Chapter 37

Jiang Yunshan, the current head of the Jiang family, possessed the strength of the eighth level of the Purple Mansion realm. He was one of the top five figures in Tianyu City, and his words were clearly not to be taken lightly, carrying the weight of a decree.

Jiang Yunshe and Jiang Yunshi wore cold smiles. With the head of the family speaking like this, it saved them a lot of trouble. With the head's command, who in the Jiang family would dare to disobey?

"I won't submit!"

A somewhat immature voice rang out, immediately turning the slightly relaxed expressions of Jiang Yunshe and Jiang Yunshi into grim ones. Jiang Yunshe had experienced Jiang Yi's sharp tongue and naturally wouldn't let him speak again. He roared in a fit of rage, "Shut up! How dare you question the head of the family? Where are the guards of the Punishment Hall? Execute this person immediately to uphold the family rules!"

"Whoosh!"

A guard from the Punishment Hall, catching Jiang Yunshi's glance, understood immediately. He raised his palm and fiercely struck down at Jiang Yi's head, not giving him a chance to defend himself.

"Ha ha ha!"

At this critical moment, Jiang Yi didn't get angry but laughed instead, his eyes fixed on Jiang Yunshan. He pointed at him and shouted, "Head of the Jiang family? What a great show of power! Without even getting to the bottom of things, you decide someone's life and death based on one-sided words? The Jiang family rules? They're just a bunch of crap! They're just for show. Kill me, kill me! I'll go to the ancestors of the Jiang family to seek justice..."

"Whoosh!"

Just as the guard's large palm was about to hit Jiang Yi's head, a hoarse voice suddenly rang out, "Wait!"

Everyone's eyes followed the source of the voice and saw the second elder, with his white hair, who had not been involved in family affairs for years. Everyone was stunned. The second elder never interfered or commented on any matters of the Jiang family. Today, he actually spoke up for Jiang Yi?

The second elder's face, like the bark of an old tree, twitched slightly as he said calmly, "Since he claims he has a grievance, why not listen? So many family members are watching. Even if we kill him, we should do it in a way that makes everyone convinced..."

"Since you've spoken, Uncle Zhong, let's have a trial."

Jiang Yunshan nodded at the second elder, walked straight to the main seat, and sat down. He then picked up a cup of tea and glanced at Jiang Yi, saying calmly, "I, Jiang Yunshan, don't have such great power. I became the head of the Jiang family not because of my strength, but because of fairness and justice, making all the Jiang family members convinced. Today, I'll give you a chance to die with no regrets. Yunshi, you handle the case!"

"Yes, head of the family!"

Jiang Yunshi nodded, walked to the desk, and slammed it, shouting, "Gu Shui, Jiang Rulang, recount today's events truthfully. If you dare to distort or hide anything, you will not be spared."

"Understood!"

Jiang Gushui and Jiang Rulang bowed and were about to recount the events of the day when Jiang Yi waved his hand and said, "That's enough. You don't need to say anything. I'll speak. Today, in the Martial Hall, I indeed publicly injured people, breaking the legs of Jiang Song, Jiang Bao, and Jiang Ruhu, and splitting Jiang Rulong's spine and breaking his head. I also injured over ten family members present. All of this is true."

"Bang!"

Jiang Yunshi slammed the desk again and sneered, "Then how can you still claim you have a grievance? What is the 38th rule of the Jiang family? Have you forgotten?"

"I haven't forgotten. The 38th rule of the Jiang family states that any family member who unjustly injures another family member will be severely punished, and if the circumstances are serious, they will be executed without mercy." Jiang Yi replied calmly and nodded, "According to the rules, I should indeed be executed. My crime is unforgivable."

"Wha..."

The Punishment Hall was in an uproar. Was there something wrong with Jiang Yi's mind? He claimed he had a grievance just now, but now he's admitting his guilt and saying he should be executed? Was he kicked in the head as a child?

"Everyone heard, right?"

Jiang Yunshi glanced around at the elders sitting around and then shouted, "Since Jiang Yi has admitted his guilt without reservation, I will act according to the rules. Jiang Yi's crime is unforgivable. He should be executed without mercy, immediately."

"Wait!"

Jiang Yi raised his hand and spoke again, "I haven't finished speaking. Since you mentioned acting according to the rules, please execute Jiang Ruhu, Jiang Bao, and Jiang Song first! Over the past four to five years, they have beaten me 43 times. Each time, I suffered varying degrees of injuries. I was beaten to the point of spitting blood 22 times, suffered fractures 8 times, and was beaten unconscious 4 times, almost dying! All of this was witnessed by the servants in the West Courtyard, and my young maid, who is now severely injured and bedridden due to being beaten by Jiang Ruhu and the others. According to the 38th rule of the Jiang family, Jiang Ruhu and the others should have been executed ten times over! Please execute them along with me, or... I will not submit to my death!"

"Wha!"

The Punishment Hall was in an uproar again. Many people looked at Jiang Yi with admiration. In front of so many important figures of the Jiang family, he not only showed no panic for his crimes but also remained calm and cleverly trapped Jiang Yunshi in a dead end with just a few words.

On the Tianxing Continent, martial arts were highly esteemed, and brawls among family members were common. Family rules indeed prohibited unjustly injuring others, but in the past, the family often turned a blind eye to such matters, even secretly encouraging them to foster competition and drive the young to practice harder.

Everyone saw this, and even the elders sitting above, including Jiang Yunshan, were well aware of it. The problem was that this was an unwritten rule, and no one would openly discuss it. Today, Jiang Yi seized this point and relentlessly pursued it. If the Punishment Hall continued to act according to the rules, once the investigation began, if the facts about Jiang Ruhu and the others were true, it would result in a large number of executions...

Was the information about Jiang Ruhu and the others true?

The faces of Jiang Yunshe and several other elders changed. They knew their own children best, and these matters didn't need investigation; they were true even if thought about with the back of their heads.

Jiang Yunshi fell silent, unsure how to respond to Jiang Yi's words. Jiang Yunshe's eyes flickered, and Jiang Yunshan continued to drink his tea, his head lowered in silence as if he hadn't heard Jiang Yi's words.

"This boy is indeed a remarkable person to invite all the elders here!"

Wu Hall Elder Jiang Yunmeng's eyes flashed with appreciation and suddenly asked, "Jiang Yi, why didn't you appeal to the Punishment Hall before? No matter what, it was wrong for you to publicly injure people today."

Although Jiang Yunmeng's words were full of blame, they clearly had the intention of helping Jiang Yi. Jiang Yunmeng didn't know much about Jiang Yi, but today, Jiang Yi showed courage and wisdom, and with his strength at the fourth level of the Cauldron Casting realm, he had defeated a group of people and injured the young Jiang Rulong, which Jiang Yunmeng found very impressive, feeling that he had the same spirit as his younger self.

When Jiang Yunmeng spoke, Jiang Yunshi's face changed, and Jiang Yi indeed laughed with a mocking expression, "Wu Hall Elder, the Punishment Hall only cares about those with backing and power like Jiang Ruhu and Jiang Rulong. They wouldn't care about the lives of us, the useless ones. Before going to the Martial Hall, I came to the Punishment Hall to appeal, and the guards can testify. But the deputy elder of the Punishment Hall didn't even ask me anything and told me to get lost. What can I, an orphan with no backing, do? With no place to appeal, I had to rely on my own fists to resolve my grievances!"

Jiang Yi paused, turned to look at the Jiang family members gathered outside the Punishment Hall, and then turned back, bowing and said indignantly, "I, Jiang Yi, am indeed guilty, but I want to ask everyone here, if you were in my place, what would you do? Would you spend your whole life as a coward, being bullied, or would you fight to the death? An ancestor of the Jiang family once said, 'A man should not fear death, should be willing to shed blood and sacrifice his life, and should be willing to risk everything to bring down even the emperor.' Today, I, Jiang Yi, am willing to risk everything to bring down those scoundrels of the Jiang family. I ask the family to execute us all together!"

His words were firm and resounding, echoing in everyone's ears, lingering for a long time.

Blood still dripped from Jiang Yi's shoulder, slowly falling to the ground, landing in the silent Punishment Hall, striking everyone's hearts.

Everyone looked at Jiang Yi's young face, at his stubborn eyes, and their hearts were stirred. Was this a 15-16 year old boy? Was this the same person everyone in the Jiang family despised as a useless one?

"This person cannot be left alive! Otherwise, he will be a great threat!"

Jiang Yunshe and Jiang Yunshi exchanged glances, and both showed a determined look. In just a few months, Jiang Yi had advanced from the first level to the fourth level of the Cauldron Casting realm, and even the seventh-level Jiang Rulong was no match for him.

This wasn't the most important thing. The most important was Jiang Yi's mind, his devilish intelligence, and his flawless calculations. At such a young age, he already had such a mature mind. If he were given a few more years to grow, what would happen? They clearly remembered that although Jiang Yi bore the surname Jiang, he did not have the blood of the Jiang family. Not of our kind, his heart must be different. If this person were left alive, in a few years, they might both die at his hands...

"Raving nonsense! Making a fuss!"

Jiang Yunshi gritted his teeth and finally spoke, slamming the desk and shouting, "You say Jiang Ruhu and the others beat you? Where's the evidence? Where are the witnesses? You say your maid was beaten by Jiang Ruhu and the others? Where are the witnesses? With so many people here, you say many have seen it with their own eyes? Let them come forward to testify!"

"Exactly!"

Jiang Yunshe stood up in perfect cooperation, his eyes colder than a snake's, sweeping the crowd outside, and shouted, "Listen up, who has seen Jiang Yi being beaten? If there are witnesses and evidence, the family will not show mercy!"

"Shush, shush, shush!"

All the Jiang family members outside, even those living close to Jiang Yi, lowered their heads in silence, not daring to speak, let alone testify for him. The warning in Jiang Yunshe's cold gaze was too clear. Anyone who stood up would face the consequences...

"Despicable, shameless!"

Jiang Yi cursed inwardly. Jiang Yunshe and Jiang Yunshi had no shame, using such despicable means against a junior?

When he looked at all the elders and Jiang Yunshan, and saw that no one showed any reaction, his heart turned cold. Even the second elder, who had always been close to the first elder, was silent...

"Ha ha ha!"

Indeed, no one in the Jiang family, except the first elder, cared for him! Jiang Yi laughed bitterly, his voice filled with desolation and despair. He closed his eyes and stopped speaking, his face showing no emotion. Since the Jiang family was willing to use such despicable means to kill him, no matter what he said, it would be useless...