Chapter 59: Director Yang's Visit

Over the years, only a few dozen juniors from the Tian Hen Family had ever made it into the Genius Class at Holy Spirit Academy. While failing to enter the Genius Class didn't necessarily mean one lacked potential for cultivation, those who did get in were invariably of astonishing talent and ultimately achieved remarkable accomplishments.

As the Family Head, Nie Hai had always been fair and impartial, never favoring any particular branch. Because of this, he commanded great respect and authority.

"Nie Li, tell me—what exactly happened with the Sacred Family?" Nie Hai looked at Nie Li and asked. In his view, Nie Li was not the type to stir up trouble among the juniors. He wouldn't have offended the Sacred Family without reason, and now that Nie Li had been accepted into Holy Spirit Academy's Genius Class, he already qualified as someone the family should invest in heavily.

"I admit I did offend the Sacred Family, Family Head, and I brought some trouble upon the Tian Hen Family. However, I've already resolved the matter," Nie Li replied with neither arrogance nor servility. He maintained a healthy respect for Nie Hai, but after his rebirth, even facing the imposing Family Head, he showed not the slightest fear.

Nie Li's state of mind had long since risen above everyone else's.

Nie Hai studied Nie Li with a trace of surprise. He had a feeling that today's Nie Li seemed somehow different from before. Even facing him directly, the boy showed no timidity at all, carrying himself with a composure and bearing that seemed beyond his years.

"Hahaha, how laughable! It was the Alchemist Association's help that freed our Tian Hen Family from the Sacred Family's oppression. The Association wanted us to grow various medicinal herbs for them—that's why they helped us. What does that have to do with you? What are you even capable of at your age, to claim you solved our family's problems?" Nie Xiaori spoke up from the side. He was saying these words on Nie Wei's instructions.

Hearing Nie Xiaori's words, Nie Li glanced casually at him and then at Nie Wei standing beside him. "How amusing. The Alchemist Association holds an exalted position in the City of Radiance, rivaling even the three great pinnacle families. Why would they help a weak little family like the Tian Hen Family? Just because we know how to grow herbs? Plenty of families can grow herbs! And why would they offer us herb purchase prices thirty percent higher than what they give other families?"

Nie Hai and the others froze slightly. This was precisely the question that had been gnawing at them. The Alchemist Association's actions went far beyond mere assistance—it was practically an overture of goodwill toward the Tian Hen Family. Yet they couldn't understand why such an exalted organization would court a declining house like theirs. It simply didn't add up.

Watching the calm and collected Nie Li, everyone present—whether Nie Hai, Nie Wei, Nie En, or the other Tian Hen Family elders—felt a stirring of doubt. Could this matter really have something to do with Nie Li?

Nearby, Nie Li's father, Nie Ming, had grown visibly panicked seeing his son talk back to the Enforcement Elder. Nie Ming possessed no cultivation to speak of and was merely a minor branch member in the Tian Hen Family—practically no different from a common farmer. He had never witnessed anything like this. Trembling, he dropped to his knees before Nie Hai. "Family Head, Nie Li is still young and doesn't know any better! I'm willing to accept his punishment in his stead. Please, have mercy!"

"Father, get up quickly!" Nie Li frowned when he saw his father kneel and hurried over to pull him up. His father was an honest man. "Father, you don't need to kneel to anyone!"

"Little Li, you've committed a serious offense and you still won't apologize!" Nie Ming scolded. In his mind, if Nie Li admitted his wrongs willingly, there might still be a chance for leniency. Talking back to the Family Head like this would only make things worse.

Seeing his father kneel on his behalf, Nie Li felt a sting in his nose. Whether in his past life or this one, his father had sacrificed too much for him. In his previous life, he had let his father suffer far too many hardships. In this life, he would absolutely not allow his father to endure even the slightest injustice. Nie Li's fists clenched so tightly they crackled, and he glared furiously at Nie Wei, Nie Xiaori, and Nie Xiaofeng.

Nie Hai looked at Nie Li, and a vague suspicion took root in his mind—the matter of the Alchemist Association shielding the Tian Hen Family surely had something to do with this boy. He looked down at Nie Ming and said, "Nie Ming, get up. Until this matter has been properly investigated, Nie Li will not be sentenced. While it's true Nie Li offended the Sacred Family, our Tian Hen Family has suffered no actual losses. No one will punish Nie Li arbitrarily!"

Hearing Nie Hai's words, Nie Ming's expression shifted to one of bewilderment. He stood up in confusion. The Family Head didn't intend to pursue the matter? He was still completely in the dark about what was going on.

"Family Head, if we don't punish Nie Li over this, it will be hard to maintain discipline. Even if the Tian Hen Family hasn't suffered material losses, the fact remains that Nie Li offended the Sacred Family. In the future, they might very well come after us because of it!" Great Elder Nie Wei said with a furrowed brow.

"Tell me, Enforcement Elder—do you belong to the Tian Hen Family, or to the Sacred Family?" Nie Li snorted coldly and shot back.

"Insolent! What right do you have to speak to me like this? Rules exist for a reason—I am simply enforcing them impartially!" Nie Wei huffed in anger.

"Great Elder, I don't think this is so simple. Little Li is not the kind to go around picking fights. What if the Sacred Family started this? The fault may not lie with Little Li at all. Since this matter has already passed, let it go!" Elder Nie En was clearly siding with Nie Li. Among the Tian Hen Family's various factions, if Nie Wei punished Nie Li, it would damage Nie En's own authority and standing.

"Is the Great Elder truly enforcing the rules impartially? Last time Nie Xiaori beat up someone from the Tianling Family, and you smoothed it over with a few gifts. Why didn't I see Elder Nie Wei punish Nie Xiaori for that?" Nie Li pressed, closing in step by step.

"Those two situations are completely incomparable! Nie Xiaori's conflict with the Tianling Family junior was for the family's benefit, and the Tianling Family's power can't compare to the Sacred Family's!" Nie Wei's face darkened. Nie Li had truly lost his mind, daring to confront him directly. What frustrated Nie Wei even more was that in this matter, Nie Hai had sided with Nie Li—and he couldn't very well oppose the Family Head.

"Since the Great Elder hasn't even investigated the matter properly, how can you be certain I wasn't fighting for the family's interests? Simply because the Sacred Family can't be provoked, you want to punish me severely—just to put on a show for them? If the Tian Hen Family can't even protect its own members, then it's not a family worth staying in!" Nie Li said, his cold gaze fixed on Nie Wei.

The entire hall fell into stunned silence.

No one had expected Nie Li to say something like this. This went far beyond merely talking back to the Great Elder. Nie Li's words meant he was threatening to leave the Tian Hen Family!