Chapter 23: The Increasingly Twisted Xiao Yan

Chapter 23: The Increasingly Twisted Xiao Yan

Although he felt a pang of resentment, Xiao Ning felt much better knowing that the person sitting next to Xun Er would not be Xiao Yan, but Xiao Se, who had not the slightest interest in her.

"Family Head, three Elders." Seeing Xiao Ning sit down, Xiao Se stepped forward slowly and bowed respectfully to Xiao Zhan and the other three seated at the head of the hall.

"Mm, just find a seat and sit down." Xiao Zhan waved his hand dismissively. He was already troubled enough and had no time to spare for an ordinary junior of the Xiao family.

Xiao Se did not mind Xiao Zhan's attitude in the slightest. He was merely going through the motions anyway; whether he would return after setting out for experience was a matter for another day.

Scanning the room, the only empty seat in the entire hall was beside Xiao Xun Er. Naturally, Xiao Se walked over to it.

"Miss Xun Er, do you mind if I sit here?" Xiao Se asked, neither humble nor pushy, his tone devoid of any flattery.

Xun Er shook her head, her voice cool as she replied, "Cousin Xiao Se, please, feel free."

"Mm." Xiao Se nodded slightly, sat down, and closed his eyes to rest.

The surrounding young men and women of the Xiao family felt a twinge of jealousy seeing Xiao Se sit beside Xiao Xun Er with such ease. They knew that several others had tried to sit there earlier, only to be rejected by her.

Even Xiao Yan cast a resentful glance at Xiao Se. His hands, hidden within his sleeves, were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Recalling the scene from two months ago when Xun Er and Xiao Se were "chatting and laughing" outside his courtyard gate, he felt a surge of indignation and wished he could rush up and punch Xiao Se.

The reactions of Xiao Yan and the other youths were not lost on Xiao Se, but he paid them no mind; the Xiao family was merely a stepping stone for him.

"Ahem..." The First Elder of the Xiao family scanned the room. Seeing that all the direct descendants were present, he looked toward Xiao Zhan and said indifferently, "Family Head, since everyone has arrived, let the clan meeting begin."

Xiao Zhan frowned, waved his hand helplessly, and said, "Let the meeting begin."

After a series of formalities, the meeting finally drew to a close.

Xiao Zhan swept his gaze across the crowd with a cold expression and asked solemnly, "Everyone, are there any other proposals? If not, this clan meeting is concluded."

Upon hearing this, the First Elder exchanged a look with a burly middle-aged man sitting beside Xiao Ning.

"Family Head, three Elders, I have something to say." The burly man stood up and bowed to the four of them.

Seeing him rise, Xiao Zhan frowned and asked, "Xiao Ba, what is it? Speak."

"Heh, Xiao Ba, your cultivation has reached the seven-star Dou Shi level. You are an indispensable member of our Xiao family. Any suggestion you make will be carefully considered by the Family Head and us," the First Elder said with a smile.

"That's right, that's right," the other two Elders echoed.

Seeing the three Elders nod, Xiao Ba took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "I propose that we strip Xiao Yan of his position as Young Family Head."

As soon as these words fell, it was like a pebble creating a thousand ripples.

"Crack!" Xiao Zhan’s face turned deathly pale, and the jade cup in his hand shattered instantly.

The atmosphere in the hall turned bizarre. Some were surprised, some felt pity, some sympathized, but most were gloating.

"Heh, he was a Dou Zhe at the testing ceremony two months ago, dropped to the fourth stage of Dou Zhi Qi a month ago, and now he is only at the third stage. Let's see how the 'number one genius of the Xiao family in a century' can continue to be so arrogant and domineering."

Since the news of Xiao Yan's loss of Dou Qi had been exposed, some of the younger generation had abandoned their usual fawning posture. Upon hearing Xiao Ba’s proposal to remove him, their expressions became vivid, and the looks they cast at Xiao Yan were filled with mockery and ridicule.

Seeing Xiao Zhan’s grim expression, cold sweat dripped from Xiao Ba’s forehead. However, after receiving a reassuring look from the three Elders, he steeled himself.

"Family Head, I know Xiao Yan is your son, but for the sake of the Xiao family, we have no choice. As Young Family Head, Xiao Yan has received more than half of the cultivation resources allocated to the younger generation. If he still possessed his extraordinary talent, this would be fine, but now that he is only at the third stage of Dou Zhi Qi, continuing this way would not only waste family resources but also hinder the progress of other geniuses. This... is not worth the loss," Xiao Ba said, sighing helplessly.

Mentioning cultivation resources caused a stir among the younger generation, who began to voice sour complaints they barely believed themselves:

"No wonder Xiao Yan cultivated so fast. It's hard for us to get a medicinal bath once every ten days or half a month, but he’s been soaking in a medicine jar every day. If it were me, I could have become a Dou Zhe before the age of twelve too."

"Heh, Family Head, I think Xiao Ba is right. We shouldn't waste resources on someone without talent," the First Elder said with a smile, emphasizing the words "without talent."

"That's right, Family Head, we should use these resources to cultivate more geniuses for the Xiao family," the Second Elder added.

"I agree with Xiao Ba's proposal," the Third Elder nodded.

"I agree as well..."

With the three Elders leading the way, other elders with influence and power in the family began to speak up, all hoping to secure more for their own children.

"You..." Xiao Zhan’s face was now as dark as ink. He felt stifled and nearly resorted to violence; he had never expected those three old foxes to incite so many people.

Just as Xiao Zhan was caught in a dilemma, Xiao Yan’s voice, suppressing his fury, suddenly erupted in the hall.

"Three Elders, Steward Xiao Ba, I can do without the resources, but we will not agree to stripping me of the position of Young Family Head."

The hall fell silent instantly. All eyes turned toward Xiao Yan, who was roaring from the corner.

"Xiao Yan, this is a clan meeting. Who gave you the right to speak? Shut your mouth!" the Second Elder shouted angrily, his expression darkening.

"Xiao Yan, step back. This is a clan meeting. The senior management will make the final decisions," the Third Elder said indifferently.

Xiao Yan stood up slowly, a sneer curling his lips. "Two months ago, why didn't you dare speak to me like that? Was it because you feared my talent and worried that I would retaliate once I became powerful?"

He scanned the younger generation in the hall. When he saw Xiao Mei’s evasive gaze, the sneer on his face deepened. He finally understood the ugly faces of this family.

Yet, Xiao Yan failed to notice that his own past arrogance and domineering behavior were no different from those who were now mocking him; the roles had simply been reversed.