"Please, esteemed Elders, show mercy! Spare my younger sister!"
Outside an old courtyard in Jiangjiayuan, a young man dressed in black was on his knees, repeatedly making obeisance to a middle-aged man while imploring for mercy.
The young man's name is Jiang Han and he belongs to the Jiang clan.
After returning from a hunting trip in the afternoon, he received the devastating news that the Three Elders of the clan had forcefully taken away his younger sister, Jiang Li.
It was because a prominent figure in Yunmeng Pavilion, Han Shiqi, had taken a liking to Jiang Li and intended to make her his concubine. Within half a month, he planned to formally welcome her into his household.
This news was like a bolt from the blue, and upon hearing it, Jiang Han almost fainted on the spot.
Six years ago, Jiang Han's parents mysteriously disappeared, leaving him and his younger sister Jiang Li to rely on each other for support. In his world, Jiang Li was everything.
Now, the Three Elders are attempting to force Jiang Li into an arranged marriage, which would also involve her becoming a concubine to an elderly man well into his sixties. How could he possibly agree to such a situation?
What is most infuriating is that Jiang Li is only 11 years old this year and is still a young child.
"Brother, brother!"
The door of the inner room was flung open, and a beautiful young girl, crying hysterically, rushed out.
Not after running for a few steps, a middle-aged woman emerged from the house and roughly pulled the young girl back inside. Soon after, there was a sharp slap followed by the young girl's sobs.
"Jiang Li!"
Upon seeing this, Jiang Han's eyes almost popped out of his head, and he stood up, ready to rush in. However, the cold stare from the Three Elders in front of him made him suppress his anger once more and stand back in place.
"Jiang Han!"
The third elder, around forty years old, was dressed in splendid attire and had a robust build. A grotesque scar resembling a centipede ran across his left cheek, giving him an intimidating appearance.
Gazing at Jiang Han, he spoke coldly, "Have you had enough? The decision regarding Jiang Li was made by the Elders' Hall of our family. It cannot be changed. Don't expect any leniency if you continue to cause trouble."
"The Elders' Hall?"
Upon hearing the words of the Third Elder, Jiang Han clenched his teeth so tightly that he could almost break them.
Is this an act of taking advantage of his youth and lack of experience?
The head of the Jiang clan has been secluding himself for half a year, and the senior elder has been bedridden for more than a month. It is said that they won't last much longer. The second elder is far away in Yunmeng City, leaving only the third elder as the current head of the elder council.
Decision of the Elders' Meeting?
This clearly stems from the sole intention of Elder Three.
Gazing at the cold and unyielding expression of Elder San, Jiang Han mustered up the courage to speak up: "Elder San, my younger sister is still very young. Please spare her this time. I understand that there is a past grudge between you and my father. If there's any issue, just target me instead of Jiang Li!"
Jiang Han didn't really understand the grudge between the Three Elders and his father from years past.
He only knows that his father was a rare and exceptional martial artist in the Jiang family, reaching the fourth level of the Xuanyou Realm at the age of 30. His combat prowess was unmatched among his peers, ranking only below the clan leader and elder.
It seems that the clan leader promoted his father as the leader of the hunting patrol team, which caused resentment among many of the clan's peers of the same age, leading to several conflicts.
The scar on the face of the third elder, one that had accompanied him for over a decade, was said to have been left by his father.
"Reckless behavior!"
The scar on the face of the third elder quivered with rage as he raised his hand and swung it hard against Jiang Han's face.
Instinctively, Jiang Han raised his arm to block, but the third elder's attack was too swift. He took a hard slap that sent him flying, landing heavily on the ground two yards away.
Wow!
Jiang Han struggled to sit up. He felt dizzy and as if his head was splitting open. His entire body was in excruciating pain, and he let out a mouthful of blood when he opened his mouth.
"It seems like they'll say anything just to stir up trouble!"
The Three Elders looked coldly at Jiang Han and shouted sternly, "This matter is already decided and cannot be changed. Lord Han will arrive in Jiangjiazhen in half a month. During this time, it would be best for you to behave yourself. If you dare to act recklessly, I will personally put you down."
"Furthermore, Jiang Li-sheng is under the command of Lord Han, and even in death, he remains a servant of Lord Han. Therefore, even if he were to die, his body must still be sent to Yunmeng City!"
"Jiang Long!"
The third elder turned and shouted in a low tone. A young man, thin and like a bamboo pole, strode over from a distance. He casually glanced at Jiang Han and said with a smirk, "Third Uncle, what is your order?"
"Starting from today, you are to have people guarding this place day and night!"
The Third Elder, with his hands behind his back, said, "For the next half month, Jiang Li is not to leave the courtyard under any circumstances. If Jiang Han dares to act recklessly... you are to handle it according to the clan rules!"
"Yes, Uncle San!"
Jiang Long is the close nephew of the Third Elder, who is naturally completely at ease. He gave Jiang Han another cold glance before turning and walking away in a big stride.
Gazing at the retreating figure of the Third Elder, Jiang Han felt his heart sink to the depths of despair, his face reflecting utter hopelessness.
Although they belong to the Jiang family, the Jianghan lineage has only had a single male descendant for three generations. After the disappearance of their parents, the two siblings found themselves without any support or resources within the Jiang family. Without access to the family's resources for cultivation, he possesses limited abilities and holds no significant position within the clan.
Although the Jiang family has many skilled individuals, the lineage of the Third Elder is particularly dominant and powerful within the clan, making it impossible for anyone else to stand up for them.
Zi Fu Realm, Xuan You Realm, Shanhai Realm... Each realm is further divided into nine levels.
Jiang Han is only in the fifth level of the Ziyu Realm. Not to mention the Third Elder, who is in the third level of the Xuanyou Realm, but even Jiang Long in front of him is already in the ninth level of the Ziyu Realm.
There is a significant gap of four levels between the two individuals, making him far from being a match for Jiang Long.
If he forcefully barges in and takes Jiang Li away, the only outcome is that he will be beaten to death by Jiang Long.
"Jiang Xiaoyue, you are indulging in personal vendettas; you will not live a good life!"
Jiang Han gritted his teeth, harboring deep resentment in his heart.
The third elder, Jiang Xiaoyue, has a personal vendetta against his father, and this action is clearly a malicious act of retaliation.
From childhood to adulthood, Jiang Li had never left Jiang Jiating. How could Han Shiqi, who lives far away in Yunmeng City, possibly know about her? It must have been Jiang Xiaoyue who intentionally sent Jiang Li as a concubine to Han Shiqi.
In this way, he can not only settle a long-standing grudge, but also curry favor with the influential figures at Yunmeng Pavilion, making it a shrewd move.
"Go back first!"
Standing there in shock for a moment, Jiang Han forced himself to calm down and, despite the pain, slowly made his way towards his small courtyard.
At this moment, many members of the Jiang clan who were passing by gave him sympathetic glances. However, not a single one approached him to speak with him. In the elder's hall of the Jiang family, it was absolute authority, and no one dared to defy it.
Lost in thought, Jiang Han returned to his small courtyard and sat motionless on a chair, as if a statue.
After sitting there for an hour, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't come up with any clever plan to escape.
In order to escape with Jiang Li, his overall combat power must reach at least the Ninth Layer of the Purple Palace Realm. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to pass Jiang Long's test. It took him six years of hard work to barely reach the Fifth Layer of the Purple Palace Realm. How could he possibly achieve the Ninth Layer in just half a month?
Staying behind would only allow Jiang Li to be taken to Yun Meng Pavilion and subjected to the abuse and degradation of a perverted old man, making her life a living hell.
"Is there no way out?"
Jiang Han muttered despairingly as his hand involuntarily tightened around a cylindrical jade pendant that hung from his chest; it was the only memento left to him by his mother.
Casting his gaze out the window, he muttered in bewilderment, "Father, Mother, where are you? Are you alive or dead? What should I do? What should I do?"
Pow!
Perhaps due to the intense emotions and excessive force, the tripod-shaped jade pendant was literally crushed by Jiang Han.
SUDDENLY!!
A burst of blinding light emanated from the tripod-shaped jade pendant, illuminating the entire room in an instant.
"Hey, look at this..."
Jiang Han was startled and looked down. His expression was somewhat disoriented. Although the tripod-shaped jade pendant had been crushed by him, no residue remained.
His hands were completely empty, and that strange tripod-shaped jade pendant had inexplicably vanished.