Ren Jie had even started cursing as he spoke. However, Tong Qiang was not angry at all after hearing Ren Jie's words. Under the golden armor that only showed his eyes, his eyes were sparkling in extreme happiness. He had not been that happy and full of smiles for years.
Tong Qiang raised his hand and loud thud sounds were heard. Including Tong Qiang, the personal guards on all hundred and twenty-six horses had jumped down. They had not controlled their forces when they landed on the ground. It was apparent that they were intentionally creating those sounds.
Everyone felt as though they were hit by an earthquake. Tong Qiang led the hundred and twenty-six personal guards and they knelt on one knee.
"Greetings to the family head." The hundred and twenty-six personal guards shouted simultaneously. Their voices could be heard from kilometers away. This shocked the crowd that was surrounding them. Their greeting was more convincing than any other words.
Ren Hanlin's entire body was shaking. He pointed his finger at Tong Qiang and chided. "This is defiance… Tong Qiang, what are you doing? The elders are in charge of facilitating the family head in all big and small matters within the Ren family. Are you revolting against the family clan?"
"Stop messing around. The family head is young and immature. Tong Qiang, what are you planning to do?" Ren Junyang looked grim. He had taken out a jade tablet that could summon the teams within the family clan anytime. This jade tablet represented the Elders' Union's power to control all the matters within the Ren family.
"The previous family head had said that the Elders' Union would be responsible for managing the matters within the family clan. The personal guards are the family head's private troops. We do not belong to the family clan. Usually, when the family head does not have any special demands and orders, we follow the arrangements and orders by the family clan. When the family head gives his orders, we will swear to death to abide by it, no matter if he is in the right or not." Tong Qiang's voice was deep and low-pitched as usual. After he finished his sentence, he raised his hand and all hundred and twenty-six personal guards stood up.
Although every single one of them was still clad in their usual extravagant armor, they emitted a completely different vibe than usual. They used to look like just extravagant decorations. However, at this moment, they carried an unstoppable killing intent.
"This…" After hearing Tong Qiang's words, Ren Hanlin was stunned momentarily. He turned towards Ren Junyang and saw him nod his head slightly.
Why would this happen? he thought. Nevertheless, he snorted in anger and turned towards Ren Jie. "That's enough, Family Head. Let him go immediately. Follow us to the ancestral shrine."
"I am not free. I have no time or mood for it. So what if I have beaten him up? He is the one I'm beating. He relied on the influence of others when bullying people and showed an absolute disregard towards superiority. He had the guts to berate and order the family head around. He lashed out at the leader of the family head's personal guards, ordered the family head carriage around and humiliated the family head's friends. He did all of that right before my very eyes. I have a question for you, third elder. Who made the decision to promote this kind of person to be the assistant butler? The Ren family assistant butler is a high ranking position and holds immense power. Why is such a person who disrespects the family head the assistant butler?" Follow you? F*ck. Why should I, the family head, listen to you? Follow you there, my ass!
Ah!
Ren Hanlin had not expected Ren Jie's response.
When Ren Qiancheng's sidekicks who were knocked down by Tie Ta saw the third elder, they stood up in anger. Before their smiles could form when they heard that the third elder wanted to bring Ren Jie to the ancestral shrine, they became dumbfounded.
This rascal had the guts to say that to the elder? Am I hearing things?
Other than them, even the personal guards and Gao Ren and the others were stunned.
Am I hearing things? Am I being delusional? Although Ren Jie was very arrogant in the imperial palace, they recalled that Ren Jie would always be terrified when he saw the elders. What is happening today?
It was reasonable that Ren Jie had bullied Ren Qiancheng. After all, he was merely an assistant butler. Under the management of the head butler, there were three chief butlers, twelve assistant butlers, thirty-six house managers, seventy-two assistant house managers, a hundred and six stewards, and three hundred and sixty assistant stewards. The entire Ren family was massive. Including the lineal descendants, collateral descendants, servants and slaves, there were about thirty thousand people in the household.
Ren Qiancheng's position was relatively high as he was not only the assistant butler but also the third elder's nephew. If he was the previous family head Ren Tianxing, Ren Jie could settle that guy with just one sentence. However, everyone was already shocked that he had bullied Ren Qiancheng. That showed how even more astonished they were when Ren Jie rebutted the elders.
No. He had not simply rebutted the elders. He was questioning and chiding them.
Just when those people were stunned by the change of circumstances, Ren Jie had stopped beating Ren Qiancheng. He stood on the spiritual beast carriage and looked down at the third elder.
"Let's save the effort of going to the ancestral shrine. I expect an explanation from you right here, Third Elder. Who is Ren Qiancheng's backing?" Ren Jie looked at Ren Hanlin squarely and continued, "I will also need you to explain how we are by going about this matter according to the family clan rules. How am I in the wrong when I bashed him? F*ck. So this is how the Elders' Union facilitates the family head in managing the family clan. Even an assistant butler has the guts to publicly humiliate the family head. I have already scolded you a lot the previous time. The family head represents the Ren family clan. How could you guys be glorious and happy when I have f*cking lost face?"
Ren Hanlin was stunned. If what Ren Jie said was true, Ren Qiancheng had committed a grave sin. He knew that his nephew Ren Qiancheng would behave arrogantly with his backing. However, he did not find his behavior inappropriate as he had just gained power recently as well.
Now that he heard what Ren Jie said, he looked sharply at Ren Qiancheng's four sidekicks. When the four realized the circumstances they were in, they looked down and remained silent in fear.
Ren Hanlin was dumbstruck. If what Ren Jie said was true, then…
Ren Jie had not wanted to discuss the matter in private from the start. He did not plan on debating about anything with them. He was the family head. He did not have to explain anything to them. Even if an explanation was required, it should be them explaining themselves to him.
When the fatty standing beside Ren Jie saw Ren Hanlin unable to respond to Ren Jie's questions, he glanced sideways and looked at Ren Jie. Is this still my Meal Ticket Big Brother? he thought.
He is so fierce!
This feeling was similar to the vibes that Ren Jie emitted when he bullied people from smaller family clans and had no background. However, he had bashed Gao Peng, the genius from the Gao family, instead, and had scolded the Gao family head in front of the emperor, therefore thoroughly angering him. After that, he had chided the elders whom he was most afraid of in the past. He was still behaving like the pampered kid he was before, but what he did now was way more satisfying.
Gao Ren felt that the day did not go to waste. He was extremely thrilled, satisfied and exhilarated just from watching at the sidelines.
According to the family clan rules, disrespecting the family head, offending superiority and acting beyond one's authority—these were all offenses that could subject him to a death penalty! If the matter continued and escalated, no matter what happened, Ren Qiancheng would definitely lose his life.
Although Ren Qiancheng was not talented at cultivation, he was Ren Hanlin's younger brother's only child. Moreover, they were standing in front of the Ren family abode, thus the matter affected the reputation and authority of the second elder Ren Junyang, third elder Ren Hanlin and fourth elder Ren Wenxu. After all, everyone knew about the ties between Ren Qiancheng and Ren Hanlin. If Ren Qiancheng was beaten to death using a wooden staff, the reputation of the three elders who were responsible for handling daily matters within the Ren family would be thoroughly damaged.
Ren Jie was the family head, after all, and they were under public scrutiny. Most importantly, Tong Qiang and the personal guards were there. People such as Ren Qiancheng, who gained influence at a later time, may not know about them. They had disappeared without a trace in recent years and would only appear for certain important events within the family clan. Many people in the family clan thought that they were merely there to appear dominating, similar to that of ceremonial guards. However, Ren Junyang and the other elders knew only too well.
Those were the remaining elites of the imperial army who followed Ren Tianxing when he was at his prime. The imperial army was made up of the strongest and most loyal people selected from millions of soldiers. Not only the current imperial army, but the previous generations of the imperial army were also all members of the Ren family. Tong Qiang and the other personal guards were orphans who followed Ren Tianxing since they were young. They were the remaining people left from elites who followed Ren Tianxing. If they were to say anything, the consequences would definitely be serious.
If they wanted to use force to bring Ren Jie away or do anything else, they would definitely not care about any consequences once Ren Jie had given his orders…
Ren Hanlin's entire forehead was drenched in sweat due to Ren Jie's questions. He looked towards Ren Junyang for help.
"Despicable! A disgrace to our family clan! How dare a mere assistant butler do such things. The Elders' Union will handle this matter personally and give the family head a satisfactory answer. Please move inside, Family Head. It is better to settle the family clan matters within the clan so outsiders will not have a chance to make a laugh out of it. This is a public place, after all. There are some things regarding the family clan and the family head which we cannot talk about openly." Ren Junyang scolded Ren Qiancheng, whose face was swollen like a pig's head, before he changed his tone. For the first time, he spoke to Ren Jie in a formal tone that was expected of him when talking to the family head. He no longer sounded as though the Elders' Union dominated over the family head. Even though that was only a temporary act because he had no other alternatives, that was still the first time he treated Ren Jie properly after he had become the family head.
He was giving in!
Everyone was in disbelief, including Gao Ren, Ren Qiancheng's subordinates and those in the crowd.
Although he did not express it directly, anyone who had a brain could hear that the second elder was giving in.
Oh my god! Did I hear it correctly? The family head did… that… Yet, the elders have given in and said that…
They recalled how imposing the third elder was when he appeared and how aggressive the situation was. It was incredibly unbelievable how the elders gave in all of a sudden.
"Um…" Ren Jie murmured to himself, before waving his hand at Tie Ta and said, "Since that's what the second elder said, why would I not trust the three elders?"
When Ren Jie saw an incredulous look on the elders' faces when he said that he would hand Ren Qiancheng over to them, he knew what they were thinking. Those guys thought that he would take the opportunity to make some requests, especially after how Ren Junyang hinted that they could yield on his expenses.
F*ck. They are f*cking treating me like a child. They thought they could coax me by offering me candy.
Ren Jie did not teach Ren Qiancheng a lesson to fight for anything with them. He only wanted to give them a warning with that opportunity lying in front of him so they would not offend him easily in the future. He also wanted to take the opportunity to change the cards he was dealt since he did not want to live like a coward now that he was in that position and in the family clan.
However, he knew clearly that if he wanted to reopen the video in his mind again, the tens or even hundreds of thousands that he received each month was insufficient. It was unrealistic trying to depend on his family clan. Fortunately, the situation at the Fang family was about to reach the harvest season. Ren Jie did not bother wasting his saliva talking to them.
"These guys too. They dared to defy the family head's orders when I ordered for Ren Qiancheng to be captured. According to the family clan rules, every one of them should be punished with sixty hits using the wooden staff. Execute their punishment at once. Now. Immediately. That's all. I am tired." Ren Jie did not ask for the elders' opinions. After making the orders, he called Gao Ren to follow him and he stepped into the spiritual beast carriage. Uncle Beast never spoke, yet he did not need any orders and had already stared driving the carriage into the family clan abode.
When the others who were watching from inside the family clan abode saw the family head carriage enter, they stood far away from it and bowed respectfully.
Tong Qiang ordered the personal guards to get on their horses immediately and left one team with Tie Ta to oversee the execution of the family clan rules. He and the others guarded Ren Jie as he entered the Ren family abode.
Ren Hanlin carried Ren Qiancheng over. He was almost unrecognizable due to the beating. When Ren Hanlin saw how he looked, he said angrily, "Look at him. He was almost beaten to death. What does he want? This is absolutely…"
"Humph. This useless person might as well die from the beating. Get someone to send him away. I do not want to see him appear within the family clan abode ever again. You two follow me," Ren Junyang said. He shook his sleeves and walked away in anger. They had originally planned to summon the family head to the conference hall, but they now had to give in here. The differences and changes between their expectations and reality were not as simple as Ren Jie's outburst two days ago in the conference hall because of his allowance. That made him vaguely insecure.