Listening to their words, Sophia Xu’s expression changed repeatedly, and had it not been for her haste to attend the clan meeting at the council hall, she would have ordered these fools to be tied up and whipped on the spot.
It was Terra Su who spoke softly, “Auntie, why bother with the ignorant? Don’t let it affect your health.”
In the world of Martial Dao, the ignorant who parrot others’ words only meet one fate—self-destruction.
Thus, Terra Su didn’t bother with them, nor did he have the spare time to do so.
Soon, the trio arrived at the council hall.
The Jiang Family council hall was a spacious and bright rectangular hall.
By the time they arrived, four tables had been set up, with a total of fifty to sixty seats beside them.
The seats were mostly filled, creating a bustling and lively atmosphere.
“Second Sister-in-law sure arrived late today!”
The speaker was a man in fine clothes sitting at the central table, his face adorned with a large beard, giving off a rough appearance.
His voice was surprisingly loud, and with that shout, he drew the attention of the entire hall.
Sophia Xu remained composed, replying indifferently, “Thank you for your concern, Third Brother, but with a quarter of an hour left before the clan meeting starts, I am hardly late. So there’s no need for you to shout, is there?”
“Heh, Second Sister-in-law, you’re too sensitive! With the Second Brother absent, can’t I show some concern for you?” The burly man shrugged his shoulders, still smiling, but his eyes carried a mocking glint.
Terra Su, standing to the side, slowly recognized the burly man’s face from his memories.
Robert Jiang, one of the current rulers of the Jiang Family.
Patriarch Jiang, who had passed away, had four sons: Robert Jiang, the eldest; Terra Su’s father-in-law, the second; the third, Robert Jiang; and the fourth, Jiang Feng.
Among them, Terra Su’s father-in-law, Robert Jiang, was a man of exceptional talent and integrity, once deeply beloved by the Jiang Family.
However, fate is unpredictable, and Robert Jiang went missing during a family mission ten years ago.
After his disappearance, the power that belonged to him was divided between the eldest, Robert Jiang, and the third, creating the current two-pillar power structure of the Jiang Family.
As for the fourth, Jiang Feng, due to an accident in his childhood that cost him an arm, he was not considered a complete Martial Practitioner and thus remained silent and marginal.
Since the old Patriarch’s death, the Jiang Family had yet to choose a new leader. Previously, the power was shared among Robert Jiang, Terra Su’s father-in-law, and the third. After the incident, it was held jointly by Robert Jiang and the third.
“Emma, that’s where you’re wrong.”
It was at this moment that a leisurely voice suddenly came from the side, “It’s already disrespectful for a junior to interrupt the elders, and now you’re talking back. It truly disheartens us uncles.”
Terra Su glanced sideways.
The speaker was dressed like a middle-aged scholar, fanning himself, with a neatly trimmed beard, looking refined.
His seat was also at the central table, at the head position.
Terra Su narrowed his eyes slightly; he was very familiar with this face as well.
Patriarch Jiang Shan, another current ruler of the Jiang Family.
“Pah, I don’t care if you’re disheartened, I can’t stand your hypocritical faces…” Emma was about to continue when Sophia Xu suddenly grabbed her arm and shook her head.
The message was clear: don’t say any more.
“Mom, you always do this…” Emma was frustrated. Her great-uncle and third uncle were no good, sweet-talking but with daggers hidden. They took advantage of their vulnerability as a widow and orphan, squeezing them out with the ultimate goal of pushing them out of the Jiang Family.
She had seen through them long ago, yet her mother always stopped her from confronting them.
“Emma, this is none of your concern,” Sophia Xu shook her head. The grievances between adults should not be borne by teenagers.
Third Uncle Robert Jiang laughed heartily, “Second Sister-in-law, you really need to educate your daughter. With such a sharp tongue, how will she ever get married?”
At his words, Sophia Xu suddenly looked up, a sharp glint flashing in her eyes.
But it was fleeting, and she quickly calmed down, turning to her daughter, “Alright, the clan meeting is about to start. Emma, sit down. Little Terra, you too.”
Terra Su acknowledged and sat down beside Sophia Xu and Emma at the central table.
This table was reserved for direct members of the Jiang Family. Besides Sophia Xu and her daughter, there were also the families of Patriarch Jiang Shan, the third, and the fourth.
Sophia Xu quietly explained the identities of each person to Terra Su.
Sitting next to Jiang Shan were his son and daughter, Jiang Mingxuan and Jiang Yuewu.
Sitting next to the third were his only son, Jiang Minghao.
Jiang Feng was unmarried and childless, a lone figure.
“Second Sister-in-law,” Third Uncle Robert Jiang’s thunderous voice rang out again, “who is that unfamiliar child sitting next to you? Our Jiang Family clan meeting does not allow outsiders to participate!”
Sophia Xu calmly replied, “I was just about to mention this. Terra Su is my nephew from my maternal family, just like my own son. He will be staying with the Jiang Family from now on, so I brought him here to introduce him to everyone.”
“Hmph!”
Upon hearing Sophia Xu’s words, Robert Jiang just snorted displeasure but could say no more.
After all, although Robert Jiang had been missing for many years, Sophia Xu was still nominally the Second Lady of the Jiang Family, and it wasn’t unreasonable for her to take in a nephew from her maternal family.
At that moment, Patriarch Jiang Shan spoke leisurely, “So he’s the nephew of my sister-in-law. Of course, we welcome him. However, since your nephew is not a direct member of the Jiang Family, it’s inappropriate for him to sit at this table. Please have him leave.”
Sophia Xu was taken aback; she hadn’t considered this before.
Indeed, Terra Su was not a direct member of the Jiang Family, and it wasn’t unreasonable for Jiang Shan to ask him to leave the table.
Sophia Xu couldn’t refute this.
She frowned, looking at the other three tables where the collateral family members sat, “But there are no empty seats at the other tables.”
“Isn’t there a table over there?” Third Uncle Robert Jiang pointed to a lonely single table in the corner.
Sophia Xu looked over and saw that the small table was covered in dust and cluttered with miscellaneous items. Clearly, it was just a table for storage, not meant for sitting.
Even with her good temper, Sophia Xu couldn’t help but become furious, “Are you joking? Is that a table for people to sit at?”
Robert Jiang snorted coldly, “I’m just telling you not to break the rules of the Jiang Family!”
“Whoever wants to sit at that table can go sit there, but Little Terra won’t!” Sophia Xu retorted coldly.
Did they think she was a fool? Robert Jiang was clearly trying to humiliate Terra Su, and there was no way she would agree.
The two stood at an impasse, and the atmosphere in the council hall grew increasingly tense.
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