Chapter 627: Xiao Chen’s Decision
Feng Tianming released a drawn-out sigh. He had a helpless expression as he said, “If I had only been able to advance to Martial Sage like great-grandfather did, Xue`er would not have to suffer like this.
“Then, I would not have to come and find Xiao Chen. Our Feng Clan owes his Xiao Clan too much already.”
Feng Tianming wished from the bottom of his heart that he did not have to trouble Xiao Chen. However, now that his great-grandfather had pa.s.sed away, he could not control the vast Feng Clan alone. Many people eyed the position of Clan Head and used the excuse of Feng Feixue’s marriage to attack him.
For Feng Tianming to shut those people up and not wrong Feng Feixue, he could only ask Xiao Chen for help.
Ying Yue said softly, “It’s fine. Even if Xiao Chen knew why your cousin left the Xiao Clan, he would not break his own promise.
[TL Note: In Chinese, the word for cousin is more specific. In this case, it is a younger female patrilineal cousin, or younger female cousin on the father’s side.]
“I have no doubt that Xiao Chen will do what he said. That is how he is. He will not go back on a promise. Once he makes a promise, he will do his best to keep it.”
“Dong! Dong! Dong!”
As the two were chatting, someone knocked on the door. Feng Tianming went to open the door and found it to be one of the inn’s waiters.
“Esteemed guest, there is a white-robed bladesman downstairs who says he wants to meet you.”
Ying Yue and Feng Tianming exchanged glances, revealing expressions of joy. Xiao Chen had finally arrived.
It was not difficult for Xiao Chen to discover the whereabouts of Ying Yue and Feng Tianming in Saber City. The City Lord’s Residence would keep track of such important personages at all times without fail.
Xiao Chen carried the wooden box covered with a black cloth on his back as he followed the waiter. Soon, he arrived at Ying Yue’s booth.
“Sorry, I had too much to prepare and made the two of you wait,” Xiao Chen said apologetically, performing a cupped-fist salute.
When Feng Tianming felt Xiao Chen’s vast Quintessence, astonishment flashed in his eyes. A complicated expression appeared even deeper in their depths.
Ying Yue stood up and said, “It is not a problem. Let’s go now. This is the Feng Clan’s Clan Head, Feng Tianming. He is also Feng Feixue’s father.”
Feng Tianming recovered his wits and said earnestly, “Many thanks for your help. We are in quite a rush, so I will explain some things to you along the way. Let’s use my flying Spirit Beast to return to the Imperial Capital.”
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High up in the sky, a giant golden bird with a wingspan of more than a hundred meters tore through the clouds at Mach 6, ripping s.p.a.ce as it flew.
Aside from Xiao Chen, Ying Yue, and Feng Tianming, there were the five guards of Feng Tianming. The guards were all peak Inferior Grade Martial Monarchs. When working together, they were a strong combat force.
Feng Tianming explained some of the details to Xiao Chen. The Martial Sage elder of the Feng Clan had pa.s.sed away, which provoked some of his older brothers into vying for the Clan Head position.
Using Feng Tianming’s rejection of the marriage proposal from the Wan Clan as a pretext, they conspired to make things difficult for him. They were forcing him to fulfill the promise made in the past to let the Wan Clan’s Young Master and Feng Feixue marry quickly.
Feng Tianming respected Feng Feixue’s decision. Seeing that she did not agree to this, he ended up in a deadlock with those people.
Furthermore, for some reason, the Wan Clan’s att.i.tude became unusually unyielding. With the support of the Wan Clan, these people placed Feng Feixue under house arrest, not allowing her out.
After Xiao Chen heard all this, he entered deep thought. Then, he said, “You seem to imply that once I go there, they will no longer force Feng Feixue into marriage?”
Feng Tianming remained silent for a while before replying, “That is right. The Xiao Clan and the Feng Clan have always been connected through marriage for the past thousand years. This was the rule set by the ancestors. It only ended in your parents’ generation. The Feng Clan finally put an end to it because the Azure Dragon Martial Spirit vanished and the Xiao Clan had declined considerably.
“Now, you possess the Azure Dragon Martial Spirit, and you are the top rank of the True Dragon Ranking. If you tell them you want to marry Feng Feixue, they will not dare to say anything.”
After giving this explanation, Feng Tianming carefully observed Xiao Chen’s expression. After all, his cousin was Xiao Chen’s birth mother.
Because Feng Tianming’s cousin looked down on the cultivation of Xiao Chen’s father and that the marriage was an arranged one, she did not have any feeling for Xiao Chen’s father. So, after giving birth to Xiao Chen, she left the Xiao Clan.
To Xiao Chen’s father, her abandonment was a great humiliation. Feng Tianming was afraid that it would rouse Xiao Chen’s displeasure.
Xiao Chen’s expression remained unchanged. However, his mind now turned chaotic. No wonder his father refused to even meet with Feng Feixue when she came to the Xiao Clan.
It is also no wonder why Xiao Chen’s father refused to ask the Feng Clan for help, even during the Xiao Clan’s most critical moment.
It turned out that Xiao Chen’s father had been humiliated this way in the past. His wife wanted to cut all ties to him so desperately that she did not even want the son she just gave birth to. Such a rejection would hurt the pride of any man.
Xiao Chen collected himself and said, “Let’s talk more when we arrive. The matters of my father’s generation do not concern me. It will not affect my decision.”
Hearing this, Feng Tianming heaved a sigh of relief and did not say anything more.
Five days later, after flying past many cities, the group finally arrived at the bustling Imperial Capital. Then, they landed at the gates of the Feng Clan’s vast residence.
“Greetings, Clan Head!”
“Greetings, Clan Head!”
The two guards at the gates bowed and greeted Feng Tianming respectfully. Someone that seemed to be the housekeeper came out.
Then, Feng Tianming quickly led the group into the residence. The Feng Clan’s estate was huge; they went past several courtyards and gardens, meeting many people.
Some of these people stared at Xiao Chen, whispering to each other, debating whether he was the White Robed Bladesman, the King Grade True Dragon of the True Dragon Ranking.
“Uncle Fu, please call my brothers into the great hall. I have something to say to them,” Feng Tianming said to the person who looked like a housekeeper.
“There is no need. I am already here!”
Just at this moment, a middle-aged man leading a large group of people came over from a corner in front and arrived before Feng Tianming and the others.
This man was Feng Tianming’s Eldest Brother, Feng Tianhua. An unfeeling smile hung on his face and a sword on his waist. His cold eyes looked sinister, like a venomous snake in the dark of the night.
Feng Tianming ignored the other party’s att.i.tude. He said, “You came at a good time. I have something to tell you.”
Feng Tianhua chuckled and countered, “I have something to tell you as well. Tianming, you came back at the right time.”
Feng Tianming frowned slightly. He did not know what the other party was thinking. He said, “Come with me to the great hall first. Then, we will gather all the clan elders. I will tell you about the matter at that time.”
“Ha ha, there is no need to summon the elders.” Feng Tianhua smiled sinisterly. “The Wan Clan’s people already took Niece Feixue and her aunt to the Great Jin Nation three days ago.”
“In seven days, the Wan Clan will host the wedding ceremony. At that time, all the famous people who matter in the continent will be there to attend the wedding.”
After Feng Tianhua said that, Xiao Chen and the others were stunned. Feng Tianming burst out in anger, “Feng Tianhua, who exactly is the Clan Head? Do you really want me to send you to the Clan’s disciplinary hall?”
“Send me to the disciplinary hall?”
Smiling coldly, Feng Tianhua demanded, “What right do you have to send me to the disciplinary hall? Do you know what relations.h.i.+p the welcoming envoy from the upper realm has with the Wan Clan?
“How stupid! The Feng Clan was nearly destroyed because of you. Do you even know that?!
“The welcoming envoy is the grandson of the Wan Clan’s bigshot. Three days ago, that welcoming envoy personally led people over to take Niece Feixue.”
Feng Tianhua said everything very rapidly. As he spoke, the air seemed to solidify.
Feng Tianming’s expression could not help but change. He had not expected matters to become this problematic. He muttered to himself, “There had been rumors long ago that the Wan Clan’s Martial Sage went to a lot of effort to send his grandson to the upper realm from Dragon Sealing City ten years ago. Unexpectedly, that fellow managed to succeed.”
For Wan Feng to be able to become the Martial G.o.d Palace’s welcoming envoy, he had to be pretty strong even in the Kunlun Realm. This also meant that the Wan Clan’s connections had broadened.
Just with this trip, Wan Feng had opened up a connection for the Wan Clan to the upper realm. This connection would cement the Wan Clan’s position in the Tianwu Continent even more firmly for the next millennium.
Feng Tianhua’s cold smile widened. He shouted sternly, “Now do you know who the true wrongdoer of the Feng Clan is? The marriage with the Wan Clan only holds benefits and no harm for us, yet you kept putting it off. You are merely thinking of pus.h.i.+ng our Feng Clan to death.
“What qualifications does someone like you, someone who can only think of his own interest, have to be the Feng Clan’s Clan Head? You do not even care about the Feng Clan’s business or the interest of others. How are you not ashamed to remain on the seat of the Clan Head?”
Having the support of the Wan Clan, Feng Tianhua did not even care about Feng Tianming. With the resources provided by the Wan Clan, he had bought several in the upper echelons to his side.
Now, Feng Tianhua tried to use the situation to depose Feng Tianming as Clan Head, so he could become the Clan Head himself and fulfill his decades-long dream.
Feng Tianhua took another step forward and pointed at Feng Tianming. “Thirty years ago, when the old man selected you to be the Clan Head, I was already unhappy about it. Look at the Feng Clan now. We have almost fallen behind the Great Tang Nation’s Jin Clan. What capabilities do you have to be the Clan Head?!”