138: Remove the firewood from under the cauldron

Turning his head to see Yang Dian's curious gaze, Yangs Mother added, "It's those people from your Fifth Uncle's group."

"When it was time to put in effort, they were nowhere to be seen, but now that they see benefits, they shamelessly come running over, claiming they are also part of the clan."

"If it weren't for the fact that the ancestral grave doesn't belong to just their family, they probably would have had their ancestral grave dug up by now."

Yang Dian shrugged at her words.

"So, as the saying goes: a person without shame is invincible."

"No, that's not right, not truly invincible."

Thinking, Yang Dian muttered again, "Mom, how long has it been since our family's genealogy was last revised?"

Yangs Mother was stunned.

"I heard your father say it was revised once when he was a child."

"It's been thirty or forty years, hasn't it?"

Yang Dian's lips curved into a smile.

"I remember the family rules included 'love the country, protect the clan; honor parents, protect siblings; help neighbors, respect teachers and elders,' didn't they?"

"Which of these has your Fifth Uncle's group accomplished?"

He clapped his hands and stood up.

"The family's genealogy hasn't been revised in a long time; it's all old."

"Last time I saw Third Uncle take out the genealogy, some parts of it had even gotten worm-eaten."

"I'll go talk to Third Uncle about revising the family's genealogy."

"And while I'm at it, I'll remove those 'worms' to prevent them from causing trouble in the name of the clan."

At this moment, Yang Dian recalled what Uncle Lei had said during their call earlier.

Why did Uncle Lei keep emphasizing spreading martial arts in the village, rather than in the clan?

Isn't it because 'village' and 'clan' are two different concepts?

A village is a collective of the new era.

A clan is a remnant of the old society.

Although the 21st century is enlightened, if one is labeled as forming cliques, there will be plenty of people to deal with you.

It's not easy to get by in an organization.

Unless one's strength is invincible, capable of single-handedly turning the Five Permanent Members into one.

Otherwise, once a matching mode is activated, one will always automatically be matched with opponents of equal strength, or even one or several levels higher.

'Tsk, Uncle Lei's strength is so great, yet he speaks so cautiously?'

'Is the organization also divided into several factions?'

'Or perhaps...'

He quickly suppressed the thought.

Yang Dian dared not touch the Heavenly Palace right now.

Thinking, he again lifted his foot and walked outside.

But before he had taken two steps, he was pulled back by Yangs Mother.

Yangs Mother, who had been cursing the 'vampires' earlier, now seemed a bit anxious.

"Expelling them from the family's genealogy, isn't that a bit too big of a problem?"

Yang Dian patted his mother's somewhat dry and rough hand.

"Mom, it's a much bigger problem if we don't remove them from the family's genealogy."

He said earnestly, "You know their personalities, don't you?"

"Their character was already bad before; later, when they know I'm some kind of Deputy Bureau Chief, won't they use my name to throw their weight around?"

"When the clan as a whole becomes stronger, won't they use the clan's name to swindle and deceive?"

"We're about to enter an era of individual transcendence; if they provoke some peerless Prodigy, or other powerful experts, what will the clan do?"

"Bear the consequences?"

"The clan might suffer greatly."

"Not bear the consequences?"

"Then people from other clans will definitely say that our branch lacks responsibility, and our clansmen won't be able to hold their heads high outside."

"It's better to kick out all these rotten apples and then guide the other clansmen properly."

"Since the Old Ancestor established the family rules, there's a reason for it."

Having said that, Yang Dian patted Yangs Mother's hand again and said softly, "Don't worry, Mom, your son has grown up and will handle all of this."

"I guarantee no one will have anything to say."

Yangs Mother opened her mouth, and finally, thinking of something, she showed a relieved smile.

"From now on, you'll be in charge of our family."

Saying this, she gestured towards the center of the village.

"Those people are making a scene in the ancestral hall, and many people are watching the show."

"Third Uncle and the others are truly angered by them."

Yang Dian nodded.

"Alright, then I'll go over..."

After walking for a short distance along the village path, the ancestral hall, not luxurious but not shabby either, came into Yang Dian's sight.

As Yangs Mother had said, at this moment, many people were standing at the entrance of the ancestral hall, pointing and gesturing at the inside, with most of their faces filled with anger.

Of course, there were also some who were watching the scene as a good show.

"There's an old Chinese saying, 'poor mountains and harsh waters produce unruly people.'" Yang Jiajia, dressed in a white martial arts uniform, poked Yang Jiale.

"Brother, are those unruly people referring to them?"

Yang Jiale glared at his outspoken sister.

"Can't you say a little less? Aren't we isolated enough already?"

"If you keep being so outspoken, who will want to bother with us?"

Yang Jiajia snorted.

"Hmph~"

"It's not like they call the shots here, so what if they don't like us?"

Saying this, Yang Jiajia began to crane her neck, looking left and right.

When she saw Yang Dian turn out from the village path, she grabbed Yang Jiale's forearm.

"Brother, he's here!"

"Hiss~" Yang Jiale gasped, "He's here, so what? Why are you pinching me?"

Following Yang Jiajia's finger to see Yang Dian, a teasing look appeared on Yang Jiale's face.

"I knew your personality changed after that clan meeting; you wouldn't leave even when told to."

"And you often went to practice martial arts with Lele."

"You wouldn't have fallen for him and are trying to make a roundabout attack, would you?"

Yang Jiajia's cheeks flushed.

"No way, he and I are still relatives."

"Not to mention that foreign countries allow close-relative marriage, even domestically, our family and their family are already beyond five generations."

Yang Jiajia lowered her head, her voice as low as a mosquito's.

"Even if I like someone, they might not necessarily like me."

"What? What did you say? Speak louder, it's too noisy, I can't hear you..."

Yang Dian, who had just arrived at the ancestral hall's entrance, looked with some surprise at the location of Yang Jiale and Yang Jiajia, the two siblings.

When he first met them, Yang Jiajia was dissatisfied with everything in the village, her aversion clearly visible.

Yang Jiale, on the other hand, was more sensible and knew how to discipline his sister.

But today, how had it reversed?

Yang Jiajia seemed to have integrated into the collective, while Yang Jiale was radiating a slight hostility towards him.

'The human heart is truly hard to fathom.'

He mumbled to himself, and then Yang Dian, amidst the cries of "Dian Zai is here" and "they should be taught a good lesson," walked towards the ancestral hall along the path that the crowd had actively cleared for him.

Before he even entered the ancestral hall, he heard a somewhat strange, yet familiar, and even more irritating clamor coming from inside.

"Third Uncle, I heard that Cultivation Technique was developed by our third son, wasn't it? Why aren't we allowed to see it?"

"Everyone else gets to eat Medicinal Pills, why can't we?"

"Alright, if we don't get these, we'll accept it."

"We won't practice martial arts, is that okay?"

"But why can others go to the clan property, and we can't?"

"Are you not treating us as clansmen?"

Hearing this, Yang Dian sneered and stepped into the ancestral hall.

"Before our ancestors, before Goddess of the Sea."

"You tell me, is it that we don't have the clan in our hearts, or that you don't have the clan in your heart?"