Chapter 19: The Weight of Judgement
Chapter 19: The Weight of Judgement
Just outside the great hall, a suffocating silence loomed—thick enough to choke on. Tension gripped the air, taut like a drawn bowstring, until the stillness was pierced by the faint sound of chuckling.
It came from the entrance.
Leisurely, almost mockingly, Deacon Mo strolled into the hall. Amusement danced in his eyes, and his crooked shadow slithered across the stone floor behind him. With his disheveled hair, unkempt beard, and mismatched robes, he looked more like a mischievous pauper than a respected deacon of the Xiao family. Yet no one stop him. Whether it was the weight of the moment or the weariness of hearts already battered by turmoil, not a single protest was raised.
The moment he entered, Xiao Rongyu’s breath caught. Her composure faltered, amber eyes widening with barely concealed panic as she scanned the elders. Her mind spun. What is he doing here?
Among the Xiao family, only two people had ever truly mattered to her: her grandmother, Madam Xiao Ru, and Xiao Chen. Though they shared no blood, having grown up side by side, they were closer than siblings—once inseparable, two halves of a whole.
But everything had changed a year ago.
When Xiao Chen returned from his long and mysterious journey, he was no longer the same. The warmth in his gaze had vanished, replaced by a cold, distant indifference. He buried himself in cultivation, shutting her out without a word. Their bond, once so fierce and unbreakable, slowly withered.
And yet, even now… she could never sever the lingering care in her heart.
During the Martial Spirit Awakening Ceremony, she had watched him closely, her heartbeat a chaotic drum in her chest. When his martial spirit manifested as a low mortal rank, something inside her cracked. Worry churned like a storm within her—but she said nothing. His distance, her own fear… they both caged her silence.
But this—this was different.
They were talking about stripping him of his birthright, of everything he had ever known, without remorse. Like wolves picking at the weakened.
Her voice trembled, barely breaking through the thick atmosphere.
“Grandma…”
All eyes turned to her.
Her amber eyes locked onto her grandmother’s face, desperate, pleading. She remembered clearly—Xiao Yang had called out to Madam Xiao Ru before the revelation. The meaning had been unmistakable. This was no solo betrayal. It was orchestrated. Pre-approved.
Madam Xiao Ru met her granddaughter’s gaze, her expression softening for the briefest moment. Then, she sighed—a tired, weathered sound that seemed to carry the weight of a thousand years.
“Listen well, child…” she said gently, each word heavy with age and sorrow. “Life is not always simple. It is like a flowing tide—we must bend with the current if we wish to survive. Because of Xiao Chen’s… unfortunate martial spirit, the entire city now speaks. Do you think the Lao Family will ignore such an opportunity? They will strike. To preserve our standing… this is necessary.”
The words hit like a hammer to the chest.
Xiao Rongyu’s breath hitched. Her legs threatened to give way as the truth set in. This wasn’t just Xiao Yang’s doing. The elders… her own grandmother… had all agreed.
“Hmph!” A scornful snort shattered the fragile moment.
Elder Xiao Feng stepped forward, sneering openly. “Do you truly expect us to let Xiao Chen continue representing the Xiao family? As the young master? After that pathetic display?” His voice dripped with mockery. “With that trash martial spirit, he might as well be a cripple!”
Fury rippled through the hall.
At the head of the room, Patriarch Xiao Hao clenched his fists, the veins on his temples bulging as he struggled to contain his rising anger.
Around them, the gathered geniuses stood frozen, their faces pale with disbelief. It was all too much, too fast—the ground beneath their feet felt like it was crumbling.
Even Xiao Han, who prided himself on stoic composure, couldn’t hide the tremor in his breath.
Yet at the heart of the storm, Xiao Chen stood unshaken.
He didn’t shout. He didn’t plead. He simply frowned—eyes cold, gaze sweeping across the elders like they were insignificant insects. His eyes lingered briefly on Elder Xiao Feng before he snorted, disdain dripping from the sound.
Elder Xiao Mei, watching from the shadows, felt her heart grow uneasy. No matter what happened next… she knew this wouldn’t end quietly.
Just then, Deacon Mo burst into loud laughter, his voice jarring and sharp like broken glass. “Good! Hahaha! Who would’ve thought this day would come? Perfect! That trash will finally be put in his place!”
His joy was unmistakable. He had waited for this.
“Grandmother!” Xiao Rongyu suddenly stepped forward, her voice cracking, pain and fury flashing in her tear-brimmed eyes. “This… this is not fair to Brother Chen! Just days ago, he was praised—revered! He brought honor to our name, struck fear into our enemies! And now, just one day after that ceremony, you would judge him so coldly? So cruelly?!”
The air turned still. Her voice echoed off the stone walls like the cry of a wounded bird.
The Third Elder let out a long, heavy sigh, gently stroking his greying beard. “Life… is not fair, my child,” he murmured, tone low with regret. “It is tragic. Xiao Chen, once our brightest light… has now fallen. A mere waste. What else can we do?”
“Hahaha!” The First Elder’s shrill laughter followed, jagged and dry like snapping twigs. “Tch… He should be grateful we’re being merciful! If not for his past status, he’d be stripped of everything! Cast out like the trash he’s become! That is his fate!”
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Silence gripped the hall again, thick and suffocating. The First Elder’s venomous words hung in the air like a guillotine.
Then—
“BOOM!”
A thunderous shockwave rocked the chamber.
The marble beneath Patriarch Xiao Hao cracked as his aura erupted, overwhelming and wild, sweeping across the hall in a storm of power. The spiritual pressure pressed down on everyone like the heavens themselves had descended.
“Peak Stage of the Martial Lord Realm…” someone whispered, stunned.
Gasps rippled across the room. Not even the elders had known. Quiet and reserved, Xiao Hao had broken through… in secret.
Now, that secret burned like fire.
His eyes blazed with fury, locked onto the First Elder. His voice rumbled like a gathering storm.
“First Elder… Insulting my son before me is no different from slapping me in the face!”
All color drained from the First Elder’s face. Sweat rolled down his temple. Even Elder Xiao Jian, proud and unyielding, only stood at the Early Stage of the Martial Lord Realm. Under this pressure, he was a candle before a hurricane.
The younger disciples trembled, some clutching their chests as the weight crushed the breath from their lungs.
“Patriarch, please…” Elder Xiao Jian finally moved, flickering to the Patriarch’s side with a forced smile. He tugged lightly at Xiao Hao’s sleeve, whispering, “Anger clouds judgment. This… is not the place.”
For a moment, Xiao Hao didn’t move. His fury radiated like a wildfire.
Then, slowly—he exhaled.
The pressure vanished like smoke in the wind, and the gathered disciples dropped to their knees, gasping for air. The Elders straightened, tension still thick in their limbs.
Xiao Hao’s voice returned, cold and sharp.
“He is my son. My blood.”
He turned to the First Elder, the threat in his tone undeniable.
“Mind your words.”
The First Elder lowered his head, teeth clenched. “Yes… Patriarch.”
Silence once again crept in. Fragile. Uneasy.
Until a calm voice sliced through it like a blade.
“Why care what that old bag said, Father…?”
Heads turned—every eye falling on Xiao Chen.
He stood tall, his presence quiet but undeniable. His voice carried no arrogance, no pride—only an icy calm that silenced the room more than any outburst could.
“These old farts… As long as I, Xiao Chen, am alive—no one decides my fate.”
A thunderclap of silence followed.
The elders froze. The geniuses stood as statues. Even Deacon Mo’s grin faltered.
In that one moment—though labeled trash, though deemed broken—Xiao Chen stood above them all.
And somehow, it felt like the tides within the Xiao Family had just begun to shift.