"Qin Feng and Qin Hu instigated the conflict, then colluded with an outsider to humiliate their own kin. Flying into a rage out of shame, they even tried to kill him to vent their anger. Is this the caliber of the Qin Family's disciples?" Qin Hongyuan sat there, his icy gaze sweeping over the crowd below as he spoke in a frigid tone. "Qin Feng and Qin Hu are to be confined for one month! Qin Li acted in self-defense and is entirely without fault! Alright, this matter is closed for now. Go and prepare. Tomorrow… we will have Qin Li formally acknowledge his ancestry and return to the clan!"
A hush fell over the hall. All the members of the Qin Family—from the direct, secondary, and branch lineages—stood there. Faced with the authoritative Patriarch's decision, they had no power to change it. Since that was the case, who would be foolish enough to stick their neck out for someone else? The looks they gave Qin Li were complicated. From this day forward, the status of this illegitimate son, whom no one had ever given a second thought, was about to undergo an earth-shattering change! In fact, it already seemed Qin Li's prominence had eclipsed that of Qin Hu and Qin Feng.
He had roared in the middle of a clan assembly, yet he received not the slightest punishment—not even a verbal warning!
Having collapsed back into her chair, Mo Lan was ashen-faced. To deal with Qin Li, she had resorted to countless petty schemes these past few days. 'How many of them did my father-in-law see? What about my status in the Qin Family…' Then she thought of her most beloved son, Qin Feng, whose future might be ruined because of this injury, and her hatred for Qin Li bored deep into her bones. At this moment, however, she didn't dare let a hint of it show.
In fact, after Qin Hongyuan finished speaking, she was the first to stand and declare, "I agree..." Having said her piece, she collapsed weakly back into her chair, feeling as if her heart were bleeding.
"Wait..."
Just when everyone thought the matter was settled, a low voice rang out. It was none other than Qin Li! All eyes fell on him once more, their faces a mixture of shock, bewilderment, and gloating.
"What more do you have to say?" Qin Hongyuan stared coldly at Qin Li. If it weren't for those two business deals, if he didn't want to offend the Shangguan Clan, Qin Hongyuan felt the urge to kill Qin Li with a single slap.
Qin Li's expression was calm, completely unmoved by Qin Hongyuan's threatening tone. He gently patted Qin Hanyue on the back and said slowly, "I've said it before: I am not one of the Qin family! And I have no interest whatsoever in acknowledging my ancestry."
"Insolence!"
"How audacious!"
"Such ingratitude!"
Several Elders, who held the Qin Family's reputation as dearly as their own lives, flew into a rage and began to rebuke him. The Third Elder even stood up and addressed Qin Hongyuan, "Patriarch, you see? This brat is wild and untamable. When has our Qin Family ever produced such a disciple? If he is to be entered into the family records, then I would rather withdraw from the clan!"
"I agree!"
"As do I!"
Qin Hongyuan's face suddenly flushed red; he was so angry he could have coughed up blood. He was furious, partly at Qin Li for not knowing what was good for him, and partly at these incompetent, muddle-headed old Elders who were more of a hindrance than a help.
Sure enough, as soon as the Elders made their stance clear, a clamor arose from the crowd below.
"This brat is arrogant and looks down on everyone. How could our Qin Family accept someone like him? I object!" The speaker was one of Qin Hongyuan's sons born of a concubine. He was normally a low-key person, but he was highly regarded within the Qin Family and was very well-liked.
As soon as he spoke, many others followed his lead.
"Right, we object to someone like him being entered into the Qin Family records!"
"This brat shamelessly uses the Qin surname, but he has nothing to do with our Qin Family! We object!"
Qin Hongyuan's eyes coldly swept over the people below. Wherever his gaze passed, the voices quieted down. In the end, the assembly hall returned to a deathly silence.
Qin Hongyuan ignored the others. This family was under his control, so it wasn't up to anyone else to make the decisions!
Qin Hongyuan asked in a heavy voice, "Qin Li, since you refuse to see what's good for you, aren't you afraid I'll hold you accountable for injuring Qin Feng? You'd better think this through. The consequences for this incident will be completely different depending on whether you are a disciple of the Qin Family or not!"
This was a blatant threat. Everyone held their breath and stared nervously at Qin Li. Up on the dais, Mo Lan and her son Qin Hu hadn't expected such a turn of events. Inwardly, they were both hoping that this idiot, Qin Li, would remain stubborn to the end, defy the Patriarch again, and leave him with no way to save face. 'Then Qin Li will really be in for it!'
Although the Qin Family was not the top Noble Family in Yellow Sand City, they were definitely not a family that just anyone could trifle with!
Qin Li smiled faintly and said with an air of nonchalance, "What the Patriarch wants is simply the Shangguan Family's business, nothing more. Rest assured, my mother and I have lived under the Qin Family's roof for thirteen years. We understand the principle of repaying kindness. If the marriage alliance with the Shangguan Family succeeds, then what belongs to the Qin Family will be yours. If it fails, what good would it do even if I am entered into the family records? From the perspective of your Qin Family disciples, it would only bring you more shame. I'm… not wrong, am I?"
Qin Hongyuan's body trembled slightly, a look of utter disbelief shining in his eyes. His mouth fell slightly agape. In the thirty-three years since he became Patriarch at the age of fifty, he had never lost his composure as he had today—rendered speechless by a boy barely in his teens!
The other disciples of the Qin Family stared blankly at Qin Li. Even the Elders stared at Qin Hongyuan, dumbfounded. It was only now that they understood the true reason behind the Qin Family's marriage alliance with the Shangguan Family! They had their suspicions before but had never dared to believe it. The Shangguan Clan had entered into many marriage alliances over the years, yet no one had ever managed to secure a single business deal from them!
The Shangguan Family's businesses were all incredibly enviable, but everyone knew to keep the best things for themselves. They simply couldn't believe the Shangguan Family would pay such a steep price for a single, notoriously monstrous young lady!
The expressions of the few Qin Family Elders and the many disciples who now understood changed as they looked at Qin Hongyuan, shifting from indignation to respect. The Patriarch's methods may have been questionable, but he was unequivocally thinking of the entire Qin Family's future. And what had they done? They looked at themselves. Other than causing a ruckus and disrupting the Patriarch's plans, what had they accomplished?
At this thought, many of them lowered their heads in shame. Qin Hongyuan's son by a concubine, who had just been shouting the loudest, fell to his knees, kowtowing and admitting his fault.
"Father, I have wronged you! I never imagined you were working so tirelessly for the sake of the family. I… I deserve to die a thousand deaths for my crime!"
"Patriarch, we have wronged you!" the crowd declared in unison. At this point, even those who still felt some disapproval didn't dare step forward to find fault. To do so would be to make oneself a public enemy.
Qin Hongyuan nodded, his face stern, and said nothing. The crowd's reaction was just as he had anticipated. The only reason he had kept silent was that the marriage alliance with the Shangguan Family was not yet finalized. If word spread and the deal fell through, the Qin Family would suffer a major loss of face. Still, it was good that the truth was out now. 'Seeing the pale, guilty expressions on those Elders' faces,' he thought, 'I know my prestige within the Qin Family has reached an untouchable peak!'
"Alright, this matter is not yet final. Do not spread word of it. Otherwise… it is the Qin Family's face that will be lost!" Qin Hongyuan said in a heavy voice, then waved his hand. "Dismissed. Qin Li, you stay behind!"