Chapter 16: The Scandal Behind the Xiao Family

Hearing this, Xia Zhentian's expression shifted slightly.

"Rebellious daughter, isn't it all because of you?"

Li Wanru, standing to the side, heard Xia Qingxue's question and her face immediately turned ugly. "To teach our Xia Family a lesson, Su Chen personally ordered someone to cut off your father's left hand."

"Father, I'm sorry, it's my fault. Please, beat me, beat me to death; I have no right to live in this world anyway."

Xia Qingxue knelt on the ground, her face covered in tears, crying out in extreme agony.

She knew that everything was due to her own willfulness, which had led to today's situation, so she could blame no one.

If she could choose again, she would definitely have agreed to Su Chen early on and become his woman.

But now, it was too late to say anything!

Once the enemies of the Xia Family in Donghua Continent learned the news that Su Chen had annulled his engagement to her, they would surely come to take frantic revenge.

Now that her father, the only Great Saint Realm expert in the family, had one hand crippled, his combat power was greatly diminished.

Once war broke out, there was no need to guess what the final outcome for the Xia Family would be.

The other members of the Xia Family in the main hall were filled with despair; without the protection of the Su Family, that towering tree, their end would be miserable.

"Sigh, it's all the fault of that girl Qingxue, she was too willful."

"Exactly, she always had her eyes turned up to the sky, never putting anyone in her sight. Now look at this."

"Qingxue, you've ruined us!"

Everyone sighed and shook their heads, complaining.

In the past, everyone had dared to be angry but not speak out regarding Xia Qingxue's unrepentant, arrogant, and domineering young lady temperament, but at this moment, it all poured out like a flood.

Listening to the accusations ringing in her ears, Xia Qingxue's tears rolled down like broken beads; she kept her head low, not daring to face the clansmen.

At this moment, she understood that there was no longer any room for her in this home.

Without Su Chen's love, she had lost too much—so much that she could not bear it.

Hum~

Above the void over the Xia Family, a ripple suddenly appeared, and then a group of soldiers in golden armor slowly descended from the void.

They held weapons, their expressions cold, and their bodies exuded a terrifying aura.

Seeing these golden-armored soldiers, the crowd that had been whispering fell silent, panic appearing in their eyes.

Because this group of golden-armored soldiers were the Prefecture Army of the Donghua Prefecture.

Seeing this formation, it was clearly not a good thing.

From top to bottom in the Xia Family, no one dared to make a sound.

A man wearing a red-tasseled helmet, clad in golden armor, with a burly and sturdy build, walked up to Xia Zhentian and cupped his fists. "Head of the Family Xia, we are here to announce the order from the Prefecture Lord."

Having said that, he took a piece of rice paper from his bosom, threw it beside Xia Zhentian, and said, "Because the Xia Family mined Spirit Stones without authorization, the Prefecture Lord has ordered that the Xia Family must hand over all assets within three days. All members of the Xia clan are to be expelled from the territory and are not allowed to step half a step into Donghua Continent."

As soon as the words fell, everyone was stunned.

Xia Qingxue's knees went weak, and she knelt on the ground, the light in her eyes dimming, her heart feeling as if it were being cut by a knife.

The assets of the Xia clan had been saved bit by bit by their ancestors, and over these years, they had spent a great deal of effort to accumulate their current wealth and status.

But now, were they to lose it all overnight?

"Let's go!"

The golden-armored general ignored the Xia Family members, only glancing lightly at Xia Qingxue, who was slumped on the ground, his eyes full of contempt.

She could have ascended to the heavens in one step and become the future mistress of the powerful Su Family, but she had to court death herself, offending that Young Master and leading to today's outcome.

Truly, one who brings disaster upon oneself cannot live.

The golden-armored general withdrew his gaze, turned around, and led his men away.

In the main hall, only a group of pale-faced Xia Family members remained.

Xia Zhentian looked at the content on the paper, his brow filled with grief and indignation.

The vast Xia Family was completely ruined in his hands.

"Husband, you must think of a way, I don't want to be driven out of Donghua Continent," Li Wanru called out anxiously.

"That's right, Head of the Family, you must save us."

Hearing Li Wanru's voice, the others hurriedly echoed her.

"Father, Mother, I..."

Xia Qingxue raised her head, her eyes tearful, filled with guilt and unwillingness. "I will go beg Su Chen now, let him save our Xia Family..."

She understood that now, in the entire Tianxuan Continent, only Su Chen could save the Xia Family.

"What is the use of you realizing this now?"

Li Wanru turned back, glared fiercely at Xia Qingxue, and gritted her teeth. "It's useless for you to go beg him. It's not just Su Chen dealing with the Xia Family anymore; it's the entire Donghua Continent. Only by becoming his woman can you protect the Xia Family."

Hearing this, Xia Qingxue's delicate body trembled, knowing the implication in her mother's words.

However, for the future of the entire family, she gritted her teeth and crawled up from the ground. "Mother, I understand what I must do."

Su Family.

"Mei'er, how is the investigation into the Xiao Family going?"

Su Chen sat on a rattan chair in the courtyard with his legs crossed, looking at Su Mei'er, who was pounding his back, and asked.

"Young Master is wise. On the surface, the Xiao Family seems calm, but in reality, there are undercurrents surging."

Su Mei'er's mouth curled slightly upward. "The Xiao Family's eldest legitimate daughter, Xiao Ruoyu, and the second young master, Xiao Tiancheng, have long since turned against each other in private to fight for the position of the next Head of the Family, even though they are siblings with the same father but different mothers."

"Although Xiao Tiancheng has no real talent, he is ruthless and has often tripped Xiao Ruoyu up in secret. If it weren't for Xiao Ruoyu's profound cultivation, she would have fallen victim to his schemes long ago."

As she spoke, she reached out to rub Su Chen's shoulders and laughed, "That Xiao Tiancheng is really not a good thing; he actually had an affair with one of his father's concubines, secretly giving his father a huge green hat."

"Hehe, in these large families, it is not surprising to have such absurd things happening behind the scenes."

Hearing this, Su Chen waved his hand and said, "A person like Xiao Tiancheng is ruthless enough to kill his own father, let alone exchange affections with his stepmother."

He remembered very clearly that in the original work, in order to take over the Xiao Family as quickly as possible, Xiao Tiancheng had killed his own father in public without the slightest hesitation when his old man expressed that he was unwilling to relinquish the position of Head of the Family early.

At that moment, there was not a shred of guilt or unease in his heart.

He felt that he was only doing it for the good of the Xiao Family.

But the matter was far from as simple as it appeared on the surface.

The Xiao Family Head of the Family, Xiao Hanshan, had always meticulously groomed Xiao Ruoyu and hoped that Ruoyu would succeed him in the position of Xiao Family Head of the Family.

Even at the very end, when Xiao Tiancheng defeated Xiao Ruoyu and was preparing to accept the position of Head of the Family, the reason Xiao Hanshan had been slow to hand over the Head of Family Order was that Xiao Hanshan had discovered a shocking scandal.

Xiao Tiancheng was actually

(End of chapter)