NOVEL WEB Chapter 87-88: Something is off! Way off!
Chapter 87-88: Something is off! Way off!
"Third Young Master? Which Third Young Master?"
As Ning Changyu took a step forward, he interrupted the conversation between the two.
The clan elder frowned, first looking Ning Changyu up and down, then turning to Xu Qingzhou with a puzzled expression, asking, "And who might this be?"
Xu Qingzhou, her conversation interrupted, also furrowed her brows slightly. After a moment of hesitation, she sighed softly and said:
"This is my husband, Ning Changyu."
"Husband? So Miss Xu already has a husband?"
The clan elder was a bit surprised. His previous enthusiasm when looking at Xu Qingzhou diminished slightly as he responded:
"Oh, so this is Miss Xu's husband. Truly, looks can be deceiving. I failed to notice."
After a pause, the clan elder smiled and said:
"Who else could it be but the Third Young Master of Mount Ziwei? Naturally, it's the eldest son of the third peak, Chen Zhixing."
"He is fully in charge of this."
As soon as these words fell, the other members of the Xu family appeared unfazed, as if they didn’t find anything unusual about it.
However, Ning Changyu was struck as if by lightning, his entire body trembling!
"How could it be him? How could he be responsible for something so important?" Ning Changyu stepped forward fiercely, his gaze locked onto the clan elder.
Something's wrong! This is way too wrong!
According to his memory, by this time, Chen Zhixing should have already spiraled into self-indulgence. The Chen family of Mount Ziwei had already given up on him, allowing him to live recklessly. There was no way they'd entrust him with such a major responsibility!
"What do you mean by this, Young Master Ning? Do you think our Third Young Master from the Chen family of Mount Ziwei isn't qualified to take charge?"
The clan elder's face darkened.
He had lived for decades, and though his cultivation wasn’t the highest, he wasn't deaf to criticism! From just a couple of sentences, it was clear that Ning Changyu believed the Third Young Master was unfit for the role.
Though the elder didn't know why the family head had made such a decision, he trusted there must be a reason for it! Even if there wasn’t, the Third Young Master was a direct descendant of the Chen family. How could an outsider have the right to question this?
"Ning Changyu, you’re merely a son-in-law in the Xu family. What right do you have to speak out!"
"Silence!"
"How dare you!!"
The elders of the Xu family, along with Xu Qinghe, were all shocked and hurriedly reprimanded him.
Xu Qingzhou frowned even more deeply. Ning Changyu’s words were far too presumptuous.
"You misunderstand, Elder. I merely heard that the Third Young Master is still quite young, and I’m simply amazed that he's capable of handling such a significant task," Ning Changyu realized he had overreacted and quickly forced a smile as he spoke.
"I see." The clan elder’s expression eased, and he smiled. "I was overthinking it. Our Third Young Master has always been precocious. Once you spend more time with him, you'll see for yourself."
"Of course, certainly."
Ning Changyu smiled briefly before retreating back into the crowd, his face now clouded with uncertainty.
What troubled him wasn’t that Chen Zhixing was responsible for the debate, but the fact that his own memory seemed faulty!
"My memory can’t be wrong. Could it be that at this time, the Chen family hasn’t yet completely given up on Chen Zhixing?"
Ning Changyu's eyes flickered as he shook his head, suppressing his doubts. He decided to observe a bit more.
Soon after, under the guidance of the clan elder, the Xu family made their way to the main peak and entered the great hall.
From a distance, Ning Changyu spotted another figure that shocked him to his core.
It was a middle-aged man dressed like a refined scholar, descending the mountain while smiling and nodding in their direction.
"Mount Ziwei's Chen family, Fourth Peak Lord, Chen Tianchen!"
The words escaped through Ning Changyu’s clenched teeth, his face growing colder than ever.
According to his memory, this man should have died long ago during a family trial, at the hands of an organization known as the Spider’s Web!
"What is going on? Why is everything so different from what I remember?"
A sliver of unease rose in Ning Changyu’s heart. He had an ominous feeling that something was slipping out of his control.
"Changyu, the Chen family of Mount Ziwei was once a family with Immortal. Be mindful of your words and actions, or you'll cross a line, and it will be difficult for me to help you," Xu Qinghe advised quietly after they were seated in the great hall.
"Understood." A warmth surged in Ning Changyu’s heart. It seemed that his wife, in name only, still cared about him somewhat.
This softened the chaotic thoughts in his mind.
"Perhaps it's all just minor discrepancies. Maybe I simply got the timeline mixed up. After all, it’s been 500 years. Even if I misremembered these trivial details, it’s not a big deal." Ning Changyu shook his head, slowly calming himself.
Time passed quietly.
The Xu family wasn’t in a rush. They occasionally whispered to one another while waiting for Chen Zhixing's arrival.
Moments later.
"Third Young Master, everyone is here. Please come in." The voice of the servant guarding the hall rang out.
Shhh!
In an instant, Xu Qingzhou, Xu Qinghe, Ning Changyu, and the other members of the Xu family all looked toward the entrance of the hall.
"Understood, I’ll be right there."
A gentle, jade-like voice echoed first.
Immediately after, a tall and graceful figure stepped into the hall.
This figure wore a snow-white robe, with a belt inlaid with jade and rhinoceros horn at the waist, accentuating his slender frame. The hem of his robe was embroidered with lifelike black cloud patterns, adding a touch of elegance and nobility.
With each step he took, his handsome face carried a faint smile.
In that moment, all eyes in the room were drawn to him.
There was no need for introductions—everyone knew that this must be none other than the Third Young Master, Chen Zhixing.
"Third Young Master!"
Xu Qinghe and the Xu family elders quickly stood up to greet him.
Xu Qingzhou’s beautiful eyes flickered slightly but soon returned to calmness. To her, a man's appearance had never mattered much.
As for Ning Changyu, the action of raising his teacup froze mid-motion.
The moment he saw Chen Zhixing, his pupils constricted like needles!
"This is the wastrel Chen Zhixing from my past life?!" Ning Changyu’s fingers tightened around the teacup as his gaze fixated on Chen Zhixing.
This was different! Completely different!
Though the man before him looked much like the Chen Zhixing from his past life, the temperament was vastly different!
In his previous life, Chen Zhixing seemed arrogant and overbearing, but anyone with some experience could see that his arrogance masked a deeply insecure, fragile, and paranoid heart.
The more insecure someone is, the more they act brash and dismissive, pretending not to care about anything.
But once someone touched on his insecurities, he would fly into a rage, losing all composure.
The Chen Zhixing before him now, however, was calm and composed, exuding genuine confidence.
This man was nothing like the Chen Zhixing he once knew.
"What on earth happened?!"
"Why is everything about the Chen family and Chen Zhixing so different from my memories?!"
A hint of frustration flashed in Ning Changyu’s eyes, his expression growing darker.
It wasn't until Chen Zhixing took his seat that Ning Changyu exhaled deeply, forcing himself to regain composure.
"Fine, I'll use the Fate Book. That will reveal whether this Chen Zhixing is just putting on an act."
Ning Changyu’s expression turned cold as his piercing gaze fell on Chen Zhixing, seated on the stone platform. In his heart, he whispered:
"Fate Book, open!"