Chapter 91: The Jun clan schemes.
Seated inside the main hall, two elders of the Jun clan, one a middle-aged man and the other a woman sat with outward calm.
Both were dressed in plain blue silk robes, attire so simple that, had they not been recognized as members of the Jun clan, they might have been mistaken for ordinary village elders.
Yet appearances could deceive.
These two were not mere commoners.
They were Master Realm powerhouses, cultivators capable of commanding wind and rain in the Soaring Cloud Region.
Despite their formidable cultivation, they waited patiently, showing no sign of arrogance, even though the one they awaited was a kid.
Creak!
The great doors swung open, and Jun Wu stepped into the hall. His expression was indifferent, his bearing calm but unyielding.
Without bowing or offering any greeting, he walked directly to the central seat of honor and sat down, his sharp gaze falling on the two elders.
"What do I owe the pleasure of such a sudden visit?" he asked coldly, his tone carrying a faint sneer.
Neither elder’s expression wavered, though the woman was the first to respond.
"You are a descendant of the Jun clan," she said evenly. "Do we, your elders, require a reason to visit you?" Her voice was steady and calm, betraying no hint of her true intentions.
Jun Wu’s lips curled. "Spare me the nonsense. Just tell me what you want and let’s get this over with."
The hostility in his tone was unmistakable.
The two elders blinked in mild surprise.
They had expected some resistance, perhaps a show of dissatisfaction, but not such naked enmity.
"Young Master, we mean no harm—" the male elder began, only to be sharply cut off.
"Get to the point," Jun Wu snapped. "My patience runs thin."
Toward the younger generation, Jun Wu often remained calm and aloof, but in front of these so-called elders, his disgust overflowed.
"Huh!"
The elders studied him closely, stunned by the intensity of his animosity. His hatred was not feigned, not masked hostility.
It was genuine.
Exchanging subtle glances, the two quickly realized the situation was far different than they had anticipated.
They knew Jun Wu might harbor grudges for the way he had been treated in the clan, but they had not expected his loathing to be this deep.
At last, the man abandoned any pretense of probing further. Plans to test Jun Wu about his rumored mastery in array formations vanished into thin air.
He straightened and spoke directly.
"Young Master, you have been summoned by the clan," he declared solemnly.
Jun Wu’s eyes narrowed slightly, but his expression did not shift. He stared at the two calmly and asked, "Is that all?"
"What?"
The elders were momentarily stunned.
Being summoned to the clan was no trivial matter. It carried one of two possibilities: either great reward or severe punishment.
But Jun Wu had committed no crime warranting punishment.
On the contrary, since leaving the clan, his actions had brought the Jun name great prestige.
The council of elders had therefore resolved to reward him handsomely, both to recognize his achievements and to elevate his standing within the clan.
After all, compared to other younger generations, Jun Wu had received almost no resources or support from the clan.
Everything he possessed, every step he had taken on his cultivation path, had been achieved through his own struggle.
Now, however, the clan sought to change their stance. They wanted to nurture him, to bind him closer to their power.
Most of all, they sought to secure the secret of the array plates’ production. Such knowledge could not be allowed to slip into the hands of rivals.
Though the elders before him would never speak these words aloud, everyone within the upper echelon already understood the true purpose behind this sudden goodwill.
Recovering from their shock, the woman elder leaned forward and asked softly, "Young Master, when will you return to the clan? We have been tasked with your protection."
Jun Wu’s lips curled into a disdainful smile. "Who said I would return at all? Since you’ve completed your so-called mission, you can leave my house now."
Shock rippled across their faces.
They simply could not comprehend his reaction. To refuse a clan summons so bluntly was nearly unthinkable. Yet Jun Wu had not hesitated.
"Young Master, are you truly rejecting the clan’s summons? Do you understand the gravity of this?" the male elder asked, his voice solemn.
Jun Wu met his gaze without flinching. "Do you think I care? Leave." He gestured dismissively with his hand, as though shooing away bothersome insects.
The woman tried again. "Young Master, please reconsider. This is for your benefit. Without the clan’s protection, you may not be safe."
Jun Wu scoffed, the sound filled with disdain.
"Safe? What has the clan ever done for me? Apart from trying to kill me, what have they given? What protection? Tsk. Laughable."
His tone grew sharper, his words carrying the weight of a blade. "So tell me...are you leaving, or must I find others to deal with you? Don’t think that just because you are Master Realm powerhouses, I cannot handle you. I can, and I will."
Inside, however, Jun Wu’s heart was resolute. ’I need to grow stronger, quickly.’
If his strength already surpassed theirs, he would not need to threaten them with outside force. He could have personally thrown them out without hesitation.
The two elders exchanged a heavy silence.
They knew his words were not empty.
Jun Wu’s grievances were rooted in truth.
The Jun clan politics had long been a mire of throat-cutting schemes, backstabbing, and betrayals. Such struggles had become a tradition of the Jun clan’s descendants.
Yet, Jun Wu’s situation was different. His hatred was not born merely of ambition or rivalry.
It was deeper, forged in abandonment and betrayal.
Sigh...
At last, the two elders rose to their feet, their expressions complicated.
It was not fear that moved them, but the awareness that pressing further would only worsen matters.
"Young Master," the man said gravely, "think carefully on this. We will remain in the city for two more days. If you change your mind, you may summon us."
With that, the pair turned and left the hall, their backs stiff with unspoken emotion.
Jun Wu watched their departing figures, a cold sneer tugging at his lips.
"I would be a fool to return to the clan."