Chapter 83 of 100

Chapter 83

14 min read3,583 words

The sound of hooves echoed as they walked on the stone-paved road in the rainy night, each pebble shimmering like fish scales in the light.

The stone-paved road, the towering courtyard walls, and the few dead ivy vines that clung to the green bricks of the walls with only their veins remaining. The moss at the base of the walls and the shadows formed by the high walls blocking the sunlight in the alley made the place seem damp, moldy, and dilapidated.

From any angle, it seemed to be a corner abandoned by the family.

Rong Kai Xuan looked around, and if he hadn't been following his grandfather, he wouldn't have thought that the venerable elder, who held a high status in the family, would live in such a dilapidated place.

Rong Jie Lin dismounted, handed the reins to the servant behind him, and led Rong Kai Xuan to the eaves. He gently knocked on the door.

After a while, the door creaked open.

An elderly man with a ruddy complexion stood inside. His face was very similar to Rong Jie Lin's, but his body was quite frail, as if a gust of wind could knock him over.

However, Rong Kai Xuan did not dare to underestimate this old man in the slightest.

He knew that anyone who could serve as an elder, besides being respected and influential in the family, had to meet one hard criterion.

That is, all the elders were innate cultivators, and this hard criterion was the prerequisite for everything.

In other words, as long as your cultivation reached the level of an innate cultivator, even if you had never participated in the family's management, you would have a seat in the council of elders.

However, no matter how influential you were in the family, if you lacked the strength and had not reached the innate realm, the noble title of elder would never be bestowed upon you.

Rong Jie Lin bowed his head, his true qi completely reined in, and said, "Big Brother, I see you are here."

The old man smiled slightly and said, "Why don't you stay home and cultivate, striving to reach the innate realm one day, and come to see this old man?"

Rong Jie Lin's face darkened slightly and said, "Big Brother, I know my limits; I am unlikely to reach the innate realm in this lifetime." He paused and then said, "Kai Xuan, come and kowtow to your great-grandfather."

Rong Kai Xuan hurried forward, disregarding the dampness on the ground, and knelt down heavily.

This was their first meeting, and he was facing a direct elder of the family, so a few kowtows were not excessive.

Rong Jie Sen's eyes brightened slightly. He stood still, and after Rong Kai Xuan kowtowed three times, he smiled and helped him up, saying, "You are Kai Xuan, huh? Heh, good, very good. Yiyang has a son like you, and he can finally hold his head high in front of his father."

Rong Jie Lin was taken aback and said with a bitter smile, "Big Brother, what are you saying?"

Rong Jie Sen laughed heartily and said, "Come in and sit down."

Everyone entered the courtyard, and Rong Kai Xuan glanced around, surprised to find that the courtyard was not large and seemed to be inhabited only by his great-grandfather.

Seemingly noticing his surprise, Rong Jie Sen said slowly, "I have a solitary nature and don't like living with others. Everything here is managed by myself."

Rong Kai Xuan quickly bowed his head in agreement, thinking to himself that these elders indeed had their peculiarities.

However, those who could reach the innate realm were not to be judged by ordinary standards.

The three of them sat down in the room, and Rong Jie Sen personally made tea for them, making Rong Kai Xuan feel honored.

He tried several times to help, but Rong Jie Lin secretly stopped him, as brewing tea seemed to be one of Rong Jie Sen's hobbies.

After a moment, Rong Jie Sen said, "Second Brother, did you bring Kai Xuan here because something happened in the family?"

Although Rong Jie Sen usually did not involve himself in family affairs, he naturally had his exceptional qualities and immediately hit the key point.

Rong Jie Lin's expression became serious, and he said, "Big Brother, something has indeed happened in the family, and it was caused by Kai Xuan's trip into the mountains."

"Is that so?" Rong Jie Sen glanced at Rong Kai Xuan indifferently and said, "Did Kai Xuan encounter any danger in the mountains?"

"Yes," Rong Kai Xuan said with a bitter smile. "I did encounter danger and almost didn't make it back."

Rong Jie Sen's brows furrowed slightly and said, "Didn't Elder Jie Xuan give you two bottles of pills? With your strength, you shouldn't have encountered any danger unless you ventured deep into the mountains."

Rong Kai Xuan was taken aback and said, "Two bottles of pills?" His expression immediately became strange.

Before entering the mountains, he had indeed received two bottles of pills and a spirit artifact. The spirit artifact had played a significant role, and even the mid-stage spirit master Gu Wen was helpless under its protection.

However, the two bottles of pills were clearly given by his senior sister, so how did they relate to Elder Jie Xuan?

Rong Jie Sen waved his sleeve and said, "Tell me what danger you encountered."

Rong Kai Xuan's expression became serious, and he immediately gathered his thoughts, recounting the events in detail.

Of course, he concealed some details, such as the pit, and mentioned nothing about it. When he spoke of his life-and-death struggle with Gu Wen, he only said that he released over four hundred spirit warrior talismans, wearing down the opponent to death.

At the end, he took out the jade token and respectfully placed it on the table.

Rong Jie Sen's expression was initially calm, but by the end, his eyes were filled with anger. A faint pressure emanated from him, causing a terrifying feeling of dread. This was even after he had suppressed it; if he had released it fully, the pressure of an innate cultivator could have frightened ordinary people to death.

"Hmph, what a good Gu Tianhe, what a good Rong Kai Jie." He stood up, holding the jade token and said coldly, "I have heard of the names of the three Gu brothers. Hmph, they are the rising stars of the Gu family, mid-stage spirit masters with the potential to reach the innate realm. Heh, I didn't expect them to send Gu Wen to hunt you down."

Rong Kai Xuan felt relieved. Since the elder had heard of Gu Wen and the others, it was all the better.

Rong Jie Sen pondered for a moment and said slowly, "I usually don't involve myself in family affairs and only focus on cultivation. But now that someone has come to our door, I can't just sit by and do nothing." He looked at Rong Kai Xuan and said, "I will certainly seek justice for you in this matter."

Rong Kai Xuan felt a warm feeling in his heart. No wonder he was his great-grandfather, and an innate cultivator. Once the truth was clear, he was ready to stand up for him and seek justice.

Rong Jie Sen raised his head and suddenly shouted, "Go to the ancestral hall and bring Elder Jie Xuan here. I want to invite him for tea."

"Yes."

Outside the courtyard, a voice responded loudly.

Rong Kai Xuan was slightly taken aback and looked at his grandfather in surprise.

Rong Jie Lin smiled slightly and said, "Kai Xuan, although your great-grandfather likes to live alone, he is still an elder of the family. Therefore, the family has stationed people nearby to be ready to follow his orders at any time."

Rong Kai Xuan's eyes sparkled, and he nodded slowly, gaining a deeper understanding of the power and prestige of the elders.

At that moment, he deeply envied his great-grandfather's status as an elder.

If he could become an elder of the family one day, it would be a life well-lived.

Rong Jie Sen snorted and said, "That old man Jie Xuan always says that Kai Xuan won't encounter any major danger in the mountains. Hmph, if Kai Xuan hadn't been well-prepared, he might have met a tragic end this time." He paused and said, "If he can't explain himself, I will have to confront him."

Rong Kai Xuan's eyes darted around, and he said in a low voice, "Great-grandfather, Elder Jie Xuan has been very caring towards me."

Rong Jie Sen shook his head and said, "That old man has been brainwashed by his master, only knowing to make you endure hardships and cultivate. But he doesn't know to act within your limits. Hmph, if this continues, something will eventually go wrong."

Rong Jie Lin coughed lightly and said in a low voice, "Big Brother, Elder Jie Xuan's master..."

Rong Jie Sen's face twitched a few times and said, "I'm just scolding that old man, not his master. Why are you so nervous?"

Rong Kai Xuan observed the expressions of the two elders, becoming increasingly curious.

Elder Jie Xuan's master must be very powerful and remarkable, so although Rong Jie Sen could scold Elder Jie Xuan, he dared not offend his master.

The room fell silent, and after a full moment, a cheerful laugh suddenly echoed.

"Heh, Jie Sen, did you call me because you got some good tea?"

A figure flashed in the courtyard, and Rong Jie Xuan had already jumped in, his face showing a hint of anticipation.

Rong Kai Xuan lowered his head, secretly amused. Elder Jie Xuan was truly obsessed with tea.

"Pay respects to Elder Jie Xuan," Rong Jie Lin and Rong Kai Xuan said in unison as they stepped forward to greet him.

Rong Jie Xuan waved his hand and said, "Enough, oh, Kai Xuan, you're back. Did you bring any good tea from the Wolf Tooth Mountains? Hmph, if you did, you should have remembered to send some to me."

Rong Kai Xuan looked embarrassed and silently remembered this. In the future, if he got any good tea, he would definitely save some for the two elders.

Rong Jie Sen's brows furrowed slightly and said, "Jie Xuan, this child Kai Xuan almost didn't make it back from the mountains this time."

Rong Jie Xuan was taken aback, and his expression immediately became serious.

At the great-grandfather's indication, Rong Kai Xuan recounted the events in the mountains for the third time, concluding, "That old man surnamed Zeng said that Gu Tianhe wants to support the Rong Kai Jie faction to gain control of the Rong family, turning it into a branch of the Gu family within a hundred years. This is absolutely true. If I lie, may I be struck by heaven and die a miserable death."

In the room, the three elders' faces were dark, and their eyes were filled with a faint anger, like a volcano that had been dormant for years, ready to erupt with terrifying power.

---