Only Obedient After a Scolding

Ren Hanlin and Ren Wenxu, whose auras had also been surging violently, felt as though the blazing heat of midsummer had been doused by a basin of cold water. They shuddered sharply, and Ren Junyang's body trembled as well.

They had never paid it much mind before, but within the Bright Jade Dynasty, family and state were one. This "family" was not merely a small household. The rules of a Lineage outweighed even national law, and the family head was the true controller of a clan, much like the emperor of an empire.

Although Ren Jie was only in the Body Refining Realm, he was, after all, the genuine Family Head of the Ren Family.

"Just now, I was momentarily anxious and had no intention of disrespecting the family head. But the family head is still young. The Council of Elders exists to restrain and assist the family head in managing the Lineage. Since the family head is acting so recklessly, it seems he should properly study the Family Rules within the Lineage," Ren Junyang immediately said with a bow, admitting his fault. Yet his expression darkened at the same time—he was striking back.

"The Council of Elders has the authority to control all aspects of the family head's affairs before he turns eighteen, including the family head's daily expenses. I hope the family head understands this as well," Ren Wenxu added. He had been cursed into a blazing rage, yet had no way to vent it, so he could only express himself this way.

Ren Hanlin nodded along as well. He had originally only wanted to issue a warning and impose a little control, but since Ren Jie was being so presumptuous, they truly needed to rein him in.

"Haha..." Ren Jie suddenly laughed, leaving Ren Junyang and the others below utterly baffled.

Ren Jie lightly leaped onto the family head's chair, which was even more imposing than the Dragon Throne he had seen in Earth's Imperial Palace. Spreading his hands at Ren Junyang and the others, he said, "You want to play, right? Then this family head will play along. If you want to truly pass this resolution, then all Seven Great Elders must be present for a proper Council of Elders meeting, correct? Have the Great Elder come out of seclusion at once, and contact my Second Uncle and Fifth Uncle. Tell them all to return and attend the Council of Elders meeting together. Only with all of them present will it count. Didn't you want to wield the Council of Elders' authority? Fine. Then from now on, have them all come vote at every meeting."

Ah! The moment they heard that, Ren Junyang and the others were stunned. Ren Tianheng was the Northwest Great General, commanding six hundred thousand troops and stationed in the northwest. How could he possibly move at will? Ren Tianqi, meanwhile, held the south as the South Suppressing Great General, commanding nearly five hundred thousand troops. How could either of them return just because they were told to?

As for the Great Elder, he had been in seclusion for years. How could they possibly gather everyone merely to decide whether to reduce Ren Jie's household expenses a little? If they truly did that, it would become the joke of the century.

"And not just that. You think I'm young and easy to bully, don't you? You don't treat me, the family head, as a family head. You can use the Council of Elders' authority, then I'll use the family head's authority. From today onward, every coin spent by each of you, including every branch of the Lineage, every Lineage Magical Treasure used, every expenditure—everything must be signed and approved by this family head. That's not all. Later, I'll find someone to thoroughly study every one of the family head's powers. I seem to remember that I can even amend the Family Rules. I'll amend them specifically against you. If I can't clean you all up in one go, then I'll deal with you one by one."

That felt good. Fucking amazing.

At that moment, Ren Jie felt utterly unburdened. He suddenly realized that being a Hedonistic Young Master was actually pretty good. There was no need for scheming and plotting; he could say whatever he wanted and achieve his goal with the simplest, most direct method.

Looking at those few fools who had been cursed senseless by him felt wonderful. It was damn satisfying.

Ren Jie did not actually know exactly what powers the Family Head of the Ren Family possessed. He had only said all that to vent his anger. Of course, if these fellows kept making things difficult for him, Ren Jie would not indulge them. Even if he stopped being family head, he would not let them have an easy time. Besides, in a great family like the Ren Family, replacing the family head was not so simple.

From the scant information available, he deduced that he had become family head because his father, Ren Tianxing, was simply too fucking formidable—so formidable that he had become a complete dictator. Even this Council of Elders had only been established because he said so. Presumably, it was meant to maintain some sort of balance. After all, Ren Jie was not as formidable as his father and could not truly suppress everyone. Without establishing this, other problems would likely arise.

The Ren Family was enormous, and each elder's branch had quite a few people, involving many factions and forces.

At this moment, Ren Junyang and the others truly did not know what to say—or rather, they did not dare say anything. Ren Jie's outburst had been too ruthless. As family head, his authority was far greater than he himself had imagined. Setting everything else aside, if he wanted to punish and control the expenses of these elders, their families, and their affiliated forces—even the support the Lineage provided them—it only took a word. There was no need for discussion at all.

"Discuss away. Continue holding your Council of Elders meeting. This family head has no time to play with you." Having vented enough and seeing that they no longer spoke, Ren Jie felt the heat had reached the right point. He still had too many things he did not understand, so this was enough. After saying that, he jumped down from the family head's chair and strode outside.

Only Wan Hong remained, still holding his teacup, along with the three great elders, who stood there not knowing what to say, completely stunned by Ren Jie's tirade.

"Whew!" Once outside the Great Council Hall, Ren Jie let out a long breath. It felt good—fucking good.

But after calming down a little, Ren Jie also felt rather helpless. Apart from women, food, drink, pleasure, bird-walking, and beast-fighting, the previous owner of this body had nothing useful in his head. He did not even know the current emperor's reign title or how many years he had ruled. He knew nothing about the Lineage's Family Rules and overall situation, nor anything about the Bright Jade Dynasty.

That would not do. He had to learn all this as quickly as possible. Yet some questions could not be casually asked of others. After thinking it over, Ren Jie decided to read up on things himself. A great family like the Ren Family had its own Library Pavilion, and it seemed to be extremely large.

That was it?

Ren Jie wanted to find out where the Library Pavilion was, only to discover that the old memories contained nothing beyond the impression that it was vast and magnificent. Then there was nothing else. He seemed to have passed by it before, but had never committed its location to memory.

With no other choice, Ren Jie beckoned over a guard and told him to lead the way to the Library Pavilion. These ordinary guards remained extremely respectful toward Ren Jie. Even if he were not family head, as a direct descendant and a Hedonistic Young Master of the Ren Family, he was still someone they could not afford to offend.

The guard approached with utmost respect, but when he heard Ren Jie say he wanted to go to the Library Pavilion, he froze and stared at Ren Jie, unable to stop himself from shaking his head.

Did I hear that right? Is this a joke? What would he do at the Library Pavilion? There's no gambling there, no beast-fighting, no beauties, no fine wine...

Only after Ren Jie asked again did the guard absentmindedly lead him to the Library Pavilion. Watching Ren Jie enter it, the guard's expression became even stranger, as though he were watching a mouse voluntarily run into a cat's den.

How strange. Could the family head be sick? Otherwise, why would he go to the Library Pavilion? Going to the Red Sleeve Pavilion would be normal!

The Ren Family Mansion occupied an unimaginably vast area. Counting the surrounding grounds, it stretched over more than thirty li, and members of the Lineage could ride at full gallop within it without issue. Behind the mansion lay a region where there were no buildings for four or five li in every direction, only all manner of natural vegetation, as though one had entered a wild forest.

Wan Hong, who had been walking quickly, immediately slowed when he reached this place. He knew that unless there was an urgent matter, Sixth Master disliked people walking swiftly or making loud noises here.

In prosperous Jade Capital City, where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold, such an area had been carved out within the Ren Family Mansion. There were no structures at all, save for two small wooden houses built in the very center. At that moment, a calm, casually dressed middle-aged man in a green robe sat on a wooden stool in the courtyard, reading an ancient book.

Wan Hong carefully walked to one side, held his breath, and stood silently without daring to make a sound. Though only a little over twenty, he already possessed Divine Power Realm cultivation. In the Imperial Capital, he would have long since been a renowned young talent. But because he had followed Sixth Master Ren Tianzong since childhood, he knew just how insignificant he truly was.

A person's arrogance often came from the limits of their vision. A sparrow could arrogantly stare down countless ants because it did not know that phoenixes existed above the vault of heaven. Having followed Sixth Master for years, Wan Hong had shed the impatience and conceit common among young people in the Imperial Capital despite his youth. Yet whenever he occasionally went out or saw the so-called geniuses within the Lineage, he understood just how fortunate he was to remain by Sixth Master's side.

"What is it? Did something unusual happen at today's elders' council? Why is your heart in such turmoil? You seem quite agitated as well." Sixth Master Ren Tianzong held the book in one hand and lifted a cup of freshly brewed tea with the other, sipping it slowly as he asked casually.

Wan Hong's emotions had indeed not fully settled, because what had just happened in the Great Council Hall had been too shocking, too unexpected, too unbelievable.

"What happened today was too strange. The elders wanted to further cut the family head's expenses, but the family head suddenly erupted. He actually stamped his feet and cursed in the Great Council Hall, thoroughly berating the Second Elder, Third Elder, and Fourth Elder." Before Sixth Master, Wan Hong did not dare conceal anything. Nor did he need to say anything extra; he simply spoke as things were.

"He stamped his feet and cursed, and berated those old things?" Even Sixth Master's teacup wavered slightly as it reached his lips, and several drops of tea slid over its edge. Yet just as they were about to fall onto the book, they were instantly evaporated by an invisible force.

Sixth Master Ren Tianzong set down his teacup and book, then looked at Wan Hong with considerable surprise. "Tell me exactly what happened."

"Yes." Wan Hong bowed in acknowledgment, then recounted every detail from the Great Council Hall without omitting a word. He even left out none of Ren Jie's movements, because Ren Jie overturning the table, pointing directly at the family head's seat and telling the Second Elder and the others to sit there, then jumping onto the seat himself—those actions remained unforgettable to him even now.

"This little rascal actually knows that trick too. When he throws a tantrum, he's quite formidable." After hearing Wan Hong's account, even Sixth Master's calm and detached face revealed a rare trace of a smile.

Seeing that faint smile on Sixth Master's face, Wan Hong was stunned. Having followed Sixth Master since childhood, he had not seen him smile in several years. Though it was only the slightest smile, Wan Hong felt that even if Ren Jie had merely played the fool, he had at least done one thing right.

"He was indeed formidable. The Second Elder and the others did not dare utter another word in the end, nor did they dare mention reducing the family head's expenses again. If the family head had acted this way earlier, those few would not have dared be so presumptuous." Seeing Sixth Master pleased, Wan Hong happily added.

Sixth Master neither agreed nor disagreed, merely saying lightly, "They are just a group of people with too much idle time. Children and old children alike—there is no need to mind them. But investigate that woman, Fang Qi, and keep an eye on what the family head has been doing lately. Inform those protecting the family head that people must also be assigned within the academy from now on. Though the Five Great Families have an agreement and no one would dare risk attacking the family head, we still must guard against those whose stillness has bred movement, who wish to see our Ren Family descend into chaos."

"..." After freezing for a moment, Wan Hong hurriedly replied, "Yes."

As he departed, Wan Hong could not resist glancing toward the two wooden houses. Ever since that incident, Sixth Master had been disheartened and had not involved himself in anything for many years. In the past, even when hearing Wan Hong's reports, he would at most grunt once in response.

Giving him instructions as he had today was something that had not happened even once in the past several years. Could it be related to the visit before, when Family Head Ren Tianxing had forcibly handed the position of family head to Ren Jie? Everything today had been so abnormal that Wan Hong could barely adapt.

"When the lord worries, his subjects are shamed; when the lord is shamed, his subjects die." After Wan Hong left, Sixth Master Ren Tianzong softly recited those words. Then he rose and entered the house. Upon the simplest wooden bed in the bedroom lay a beautiful woman. Though not breathtakingly gorgeous, she gave off an exceptionally warm and natural feeling, lying there quietly as though asleep.

"Feng'er, I didn't find anything particularly interesting in the books today. But that little Hedonistic Young Master from Eldest Brother's family caused some rather interesting trouble. He even said, 'When the lord worries, his subjects are shamed; when the lord is shamed, his subjects die.' I don't know where that little rascal heard it, but the more I think about it, the deeper its meaning becomes. It may be the best phrase to describe the relationship between ruler and subject, lord and follower. And what he did today was quite interesting as well..." Sitting beside the bed, Sixth Master Ren Tianzong's face was filled with tenderness as he softly recounted what had happened.

Within the immense and flourishing Ren Family, within prosperous Jade Capital City, there was such a wild forest—and such a place.