It was dusk, the sunset glow and the setting sun were vibrant.
Leaving Autumn Leaf Manor.
The outside was deserted.
Everyone's figure was stretched long by the sunlight, occasionally overlapping.
Qing Chen followed the servants to the venue.
On the way, he asked Li Shu and others: "Were these kinds of family etings frequent before?"
"Not very frequent," Li Shu shook his head: "They were usually held after the annual ancestral temple worship, once a year. Representatives from various factions within the family would report the most important settlent data to the head of the family, and then conduct personnel appointnts for the new year."
"How long do they usually last?" Qing Chen curiously asked.
"There have been tis that lasted three days and three nights," Li Shu laughed: "Many people who attend these etings wear adult diapers."
Qing Chen had heard that so large Outer World companies had such long etings, and participants wore adult diapers so they wouldn't have to go to the bathroom.
The atmosphere of such etings was extrely serious, and participants did not dare to even ntion going to the bathroom.
In Qing Chen's impression, the Old Master was a very kind person. Would even such a person presiding over the eting make mbers of the family fearful?
Perhaps, this is what those in high positions must do.
"Is the Li Clan's Old Master usually very serious?" Qing Chen asked.
Li Shu explained: "Grandpa isn't particularly serious, but he acts decisively and plans ahead. Once he makes a decision, it's difficult to change. The main reason everyone fears this eting is that it's so important; one eting can reappoint dozens or even hundreds of people, and it can even determine the fate of certain factions within the family for the next few years. No one dares to take it lightly. So people who lose power at the eting may not be able to return to the center of power for decades."
At this ti, the servants led them to the venue.
But when everyone went inside, they suddenly found that the entire venue was empty.
The venue wasn't here!
Li Ke said: "There are two venues in total in Ban Shan Mountain Estate, one called Shou Zhen and the other called Ming Li. The eting must be held in the other one."
Everyone turned to look at the servant, but the servant said in a panic: "I'm sorry, everyone, I don't know what's going on. The order I received was to lead everyone to the "Shou Zhen' venue!"
Li Shu looked at Qing Chen: "Sir, soone probably doesn't want you to attend the eting."
Qing Chen smiled, obviously so.
Soone didn't want him to attend.
From when the servant had just told him he had the right not to attend, he knew this was a hint.
Qing Chen thought for a mont: "How far is the other venue from here?"
"A twenty-minute walk," Li Ke replied: "According to the ti, the eting should start in ten minutes."
"Interesting," Qing Chen smiled.
This was unexpected, but not particularly surprising.
If there wasn't any intrigue in a large mansion, Qing Chen would find it strange.
When the established power class finds a new elite erging, they will always try their best to suppress them, because everyone knows that the cake is only so big, and one more person ans one more share.
Only... he was just an Instructor, why target him?
Li Shu whispered: "Sir, everyone is saying that you're the Old Master's illegitimate son, saying that the Old Master wants you to acknowledge your ancestry and worship at the ancestral hall before he passes away..."
Qing Chen was stunned, so that's it!
The Old Master was just too kind to him, causing many people to misunderstand.
Yes, an Instructor wouldn't affect anyone's interests, but an illegitimate son who acknowledges his ancestry is different.
But the problem is... he's not an illegitimate son!
What a ss!
Qing Chen said: "Let's go, let's go to the next venue."
Li Shu said: "Sir, they deliberately made you late, aren't you angry?"
Although he hadn't formally kowtowed and beco his disciple, during this ti, Qing Chen's selfless teaching, and Qing Chen's painstaking efforts in imparting knowledge, all the students were grateful.
Now that their own master had been tricked, they naturally felt very dissatisfied.
"Angry? I'm quite vengeful, but there's no use getting angry with a servant here, he's just a runner," Qing Chen said calmly: "However, there's nothing wrong with going wherever you want to go imdiately."
Li Shu and others looked at each other and imdiately followed.
...
...
In the Ming Li venue, nearly a hundred people were already seated.
In the middle was a long, empty table, with only 11 people seated, while the rest were sitting in the audience seats nearby.
The aura of these 11 people was stronger than the next, and the people in the audience seats didn't even dare to look at them casually.
Whatever decisions these people made could affect the fate of millions of people.
Next to the long table, a thin middle-aged man asked: "How is the Old Master's health? Holding a family eting at this ti, wouldn't that affect his health? Brother, don't you advise him?"
After speaking, he looked at Li Yunshou, who was sitting in the first seat on the left.
Li Yunshou didn't answer him, but silently looked at the docunts in his hand.
At this eting, all docunts carried by participants must be in paper form, and the use of all electronic devices is prohibited.
If a mber is wearing Cybernetic Limbs, there will be soone outside to remove and store them.
There will also be a Cybernetic Limbs doctor to reinstall them after the eting.
This rule resulted in several people in the audience seats being missing arms and legs, looking quite strange.
"Eh, the eting should have started a long ti ago, why hasn't the Old Master co yet?" a middle-aged woman next to the long table said: "In the past, he was the most punctual person. I rember that in previous years, he would stand guard at the door, and anyone who was late would have to write a self-criticism."
Li Yunye looked at a servant: "Go, ask what's going on."
The servant from Baopu Building quickly ran out, then quickly ran back: "The Old Master said, wait until everyone is here before starting the eting."
Everyone in the venue was stunned.
Wait until everyone is here?
Of all the people present, only one group hadn't arrived, and everyone knew why they hadn't arrived.
However, they didn't expect that the always punctual and magnanimous Old Master would suddenly beco willful at this ti.
It was just that the Instructor had been tricked and went to the wrong venue.
Just such a small matter, the Old Master actually delayed the eting!
In the audience seats, everyone started to discuss, what kind of ability did this Instructor have to make the Old Master so fond of him?
The thin middle-aged man tapped on the long table in front of him and said to himself: "Have you heard recently that there's an illegitimate son who erged in our Li Clan? The Old Master is letting the Li Clan disciples take him as their master to raise his status. He's also given him Autumn Leaf Manor. What is he trying to do? I'll make it clear to you all, I won't recognize such a younger brother. Our Li Clan has had a rule since hundreds of years ago, illegitimate sons are not allowed into the ancestral hall."
Li Changqing sat in his seat looking at the ceiling, letting his brother speak out, but didn't care at all.
This middle-aged man was called Li Yunye, extrely shrewd and capable in business, managing mining, power, and other projects. Many of these were the mainstay industries of the Li Clan, and he was extrely aggressive in business.
Li Yunye usually treated his brothers and sisters well and had no arrogant habits.
Only one thing, this person had a strong sense of territoriality, and no one could touch the things under his control.
"Ninth Brother," Li Changqing suddenly said: "No one said he was the Old Master's illegitimate son, don't believe rumors and spread rumors. And, don't ntion this kind of thing at the family eting."
Li Yunye calmly said: "I'm just worried that soone is saying sothing to sway the Old Master while he's away."
Li Yunshou closed the docunts in front of him and calmly said: "The Old Master has never been senile, so you don't have to worry about this."
At this ti, a group of people walked into the Ming Li venue.
Everyone looked over, and it was Qing Chen and Li Ke who were late.
Li Yunye didn't speak, but carefully looked at Qing Chen.
However, Qing Chen didn't look at him, but at the long table in the middle.
The extra chairs there had already been removed, and there wasn't one left for him.
At this mont, many people were silently watching this scene, wanting to see what the Instructor from the Martial Arts Hall would do.
Would he go to the long table and ask for a chair, or would he sit quietly in the audience seats?
If he asked for a chair, no servant would dare to help him move it, and moving the chair himself would be a bit deaning.
If he sat in the audience seats, then there was no need to say anything more, there would be no place for him at the long table of the Li Clan.
The power within this Conglorate, everyone had experienced countless struggles before finally winning a chair at the long table.
The chair was ordinary, but it was sothing that countless people yearned for.
However, in this subtle atmosphere, Li Ke, who was behind Qing Chen, suddenly ca out and moved a chair from the audience seats and placed it neatly next to the long table: "Sir, please sit down."
Saying this, Li Ke even wiped the chair surface with his sleeve.
The chair wasn't dirty, if the chairs at the Li Clan family eting were dirty, so servants would be exiled.
And Li Ke's action was clearly setting an example for everyone, the heir of the Li Clan's main branch who was qualified to enter the ancestral hall was wiping the chair for the master, so others shouldn't make any more small moves.
The people in the audience seats were all stunned. They didn't expect that Li Ke would lower himself so much at the family eting.
Several people on the long table were also stunned, even Li Changqing was a little surprised. Her original plan was to ask for a chair herself, and no servant would dare to disobey her order.
However, now she clearly didn't need to co forward, Qing Chen could solve the problem himself.
At the long table, Li Yunye turned to look at his elder brother Li Yunshou, sowhat uncertain, he wasn't sure if this was his elder brother's instruction to his son.
Li Yunshou's expression was always as calm as Dragon Lake. He looked at Li Yunye: "Don't overthink it, he hasn't even moved a chair for ."
In other words, Li Yunshou had nothing to do with this.
Li Yunye, like a thin tiger, touched his beard with interest: "Interesting."
Qing Chen sat down at the long table, without greeting anyone, just quietly sitting there maintaining his Breathing Technique, closing his eyes to rest.
As if he didn't care about anything.
Li Ke, Li Shu, and others sat behind him, equally silent.
If the occasion wasn't so grand, Li Shu and the others even hoped that the master would lead them into ditation so that they wouldn't delay their Cultivation during the eting.
These soldiers were the most practical. They knew very well that if they could quickly cultivate into tahumans, they would have a great effect on the battlefield.
At this ti, soone pushed a wheelchair into the venue. The person pushing the wheelchair was the middle-aged man who gave Qing Chen the Zhunti thod, and the person in the wheelchair was the extrely weak Old Master.
The Old Master looked pale and had purple lips. More than ten doctors and nurses were waiting outside the venue, ready to provide ergency treatnt at any ti.
Qing Chen thought to himself, you weren't like this when you were fishing by Dragon Lake.
Why are you acting?
And, the acting is quite superb, the feeling of not being able to breathe is very realistic.
Qing Chen looked around and found that the expressions of others were normal.
Could it be that only he knew that the Old Master was acting?!
No, Li Yunshou must have known, but the rest were uncertain.
In fact, Qing Chen didn't know that the area around Dragon Lake wasn't sowhere anyone could go to. There were people guarding it every day, and outsiders, even Li Shu and Li Ke, couldn't get close.
Ban Shan Mountain Estate wasn't truly harmonious, Qing Chen only saw the most harmonious side.
The Old Master's gaze didn't fall on Qing Chen. He just weakly sat in the wheelchair and said: "I'm unwell, so this eting will be brief. I'll speak first, and if you have any thoughts, you can speak after I'm done. Whether you take these words as a last wish or an admonition, I only need you to listen."
The Old Master continued: "The first thing is, as long as the Li Clan remains, eliminating Shendai and Koshima will be the goal and pursuit of the Li Clan for generations to co."
"The second thing is, Li Yunyi's Gene dicine industry and intelligence industry will all be handed over to Li Changqing. In the future, with the Federation's turmoil, the intelligence agency must be controlled by one person, and there can be no more disagreents."
This was a personnel appointnt, and only ntioned Li Yunyi handing over power, without ntioning any new responsibilities.
This shows that the Old Master was very dissatisfied with Li Yunyi's past work, and Li Yunyi's branch would have little chance of returning to the core of power for decades to co.
"The third thing is, the Northern trade fair must not stop, no matter when."
"The fourth thing is, within thirty years, we cannot compromise on the fiscal and taxation laws. This is one of the foundations of the Li Clan."
"The fifth thing..."
The Old Master said more than ten things, and finally: "The nineteenth thing is, the Li Clan emphasizes order of seniority and respect for teachers, everyone should not forget the traditions of the old Li Family."
Many people in the venue were stunned, this was clearly said specifically for Qing Chen, aning to tell everyone not to question Qing Chen's status in the Li Clan!
In these nineteen things, the Old Master didn't even ntion the deploynt of the Federation's army, nor did he ntion who would succeed him as the head of the family, but he specifically ntioned respecting teachers.
This made many people misunderstand.
At this ti, the Old Master said: "Alright, I'm done. Do you have anything to say?"
Li Yunyi, next to the long table, suddenly stood up: "Dad, what did I do wrong? Why should I hand over my power to Li Changqing? What does she have..."
Before he could finish, the Old Master suddenly fainted.
For a mont, the entire venue was in chaos, and Li Yunshou, who was usually the calst, roared: "Doctor, nurse, quickly co in for rescue!"
In the venue, people in the audience seats were at a loss, Li Yunyi stood there dumbfounded, he didn't expect that he didn't even have a chance to defend himself.
After the doctors rushed in, soldiers with guns also entered the venue: "Please leave in an orderly manner."
Qing Chen, bewildered, left according to the soldiers' instructions. At one point, he even suspected that the Old Master's condition had suddenly worsened.
After all, the Old Master had been staying by Dragon Lake recently, where it was cold and damp, so worsening his condition was also possible.
However, at this mont, Li Changqing, escorted by Lao Jiu, passed by him: "It's just nightfall, wait for at Autumn Leaf Manor later, I'll be over later."
Qing Chen couldn't help but laugh. The Old Master was critically ill, but this person still had the heart to go out and play. This person clearly knew the Old Master was pretending.
Thinking of this, he felt relieved.
After leaving the venue, Qing Chen didn't know where to go, and unconsciously walked towards Dragon Lake.
Only when he walked there did he find that under the moonlight, the Old Master had changed into a raincoat and was sitting there making fish bait!
Qing Chen angrily walked over: "Your acting is too perfunctory. Half an hour ago, you were critically ill, and half an hour later you're coming here to fish?"
The Old Master also angrily said: "You weren't worried about my condition, and you ca to Dragon Lake to touch my Dragon Fish when I was critically ill?"
"Sa to you," Qing Chen didn't bring a small stool today, so he simply sat cross-legged next to the Old Master: "Who were you acting for? The venue was in chaos, it was almost like a funeral ho."
"It wasn't specifically for anyone," the Old Master sighed: "Mainly, the previous etings were too long, every ti I announced a decision, they would argue for a long ti, and I had to spend several days balancing trivial matters. This ti is much better, I can just finish speaking and leave, and I'll see who dares to ask questions. I'm almost dead, why should I waste ti dealing with them?"
Qing Chen was speechless: "You made such a big fuss for this?"
The highest leader of a Conglorate, just to avoid listening to people arguing at the eting, used such a childish trick.
This was a bit subverted his ideas.
But if you think about it carefully, these people in high positions are also human beings.
The Old Master looked sideways at the young man: "The last few days of my life are precious, aren't they? No matter how big the fuss is, it's not excessive. Now my ti is calculated by the second."
"Okay, that makes sense," Qing Chen sighed.
The Old Master raised his hand and cast the hook, watching the float while saying: "When I was young, I always thought there was still a lot of ti, I always told myself that I could wait to do what I like. But, my life was wasted in these worldly fa and fortune, I had to balance this, balance that, and thinking back, if I had pretended to be critically ill earlier, I might have been able to let go and enjoy myself earlier."
Qing Chen thought to himself, that ans that even if you were critically ill for decades, everyone wouldn't believe you.
He asked: "But I thought you would ntion the heir or sothing at the eting, but you didn't ntion a word."
The Old Master smiled: "You don't understand, small matters are discussed at large etings, and major matters are discussed at small etings. How could the most important decisions be made at a eting of over a hundred people? They've already been discussed beforehand."
"These ten words are really insightful," Qing Chen said: "I thought you were worried that there were spies in the venue, so you deliberately didn't ntion the most important thing."
"Whether there are spies or not cannot be determined yet," the Old Master said leisurely: "But there will be results soon."
"Really?" Qing Chen curiously asked: "As a big shot in the Li Clan Conglorate, why would he betray his own family?"
The Old Master said: "Not everyone is in power, such as Li Yunyi, who has just been stripped of power. Do you think he will have resentnt? Of course, I'm not saying that Li Yunyi is a spy. Over the hundreds of years of the Li Clan, there have been too many people with resentnt. In this world, interests have never been fairly distributed."
"I understand," Qing Chen nodded.
The Old Master suddenly said: "I may not co to Dragon Lake for the next few days. You can co and get the fish then, you're faster than anyway."
Qing Chen suddenly asked: "Why are you so nice to ? I an, you don't need to do this."
The Old Master smiled: "There aren't so many reasons. In a person's life, they can only be willful as a child and an old man. When a child is naughty, you can say he is young, when an old man is willful, you can say he is senile, only during the period in between do you have to Face[-] responsibilities calmly. Before, I didn't dare to be too kind to any grandchild. I found those little figures very cute, but if I casually hugged anyone, the manor would spread rumors that I favored one branch over another, releasing so kind of signal."
"Now, I'm almost dead, who cares what they think?" the Old Master chuckled: "They all say you're my illegitimate son, and I find it interesting to watch them guess. Didn't you see? When I told them to respect their teachers, their expressions were amazing."
Qing Chen thought to himself, so you said those things to deliberately tease everyone?
The Old Master continued: "Your master is also quite interesting, he took on disciples himself but didn't take care of them, then ran to the north to cause trouble. Before he left, he entrusted you to , saying that you weren't inherently cold-hearted, but that no one had taught you that there is another kind of family affection in this world. So, I let you experience it."
Qing Chen fell silent. Before this ti travel, he had just faced the insignificant family affection of the Outer World, and now, he faced another extre.
Sotis, although he knew he was an Outer Worlder, he sohow felt closer to the Inner World.
The opposing sentints towards the Inner World are becoming increasingly serious. If so people knew his thoughts, they would probably scold him.
"Why does the Li Clan dislike Shendai and Koshima so much?" Qing Chen asked about sothing else: "In the Outer World, it's because of ethnic hatred, but in the Inner World?"
The Old Master thought for a mont and said: "Those of different clans must have different hearts."
"Just because of this?" Qing Chen asked.
The Old Master looked at him: "If they weren't your compatriots, they wouldn't treat your compatriots as human beings. That's a natural barrier between races. If one day they take over the Federation, then all the Central Plains people will be inferior people, only those who speak those strange languages will be superior people."
Saying this, the Old Master handed the hooked Dragon Fish to Qing Chen: "I didn't expect that Li Ke would be so loyal to you. Rember to treat him well... Also, rember our agreent."
"I won't forget."
...
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