Tracing back six months to when he first received the Ancestral Sword and mbers of the Chen Family began to seek him out, Chen Yang had never once said he wished to return to the Chen Clan's royal branch. He had also never expressed any desire for the position of Chen Family Patriarch.
That night, after eting his biological father, the only thing the royal Chen Clan left him with was, perhaps, hatred. His mother, his blood relatives… all of them slaughtered by the Chen Family. If he failed to avenge them, he could not call himself a man.
However, these were rely Chen Yang's private thoughts. To the outside world, his prolonged silence was interpreted as a desire to return to the Chen Family, a sign that he was quietly waiting for an opportunity. This was especially true when he voluntarily relinquished his title as the War God of the State. Nearly everyone speculated that Chen Yang was abandoning his principles for personal gain, forsaking his oaths and responsibilities to return ho, claim his inheritance, and live a life of opulence.
When you're in the spotlight, every move you make is scrutinized by those looking for a reason to attack. But upon reflection, how laughable was that notion?
He grew up in the Military Camp. At eighteen, he made a na for himself in the battle of Night Quiet Valley. At twenty-five, after the battle of Hundred Flowers Valley, he was promoted to Commander-in-chief and later beca the Nine Gates Admiral. By twenty-eight, he held the esteed title of War God of the State. Not to ntion, the last battle had completely shattered the Barbarians' foundation. Barring any surprises, they wouldn't be able to recover for a decade, which established the unassailable might of Tianwu.
Having reached such heights, his power was virtually unrivaled in the nation. Who would care about a re royal title?
Unfortunately, in this day and age, people simply followed the tide. They listened to whoever was powerful and were only willing to kiss up to the strong. As for listening to the voice of reason? Forget it. Strength was supre, and they would obey whoever wielded it. Since Chen Yang had been labeled as soone who abandoned his duty to the nation to cozy up to royalty, he was expected to just shut up and endure it.
However, the participants in this discussion had now shifted from the common folk to the heirs of the great royal families. Whether it was Chen Xiao, Li Chenyang, or Dugu Ming, they all saw Chen Yang as nothing more than a shaless, stray dog. To them, killing soone like that was no different from crushing a worthless bug.
Although they spoke with such bravado, they knew the reality in their hearts. After all, Chen Yang's formidable strength had been on full display during his recent clash with the South Pole royal family.
"Luckily, that Demon Monarch, Chen Hua, has not yet erged from his retreat. If he were to intervene, Chen Yang might be accepted into the Chen Family. If he were given another chance to grow, it would spell trouble for our royal families in the future," remarked the middle-aged man from the West Sea royal family who was guarding Li Chenyang.
He's so young, and to have co this far relying only on himself, without any resources from the Chen Family... It's terrifying to even imagine what kind of talent this fellow possesses.
"There's no point in discussing that. In short, right now he's nothing but a stray dog that everyone wants to kick," Li Chenyang said with a contemptuous smile. He then asked, "What about those old n who jumped out earlier? Where have they gone?"
He was referring to the sixteenth-tier Chu Yushan and Jingkong, as well as the seventeenth-tier Murong Fei. They were all watching silently from a distance. This group was not weak, and they were all here to support Chen Yang.
"No need to worry about them," the middle-aged man, Li Qian, said with a confident, dismissive wave of his hand. The friend of an enemy is an enemy. A seventeenth-tier cultivator, an Emperor of the Firmant, is certainly powerful. But in the end, it's just one person. Before the combined might of the royal families, he is nothing. If he dares to show himself, death is the only outco!
"Today's drama seems like it will be quite spectacular," Li Chenyang said with a smile, crossing his arms.
「anwhile.」
A business van slowly approached from a distance, coming into view. In an instant, the previously buzzing crowd fell silent, and a palpable tension filled the air.
Mr. Chen Xiao had made his entrance.
Thanks to the earlier hype, Chen Xiao's na was as well-known as Tang Yunxing's, though his status far surpassed Tang Yunxing's.
"Even though Mr. Chen Xiao is the third young master and has less of a competitive edge than his two older brothers, the man is a charr. There are rumors that he and a young lady from the Chen Family's Inner Court are already discussing marriage."
"Needless to say, Chen Yang, the descendant of a criminal, can't even be compared to him."
The hubbub of conversation grew.
Under the watchful eyes of the entire crowd, the van ca to a slow stop, but the man they were all waiting for, Mr. Chen Xiao, did not get out of the car imdiately. Only a group of attendants from the Chen Family alighted first.
SWISH.
They unfurled a clean lambswool carpet, rolling it out from the vehicle's door all the way to the edge of the square. Next, two attendants ticulously inspected the carpet to ensure it was flawless before finally opening the rear door of the van. The rest of the attendants stood respectfully on either side, bowing with bent knees.
In the ensuing hush, a foot stepped out from the vehicle first. It was clad in a spotless, black, round-toed cloth shoe, followed by a pristine white robe. Finally, holding the Three-Foot Green Peak Sword, Mr. Chen Xiao of the Chen Family stepped out, revealing his face.
His short hair stood on end, and his handso face was sharply chiseled.
A peerless gentleman on this earth, comparable to the finest jade?
His deep eyes shone brightly, and his slightly upturned lips always wore his signature confident smile. His posture was ramrod straight, and his bearing was extraordinary. The young won watching swooned, their hearts captured. He was the epito of the perfect man.
One had to ask, with such looks and aura, how many n in the world could possibly compare? And Chen Yang, that so-called legitimate heir in the distance, now branded the descendant of a criminal—how could he possibly asure up?
Chen Xiao strolled forward at a leisurely pace, one hand behind his back and the other holding his sword, looking utterly content. Truth be told, he had always enjoyed this supre feeling of being the center of attention. Especially today, when besides a crowd of lowly ants, representatives from the other three great royal families were also present.
"Truly, Mr. Chen Xiao has an extraordinary air about him. He is a peerless talent, a National Scholar without equal."
"Tsk, tsk. Compared to him, Chen Yang in his heavy armor isn't just a little bit worse."
While the crowd murmured, Tang Tai, who was still able to move, was the first to approach and greet him with a nod.
"Everyone, be at ease. I, Chen Xiao, am not one to put on airs," Chen Xiao declared with a grand wave of his hand. He glanced over the wreckage-strewn square and sighed with feigned regret. "I never expected things to get this far. This has truly gone too far."
"Brother Tang, this..." Seeing Tang Yunxing lying helpless in a pool of blood, unable to move an inch, Chen Xiao's face filled with pity.
"That damn cur used so despicable trick to gravely injure us! Now that you have arrived in person, Mr. Chen Xiao, you must uphold justice!" Tang Tai said coldly.
"Is that so?" Chen Xiao raised an eyebrow, glanced dismissively at Chen Yang, and asked coolly, "I wonder, do you have an explanation?"
With this simple sentence and subtle gesture, he elevated his own status, placing himself completely above Chen Yang. It created the distinct impression of a master addressing his servant.
"Kid, are you deaf or mute? Don't even think about getting away with this today. You must provide a reasonable explanation," Li Chenyang interjected, his brusque words prompting a wave of laughter from the crowd.
The other mbers of the royal families looked on with schadenfreude, their mocking smiles making it clear they were scrutinizing a buffoon.
"Answer quickly!" Dugu Ming of the Dugu Royal Family thundered, his voice booming like thunder.
Hearing the support from these two major royal families, the smile on Chen Xiao's face widened.
Chen Yang paid them no mind. He brushed a hand over his spear and murmured, as if to the weapon itself, "Now this is getting interesting. It wasn't a waste to bring you out."
...
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