Chu Xiongcheng"s face turned pale as he said, "Are you forcing me? I"m a big steward, and I know what"re personal properties and what"re clan properties! Why are you being so unreasonable?"
That person continued to kneel in silence, and bowed his head down again, and said, "It"s all my fault. I only plead my clan master to allow me to return back home."
Chu Xiongcheng stared at him, his breath became heavier and heavier. Suddenly, he yelled, "If that"s the case, why should I keep you any further!? If you want to go back home, I"ll allow it!"
That person"s face turned white and said, "Thank you, Clan Master Chu!" He had already corrected himself from saying "Clan Master" to "Clan Master Chu". He was obviously admitting that he wasn"t a member of the Chu clan anymore.
The ma.s.ses changed colors on their faces. Another old man with a white beard said hurriedly, "Clan master, Steward Wu has long worked hard and carried out his duties responsibly. I hope that you can take back your words."
Chu Xiongcheng couldn"t suppress his rage any further and shouted, "He wanted to leave. What can I do?"
Everyone gazed at one another. A few people gritted their teeth and stood up at the same time, saying, "I also intend to return to my homeland. Clan master, please permit us!"
With these people taking the lead, other people also knelt down, "I"m old now and death is also coming nearer to us. I also hope for clan master to permit me to return to my homeland and spend the rest of my life there!"
Chu Xiongcheng"s entire body shuddered furiously, bringing his beard to wave in the air. He was just about to yell: Leave, leave if you want to!
Chu Feilong had always been standing at one side. Suddenly, he stepped up and said aloud, "Everyone, please calm down. May I seek all of you to listen to my words?"
Everyone said, "Second master, please speak."
Chu Feilong frowned and spoke, "Everyone is loyal to the clan and everything that you do is for the clan. Although your methods are a little too radical, you"re after all doing so for the sake of Chu clan. I can understand this. But, isn"t it unreasonable to be so intense? Is this the way all of you should conduct as subordinates?"
Chu Feilong looked grim and righteous. He said, "There"s definitely a solution to every mistake made! What are the effects if you compel someone to do something? If everyone disperses from the clan now, it will definitely be a huge loss for the Chu clan, but this doesn"t mean that everyone… can lead a better life, right?"
Everyone calmed down instantly. The chaotic situation just now became a bit still. Everyone seemed to be thinking carefully.
This fully ill.u.s.trated the supreme power that Chu Feilong had in the Chu clan now.
"Then, by second master"s perspective, how should this matter be resolved?" the elder with white beards seemed to be a bit unconvinced, and said, "It"s right that this is the Chu clan"s matter, and we rely on our attachments to the Chu clan for existence. Who doesn"t want the clan that they"ve attached themselves on to be strong? To be regarded highly? But… clan master"s perspective… really chilled us…"
Everyone sighed.
Chu Feilong was furious, "What are you saying? Our clan master"s temper is indeed not good, but he isn"t a bit bad-hearted! Besides, everyone has been here for so many years, don"t you understand his temper? Why are you forcing him so hard?"
Everyone looked guilty, and lowered their heads.
Only then did Old Master Chu"s heart feel more relieved.
But, at the next instant, everyone raised up their heads, and some said indignantly, "But, to allow the Chu clan to have such a huge wealth concentrated in the hands of one person, we"re still… still a bit…"
Chu Feilong was instantly raged as he said, "That"s my nephew"s personal property! Besides, only he has this ability. If he"s replaced by an average person, I"m afraid that he won"t earn so much, and will instead have to lose money! There"re so many medical centers in the Flat Mountain Ridge, but which center is on par with my nephew"s? Why do you want to entangle yourselves in this kind of matter?"
"I"m not being unreasonable, but this sum of wealth is really huge! The entire clan has close to 20 000 people. Adding on external and ordinary members, it would be 30 000. But in a year, we only earn a bit more than 1 000 purple crystals! But now, this one person earns at least 0.1 million purple crystals annually… Second master, this… this matter, surely you don"t mean that…"
Chu Feilong snorted and said, "Then… in your opinion, what should be done?"
"Take it back to the clan!" everyone said in unison.
Chu Feilong raged and said, "Are you taking this for granted? If it"s taken back, who is to replace Chu Yang to manage the medical center? To be the doctor? Who has abilities on par with Chu Yang? If my nephew is angry and gives up his business… He has just returned back and doesn"t know much about the clan, and yet he has to suffer from such coercion… Do you bear to do this to him? What"s more, won"t this instead become a huge loss for the clan?"
Everyone gazed at one another. The elder with white beard took a step forward and said, "Second master, I"ve got an idea."
"Say," Chu Feilong said deeply.
"Actually, no matter what Young Master Chu Yang says, he"s, after all, a member of the Chu clan. This is an immutable fact! Since he"s a member of the Chu clan, he has the responsibility and obligation to seek benefits for the clan, but not to swallow his huge profits himself!"
The elder said eloquently, "While the second master thought about this aspect, I also considered this. I think that the medical center can be taken back by the clan, and Young Master Chu will still remain as the chief doctor. But in order to be fair, the clan can allow Tenghu and Tengjiao, these two young masters, to a.s.sist Chu Yang in managing the medical center. After all, they"re the grandsons of the clan master. Being too partial isn"t good."
"Besides, on the distribution of wealth, Young Master Chu Yang could enjoy 20% of the total profit, while 10% each for Young Masters Tenghu and Tengjiao. The remaining 70% can be pa.s.sed to the clan to enable the clan to advance itself!"
"With the sum of purple crystals, the Chu clan can rise up to become the number one clan in the Flat Mountain Ridge within a year, and even become the number one clan other than the Xiao clan in the entire South-East region over a period of years! This is the greatest dream that our Chu clan has for generations."
Chu Feilong became silent. He frowned and sighed repeatedly.
The elder with white beard said hurriedly, "Second master, clan master, we can"t hesitate over this. Now, the Xiao clan and the Li clan are having a conflict with each other. The Xiao clan don"t even have time to care about the ruin of its division here. Now, it"s the greatest opportunity for us to advance. If we wait till the Xiao clan and Li clan to have their conflicts over, then we"ll really lose this opportunity."
These words were enlightening from all aspects — emotions, rationality and gains. Especially when the elder said till the end, Old Master Chu, who was most obstinate in his att.i.tude, couldn"t help but be moved.
Chu Feilong pondered for a while and said, "This thing is also not unfeasible… And it"s indeed a good opportunity."
He sighed, turned around and said, "Father, you should have understood, I think this thing… is actually beneficial to our Chu clan. Although Yang Yang may feel wronged, he can own 20% of his profits, in a month, he can have at least 1500 purple crystals… Then, no matter how he decides to cultivate, they"ll be sufficient for him. Even if everyone cultivates using the most luxurious methods with this amount of purple crystals, it would be more than sufficient…"
Chu Xiongcheng looked stony, and said, "I"ll think about it."
"Yes," Chu Feilong said respectfully, then took the opportunity to say, "Father, there"s still… Steward Wu"s matter. He had opted to leave the clan only due to his instant indignation. Actually, Steward Wu is very capable, and in recent years, he has contributed a lot to Chu clan. This matter that sparked out of him was even more for the sake of the clan. Father, please do consider to forgive him for his rashness and take back your previous words."
These words not only affirmed Steward Wu"s ability and royalty to the clan but also greatly gave Old Master Chu an excuse.
Beneath, Steward Wu knelt down knowingly and bowed his head continuously, "I had lost my head for the moment. Clan master, please forgive me."
Chu Xiongcheng sighed deeply, and said icily, "Forget it, forget it…"
If he remained stubborn, the Chu clan would fall apart before his eyes. This was the most unacceptable thing for a clan master and an authority figure.
But if he didn"t insist on protecting Chu Yang"s rights, he would be owing to his grandson that he had already owed for 18 and a half years!
Chu Xiongcheng sighed in his heart.
Does it mean that this grandson of mine would have to suffer from grievances for all his life? Can I still be able to protect him even as a clan master and a grandfather?? If this is so, this child would have little sense of ident.i.ty in this clan, let alone feel a sense of warmth…
Besides, Chu Yang held the killing order. After a long time has pa.s.sed… will the falling apart of the Chu clan… really be inevitable?
Chu Xiongcheng was laden with anxiety as he walked out of the hall, and he walked directly to Chu Feiling"s small yard.
Back in the hall, Chu Feilong smiled as he looked at the hundreds of people in front of him. His square, grave face revealed a trace of a sinister smile…
After Chu Xiongcheng came out of Chu Feiling"s small yard, an unprecedented war exploded in Chu Feiling"s small yard!
Yang Ruolan, gnas.h.i.+ng her teeth, had madly fought a battle with Chu Feiling!
Yang Ruolan was really going to be mad.
"Is he only a descendant of the Chu clan? He"s also my son!"
"The Chu clan reneged on its words. How is it considered a big clan? Does it develop just by relying on contemptible schemes against its descendants?"
"Chu Feiling, you"re a mighty nice old man. Will you only be convinced after being framed up?"
"I"ll bring my son back to my parents" place tomorrow! Does your Chu clan want to earn purple crystals? Go earn them yourselves! What skills do you have to exploit my son?"
"Is it even wrong to be capable? Is it an offense to be able to earn purple crystals?!"
"Your entire family is s.h.i.+t!"
"They"ve owed him 18 years! Now that he"s just back and has made some progress, they actually start to bully him!"
"Clan! Every time they would say about it! But I only recognize him as my own son! Who dares to make him suffer in front of me?"
"If they could tackle my son, does it mean that I"m soft-hearted and dare not to deal with their sons? At the worst, everyone shall fight to the end together! Chu Feiling, if anything happens to my son, be prepared that I"ll cut off the bloodline of your Chu clan!"
"I"ll kill everyone, one by one! What s.h.i.+ts are they?"
…
It was the first time that Yang Ruolan, who was compliant all along, became so raged. Not considering any potential implications, she scolded out aloud, so loud that the entire Chu clan could hear her clearly.
Chu Feiling knew that he couldn"t argue over his wife, so he huddled up and allowed her to beat him for a round. He dared not even plead mercy… Thus, when Chu Feiling went to the clan meeting, he still had bruises all over his face…