Seeing his son almost get hurt, Chu Tianbai was both furious and anxious, his whole body trembling with rage.
"Chu Jingzhuo! Are you insane?!"
Facing his anger, Chu Jingzhuo tilted his head slightly, wearing an innocent look, "Patriarch Chu, you can't say that. This isn't anything serious, why are you so angry?"
"This isn't serious?! You nearly killed him!" Chu Tianbai shouted, his eyes wide as if he wanted to eat him alive.
Even Tan Fangjun couldn't help frowning, "This young friend, one shouldn't go too far in their actions."
If it weren't for those two terrifying spirit beasts, he might've already stepped forward to discipline Chu Jingzhuo himself.
How could young people these days behave like this?
Chu Jingzhuo cast him a brief glance, he didn't know Tan Fangjun's identity, but he didn't care either.
He gave Chu Tianbai a mocking smile, "Patriarch Chu, five years ago, your spirit beast Batian threw me off a cliff. My life nearly ended, and you didn't seem to think it was such a big deal back then."
He pinched his throat and imitated Chu Tianbai's voice from back then.
"Jingzhuo, it's not that your uncle is scolding you, but look at you, you've already reached Foundation Establishment, so you should have the ability to protect yourself! Batian is just helping you train! See, Batian knows his limits, this cliff is only ten meters high. If you use spiritual power to protect yourself while falling, won't you be fine? If you have spiritual power but no adaptability, you won't go far!"
After saying this, Chu Jingzhuo looked back at Chu Tianbai, whose face had turned dark and ugly, and struck again with a smile, "Uncle, see? I've always kept your teachings in mind! I'm just helping Cousin Lin train!"
Everyone's eyes darted between the two men, expressions mixed and silent.
So that's what happened back then!
No wonder Chu Jingzhuo had suddenly run away.
If it were them, they'd have run too!
"Wow, Fourth Junior Brother, so there's that kind of training method!" Qin Yiwei exclaimed dramatically. "We were really ignorant! If we'd known earlier, we'd have followed your example!"
"Exactly!" Jiang Yunnuan added with sarcasm. "Fourth Junior Brother, that's not fair of you, helping them train but not us senior brothers and sisters!"
Chu Jingzhuo smiled apologetically at them, "Second Senior Sister, Third Senior Sister, sorry, I forgot back then."
"Well, fine, we forgive you," Jiang Yunnuan said, her fairy-like face paired with an exaggerated motion, her sarcasm at full force.
Chu Jingzhuo then turned to the nearly exploding Chu Tianbai and Chu Jinglin, "So, Uncle, Cousin Lin, no need to thank me."
Chu Jinglin was about to burst from anger, who would thank him?!
If not for those two terrifying spirit beasts, he would've already charged up and beaten Chu Jingzhuo to death!
Meanwhile, Tan Fangjun had caught an important detail from their exchange.
Chu Jingzhuo called Chu Jinglin "Cousin," and Chu Jinglin was twenty-one. Five years ago, that meant Chu Jingzhuo had been at most fifteen or sixteen.
He had already reached Foundation Establishment at that time?!
Once that realization hit, Tan Fangjun's eyes changed.
Reaching Foundation Establishment at twenty was already a rare genius. Fifteen meant an undisputed heaven-blessed prodigy!
If he had been in Changtian Sect, a fifteen-year-old Foundation Establishment cultivator would've received the best resources available.
If Tan Fangjun could recruit someone like that, his own standing in the sect would soar as well.
But then he remembered what the Chu family had said, Chu Jingzhuo's spiritual root had been damaged. His excitement cooled instantly.
Yes, his spiritual roots had been damaged for years. Even if they were repaired, the hardship and trauma he'd endured would've left deep marks on his heart, affecting his cultivation path later on.
In the world of cultivation, temperament was as vital as talent.
"Chu Jingzhuo, did you come back this time just to make trouble?!" Chu Tianbai barked.
"Of course not." Chu Jingzhuo smiled faintly, then his expression turned cold. "I only want to know, why did Patriarch Chu send people to kill me and my mother?"
At that question, the entire hall erupted in shock.
Everyone turned to Chu Tianbai, confusion written on their faces.
Wasn't Chu Jingzhuo's spiritual root already ruined? For Chu Tianbai to still send people after him, wasn't that going too far?
Chu Tianbai's expression twisted for an instant before returning to normal, "Don't talk nonsense! How could I ever send people to kill you?"
"That's right!" Chu Jinglin glared at him like knives. "Don't you dare spout baseless accusations!"
"Don't worry, I have evidence." Chu Jingzhuo smiled and nodded to the side.
Then Xin Jinrui brought three men forward.
When they appeared, murmurs rippled through the crowd.
These men often came and went from the Chu household, who hadn't seen them before?
But at a time like this, no one dared to speak. They all pretended to be ignorant, though their gazes toward Chu Tianbai grew more complicated.
Chu Tianbai's heart sank when he saw the three men.
They'd actually been captured by Chu Jingzhuo!
Useless trash!
But this wasn't the time to curse them. He kept a cold face, "I don't know them! Don't just grab a few random people and claim we sent them. We won't take the blame for this!"
He spoke righteously, expression firm and indignant, looking every bit like he was telling the truth.
But Chu Jingzhuo had already anticipated he wouldn't admit it so easily, "But they have the Chu family's token!"
One of the men immediately pulled out a family token.
What the Chu family members didn't notice was that as the man pulled it out, the others beside him quietly stepped back two paces, disgust flickering in their eyes.
When Chu Tianbai saw the token, his heart sank again.
These idiots were actually carrying the token on them? Were they afraid no one would find out?!
But he clenched his teeth and kept denying, "Don't think you can just steal a token from us and claim it means we sent you!"
"Stolen?" Qin Yiwei raised her brows in feigned surprise. "Wow, sounds like the Chu family's defenses are a bit lacking. Something that valuable could just be stolen? What if someone sneaks in one day and sets the place on fire, no one would even notice?"
"Shut up!" Chu Jinglin's face went green. "This is our Chu family's business!"
Just because she's a woman and looked good didn't mean he wouldn't hit her!
Unfortunately for him, Qin Yiwei couldn't care less about his threats and kept up her cold mocking, "Since the token's so easy to steal and means nothing, maybe we should sell it to someone else."
"That's right," Jiang Yunnuan joined in sweetly. "Fourth Junior Brother, who do you think we should sell it to?"
"Sell it to the Xiang Family," Chu Jingzhuo said with a calm smile.
They had already predicted this exact reaction long before coming.
"Nonsense!" Chu Tianbai's face turned livid.
The others' faces didn't look much better.
The Xiang Family was the Chu Family's rival!
If that token landed in the Xiang Family's hands, the Chu Family's reputation would be completely ruined!
Chu Tianbai's face darkened, his voice icy, "Chu Jingzhuo, don't go too far! You stole our family's token and brought accomplices to stage this farce, are you trying to humiliate the entire Chu Family?!"
Just as his words fell, several figures appeared at the entrance.
"Who's looking for me?"
When everyone saw who it was, the Chu Family's faces all changed at once.
Why did people from the Xiang Family come here?!