19: Xiao Zheng, have you eaten dragon gall? How dare you bully Lord Shen's junior sister?

As soon as these words were spoken, the seated Elders of the Xiao Family, all bearing injuries, fell silent.

Seeing that the old men wouldn't speak, the woman continued, her voice laced with even deeper sarcasm: "A certain person's wrong decision has caused hundreds of people in our Xiao Family to suffer, and now we must even abandon our homes. It's ridiculous... shameful!"

The handsome, middle-aged man with graying temples, who was seated in the head position, immediately darkened his expression. His already severe injuries caused the pain in his chest to intensify, but a hint of sorrow flashed in his eyes, and he offered no rebuttal.

"Xiao Hui, don't speak so harshly. How could the Clan Head have anticipated the General Commander's betrayal?" A white-haired old man frowned deeply. He was the Second Elder of the Xiao Family and held significant influence within the family.

"You can't say that either. If Xiao Qinger hadn't insisted on setting that Three-Year Agreement and drawing a clear line with the Yun Family, how would the Huang Family dare to be so presumptuous?"

The speaker was the only Elder without injuries, who was also the Grand Elder of the Xiao Family, second only to the Clan Head in power—Xiao Zheng.

"My father is right. 'Thirty Years East of the River, Thirty Years West of the River' sounds good, but she's already crippled. What difference would another three hundred years make?"

"Moreover, the Huang Family even proposed a Marriage Alliance. For her own selfish desires, Xiao Qinger refused to marry, acting all high and mighty?"

"I heard she even went looking for some Immortal Sect. Her?"

"Is she worthy?"

"If she can enter an Immortal Sect, then I, Xiao Hui, could probably become a Personal Disciple of the Three Sects."

The middle-aged woman stood beside Xiao Zheng, sneering.

"Enough!" the Second Elder roared.

"Xiao Hui, Qinger treated you like a real sister back then, yielding so many resources for you to use. I won't dwell on how you treated her after she lost her cultivation, but are your words still so vicious now? Doesn't your conscience hurt?"

Xiao Hui merely sneered in response: "Heh, weren't those resources the Xiao Family's? Were they Xiao Qinger's own?"

"That's right, with a father who is the Clan Head and a Second Grandfather who dotes on her so much, how could she lack resources? It's just a shame she became a cripple..."

"You!" Veins bulged on the Second Elder's forehead, and his face instantly turned ashen.

Xiao Zheng also frowned slightly at this point, feigning anger: "Hui'er, that's enough..."

"Father, I'm just stating the facts," Xiao Hui retorted, unconvinced. A flicker of cunning flashed in her eyes before she sighed: "Alas, our Xiao Family has had its Legacy in Yunzhou for thousands of years. Now that we must leave, I truly don't know how to face our Ancestors..."

At this moment, Clan Head Xiao Zhan, seated at the head, finally spoke, his voice hoarse.

"Xiao Hui, if you have something to say, just say it directly."

Xiao Hui didn't speak, but an Elder from the Xiao Family beside her stood up and said: "Actually, resolving this isn't difficult. The Huang Family said that as long as the Xiao Family agrees to a Marriage Alliance and replaces the current eyesore, they are still willing to coexist peacefully with the Xiao Family..."

"In this way, our Xiao Family will remain the Xiao Family of Yunzhou City, and we will even gain the backing of the General Commander's Mansion..."

"Old Third, are you crazy? What's the difference between a Marriage Alliance with the Huang Family and plotting with a tiger? They are suspected of colluding with the Yao Race!" The Second Elder was furious, abruptly standing up upon seeing the figure who had stepped forward.

How could he not understand the meaning of those words? They wanted the Clan Head to step down, and the Demon Suppression General's cross-examination from last night was still fresh in his memory.

But when he saw the surrounding Elders, all remaining silent and showing no surprise at the Third Elder's words, as if they had known beforehand, he was instantly stunned.

"Good! Good! Good!" The Second Elder shouted in a deep voice, his eyes red and his fists clenched.

"What a pack of Ungrateful Wretches!"

"Our Xiao Family of Yunzhou was famous for its Unity! How did we become like this?!"

The Second Elder's heartbroken wailing caused some Elders to show troubled expressions, and some wanted to speak, but they were interrupted by Xiao Zheng's voice.

"Old Second, you exaggerate. This is merely a Temporary Measure. Otherwise, could our Xiao Family really conceal such a large-scale migration?"

"Not to mention the dangers of the Yao Race on the road ahead, will the Huang Family truly do nothing? How many of our Xiao Family descendants will die from assassination then?"

"Don't forget, all of our relatives are Low-level Cultivators at only a few layers of Qi Condensation..."

His words instantly made the moved Elders revert to their indifferent expressions, and the Second Elder was momentarily speechless.

Indeed!

They had long anticipated that this time would result in heavy losses.

At the head seat.

Clan Head Xiao Zhan was expressionless, but besides the deep disappointment in his eyes, there was a hint of relief in his heart.

Thank goodness... Qinger, that Girl, didn't come back.

It's best if she never comes back.

Immediately after.

Clan Head Xiao Zhan endured the severe pain, slowly stood up supported by the armrest, and then said: "Since all the Elders have agreed, I, Xiao Zhan, won't say much more, but some rules cannot be changed."

"If you defeat me, I will naturally relinquish the position of Clan Head. As for my daughter's Engagement, I stand by what I said: her life is hers to decide. If you disregard our Bloodline ties and press the matter aggressively, then I, Xiao Zhan, haven't been completely useless all these years."

The Second Elder immediately panicked: "Clan Head, you are so severely injured, how can you..."

"It's fine," Clan Head Xiao Zhan waved his hand, then looked at the Elders and softly asked, "Who wants to fight?"

Finally~

He waited for this sentence!

Grand Elder Xiao Zheng felt a surge of excitement inside; he had waited for this day for far too long.

However, right at this moment.

"Whoever wants to fight my father must get past me first!"

The cold voice echoed throughout the Council Hall, and everyone looked on in shock as the familiar young woman approached.

"Qinger..." Clan Head Xiao Zhan's Body Trembled.

"Father!"

"Second Grandfather!"

Xiao Qinger entered the Hall with Butler Fu and greeted them affectionately.

"It's good that you're back... it's just..." The Second Elder showed a troubled expression.

It's just that returning under the current circumstances is worse than not returning at all.

"Xiao Qinger, why is she back?"

"Good, good, good, it's great that she's back!"

Xiao Zheng was surprised and delighted, while Xiao Hui, standing next to him, first froze, then walked up to Xiao Qinger and laughed mockingly: "Oh, I thought it was someone else. So it's Young Miss Xiao. You really..."

The next second.

Her pupils contracted because a slap had already reached her face. With her Qi Condensation Seventh Layer strength, she had no time to react.

"Senior Brother said, 'Stop Blabbing.'"

Slap!

A loud slap rang out.

Xiao Hui's body was slapped flying, then crashed heavily into the corner of the Hall, instantly knocked unconscious, with only a clearly visible bloody palm print on her cheek.

"Huh?!"

"Peak Qi Condensation!"

"Young Miss Qinger's cultivation has recovered?!"

"Ah!!!"

Everyone was utterly shocked. Even Clan Head Xiao Zhan, seated at the head, froze on the spot, looking at Xiao Qinger in disbelief.

You must know that before she quietly left home, she had no cultivation whatsoever!

How much time had passed?

Even Xiao Zheng, who had Half-step Golden Core strength and was standing nearby, didn't react. Mainly because he hadn't expected her strength to recover, nor had he expected her to attack directly.

"How dare you!!"

"Xiao Qinger, you actually dared to strike a fellow clansman!!!" Xiao Zheng recovered his senses and instantly flew into a rage upon seeing his dying daughter. His Spiritual Power Pressure instantly permeated the entire Hall.

This aura instantly startled the Elders.

"The Grand Elder has touched upon the Golden Core stage!"

Clan Head Xiao Zhan was also furious. He forcibly gathered a breath of Qi and coldly shouted: "Xiao Zheng, do you take this Clan Head as a mere decoration!"

Facing the Half-step Golden Core, Xiao Qinger's face was slightly pale, and the pressure was immense, but she showed no fear. After witnessing true experts, this level of oppression was nothing.

"Good thing I don't have to act. Someone is coming from outside," the Female Yan Emperor had been slightly frustrated, thinking she would have to expend Soul Power again, but she instantly relaxed after sensing the aura outside the Hall.

Outside the Hall.

Boom boom boom!

A burst of heavy footsteps sounded, and soon dozens of figures burst directly into the Hall. Leading them was the Demon Suppression General, Wang Yuan.

"Xiao Zheng, have you eaten Dragon Gall? How dare you bully Lord Shen's Junior Sister?"