Reckoning

The tall, middle-aged man was forced to kneel on the ground. He struggled desperately, but could not break free at all.

Jimo Hong looked up at everyone with a face full of resentment, and finally fixed his gaze on the head of the Jimo Household.

"Jimo Hong, do you know your crime?" Before the Jimo Household head could speak, someone asked first.

Seeing the look on the person's face, Jimo Hong gave a mocking smile, "What have I done wrong? I just wanted what I deserved. Didn't you always tell me that I also had a share in the position of head of the family?"

Upon hearing this, the old man who had asked the question broke out in a cold sweat. His face turned pale, and he didn't dare to look at the expression of the Jimo Household head. He could only point at Jimo Hong and angrily rebuke him. "You illegitimate son from a collateral branch, how dare you slander this old man!"

He raised his hand, seemingly wanting to help the Jimo Household head teach the other party a lesson.

But before his palm, imbued with powerful Spiritual Power, could land, the butler intervened and stopped him.

"This man has committed heinous crimes, but the patriarch will decide how to punish him, so there's no need for the elders to intervene." The steward still had a gentle smile on his face, but he showed no mercy and directly blocked the old man.

Upon seeing this, Jimo Hong couldn't help but sneer, "What, are you angry now? Didn't you personally come to me and make it clear that you didn't like Jimo Duange as the head of the family and said you would support me in vying for the position?"

"Don't try to deny it. I still have Jade Slip stamped with your clan elder's seal in my Storage Bag!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire study erupted in chaos. The old man, in particular, who had been bitten by Jimo Hong, trembled uncontrollably.

His face flushed red, and his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he glared at Jimo Hong: "You're talking nonsense! He's trying to sow discord within our Jimo Household! You can't believe him, Duange!"

Towards the end, the old man couldn't help but try to appeal to Jimo Duange's emotions.

But now Jimo Hong knows he can't escape, so how could he be willing to watch those who pushed him into the abyss still live so splendidly?

He immediately added, "Don't worry, after all, you're not the only one who's approached me. The Ninth Elder, the Twelfth Elder, and the Sixteenth Elder have all expressed their desire to befriend me!"

Seeing the sudden change in expression on the faces of several people in the study, Jimo Hong's expression became even more unrestrained.

Unfortunately, when he looked at Jimo Duange, the other party still had that calm and unmoved face, as if no matter what he did, he could not stir up even a ripple in the other party's heart.

Gradually, Jimo Hong's smile faded. He suddenly realized that these acts of revenge were meaningless, because Jimo Duange didn't care whether these elders submitted or not, since he would always be the sole head of the family.

"Master?" Seeing that Jimo Duange had remained silent for a long time, the steward reminded him at the right time.

The study fell silent instantly, all eyes fixed on the man sitting in the main seat, as if their future fates could be decided by a single word from him.

However, that is indeed the case.

The atmosphere in the room gradually became heavy. Jimo Duange's gaze swept over everyone, taking in their current expressions.

Finally, his gaze fell on Jimo Hong: "You're lucky to enjoy resources belonging to the direct line as a member of a collateral branch, but you're excessively greedy and never satisfied."

"As a member of the Jimo Household, you colluded with Evil Cultivator to harm your own people; this is disloyalty. You assisted me in managing Rizhao City, yet you sent innocent civilians into the hands of Evil Cultivator; this is inhumanity. You have achieved your current glory only because of your father's protection, yet you do not think of repaying him and have failed your father's good intentions; this is filial impiety."

"You are unworthy to be a member of the Jimo Household. Today I sentence you to be exterminated from your clan and beheaded, to comfort the souls of those who died in this battle!"

As the last word fell, Jimo Hong's gaze suddenly shot towards Jimo Duange, who was in the main seat.

His eyes were bloodshot, and there was a hint of madness in them, as if he wanted to struggle and lunge at Jimo Duange.

But the butler's hands were like iron claws, holding him down tightly and giving him no chance to escape.

Jimo Hong could only scream at the top of his lungs, "You have no right to mention my father! If it weren't for saving your dad, how could he have died?! This is all something your Jimo Household owes me, all of you owe me! The position of family head should have been compensated to me..."

"Drag him away! Let the whole city witness his execution tomorrow!" Before Jimo Hong could finish speaking, Fu Yinqiu slammed her hand on the table and ordered her men to drag him away.

Even so, Jimo Hong continued to howl, as if he wanted to vent all the resentment he had accumulated over the years.

But the steward would never allow him to utter such disrespectful words to the head of the family. So, as soon as Jimo Hong was dragged out of the study, the steward ordered his men to gag him.

This once incomparably noble second master of the Jimo Household was dragged into the dungeon, as if burying all the resentment and bitterness he had felt throughout his life.

The study returned to its previous quiet. Jimo Duange raised his hand and rubbed his forehead, feeling utterly exhausted.

He knew that what Jimo Hong had said before was true, and that the fact that the other party had become so obsessive was definitely due to the machinations of the elders present.

Seeing their terrified expressions, Jimo Duange really wanted to ask: Now that you know fear, how come you had the guts to sow discord between him and Jimo Hong back then?!

Although Jimo Duange was also aware that the elders probably only wanted to use Jimo Hong to warn him, and might not really have any intention of helping the other party to replace him.

But it is precisely because they are unwilling to relinquish power and instead try to win over Jimo Hong for their own benefit that the Jimo Household has brought about its current crisis.

He closed his eyes briefly, then slowly said, "From today onwards, the Third Elder, the Ninth Elder, and the Twelfth and Sixteenth Elders will no longer need to worry about the affairs of the Jimo Household. You are all getting old, so you should go to the Forbidden Forest to recuperate as soon as possible."

"How can this be...?"

The elders' rebuttals were cut short when Jimo Duange's sharp gaze swept over them.

"I am merely informing you all that my patience is truly limited." Jimo Duange's voice was slightly deep, yet carried an undeniable air of authority.

Although the elders were unwilling, they knew that if they didn't obey, they might face more than just "recuperation" in the Forbidden Forest.

They were getting old and felt that there was no hope of ascending to immortality. But if they offended the head of the family and caused their younger generation to lose resources, it would be a loss that did not outweigh the gains.

Thinking of this, the elders lowered their heads and accepted the verdict of Jimo Duange.

Even though the Forbidden Forest was a notorious place for the Jimo Household to "reflect on their mistakes," and even though entering the Forbidden Forest might mean never being able to leave for the rest of their lives, they still accepted it.

Now that the rewards and punishments had been given, everyone felt there was nothing more to say, so they all took their leave.

The head of the household and his wife did not try to keep them, as they had important matters to discuss.

As for the object of discussion, it was naturally the Azure Feather Sect, which had been ungrateful when the Jimo Household was in trouble!