Wang Jiannian stared in disbelief at his once timid son, who now stood before him full of arrogance and defiance.
The other members of the Wang family, who were familiar with Wang Xianxian's usual quiet demeanor, were equally shocked into silence by his sudden, maniacal outburst.
Even the ever-composed Tenth Elder, who had been sitting with his eyes closed, opened them slightly, casting a glance in Wang Xianxian's direction.
Seizing the opportunity, Wang Xianxian knelt before the statue of the Sword Emperor.
"I, Wang Xianxian, descendant of the Wang family, swear upon my bloodline and beg for the protection of our ancestors!"
As soon as his words fell, the Sword Emperor's statue emitted a radiant golden light, enveloping Wang Xianxian within its glow. This was **Ancestor's Protection**, a sacred power bestowed by the ancestors upon every family's ancestral hall. It was the ultimate defense for the family.
To activate **Ancestor's Protection**, one had to sacrifice their own bloodline.
Now surrounded by this supreme power, Wang Xianxian could feel its untouchable presence guarding him.
Sensing the unstoppable force within him, Wang Xianxian laughed wildly. As long as his bloodline's strength hadn't been exhausted, no one could lay a hand on him!
For Wang Xianxian, enduring life's hardships was one thing, but he absolutely could not bear the slander from his own family.
Accused of stealing the family's precious treasure, if such a crime were confirmed, his survival was uncertain.
And as for his father? The word "heartless" didn't even begin to describe him.
Even a tiger, no matter how fierce, doesn't eat its own cubs. His father wasn't even worthy of being compared to a beast!
The long-suppressed anger inside Wang Xianxian was finally ignited.
Life had already been hard enough. He wasn't going to keep enduring it.
Even if he had to die, he wouldn't let that wretched father of his get away with everything!
After his manic laughter subsided, Wang Xianxian first turned his venom toward his uncle, Wang Jianquan.
"You worthless mutt! Can't you even frame someone properly?"
"Did my bastard father forget to pay you for such a pitiful performance?"
Wang Jiannian's face turned black with rage upon hearing this. He pointed at Wang Xianxian, so furious he couldn't speak.
"You... you…"
Wang Xianxian sneered, his tone dripping with mockery.
"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue? Can't keep up with the script when things don't go your way?"
"How afraid are you of me staying in this house?"
"You just think I'll become a weapon used against you by others, don't you?"
"Wang Jiannian, you're so laughable. You scheme so hard to drive me away, but don't you know that I've been wishing to leave this house for years?"
"I'm more than willing to fulfill your wish! I'll leave your life and let you live happily ever after with your perfect little family, never to bother you again."
"I'll accept leaving on my own terms, but I'll never accept being thrown out like this!"
"You want to throw dirt on me and expect to stay clean yourself?"
"In your dreams!"
With that, Wang Xianxian turned his gaze toward his younger brother, Wang Beichen.
"My dear brother, you accuse me of stealing your precious treasure, and you say you have solid proof, right?"
"Well, today, in front of our ancestors, I, Wang Xianxian, swear an oath to the heavens."
"With the heavens as my witness, I swear upon my soul, my bloodline, and my martial path!"
"If I, Wang Xianxian, truly stole Wang Beichen's treasure, may the heavens strike me down, the sun and moon collapse, and my soul be destroyed, never to be reborn!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a righteous force descended from the heavens, enveloping him.
Feeling the powerful aura of righteousness surrounding him, Wang Xianxian smirked mockingly.
"Wang Beichen, you didn't expect that I'd dare swear such an oath, did you?"
"You never thought I'd activate Ancestor's Protection, right?"
"Now, with the ancestors, the heavens, and the martial path all bearing witness for me, will you dare to swear the same oath?"
"If stealing a family treasure warrants exile, then what punishment should befall someone who falsely accuses their own brother?"
Wang Xianxian's thunderous reproach made Wang Beichen's face turn deathly pale. His whole body began to tremble in fear.
Seeing this, Wang Xianxian sneered in disdain.
"Hmph, all bark and no bite."
"If only you had inherited even a fraction of your mother's cunning, you wouldn't be standing there looking so pathetic."
Ignoring the furious expression on his stepmother's face, Wang Xianxian turned and looked up at his grandfather, who sat in the high seat of the family.
"And you, you old dog, how comfortable is that position as clan leader?"
"Useless fool! You've driven the family to the brink of bankruptcy, and yet you still have the audacity to sit there."
"When it comes to preserving the family's glory, you're the one who threw it away in the first place, and now you're the one pretending to care."
"You think it's shameful, but you could've maintained your pride and refused the Murong family's marriage proposal."
"You were scared of the consequences, scared of losing your position as clan leader, so you shamelessly crawled to the Murong family for help."
"And when the ancestors returned and the family was doing better, you kicked them aside."
"Old dog, do you really think the family's rise had anything to do with you?"
"Do you know why I call you an old dog? It's because in that situation, even a dog could've led the family to rise."
"Do you really think you're some great strategist, playing your little games?"
"Do you even have any self-respect? Is 'family honor' just a joke to you, with no sense of loyalty, no sense of obligation? Is 'family honor' encouraging a son to discard his wife and remarry?"
"Honor? My foot!"
"Are you just a lapdog for the Murong family, wagging your tail whenever they throw you a bone?"
"As a father, you have failed in raising your son, letting him defy basic decency and morals!"
"As a grandfather, you are heartless and indifferent, ignoring the bullying of one grandson by another, and even conspiring to frame your own blood!"
"As the head of the family, you are incompetent, allowing the younger generation to scheme, fight for power, and tear the family apart."
"As a descendant, you are ungrateful and treacherous, betraying the expectations of the family elders and bringing disgrace to the Wang clan."
"No matter what you do, you cannot change the fact that you are the most incompetent clan leader in the Wang family's thousand-year history!"
Wang Xianxian's sharp and unfiltered words directly ripped away Wang Xiao's facade, exposing his shame.
The clan leader, sitting high above, nearly choked in fury as he listened to his grandson's brutal tirade.
After venting his rage at his grandfather, Wang Xianxian's eyes swept over all the elders present, filled with piercing disdain.
"Elders? Ha! Do any of you look even remotely like proper elders?"
"A fifteen-year-old stole the family's treasure so easily, and you actually believe that nonsense?"
"Oh~ of course, you're all so clever. You know the truth but would never admit it!"
"I find it hard to believe that we share the same blood."
"Just look at who's tormenting me—my father, my uncles, my grandfather, my cousins…"
"Does it bring you joy to see your own kin suffer?"
"Arrogance runs through your veins. In your eyes, anyone who isn't from an imperial family is nothing more than an ant!"
"You refuse to face the reality of the family's decline, content to stay drunk on the glory of the past!"
"Family honor? What a joke! A family that doesn't even value its own members has no right to talk about honor!"
Each of Wang Xianxian's questions hit like a heavy hammer, striking the hearts of everyone present.
Wang Jiannian, now thoroughly enraged by his son's insults, could no longer contain his fury. He charged forward, raising his hand to strike Wang Xianxian down with a powerful blow.
But it was useless.
The protective power bestowed by the bloodline shielded Wang Xianxian, rendering the attack utterly ineffective.
Seeing his father's furious face, Wang Xianxian sneered mockingly.
"Oh? You usually hit me with much more force—what happened today? Can't even land a proper blow?"
Wang Jiannian, instead of exploding with anger, surprisingly restrained himself. Glaring at his son's weak, exhausted figure, he sneered back.
"Those words—have you been holding them in for a long time?"
"It seems you have quite a bit of resentment toward me, huh?"
"Is that resentment inherited from Mo Wange?"
"Your worthless mother—no matter how much resentment she had, what difference did it make?"
"In the end, all she gave birth to was a little piece of trash like you."
"Don't you know the saying 'A mother is honored through her child'?"
"She suffered all those humiliations in this house, and yet what could you, her pathetic son, do for her?"
"Spout all the eloquent words you want, but people judge based on status, not sentiment."
"You think you've cleared your name, right? You think your brother will be punished for this?"
"Dream on!"
"No matter what happens, you can't change the fact that Mo Wange is nothing but a wretch."
"And just like her, you'll never shake the position of me and your stepmother."
"Do you know why?"
Wang Jiannian's mocking gaze pierced through Wang Xianxian's paling face.
"Because your brother, Wang Beichen, is nothing like you. He's a once-in-a-lifetime genius!"
"His talent ranks among the top ten in the family's thousand-year history."
"As long as he doesn't fall, he will become an Elder one day!" [TL: Elder?!! ]
"And when that day comes, I will be the father of an Elder, and your stepmother will be the mother of an Elder." [TL: don't know why but this was the literal translation]
"Our names will be specially marked in the family records, forever revered by future generations."
Wang Jiannian, sensing that he had found Wang Xianxian's weakness, pressed his advantage, relentlessly striking with his words.
"As for you, after today, your name and Mo Wange's will both be erased from the family registry."
"In a few years, no one will even remember that you existed. So, your resistance is meaningless."
"And who's to blame for all of this? You."
"Your mother's miserable life? That's on you."
"All of it—because of you!"
"What is this supposed to be? A pathetic weakling's final rant before death?"
"Spit out a few insults and then die without regrets?"
"If that's what you want, then I'll make sure you don't die peacefully."
Wang Jiannian's face twisted into a grotesque smile as he leaned in close, whispering in Wang Xianxian's ear.
"You really thought Mo Wange's death was an accident?"
"She killed herself…"
"I told her, if she didn't die, I'd kill both of you…"
"That foolish woman knelt before me, begging for your life."
"Her desperation was so pitiful, just like a dog—groveling, crawling. I was amused, so I graciously agreed."
"I ordered her to die, and she thanked me for it. How pathetic is that?"
"Hahahaha…"
In front of him, the boy's body began to tremble violently.
Slowly, Wang Xianxian lifted his head, his once innocent, youthful face now twisted into something more akin to a demon from the depths of hell.
Overwhelming rage consumed him, flooding his mind as blood and tears streamed from his eyes, silently screaming his agony to the world.
The terrifying and twisted expression on Wang Xianxian's face caused everyone present to feel a shiver run down their spines.
"Beast!!! I'll kill you!!! I swear I'll kill you!!!!!"
With reckless abandon, Wang Xianxian charged at Wang Jiannian, his body trembling with uncontrollable rage.
"Still a worthless piece of trash, hah…" Wang Jiannian sneered, effortlessly grabbing Wang Xianxian with one hand, stopping him in his tracks.
As he restrained the furious Wang Xianxian, he didn't miss the chance to further mock him.
"Just a moment ago, when you were ready to die, I wouldn't let you."
"And now, when you're desperately fighting to live, I won't let you have that either."
"You want to survive, grow stronger, and take your revenge on me, don't you?"
"Don't worry, I'll make sure you never get that chance."
Watching Wang Xianxian's desperate struggle and hearing his continuous roars, a dark, unspeakable pleasure surged within Wang Jiannian.
Those who defied him would always meet their end under his control!