Crafting an Immortal Race with Daily Hexagrams-Chapter 340 - 198: The Grand Conspiracy (Part 2)

Shen Chongming slightly shook his head, not saying anything.

Beside him, Liu Fang tugged at his sleeve and said, "Old Zhao, over here..."

Zhao Jinhua, belatedly aware, turned around and noticed Lu Zhiyuan walking in slowly. He hurriedly clasped his hands in salute.

With an expressionless face, Lu Zhiyuan approached Shen Chongming and nodded at him slightly.

As if indicating that everything was ready.

Seeing this, Shen Chongming slightly narrowed his eyes, then said blandly, "Everyone, please be seated."

The crowd sat back in their seats with trepidation.

Lu Zhiyuan sat next to Shen Chongming.

"It has been sixty-five years since the Immortal Sect descended. Most of you here have followed our Shen Family since its rise."

"In these sixty-five years, our Shen Family has grown from a rural village household to the Fetal Breathing Family we are today, thanks to the strong support of you and your backing families."

Shen Chongming’s speech was slow, his voice gentle.

But those present were all stewards controlling a family, not fools.

They listened attentively to his words.

Though Shen Chongming had only fully taken over the Shen Family for over a year, his methods had already instilled great fear among the affiliated clans.

This meeting today already felt somewhat eerie to them.

And now, with Lu Zhiyuan of the Clan Court’s arrival, the tense atmosphere reached a peak.

Listening to Shen Chongming’s seemingly complimentary opening remarks, there was not a hint of joy among those below.

Their minds spun rapidly, recalling everything their families had done recently, big or small.

Shen Chongming paused for just a few breaths, and among those present, two people’s faces had already gone pale, their bodies slowly beginning to tremble.

If not for the solid purple sandalwood chairs they sat on, they likely would have collapsed to the ground by now.

Shen Chongming glanced at the two, sneering, "I was young, and most of you here are of my father’s generation or even older."

"Having lived so long, you must have heard this saying."

"Guard against everything, but a family thief is hard to guard against."

As these words were spoken, the temperature in the ancestral hall seemed to drop suddenly.

All the stewards present shivered.

Zhao Jinhua glanced at everyone, then secretly looked at Shen Chongming, sighed silently, shook his head, and continued to rub his palm.

"Among these old folks, someone’s bound to be in trouble."

"This boy Chongming is tougher than his dad."

"If a few old guys have really done something they shouldn’t have..."

As Zhao Jinhua lightly touched a scar on his palm, he thought to himself and understood.

This time, even Master Lu of the Clan Court was involved, so the matter can’t be small.

Unlike him, who could reflect with a clear conscience and still have the mind to think randomly, the rest had their hearts in their throats.

If not for their cultivation or regular consumption of Heavenly and Earthly Treasures, it’s likely one of the six might be scared to death.

"The Shen Family hasn’t treated you or your backing families poorly, right?"

Shen Chongming suddenly asked, and no one dared to speak.

"Young Clan Leader!"

"I... I lost my mind, I ask for your punishment!"

Finally, out of the six, someone couldn’t hold on any longer.

On the left, an emaciated old man beside Liu Fang hurriedly stood up, knelt in front of Shen Chongming, and spoke in a trembling voice.

"Young Clan Leader, it’s all my foolishness; the Shi Family’s members know nothing of it."

"I hope the Young Clan Leader will give the members of the Shi Family a way out, considering their diligent service over the years."

Shen Chongming looked at the kneeling Patriarch Shi, Shi Chong, and sighed, "If I recall correctly, Patriarch Shi is the clan uncle of Shi Miao, right?"

Shi Chong nodded repeatedly, a glimmer of hope suddenly rising in his heart.

Shi Miao, from the Shi Family’s direct lineage, was once selected as an Immortal Seedling alongside the current Young Clan Leader’s wife, Chen Youran.

Later, he had the fortune to live in the Shen Family residence, cultivating alongside the then young Shen Chongming.

Now, Shi Miao’s cultivation had reached the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer, and he was highly regarded.

Shi Chong thought Shen Chongming might show some leniency toward the Shi Family due to this connection.

"Sir."

Shen Chongming turned to Lu Zhiyuan and clasped his hands.

Lu Zhiyuan nodded and suddenly waved his sleeve.

In the next moment, an energy scroll appeared in the void in front of everyone.

The scroll was densely packed with words.

Seeing this, everyone couldn’t help but raise their heads to look at the scroll.

"Take a look, Patriarch Shi."

Shen Chongming coldly said, "See if the Clan Court has wronged the Shi Family."

At these words, Shi Chong stood trembling and turned to look at the words on the scroll.

The more he looked, the paler he became. By the end, he could no longer stand.

"It’s all been discovered..."

"How... how could this be?"

Shi Chong muttered in disbelief.

The scroll documented all the violations of clan rules committed by the Shi Family’s direct lineage.

Though mostly trivial matters, there were two items Shi Chong considered the most secretive and least likely to be discovered by the Clan Court.

Illegally mining Spirit Ore.

Secretly sending an unknown Immortal Seedling to Yunshui City posing as a Shi Family member.

The Spirit Ore was found by a hunter from Black Stone Village who fell into a cliff and accidentally discovered a Strange Stone.

After the hunter returned, he immediately brought the Strange Stone to the Shi Family residence.

After acquiring the Strange Stone, they thought it was extraordinary and had Shi Miao identify it, confirming it as a Spirit Ore.

The uncle and nephew wanted to report the matter to the Shen Family immediately.