Chapter 13

As Ye Feng was about to leave, he noticed someone calling him from behind. He immediately stopped, his face filled with confusion, and without hiding, he said his name.

"It's like this, I have a beast scroll for you. Someone asked me to bring this to you."

"I've been looking for you for several days. You haven't been at the academy these past few days."

The young man took out the beast scroll and handed it to Ye Feng.

"Who gave this to you?"

Ye Feng didn't open it but asked first.

"It seems to be a young man named Ye Qiu. A few days ago, I happened to leave the academy and met a young man who gave me three spirit stones and asked me to deliver this beast scroll to you. I saw it was just a small favor, so I agreed."

Hearing the name Ye Qiu, Ye Feng immediately opened the beast scroll. The beast scroll was made of animal skin and could be inscribed with simple text, generally used for recording.

"Thank you, Senior!"

Ye Feng took out ten spirit stones and gave them to the young man, then quickly rushed back to the small courtyard. A major event had occurred in his family, and he had to return as soon as possible.

Back in the courtyard, Ye Feng quickly picked up a few clothes, swiftly packed his bag, and ran out of Tianling Academy. Thinking about the content recorded in the beast scroll, Ye Feng was extremely anxious. The family ceremony was being held ahead of schedule. This time, his second uncle, along with his third uncle and the family elders, planned to impeach the family head during the ceremony and force his father to step down. The reason was that the family head's son had no cultivation ability, disgracing the family.

Ye Qiu was Ye Feng's best friend since childhood, and they grew up together. He risked danger to deliver the message to Ye Feng, but several days had already passed. The ceremony should be tomorrow, so Ye Feng had to return by then.

Tianling Academy was about a few hundred miles away from Huangcheng. Even at full speed, it would take two days. Ye Feng couldn't wait any longer. He used the Shadow Step to its limit, leaving a trail of afterimages as the trees blurred backward.

The Ye family was not harmonious. Ye Feng's father was not originally from the Ye family. Eighteen years ago, Ye Feng's father suddenly appeared in Huangcheng, severely injured. He was saved by Ye Feng's mother, and their relationship deepened. He married into the Ye family and changed his surname.

As for how he became the family head, it was due to his powerful strength and the support of Ye Feng's mother. However, this caused strong dissatisfaction among many family members, who considered him an outsider and constantly made things difficult for him.

As for his father's background, Ye Feng knew nothing. He had asked before, but his father's response was vague, and he seemed unwilling to talk about it. Seeing his father's troubled expression, Ye Feng didn't press further. However, over the years, to gather a large amount of spirit herbs to help Ye Feng cultivate, his father's white hair increased day by day.

After traveling day and night, Ye Feng finally saw the shadow of Huangcheng at dawn the next day. His legs were already numb, but he gritted his teeth and continued forward.

Huangcheng was not very large, only a small city in the Kaoyuan Kingdom with a population of about one million. The Ye family had been rooted in Huangcheng for several hundred years. In this generation, the family head position was given to an outsider. Although the family had flourished under Ye Feng's father's leadership, there were still many disharmonious voices within the family.

The Ye family occupied one-third of Huangcheng, about a thousand acres in size, with thousands of large and small courtyards. The mainline disciples lived in the inner area, while the collateral line disciples lived in the outer area. At this moment, the Ye family was filled with the sounds of drums and gongs, as it was the four-yearly ceremony, which was also the time to select the family head.

Every four years, the Ye family would hold a family head election. This time, whether Ye Feng's father, Ye Wu, could continue in his position was uncertain, as he needed the agreement of at least 70% of the elders.

On a large platform, incense was lit, and many small platforms were set up around it for the family elders. The disciples stood around, receiving the ceremony.

The ceremony was a very sacred ritual, commemorating the deceased ancestors. Under their watch, the family's prosperity was evident, and the selection of the family head occurred every four years. It was time again.

The disciples were already gathered, and several Ye family elders sat on the small platforms, but the family head had not yet arrived.

After about an incense stick's time, Ye Wu, the family head, led his wife and slowly walked to the platform, bowed, and then sat in the family head's position.

After half an hour, the ceremony ended, and it was time to select the family head. Under the watch of thousands of disciples, a tense moment was about to begin. This time was different from previous years, mainly because Ye Feng could not cultivate, disgracing the family. Ye Wu's position as family head had to be vacated, and the key was who would take over.

"The selection of the family head begins now!"

The master of ceremonies shouted, and the surroundings became quiet, as this happened every four years.

"Reporting to the elders, I have a few words to say."

At this moment, a tall man in his forties stood up. It was Ye Feng's second uncle, Ye Wen. He had been quite successful in recent years, with two sons, one already in the Inner Court of Dalu and the other an elite disciple in the Outer Court. Ye Wen had always been against Ye Feng's father, making things difficult for him. It seemed this time would be no different.

"Please speak!"

The Grand Elder gestured for Ye Wen to continue.

"Elders, our Ye family values tradition. Only through continuous succession can the Ye family grow stronger. However, in this generation, our family has a useless son who cannot cultivate, and he is the family head's son. This has become a laughingstock in Huangcheng. Therefore, I propose that Ye Wu is not suitable to continue as the family head."

Ye Wen's words were harsh, though his tone was calm, clearly indicating that he believed Ye Wu was not fit to continue as the family head.

"Nonsense, it's not your place to decide if my father is suitable to be the family head!"

A figure seemed to descend from the sky, appearing in the middle of the ceremony.

Ye Feng finally returned before the ceremony ended, just in time to see this scene. Although it was his second uncle, he felt no affection. Ye Feng remembered that this second uncle had allowed his two sons to bully him countless times, leaving him bruised and battered each time.

The sudden voice drew everyone's attention to Ye Feng, especially his mother, who rushed to him upon seeing her child.

"Feng'er, why have you returned?"

Seeing Ye Feng suddenly appear, his mother's voice was choked with emotion. Ye Feng hadn't returned for nearly three years.

"I heard someone was going to target my father during the ceremony, so I rushed back. Fortunately, I made it in time."

Ye Feng looked around and saw that the ceremony had not yet ended, and he breathed a sigh of relief.