Chapter 1702 — The Opening Salvo, Part Two

"Yes, Patriarch Yu, Old Master Chen is an old acquaintance of ours as well. Let this matter be dropped. Let him leave in peace..." Old Master Song Xiangwen could not help but speak up in persuasion.

"Patriarch Song, what is at issue now is the grievance between the Yu family and the Chen family. Our own accounts are not yet settled. Do you mean to take up another's cause as well?" Yu Shuixing fixed his gaze on Song Xiangwen and said chillingly, "Your Song family broke off a betrothal — do you not owe the Yu family an explanation?"

"I..." Song Xiangwen had not expected that a single word on behalf of the Chen family would turn Yu Shuixing's spearhead upon himself. He could only shoot Chen Kuanglan an apologetic glance, his eyes rather evasive, and force himself to say, "The Song family cannot truly be said to have broken off the betrothal. It is only that the two young people did not seem to get on well together... I merely said they should spend some time together first; I never said they must be together..."

"We shall set your affairs aside for the moment and come back to them later. What is at issue now is the Chen family!" One sentence from Yu Shuixing snuffed out Song Xiangwen's fire. He turned his head once more to Chen Kuanglan and said, "Your withdrawal from the ranks of the great clans is inevitable. But that does not mean that once you withdraw, all is well! Great loss has been done to the Yu family's reputation. Surely you must show a little sincerity and compensate us?"

"Patriarch Yu, is this not a little dishonorable? The Yu family is foremost among the great clans; in all things it ought to set an example and show magnanimity. To press on so relentlessly and corner an old man — do you not find that somewhat improper?" It was Sun Yikai who spoke. He was of a blunt and straightforward nature, the sort who could not help but meddle whenever he saw injustice. Though he knew well this was no place for him to speak, he could not hold his tongue.

"Patriarch Sun, it seems your family instruction leaves something to be desired. Have you never told him the rules of the Great Clan Assembly? The younger generation are here only to learn. What business have they to open their mouths?" Yu Shuixing gave Sun Yikai a sinister glance and addressed himself to the Sun family's old master.

"Ahem, Yikai, do not speak out of turn!" The Sun old master glanced at his grandson with some embarrassment. He knew his grandson's character well enough — the chivalrous sort, who would draw his blade at the sight of injustice. But on an occasion like this, given the Sun family's standing, it was simply impossible for them to speak for the Chen family.

"Grandfather, I am not speaking out of turn. I am only stating a fact! Justice lies in the hearts of all. Everyone here can see that the Chen family has already fallen on hard times. Let him withdraw quietly and be done with it. Why must he be cornered?" Sun Yikai was stubborn to the bone. He lifted his chin and said obstinately, "Is everyone struck dumb? Your silence today may buy you the same fate as the Chen family tomorrow! Who can guarantee that his own family will not decline as the Chen family has?"

Those words of Sun Yikai struck home in the hearts of every great clan. He was right. This time it was the Chen family; next time it might be any of the others! This was especially true of the weaker families — the Liu family, for instance, in its present state.

"Sun Yikai, is this a place for you to speak? The young should mind the rules of the young! Or does the Sun family fancy itself so capable, so much more forceful than the Yu family, that it can speak in the Yu family's stead?" It was Wu Chendi who now spoke, and he spoke in favor of the Yu family. The marriage alliance between the Wu and Sun families had come to nothing anyway, so he did not fear offending the Suns; on the contrary, a word or two would curry favor with the Yu family. Why not?

But he had not reckoned that this flattery would land him on the horse's hoof rather than its flank. To call the Yu family forceful was as much as to say the Yu family was bullying others by virtue of its power. And if the Sun family was now more forceful than the Yu family, did that not amount to saying the Yu family had right on its side no longer?

So this piece of fawning left Yu Shuixing furious. His relentless pressing had in truth been an exercise in calling a stag a horse — of strong-arming his way to the moral high ground. Now Wu Chendi's words made it seem as though he were bullying the weak by sheer power!

"Patriarch Wu, you had best keep your descendants in hand. Meddling in others' affairs does no good. Wu Chengtian meddled before and is a cripple now. Do not let this grandson of yours end up a cripple too!" Yu Shuixing warned mildly.

Wu Gonggao was a shrewd old hand, and he too had felt that Wu Chendi's words were ill-judged. To say such a thing was plainly to accuse the Yu family of bullying the weak by force. How could they be pleased?

When the great clans did things, at the very least appearances had to be kept up. Carry on like this, and how humiliated would the Yu family be?

Yet Yu Shuixing, with his first words, had struck Wu Gonggao where it hurt most! Wu Chengtian was the apple of his eye, and here the man was making mock of him. Wu Gonggao flew into a rage at once: "Patriarch Yu, what do you mean by that? What is wrong with my grandson Chentian? He has merely taken a few injuries — surely he cannot be called a cripple? Is this a curse?"

"Cripple or not, you know it in your own heart." Yu Shuixing did not fear Wu Gonggao. "What, is Patriarch Wu unconvinced? Then in the third round, you may send your grandson Chentian up to try his hand! If he defeats my son Yufeng, then facts will speak louder than words!"

"You..." Wu Gonggao had been struck on his tender spot and could find no retort. If he agreed to that, would it not be the same as sending Wu Chengtian up to his death? Even Wu Chendi was no match for Yufeng — the gap between them was a whole tier wide!

So Wu Gonggao could only bow his head and say nothing, stewing in silent fury.

"Very well, Patriarch Chen. You see, no one is speaking up for you now. They all feel you ought to show a little sincerity and make compensation!" Having dealt with everyone else, Yu Shuixing once again turned his spearhead upon Chen Kuanglan!

"What sincerity? What compensation?" Chen Kuanglan asked, pressing down his fury and clutching at his chest.

"I shall not ask for much. The Chen family's villa in Yanjing — give it to the Yu family. From then on, the Chen family is to move out of Yanjing. Do not let me set eyes on you again!" Yu Shuixing said coldly. "Otherwise, do not blame me if I recall the events of those years and show no mercy!"

"You... you..." Chen Kuanglan was nearly seized by a fit of apoplexy. The old family residence in Yanjing, where the Chen family had lived for many years — and he was to give it up, and leave Yanjing besides, never to appear before the Yu family again?

"You what? If I did not see that the Chen family has little money, do you think this matter could be settled so easily without a billion or eight hundred million put on the table?" Yu Shuixing said mildly.

"Yu Shuixing, I wonder whether you have ever heard the saying: thirty years east of the river, thirty years west — prosperity and decline, rise and fall, all turn in their season!" Chen Kuanglan was so consumed with rage that he grew calm instead. Pointing at Yu Shuixing, he said, word by word, "Yu Shuixing, let me give you a piece of advice: do not carry things too far. Your Yu family will have its day of reckoning too, sooner or later!"

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