You Dare Talk About Qualifications

The next morning, people were already preparing at the Ren Family's entrance. The Family Head's Guard Squad, which rarely stirred on ordinary days, stood fully armed and armored, their presence rivaling even the Royal Forbidden Army.

As the sun climbed higher, Ren Junyang, Ren Wenxu, and Ren Hanlin emerged from the Ren residence in splendid attire. This was no ordinary outing—they were attending the Imperial Banquet, where matters like the Empress Dowager's Birthday Celebration and other major affairs would be discussed.

This had long been a tradition of the Bright Jade Dynasty: when major decisions were at hand, the Emperor would first consult with the other Four Great Family Heads, and they would also convene regularly each year. In the past, such matters never fell to elders like them. But ever since Ren Tianxing passed the Family Head position to Ren Jie and established the Council of Elders, Ren Junyang and the others had begun to truly savor the highest honor of the Bright Jade Dynasty's Imperial Banquet.

There, they would deliberate with the Emperor and the other great families, securing benefits for the Ren Family. They now relished and eagerly anticipated these feasts.

The Guard Squad, over a hundred strong, was a magnificent and imposing sight. Ren Junyang and the others waited a full hour, yet there was still no sign of Ren Jie.

"It's already this late, and he still hasn't shown. I thought we were too strict with him before, which led to last time... Hmph, it seems we can't let him run wild..." Second Elder Ren Junyang looked up at the sun and slammed his fist angrily against his luxurious carriage.

"Unacceptable, more and more unacceptable. The Imperial Banquet is about to start, and he still hasn't shown up," Ren Wenxu said with clear displeasure.

Ren Hanlin also frowned. "Captain Tong, where are your men?"

Seated on a Treasure Horse at the very front, fully encased in golden armor and radiating a formidable aura, was Captain Tong Qiang of the Ren Family Head's Guard Squad.

"They're coming." Tong Qiang's voice was low, almost devoid of emotion. Fortunately, everyone was long accustomed to this.

"Report!" At that moment, a fast horse galloped in from the distance. It stopped just short of Tong Qiang, pulling up within five meters when it seemed certain to collide. The rider then saluted from the saddle: "The Family Head has ordered that he will proceed directly to the Imperial Palace. The Guard Squad is to head there immediately."

"Boom... boom..." As the Guard Squad, their purpose was to be spectacular and unified. The hoofbeats were deliberately thunderous, as if an earthquake were underway. But the true terror of this unit was revealed when Tong Qiang raised his hand and gave a single wave—all one hundred and twenty-six Guard Squad members and their one hundred and twenty-six horses spurred into motion at once.

"Tong Qiang... stop! You..." Ren Hanlin tried to halt them as they left, but found himself utterly ignored.

"You... this is..." Ren Wenxu's hands trembled with rage. In the blink of an eye, the magnificent procession had dwindled to just their three lavish carriages. Now, stripped of their former glory and grandeur, they stood isolated and awkward.

Because they had the Guard Squad for the Imperial Banquet, they hadn't brought their own people—but they never expected this...

"Let's go..." Ren Junyang knew Tong Qiang's nature. Under the Family Head's orders, he questioned neither right nor wrong, nor the reasons. Now, they had to find that hedonistic Ren Jie and demand an explanation. This brat was getting more and more out of line. It was time for a serious talk, to make him understand that he hadn't taken power yet, and even if he did, the Council of Elders existed. He couldn't just do as he pleased.

The Emperor's formal Imperial Banquet for the Four Great Family Heads was a strict affair. Each Family Head could bring some family members, usually the younger generation being groomed for succession, to soak in the atmosphere, listen, and learn.

On the square before the grand, magnificent palace at the heart of Jade Capital City of the Bright Jade Dynasty, some had already arrived—outstanding juniors from the great families. Wen Zihao of the Wen Family, Gao Peng, and the Second Prince Li Wenwu, who had come to receive guests, stood with Fang Yan, the Imperial Guards commander, at his side.

"I heard something happened to Fang Qi. Is that true or false? I've been locked up by my old man studying lately. If not for His Majesty's Imperial Banquet, I wouldn't even have a chance to breathe. It's been dark days, dark days." Wen Zihao's build was nothing like a scholar's—broad-faced, with slightly disheveled hair. If not for his luxurious attire and extraordinary bearing, and the lack of stubble on his face, he might have looked like someone just released from confinement.

"Her residence at the Jade Emperor Academy did catch fire. As for the rest, I'm not really sure." Gao Peng maintained his usual calm, refined demeanor. Even before the Second Prince and Wen Zihao, he seemed transcendent. He finished with a faint smile at Wen Zihao: "The Wen Family has produced four top scholars in a millennium. Naturally, the Wen Family Head hopes you'll create new glory. I believe soon, the Wen Family's five top scholars will be recorded in history."

"What's the point of being a top scholar? Over a thousand years, with all the special examinations, there have been hundreds of them. How many are remembered in history? It's all the same. Take you, Brother Gao—I can't match your literary talent and knowledge. And if you hadn't run into that freak Lan Tian, you could have taken any top scholar spot in the last century like it was nothing. So this stuff doesn't really mean anything..." Wen Zihao waved his hand dismissively.

"Indeed, if not for Lan Tian..." The Second Prince turned meaningfully to look at Fang Yan.

"I accept it willingly." Fang Yan spoke cautiously. Unlike Gao Peng and Wen Zihao, who hadn't entered officialdom, he was a core disciple of the Five Great Families. Even with the Second Prince, he could be casual, but as someone accompanying him to receive guests and already in office, he had to be careful with his words.

Caution was one thing, but inwardly, he felt a certain pride. Why waste words with these hedonistic young masters? He had come this far on his own merit and would surely trample them all underfoot one day.

Just then, an Earth Spirit Beast Carriage rapidly approached from afar. The Imperial Guards nearby immediately straightened and saluted. In Jade Capital City, such a carriage was iconic—only those of sufficient status could afford to use spirit beasts for pulling, let alone flaunt them so boldly.

And at this moment, the only one who dared drive a spirit beast carriage before the Imperial Palace square was the Emperor himself, or the heads of the other four great families among the five. But why would only one carriage show up on such an occasion?

"Oh, an Earth Spirit Beast Carriage. What's the Ren Family up to? Has Ren Jie had his allowance cut, and he's skimping on the show for his outing?" The Second Prince seemed to be talking to himself, but everyone could hear the schadenfreude in his voice. On deeper thought, the remark carried weight—the scale of one's arrival showed respect for the Emperor, and this clearly suggested a lack of it.

"Haha..." Wen Zihao laughed heartily. "Interesting. He's really... an interesting Family Head."

Gao Peng smiled faintly, thinking back to some issues he'd considered yesterday. After returning home, he'd looked over some of Ren Jie's old records. The change seemed to have started after Gao Fei broke his head. Had the excessive pressure and stimulation made him even more of a hedonist, or had he been hiding all along?

The Wen Family was in decline. In this generation of the Fang Family, only Fang Qi and Fang Yan stood out. But Fang Yan, though a direct descendant, wasn't Fang Tianen's son. Fang Tianen clearly intended to groom Fang Qi, who was closely tied to Lan Tian. So Gao Peng had always known his true rivals were only Lan Tian and Fang Qi. But Ren Jie had already taken over as Ren Family Head. Under Ren Tianxing, the Ren Family had reached a peak, and even now, it was still the strongest. So Gao Peng was very concerned about any change in Ren Jie.

"Ren Jie, you may not have officially taken over the Ren Family yet, but you're still a Family Head. And the Five Great Families are bound together. Gao Fei was your classmate, yet you used underhanded schemes to nearly kill him. You owe our Gao Family an explanation." Just as Ren Jie's spirit beast carriage came to a stop, Gao Peng, who had already made up his mind, suddenly spoke up.

His words caught Fang Yan, Wen Zihao, and even the Second Prince off guard.

No one expected this from Gao Peng. They all knew he was formidable—even the Emperor and the other Family Heads praised him—but they'd never heard of him clashing with any hedonistic young master.

Even as a child, he seemed to look down on them with maturity. What was this about today? Was the Gao Family using this opportunity to make a move against the Ren Family...

"An explanation? Yes, an explanation is in order. Your Gao Family still owes me five hundred thousand taels of gold. Pay up, now." Ren Jie stepped out of the spirit beast carriage, followed by Tie Ta and the fat Gao Ren. The moment he emerged, he stretched out his hand toward Gao Peng, demanding money.

"Ren Jie, if you weren't so utterly rotten, so pathetic—like mud I wouldn't even bother to dirty my hands on—I'd beat you myself. But you're not even worthy of my making a move. You don't even have the courage to duel Gao Fei. He fought you with one hand, and you're supposed to be a Family Head of the Five Great Families. You can't even wield real power, pushed around by a few elders. Your father was a hero in his day—why haven't you learned a thing from him? You want money? If you agree to a fair fight with Gao Fei, I'll give you not just five hundred thousand taels of gold, but five million. Win or lose, it's yours. Sigh!" Gao Peng finished with a light sigh and a contemptuous shake of his head.

That feeling cut ten times deeper than a direct insult.

On the surface, it seemed like a brother's righteous anger over his sibling being beaten. But Gao Peng's divine sense was locked onto every subtle expression and change on Ren Jie's face.

This was crucial. If Ren Jie was truly hiding something deep, with the foundation laid by his father Ren Tianxing, his danger level would be no less than that freak Lan Tian. The Five Great Families, including the royal clan, had their rises and falls across generations. When Ren Tianxing was in power, the Ren Family reached a peak unseen in a millennium. Though Ren Tianxing had vanished in recent years, then suddenly reappeared to pass the Family Head position to Ren Jie, causing internal strife and a gradual decline, every family knew they couldn't let the Ren Family produce another Ren Tianxing.

"Meal Ticket Boss, this grandson's insults don't use dirty words. They say guys like that are the scariest—rotten to the core but pretending to be noble. You'd better watch out!" Gao Ren leaned in, as if whispering to Ren Jie, but his words were loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Pfft..." Wen Zihao couldn't help but snort with laughter.

The Second Prince's eyes darted around for a moment before he held back his own laugh. He thought to himself, Ren Jie is truly one of a kind, and the people he brings are just as unique.

"Insults?" Tie Ta scratched his head, his honest nature struggling with the convoluted implications.

"That's right. This kind is the worst of the worst, even worse than that Gao Fei. I've got it figured out. Watch how This Family Head deals with him." Ren Jie also leaned in seriously to speak with Gao Ren, even more cautiously than Gao Ren, his voice very low.

Those farther away truly couldn't hear Ren Jie's voice, but the Second Prince, Fang Yan, Wen Zihao, and the main target, Gao Peng, were left speechless.

At this distance, their divine senses could cover everything. Without any interference, even the faintest sound was audible.

Was this intentional or what? This was too ridiculous!

"Deal with me? Hah!" Gao Peng couldn't help but laugh out loud. This was absurd. If this guy wasn't playing crazy, then he was just like Gao Fei and the rest—a hedonistic young master with nothing in his head, like an overgrown child.

"Laughing? Funny, is it? You think you're so tough, coming here to lecture me? Who do you think you are? Laugh all you want. Soon, I'll have you kneeling and crying." Ren Jie seemed provoked by Gao Peng's laughter, pointing a finger at him.

"I'd love to see how you make me cry. But you're not even worthy of me making a move. I'll say it again—you don't have the qualifications..."

"Qualification? You dare speak of qualification with This Family Head? Didn't your father teach you? You juniors are brought here by your elders to gain experience. The Imperial Banquet is where the emperor hosts the Four Great Family Heads to discuss matters of state. You little brats come along to learn—weren't you told not to spout nonsense? Weren't you told that running your mouth here means a spanking when you get home? Talking about qualification with This Family Head, you even want to throw down with me, but look at yourself—who do you think you are? Do you have that qualification?" Talking about qualification with him, Ren Jie didn't wait for him to finish before he exploded.

"Boom... boom rumble..." Just then, a thunderous, orderly roar came from a squad. Tong Qiang had arrived with the Family Head of the Ren Family's Guard Squad.

"Men, seize this bastard for This Family Head." Ren Jie had been waiting for this. The moment Gao Peng spoke, he gave off a feeling of traps and schemes, and the way he looked at people made Ren Jie uncomfortable. Ren Jie could also sense his divine sense lingering on him. This guy was deliberate—not like Gao Fei and those other Hedonistic Young Masters, and not even really about the Gao Fei incident. Whatever this guy was plotting, he made Ren Jie deeply uneasy.

Just then, Tong Qiang and his men arrived, and Ren Jie roared directly.

"Yes." Tong Qiang, taking the lead, answered without hesitation. The next moment, he had already leaped from his horse, appearing midair, and reached out directly to grab Gao Peng.