Chapter 1087.2: Settling Scores - Part 2

Chen Chao was not in a hurry to speak. Footsteps were already sounding in the distance.

Many people were coming. There were the Xie Clan’s guest retainers, but more of them were members of the Xie Clan itself. There were white-haired old men, as well as young men and women.

It was as though the entire Xie Clan had come to the outside of the small courtyard at this moment.

But the courtyard was too small, and there was no way so many people could squeeze inside. In the end, only a few people entered.

An elderly scholar with a head of white hair, a middle-aged man with a resolute face, and a young man and young woman.

Chen Chao turned his head toward Xie Qing and said, “Introduce them.”

Xie Qing glanced at Third Master Xie before saying, “The old scholar is named Xie Changyi. He ranks fourth in the main branch. He is Sixteenth Uncle’s biological paternal uncle, and Nandu’s biological fourth great-granduncle." "The one over there is Seventeenth Uncle, Xie Xu. He is Sixteenth Uncle’s full younger brother. The two behind him, Xie Xia and Xie Qiu, are both Seventeenth Uncle’s children. When they were young, they were considered to have had a... fairly good relationship with Little Sister."

After the few of them entered, Xie Xu gave an awkward laugh. “We heard that Lord Warden Commander had come, and we were all very happy. We thought you must have come to propose marriage. That child Nandu will finally have someone to rely on in the future.”

Chen Chao glanced at him and shook his head. “This official did not come to propose marriage. At a time like this, there would be no reason for this official to marry.”

The old scholar sighed with vicissitudes of emotion, “Lord Warden Commander is a pillar of the nation, so naturally you must put the imperial court and the world first. But although that is easy to say, there truly aren’t many people who can actually do it.”

Xie Xia smiled brightly. “When I grow up, I want to become someone like Lord Warden Commander, too.”

Meanwhile, Xie Qiu looked at Chen Chao and said, “Big Sister Nandu is truly enviable for being able to marry such a wonderful husband.”

For a moment, everyone here had said something. Chen Chao only answered the first remark; he paid no attention to the words that followed.

Only after they had all finished speaking did Chen Chao say, “This official came here to kill people.”

The young Lord Warden Commander looked at everyone present with a pair of remarkably beautiful eyes and said, “Studying isn’t something this official is very good at, but this official knows a thing or two about killing people.”

Hearing this, Third Master Xie’s expression changed again. From the moment Chen Chao said he intended to kill him, to the news spreading, to these few people entering and saying all these things, every step had actually been carefully planned. Since Third Master Xie had been able to serve as acting family head for so many years, his methods were certainly not lacking. His purpose in doing all this was to ensure that no matter what, Chen Chao would not dare to kill anyone.

But it seemed to be of no use?

Third Master Xie asked again, “Lord Warden Commander says you want to kill me, but there must always be a reason. Otherwise, this would be truly too absurd.”

Chen Chao did not answer him. Instead, he looked at Xie Qing and said calmly, “I heard you have always been exceptionally clever. You should already know.”

Earlier, he had spoken at length with Xie Qing, intentionally or otherwise revealing quite a few things.

Xie Qing could not say anything. He knew Chen Chao’s reason, but he could not bring himself to say it.

Seeing that Xie Qing remained silent, Chen Chao finally tore through that last layer of pretense. “Nandu’s father, was he really just physically weak, and then died of grief after his wife passed away?”

As soon as Chen Chao said this, everyone inside and outside the courtyard felt their hearts tighten.

Back then, Xie Nandu’s father, Xie Xuan, had been deeply valued by the family head. If he himself had not been uninterested in the family estate, he would probably have been designated to inherit it long ago.

Later, Xie Xuan died of illness, and it had indeed caused some turmoil within the Xie Clan. There had certainly been something suspicious about it, but afterward, the family head had not felt that there was any problem, and the matter had consequently passed.

Now, after so many years, not only was the old matter being brought up again, it was not even a member of the Xie Clan who had raised it, but an outsider.

Third Master Xie furrowed his brows and said expressionlessly, “This matter was settled long ago. Where did Lord Warden Commander hear such idle gossip, and why are you asking this question?”

Chen Chao said, “What if this official says that you were responsible for this matter, and uses that as the reason to kill you? How about that?”

Third Master Xie was stunned, then laughed. “So this is Lord Warden Commander’s reason for wanting to kill me? Very well, very well. I suppose it is a reason.”

“But is this the way the imperial court conducts itself nowadays?”

He had only spoken halfway when Third Master Xie suddenly changed his tone. “Kill me so that girl Nandu can become the family head?!”

Chen Chao looked at Third Master Xie without saying a word.

Xie Xu forced a dry laugh. “Lord Warden Commander, I’m afraid there must be some misunderstanding here, right?”

Xie Changyi frowned. “Even if there are doubts about this matter, we should investigate them carefully. The truth will surely come to light.”

Chen Chao merely smiled, then walked over to Third Master Xie and reached out, twisting his neck until it snapped.

Third Master Xie fell to the ground just like that, lifeless.

Everything happened far too quickly, leaving no one any time to react. But this was actually quite normal. After all, the young martial artist before them was simply too powerful. If he wanted to kill someone, no one could stop him.

“You may not have seen it yourselves, but you’ve probably heard about it. That year, the deposed emperor forced his way into the palace and said many things in front of His Majesty. This official was there too. This official didn’t say a word and simply cut off his head with a single saber.”

Chen Chao raised his eyes. “Everything you said and did today was meant to make this official think of my relationship with Nandu, think of your own identities, and refrain from killing anyone - at the very least, refrain from killing anyone here in the Xie Clan. After all, that would truly be very ugly.”

“The future son-in-law of the Xie Clan killing someone in his future wife’s family home. That would truly be very ugly.”

“If this official conduct myself this way in the Xie Clan, can the Xie Clan still marry her to this official?”

Chen Chao smiled. “Of course you thought of all that, which is why you weren’t so worried. But it seems you forgot one thing.”

“This official even killed my own elder brother the moment I decided to. Who is there that this official cannot kill, or dares not kill?”

Chen Chao glanced at Third Master Xie’s corpse. “Besides, a guilty man has died far too late already.”

Listening to Chen Chao speak and looking at Third Master Xie’s corpse on the ground, most of the Xie Clan members fell silent. They could not say a word. Never had they imagined that something like this would happen.

They had long since regarded Chen Chao as the Xie Clan’s future son-in-law, but who could have imagined that on his very first visit to the Xie Clan, this future son-in-law would kill their acting family head?

“Lord Warden Commander, no matter what, you say Third Master is the murderer who killed Sixteenth Master. There must be evidence, right? A matter like this cannot be decided based on one person’s word, even if you are the Lord Warden Commander!”

Someone among the crowd, a young man of the Xie Clan, spoke up. His gaze was sharp, and he showed not the slightest fear of Chen Chao.

“Of course there has to be evidence. And this official hasn’t finished killing people yet, so what’s the hurry?”

Chen Chao walked back beneath the eaves and sat down again. Watching the rain grow heavier and heavier, he then said, “Xie Qing, trouble you to do me a favor. Go and deliver a message to your family head.”

Xie Qing looked at the young martial artist before him with a complicated expression. After a long while, he finally asked, “What message?”

“Tell him to stop pretending to be dead. If he keeps pretending to be dead, things will become even uglier.”

Chen Chao thought for a moment before saying, “Also, that old bastard named Xie Zhongxing should still be alive, right? Tell him to hurry over and see this official.”

Someone said, “Lord Warden Commander, Third Old Master has been unable to get out of bed for a long time. He’s been lying on his couch these past few years.”

“That’s simple. Have someone carry him over.”

Chen Chao glanced at the person.

“Lord Warden Commander, I’m afraid that may be somewhat...”

Someone frowned. Although Chen Chao had killed Third Master Xie earlier, they were, after all, a scholarly family with a century-old tradition. It was impossible for them to abandon right and wrong entirely out of fear.

“Carry him over. This official just wants to tell him that I’ve just killed his son.”