Chapter 700: A storm is coming.
On the second day of Xia Fei’s endeavor for the Law Emperor cultivation, an interesting show played out in the Yu family.
It was no exaggeration to describe the clan of today as being seated with glorious and powerful friends all around.
Not only the clans and families that the clan were familiar with who had sent representatives to attend the gathering, there were even people from the Nine Great Clans present.
Among the humans in the Law Realm, the Nine Great Clans’ existence practically const.i.tuted all of the brilliance mankind offered. They were powerful and insufferably arrogant, their influence even extending into the G.o.d Race.
Of course, the Feng family, who was in charge of the Dragon Ascension Martial Hall, was also an existence that could not be underestimated; it was just that their numbers were few and tended to be lowkey with how they handled matters, so they rarely caught anyone’s eye.
The inauguration ceremony of the new patriarch of the Yu family was taking place in their Ancestral Hall in the main city. They had two places of ancestral wors.h.i.+p in the Law Realm: One was Snake Isle, where no outsiders were allowed entry and where the clan’s foundation was honed; the other was this Ancestral Hall where outsiders could observe the ceremonies.
Back in the heyday of the Yu family, plenty of smaller families and clans were under their protection, following their orders and instructions as if those were imperial decrees. Every year, they would send men to pay their respects to the ancestors of the Yu family, bringing along generous gifts. There would also be other clans that would come to observe the ceremonies whenever they were held. All these were held within the main city’s Ancestral Hall, while the true ceremony was held on Snake Isle, where outsiders would not be privy to.
The white marble stone platform had been redecorated anew, and a large red silk banner hung that wrote three lines in a large font: ‘Law Realm’s Yu Family’s Inauguration Ceremony of Newly Appointed Patriarch, Yu Hua!’
In the Law Realm, where a human’s lifespan could often reach several hundred years, a new patriarch would be the one leading the family for several hundred years, which was why the inauguration ceremony of the patriarch would often be a fairly grand affair, all so they could avoid being ridiculed by others.
The Yu family had once been a prominent clan, which meant that their inauguration ceremony for the new patriarch could not be shabby at all.
The Ancestral Hall was s.p.a.cious, and there were several thousand guests standing upon the lawn. These were all people of status from the clan as well as reputable guests. The rest, meanwhile, could only watch from a big screen outside the Ancestral Hall, unable to personally partic.i.p.ate in the said ceremony.
The ceremony was something like a c.o.c.ktail party, where the guests would all be standing around, with waiters that would come by with drinks from time to time. Two rows of table by the sides of the hall were laden with scrumptious delicacy of every possible color combination.
Yu Qiqi was very excited as she mingled in the crowd. She was wearing an elegant purple gown, with plenty of pearls that hung around her tender white neck. Though she was dressed prettily, she was still just a young girl, and she looked a little mature decked out in clothes like this.
Yu Qiqi was talking to a youth beside her. “Look, Uncle Yu Hua sure is different! See the many distinguished guests attending? Even the Nine Great Clans sent representatives to observe the inauguration! It’s been years since the Yu family has played host to such a scene; my granny said that it’s even livelier than when the old patriarch was appointed! Having Uncle Yu Hua be the family patriarch is definitely the right choice! Our clan is bound to soar from here on!”
That youth was submissive to Yu Qiqi, his gaze somewhat ambiguous. Upon hearing her praises, he quickly added. “Yeah. Who is our uncle? He was once a genius of our Yu family! Even Brother Xiaobei wasn’t as outstanding as uncle back then. Yu Jin not competing for the seat as patriarch shows that he at least knows his limitations.”
Seniority in the Law Realm was a very complex matter. Often, people who were several generations above would still be called uncle or elder by their juniors, and this was all due to the longevity everyone enjoyed, looking like they were no more than a few years apart from one another. It would be very difficult to define the exact difference in seniority for most, so it had all been simplified into calling those who looked middle-aged as uncle and the older individuals as elders.
Yu Hua enjoyed much prestige in the clan, but he was nowhere near being called an elder in terms of his looks, which was why the young man was also used to calling Yu Hua as an uncle.
“Hmph!” A cold harrumph came from someone behind Yu Qiqi. “There sure are plenty of ungrateful and vicious people these days, already usurping the seat as family patriarch before the bones of the ex-patriarch are even laid to rest.”
Yu Qiqi turned around and glared, only to find two young men in their twenties, one fat and another skinny, whom she did not recognize.
“Who are you referring to?!” Yu Qiqi had never been the sort to back down, and that comment was clearly an insult provoking the Yu family, which she immediately unhappy about.
“Anyone will know to ask: Just how did Elder Yu Jiang and Yu Guding die? How did Xia Fei get implicated out of nowhere? Has the Yu family even uncovered the truth behind these questions?”
Yu Qiqi was of course very sad when she learned about her grandfather’s death, but Yu Qiqi pouted upon hearing Xia Fei’s name mentioned, snapping viciously, “Patriarch must have been killed by Xia Fei and those other bad guys. There’s no doubt about that! Ever since Xia Fei joined the Yu family, I’ve always known at a single glance that he was up to no good!”
“You dared to malign my friend? I’ll be sure to give you a good thras.h.i.+ng!” That fatty flicked his two eyes onto Yu Qiqi, looking like he had every intention of putting his words into action. His att.i.tude was extremely arrogant, while that pleasant young man beside him pulled him back with a smile.
“What are you getting angry with this brat for? Let’s go over there and drink some wine.”
Yu Qiqi knew that any guest who could enter the Ancestral Hall would possess extremely high statuses in the Law Realm, but she never would have expected for someone to act so belligerently and actually threaten to beat her up here in the Ancestral Hall, so she momentarily froze.
Watching those two young men depart, Yu Qiqi was so incensed that she kept stamping her feet, but she did not dare to chase after them and question them, either. All she could do was silently swallow her pride, her expression glacial from the affront.
“Sister Qi, you can’t afford to provoke those two,” the youth beside her whispered.
“Why not? Are they very powerful?” Yu Qiqi was dissatisfied.
“Very. That fatty is the direct descendant of the Cruelwolf Clan, Wolf Shunye, who’s currently part of the Law Enforcement Board. The skinny one is even more amazing. He’s the young master of the Dragon Ascension’s Feng Family, Zanian Feng! When they first arrived just now, even Elder Yu Peng, the one in charge of receiving the guests, had to be very respectful toward them!”
Yu Hua had not yet even attained the t.i.tle as family patriarch and he had already been wantonly rewarding others. Yu Jin and Yu Peng were credited for their great contributions, both having successfully joined the Elder Court, becoming elders of the clan. Even such an important task like welcoming the guests had been given to Yu Peng to handle, enough to show the trust he had for the two brothers.
Yu Qiqi was abruptly startled as her face stiffened. “The Cruelwolf Clan and the Feng family?”
“That’s right. The Cruelwolf Clan didn’t send anyone to attend our uncle’s inauguration ceremony; Wolf Shunye is attending this ceremony with the people of the Law Enforcement Board. Meanwhile, Zanian came in a private capacity, not invoking the name of Dragon Ascension.”
Yu Qiqi did not seem to care about these minor details, as she was still recalling the words that Wolf Shunye had said.
‘Xia Fei is a friend to both Shunye and Zanian?’ Yu Qiqi pulled herself together as she muttered to herself.
The Cruelwolf Clan was one of the Nine Great Clans, and the Feng family was even more exceptional, for they were the people in charge of the number one martial hall of the G.o.d Race, Dragon Ascension! Xia Fei had only been here in the Law Realm for such a short time, yet he had actually befriended those two. How could Yu Qiqi not feel wistful about this?
……
Taking two gla.s.ses of red wine from a waiter pa.s.sing by, Zanian Feng handed one to Wolf Shunye and he laughed. “Gigawolf, you’re too rash. We’re not here representing just ourselves; others may think that our thoughts extend to our own families. Best if we keep our comments to ourselves whenever we’re outside.”
Shunye flared up his nostrils unhappily and shook his big head. “Just looking at these people and I’m seething that I can’t just beat them up. Their own patriarch died, yet they’ve shoved all the blame to Xia Fei. Brother Xia Fei is a good person, righteous and humorous, yet he’s been viewed as someone who plotted and schemed with outsiders to a.s.sa.s.sinate his own patriarch! I’m here today just to see what good show they’ll be putting on!”
Zanian smiled without saying anything more. Shunye was always abrasive and hot-tempered. No one could stop the man from expressing himself freely. Fortunately, though he was a direct descendant, he still had two more elder brothers, so it would not be his turn to succeed as the patriarch for the clan, so it was even okay for him not to take up a post with the clan themselves. This was in contrast with Zanian’s position, who was the clear successor for the Feng family and would one day inherit Dragon Ascension. The pressure he faced was much greater than Shunye, which was why he was also a lot more cautious in how he conducted himself.
“Sometimes, I really envy you.” Zanian sighed. “Able to say whatever you want to say and do what you want. I can’t do that, as I have to care about my family’s reputation in everything I do. This time, my father had no idea that I would come to the Yu family. I truly hope that what’s stated in the letter is true, and Xia Fei will be able to turn things around in one fell swoop, or else I’ll most likely be taking a tongue-las.h.i.+ng from father.”
Wolf Shunye had a solemn expression. “This letter you mentioned, is it really written by Xia Fei?”
“It’s highly possible,” Zanian nodded. “Xia Fei has no foundation in the Law Realm, so the strongest aid he can get will be just you and me, but it’s best if we quietly watch as the situation unfolds and act accordingly. If what’s stated in the letter comes to pa.s.s, we can work together and create a ruckus. With the strength we have, though we won’t be able to cause too big a stir, we can at least ensure that this matter will come to light. Besides, I’ve had my eye on Xia Fei, so having him owe us a favor or two won’t be bad, either.”
Shunye took exception to this sentiment as he said, “I, Gigawolf, help people not for the sake of getting people to owe me but purely because I can’t stand it. I’m not as hypocritical as you.”
Zanian could only chuckle bitterly. When it came to righteousness, he was definitely no match for Shunye. After all, every member of the Feng family had quite a heavy responsibility to bear, and not being more mindful would likely see them get eaten alive in a matter of days in the man-eat-man Law Realm.
Shunye lowered his head to glance at the time as he mumbled, “The inauguration ceremony is about to begin. Why is that la.s.sie, Mu Fuping, still not here yet?”
Zanian was shocked. “Mu Fuping? What would she be here for?”
“I called her here.” Shunye was very frank. “When I got the letter, I figured that Xia Fei would really need our help, so I called Mu Fuping over, too. As the direct descendant of the Withered Mu Clan, she wields a sizable amount of influence, too. Since Xia Fei wants to make a big commotion out of this, we should do what we can to make as much noise as possible!”
Shunye was someone who spoke loudly all the time, and his words caused onlookers around them to give him the side-eye.
Zanian hurriedly dragged him to a more secluded corner as he said in a suppressed voice, “Gigawolf, why didn’t you discuss this matter with me first? Xia Fei and Mu Fuping—”
Before Zanian could finish his words, Shunye burst into laughter. “I know. Xia Fei is single, and Mu Fuping may not have had any relations with him, but that’s what makes it perfect! I’ll act as the matchmaker to help them become closer to each other. If I succeed, then I can even get invited to give a toast at the banquet. If Xia Fei truly marries that la.s.sie from the Mu Clan, no one in the circle will dare to look down on him anymore!”
Zanian was utterly speechless. He had no idea who Shunye had learned to play matchmaker from, but the former was more than aware about the matter between Xia Fei and Mu Fuping, knowing very well that Xia Fei was not in the least bit interested.
While these two young men chatted, a loud commotion from afar caused Zanian to look up, which subsequently left him flabbergasted. He saw a group of youngsters, with the oldest barely eighteen years old and the youngest fourteen, blatantly barge into the Yu family Ancestral Hall with much swagger.
“Brothers, I’m over here!” Wolf Shunye raised his hand and called.
“You… Why did you call this bunch of devil’s incarnates as well?!” Zanian Feng was annoyed, shaking his head as he grimaced.