Chapter 584 The Ancestral Shrine is Destroyed
A square-faced middle-aged man in his forties approached. Despite being only in his forties, his temples were gray, making him look like he was in his fifties or sixties. This man was Huo Yuhao's father, Huo Zhengfeng!
"Mr. Chen, allow me to introduce my father, Huo Zhengfeng," Huo Yuhao said quickly.
"Hello, Uncle," Chen Xuan greeted with a smile.
"So you are Chen Xuan. I've heard Huo Yuhao speak of you. You are young and promising, and you've been a great help to our Huo family. Uncle must thank you properly," Huo Zhengfeng said, his expression somewhat excited.
"Uncle, you're too kind. Huo Yuhao has always managed Huo's Cosmetics. I only contributed some funds and didn't really help much," Chen Xuan replied calmly.
However, Huo Zhengfeng did not see it that way. The Huo family had the Tang family as a fierce rival. If Chen Xuan hadn't suppressed the Tang family, Huo's Cosmetics would never have been established, let alone developed to its current scale. Furthermore, if Chen Xuan hadn't paid a hefty sum to acquire the land for the Huo ancestral shrine, it would have been turned into an amusement park by now, and the Huo ancestors would have been restless in their graves!
"Mr. Chen, please come inside." Huo Zhengfeng enthusiastically extended his hand, inviting Chen Xuan in.
Chen Xuan nodded and did not stand on ceremony, stepping inside. They soon arrived at the living room. In the living room, a beautiful and graceful woman was pouring tea. This was Huo Yuhao's mother, Lin Xiangqiao! On the sofa sat an old man in gray clothing watching television. He had silver hair and looked at least seventy years old, but his eyes were bright and his spirit was high.
"This... must be Chen Xuan. Yuhao has mentioned you before," Lin Xiangqiao said with a smile, warmly offering Chen Xuan tea and water, and bringing him some freshly bought pastries.
"Thank you, Auntie," Chen Xuan said with a nod.
Then, Huo Yuhao led Chen Xuan to Huo老爷子, introducing, "Mr. Chen, this is my grandfather."
"Hello, Grandpa Huo," Chen Xuan greeted politely.
Sitting on the sofa, Huo老爷子 looked up. The moment he saw Chen Xuan's face, he was struck as if by lightning. The teacup in his hand instantly dropped onto the sofa, spilling tea all over Huo老爷子's leg, yet he seemed oblivious. His gaze was fixed intently on Chen Xuan, his expression one of extreme excitement.
"Dad..." Lin Xiangqiao quickly brought a towel to wipe him.
At this moment, Huo老爷子 heard Lin Xiangqiao's voice and seemed to snap back to reality, but his eyes still scanned Chen Xuan from time to time. The shock and excitement in his eyes were undeniable. Noticing Huo老爷子's gaze, Chen Xuan frowned. He didn't recall knowing Huo老爷子.
During the meal, Huo老爷子 was exceptionally enthusiastic towards Chen Xuan, and what was most surprising was his respect. Huo老爷子 even specifically asked Chen Xuan to sit next to him, constantly serving him food, as if Chen Xuan were the elder and Huo老爷子 the junior. He kept addressing Chen Xuan as "little brother." Huo Zhengfeng and Huo Yuhao wore embarrassed expressions, unsure how to address Chen Xuan, for if Huo老爷子 and Chen Xuan were to be brothers, wouldn't they have to call Chen Xuan "uncle" or "grandfather"?
After eating and drinking their fill, Huo老爷子 left Huo Zhengfeng and Huo Yuhao aside and enthusiastically pulled Chen Xuan onto the sofa to chat. Meanwhile, Lin Xiangqiao and Huo Yuhao cleaned up the dishes.
"Brother Chen Xuan, may I know your father's honorable name?" Huo老爷子 asked Chen Xuan with a look of anticipation.
Looking at Huo老爷子's face, Chen Xuan was also confused but didn't think too much of it. Just as Chen Xuan was about to speak, a voice suddenly came from outside: "Clan Leader! Something terrible has happened! The ancestral shrine has been flattened by an excavator!"
*Crack!*
Lin Xiangqiao's hand trembled, and the bowl fell to the ground, shattering into pieces. The Huo family members all stood up abruptly. Before the words had even finished, a young man rushed in, as if his backside were on fire.
"Xiao Hu, what happened?" Huo Zhengfeng asked the young man urgently.
"Clan Leader, something terrible has happened. I just received a call from the people guarding the shrine. Huo Xin brought people from the Tang family to the shrine. They deceived us and brought over ten excavators, flattening our Huo family shrine. When our guards went to reason with them, they were beaten and injured, with several people sent directly to the hospital," Huo Xiao Hu said hastily.
"Huo Xin is truly an ungrateful wretch! How could such a person come from the Huo family!" Huo Zhengfeng's face turned red with anger upon hearing this, and he slammed the table. The other Huo family members gritted their teeth. Huo Xin, despite being a member of the Huo family, colluded with outsiders for money and destroyed his own ancestral shrine. How would he face the ancestors in the afterlife?
"Clan Leader, what should we do?" Huo Xiao Hu asked anxiously.
"Don't worry for now. Go and summon all the Huo family members. We will head there immediately," Huo Zhengfeng, as the head of the Huo family, remained remarkably calm even in this situation.
"Alright!" Huo Xiao Hu shouted, turned around, and quickly left.
"Yuhao, let's drive there quickly!" Huo Zhengfeng looked at Huo Yuhao.
Chen Xuan said calmly, "I'll go with you."
Huo Yuhao glanced at Chen Xuan and immediately nodded. Chen Xuan was exceptionally skilled; all the Huo family members combined were no match for him. He would definitely be a trump card for the Huo family.
Huo Zhengfeng and Huo Yuhao initially didn't want Huo老爷子 to go, but Huo老爷子 insisted. However, to ensure Huo老爷子's safety, he could only stay in the car. Then, Huo Yuhao drove, taking the group towards the Huo family ancestral shrine.
Upon arriving near the Huo family ancestral shrine, Chen Xuan was stunned. He realized that the land of the Huo shrine was the very land required for the Dragon Vein. Could everything be predetermined by fate? However, Chen Xuan had no time to ponder this. Huo Yuhao suddenly slammed on the brakes, stopping the car. The group quickly jumped out. The scene that greeted them upon exiting the car left everyone dumbfounded. The ancient-style architecture, the Huo ancestral shrine, a veritable antique, had been reduced to ruins. Excavators were still operating on the ruins, as if to crush the Huo ancestors!
"Damn it! Damn it!" Angry roars suddenly erupted. Savage expressions instantly filled the faces of every Huo family member. Not just the Huo family, but even Chen Xuan was filled with rage. This was an act of extreme depravity!
At the front of the Huo shrine, two groups of people were facing each other. One group held hoes, while the other, led by Tang Chen and Huo Xin, had a row of excavators parked behind them, creating an imposing spectacle. The leading Huo family member angrily shouted, "Huo Xin, you are also surnamed Huo, and the blood of the Huo family flows in you. You actually colluded with outsiders to destroy the ancestral shrine. What face will you have to see the Huo ancestors in the future!"
Huo Xin's face flickered between green and white, but he gritted his teeth and said, "That's none of your business!" Recently, Huo Xin had incurred substantial debt by speculating in Bitcoin. If he didn't agree to Tang Chen's demands to clear this land, he would be finished!
"Hurry up, I have a mahjong game later," Tang Chen said impatiently.
"Yes, Young Master Tang, rest assured," Huo Xin replied. Then, Huo Xin let out a cold shout, turned to the Huo family members, and said, "Those who don't want to die, get out of the way quickly. The Huo ancestral shrine has already been mostly destroyed! It's useless even if you try to stop us!" He waved his hand, and the engines of the excavators behind him roared to life, spewing black smoke.
"No! I will not move even if I die!" The Huo family members stood shoulder to shoulder, opening their arms and forming a human wall. They had been deceived earlier, allowing one excavator to break through, but this time, they absolutely would not let any more excavators enter! Otherwise, they would have no face to see their ancestors in the future!