Chapter 192: The Su family is my target [2]

Chapter 192: 192: The Su family is my target [2]

Zhaoyue slowly turned her gaze toward the cultivators.

"Pack your things and leave."

The words were simple, yet they carried absolute authority.

Several cultivators immediately panicked.

"Young Miss, please give us another chance!"

"We were only speaking out of anger. We did not mean to disrespect the Patriarch!"

"Please forgive us!"

However, far more voices erupted in anger.

"Once the Patriarch hears about this, you will regret it!"

"You think you can expel us after everything we have done for the Lin Family?"

"We have served this family for decades!"

"Just wait until the Patriarch finds out what you have done!"

"Do you really think he will side with you after hearing that you expelled loyal members of the family?"

Zhaoyue’s expression remained unchanged.

Before she could respond, a familiar voice came from the entrance.

"Zhaoyue."

Everyone immediately turned toward the doorway.

Lin Xuan stood there calmly.

His gaze swept across the treasury before settling on his daughter.

"What you are doing is wrong."

The cultivators who had been trembling beneath Zhaoyue’s Golden Core aura immediately felt a wave of relief.

The Patriarch had arrived.

Surely, he would stop this unreasonable punishment.

Some of them even began to straighten their backs, believing that their years of service would finally be acknowledged.

Lin Xuan stepped into the treasury.

Then, without warning, his aura descended.

Every cultivator in the hall froze.

A terrifying force surged through their bodies.

One after another, their dantians shattered.

The cultivators collapsed to the ground, their cultivation completely crippled.

The entire treasury fell into absolute silence.

Lin Xuan looked down at the people lying before him.

"The crime of disobedience is death."

His voice remained calm.

"But in consideration of your years of service to the Lin Family, I have reduced your punishment to this."

No one dared to speak.

Lin Xuan’s gaze swept across them.

"From this moment onward, you are no longer cultivators."

The expressions of those lying on the floor turned pale.

"You are dismissed from the Lin Family."

News of what had happened in the treasury soon reached the other halls.

Before long, chaos descended upon the entire Lin Family.

The matter quickly divided the family into two opposing groups.

One side supported the Patriarch, believing that those cultivators had openly defied Lin Xuan’s authority and deserved their punishment.

The other side condemned him as a tyrant, arguing that decades of service should not have ended with their cultivation being crippled.

Arguments broke out throughout the family.

Some elders demanded that Lin Xuan explain himself, while others defended his decision and insisted that the authority of the Patriarch could not be challenged.

Amidst all the chaos, Lin Xuan and Lin Zhaoyue sat together, discussing everything that had happened in the family during his absence.

From their conversation, Lin Xuan learned that the royal delegation had already left a message for him, asking him to read it when he returned. He also learned about the destruction of the shipyard and the damage caused by the tsunami.

The King’s Trial quest line had also disappeared.

Yet, what caught Lin Xuan’s attention most was learning that Zhaoyue had spent all of her private savings to provide shelter for the people who had lost their homes in the disaster.

Hearing this, Lin Xuan could not help but feel a deep sense of pride toward his daughter.

Just then, hurried footsteps came from outside and the door opened.

Lin Shuli entered the room with a solemn expression.

"Patriarch!"

She quickly approached them.

"The elders are becoming increasingly agitated. If this continues, I fear they may confront you directly."

Lin Xuan’s expression returned to its usual calm.

"Have they all been gathered?"

Shuli hesitated briefly before answering.

"Yes. Please, Patriarch. You need to quell this peacefully. Please do not let the situation become worse."

Lin Xuan nodded calmly.

"Don’t worry."

———————————————————

By the time Lin Xuan arrived at the meeting hall, the situation had already descended into chaos.

The hall had become a battlefield of angry voices, with elders shouting at one another and nearly coming to blows.

Some demanded that the Patriarch explain his actions, while others defended his decision and accused the opposing side of challenging the authority of the family.

Lin Shuli immediately stepped forward.

She circulated her spiritual qi through her voice and shouted,

"Silence! The Patriarch is here!"

Her voice reverberated throughout the entire hall making the arguing gradually stopped.

The elders gritted their teeth and turned toward the entrance, watching silently as Lin Xuan slowly walked into the meeting hall.

His expression remained calm as he looked across the gathered elders.

He stopped at the center of the hall before speaking.

"If anyone here believes what I did was wrong, speak up."

The opposing elders stared at one another, seemingly waiting for someone to speak first.

After a brief hesitation, one of the elders slowly stood up. He stroked his beard as he looked toward Lin Xuan.

"Patriarch, punishing loyal clan members simply for speaking their minds is too harsh. For all we know, they may have only been speaking the truth."

The elder’s words immediately drew several nods from the surrounding elders.

Another elder stepped forward and cupped his fists.

"Those people served the Lin Family for decades. They have contributed countless merits to the family. Even if they acted disrespectfully, crippling their cultivation was far too severe."

An older woman beside him frowned.

"The Hall Master position was given to a mortal who has never cultivated. Is it unreasonable for the clan members to question such a decision? They only wanted an explanation."

Several elders began speaking over one another.

"They have served this family since before many of the younger generation were even born."

"The Patriarch should not treat their loyalty as worthless."

"If this continues, who among us will dare speak honestly?"

Lin Xuan listened without interrupting.

His expression remained calm as the elders continued voicing their grievances.

After a while, the entire hall gradually fell silent.

Lin Xuan turned toward the elder who had spoken first.

"Is there a rule stating that openly defying the rules established by the Patriarch is punishable by death?"

The elder hesitated before answering.

"There is such a rule, Patriarch. However, that rule is outdated. It was established during a time when the Lin Family was ruled through fear. The circumstances of the family have changed since then."

Lin Xuan nodded slightly.

"I see."

The elder continued.

"There is also another rule. If the Patriarch is deemed to be abusing his authority arbitrarily, the elders have the right to appoint another person of similar cultivation to replace him."

Lin Xuan remained silent for a moment before giving a calm nod.

"And do you have someone in mind?"

The elder’s lips curved into a faint smile.

"Coincidentally, Patriarch, we do."

Several elders exchanged knowing looks.

The elder continued.

"The rule only states that the elders may appoint a person to replace the Patriarch. It does not specifically state that this person must be a member of the Lin Family."

Lin Xuan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Before he could respond, footsteps came from outside the meeting hall.

A familiar figure slowly walked through the entrance.

Wei Rong.

The royal elder stopped several steps away from Lin Xuan and cupped his fists.

"Patriarch Lin, I apologize for interfering in the internal affairs of your family."

His apology sounded polite, but there was not the slightest trace of sincerity behind it.

He then glanced toward the gathered elders before looking back at Lin Xuan.

"However, your family elders came to me with such a sweet offer that I simply could not decline."

The elder, Lin Shengren smug expression deepened.

"From what I remember, Elder Wei once defeated you in a fair duel in front of the Blue Whale People."

Wei Rong remained silent, his expression carrying the same confidence.

Lin Shengren then looked around the hall before speaking.

"The Elder Council has deemed you unfit to lead the Lin Family. Step down peacefully, or we will have no choice but to use force."

Lin Xuan turned toward Wei Rong with a faint smile.

"Am I to assume this is also the will of the royal family?"

Wei Rong met his gaze without hesitation.

"Assume whatever you wish. You have no future anymore."

Lin Xuan let out a quiet chuckle.

He then turned away from Wei Rong and looked toward the so-called Elder Council.

"Then let us see the hands of the votes."