Master Ren the Elder and First Madam rushed in at this moment.
When First Madam saw the chaos in the ancestral hall, her legs went weak with fright, and Ren Yiyan quickly supported her.
Master Ren the Elder trembled with rage as he pointed at Ren Yijun.
Ren Yijun calmly looked at them, then slowly raised the ancestral tablet in his hand, adopting a posture as if to smash it.
Ren Yiyan exclaimed in alarm, "Third Brother! Don't do anything foolish!" As he spoke, he released First Madam and rushed forward to stop Ren Yijun's extreme behavior.
Ren Yijun, however, said coldly, "Don't come any closer, or I'll smash it."
Hearing this, Ren Yiyan halted abruptly just two steps away from him, appearing uneasy and anxious.
Even Master Ren the Elder dared not approach.
First Madam suddenly turned her head and, supporting her dizzy body, signaled with her eyes to her personal maid, who stood at the door, too afraid to enter and only daring to peek inside.
The clever maid immediately retreated with several other senior maids, driving the bewildered idlers in the courtyard to the backyard and having them confined. Fortunately, since this was the ancestral hall, only a few cleaning women were present, so it wasn't too difficult.
After the maid had controlled the situation, she hurried off without delay to find Third Young Madam Qi. Everyone in the Ren Family knew that Third Young Master Ren listened to no one and was beyond anyone's control—except for Third Young Madam, who was his nemesis.
Ignoring the reactions of those present, Ren Yijun looked at the ancestral tablet in his hand and said solemnly, "Great-grandfather above, your great-grandson has a few questions to ask you today. It is said that families build ancestral halls to honor their ancestors because the ancestors have spirits in heaven and can protect their descendants in critical times. Now, the Ren Family is in grave danger, and it is precisely the moment for the ancestors to manifest their power. If Great-grandfather cannot answer your great-grandson's questions today, then these tablets are of no use."
Hearing his words, Master Ren the Elder finally pointed a trembling finger at him and roared angrily, "Haven'tt you caused enough trouble? Put that tablet down now!"
Ren Yijun did not look up, continuing to address the tablet as if to himself. "Great-grandfather, your great-grandson wants to know the true origin of this so-called 'ancestral home' of the Ren Family."
As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the room grew tense.
First Madam glanced at the Eldest Master, knowing that today's matter might not be easily resolved. Wringing her handkerchief in her hands, her unease deepened. She wanted to speak but knew that once her troublesome son went mad, he wouldn't listen to anyone. She wondered whether she should simply call someone to subdue Ren Yijun first, lest he commit an irreparable mistake today.
Master Ren the Elder was also shocked that Ren Yiyan would ask such a question in front of everyone. Although only the four of them were standing in the ancestral hall, there had been several servants outside earlier, and there was no guarantee they hadn't overheard. Cold sweat broke out on Master Ren the Elder's forehead.
Ren Yijun curled his lips into a sarcastic smile and raised his head to address the Eldest Master, about to say something.
Seeing his reckless expression, Master Ren the Elder knew things were about to take a turn for the worse. In a fit of rage, he shouted, "Stop talking nonsense here! If you want to know something, I'll tell you!"Ren Yijun finally twitched the corner of his mouth upon hearing Master Ren the Elder's words: "I thought Father was unwilling to speak, so I could only come ask Great-Grandfather instead. After all, this was a matter of his generation—what you know likely isn't as clear as what he knew."
Master Ren the Elder was both furious and resentful, yet he had no way to deal with this mad, fearless son of his. In the end, he could only suppress his anger and say wearily to First Madam, "Take the others and leave first. Make sure no one comes near here."
First Madam glanced at the father and son, then finally nodded, signaling for Ren Yiyan to leave with her.
But Ren Yijun said, "Elder Brother is also a descendant of the Ren Family—he has the right to know the truth as well!"
Master Ren the Elder said nothing.
Ren Yiyan looked at Ren Yijun, then at his father, hesitation flickering across his face. After a moment of thought, however, he remained standing where he was, unmoving.
Seeing this, First Madam sighed softly and left without another word.
The corridor outside was already empty of people. After a moment's thought, First Madam turned and headed to the rear courtyard to deal with those who had been taken there earlier by the maidservants.
Only then did Master Ren the Elder say, "Put down the ancestral tablet at once!"
Ren Yiyan also urged, "Third Brother, Father has already agreed to tell the truth. You should put the tablet down."
Ren Yijun turned and walked to the altar table, placing the tablet in his hand back in its original position. But he remained standing beside the altar, watching Master Ren the Elder without moving, as if ready to seek answers from the ancestors again should his father go back on his word.
Master Ren the Elder had been pushed to his limit by this rebellious son and had gradually calmed down instead. Seeing Ren Yijun like this, he took a deep breath before speaking coldly, "You want to know the origins of this estate? Very well. It originally belonged to a family named Zhai. But those words you just spoke—whoever told you that must have had ill intentions. It's utter nonsense. Although this estate once belonged to the Zhai Family, it was after all the Zhai family members died at the hands of the Liao people that your great-grandfather purchased it from the authorities."
Ren Yijun stared at Master Ren the Elder and spoke word by word, "How did the Zhai family members die at the hands of the Liao people?"
Though Master Ren the Elder's expression remained composed, his back was already drenched in cold sweat.
"It was a time of chaos and war back then. The Zhai family was simply unlucky..."
Before Master Ren the Elder could finish speaking, a loud "thud!" echoed—one of the ancestral tablets on the altar suddenly fell and crashed to the ground.
Ren Yijun glanced at Master Ren the Elder, whose face had turned ashen, and said mockingly, "Father, heaven sees all. You'd better not lie, lest our ancestors suffer in the afterlife and we, their descendants, have to repay their debts. Was the death of the Zhai family at the hands of the Liao people truly just an accident?"
Master Ren the Elder fell silent for a moment before replying, "Of course it was an accident. Otherwise..."
Two more loud "thud! thud!" sounds followed—this time, two tablets fell from the altar.
Ren Yiyan's eyes widened in shock, and Master Ren the Elder stared fixedly at the fallen tablets, speechless for a long moment. Both of them turned their gazes to Ren Yijun.
Ren Yijun said calmly, "The gods watch from above. I didn't knock those over. Who knows if it's the vengeful spirits of this estate causing trouble?"Ren Yiyan's words made Master Ren the Elder feel a chilling atmosphere around him. Even though he had never believed in ghosts or spirits before, he couldn't help but feel a shiver in his heart. Yet he still insisted, "Even if there are vengeful spirits, they shouldn't come after our Ren Family..."
Then, a shocking scene unfolded—the ancestral tablets on the altar began to clatter and fall down on their own.
Just a short chapter to say hello before midnight~
There will be another chapter in the early morning, but no need to wait for updates~
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