Vol. 1 - Ch. 11 - The Patriarch Has Gone Mad?

Even though it was the Chief who proposed it, Chen Qingyu couldn't help but retort, "But, Chief...""Enough, no need to say more. I have made my decision!" Chen Xingzhen interrupted Chen Qingyu.

He was well aware of the enormous risks behind this idea, but he still wanted to take a chance. He didn't want this family, painstakingly established by their ancestors, to be ruined under his watch.

The family's sacred tree, once again brimming with vitality, was the source of Chen Xingzhen's confidence.

Seeing the patriarch's unwavering gaze, the two did not argue further. They realized that the patriarch had other plans, but for the moment, they couldn't figure out what Chen Xingzhen was thinking.

They clearly noticed that the patriarch's mental state seemed much better than it had been in recent days, which only added to their confusion. Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ NøvᴇlFirᴇ(.)nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

"Have the ones injured come over?" Chen Xingzhen asked, looking at the person who had delivered the earlier message.

"They are all here! There are fifteen people in the family who were injured recently in the battles with the Li clan."

As he finished speaking, several injured individuals wrapped in white bandages emerged from the crowd. Among these fifteen people, some were using crutches, others had bandages around their heads, and a few were lying on stretchers.

Leading this motley group was a man in his forties with one arm crudely bandaged in rough cloth. This man was Chen Tianyu, one of the four Blood Coagulation Realm warriors in the Chen family.. His arm was injured during the recent attack by the Li family. Although his mobility wasn't severely affected, he could only exert half of his usual strength for now.

"Patriarch!" he called out. Chen Tianyu nodded in greeting, unable to properly pay his respects.

"Mm, all of you follow me inside! The rest of you wait outside for now. No one is allowed to enter the ancestral hall!" Chen Xingzhen said, turning back halfway.

"Tianjing, Qingyu, you two come in as well."

Hearing Chen Xingzhen's order, the other clan members showed puzzled expressions, unable to understand the patriarch's intentions. Chen Qingyu and Chen Tianjing were equally as confused, but they did not refuse and followed him into the ancestral hall.

The remaining clan members could only wait outside, watching as the doors of the ancestral hall slowly closed.

Among the crowd, Chen Qinghe, standing at the back, called out to Chen Qingmeng, "Hey, Qingmeng!"

Chen Qingmeng turned his head in confusion and asked, "Qinghe, what's up?"

"Do you want to see what the patriarch and the others are doing inside the ancestral hall?"

Hearing this, Chen Qingmeng's eyes widened slightly, instantly understanding Chen Qinghe's intent. However, he quickly shook his head and said, "No way, the patriarch just gave an order, and my father and the others are right up front. Do you want to get punished?"

"We can go to that spot from last time, just peek over the wall. The patriarch won't find out!"

This made Chen Qingmeng hesitate. "This doesn't seem right!"

Seeing this, Chen Qinghe spoke again, "Don't you want to save the family?"

"What does this have to do with saving the family?"

Chen Qinghe insisted, "By knowing what the patriarch is planning, we might be able to help. Aren't you curious about what they're discussing?"

Chen Qingmeng wavered, glancing at the others waiting outside the ancestral hall, then back at Chen Qinghe. After a moment, he nodded reluctantly. "Alright, but just a quick look."

With that, they discreetly made their way to the spot from last time, hoping to catch a glimpse over the wall without being noticed.

They watched as Chen Xingzhen walked toward the family sacred tree standing in the corner, their expressions filled with confusion. 

Chen Qingyu frowned slightly, not understanding the patriarch's intentions. He stood by, scrutinising the family sacred tree in the corner of the hall, a hint of disdain in his eyes. He thought to himself that he must persuade the patriarch once more to not use the family's secret passage.

Chen Xingzhen strode towards the base of the sacred tree and slowly spoke to Ji Yang, "Great Divine Tree, these are the injured members of our clan. We humbly request that you show your radiance and heal them!"

Hearing this, everyone's faces filled with astonishment, their eyes reflecting their disbelief. What was the patriarch doing? Was he actually asking the sacred tree to heal their injuries? Had the patriarch gone mad?

Even though they knew the family's sacred tree had shown signs of renewed vitality, they didn't believe it could heal their injuries. Some of their wounds were extremely severe, with even the family physician saying they wouldn't heal in a short time.

These thoughts would remain buried in their hearts, no one dared to voice them. 

At the front of the crowd, Chen Tianyu didn't hide his concern. He quickly stepped forward and quietly spoke to the praying Chen Xingzhen, "Patriarch, have you not been resting well lately? Perhaps you should take a break."

He had heard that Chen Xingzhen had not rested for several days due to recent family matters. Although he was a Blood Coagulation Realm warrior, it wasn't sustainable to go without rest for so long. Otherwise, why would he be speaking such nonsense now?

As a junior member of the family, he naturally felt the need to advise the patriarch. If the patriarch went mad, the family would truly be doomed.

Seeing the worried expression on Chen Tianyu's face, Chen Xingzhen couldn't help but smile wryly. Before witnessing the sacred tree's power, he had felt on the brink of madness. However, after personally experiencing it yesterday, he was fully aware of the tree's current abilities. Healing the injured was well within its capabilities.

Without offering much explanation, Chen Xingzhen simply instructed the injured clan members present to sit cross-legged beneath the sacred tree.

Explaining now would be unnecessary; they would understand once they experienced it themselves! 

Seeing that the patriarch appeared serious rather than insane, Chen Tianyu approached the base of the sacred tree with a mixture of belief and doubt. The others didn't object, their gazes curious as they looked toward the family's sacred tree.

Ji Yang looked at the ten or so people below, silently calculating the amount of life force he would need to expend. It seemed it wouldn't be a small amount, especially for the one being carried on a stretcher, whose injuries appeared more severe.

Now that things had come to this point, Ji Yang didn't have many choices.

Prior to this, Chen Xingzhen had laid out his plan. He wanted to use the radiance of the sacred tree to heal the injured members of the Chen family. Then secretly send some clan members to hunt deep into the Chaos Burial Mountain through the family's secret passage. The items obtained from the hunt would be used to sustain the lives of many clan members and also for sacrifice.

As for sacrifice, Jiyang was naturally eager for it. The more offerings there were, the faster his qi and blood essence would accumulate, allowing him to conduct more deductions and enhance his own strength.

Although life force was important, at the moment, using it to sustain his own growth was sufficient, especially with the existence of the Lunar Eclipse Technique. There was no need to worry for now.

Ji Yang had witnessed everything that had transpired outside the ancestral hall. The family's secret passage was the last resort for the Chen family, and now that the patriarch, Chen Xingzhen, had personally spoken, it was clear that he was placing all his bets on Ji Yang.

The situation of the Chen family was dire. If they didn't resort to this method, Ji Yang didn't even know how the Chen family would cope with the Li family's attacks in the coming days.

At that moment, Ji Yang secretly felt relieved. He was relieved that the patriarch wasn't some stubborn old traditionalist and hadn't chosen to abandon the family. Otherwise, he would truly be in a bind! So, when Chen Xingzhen made his request, Ji Yang didn't hesitate and accepted it.