At this moment, hidden within the Huangpu clan…
The clan meeting was tense, with swords practically drawn. Naturally, the topic they were discussing was Huangpu Xian’er, the most brilliant figure in the Huangpu family.
If it weren’t for the fact that Huangpu Xian’er was born a woman, everyone would have believed she would become the future head of the Huangpu family, leading it to new heights.
Unfortunately, Xian’er was a woman, and there were certain things she had to face. At the very least, her happiness had become a bargaining chip for the family, and her resistance seemed utterly powerless.
“Clan Leader,” one elder spoke, his face dark. He was part of the faction that supported an alliance with the Tan family. “This time, Xian’er has gone too far. She’s boldly declared she already has a man—doesn’t that slap our Huangpu family and the Tan family right in the face?”
Inside the meeting hall, the elder’s expression was grim. He belonged to the pro-Tan faction, all of whom hoped Huangpu Xian’er would serve as a bargaining chip, marrying into the Tan family and binding the two hidden clans together.
“This matter is indeed Xian’er’s fault,” Huangpu Yi replied, his normally amiable smile fading slightly. By the end of his sentence, his tone had turned cold. As the leader of the Huangpu clan, he would not allow anyone to challenge his authority so brazenly.
“Second Elder, are you accusing me here?” he asked.
“Of course not, Clan Leader,” the second elder replied, his heart pounding. Under Huangpu Yi’s imposing presence, he couldn’t help but show a flicker of fear. Offending the clan leader’s authority was no small matter, and he knew the current leader of the Huangpu family would not be pleased.
“Let’s hope that’s not what you meant. Otherwise…”
With a cold snort, a glint of icy menace flashed in Huangpu Yi’s eyes. The Huangpu clan was becoming increasingly fragmented, and if things continued like this, the hidden Huangpu family might soon share the fate of other once-powerful clans that had fallen.
His veiled threat silenced the second elder. Yet, thinking of his granddaughter’s determined gaze and her bold actions, he felt a headache coming on. This was a marriage contract with the Tan family—an agreement not easily broken. Even the hidden Huangpu family would have to carefully weigh the consequences before taking such a step.
“Although Xian’er’s actions were extreme, she simply does not wish to marry a stranger. If your own granddaughter were forced to marry a man she’d never met, what would you do?”
Huangpu Yi’s eyes narrowed slightly, his lips curling into a bitter smile. As the head of the family, he had his own burdens. Even if he wished to protect Xian’er, he still had to consider the clan’s interests.
Everyone fell silent. Though the Huangpu family was large, each branch fiercely protected its own descendants. In such a situation, they would naturally take a stand.
“We’ve all watched Xian’er grow up, and none of us want to see her unhappy. But this time, the Tan family is eager to form an alliance with us. If we refuse, the Huangpu family’s position could become very precarious.”
“Everyone here knows the Tan family’s ambitions. Partnering with them carelessly could reduce our clan to a mere vassal.”
Huangpu Yi let his words hang in the air, carefully observing the flickers of reaction in everyone’s eyes. A faint, cold smile tugged at his lips. It seemed many in the room had already been swayed by the Tan family. Clearly, what the hidden Tan family truly desired was far more than just a woman.
“If Xian’er becomes a Tan, then the two families will be in-laws. Surely that would bring countless benefits to our Huangpu clan!”
Another elder stood up, clearly also part of the pro-Tan faction. His tone was firm, almost dismissive of Huangpu Yi’s authority. This elder was from an even older generation—Xian’er’s great-grandfather’s generation.
“As for whether there will be benefits, we’ll only know in time. Don’t you agree?” Huangpu Yi replied calmly.
Though he held some respect for these old men who refused to step down, Huangpu Yi had no intention of yielding. After all, he was the current clan leader—the most revered figure in the Huangpu family.
“Hmph!” The elder snorted but said nothing further, though his disdain was clearly visible to Huangpu Yi.
“An old man nearly a century old, and still unwilling to relinquish power—just trying to secure benefits for your descendants, aren’t you?” Huangpu Yi thought coldly. He knew it was precisely because of these ancient relics clinging to power that the Huangpu family had stagnated.
“Everyone knows our Huangpu family has a rule: before marriage, a daughter must not be touched by any man. If someone does touch her, then that man becomes her destined husband. No matter how much trouble Xian’er has caused, one fact remains undeniable—someone has touched her body!”
Huangpu Yi knew that if he even hinted at compromise, Xian’er would surely end up married to the Tan family. And given her nature, what would arrive at the Tan household might be nothing more than a corpse.
Once again, silence fell. Even the most arrogant elders would not dare challenge the ancestral rules. More than Huangpu Yi’s words, it was the clan’s pride that truly restrained them.
“Clan Leader, you truly have a brilliant strategy. If Xian’er hadn’t already left the family, I might suspect this was your idea all along…”
The elder who had just sat down hesitated, then spoke again. Among those present, only a few dared to speak so boldly to Huangpu Yi.
“I have no such intention. Even if I did, I would never gamble with Xian’er’s happiness.”
Huangpu Yi’s expression remained unchanged, but a coldness crept into the corners of his eyes. This arrogant old man truly didn’t understand his place. If it weren’t for the elder’s status, Huangpu Yi would have already lost his temper.
“If you truly place your own descendants above the clan’s well-being and put the Huangpu family in a vulnerable position, then you are no longer fit to be our leader.”
“Do you really have the authority to judge whether I am fit to lead? I’m merely stating the truth. If you refuse to follow the ancestral rules passed down through generations, then I have nothing more to say.”
This was the first time Huangpu Yi had addressed the elder as “Uncle,” but his eyes now burned with icy menace and a hint of murderous intent. The old man had clearly crossed a line, and Huangpu Yi had no choice but to assert his dominance more forcefully…
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