Chen Clan Ancestral Precept

Chen Manor Backyard.

By the time Chen Daoxuan and his group arrived, Chen Manor Backyard was already in complete chaos.

Before them.

An eight- or nine-year-old boy was held tightly in the arms of a young married woman in her twenties.

The young woman's face was pale, and her delicately made-up pretty face was filled with terror.

Yet her hands clutched the boy's body tightly, afraid that the vicious woman baring her fangs and brandishing her claws would harm the child.

The boy in her arms glared at the vicious woman with fire in his eyes. He wanted to struggle, but his mother held him down firmly.

The one hurling insults—the vicious woman—was not bad-looking, but her features carried an air of sharp-tongued cruelty.

One hand rested on her hip while the other pointed at the young woman collapsed on the ground, vile words constantly spilling from her mouth.

Calling her a slave from Cloud Country, calling her born lowly, saying even the child she bore was lowborn trash.

In any case, every kind of vicious, heart-piercing insult poured from her lips without end.

She became so excited in her tirade that she did not even notice people had entered the backyard.

"Why has everyone stopped talking? Have you all gone mute?"

Like a victorious general, the vicious woman swept her gaze over the servants.

Who would have thought the servants looked as though they had seen something terrifying beyond measure? They all dropped to their knees and cried in unison, "Master, Madam!"

At those words, the vicious woman felt a chill run down her spine. She turned around awkwardly and discovered the First Madam, whom she usually feared and envied most, along with the master whose face was blazing with fury.

"M-Master!"

As if performing a face-changing act, the vicious woman instantly replaced her sharp-tongued expression with one of pitiful innocence. She whined, "Master, you must stand up for me. These two little bastards took advantage of my inattention again to bully my Tong'er."

"You're lying! I didn't! She was the one who snatched my little wooden figure—"

The boy in the young woman's arms refused to accept this and was about to defend himself, but his mother immediately clamped a hand over his mouth.

Fire nearly burst from the boy's eyes, but he was far too weak to struggle free of his mother.

He could only stare at the vicious woman with a cannibalistic glare as she accused the victim first.

Slap!

Who would have thought that the enraged Chen Liangyu would not allow her to argue at all? He immediately slapped his Second Madam across the face.

With that slap.

The entire Chen Manor Backyard instantly descended into chaos.

The little girl's crying and the vicious woman's wailing rang out without end.

"Enough!"

Chen Liangyu let out a thunderous shout and glared at the quarreling people.

Intimidated by his imposing presence, no one, including the little girl, dared cry any longer.

The vicious woman fared even worse. Her face turned deathly pale from fright.

Once Chen Liangyu had brought the scene under control, he bowed to Chen Daoxuan and said, "Young Clan Leader, this subordinate truly—"

"Young Clan Leader?"

Hearing how Chen Liangyu addressed him, everyone's expressions changed.

Chen Daoxuan raised a hand, stopping Chen Liangyu's apology.

He took several steps forward, crouched before the young woman, and said, "May I take a look at this child?"

At those words, the young woman instinctively held her child tighter. But when she recalled this man's identity, she reluctantly loosened her hold.

The little boy broke free from his mother's soft hand, took a deep breath, and said, "Mother, you nearly suffocated Nianchu."

"Your name is Chen Nianchu, isn't it?"

The little boy turned to Chen Daoxuan warily. "Who are you? What does my name have to do with you? Are you here to bully us too?"

As he spoke, he spread his little arms and shielded his mother behind him.

"I'm here to help you."

Chen Daoxuan shook his head. "Can you come over and let me take a look?"

The boy gave his mother a questioning glance. Only after receiving her approval did he reluctantly walk over.

"What do you want?"

Chen Daoxuan smiled faintly without answering.

He simply placed his jade-like right hand lightly atop the boy's head.

A moment later.

As Chen Daoxuan circulated his Dantian True Qi, a Rosy Cloud enveloped the little boy's head.

The Rosy Cloud was especially brilliant in the night. Even from far away, it felt somewhat blinding.

"This..."

At the sight of that Rosy Cloud, Chen Liangyu immediately recalled the records in the clan's ancient texts.

Rosy Cloud crowning the head—Immortal Physique!

Chen Liangyu had never imagined that his son possessed an Immortal Physique, that he was a seedling fit for immortal cultivation.

But as he remembered something else, Chen Liangyu's face turned pale again.

Sure enough.

After examining Chen Nianchu's Spiritual Root Aptitude, Chen Daoxuan turned to Chen Liangyu and the vicious woman, who was clutching her slapped cheek, and said, "Do you know your crime?"

Though the vicious woman had swaggered and lorded herself over the boy's mother, before the Young Clan Leader, who was even more terrifying than her husband, how could she dare argue? She immediately fell to her knees, too frightened to speak.

"Chen Liangyu."

When the vicious woman said nothing, Chen Daoxuan turned to Chen Liangyu.

"This subordinate is here!"

Chen Liangyu immediately knelt, lowering his head.

"What is the third article of the Chen Clan Rules?"

Before Chen Liangyu could answer, the vicious woman beside him had already gone limp and collapsed to the ground in terror.

Chen Liangyu pressed his lips tightly together. Suddenly, he sprang to his feet and kicked his Second Madam, cursing loudly, "You bitch! I told you not to bully people for no reason and turn the household into a mess, you bitch!"

Chen Liangyu beat and cursed her until she hugged his leg and begged for mercy.

Seeing her like this, Chen Liangyu's heart softened. But then he hardened his heart again and continued beating and cursing her.

"Enough!"

Chen Daoxuan said, "Chen Liangyu, I'll ask you one more time. What is the third article of the Chen Clan Rules?"

At this, Chen Liangyu deflated like a punctured ball and slumped to the ground.

His face was ashen as he said, "Any Chen clansman who bullies another clansman without cause shall receive two years of Labor Service. Anyone who bullies a mortal with Spiritual Roots without cause, their crime... their crime..."

"What?"

"Shall be executed!"

Saying those final two words seemed to drain every ounce of strength from Chen Liangyu's body.

He looked at Chen Daoxuan in utter despair, hoping he would show mercy and leave a line of life.

But Chen Liangyu knew in his heart that any qualified Clan Leader would firmly enforce the clan rules.

He had always believed Chen Daoxuan was a qualified Clan Leader.

Sure enough.

Chen Daoxuan pointed at the vicious woman and looked at the little boy. "Tell me, did she bully you?"

The little boy was about to speak when his mother grabbed him.

The young woman desperately shook her head at him and pleaded softly, "Chu'er, don't."

The little boy clenched his teeth. He looked at his mother, then at the vicious woman's despairing face. After taking a deep breath, he said, "She didn't bully me. My little sister and I were only playing around."

At those words, the vicious woman felt as though her soul had finally returned to her body. She dropped onto the ground on her backside.

Hearing this.

Everyone present heaved a sigh of relief.

Just as everyone thought the matter had passed, Chen Daoxuan walked over to the vicious woman and said, "Tell me, why did you choose tonight of all nights to bully this mother and son? Did you not know I was coming to Chen Manor as a guest tonight?"

Only then did Chen Liangyu react.

That's right!

He had clearly told his first wife that he was inviting the Young Clan Leader to their home as a guest today and had told her to make proper preparations.

How had such a thing happened?

Unless...

He glanced at the wife he had known for many years, and an unbelievable thought surfaced in his mind.

Could all of this have been orchestrated by his first wife behind the scenes?

But why?

Suddenly, a terrifying thought faintly emerged in his heart, yet he dared not believe it was true.

"It was you!"

The Second Madam was not foolish. In an instant, she realized who had been pulling strings behind the scenes.

She pointed at the First Madam and said, "It was you, wasn't it? It had to be you! You were afraid Nianchu would steal Yunsheng's status as the legitimate son, so you wanted to get rid of him! No, get rid of both of us! How vicious you are!"

Naturally, Madam Chen could not admit to such an accusation.

Her face pale, she said, "Don't slander me so recklessly. You bullied that mother and son—what does it have to do with me? Did I tell you to bully them?"

Watching this grand drama unfold, Chen Daoxuan's face turned frosty.

He had once believed that since the Chen Family had a Clan Leader like Chen Xianhe, who worked tirelessly for the family and did not hesitate to abandon his Dao path, and clansmen like Chen Beiwang, who were willing to bow and scrape until death claimed them, the Chen Family must be a clan without the slightest stain from top to bottom.

But now it seemed that darkness existed wherever light could not reach.

The key was.

Even Chen Daoxuan could not say Madam Chen had done anything wrong. She had merely made full use of Chen Liangyu's Second Madam's jealousy and vicious nature.

In the words of his previous life, this was an intelligent scheme to kill with a borrowed knife.

He glanced at Chen Liangyu, then at Chen Yunsheng and Madam Chen's several wives, his voice drifting like mist. "Do you still remember the Chen Clan Ancestral Precept?"

"Do you remember?"

When no one answered, Chen Daoxuan truly grew enraged and shouted.

"I... I..."

Kneeling on the ground, Chen Liangyu lowered his head.

Seeing this, Chen Yunsheng knelt beside his father as well. Finally, everyone in Chen Manor, including the First Madam, the Second Madam, and even Chen Liangyu's little daughter, knelt there.

At last, it felt as though a fire were burning in Chen Liangyu's heart. His face flushed bright red as the ancient ancestral precept slowly emerged from his lips:

"Every bearer of Chen blood is a Chen clansman!"

"Every bearer of Chen blood is a Chen clansman! Chen Liangyu, tell me—where does the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate exist among Chen clansmen?"

Chen Daoxuan stared unblinkingly at him, and at Madam Chen as well.

Both lowered their heads, not daring to meet his gaze.

As Chen Nianchu watched the scene before him, a faint flame seemed to burn in his eyes.

His little fists clenched tightly. He only felt a stream of heat surging through his chest—it was the Chen Family's scorching bloodline, flowing within him!

Chen Daoxuan walked to his side and spoke in a voice only he could hear. "Do you like a Chen Family like this?"

Those words seemed to remind the little boy of many unpleasant memories.

He shook his head. "I don't!"

"Then let's make it into the Chen Family you like together, all right?"

Chen Daoxuan lowered his head and met Chen Nianchu's small eyes.

In this big brother's eyes, Chen Nianchu seemed to see something different—something he had long awaited, yet could never attain no matter how much he yearned for it.

As if possessed, he nodded. "All right."

After thinking for a moment, he added, "But I have a condition too."

"What is it?"

"How about you become my father?"

Chen Daoxuan: "..."