48: Chapter 48 Someone from the Chi family is coming

"Very well, Revered Master understands."

Ling Hao gently stroked Chi Wanhe's smooth hair, his face overflowing with genuine joy.

This was not just because of the improvement in Cultivation, but more like witnessing a flower he had carefully nurtured finally bloom in all its splendor.

"Congratulations, Senior Sister, on your Breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Stage!"

Qin Zhaoxue and Du Yuqing walked over with sincere smiles on their faces.

"Congratulations, Senior Sister, on achieving the status of a Foundation Establishment cultivator!"

"Congratulations, Elder Fuqu!"

The surrounding Disciple members also offered their warm congratulations.

Chi Wanhe only then realized that so many Junior Sisters were watching. A flush of red immediately rose to her cheeks, and she was too embarrassed to stay in her Revered Master's embrace any longer.

She hurriedly let go and stood up straight, trying to appear composed as she said to the crowd:

"Junior Sisters, keep working hard on your Cultivation; you will all be able to reach the Foundation Establishment Stage soon too!"

"Everyone disperse and go back to your Cultivation."

Ling Hao spoke at the right moment. The surrounding Disciple members then gradually dispersed, filled with envy and excitement.

"Xiaoxue, Yu Qing,"

Ling Hao looked at his two Disciples,

"I will take your Senior Sister to the Scripture Pavilion first. You may return to your Cultivation on your own."

"Yes, Revered Master."

Qin Zhaoxue and Du Yuqing acknowledged and took their leave.

Chi Wanhe was inwardly jumping for joy, secretly delighted at the prospect of being alone with her Revered Master, but she noticed his gaze suddenly shift elsewhere.

Ling Hao's brows furrowed slightly as he looked at a girl in a yellow dress who had hurried down in front of him:

"Huang Yutong? Why are you in such a rush?"

...

Wendao Peak, Guest Reception Building.

Inside a private room in the building, four people were sitting upright. The leader, a middle-aged man dressed in fine robes with a shrewd expression, was the current head of the Chi Family, Chi Wuhong.

Beside him was an old man with white hair and beard, his eyes slightly clouded but faintly revealing an air of authority—this was the Chi Family Old Ancestor, Chi Canghai.

Two other old men dressed in the robes of Chi Family Elders sat on either side.

The four of them lowered their voices, deep in discussion.

"Old Ancestor, Family Head, if we can get the Moonshadow Sect to clearly state their support for our Chi Family, the Shi Family and Li Family will surely be scared out of their wits! That newly discovered Wutu Spirit Mine will firmly fall into our Chi Family's pockets!"

"And that Gongsun Family in Huangzhu City, who has been coveting us, will never dare to act rashly again!"

One Elder's eyes flashed with intensity.

"Indeed!"

Chi Wuhong stroked his short beard and said triumphantly,

"This time, we will make Wanhe acknowledge her ancestors and return to the Family. She is now the Senior Sister of the Moonshadow Sect, and I hear she is also a Talisman Elder."

"Even just the Medicinal Pill, Talisman, and Cultivation Technique resources that slip through her fingers will be enough for our Chi Family to benefit endlessly! The revitalization of the Family is just around the corner!"

Another Elder, however, looked worried:

"Family Head, Old Ancestor... after all, we... went a bit too far back then, expelling her entire Family from the Family register. What if that girl Wanhe harbors resentment and refuses to return?"

The Old Ancestor, Chi Canghai, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them. A fierce glint flashed in his clouded eyes as he snorted coldly:

"Hmph! She has the Bloodline of my Chi Family flowing in her veins! She is a person of the Chi Family in life, and a ghost of the Chi Family in death! It is not up to her!"

"If she dares to disobey, we will proclaim that she is unfilial and disloyal, betraying her Family! Let's see how she can stand firm in the Moonshadow Sect, and how she can hold her head high in the Cultivation world!"

Chi Canghai glanced at the sky outside the building and whispered,

"She's here!"

The other three hurriedly stood up to adjust their robes upon hearing this, their faces putting on the most humble and eager smiles, instantly assuming a posture of sitting upright and being respectfully polite.

...

Ling Hao sat high in the main seat, his aura as steady as an abyss, his gaze calm yet carrying an invisible majesty.

He looked at the people below, a faint, ambiguous smile curving his lips.

So they came to cling to the Sect and wanted to borrow the power of the Moonshadow Sect to act like a fox flaunting its power as a tiger.

Did they really think I didn't hear what they said?

Chi Wanhe stood quietly in the hall, her expression indifferent, only a layer of suppressed ice congealing deep within her eyes.

Chi Family Head Chi Wuhong bowed respectfully, his face full of smiles:

"Sect Master Ling's might shakes the Qing State, and the Moonshadow Sect is like the rising sun. To see the Sect Master's honorable countenance today is truly the good fortune of our small Family."

His tone shifted, carrying a "sorrowful" note:

"Please, Sect Master Ling, observe clearly: Chi Wanhe is indeed of the Chi Family Bloodline. Back then..."

"Alas, the Family also had its unavoidable difficulties. A moment of negligence caused a bright pearl to be covered in dust and cast out, which is truly the regret of the Chi Family!"

The Elder beside him wiped the corner of his eye with his sleeve at the right moment, his voice choking with emotion:

"Wanhe, we know you suffered all those years. But blood is thicker than water, and bones are connected by sinew! The Family is always your root! If your parents' spirits are in heaven, they must be hoping for you to acknowledge your ancestors and return to the Family..."

Chi Wuhong continued immediately, his eyes filled with eagerness:

"Now the Family is in a precarious situation, with strong enemies eyeing us, and we urgently need you to return and take charge to help us get through these difficulties!"

"This is also to fulfill your parents' wish of protecting the Family! The Family promises that as long as you return, your status as a direct descendant will be immediately restored, resources will be supplied with all our might, and the position of future Family Head will also..."

Ling Hao watched the performance of these two crafty Chi Family members with great interest.

"No need to say more."

Chi Wanhe, standing to the side, could no longer listen. Her voice was cold as she interrupted Chi Wuhong,

"Since I was expelled back then, I am no longer a person of the Chi Family."

Ling Hao's expression was indifferent,

"Did you Chi Family members hear clearly? See them out."

Chi Wuhong panicked and hurriedly bowed:

"Sect Master's Cultivation is profound and his might shakes the universe; we admire you immensely. That the Sect Master can take in and teach Chi Wanhe is truly her good fortune, and all of the Chi Family is endlessly grateful."

"However, Sect Master, please observe: even an impartial official has difficulty judging Family affairs. Chi Wanhe is, after all, a daughter of the Chi Family, and her parents' ashes are also interred in the Family graveyard."

"This blood kinship, filial piety, and human ethics are the Righteous Path of Heaven and Earth, and also the foundation of Cultivation. If, because of the Sect, she is forced to sever her kinship and turn her back on her ancestors, I fear... I fear it will be detrimental to her Dao Heart, and it will also tarnish the upright reputation of the Moonshadow Sect."

The Elder nearby immediately chimed in towards Chi Wanhe,

"Wanhe, no matter how well the Sect Master treats you, you cannot forget your roots as a person! Acknowledging your ancestors and returning to the Family is only right and proper! A reasonable person like the Sect Master will surely fulfill your filial piety!"

The curve at the corner of Ling Hao's mouth deepened slightly, but there was no warmth in his eyes:

"Are you... threatening me?"

The voice was very soft, but it made the four Chi Family members feel as if they had fallen into an ice cellar.

"No... we dare not..."

Chi Wuhong realized they seemed to have gone a bit too far.

This is a Nascent Soul True Lord!

It would be too easy for him to wipe out his Chi Family.

Just now, his Chi Family was practically dancing on the edge of a cliff!

This icy chill came quickly and left just as quickly.

"From the day Chi Wanhe entered my Moonshadow Sect and became my Disciple, her affairs are the Sect's affairs, and even more so, my affairs. Where does this talk of 'Family affairs' come from?"

"Yes... Sect Master is absolutely right."

Chi Wuhong put on a submissive smile.

"But my Moonshadow Sect is not a Demonic Sect. My Sect's Disciples are free to stay or leave, all determined by the Sect's laws and the Disciple's own heart."

Ling Hao turned to look at Chi Wanhe, his tone gentle,

"Xiao He, this matter concerns your own Dao path and state of mind; the Sect is your backing. Whatever choice you make, the entire Sect will fully support you."

Upon hearing this, Chi Wuhong and the others could not suppress a trace of joy flashing across their faces.

In their view, this was clearly Ling Hao backing down!

By leaving the choice to Chi Wanhe, how could she dare to defy the Family's will?