Bang bang bang!

A series of knocks sounded at the door, prompting everyone to turn their heads toward the entrance as Yan Hu rose to open the attic door.

Standing at the doorway was Li Fenglin, his face filled with anxiety.

"Mr. Yan Hu, has Mr. Jiang returned?" Li Fenglin nervously asked, his eyes casting a glance at the attic hall.

"Come in," Jiang Chen softly called.

As the two men entered the hall, Li Fenglin took a seat on the couch, mouth agape, yet hesitant.

"What's the matter?" Jiang Chen looked puzzledly at Li Fenglin.

Taking a deep breath, Li Fenglin spoke with trepidation, "Mr. Jiang, the memorial day for the old ancestor… is in three days!"

"I know, we should make it on time if we leave tomorrow, right?" Jiang Chen looked back at him with a slight confusion.

Li Fenglin hesitated again before tentatively adding, "Yes, that's the case. My family called me, they found out I was staying here. They said… the thing is… you cleaned out some top-tier and second-tier families of the Jincheng last time, right? One of those families was… the family our family outsources to…"

"Oh!" Jiang Chen nodded, suddenly realizing, remembering an incident in Dingjing when a wealthy second generation troubled Su Qingqing, and how Li Fenglin had resolved the matter with a call.

Blinking, Jiang Chen questioned curiously, "Didn't your family disown you? How come that outsourcing family still listened to you and helped Qing Qing back then?"

"That outsourcing family isn't actually a real family, it's made up of stewards from our family, one of whom was my personal steward," Li Fenglin explained.

Personal steward?!

Jiang Chen was taken aback, feeling a mix of emotions.

Only members of the family who were decision-makers of each generation had the right to have personal stewards, and since Li Fenglin had this privilege, it meant that the third elder ancestor had placed him in the line of succession!

How the tables have turned!

The once heir apparent of the family now needs someone to help fend off pressure just to come home to pay respects!

"Did the elimination of that outsourcing family affect you?" Jiang Chen seemed to grasp why Li Fenglin was so awkward.

Li Fenglin replied bitterly, "They blamed me, said it was me who incited you to eliminate the outsourcing family and asked me to…"

"Asked you to accuse me?" Jiang Chen laughed.

"No! They said… if I want to go back and pay homage to the old ancestor, I must have your family… become our family's outsourcing family…"

The more Li Fenglin spoke, the quieter he became, and after finishing, he hung his head low.

"They sure dared to make that offer!" Jiang Chen's face darkened, his voice turning cold.

Li Fenglin looked up apologetically at Jiang Chen, "Mr. Jiang, I've caused you trouble. They said… they want you to go with me to apologize to the family. If you don't go, and if you don't agree to let your family become our outsourcing family, they will… send people to hassle you!"

"Heh, are they threatening me?" Jiang Chen coldly spoke, "If I don't go with you, are they going to stop you from paying respects to your old ancestor?"

Li Fenglin nodded somberly.

Jiang Chen was silent for a moment before speaking lightly, "Tell me about your family's situation!"

"Our family's situation?!" Li Fenglin was startled for a moment, then hurriedly said, "Mr. Jiang, you don't have to come with me. I can just remotely pay respects to the old ancestor here. If you go to the family… it might be dangerous."

"Just tell me," Jiang Chen said coldly, "I am very interested in hidden world families, and besides, if I don't go, they will still come. They might think I'm afraid then!"

"This… Thank you, Mr. Jiang!" Li Fenglin looked gratefully at Jiang Chen, pondered for a moment, and spoke gravely, "Our family can only be considered a first-class family among hidden world families. Our family's strongest was my old ancestor, who was at the late stage of the Venerable Realm. The eldest and second ancestors are at the mid stage of the Venerable Realm, and the fourth, fifth, and sixth ancestors all are at the early stage of the Venerable Realm! There are also…"

"We don't need to talk about those lower than the Venerable Realm!" Jiang Chen waved it off, "Aren't some of these old ancestors on your side?"

"Most don't support me, only the second and sixth ancestors somewhat support me, but it has no real effect because the sixth ancestor is not from the Li family by blood, and the second one is gentle and inert. If it weren't for the third ancestor's position as the strongest in the family, I wouldn't have had that status," Li Fenglin quietly explained.

"So there is no effect? Let me ask you this, if we go to your family and it comes to a fight, will your second and sixth ancestors help us?" Jiang Chen asked again.

Li Fenglin was startled for a moment, then frowned in thought, before nodding firmly, "I believe, if the family truly takes action against us, both the second and sixth ancestors will definitely help us!"

"That means we only have to face one elder ancestor at the early stage of the Venerable Realm," Jiang Chen exhaled in relief.

Li Fenglin froze again, blinked, then suddenly understood. Jiang Chen was ready to go into battle.

He sighed internally, aware that the message from his family had infuriated Jiang Chen.

"Second ancestor taking on the eldest, sixth ancestor holding off the fourth, that indeed only leaves the fifth elder ancestor who is at the early stage of Venerable Realm. However, the family still has about a dozen Semi Venerable Venerable, and several are at the peak of Semi Venerable Venerable Realm!" Li Fenglin reminded.

"Semi Venerable Venerable Realm is not a concern," Jiang Chen shook his head slightly, turning to Gong Lin, "Elder Wu broke through, right?"

"Yes, Elder Wu went to Unchanging Valley a while ago and advanced in realm there!" Gong Lin nodded gently.

"That settles it. Lin Lin, don't wander around these days, I'll take Elder Wu to pay a visit to Fatso's family," Jiang Chen advised softly.

"Okay!" Gong Lin nodded gently.

Li Fenglin glanced at Gong Lin, then at Jiang Chen, a flicker of worry passing through his eyes before it solidified into determination.

Mr. Jiang might be overconfident—hidden world families are not like the mundane martial arts families! Never mind, no matter what, I must not let Mr. Jiang get hurt, even if it means I…

Li Fenglin silently murmured to himself, apparently having made up his mind.

"Fatso, don't worry, there won't be any problems. Go and rest well; we'll depart tomorrow!" Noticing Li Fenglin's somber expression, Jiang Chen gently reassured him.

Li Fenglin nodded and didn't say anything more, standing up to take his leave.

Watching Li Fenglin's departing figure, Qingyuan Yingzi turned to look at Jiang Chen, biting her lip, determination flashing across her eyes.

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