CHAPTER 779: CHAPTER 779: THIS BOY BRINGS MURDEROUS INTENT

Shang Shisan, upon hearing the options, almost without thinking, said: "I choose the second option."

"Hmph, hmph, hmph!" Mrs. Wu was baffled upon hearing this, what was Shisan talking about? Choosing the second option, wasn’t that asking the Clan Leader to divorce her in the ancestral hall?

Aiyo, this damn wolf cub, all her efforts in giving birth to him and raising him for so many years, and now he actually agrees with the clan to divorce her.

Everyone from the Shang Family present were also shocked upon hearing this and asked, "Shisan, do you really choose the second option? No matter what, Mrs. Wu is your biological mother, how can you agree to have the clan divorce her?"

One of the clan elders, who had been speaking up for Mrs. Wu, angrily said: "Shang Shisan, are you deaf? Didn’t you hear the first option? The Clan Leader has already given your family a way out, and yet you insist on choosing the path to death? Change your mind at once, choose the first option."

But Shang Shisan was not pleased: "That’s fifty heavy floggings we’re talking about, and the paddles in our Shang Family ancestral hall are big, heavy, and wrapped with iron sheets. It’s not just about enduring fifty heavy floggings—if even thirty are given, it could cripple a person."

"And they’ll seize the only farmland we have left, those lands are all of our family’s income. If we lose that, what will my family eat or drink?"

Moreover...

"Even if my mother is divorced, she’ll still be my mother, and I will still provide for her. But if I can’t withstand the floggings and get beaten to death, then the whole family would be finished." Shang Shisan felt that choosing the second option was indeed the right thing to do, as it preserved the whole family. But frankly speaking, he was just being selfish, not wanting to endure any suffering.

Hearing this, Village Chief Shang asked Shang Shisan once more, "I, Shang Youcang, in my capacity as Clan Leader, ask you one last time, which of the three options do you choose?"

He added, "The Shang Family has ancestral precepts, you should consider carefully before choosing, and make sure you will have no regrets."

Ancestral precepts?

Shang Shisan was a lazy one, and the Shang Family had many ancestral precepts that he had never memorized. Now with a headache from the hangover, he thought for a while, and failing to recall any ancestral precepts that could cause death, he simply stopped thinking and nodded firmly: "I, Shang Gang Shang Shisan, choose the second option, please, Elder, open the ancestral hall and divorce my father from my mother."

"Ha, this is your own choice, you can blame no one but yourself." Village Chief Shang snorted coldly: "Shang Gang has violated the eighth ancestral precept of the Shang Family, and according to the precepts, the entire family must be expelled from the clan!"

Shang Shisan was dumbfounded, jumped up, and said, "What do you mean expelled from the clan? I chose the second option, didn’t I? I didn’t choose the third one, so why still be expelled? Clan Leader, you’re not keeping your word!"

Village Chief Shang said, "The eighth ancestral precept of the Shang Family: a Shang family member must not abandon their parents. Even if the parents are at fault, it should be the clan’s responsibility to deal with the wrongdoer’s parents. If a Shang family member voluntarily or actively abandons their parents, they are unforgivable and the entire family must be expelled from the clan in order to preserve the Shang family’s integrity."

Having said this, he ignored the shocked look on Shang Shisan’s face and turned to the clan elders, "My old brothers, you have all seen Shang Gang’s true nature. Now tell me, can we still keep such a person in our Shang Family? If we keep him, who knows if he might cause a great trouble outside one day, and make the entire Shang Family suffer for his actions!"

Choosing the second option without a second thought, directly abandoning Mrs. Wu, even if Mrs. Wu is at fault, she is after all his biological mother. To abandon her so easily shows a cold-heartedness and selfishness beyond redemption.

After finishing, he turned to the previous clan elder who had spoken for Mrs. Wu: "Shang Youhu, my brother, do you agree with what I’ve said?"

Shang Youhu was so embarrassed that his face turned red and his ears hot. He had supported Shang Gang’s family because they were from the same first branch. Who could have known Shang Gang was such an incompetent man that he couldn’t be helped?

Shang Gang, refusing to accept his fate, yelled, "It was you who let me choose, what’s wrong with me choosing the second option? The first option might seem good, but it involves taking fifty hard beatings. You want to kill me!"

Finally losing his patience, Shang Youhu stood up and pointed at Shang Gang, scolding: "The tenth rule of the Shang Family’s Ancestral Precepts clearly states that the clan’s punishment should not endanger the life of a Shang Family son! If you had glanced at it even a little and had some respect for our ancestors in your heart, you wouldn’t have forgotten the first ten ancestral teachings."

Shang Gang was stunned. Was that really the case? He couldn’t remember such a rule at all.

Instead of blaming himself for not memorizing the ancestral precepts, Shang Gang blamed Village Chief Shang: "You were the one who let me choose. After I made my choice, you are now kicking my family out of the clan. Shang Youcang, you are clearly just trying to screw me over!"

Village Chief Shang was not only the Shang Family Head but also the village chief of a dozen nearby villages. When dealing with evil men causing trouble in other villages, they would also wrong him, accuse him of settling private scores under the guise of public office, and claim he was unjust. He was used to these kinds of accusations and did not take Shang Gang’s words to heart at all.

Village Chief Shang said directly: "Your family has three days to move out of Shang Family Village. Your land and house will be purchased by the clan with money. After three days, the names of the males in your family will be removed from the family register, no longer belonging to the Shang Family."

Seeing Village Chief Shang’s firm attitude, Shang Gang was so enraged that smoke seemed to be coming from his seven orifices. Pointing at Scholar Shang, he snapped, "It’s all because of Shang Wen Yuan, right? Ha, the scholar Old Master truly thinks too highly of himself, wielding power in the clan just because of an official position. But he can’t even produce a heir to hold the family handle. What’s the use in protecting him? Once he dies, his scholar title will be worthless!"

Shang Gang, growing more enraged as he spoke, charged towards Scholar Shang, intending to settle the score, but was swept to the ground by a kick from Gu Jin’an, landing face first with a thud, and howled in pain, tears streaming down his face.

"Hold him down," Gu Jin’an ordered Ah Jiu and Zezi.

Ah Jiu and Zezi immediately pinned Shang Gang to the ground with sticks, preventing him from getting up.

Hearing Gu Jin’an’s voice, Shang Gang immediately looked up and glared at him, wishing he could devour Gu Jin’an alive: "This is the Shang Family’s business, what does it have to do with you, you thief? If not for you wanting to become Shang Wen Yuan’s disciple, none of this would have happened."

Gu Jin’an looked down at Shang Gang and said with a smile, "The relationship between master and disciple is like that of a father and son. Since I, Gu Jin’an, have become a disciple to my master, I should help my master’s family. If I saw my master’s family being bullied by an evil man and did not know to help and drive away the evil man, what use would I be as a disciple?"

After speaking, he stepped on Shang Gang’s face, pinning him down in utter humiliation, howling loudly.

But Gu Jin’an paid him no mind, instead looking towards the Shang Family people present and said with a smile, "Dear uncles and grandfathers, please do not take offense at Good Brother An’s rudeness. I, Gu Jin’an, have received much kindness from my master and cannot bear to see others bully his family. Although I am just a farmer’s son, I am rather protective, and I also know quite a few young members of the Jinling noble families. If anyone dares to bully my master’s family, I will make their entire family suffer!"

As soon as these words were spoken, a chill ran down the spines of everyone from the Shang Family present.

This Gu Jin’an, clearly a scholar, exuded a murderous aura while speaking these words... This is a man not to be trifled with.

Scholar Shang was moved by Gu Jin’an’s words, his eyes turning red. Although he had no son, having a disciple like Good Brother An was enough for him to have no regrets.

But still concerned about Gu Jin’an’s reputation, Scholar Shang spoke up and scolded, "Good Brother An, you must not be rude. Take your foot off him at once."