The System Arrives: Leading My Clan to Become the Strongest

106: Chapter 106 The Jiang Family Withdraws and Returns to Jingyun Courtyard”Indeed.”

Huangfu Shaoyuan put down his wine cup, his fingertips lightly tapping the stone railing with a crisp sound. His gaze swept over the group of Jiang Family Clan Members gathered together, their faces full of vivid spirit, and the smile in his eyes deepened.

”A group that emerged from a peripheral small city like Tianfeng City, yet hasn’t had their sharp edge dulled by the capital’s vanity. Instead, they’ve pulled together like a single rope. This spirit is far stronger than those noble families who sit idle and consume their ancestral heritage.”

He changed the subject, his gaze landing on Jiang Chen. The young man stood outside the crowd, calmly watching his Clan Members cheer. His aura was so tranquil that he didn’t seem like a youth at all, but rather like a helmsman who had weathered countless storms.

”Especially this young man named Jiang Chen. To become a Clan Chief at such a young age—this kind of capability isn’t something just anyone can maintain.”

In his mind, those who could become a Clan Chief were either elders who had spent decades immersed in the Family, relying on accumulated prestige and experience to command the respect of both young and old;

Or top-tier experts with overwhelming strength and cultivation, capable of suppressing enemies on all sides and protecting the clan’s stability single-handedly;

Or wise men with exquisite minds and extraordinary strategy, who could always accurately break through treacherous situations and lead their Family to find a chance of survival in desperate straits;

Or direct descendants with pure Bloodlines and the glory of their ancestors, maintaining the order of the Family Legacy through their legitimate status.

But Jiang Chen was different.

He was too young; his features even carried a hint of lingering youthfulness. Standing in the crowd, he lacked the sharp, overbearing pressure of a powerhouse, the dignified aura of an Old Patriarch, or the arrogant elegance of a noble Family’s direct descendant.

He was like a green pine silently rooted on a mountain peak; appearing ordinary, yet standing in a unique posture amidst the wind and frost.

Huangfu Shaoyuan’s fingers twisting the wine cup paused slightly, a trace of curiosity flashing in his eyes.

Huangfu Canglan nodded in deep agreement. His gaze passed over Jiang Feng and Jiang Xueqin. The two half-grown children were huddled together, curiously peering at the condensing gold pill in Jiang Beiyuan’s hand, their faces full of excitement yet still maintaining proper decorum. Clearly, they had been taught very well.

”The younger generation is truly formidable. The children of the Jiang Family’s current generation have a light in their eyes—a ruthlessness from having seen blood and braved the wilderness, yet carrying the warmth of Family unity. In time, they might just make a name for themselves in the Yuan Kingdom.”

Only Huangfu Xuance still kept his gaze on the Battle Stage, though there seemed to be an imperceptible ripple in his cold eyes compared to before.

His fingertips tightened unconsciously. In his ears were the suppressed curses from the Zhao Family camp below and the bursts of laughter from the Jiang Family side. These two contrasting sounds intertwined like two different blades, repeatedly cutting through his originally indifferent state of mind.

For a moment, it actually made him feel that perhaps he needed to keep his distance from a Family like the Zhao Family.

In the past, the Zhao Family had relied on a continuous stream of rare treasures and cultivation resources to be branded as Huangfu Xuance’s subordinates.

Those rare spirit ores, ancient Spirit Medicines, and even the defensive Magical Artifacts custom-made for him had allowed the Zhao Family to become so powerful in the capital that no one but the royal Family dared provoke them, growing step by step to their current scale.

For this Qingfeng Martial Meet, the Zhao Family’s Clan Chief had personally visited two days ago, holding Thousand-Year Warm Jade and half of an ancient unknown Cultivation Technique, earnestly asking him to be ”slightly biased” so that the Jiang Family—this upstart Family from nowhere—would lose face in the capital and lose any possibility of establishing themselves.

At that time, he hadn’t cared. To him, the Zhao Family’s offerings were an equal exchange, and lending a hand was just a minor favor. After all, the struggles between noble families in the capital were always like this—the law of the jungle, with no reason to discuss.

But now, seeing the two vastly different performances of the Zhao Family camp and the Jiang Family, he felt a slight repulsion toward the Zhao Family.

What the Zhao Family sought was always to rely on his protection to bully the weak and consolidate their own status.

What they did was merely exchange resources for protection, but at their core, they were a group of short-sighted cowards who could not tolerate the rise of others.

If it were only that, it would be fine. After all, there were tens of thousands of such families; without the Zhao Family, there would still be the Li Family or the Wang Family. Why not just use the Zhao Family to gain resources and have the best of both worlds?

But now, seeing the Zhao Family camp in this state of flying into a rage and filled with endless foul language, the balance of ”equal exchange” in Huangfu Xuance’s heart suddenly collapsed.

The Zhao Family’s offerings were indeed tempting, but being tied to such a group of narrow-minded cowards who only knew how to use influence to bully others would, over time, likely even stain his own Dao Heart with grease.

What kind of person was he, Huangfu Xuance? How could he be bound by mere resources and become a tool for the Zhao Family to suppress their rivals?

He hadn’t cared before because he felt the struggles of the capital’s noble families were just like that, but the appearance of the Jiang Family was like a beam of pure light, exposing the Zhao Family’s despicableness.

As one of the three Nascent Soul Ancestors of the Yuan Kingdom, he was somewhat unscrupulous, but he was no fool.

If the Jiang Family were simple, he would have just settled it as a favor. But seeing that the Sovereign and the other two Nascent Soul Ancestors also appreciated this Jiang Family, there was no need for him to offend his own clansmen for the sake of a mere Zhao Family.

No one knew the shifting thoughts on the Viewing Platform. Below the Battle Stage, as Jiang Chen watched the Golden Core duel about to erupt on stage, the last trace of interest gradually faded from his brow.

To him, the purpose of this Qingfeng Martial Meet had already been achieved.

The Jiang Family was no longer that unknown small Family hidden in the Great Wilderness. They had shown the noble families of the capital the Jiang Family’s foundation and allowed the Clan Members to undergo tempering.

Jiang Chen turned to look at Jiang Beiyuan beside him, his voice calm and rippleless.

”Fifth Elder, give the order. Pack our things; we are returning to the Jingyun Elegant Courtyard.”

Jiang Beiyuan was slightly stunned. The Martial Arts Tournament hadn’t ended yet; why was the Clan Chief leaving so soon? However, he didn’t ask and only nodded in response: ”Yes, Clan Chief.”

Jiang Chen said no more. He turned toward the Clan Members gathered nearby. Looking over the faces filled with both excitement and exhaustion, he said warmly:

”It’s getting late. Everyone, return to the courtyard to rest and recover your energy. We will discuss future matters later.”

Although the Clan Members were somewhat curious about the outcome of the Golden Core duel, they had always been obedient to Jiang Chen. Hearing this, they all withdrew their interest.

Jiang Feng and Jiang Xueqin carefully put away the condensing gold pill and quickly followed the group, their faces still carrying the lingering excitement of participating in the grand event.

Jiang Chen walked at the very front of the group, his back straight and his steps steady, showing no lingering attachment to the clamor on the Battle Stage.

The group followed the bluestone path, slowly leaving the Martial Arts Tournament venue and walking toward the Royal Courtyard.

The noble disciples along the way were all surprised to see the Jiang Family leaving now, but no one dared to step forward to stop them—the Jiang Family’s performance today had been brilliant enough that these capital disciples no longer dared to look down on them, and some even showed a hint of fawning.