Although Ren Jie and the others had left the main entrance of the Ren family abode, Tie Ta remained there with a team of personal guards to carry out Ren Jie's orders dutifully.
"Eighteen… Nineteen… Twenty…"
"Bam… Bam… Bam…"
Tie Ta was concentrated on counting while a person from the team of personal guards was landing heavy blows on those four guys. Their flesh was torn and they screamed continuously. If a master was to execute the wooden staff punishment, he could kill someone with just one blow if he had the intention to. If he did not want to kill that person, the sufferer would only experience external injuries even with a hundred blows.
Even though Ren Jie did not order the personal guards to keep the lives of the four sidekicks, they knew about Ren Jie's intentions. However, they had detested those guys for a long time. Therefore, they did not show any mercy when executing the punishments and had beaten them until they were almost lifeless. Given that the sidekicks could only apply ordinary medicinal prescriptions, they would be stuck in bed for at least three months.
At the entrance of the Ren family abode, the other members of the Ren family clan were terrified of what they saw. A distance away, there were also many people watching from the sidelines.
Everyone was harboring different thoughts. Those watching from afar did not mind the situation escalating, while the members of the Ren family were all secretly worried. They did not know if the family head's rage would embroil them.
The main reason for their worries was that the Elders' Union held power within the family clan. Those who did not comply with the Elders' Union would be punished. However, obeying the Elders' Union would infuriate the family head. It was apparent that the family head had parted ways with the Elders' Union.
After Tie Ta had faithfully completed the task Ren Jie assigned him, he led the team of personal guards to Ren Jie's accommodation. Ren Jie had a nice accommodation. His house was located right in the middle of the central part of the Ren family abode and was merely five kilometers behind the conference hall. It occupied the largest area as compared to all the other buildings within the Ren family abode and it was where the previous few family heads lived. There were many array formations and restraints within. When Tie Ta and the others arrived, they realized that Tong Qiang and all the other personal guards had aligned themselves in a small-sized fighting arena.
The fighting arena was located within the family head's accommodation and was completely enclosed. Ren Jie was standing quietly on the platform. It was apparent that he was waiting for them.
"Reporting to the family head. The wooden staff punishment according to the family clan rules has been executed." At that moment, Tie Ta felt as though he was back in his father's military camp. He stood forward, threw his chest out and held his head high while reporting. The team of personal guards returned to join the rest of the squad.
Ren Jie nodded his head and scanned the personal guards who had all gathered before him. Then, he glanced at Tie Ta, Tong Qiang, and the others.
Fatty Gao Ren had always been standing by Ren Jie's side. He had been waiting there quietly ever since Ren Jie had come back. The waiting had left Gao Ren drowned in anxiousness. He had been guessing internally what his Meal Ticket Big Brother was planning to do.
Is he planning on inspecting the troops? But now is not the time for that. This bunch looks pretty decent, but it is impossible for them to fight the elders.
Moreover, before Tie Ta and the others had returned, the second elder had sent someone there. It was obvious that the elders were informing Ren Jie, Tong Qiang, and the others about their retaliation for what had happened earlier.
Since Tong Qiang and the other personal guards were no longer listening to the commands of the Elders' Union and the family clan and they were only the personal guards to the family head, they could no longer retrieve money for their expenses from the family clan. Their expenses had to be shouldered by the family head himself. Furthermore, the family head had to review and decide on many matters in the future. Many boxes of various documents and accounts had just been sent to them. However, the ultimate decisions to those matters lay in the hands of the Elders' Union.
To put it in a nice way, they wanted the family head to start learning the ropes before he reached adulthood. Moreover, the family head must complete his studies at the Jade Imperial Academy. If he was retained and could not graduate, he could not formally take over the family clan matters even if he was of age. Therefore, the family clan Elders' Union would test the family head on his learning progress for both literature and martial arts…
The Elders' Union had continuously sent people there to inform them about the various changes. Those decisions were made within the power of the Elders' Union and abided by the family clan rules. However, even a blind person could tell that those decisions were retaliation for what Ren Jie did at the entrance of the Ren family abode. Gao Ren felt his head hurt as he listened from the side. He shifted his gaze sideways and looked at Ren Jie. Contrary to his expectations, Ren Jie was not at the very least angry. He seemed as though those matters were irrelevant to him.
"Did all of you see what happened today? Even an idiot would know my circumstances as the family head. Those elders who were timid under the suppression of my father, and those nobilities in the Jade Capital who would run away when they saw my father, all think that I am a pushover because of how young I am.
"I enjoy living life in the fast lane, fighting and spending money. But that has nothing to do with anyone else. I am privileged to do all those stuff because I have a great father and because of how impressive my father is. However, I cannot tolerate people who treat me like an idiot because of my age. Yes, I am no f*cking hero or genius. However, I am Ren Tianxing's son. I am the family head of the Ren family.
"Who are all of you?" All of a sudden, Ren Jie looked at the personal guards who accompanied Ren Tianxing through thick and thin. He raised his voice and asked, "You are the brothers of my father Ren Tianxing who have stuck with him through thick and thin. You are the personal guards whom my father and I trust to watch our backs. We would willingly put out lives and safety in your hands. Because of that, I have a question for all of you. Will you still stand by me even without the wine and delicacies that the family clan has provided all of you? Will you stand by me if you have to lose the benefits of servants from the family clan waiting on you, or if you do not receive adequate resources and remunerations? No matter the circumstances and changes, are you able to face whatever is to come together with me?
"There is still time for you to regret following me. My father will never return. I believe all of you understand the situation both within and outside of the family clan without me having to say anything. I may only be able to promise that as long as I have a meal to eat, I will not leave all of you starving. Moreover, once you have decided to stay, I will have new expectations for you. That is because the family head personal guards that I have heard of since I was young do not look like this. They are not clad in an extravagant armor to show off to others. They do not look like the ceremonial guards that we see during festivals and new year celebrations. Therefore, I will be retraining all of you. I will be leading all of you to fight a battle of life or death against possibly anyone.
"If you are to stay, you will be living absolutely miserably. That is because I cannot stand how you guys are currently, because you are not the personal guards that I want.
"If you are to stay, you will definitely have to face death. You may lose your life during training sessions or in some battles. From today onwards, you will no longer live the comfortable life that you are enjoying right now.
"If you are to stay, you are bound to become enemies with most people. No one within or outside of the family clan wants to see this family head achieve anything. You will face the cruelest obstructions firsthand.
"If you are to stay, everything will be miserable for you. Your training sessions will be miserable, your remunerations will be measly and you cannot even guarantee that you will stay alive. If you follow me, you will need the permission of others each time you spend money. Maybe someday, I may even lead all of you to become thieves or bandits.
"You have a choice…" Ren Jie pointed at the door of the fighting arena and said, "You can leave through this door. I promise, in the name of my father Ren Tianxing, that I will not pursue any responsibilities. All of you do not owe my father and me anything. If you leave now, each one of you will receive a manor under my name. I have the authority to make the decision and reward that to you. It is sufficient to promise you a life without having to worry about food and clothing. If you decide to sell the manor and move to a smaller house, the money you receive will even be enough for you to form a small family clan. That is the last bit of compensation that I can give you as the family head. Do not hesitate. Those who want to leave can do so immediately. Do not turn your head back when leaving."
This is giving me a headache. What is my Meal Ticket Big Brother doing? How could it be possible for people to stay after hearing what you have said? Although Ren Jie did not have much allowance, Ren Tianxing had given all his personal properties to Ren Jie before he left. Ren Jie had countless manors and properties under his name. They were currently all managed by the Elders' Union. However, the Elders' Union only had the right to manage the profits and the management of the properties itself. If Ren Jie insisted on gifting them to others or used them as a reward, the Elders' Union had no right to prevent him from doing so.
Even a small manor could value at millions of taels of gold. There were many servants and workers within the manors. They contributed a certain amount of income and outlays.
Aren't those words tempting the personal guards to leave quickly? If they leave, the fortune that they will receive could last their entire lifetime. If they stay, they will be living miserably. The training sessions will be miserable. Their remunerations will be measly. They cannot even ensure that they will stay alive. Isn't he forcing them to leave?
Gao Ren was standing behind Ren Jie. He tugged on the hem of Ren Jie's clothes and thought to himself, Why would anyone in the world say such things? It would be weird if anyone stays behind after hearing those words…
"Boom!" A loud boom suddenly resonated in the arena. Tong Qiang was standing at the front of the formation. The golden, mighty and extraordinary armor on his body suddenly exploded into the air, as though a bomb on his armor had just detonated.
"F*ck. I have been disgusted by this armor for a very long time. I was almost f*cking driven insane wearing this thingy and acting as a decoration. Family Head, we, the personal guards, will only recognize the previous family head and you. We will follow every order of yours for whatever purposes without questioning anything." The only purpose of the golden armors was to make the personal guards appear mighty and magnificent. They were not real armors. As the armor exploded into fragments, a burly man appeared in the middle of those fragments. Although his build was not as astounding as Tie Ta, he still appeared tall and mighty. The focal point was his bright and sparkling bald head. It could almost be used as a mirror under the sun.
Tong Qiang's appearance could definitely cause nightmares for timid people. His blood, which remained stone-cold for many years, boiled after hearing Ren Jie's words which reminded him of the time when he was following Ren Tianxing. That made him look exceptionally scary.
"Bang… Bang… Bang…" The other personal guards who were standing behind Tong Qiang did not possess his dharmic powers and could not make their armors explode. They removed their armors and threw them aside. They looked as though they had finally been revived after being sealed for many years.
"Even a dog could wear and showcase this thingy to others."
"Life has been so mundane. I prefer those days when we risked our lives and battled with the previous family head."
"Family Head, we are the personal guards. With just a command, we would even rob the imperial palace for you."
"Haha… Mole Rat, you can be the thief. You can't rob people. Leave that to me."
"Birdy, when are you ever good at robbing?"
"Family Head, why don't we gather our brothers in the imperial army? We can start off by clearing the obstructions within the family clan."
Those people were like machines without any human touch when they were wearing the armors, which made them look like ceremonial guards. After they had taken the armors off because of Ren Jie's words, they had immediately transformed from decorations to humans full of life.
Specifically speaking, they had returned to their original personalities and appeared extremely fearsome. The original days allowed them to have nice food, accommodations, and remunerations, but that made them extremely uncomfortable. The resources were insufficient for them to improve in their cultivation. The nice food, accommodation, and servants that waited on them made them extremely uneasy. When Ren Jie said those words, the bunch of guys led by Tong Qiang was immediately energized.
F*ck anything else.
Not a single person left out of the door that Ren Jie pointed. No one replied to Ren Jie. They did not care if they were to clear the obstructions in the imperial palace or within the family clan.
F*ck. What's with these people?
How does that work out? Gao Ren was originally sweating from anxiety. He rubbed the sweat on his forehead with his hand. This is something new, he thought. He had seen people deceiving and outwitting each other many times, but that was the first time he saw a bunch of rough and easygoing people who so full of life. Gao Ren was slightly touched when he saw their reactions after hearing Ren Jie's words.