A luxurious carriage adorned with a jade seal slowly entered Yunshui City.
Inside the carriage, Liu Yiran, who was obviously well-dressed, peeped outside through the gap in the curtains.
"Ah Ran, be graceful and composed."
Opposite her, Liu Qingfeng, although quite nervous inside, wore a smile as he advised his sister, "I’ve heard that the host family places great emphasis on etiquette. When eting the patriarch later, you must be extrely cautious in your conduct."
Upon hearing this, Liu Yiran imdiately straightened her posture, then carefully checked her outfit, ensuring there was nothing amiss.
"Do you rember everything I’ve told you?"
Looking at his sister, Liu Qingfeng asked with so unease.
Liu Yiran nodded slightly and said anxiously, "I rember everything..."
The carriage passed through the bustling streets, heading towards the Black Water Pool. Feeling all this, the siblings couldn’t help but beco tense.
The luxurious carriage stopped at the entrance of the manor.
Shen Chongxuan was already waiting by the door.
An elderly servant of the Shen Family, standing beside him, quickly approached as the carriage ca to a halt, lifted the carriage curtain, and kindly said, "Miss Liu, Young Master Liu, please."
Liu Yiran, sowhat uneasy, stepped out of the carriage, and upon seeing the antique and elegant manor before her, her expression froze slightly in surprise.
Behind her, Liu Qingfeng, who had followed her out, lightly coughed, interrupting her internal astonishnt.
The siblings respectfully approached Shen Chongxuan and cupped their hands, saying, "Greetings, Young Master."
Shen Chongxuan had previously t with them, so they naturally recognized him.
"No need for formalities."
"Please follow inside."
Shen Chongxuan, dressed in a refined scholarly manner, spoke gently, slightly easing the tension in the siblings’ hearts.
They followed him through the front courtyard and approached a side room.
Shen Chongxuan pushed the door open and gestured politely.
The siblings quickly cupped their hands, with Liu Qingfeng showing great respect, "After you, Young Master."
After Shen Chongxuan stepped into the side room, the siblings followed suit.
"Please have a seat; the patriarch will join you shortly."
"Servants, co."
As Shen Chongxuan spoke, he called towards the doorway of the side room.
Two young maidens respectfully approached.
"Young Master."
Glancing at Liu Yiran, Shen Chongxuan instructed the two servants, "Prepare so Purple Spirit Daylily Tea and bring in so Moon Spirit Fruits."
After curtsying, the two maidens withdrew.
A mont later, they re-entered carrying a Spirit Fruit Plate and tea.
The Liu siblings inside the side room were quite surprised to find that the tea and fruit plate contained a rather rich amount of spiritual power.
"Please have a seat and help yourselves to the tea and fruit."
"I have other matters to attend to, so I won’t be staying long."
With that, Shen Chongxuan left the side room, leaving the siblings alone inside.
In an adjacent specially arranged elegant room, Shen Chongxuan pushed open the door and walked in.
"Brother Ming, they have been brought here and are in the side room now."
Shen Chongming nodded slightly and smiled faintly, "Let them wait for a while."
"Before they ca, they must have prepared their words and fabricated lies."
"I want to hear the truth, so let them think carefully."
Shen Chongxuan nodded, then walked over to a seat opposite and spoke solemnly.
"Yesterday, accompanying Li’Er to the Clan Court, I took the opportunity to request the recent volus from the Xingyang Liu Family from the master."
Shen Chongming set down his teacup and asked, "What did you find?"
A servant respectfully approached Shen Chongxuan, offered tea, and then retreated.
After pondering for a mont, Shen Chongxuan said, "There’s nothing unusual, but..."
"In the direct lineage of the Liu Family, two juniors with spirit roots were removed from their register."
"The Clan Court records claim these two t an untily death."
Untily death?
Shen Chongming gently stroked his palm, a flicker of thoughtful consideration in his eyes.
The Liu Family is a major clan; even on its own, it’s a powerful Qi Cultivation Immortal Race.
Could direct lineage mbers with spirit roots easily die young?
"What were their cultivation levels?"
"Qi Cultivation Second Layer, middle-high quality spirit roots."
After Shen Chongxuan answered, he added, "Clan Court disciples secretly investigated and did find two new graves in the Liu Family’s ancestral ground, and morial tablets for the two in the ancestral hall."
"Everything seems normal, perhaps I’m overthinking it."
Shen Chongming said nothing, his gaze set.
After a mont of contemplation, he added, "Aside from the matter of those two’s birth mother, has Patriarch Liu Jing of the Liu Family committed any other violations of clan rules over the years?"
Shen Chongxuan sighed and shook his head, "He is quite indulgent; no big mistakes, but he has often acted contrary to ethics and morals."
In such matters, clan rules don’t explicitly dictate.
They only restrict cultivators from using technique thods to forcibly seduce common won.
Shen Chongming quietly sipped his tea and asked no more.
...
Inside the side room.
The siblings had already drunk two cups of tea but still hadn’t seen Shen Chongming arrive.
They couldn’t help feeling more and more uneasy.
Especially Liu Qingfeng, who had heard about the current patriarch’s decisive and overbearing ways, completely unlike the gentleness of the previous patriarch.
Just during the early years of his tenure as patriarch, he wiped out two subordinate families in one stroke, not even sparing the Shi Family cultivators who had been with him since childhood.
After that event, the mbers of several subsidiary families were quite frightened.
"Brother..." Liu Yiran clasped her hands tightly together, glancing out the side room window from ti to ti, clearly very nervous.
"Maybe we should just forget it."
"We can focus on cultivating; it’s not impossible to clear Mother’s na."
Her voice trembled slightly, obviously showing signs of wanting to give up.
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