Nie Tian bade farewell to Jiang Zisu, and as per normal, went to look for Nie Donghai.
At the Nie Family’s main pavillion, every clan member had gathered. Not only had Nie Donghai and his three brothers gathered, but Nie Qian, Nie Han and all the other second-generation clan members were also here, creating a grand spectacle.
Once Nie Tian arrived, he was met with his grandfather’s gloomy expression and Nie Qian, who was full of grievance. They were currently arguing with Nie Beichuan.
“Nie Tian has arrived.”
Nie Han turned around and noticed that Nie Tian had come alone, and immediately alerted everyone.
In an instant, all eyes, filled with an odd light, converged on Nie Tian’s figure.
“Nie Tian, has the patriarch left yet?” Nie Nanshan asked.
“Yeah.” Nie Tian nodded. “He asked me a few questions and talked with mr. Li, before he left.”
Right after hearing that Jiang Zisu had left, every Nie Family clan member’s mind seemed to weigh the weight of a few stones less, clearly letting out a breath of relief in private.
Jiang Zisu’s position in regards to the Nie Famly, in reality, was excessively serious; so long as he was in the Nie Family’s residence for even a moment, each Nie Family member wouldn’t even dare to speak loudly.
“What did the patriarch ask you?” Nie Beichuan solemnly asked.
Nie Tian, without the slightest hesitation, began to recount what Jiang Zisu had asked him, as well as his own answers.
“To be sucked in by a fissure and later be transferred back to the family?” Nie Biechuan’s face was strange, and with a suspicious glint, deeply looked at him, as if he wanted to decipher any clues from Nie Tian’s face.
Under his gaze, Nie Tian, without a word, looked rather calm.
Nie Beichuan gazed at him a while longer. Not finding any clues, he suddenly said, “The An Family’s girl that gave you the dagger has trespa.s.sed in the Nie Family on her own account, therefore, you must return the dagger back to the warehouse.”
“Second Brother!” Nie Donghai coldly harrumphed.
“She clearly stated that it was a gift to Little Tian, so it ought to belong to Little Tian. On what basis should this dagger be turned over to the warehouse?” Nie Qian indignantly stated.
Nie Tian froze for a moment, as his heart was moved, immediately understanding why Nie Qian had been arguing with Nie Beichuan.
“I am the head of the Nie Family! An Shi Yue had stubbornly barged into our Nie Family’s Household, so naturally she should atone for this. She had even previously said that the atonement is the dagger in Nie Tian’s hand!” Nie Beichuan raised his voice, as he held his head high and one by one, swept his gaze over each of the Nie Family’s clan members’ face.
“The Patriarch’s words are reasonable.”
“It’s only right and proper.”
“This is how it should be!”
After looking at the majority of the family clan members, one after another they each began to chime in and echo, in approval of his decision.
A small percentage of people leaned in favor of Nie Donghai’s position. But everyone knew that Nie Beichuan’s influence was gradually getting larger; even if they were dissatisfied inside, they would not dare to speak out in support.
Nie Qian bit her lips, her bright eyes overflowing with rage while nursing bellyful of resentment.
Nie Donghai, towards the clansmen’s behavior, felt an incomparable sense of loss and sighed, ready to tell Nie Tian to give up the dagger.
“Just now…” Nie Tian, who was still grasping the dagger, slowly raised it, smiled, and said, “Just now, when the patriarch had questioned me, I brought out this dagger and told them it didn’t belong to me, as I had wanted to give it to Mr. Li.”
“However, Jiang Zisu refuted that this dagger, since it was gifted to me by others, I should properly keep it and not let down other people’s good intentions.”
“But…”
After pausing for a moment, he looked at Nie Beichuan and said, “Since Clan Head said that it is required to give up the dagger, then I’ll give it up.”
After saying that, he spread open his hand, waiting for the person responsible for the warehouse, Nie Ping, to come take it.
But after he had spoken, the previously clamoring clansmen, that had been telling him to give up the dagger, suddenly had all shut up.
Even Nie Beichuan’s facial expression had become conflicted.
He didn’t know whether or not Nie Tian was lying.
If it was true and Jiang Zisu had really said that, then he… absolutely didn’t dare to contradict his words.
Not even mentioning the fact that Jiang Zisu had already left, even if Jiang Zisu was currently in the Nie Family, he wouldn’t dare to seek proof.
He didn’t even want to ask Li Fan, to avoid letting Li Fan despise him.
As a result, when he looked at the dagger, he thought that the dagger had become a bit harsher to the eyes.
With an unpredictable expression, Nie Tian silently raised his hand, waved the scarlet red dagger, and then shouted, “Uncle Nie Ping?”
Nie Ping was Nie Beichuan’s trusted aide. Recently, due to Nie Qian needing Fire Cloud Stones, he had repeatedly made things difficult by withholding many Fire Cloud Stones that should’ve gone to Nie Qian.
At that moment, when Nie Tian a.s.sumed an att.i.tude of waiting for him to collect the dagger, he suddenly became extremely embara.s.sed.
He couldn’t help but timidly look towards Nie Beichuan.
“I’m giving it to you.” Seeing Nie Ping not daring to collect the dagger, Nie Tian smiled, stepped forward, and simply put the dagger into Nie Ping’s hands.
“I’ll go tell Mr. Li that I transferred that dagger to the Nie Family warehouse. After all, I’m young and what kind of appearance would I have if I held this type of ranked object, right?” Nie Tian joked.
Even if he held a shallow understanding of spiritual weapon ranking, he knew that this dagger An Shi Yue sent was unusually strong.
“Ah? Don’t!”
Upon hearing that Nie Tian was going to inform Li Fan, Nie Ping was frightened from head to toe. The dagger abruptly became like a problem, and with rapid speed, he stuffed the dagger back into Nie Tian’s hands.
Soon after, Nie Ping miserably looked towards Nie Beichuan with an expression like he was about to cry.
Nie Beichuan was also alarmed in his heart. He looked deeply at Nie Tian, and with no other choice, sighed and conceded, “Since the patriarch has let you keep it, then take proper care of it, okay?”
“Oh, then I would like to thank the patriarch,” Nie Tian nonchalantly said.
Previously, he had called Nie Beichuan “Second Grandfather”, but in the wake of Nie Beichuan becoming patriarch, some matters became more and more excessive. He no longer casually adressed Nie Beichuan, but rather called him “Patriarch”, like an outsider.
In Nie Tian’s heart, Nie Beichuan no longer deserved to be called “Grandfather.”
“We can go now, right?” Nie Donghai coldly said.
Nie Beichuan did not say a word.
“Let’s go. You can live with me for the next few days.” Nie Donghai said.
Soon after, Nie Donghai led Nie Tian to the secluded place where he lived. Nie Qian lifted her head, and with her heart feeling pleased, caught up to them.
When they arrived at Nie Donghai’s stone house and he closed the door, he lovingly stroked Nie Tian’s head and smiled. “Smart.”
Nie Tian quietly laughed, aware that Nie Donghai knew he deliberately used Jiang Zisu to put pressure on Nie Beichuan.
“Little Tian, you’ve disappeared these past few days…” Nie Qian hurriedly began about the events, that had taken place the past ten days.
Nie Donghai glared viciously, preventing her next words, and led the two of them to the study, where he grasped a pen and wrote rapidly.
“You must never speak about where you went and what you saw these past ten days to anyone. Because of the patriarch’s cultivation, even though we are miles apart, he still is able to hear each and every word you say. Including your whispers! Furthermore, we don’t have enough power to cut off the sound leakage.”
Nie Donghai wrote vigorously onto the paper.
Once Nie Qian read the words, she no longer dared to ask another sentence.
Nie Tian gently nodded his head.
At this moment, he realized that comparing his grandfather and Nie Beichuan was truly stupid.
Seeing as Jiang Zisu was capable of hearing everything said by Nie Family from far away, then Nie Beichuan’s previous actions would be heard by Jiang Zisu, as long as Jiang Zisu wished.
In Jiang Zisu’s experience, no one asked for the real answer from him. In order to learn the true facts, it was necessary to look in the dark.
Perhaps, in this very moment, Jiang Zisu was listening to them talk…
Nie Beichuan didn’t realize that his actions appeared too narrow-minded. Being heard by Jiang Zisu undoubtedly left a bad feeling in his heart.
It was indeed this way.
At this time, outside Black Cloud City, Jiang Zisu stopped and smiled to himself. “What a clever boy.”
Then he no longer waited around, and his body like a red flash of lightning, advanced towards the Lingyun Mountain.
He couldn’t put too much energy into the Nie Family.
Since it was impossible to clearly understand the truth in a short time, he could only leave in advance and wait for the facts to be unearthed later in the future.
……
Translator: Log Hut and Bread
Editors: Zach and Sietse
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