Chapter 701: Chapter 701: The Love of Parents
"Rebellious son? Hah!" Xue Linyu gave his father a cold glance, turned around, and dropped a sentence, "Father, think about how to deal with those elders of the Xue Clan. They are not as easily fooled as your son, who can be dismissed with a single accusation of ’rebellious son’."
With that, he prepared to leave on the spot.
"Stop right there!" Xue Ping shouted loudly, his vision going dark with rage.
Xue Linyu stopped, turned his head back, and said indifferently, "Does Father have any further instructions?"
Xue Ping leaned on the desk, taking a while to regain his composure.
Thinking of those troublesome Xue Clan elders, he felt a throbbing headache.
But when he thought about the possible great disaster looming over the Xue Family, all these seemed insignificant.
Especially when he saw his son, whom he had cherished for many years, looking like this, his heart ached and twisted in agony...
Suddenly, he had a revelation, and he snapped back to clarity in an instant.
Yes, a great disaster was approaching the Xue Family, and that meant his son...
Looking up at Xue Linyu, waves of emotions surged wildly in his heart.
Xue Linyu, who had appeared indifferent, straightened up a bit upon seeing the change in his father’s gaze, finding his father somewhat unfamiliar at this moment.
But what was even more unfamiliar was yet to come.
His father seemed to have realized something, his sharp eyes staring at him like a hawk, piercing and filled with complicated emotions.
He felt a little panicked, took an involuntary step back, and asked, "Father, what are your orders?"
Xue Ping made up his mind, even if the Xue Residence could not be saved, he had to protect his son and could not sit idly by any longer!
After his epiphany, his demeanor changed; he stifled his heartache, walked away from the desk, and stepped toward Xue Linyu. His gaze became terrifyingly calm, yet the deepest depths of his eyes revealed a desolate and profound sorrow.
As he approached his most beloved son, Xue Ping raised his hand and, amidst Xue Linyu’s confusion, delivered a fierce slap, shouting sternly, "Rebellious son, how dare you defy your father."
Caught off guard, Xue Linyu’s head snapped to the side, and he was utterly dumbfounded.
He widened his eyes, slowly turned his head back, touched his face, and stared at his father in disbelief. Then, he felt his face again; the place where he had been struck suddenly felt a burning pain, and five finger marks slowly emerged on his swelling cheek.
Xue Ping’s heart pounded with unbearable pain; this was the son he had tenderly raised from childhood. The pain inflicted on his child was a torment in his own heart.
Yet, he had no choice but to do this.
With a heavy heart, he called out loudly, "Somebody come here, throw this disrespectful and discordant rebellious son out of the Xue Residence!"
Xue Linyu’s mind thundered, and he looked in utter shock at the person who had cherished him for so many years.
The Steward of Xue Residence hurried over with his people upon hearing the commotion. Seeing the scene, he froze momentarily. This was the third young master of the Xue Family, a young master whom everyone knew not to provoke.
Though he did not know what had transpired, he knew what he had to do next.
Stepping between the two, he immediately said, "My lord, please calm down. The third young master is still young. If you guide him more, he will understand. If he has made a mistake, please show some tolerance."
Xue Ping’s eyes were bloodshot, and his gaze had not left Xue Linyu from the beginning. As the Steward of Xue Residence stepped in front of him, Xue Ping let out another furious shout and raised his hand, wanting to hit him again.
Xue Linyu instinctively dodged, but his face still couldn’t believe what was happening.
Seeing the situation, the Steward of Xue Residence ordered people to hold Xue Ping down firmly.
While Xue Ping angrily denounced Xue Linyu, he attempted to charge forward, but the Steward of Xue Residence and several others struggled desperately to block him.
But they couldn’t stop the determined Xue Ping.
He said sternly, "As a father, I have raised such a disobedient son and have failed our ancestors. To prevent this unfilial son from bringing further disgrace upon our ancestors, from this day forward, I will disown this son from the Xue Family Genealogy, and he shall have no more to do with the Xue Family."
Having said these words in one breath, Xue Ping seemed to have exhausted all his strength, and his entire demeanor sagged.
He turned his head away, not letting Xue Linyu see the sorrow in his eyes, and hoarsely said to the Steward of Xue Residence, "Call someone immediately, go and handle this matter now... quickly..."
The Steward of Xue Residence was shocked, "Master, please think this over. The Third Young Master has always been very filial, don’t you..."
"Enough!" Xue Ping barked, cutting him off, and firmly grasped the steward’s hand, making him anxious, "I not only want to drive this unfilial son out of the Xue Family, but I also want the whole world to know that I have no such unfilial son. Go and take care of it immediately. If you fail to handle this properly, I will have you killed!"
By the end, he revealed a fierce expression as if he was about to devour someone.
"Mas... Master..." the Steward of Xue Residence was stunned. He thought his master was putting on an act, trying to discipline the Third Young Master’s behavior, but he realized it was for real.
"Are you not going yet!" Xue Ping roared, pushing the Steward of Xue Residence away. He didn’t look at Xue Linyu again, afraid he might soften his heart.
"Yes, I’ll go at once," said the Steward of Xue Residence with a jolt, his expression fearful as he walked out of the study.
As for Xue Linyu, he seemed like a spectator, still caught in disbelief.
Having had an untroubled life for nearly twenty years, he experienced such a blow for the first time. He couldn’t believe the scene before his eyes, and even less so that the man who had been almost indulgent to him actually wanted to drive him out of the Xue Family...
It wasn’t until the Xue Residence went through a major commotion, with everyone, sincere or not, taking turns to plead, and Xue Linyu’s own mother crying and making a scene, all to no avail from his father;
It wasn’t until the elders of the Xue Clan arrived to plead too, yet still unable to sway his father’s resolve;
It wasn’t until the ancestral hall’s doors truly opened, announcing the removal of his name to the ancestors, that the process of disownment began;
Only then did Xue Linyu realize that his father really intended to oust him from the Xue Family, in the most ruthless and decisive manner.
Overwhelmed with an indescribable panic, he finally knelt down in submission, begging his father for mercy, attempting to change his mind, but it was too late.
Before long, the favored Third Young Master of the Xue Family was driven out like a dog through the back door of the Xue Residence by the Steward, looking very disheveled, with one side of his face swollen.
The Steward of Xue Residence loudly recounted his litany of egregious acts and announced to the passersby that henceforth, this man was expelled from the Xue Family and was no longer to conduct himself as a member of the Xue Family. Anyone who defied this would be severely punished.
Inside the Xue Residence, Xue Ping aged suddenly, his spirit utterly exhausted.
The atmosphere within the Xue Residence was somber, everyone knew that their master was in a bad mood, and while they all knew why, they couldn’t understand why the master insisted on turning the person out so forcefully.
"Has the matter been taken care of?" Xue Ping asked wearily.
Xue Changgui, uneasy, stood before Xue Ping with his head bowed and answered, "In response to your question, Master, all has been taken care of. We should receive a reply within three days."
"Hmm."
Xue Ping uttered the sound almost inaudibly.
He closed his eyes and quietly leaned back in his chair, silent for a long while.
Just when Xue Changgui thought he might have fallen asleep, Xue Ping opened his eyes, looked at the man before him, and asked, "Changgui, how have I treated you over the years?"