Giving In!

Ren Jie had ended up cursing outright, yet upon hearing his words, Tong Qiang was not angered in the slightest. Within that golden armor that revealed only his eyes was joy—boundless joy, the kind of happiness and smile he had not shown in many years.

Tong Qiang raised a hand. With a thunderous crash, every member of the Guard Squad atop the one hundred and twenty-six Treasure Horses, Tong Qiang included, leaped down. They made no attempt to control their landing, clearly intending to create just such an effect.

Everyone felt as though the earth had quaked. Then, led by Tong Qiang, all one hundred and twenty-six Guard Squad members dropped to one knee.

"Greetings, Family Head!" The one hundred and twenty-six Guard Squad members roared in unison, their voices ringing out for dozens of miles and startling everyone present. This salute was more convincing than any words could have been.

"This is outrageous... Tong Qiang, what are you trying to do? The Council of Elders assists the Family Head in overseeing all affairs of the Ren Family. Are you trying to rebel?" Ren Hanlin trembled with fury as he pointed at Ren Qiang and berated him.

"Nonsense! The Family Head is young and ignorant. Tong Qiang, what are you trying to do?" Ren Junyang's face darkened. He had already produced a jade token, one that could summon the Ren Family's internal forces at any time. This token also represented the Council of Elders' authority to oversee all major and minor affairs of the Ren Family.

"The Old Family Head did say that the Council of Elders would manage the Lineage's affairs. But the Guard Squad belongs to the Family Head's personal forces; it does not belong to the Lineage. Ordinarily, if the Family Head gives no special request or command, we obey the Lineage's arrangements and orders. But once the Family Head issues an order, the Family Head's command—right or wrong—we will carry it out to the death." Tong Qiang's voice remained as deep as ever. After speaking, he raised his hand, and all one hundred and twenty-six Guard Squad members rose.

Though every one of them was still wrapped in magnificent battle armor, they now gave off an entirely different feeling. Before, they had seemed like lavish decorations. But at this moment, they possessed a killing aura, an unstoppable killing aura.

"This..." Hearing Tong Qiang's words, Ren Hanlin froze before turning to Ren Junyang, only to see him nod faintly.

How could this be? Still, Ren Hanlin snorted angrily and turned toward Ren Jie. "Family Head, enough. Release him immediately and come with us to the Ancestral Shrine."

"No time, no leisure, no mood. So what if I beat him? I beat him because he deserved it. He used another's power like a dog, knew neither rank nor propriety, dared bark orders at this Family Head, commanded the Family Head, reprimanded and extorted the Family Head's Guard Squad captain right in front of me, directed the Family Head's carriage, and insulted the Family Head's friend. I would like to ask you, Third Elder, who gave him such nerve? Who promoted such a person to Deputy Chief Steward? The Ren Family's Deputy Chief Steward holds great authority—was that position meant for someone who has no regard for the Family Head?" Go with you? Fuck, why should I, as Family Head, have to listen to you? Go to hell.

"Ah!" Ren Hanlin had not expected Ren Jie to answer like that.

The few lackeys of Ren Qiancheng who had been knocked down by Tie Ta had originally risen when they saw the Third Elder arrive, each one indignant beyond measure. When they heard that the Third Elder intended to take Ren Jie to the Ancestral Shrine, the smiles on their faces had not even fully spread before they were left dumbfounded.

This guy actually dared speak to an elder like that? Had they heard wrong?

Not just them—nearby Guard Squad members, Gao Ren, and the others were all stunned as well.

Had they heard wrong? Was this not some auditory hallucination? Though Ren Jie had acted wildly arrogant in the Imperial Palace before, in their memories, he had always been terrified whenever he saw an elder. What had happened today?

It had been one thing for him to deal with Ren Qiancheng just now. After all, Ren Qiancheng was merely a Deputy Chief Steward. Beneath the Chief Steward were three stewards, twelve Deputy Chief Stewards, thirty-six managers, seventy-two Deputy Managers, one hundred and six executives, and three hundred and sixty Deputy Executives. The entire Ren Family, including direct descendants, main-line descendants, collateral branches, servants, and attendants, numbered over thirty thousand.

Ren Qiancheng was also the Third Elder's nephew, so his position was hardly low. If this had been the former Ren Tianxing, a single word would have settled the matter. Yet Ren Jie dealing with a Deputy Chief Steward had already shocked them enough. Now he actually dared confront an elder head-on.

No, this was no longer defiance. This was questioning—this was a reprimand.

While everyone was stunned by the sudden turn of events, Ren Jie also stopped striking. Standing high atop the Spirit Beast Carriage, he looked down at the Third Elder.

"There is no need for us to go to the Ancestral Shrine. Right here, today, Third Elder, give me an explanation. Whose power was he relying on?" Ren Jie looked directly at Ren Hanlin. "You explain it to me too—how should the family laws deal with this? Where was this Family Head wrong in beating him? Fuck, is this the Lineage you Council of Elders claim to assist this Family Head in managing? A mere Deputy Chief Steward dared humiliate this Family Head in public. Didn't this Family Head curse you people last time? This Family Head's dignity is the Ren Family's dignity. When I lose face, are you honored? Are you happy?!"

Ren Hanlin stood there in a daze. If things were truly as Ren Jie said, then Ren Qiancheng's crimes were grave indeed. Ren Qiancheng was his nephew, and Ren Hanlin knew him best. He certainly acted arrogantly by relying on him, but because Ren Hanlin himself had only recently come into power, he had never felt anything was wrong with it.

At that moment, hearing Ren Jie say this, he abruptly looked at Ren Qiancheng's four lackeys. Seeing how matters stood, the four immediately lowered their heads in silence.

Ren Hanlin was utterly bewildered. If Ren Jie's words were true, then...

From the beginning, Ren Jie had never intended to discuss this matter in private, nor had he planned to argue with them. He was the Family Head—why should he explain himself to them? If anyone had to explain, they should be explaining themselves to him.

Seeing Ren Hanlin unable to answer Ren Jie's questions, the fatty standing beside Ren Jie shot him a sideways glance. Was this still his Meal Ticket Boss?

That was way too fierce!

The feeling was somewhat like when he used to bully those small families without backing. But today, Ren Jie had first beaten the Gao Family genius Gao Peng, then cursed the Gao Family Head before the Emperor, nearly angered the Fang Family Head to death, and now had cowed the elders he had once feared most into this state. They were both Hedonistic Young Masters, but this kind of hedonistic young master was simply exhilarating.

Gao Ren felt that he had not lived this day in vain. Even standing at the side, he found it incomparably thrilling, satisfying, and refreshing.

Disrespecting the Family Head, committing insubordination, overstepping authority, and failing to distinguish rank from status—under the family laws, these crimes were enough to merit being caned to death! If this continued and the matter grew serious, no matter the final outcome, Ren Qiancheng would surely lose his life.

Though Ren Qiancheng had no talent for cultivation, he was still the only bloodline left by Ren Hanlin's younger brother. Moreover, this was right before the Ren Family gates. It concerned Ren Hanlin's face—no, it concerned the face and authority of Second Elder Ren Junyang, Third Elder Ren Hanlin, and Fourth Elder Ren Wenxu. Everyone knew of Ren Qiancheng's relationship with Ren Hanlin. If he were truly caned to death, these three great elders who presided over the Lineage's daily affairs would have their faces ground into the dirt.

Ren Jie was, after all, the Family Head, and this was a public occasion. More importantly, Tong Qiang and the Guard Squad were here. Newly risen people like Ren Qiancheng did not understand these people, because in recent years they had vanished without a trace, appearing within the Lineage only at occasional major events. Many in the Ren Family believed they were merely there for show, like a ceremonial guard. But elders such as Ren Junyang knew very well.

They were the most elite survivors of the Imperial Guards who had once served under Ren Tianxing at the height of his power. The Imperial Guards had been the strongest and most loyal group selected from millions of soldiers. And these people were not just of this generation—their fathers and even several generations before them had belonged to the Ren Family. Tong Qiang and the others were orphans who had followed Ren Tianxing since childhood, the final group that remained. Once this group said something, it was absolutely no joke.

If they tried to force matters now, taking Ren Jie away or doing anything else, then with one order from Ren Jie, these people would definitely disregard all consequences...

Ren Hanlin had been questioned by Ren Jie until his forehead was covered in sweat. He turned to Ren Junyang for help.

"Damn it! A disgrace to the Lineage! A mere Deputy Chief Steward actually dared commit such acts! The Council of Elders will personally handle this matter and give the Family Head a satisfactory answer. We ask the Family Head to move elsewhere. It is better to handle the Lineage's affairs internally, lest outsiders see us as a joke. After all, this is a public place, and certain matters concerning the Lineage and the Family Head are inconvenient to discuss here." Ren Junyang cursed at Ren Qiancheng, who had been beaten into a pig-headed mess. Then his tone shifted. For the first time, he truly addressed Ren Jie in the manner one used toward a Family Head. His tone no longer placed the Council of Elders above the Family Head. Though this was only a temporary concession born of helplessness, it was still the first time since Ren Jie had become Family Head.

Backing down!!

Whether it was Gao Ren, Ren Qiancheng's subordinates, or the others nearby, all found it hard to believe.

Though the Second Elder had put it tactfully, anyone with half a brain could hear it: the Second Elder was backing down.

Heavens, had they heard correctly? The Family Head had acted so... like this, and the Second Elder and the others had actually backed down, actually said such things...

Thinking of the imposing manner in which the three elders had appeared just now, and the drawn-swords-and-bent-bows tension of the situation, only for them to back down in the blink of an eye—it was simply unbelievable.

"Mm..." Ren Jie pondered briefly, then waved to Tie Ta. "Since the Second Elder has said so, how could I possibly distrust the three elders?"

When Ren Jie saw Ren Junyang and the others looking as though they could hardly believe he was handing the man over, he knew what they were thinking. These people thought he would take this chance to make demands, especially since Ren Junyang's words had already hinted that they could make concessions regarding his expenses.

Fuck, did they really take him for a child? They thought giving him a piece of candy would make him happy?

He had not done all this to fight them over such things. Teaching Ren Qiancheng a lesson today had merely been a convenient warning to them, so that no more blind fools would show up in the future. He was also using this to pry open the situation a little. Since he was already in this position and in this Lineage, he had no intention of living so miserably.

But he himself knew that to reopen the video in his Sea of Consciousness, what he needed was not merely tens or even hundreds of thousands of taels of gold per month. Obtaining it from the Lineage was clearly unrealistic for now. Fortunately, the Fang Family's side was nearly at harvest time, so Ren Jie could not be bothered to waste more words on them. "And these few fellows—when the Family Head ordered an arrest, they dared obstruct it. According to family law, sixty strokes of caning each. Execute it now, immediately, at once. All right, this Family Head is tired." Ren Jie did not seek the Second Elder's opinion at all. After issuing the command, he called Gao Ren aboard the Spirit Beast Carriage. Without needing to say anything, Beast Uncle, who never spoke, had already urged the carriage onward and taken them into the Lineage.

Seeing their Family Head's carriage enter the Lineage, those who had been watching from within immediately moved far aside and saluted respectfully.

Tong Qiang had his men mount up at once, leaving behind one squad with Tie Ta to carry out the family law. He himself led the others in escorting Ren Jie all the way into the Ren Family.

"Look at him—he is practically beaten to death! What is he trying to do? This is simply..." Ren Hanlin took Ren Qiancheng, who had been beaten until he no longer looked human, and grew furious at the sight of him.

"Hmph. Such trash would be better off dead. Have someone send him away. I do not want to see him in the Lineage again. You two, come with me." After saying this, Ren Junyang angrily flicked his sleeve and left. Originally, they had been the ones summoning the Family Head to the Great Council Hall. Now they had been forced to speak words of concession here. The difference and change between those circumstances were no longer as simple as Ren Jie's outburst in the Great Council Hall over spending money a few days ago. It vaguely left Ren Junyang feeling uneasy.