All Are Fucking Trash

What happened outside the Ren Family gates spread through the major powers of Jade Capital City as though it had sprouted wings, even as Ren Jie and the others entered the Ren Family. Reactions varied on all sides. Some who had originally belonged to the Ren Family's camp grew uneasy upon hearing the news. Quite a few even secretly hurried to the Ren Family or sent people to ask what exactly had happened.

After all, the Ren Family was a towering tree, and they were the branches and leaves upon it. Naturally, they cared immensely about any changes at the tree's roots.

Others, meanwhile, were delighted. For instance, the Emperor, who had not joined the other Four Great Family Heads for the Imperial Banquet in the Imperial Palace, later dined privately with several staunch old ministers of the Royalist Faction. He was in an exceptionally good mood today and had specially brought out fine wine from the Imperial Palace's secret stores to reward them.

The Emperor himself drank with great enjoyment. The old ministers, who still had no idea what was going on, assumed that he was happy because the Empress Dowager's Birthday Celebration was approaching.

At the Gao Family, within Gao Peng's private courtyard, everything was tranquil and elegant, the surroundings pleasant. There were no extravagant ornaments, yet the place possessed a majestic grandeur. Everything around it had been arranged personally by him.

"Good, wonderful! Fight! It'll be best if they really start fighting. That little bastard has truly gone mad. He caused a scene in the Imperial Palace, completely fell out with my Gao Family and the Fang Family, and now he's gone home and fallen out with several elders of his own Lineage as well. He hasn't even come of age yet. Those elders definitely won't let him take power so easily. Now there's a show to watch." The moment Gao Zhanyuan received word of what had happened outside the Ren Family gates, he felt utterly vindicated.

Just then, Gao Peng emerged from his room. He had just finished treating his wounds and taking his medicine, and his appearance had nearly returned to its usual calm composure.

The moment Gao Peng came out and saw that his father was about to speak, he beat him to it. "I heard everything just now. It seems this tranquil Jade Capital City is about to become lively."

"Internal turmoil in the Ren Family is the best possible outcome. It's what the other four great families of Jade Capital City all want to see. The Ren Family has been too strong these past twenty years—so strong that the other four great families cannot even sleep in peace." Though Gao Zhanyuan was not especially talented, he had been Family Head for many years. What he saw was naturally the bigger picture.

The weeping bitterly in the great hall, the rage and madness before the Imperial Palace gates—none of it remained now.

"Hmph!" Gao Peng snorted. "When prosperity reaches its peak, decline must follow. Without Ren Tianxing, the Ren Family is already like a heap of loose sand. No matter how strong it once was, it no longer poses much of a threat. Those few Ren Family elders are mere appetizers. Whether Ren Jie's head injury truly made him act crazily and without rhyme or reason, or whether he genuinely wants to seize power, the coming show will be magnificent. Ren Tianheng and Ren Tianqi are the two men who truly hold military power in the Ren Family today. After Ren Jie inherited the position of Family Head, they took their respective families away. That alone is already extremely delicate. They are both building up their own forces. If Ren Jie obediently acts as a puppet Family Head, perhaps the Ren Family can maintain this state of affairs a little longer. But if Ren Jie keeps making trouble, the Ren Family won't be far from collapse."

"Actually, ever since Ren Tianxing suddenly vanished, then later reappeared and forcibly suppressed the entire Lineage to pass the position of Family Head to Ren Jie, this outcome was already destined." Gao Zhanyuan rose to his feet and looked at Gao Peng, who now seemed completely restored to normal, incomparably calm and composed. "The Emperor, the Fang Family, our Gao Family, the Wen Family, and even some other powers have all been waiting for this day. At a time like this, outside forces must not provoke the Ren Family too much, or they will help them unite. The more peaceful and prosperous things appear outside, with songs and dancing everywhere, the better. Your Majesty has clearly seen this as well. That's why the three Ren Family elders were exceptionally allowed to attend the last Imperial Banquet, and why the major families yielded to them in certain interests—so that problems would arise within their own ranks. We originally thought we would need to let things ferment for several more years, until Ren Jie came of age. Now it seems there is no need to wait that long."

The instant Gao Zhanyuan said this, Gao Peng smiled. It was a relaxed, indifferent smile. He knew very clearly that Gao Zhanyuan was cautiously advising him, afraid that he would seek revenge against Ren Jie over today's humiliation and ruin the situation everyone was trying to preserve.

"Rest assured. If I cannot even endure this little humiliation, how could I accomplish great things? How could I contend with a monstrous genius like Lantian? The contradictions within the Ren Family are intensifying. Why would I lend them a hand at such a time? At the time, I truly wanted to kill Ren Jie..." As he spoke, Gao Peng touched the teeth he had bitten to pieces. With his cultivation and Medicine Pills, they would grow back soon enough, but he would remember this forever.

"But afterward, I felt that would be far too unsatisfying. I have to admit, Lantian is more ruthless in this regard. I want Ren Jie to live. Killing him would take only an instant. I want him to live after losing everything, stripped of all power, reduced to the lowliest slave, so that he can witness my rise as I stand at the very pinnacle." At this point, an exceedingly contented, savoring expression appeared on Gao Peng's face. "That is far more wonderful than killing him. Adjutant Vice General—with Your Majesty's assistance, I believe it won't be long before our Gao Family once again becomes the strongest family beneath the royal house."

Hearing Gao Peng say this, Gao Zhanyuan finally let out a breath of relief. Sometimes, he had to act with great care around Gao Peng now. Originally, if Gao Peng had insisted on taking immediate revenge, he had intended to invite Old Master Gao out of seclusion. After all, within the Gao Family, the only person who could truly restrain and influence Gao Peng was Old Master Gao.

After all, it was Old Master Gao who had discovered that Ren Tianxing was absent from the Ren Family back then, realized that problems would arise within the Ren Family, and decided to loosen things outside so their internal conflicts could be stirred up. The contradictions within the Ren Family ancestral estate were now truly beginning to erupt. When those outside the estate who held military power, and who were truly qualified to contend for the position of Family Head of the Ren Family, made their moves, that would be the liveliest moment of all—the moment they had awaited for so long.

Fortunately, Gao Peng had not lost his reason. Though the contented, enjoying look on Gao Peng's face as he spoke those words made even Gao Zhanyuan feel a chill, it was fine as long as Old Master Gao's overall plan was not ruined.

After all, ordinary people could scarcely endure such humiliation. Even a common man would not hesitate to fight to the death; much less a gifted talent like Gao Peng, someone who held the Gao Family's true power in his hands. Perhaps it was precisely because the Emperor feared Gao Peng might react this way that he had made an unprecedented exception and directly appointed him Adjutant Vice General. To others, that was practically the equivalent of skipping ten years of struggle.

"Trash, trash, all are fucking trash..." Fang Tianen came out of Fang Qi's room, and the result he had received made him curse without end. The servants following behind him all lowered their heads and barely dared to breathe, terrified of being caught up in Fang Tianen's fury.

"A bunch of trash! Why are you following me? Get back and look after Miss!" Fang Tianen arrived at the front hall of Fang Qi's residence, suddenly noticed several servants trailing him, and immediately berated them.

"Family Head, is there really no way for the people we just found to help? The Seventh Princess wanted to come over, but I persuaded her not to. After all, if she came, we would have to receive her carefully. She wouldn't be able to help and would only add to the chaos." Fang Yan had already found an excuse to leave the Imperial Palace and return. At a time like this, he had to show concern and stay close by. Seeing Fang Tianen emerge, he hurried forward with an expression of deep concern.

"They're all fucking trash." Fang Tianen cursed twice more. After calming down slightly, he looked at Fang Yan approvingly. "You did very well. Convey my thanks to the Seventh Princess. Tell her I'll notify her immediately the moment there is any news about Qi'er."

"Please rest assured, Family Head. I have already spoken to the Seventh Princess. I even requested leave from Your Majesty. I'll remain within the Lineage for the time being and help Sister Fang Qi recover from the poison as quickly as possible."

Fang Tianen could not sit still at all. He paced back and forth through the front hall, then suddenly stopped and looked toward Fang Yan.

"You... tell me, was Ren Jie deliberately trying to humiliate us and pick a fight, or does he truly possess some Antidote Treasure?" What kind of Lineage was the Fang Family? Fang Tianen was, after all, the Fang Family Head and had seen much of the world. After all this time, the Imperial Physicians had no solution, and his own Lineage had exhausted every possible method. Deep down, he had begun to despair. It was difficult to imagine any better solution, which was why, not long after returning and seeing Fang Qi again, he could not help recalling what Ren Jie had said.

"This..." Fang Yan hesitated before saying, "Ren Tianxing once roamed freely beneath heaven. Later, he was no longer satisfied with the Bright Jade Dynasty. It is said that he explored many ruins and even came into contact with true immortal cultivators. Back then, he obtained Heavenly Pills of a level higher than spiritual pills. If he left behind an Antidote Treasure, there is indeed a strong possibility. It's just that Ren Jie's attitude clearly no longer resembles how he used to crazily pursue Fang Qi. It seems more as if the two of them bear a deep grudge against each other."

Fang Tianen was not surprised in the least. "Ren Jie himself is a Hedonistic Young Master, a wastrel who spends all day in brothels and pleasure quarters. There are many people at Jade Emperor Academy whom he has pursued. Not long ago, Fang Qi used Gao Fei to crack his head open, so it is only natural that he harbors resentment. But no matter what, we cannot contact Lantian right now. If Ren Jie truly has an Antidote Treasure..."

The moment Fang Tianen thought of seeking out Ren Jie, he recalled the things Ren Jie had said in the Five Clans Great Hall and at the Imperial Banquet, that smug expression, and the things he had said about Fang Qi. His chest immediately felt tight with anger.

"Word has just arrived that Ren Jie nearly beat Ren Qiancheng, the Third Elder of the Ren Family's nephew, to death outside his own gates. He even clashed with the three elders, and in the end, the three elders took a step back temporarily in order to save Ren Qiancheng's life. But problems have already emerged within the Ren Family. Those three elders have just tasted the sweetness of power, so they definitely will not let Ren Jie have his way so easily. Ren Jie's days ahead likely will not be pleasant. For now, let us think of other methods. If there truly is no alternative, I will personally seek Ren Jie out and discuss it with him."

Before Fang Tianen could speak, Fang Yan said, "As long as Sister Fang Qi can be saved, everything else is a small matter. Ren Jie is now crazed, arrogant, and hedonistic to the extreme. He dared to make such a scene before the Imperial Palace, causes trouble within his own Lineage, and has offended both the Gao Family and our Fang Family outside. A person like him cannot keep jumping around for many more days. Family Head, there is no need to be angry with someone like that."

"The matter of the Ren Family is far from that simple. This is only the beginning. Do you really think no one can deal with him? It's merely..." Halfway through, Fang Tianen suddenly realized something was off. He stopped, looked at Fang Yan, and patted his shoulder. "Good. Ever since your father passed away, no one thought highly of you. No wonder Fang Qi has always told me that you are the pillar of our Fang Family, a talent fit to be a great general. Let us watch for now. If it truly comes to it, we can only give it a try. Don't worry. After the Empress Dowager's Birthday, there will certainly be some adjustments."

The methods he could think of had gradually all been used. Fang Tianen had no choice but to start considering other possibilities. Just as Ren Jie had expected, Fang Tianen had not overlooked that sentence the Ren Family had deliberately let out.

"Thank you, Family Head. Fang Yan is a man of the Fang Family, with Fang Family blood flowing through him. Giving everything for the Fang Family is only natural." Fang Yan's heart jolted. Though he was secretly involved with the Second Prince and was considered by others to be the prospective Imperial Son-in-Law, without the support of the Fang Family's towering tree, it would still be lacking. This was the very sentence he had been waiting for.