Innate Great Emperor

Chapter 4: Judgment Day - The Upright Elder

Three days passed. The final judgment day arrived.

Early morning. The cell door slammed open with a deafening bang. Someone had kicked it in.

Sunlight flooded the dark dungeon. A blinding ray hit Ye Jin's face. He was in the corner practicing Yoga and quiet Qigong.

He raised a hand to shield his eyes. Before he could see who it was, two burly men grabbed his arms.

Cold-faced. They hauled him up like a chicken. His feet didn't touch the ground. They dragged him out.

They carried him all the way to the Ancestral Hall. The Ye Pack's most prominent elders sat on both sides.

The moment Ye Jin arrived, the quiet hall erupted. Like a pot of boiling porridge.

The seated elders whispered and chattered. They didn't bother hiding their voices. Their eyes were cold and mocking.

They stared at Ye Jin kneeling in the center. Some sneered. Some scolded.

A few hot-headed elders cursed loudly. They wanted to rush up and slap him. Everyone looked righteous.

As if Ye Jin were a monstrous criminal. As if killing him was the only way to satisfy the pack.

"This disgraceful little bastard!"

"How did our Ye Pack produce such a scourge? A tragedy!"

"Tell me, the Second Madam is his stepmother. Did she ever mistreat those brothers? Yet this little bastard did such a thing!"

Ye Jin knelt before the ancestral tablets. His face was blank. Pale and withered.

His mind wandered. He ignored the insults around him. This mental state fit his situation perfectly.

At the head of the hall sat a middle-aged man. His face was ashen. Silent.

Three strands of black beard. A face like jade. This was Ye Jin's father—Ye Shouzheng.

Beside him stood a poised, noble woman. She wore plain brocade. She waved a red feather fan gently.

Her pale face was calm as water. But every glance she threw at Ye Jin held undisguised malice and triumph.

Little bastard. I've endured your rotten temper for three whole years. Now I'm finally kicking you aside!

Ye Jin's expression remained blank.

"Everyone shut up!" A thunderous voice boomed from outside the hall. Heavy footsteps followed. Like war drums.

"I've been away from the Ye Pack. How did something like this happen? Is execution really necessary?"

The noisy hall fell dead silent. As if cut down by a blade.

A whirlwind swept into the hall. A mighty elder in his fifties strode in. His hair was graying.

A square jaw. A body like a small mountain. Thick gray eyebrows slanted toward his temples.

Eyes like bronze bells. His aura was overwhelming. He demanded respect without anger.

The old man walked with a dragon's stride and a tiger's step. His sharp eyes swept the room like a tiger surveying its territory.

Every elder stood up in unison. They bowed respectfully to him. This respect came from the heart.

For a man who stood at the peak of power and martial strength. This elder possessed unmatched martial power. And power over ministers.

In the pack, his word was law. Outside, he commanded armies. A wave of his flag meant heads rolling.

Ye Jin searched his memories. He instantly knew who this man was. This bear-like elder was Ye Tianxiong.

The strongest martial artist of the previous generation. Former Grand General of the Eastern Border.

He wasn't as cunning as Ye Jin's father. But he was upright and fierce. The pack's top martial artist.

He oversaw law and punishment. The most respected of the elder generation. His presence kept the restless elders in line.

Even the Pack Alpha, Ye Shouzheng, feared him. The Enforcement Elder could even depose the Pack Alpha.

Ye Tianxiong's bronze-bell eyes blazed. He looked at Ye Jin kneeling in the center.

"What is going on? What did this child do that warrants execution?"

Ye Jin's eyes were blank. He said nothing.

"I asked you a question. Why don't you speak?" Ye Tianxiong stared into his hollow eyes. His thick brows furrowed.

"Elder Xiong, this... hehe, here are his crimes. Read them first." A nearby elder handed Ye Tianxiong a scroll.

The Ye Pack rules required reporting to the Pack Alpha and the Enforcement Elder for capital crimes. The scroll was filled with Ye Jin's crimes.

Ye Tianxiong held immense authority. He was initially annoyed by Ye Jin's silence.

But after reading the scroll, his face darkened. Like the calm before a storm.

A skinny, dark elder named Ye Liang saw his expression. He smiled apologetically.

"Elder Xiong, don't be angry. That unworthy boy isn't worth it..."

"You think... I'm angry about that?" Ye Tianxiong crumpled the paper to shreds. He pointed at Ye Jin.

"I'm asking you. How long has this child been locked in the dungeon?"

The skinny elder calculated. "Since the incident, he's been in the cell. About a month now!"

BOOM! The entire rosewood table shattered under his palm. Wood splinters flew.

A violent, furious aura exploded from him. "Locked in the dungeon for a month!" Ye Tianxiong was furious.

He grabbed the skinny elder by the collar. "Even if a Ye Pack disciple commits the worst crime—even a capital offense—they are locked up for seven days at most! But this child—this boy—you locked him up for a month!"

Ye Tianxiong looked at Ye Jin's withered face and dull eyes. He trembled with rage.

"Are you trying to drive him to death or madness? This isn't punishment. This is murder! Who arranged this? Who? Step forward!"

Ye Tianxiong roared in fury. All the elders fell silent. Not a single word.

"You don't know? You won't admit it? Beasts! You pack of beasts!" Ye Tianxiong's chest heaved. He stood up and smashed his teacup.

Tea and shards sprayed over several elders. Facing his wrath, none dared to move.

They waited for the tea to dry on their faces. They didn't dare wipe it off. Everyone knew Ye Tianxiong's temper.

When angry, he'd flip even the King of Heaven. Besides, the law doesn't punish the masses.

"Fine. After today's business is settled, every Ye Pack elder will take turns moving into the dungeon. Each of you will stay there alone for three days."

Every elder's face paled. They looked like bitter melons.

"Any objections?" Ye Tianxiong's domineering gaze swept the room.

A few elders who wanted to plead looked at his furious face and shut up.

Ye Tianxiong turned to Ye Jin. He sighed and helped him up. His voice softened.

"Jin'er, get up. Tell your Grandfather everything."

"...Grandfather, save me! Someone wants me dead!" Ye Jin suddenly collapsed to the ground.

He clung to Ye Tianxiong's leg and wailed. "Grandfather! You have to stand up for me!"

"Good. Good boy. It's good that you can cry. If you couldn't even cry, you'd really be broken."

Elder Xiong's thick brows furrowed. He helped the boy to his side. "Our Ye Pack never allows its disciples to commit crimes. But we will never allow others to frame our disciples either! Don't worry, Jin'er. If you didn't do it, I will clear your name!"

"I'm not talking about the theft! Grandfather, look!" Ye Jin angrily pulled a silver-ringed snake from his clothes.

Its head was crushed. "I was locked in the dungeon next to the ancestral hall. The night before last... someone put a snake in my cell! They wanted me dead!"

"Good heavens!" Elder Xiong's eyes flashed. He stood up. A wave of true energy erupted from his body.

Then a faint golden flame rose. CRACK! CRACK! The bluestone floor beneath his feet shattered. It couldn't withstand his fierce aura.

"This is a highly venomous silver-ringed snake! One bite kills within half an hour! Who... who is this vicious?"

Ye Tianxiong's bronze-bell eyes swept the crowd. He roared. "Who dares harm my Ye Pack's children?"

The elders' faces changed drastically. They turned to look at the Second Madam. Their eyes had completely changed.

She was tongue-tied. Her face went pale. Ye Tianxiong's gaze shifted to a knife-faced elder.

"Tianying, you've always been in charge of cleaning and guarding the ancestral hall. What do you say?"

Elder Ying rushed to defend himself. "The dungeon is dark, but it's cleaned and patrolled regularly. We have talismans from Daoist masters! There are no bugs or pests. How could a venomous snake appear? And with such timing?"

Elder Ye Tianying was in charge of pack sacrifices and construction. He would never admit dereliction of duty. Otherwise, who knew how Ye Tianxiong would punish him.

SMACK! Elder Xiong shattered the hard red sandalwood table with one palm. He stood up.

"Men! Investigate this thoroughly!"

All the elders began whispering. Their gazes toward the Second Madam now held a hint of hostility.

The once smug Second Madam broke out in a cold sweat. She felt like she was being pricked by needles all over.