Jiang Family's First Master Jiang Shan, Second Master Jiang Hai, Third Master Jiang He, and Fourth Master Jiang Feng.

Among them, Second Master Jiang Hai was Xu Yin's husband. Gifted and upright, he had once been deeply beloved by everyone in the Jiang Family.

But the sky had unforeseen storms. Jiang Hai had accidentally gone missing during a family mission ten years ago.

After Jiang Hai disappeared, the power that had once belonged to him was divided between First Master Jiang Shan and Third Master Jiang He, creating the Jiang Family's current balance of two powers standing side by side.

As for Fourth Master Jiang Feng, he had lost an arm in an accident when he was young. He could not be considered a complete martial artist, so he had always been rather quiet and withdrawn, a peripheral figure.

Ever since Old Master Jiang passed away, the Jiang Family had delayed choosing a family head. In the past, Jiang Shan, Jiang Hai, and Jiang He had ruled jointly. After Jiang Hai's accident, Jiang Shan and Jiang He ruled together.

"Pah! Who cares whether your hearts are chilled? I despise hypocrites like you most..." Jiang Tingyi was about to continue when Xu Yin suddenly grabbed her arm and shook her head.

Her meaning was obvious: she did not want her to say any more.

"Mother, you are always like this..." Jiang Tingyi felt deeply frustrated. This First Uncle and Third Uncle were no good birds. Honey on their lips, daggers in their hearts, they relied on the fact that Xu Yin and Jiang Tingyi were a widow and daughter to squeeze them at every turn. Their purpose was nothing more than to force them out of the Jiang Family.

She had long seen through them, yet her mother never allowed her to confront them to their faces.

"Tingyi, this has nothing to do with you." Xu Yin shook her head. The grudges and debts between adults should not be borne by children in their teens.

Third Master Jiang He burst into laughter. "Second Sister-in-law, you really should teach your daughter properly. She is so loose-tongued and disrespectful. How will she ever get married in the future?"

The moment those words fell, Xu Yin abruptly raised her head, a sharp glint flashing through her eyes.

But it vanished in an instant. Xu Yin quickly calmed down again and looked at her daughter. "All right, the Lineage meeting is about to begin. Tingyi, sit down. Xiao Chen, you too."

Su Chen answered and sat down at the central table with Xu Yin and Jiang Tingyi.

Only direct descendants of the Jiang Family were allowed to sit at this table. Aside from Xu Yin and her daughter, it seated First Master Jiang Shan's family, Third Master Jiang He's family, and Fourth Master Jiang Feng.

Xu Yin quietly explained each person's identity to Su Chen.

Seated beside Jiang Shan were his son and daughter, Jiang Mingxuan and Jiang Yuewu.

Seated beside Jiang He was his only son, Jiang Minghao.

Jiang Feng, meanwhile, had never married and had no children. He was alone in the world.

"Second Sister-in-law." At this moment, Third Master Jiang He's thunderous voice rang out again. "Whose little brat is sitting beside you? Why does he look so unfamiliar? Our Jiang Family Lineage meeting does not permit outsiders to attend!"

Xu Yin replied calmly, "I was just about to mention this. Su Chen is my nephew from my maiden family, as dear to me as my own son. He will be living in the Jiang Family from now on, so I brought him here to introduce him to everyone."

"Hmph!"

After hearing Xu Yin's words, Jiang He merely snorted in displeasure, unable to say anything else.

After all, although Jiang Hai had been missing for many years, Xu Yin was still the Jiang Family's Second Madam in name. It was not as if she lacked even the right to take in a nephew from her maiden family.

Just then, First Master Jiang Shan slowly took up the conversation. "So he is Second Brother's wife's nephew from her maiden family. Naturally, we welcome him. However, Second Sister-in-law, your nephew is not a direct descendant of the Jiang Family. It is against the rules for him to sit at this table. He should leave this table."

Xu Yin froze. She had not considered this before coming.

Su Chen was indeed not a direct descendant of the Jiang Family. Jiang Shan's demand that he leave the table was not excessive.

Xu Yin had no way to refute that point.

She frowned and looked toward the other three tables where the collateral family members sat. "But there are no vacant seats at the other tables."

"Isn't there another table over there?" Third Master Jiang He pointed toward a lonely little table in the corner.

Xu Yin looked in that direction and saw that the little table was covered in dust, with miscellaneous items piled on top. It was clearly a table for storing clutter, not one meant for anyone to sit at.

At once, even with Xu Yin's good temper, her face filled with anger. "Are you joking? Is that table meant for people to sit at?"

Jiang He snorted coldly. "I am merely telling you not to break the Jiang Family's rules!"

"Whoever wants to sit at that table can go sit there. Xiao Chen will not!" Xu Yin replied coldly.

Did he take her for a fool? Jiang He was clearly humiliating Su Chen. How could she possibly agree?

The two remained locked in a stalemate, and the atmosphere in the council hall gradually turned strange.