DLWAV CH50

So, almost as soon as Ao Ruize returned to his residence, news came out that Long Tianlu had confessed.

The Clan Leader was furious. He crippled Long Tianlu’s cultivation on the spot and ordered the Dragon Clan’s guard army, the Dragon Royal Army, to set out immediately to capture Yan Chong. At the same time, he contacted the other three major families as soon as possible to inform them of this matter.

However, Ao Ruize couldn’t pay attention to these things at the moment because other people from collateral branches, who were living nearby and had also come to participate in the baptism ceremony, had rushed over immediately.

“Ruize, is the Long Ruize the Clan Leader mentioned you?”

“Ruize, didn’t you go to participate in the baptism ceremony today? Why did the Clan Leader suddenly appoint you as the Young Clan Leader?”

…

Those who arrived later saw that they really couldn’t squeeze in, so they could only swarm around Elder Chongzhen.

They couldn’t help but sigh with emotion: “Elder Chongzhen, you’ve finally made it!”

“Congratulations, Elder Chongzhen.”

…

“Elder Chongzhen, now that you’ve prospered, don’t forget us old friends!”

Hearing this, many people couldn’t help but pause, feeling that these words seemed a bit sycophantic.

Just at this moment, a wave of low exclamations suddenly came from the outermost perimeter: “Nineteenth Elder?”

“Father!”

…

Hearing this, the crowd subconsciously made way.

Elder Chongzhen looked up, and indeed, the person who came was the Nineteenth Elder.

He wore a gentle expression that Elder Chongzhen and the others had never seen before.

After walking up to Ao Ruize, he reached out directly and patted his shoulder: “Good, good, good! Truly worthy of being my, Long Xiao’s, own grandson. This time, you’ve really given me face! Hahahahaha!”

Hearing this, many people present couldn’t help lowering their heads.

Because they were worried the Nineteenth Elder would discover the mockery on their faces.

After all, before this, those illegitimate grandsons were less than his personal servants in the Nineteenth Elder’s eyes. It was known that the Nineteenth Elder’s two favorite things to do were: first, reprimand the collateral branches for not offending the direct lineage; and second, marry off outstanding illegitimate daughters and granddaughters to capable servants or the disappointing sons or grandsons of subordinates to win them over.

But now, he was actually praising a person from the collateral branch, calling him a good grandson with every breath.

So, did he realize that the direct lineage was ruined, and now the more promising one was this illegitimate grandson, Long Ruize, so he couldn’t wait to curry favor with Long Ruize?

Tsk!

Compared to the Nineteenth Elder’s current behavior, their previous words couldn’t even be considered sycophancy.

Thinking of this, their heads instantly lowered even more.

However, Long Ruize would probably accept the olive branch thrown by the Nineteenth Elder.

After all, they were just from a remote collateral branch and had no foundation to speak of in the clan grounds.

If they could have the Nineteenth Elder’s assistance, at least Long Ruize standing firm in the Dragon Clan wouldn’t be a problem.

It was just that thinking about how the Nineteenth Elder would also rise to a higher level in the future by borrowing Long Ruize’s status left a bad taste in their mouths.

Because how was the Nineteenth Elder worthy?

Elder Chongzhen finally reacted at this moment, so his expression instantly became complicated.

But what they didn’t expect was that in the next second, Ao Ruize directly swatted away the Nineteenth Elder’s hand on his shoulder.

The Nineteenth Elder’s expression instantly stiffened for a moment.

He only thought Long Ruize was dissatisfied with his previous bias towards the direct lineage.

He immediately said pleasantly: “This place is too shabby. I’ve already had people clean up the side hall of Qiankun Peak. Why don’t you move to Qiankun Peak first?”

Qiankun Peak was his residence.

After saying that, the Nineteenth Elder turned to look at Elder Chongzhen: “All these years, I neglected you. You have suffered grievances.”

He paused: “Your mother’s remains are buried in Chongzhen, right?”

“Why not move her to Qiankun Peak?”

The implication was that he was prepared to give Elder Chongzhen’s mother a status.

And without guessing, one knew that what he prepared to give Elder Chongzhen’s mother must be the position of his principal wife.

Elder Chongzhen was inevitably moved.

Because he only learned later that when his mother passed away, the people in the village firmly disagreed with his maternal grandparents burying his mother in the village’s ancestral grave on the grounds that his mother was unclean and had a child out of wedlock, which would dirty the ancestral grave. Later, his maternal grandparents could only bury his mother on a barren mountain.

It wasn’t until decades later, when he was sent down to be an elder in Chongzhen and saved some wealth, that he finally managed to move his mother’s remains from the desolate mountain wilderness and rebury her.

So if he could bury his mother in the Dragon Clan grounds under the name of the Nineteenth Elder’s wife, naturally no one would mock her in the future.

Consequently, his and Long Ruize’s status would also become much more respectable.

Thinking of this, he subconsciously turned to look at Ao Ruize.

Just at this moment, Ao Ruize’s voice rang out: “No need.”

“Such an honest and dutiful woman as my grandmother definitely wouldn’t want to go to Qiankun Peak to fight over a rotten cucumber with hundreds of men and women.”

Hearing this, the expressions of everyone present changed. They looked at Ao Ruize in disbelief.

They hadn’t expected Ao Ruize not only to refuse the Nineteenth Elder but also to call him a rotten cucumber… But to be fair, this description was actually quite apt…

Ao Ruize continued: “After all, didn’t you believe Long Tianlu’s words before and also felt that my father wasn’t your son?”

“Since you didn’t take my father, this illegitimate son, to heart, then naturally my father has no need to regard you, this illegitimate father, with any importance.”

Illegitimate, illegitimate… father?

Hearing this term suddenly, everyone was stunned.

But they quickly reacted.

Right.

Since a child not born of the father’s principal wife is an illegitimate son (shu son), then why can’t a father who isn’t the mother’s husband be an illegitimate father (shu father)?

The Nineteenth Elder didn’t treat the illegitimate-born as humans, yet fathered a bunch of illegitimate children. Isn’t this being a whore yet wanting to erect a chastity arch?

He probably never dreamed that one day he would be reduced to the illegitimate status he looked down upon the most!

If an ordinary person said this, probably no one would take it to heart.

But these words happened to be spoken by Long Ruize—he was already the Young Clan Leader. When he sat on the throne of the Dragon Clan Leader and held power over the Mingxiao Continent, the Nineteenth Elder would probably never be able to shake off the title of “illegitimate father” in his life.

Illegitimate father—

This term was brilliant!

“Pfft!”

Someone couldn’t help laughing out loud immediately.

Even Elder Chongzhen couldn’t help opening his mouth wide.

Most importantly, he actually felt that what Ao Ruize said made a lot of sense.

So what did they have to feel inferior about? From their mother’s perspective, the Nineteenth Elder was the illegitimate one!

The Nineteenth Elder finally reacted.

His face turned directly black.

He gritted his teeth: “Long Ruize, do you know what you are saying?”

He never expected that Long Ruize would actually refuse the olive branch he extended.

Not only that, but he actually turned around and mocked him wantonly.

Ao Ruize raised an eyebrow: “This Young Clan Leader has seen cheap people, but never seen someone this cheap. Being scolded, not retaliating immediately is one thing, but asking to be scolded again…”

Hearing this, the people present, especially those illegitimate brothers of Elder Chongzhen, almost buried their heads directly into the ground.

They thought, You keep calling yourself ‘This Young Clan Leader’ with every breath, does the Nineteenth Elder dare to touch you?

Sure enough, hearing this, no matter how angry the Nineteenth Elder was, he only clenched his fists tight.

“Good, very good.”

The Nineteenth Elder laughed out of anger.

Today his face was completely lost.

But it didn’t matter. Sooner or later, he would let Long Ruize and Elder Chongzhen know the consequences of offending him.

“I only hope you won’t regret it in the future.”

After speaking, he left directly with a flick of his sleeves.

So much so that it wasn’t until his back completely disappeared from their sight that the crowd finally came back to their senses.

When had they ever seen the Nineteenth Elder look so wretched—

“Pfft.”

Someone couldn’t help but laugh out loud again.

But in the next second, they quickly covered their mouths.

Because if the Nineteenth Elder knew they were laughing at him behind his back, he certainly wouldn’t let them off.

After all, no matter what, he was an Elder of the Dragon Clan, far from someone these collateral branches could afford to offend.

Then they realized.

They couldn’t afford to offend the Nineteenth Elder, but could Long Ruize afford to offend him?

Don’t forget, Long Ruize’s position as Young Clan Leader wasn’t secure yet.

Now that Long Ruize had offended the Nineteenth Elder to death… looking at the Nineteenth Elder’s posture, he certainly wouldn’t let Long Ruize off.

Long Ruize was in trouble!

Elder Chongzhen also realized this.

If he felt relieved when he first heard Ao Ruize’s words, he was just as worried now.

As soon as the others left, he couldn’t wait to say: “Ruize, were we a bit too triumphant just now?”

Ao Ruize turned to look at him: “Did Father want to engage in false politeness with the Nineteenth Elder again?”

Elder Chongzhen fell directly silent.

“Don’t worry.”

Ao Ruize said: “I know what I’m doing.”

“And don’t you want to rely on your own strength to trample the Nineteenth Elder under your feet?”

“What?”

Elder Chongzhen was stunned.

Rely on his own strength to trample the Nineteenth Elder under his feet?

One must know he was currently only at the mid-stage of the Golden Core, while the Nineteenth Elder was already at the mid-stage of Deity Transformation, and it was said he was about to break through to the late stage of Deity Transformation soon.

There were a full eight levels between them.

So even if he was given another eight hundred years, he might not necessarily surpass the Nineteenth Elder.

Ao Ruize smiled: “I thought of a good way to improve your aptitude…”

Almost at the same time.

The news that the Dragon Clan had appointed an unknown collateral relative as the Young Clan Leader spread directly throughout the entire Mingxiao Continent.

Leaving aside the reactions of other families, let’s just talk about those original candidates for the Dragon Clan Young Clan Leader.

“Long Ruize? Who?”

“Just because his bloodline concentration is relatively high, Lord Dragon Soul directly appointed him as the Young Clan Leader?”

“Twenty-seven years old and hasn’t even broken through the mid-stage of Golden Core?”

“You should know that the one with the lowest cultivation among us is already at the Great Perfection of the Golden Core, so apart from having a relatively high bloodline concentration, where is he better than us?”

Long Tiancheng crushed the teacup in his hand directly.

Wasn’t he precisely the Nineteenth Elder’s legitimate grandson, Long Tianlu’s biological elder brother?

Following that, he stood up directly: “Let’s go, back to the clan grounds—”

He wanted to see who this Long Ruize was, exactly. Not only did he surpass them to sit directly on the position of Young Clan Leader, but he also caused his younger brother to become a cripple, damaging his reputation by association. It even caused his good grandfather to abandon him without hesitation, choosing to extend an olive branch to Long Ruize instead.

…

One could imagine how much the Sixth Elder’s head hurt when receiving the letters sent back by these people.

“I’m afraid the clan grounds won’t be peaceful next.”

The Clan Leader said, however: “This is good too.”

After calming down, he also felt that his eagerness to appoint Ao Ruize as the Young Clan Leader according to Lord Dragon Soul’s instructions back then was a bit impulsive.

After all, apart from knowing that Ao Ruize’s bloodline concentration was relatively high, they knew almost nothing about his abilities.

—Mainly, they learned about the incident where Ao Ruize mocked and ridiculed the Nineteenth Elder who came to visit.

From their perspective, they naturally felt that Long Ruize was too reckless, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to describe him as ‘arrogant upon success’.

So regarding Ao Ruize, they suddenly weren’t that satisfied anymore.

“Just right, let them test his abilities.”

This way, they could better prescribe the right medicine and teach Ao Ruize in the future.

Hearing this, the other elders present also nodded one after another.

“That’s good too.”