Have Some Shame

"I told you, that kid surnamed Su joining our Jiang Family clan assembly was just asking for humiliation..."

"He's an outsider. It's already generous enough to let him into the clan assembly, yet he still picks and chooses. If you ask me, that table for sundries was prepared for him. Hahaha..."

Listening to the side branch clansmen's overlapping discussions, Xu Yin's face turned icy to the extreme, yet she showed no intention of backing down.

After a while, even those murmurs gradually died down.

The entire hall fell silent.

Just as everyone waited to see how this matter would be resolved, a cold voice suddenly rang out. "It's just a seat. Is it worth arguing over?"

The crowd looked over in astonishment and discovered, to their surprise, that the speaker was Fourth Master Jiang Feng, who had always been quiet and taciturn.

Precisely because he was usually so silent that he sometimes did not utter a word for an entire month, everyone was all the more shocked when he suddenly spoke now.

Seeing everyone looking at him, Jiang Feng stood and looked toward Su Chen.

"You can have my seat."

After saying those concise words to Su Chen, Jiang Feng turned and left beneath everyone's watchful eyes, walking out of the hall.

Even from behind, it was clear that his right sleeve hung empty, with nothing inside.

It was only after Jiang Feng's figure completely vanished that the people in the hall came back to their senses.

Jiang Feng had given his seat to Su Chen?

Jiang Feng himself would not be attending the clan assembly?

Although Jiang Feng's usual behavior had always been somewhat unconventional, this action still caught everyone completely off guard.

Even Xu Yin was stunned. Was Jiang Feng helping her?

But she had never had much interaction with Jiang Feng. Why would he suddenly help her?

Only Su Chen, gazing in the direction Jiang Feng had left, sighed inwardly.

At this clan assembly in his previous life, Jiang Feng had done exactly the same thing.

Combined with their later interactions, Su Chen had come to understand that Fourth Master Jiang Feng was actually cold on the outside but warm within.

He was righteous by nature, completely unlike Jiang Shan and Jiang He.

In his previous life, Jiang Feng had not met a good end.

But this life was different.

Su Chen was a man who clearly distinguished kindness from enmity. In this life, anyone who helped him would receive a hundredfold reward.

Drawing back his thoughts.

Su Chen's gaze settled on Jiang Shan and Jiang He, gradually turning cold.

In his previous life, Jiang Shan and Jiang He had oppressed and harmed Xu Yin in every possible way. This was merely the beginning.

Su Chen could not interfere in the Jiang Family's affairs, but if they dared lay a hand on his family, then they could not blame him for unleashing thunderous methods.

"Does anyone still have any objections to Xiao Chen's seat now?"

Xu Yin said coldly. Su Chen was now sitting in Jiang Feng's seat; in other words, Su Chen was effectively attending the clan assembly in Jiang Feng's place.

And although Jiang Feng had always been somewhat marginalized, no one could deny that he was a genuine direct descendant of the Jiang Family.

No one could say anything against that.

Jiang He's expression was ugly. He shot a sidelong glare at Su Chen, seated in Jiang Feng's place, and snorted. "A dove occupying a magpie's nest! Just wait and see!"

Jiang Shan was clearly more composed. He merely cast Xu Yin and Su Chen a somewhat gloomy glance before changing the subject. "It's about time. Let's begin the clan assembly."

Hearing this, everyone straightened in their seats and waited for the clan assembly to officially begin.

Jiang Shan cleared his throat. "There are two matters for today's clan assembly."

"The first concerns the distribution of this month's cultivation resources!"

"This month's Lesser Origin Pills will be distributed according to past custom. The first branch and third branch will each receive twenty pills; the second branch and fourth branch will each receive ten pills; the remaining twenty pills will go to the side branch clansmen."

"Does anyone have any objections?"

Lesser Origin Pills were medicinal pills consumed by martial artists in the Qi-Attraction Realm and Essence Condensation Realm during cultivation. They contained a small amount of spiritual energy, and consuming them could accelerate cultivation.

Although Lesser Origin Pills were simple to refine and counted as low-grade pills in an alchemist's eyes, they were still extremely precious to ordinary martial artists who were not alchemists.

For martial artists of major lineages, their reliance on Lesser Origin Pills had already become an indispensable part of their daily cultivation.

As one of Clear River City's three great lineages, the Jiang Family purchased one hundred Lesser Origin Pills from Five Treasures Hall every month to distribute among the family's martial artists.

The distribution was sixty pills for the direct line and forty for the side branches.

There were many people in the side branches, and forty pills could basically ensure that everyone received one.

Of the sixty pills for the direct line, Jiang Shan's family—the first branch—and Jiang He's family—the third branch—could each receive twenty pills.

Meanwhile, Xu Yin's family—the second branch—could only receive ten, half of theirs and the same amount as the solitary Jiang Feng.

Xu Yin took a deep breath. Ever since Jiang Hai had disappeared, Jiang Shan and Jiang He had monopolized power and distributed them this way every month. She had already grown accustomed to it.

Having some was better than having none.

"If there are no objections, then begin distributing them."

Jiang Shan waved his hand and instructed the servants to carry in a chest.

When the lid was opened, one hundred pale-red Lesser Origin Pills were arranged neatly inside.

But just as Xu Yin was about to step forward and take her share, a voice like a thunderclap suddenly rang out.

"Wait!"

"I object!"

Third Master Jiang He!

Him again!

Jiang Shan said, "What objection do you have? Speak!"

Jiang He sneered and pointed at Xu Yin. "My objection concerns the second branch!"

"The second branch has only two women, yet they have occupied the family's precious cultivation resources for so long. I believe that giving the second branch ten Lesser Origin Pills every month is far too much."

Jiang He gave a malicious chuckle. "I suggest that starting this month, the second branch's Lesser Origin Pills be reduced to... two!"

As soon as those words fell.

Xu Yin shot to her feet, shocked and furious. "Third Brother, say that again?"

Reduce the second branch's Lesser Origin Pills to two?

One-tenth of what the first branch and third branch received?

What difference was there between that and having nothing at all?

Jiang He sneered. "Second Sister-in-law, I'm doing this for the good of the entire Jiang Family. There are two women in your second branch, and your daughter will marry out sooner or later. Your second branch occupies so many precious resources, yet contributes nothing to the Jiang Family!"

Xu Yin said coldly, "Once Tingyi marries, will she no longer be part of the Jiang Family? Besides, even if Tingyi marries, am I not still here?"

As she spoke, the sharp light in Xu Yin's eyes became almost tangible as it shot toward Jiang Shan. "Eldest Brother, are you really going to let Third Brother make trouble and spout nonsense at the clan assembly?"

A glint flashed through Jiang Shan's eyes, but he said mildly, "Second Sister-in-law, don't rush. I think Jiang He's words are not without reason and deserve consideration."

"It just so happens that the first and third branches do not have enough Lesser Origin Pills every month. Reducing the second branch's pills would neatly make up that shortfall. It could also count as your second branch contributing to the Jiang Family."

"You..."

Xu Yin sucked in a breath, utterly dumbfounded.

She was dumbfounded by Jiang Shan and Jiang He's shamelessness!

They received twenty Lesser Origin Pills a month, yet they still schemed after the second branch's meager supply, wanting to stuff the second branch's pills into their own pockets as well!

"Eldest Brother, Third Brother, have some shame!"

Unable to restrain herself, Xu Yin said coldly, "When Jiang Hai was still here, how much had he contributed to the Jiang Family? It was probably more than the two of you combined. Yet even so, he never demanded more Lesser Origin Pills for the second branch. Every month, he received the same twenty pills as you."

"But after something happened to him, the first thing you two did was impatiently reduce our second branch's Lesser Origin Pills to ten per month!"

Ignoring her normally gentle image, fury blazed from Xu Yin's eyes. Her slender hand pointed at Jiang Shan and Jiang He as she shouted, "And those ten Lesser Origin Pills you withheld were all stuffed into your own pockets!"

"And now, you want to use the same old trick and reduce our second branch's Lesser Origin Pills again? I will not agree! We are all direct descendants of the Jiang Family. You receive twenty Lesser Origin Pills every month while we receive two? Even if this were shouted to the heavens, there would be no such logic!"