Well, Guess I'm the Family Head Now

A deathly silence fell over the entire hall. Immediately after, sharp intakes of breath sounded one after another. A clamor of whispered discussion broke out. "What! That woman's cultivation is actually higher than the Third Young Master's!" "Sigh, I said long ago that we should have established Su Xi as the principal wife earlier. Look at this now… sigh…" "You can't blame it all on the family head. After all, the Third Young Master is rarely at home." "Still, this went too far. However you look at it, they're still family. Striking with such heavy hands…" The clan elders buzzed with agitation. "So this is the oppressive might of a Tribulation Transcendence mighty figure… Absolutely terrifying…" "Yeah, for a split second there, I thought I saw my late great-grandmother waving at me…" a white-haired old man muttered, wiping cold sweat from his brow. "Hmph! If you ask me, Wenshan and Hongguang brought this entirely on themselves! Over the years, they've turned into utter dandies!" an old man holding a dragon-head cane scoffed. Su Xi sighed softly and gave a slight wave. "Feng'er, that's enough." Hearing her, Ye Feng lifted his foot, straightened up, and bowed. "Alright. Feng'er will listen to Mother." He returned to his chair and sat down. Without looking at Ye Tianying, Ye Feng picked up his teacup and took a sip. "Father, give me a reason." Ye Tianying waved his hand, ordering servants to carry Ye Wenshan and Ye Hongguang away to tend to their injuries. Both mothers left with their respective sons as well. "Sigh…" "You… now possess godlike cultivation, but you are away from home year-round." "Over all these years, I thought it over again and again, and felt it was necessary to groom Wenshan and Hongguang." "The family business has grown so large. Someone needs to be holding the reins, don't they?" Standing to the side, Xiao Chen couldn't help sighing under his breath. *How foolish…* he muttered internally. *With Second Brother standing here… does this family really need anyone else groomed to hold power?* Ye Feng clenched his teeth, the fury in his chest flaring hotter with every word. Today, the Ye family was indeed at the height of its prosperity. They had a son at the Tribulation Transcendence realm and the backing of the realm's premier sect. Their spirit herb business stretched across the Six Domains, thriving and flourishing. Yet because Ye Feng was away year after year, the Ye family needed someone who could keep things in order. Ye Feng did not say a word. He stood up, walked over to Su Xi, and said softly, "Mother, let's head back to the side courtyard." Turning back toward Xiao Chen, he said, "Fourth Brother, take my mother and Qing'er back to the side courtyard first. Qingchan and I will be along shortly." Xiao Chen nodded slightly, walked over to Su Xi, bowed, and smiled. "Auntie Su, allow me to assist you." Su Xi wanted to say something more, but ultimately held her tongue. She knew her son's temperament; whatever he did, he acted with measure. Ye Qing'er looked at Xiao Chen, her eyes shining as she pursed her lips and stifled a giggle. Once they had departed, Ye Feng looked at Ye Tianying and spoke plainly. "Father…" "Ah, speak your mind." Ye Feng's expression was conflicted. He drew a deep breath, fell silent for a long moment, and slowly said, "I brought Qingchan back because I wanted all of you to meet my Dao companion." "I never wanted things to escalate like this." "But you must understand—whether it is Qingchan or Xiao Chen," "Their standing may eventually become that of your daughter-in-law and son-in-law." "Yet you cannot overlook that in terms of cultivation realm, they stand among the absolute peak of this world!" "Even within the Seventh Domain, neither of them is someone anyone dares to look down on!" At this point, Ye Feng paused briefly. "As for your concerns… they are entirely unnecessary." "With me here, with the Great Xia Sword Sect here, with Eldest Brother here," "Even if every last person in the Ye family were a mortal, no one under the heavens would dare harm a single hair on a Ye family member's head!" "Now that the Ye family wields such influence, we should take our cues from the Great Xia Sword Sect all the more." "Without standards, nothing holds together. Our clan rules and precepts must be strict, and anyone who transgresses must face punishment!" "What makes a prominent, venerable clan?" "Isn't it the foundation secured across generations by upholding clan rules and discipline?" Ye Feng cast a disdainful glance toward the doorway. "With useless good-for-nothings like Ye Wenshan and Ye Hongguang, it wouldn't take a century before they squandered every bit of the Ye family's foundation!" "If there is a next time, I wouldn't mind having the Ye family support two cripples for the rest of their lives!" The moment these words left his mouth, many elders in the hall nodded involuntarily. The looks they directed at Ye Feng carried a newfound measure of respect. This was the vision and mindset a true leader ought to possess! Ye Tianying was filled with emotion as well… After hesitating for a long while, Ye Tianying suddenly produced a jade seal. Stepping down from his seat, he slowly pressed the seal into Ye Feng's hand. In that single instant, the man seemed noticeably relieved. "Today, Father passes the position of family head to you…" Ye Feng froze for a moment, looking at the seal in his hand before realizing it was the Ye family head jade seal. "Father, I don't have time to manage the household…" Ye Tianying smiled. "You don't need to stay home every day to run things." With that, the man murmured in self-deprecating reflection, "Your father here… is just a merchant capable of running small businesses." "Now that the business has grown so massive, and the family so large… at times I truly don't know how to weigh what's important and what's not." "Leaving the Ye family in your hands sets my mind at ease." The gathered elders in the hall were naturally thrilled to witness this. Rustle! The elders all rose to their feet and bowed, calling out in deep, resonant unison: "Greetings, Family Head!" Ye Feng had not anticipated things developing to this point either… Since it had come to this, Ye Feng put away the jade seal, clasped his fists, and returned the salute. "Then it would be impolite to refuse. The position of Ye family head—I'll take it!" With that, Ye Feng walked straight up to the highest seat of honor. As if a heavy burden had been lifted from his heart, Ye Tianying's brow smoothed, and he finally felt a great deal lighter. Yet Ye Feng's very first decree was: "Strip Ye Wenshan and Ye Hongguang of everything under their management." "From now on, both mothers and their sons will simply draw a monthly allowance. Their cultivation resources will remain as before." "All commercial channels of the Ye Family Chamber of Commerce will be placed under the management of the Guanyun Chamber of Commerce. They will take a thirty percent cut of the profits, and the Ye family will simply enjoy the net remainder!" Upon hearing this, many felt it was unnecessary, but no one spoke up in objection. Ye Feng's perspective was different. Presently, the entire Ye family consisted of relatives, making graft and corruption inevitable. With outsiders handling management, even after giving away thirty percent of the profits, the remaining seventy percent would likely far exceed what they were pulling in before. Next, Ye Feng began to restructure the family rules and precepts. Should anyone violate a single one, the consequences would be unbearable… Ye Feng leaned forward slowly, narrowing his eyes. "Don't think I won't kill. These family rules are the bottom line." "If anyone dares cross that line and harm the Ye family, don't blame me for being ruthless." Having said his piece, Ye Feng stood up and walked toward the entrance. He pushed open the heavy doors. "Respectfully seeing off the Family Head!" "Respectfully seeing off the Family Head!" Ye Feng took to the air, flying toward the side courtyard while softly exhaling a breath of turbid air. In earlier years, Ye Feng had never paid much heed to Ye Wenshan and his brother. After all… whenever they were in front of Li Guanqi, they had behaved very meekly, never vying or fighting for anything. Yet now, spoiled by favor and banking on Ye Tianying grooming them, their conduct had turned arrogant, overbearing, and insolent! Along the way, Ye Feng sent a voice transmission to Li Qingchan, and the two walked side by side. "All settled?" Ye Feng gave the jade seal in his hand a light shake, speaking with a wry, helpless tone. "Well, guess I'm the family head now." "Hahahahaha!" "What are you laughing at?" "Hahaha, nothing, I just find it hilarious, hahaha!"