Old Master Lin’s expression suddenly froze upon hearing this, his face stiff, like a duck with its throat choked, unable to utter a single sound.
“Chu Chen, what exactly do you want to do?!” Old Master Lin couldn’t help but ask, a deep sense of dread surging within him.
“Lin Wenhao, what do you think?” A cold, cruel curve formed on Chu Chen’s lips.
“You…” Lin Wenhao’s face contorted.
“But you, you bullied me with your influence and made things difficult for me at every turn,” Chu Chen grinned, revealing a bloodthirsty, savage smile.
“You thought I was afraid of you? Let me tell you, I’m not afraid anymore.”
“You can’t do this!” Old Master Lin panicked. “Chu Chen, don’t do anything rash!”
Chu Chen punched Old Master Lin in the abdomen. Old Master Lin spat out a mouthful of blood.
“Wenhao!” Madam Lin cried out piercingly. She hadn’t expected Chu Chen to be so decisive and brutal, killing Lin Wenhao without a word.
“Chu Chen!” Old Master Lin was also stunned, standing there dumbfounded, not daring to say a word.
“Don’t you want to know why I dared to kill Chu Haochen so recklessly? Because from today onwards, I am the new Patriarch of the Chu family!”
Chu Chen glanced indifferently at Lin Wenhao and Old Master Lin and slowly walked out.
“Patriarch Chu?” Lin Wenhao and Old Master Lin trembled all over, their faces filled with horror.
A moment later, Chu Chen left the ancestral hall.
“Father! Quickly stop him! He’s going to destroy our Lin family!” Lin Wenhao said, his face full of terror.
He felt as if he were in an abyss ten thousand feet deep. If Chu Chen really seized power, it would be over!
“Wenhao!” Old Master Lin said with a face full of fear, “We can’t stop him at all right now! Unless your father makes a move himself! Otherwise, no one can save the Lin family!”
“Pfft!” Chu Chen’s wrist exerted a sudden force, and the sharp dagger instantly pierced Lin Wenhao’s chest.
Lin Wenhao’s legs went weak, and he fell straight to the ground. His eyes were wide open, his death unfulfilled. Lin Wenhao was now the only remaining direct descendant of the Lin family.
Just then, the butler led Chu Chen into the reception hall, immediately drawing everyone’s attention.
“You are Chu Chen?” Chu Hongye asked with a look of confusion.
In his impression, this dissolute scoundrel didn’t seem like one.
“Yes, I am Chu Chen.” Chu Chen nodded slightly, his gaze falling on the young man sitting next to Chu Hongye. His gaze lingered for a long time before finally moving away.
Chu Yunlong nodded faintly, then looked at Chu Chen and said, “Chu Chen, aren’t you supposed to be a good-for-nothing?”
“I am indeed not a good-for-nothing, and I will let you know that I am the true master of the Chu family.”
Chu Chen said calmly, his voice neither high nor low, but it carried a powerful confidence.
“Well said, you overconfident little beast! Who do you think you are? How dare you offend the Young Master!” At this moment, a member of the guard patrol angrily shouted.
“Noisy!” Chu Chen frowned and suddenly raised his hand, slapping the guard across the face.
“Slap!” A crisp, loud slap echoed through the hall.
The guard patrol member clutched his reddened cheek, his eyes wide, a look of bewilderment on his face.
Chu Hongye, Chu Yunlong, and the others were also stunned.
“I remember I warned you not to insult my mother!” Chu Chen’s gaze gradually turned cold. “Since you don’t understand human words, I will teach you how to behave!”
Before he finished speaking, Chu Chen suddenly took a step forward, his hand like lightning reaching out to grip the guard patrol member’s throat and lift him up.
Chu Chen’s speed was too fast! So fast that the guard patrol member didn’t even have time to react!
“Gulp!” The guard patrol member’s face turned ashen, his breathing difficult, his pupils constricted, filled with terror and dread.
“Bang!”
The next second, Chu Chen let go, and the guard patrol member crashed heavily to the ground, dead on the spot.
At this moment, the butler was sent by His Majesty Long Kun to summon Chu Chen to the palace.
Chu Chen changed into black clothes and entered the imperial city alone.
In the imperial palace, in the imperial garden, His Majesty Long Kun was gathered with several princes and nobles in a pavilion, drinking and enjoying themselves.
Chu Chen approached and bowed in greeting.
“Your Majesty, you summoned me, is there something important to discuss?” Chu Chen asked, puzzled.
His Majesty Long Kun pointed to the delicious food on the table and said, “Try it. These dishes were personally selected by me, and they taste quite good.”
Chu Chen nodded slightly, picked up his chopsticks, and took a piece of fish into his mouth.
“Huh?” Chu Chen was slightly startled. The taste of these dishes was indeed very good, truly top-tier cuisine.
“Your Majesty, what do you mean by this?” Chu Chen frowned, put down his chopsticks, and stared at His Majesty Long Kun.
“Chu Chen, eat first, and I will talk to you in detail later,” His Majesty Long Kun said. Chu Chen narrowed his eyes, remained silent for several seconds, and then picked up his chopsticks again.
His Majesty Long Kun poured Chu Chen a cup of wine, took a sip from his own cup, and a playful smile appeared on his face.
Chu Chen ate all the dishes in one go.
“Haha, Chu Chen, why did you eat so much? Aren’t you full?” a prince asked with a smile.
The others also nodded in agreement.
Chu Chen wiped his mouth expressionlessly, “Your Majesty, what exactly do you want to say?”
“Chu Chen, do you know why I asked you to come to the palace?” His Majesty Long Kun smiled. “News of you killing Chu Haochen today has spread throughout the entire Chu family.”
His Majesty Long Kun was slightly stunned. “How did you do it?”
“That’s not for Your Majesty to worry about,” Chu Chen smiled slightly.
His Majesty Long Kun frowned. He always felt that the aura emanating from Chu Chen was subtly different from usual.
But he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was different.
“Your Majesty, you wouldn’t be trying to get rid of me, would you?” Chu Chen suddenly asked.
“Chu Chen, you misunderstand,” His Majesty Long Kun waved his hand and smiled. “I just want to win you over!”
“Oh?” Chu Chen raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t expected His Majesty Long Kun to intend to recruit him.
“Chu Chen, you are a smart person, and you should be very clear that the Chu family has actually changed hands.”
His Majesty Long Kun sighed. “Although your father is still alive, he is no longer the head of the Chu family.
Therefore, your father was forced to resign from the Chu clan elders’ council and distribute the clan’s resources to the collateral branches.
“Your father was unwilling to hand over power, so you and your sister were expelled from the Chu family and left to wander the streets!
“Is such an ending not tragic enough?
“Your father was willing to die on the battlefield to protect you, rather than compromise, but he forgot that the Chu family needs a patriarch!
“If you are willing to inherit the position of Patriarch of the Chu family, the Chu family will regain its former glory. This is your father’s regret.
“And now that you have returned, it means the Chu family will rise again!
“If you agree to become the Patriarch of the Chu family, I will surely grant you the title of King with Equal Authority!”