Just as the White-Stone City teleportation officer was about to head out for a drink, a group of over ten men suddenly surrounded him.
"What do you want? I am the..."
The officer began, but before he could finish, a towering man grabbed him and demanded, "Where are the Yew family's fourth branch?"
"Ah, Eddie and Sophia just returned and took Mother Grace away, along with a group of frightening people. They teleported to Kinwind City," the officer managed to say before the leader of the group cursed and threw him aside, rushing off with his team.
The officer slowly picked himself up, patting his chest, "Eddie was right. Some fools really did come looking for trouble with the Yew family. A bunch of fools thinking they can stand against a major family like the Yews? Well, as long as I get paid, I did as Eddie asked."
He checked his pocket and found his gold coins still there, instantly improving his mood. "Lying for Eddie and getting five gold coins for it, what a deal!"
Eddie, carrying the sleeping Little Frost, led Mother Grace and Sophia to a luxurious four-horse carriage and headed straight for the Yew family estate.
If it were just Eddie or only with Sophia, he would have chosen to teleport to Kinwind City, the closest to the Yew estate.
He chose Green Bamboo City instead because, while slightly farther, it offered a direct route and was less obvious to those who might intercept them.
With Mother Grace and Little Frost, speed was not the priority; their comfort and safety were paramount.
Eddie sat beside the coachman, alert for any ambush. He was ready to unleash Grey Wolf, who had been living a life of luxury recently.
After rewarding the coachman handsomely for a night of non-stop driving, they finally reached the outskirts of Yew Village, a settlement for extended family and retainers, by dawn.
It served as the first line of defense for the Yew estate, nestled in a valley pass leading to the towering fortress.
"Master, there's a roadblock ahead," the coachman stammered, trembling at the sight.
Eddie had been to the Yew family fortress before, but never encountered such a display. Dozens, nearly a hundred Yew family guards, stood guard at the entrance to Yew Village, bristling with hostility at his arrival.
This was not usual; while there were always inquiries, there was never such an outright blockade. The coachman was too scared to move forward.
Eddie, unimpressed with the coachman's cowardice, handed him a bunch of gold coins and kicked him off the coach, taking the reins himself.
"Eddie, what are you doing? Are you planning to force your way through?"
A formidable man in purple stepped forward, blocking the carriage.
"We've received reports that you oppose your father's marriage, disregarded the head of the family and elders' decisions, and even assaulted people. Now, the elders are furious, and the family head orders strict punishment. You may proceed, but only after leaving the carriage and humbly walking up the mountain to atone."
"Sophia, why accuse us without discernment?" Sophia retorted, emerging from the carriage: "Clearly, it was your people who bullied us at home. My brother merely disciplined a miscreant servant. We won't submit to unjust demands!"
Another tall, thin man stepped forward, adding to the accusations against Mother Grace and her parenting. Mother Grace, following Eddie's guidance, responded briefly, entrusting Eddie to handle the matter. She believed in her son's ability to be the pillar of their family.
"Eddie, you disregard your elders?"
Sophia, emboldened by her brother's support, stood up to the accusers without hesitation.
"Right and wrong will be judged by the family head and elders. Now, if you wish to suffer, follow the family head's instructions: dismount and walk up the mountain to seek forgiveness."
Eddie smiled at the challenge. "How exactly are we to be punished? Surely not execution?" His tone was light, yet there was an undercurrent of defiance.
The Yew family's head had issued an order: Mother Grace was accused of poor parenting, warranting ten lashes.
Sophia and Eddie, young and naive, were assigned fifteen and a hundred lashes, respectively, along with additional penalties.
The tall, thin man delivered these sentences with a smirk, clearly enjoying the situation. It was a trap, designed to provoke Eddie into defiance, worsening his family's plight.
Sophia, hearing this, turned pale with rage. It was an outright provocation, and she wouldn't stand for it.
As for Eddie, he had expected such manipulation.
The whole affair was a setup, a ploy to corner their family and oust Mother Grace, replacing her with the daughter of the Feng family as the new legitimate wife of the Yew family's fourth son.
Unbeknownst to the plotters, Eddie was no longer the meek and powerless boy he once was.
He was a bold, transmigrated man, armed with formidable abilities and powerful summoning creatures.
In the Dragon Ascend Continent, where strength ruled, Eddie was ready to use his might to protect his mother and assert his place in the Yew family.
In the carriage, Mother Grace, who had always been submissive, felt a tremor in her heart.
She understood the machinations of the Yew family's main branches and had endured in silence, hoping for her children's safety and growth.
Now, pushed to the brink, she realized that there was a limit to what she could tolerate.
The time had come to stand up for herself and her family.
Mother Grace, overwhelmed with anxiety, suggested returning to White-Stone City, feeling powerless against the Yew family's machinations. But Eddie, determined to protect his mother and sisters, stood resolutely. He declared that no one could harm them as long as he lived, and defiantly confronted the Yew family guards blocking their way.
Eddie called forth Grey Wolf, his formidable Bronze Level 5 summon. The wolf's appearance, engulfed in flames and exuding menacing energy, terrified the lower-level beasts of the Yew family's guards. Even the guards themselves, including the tall, thin man, were taken aback by the power of Eddie's creature.
In a bold move, Eddie ordered Grey Wolf to clear the path, threatening to kill anyone who dared to obstruct their way to the Yew family's fortress. This display of strength and defiance was a clear message to the Yew family that Eddie was no longer the weakling they remembered, but a force to be reckoned with.