RPAGF Chapter 169 Cleverly Breaking the Predicament
Chapter 169 Cleverly Breaking the Predicament
Ye Shuli stood before the towering family gate. The dark red bricks, bearing the weight of time, seemed like indifferent faces, silently watching her.
The austere architectural style is oppressive and suffocating, much like the home of a "landlord" in some period dramas, exuding an arrogant air that keeps people at arm's length.
She took a deep breath and silently told herself, "Since I'm here, I might as well make the best of it," but on the surface, she still maintained a calm demeanor as if she had seen it all.
"What are you afraid of? I'm here." Jiang Ye patted her shoulder gently. Although it was light, it was like a shot of adrenaline, calming Ye Shuli's anxiety a little.
She knew that this seemingly carefree guy was actually more reliable than anyone else.
Their eyes met, and without a word, everything was understood.
The atmosphere around us seemed to have been muted, and even the wind seemed to be moving cautiously.
Like the calm before a storm, it foreshadows a tough battle to come.
"Squeak—" The heavy door slowly opened, making a teeth-grinding scraping sound, like an old mechanism being activated.
A butler-like man with a cold face led Ye Shuli and Jiang Ye into the hall.
In the center of the hall, an old man sat upright.
He is the current patriarch of the Ye family, and Ye Shuli's nominal elder.
His weathered face was deeply lined with wrinkles, as if carved by a knife, and his brows revealed an undeniable authority.
"You're Ye Shuli? Ha, I thought you were some kind of superhuman." The clan leader glanced at Ye Shuli, his tone filled with undisguised contempt. "With your frail little body, you dare to talk about revitalizing the clan? How laughable!"
Ye Shuli felt a flame flickering in her chest. This old man started mocking her right away; he was practically a "level 10 Zu'an" player.
If she hadn't known the purpose of her trip, she probably would have rolled her eyes at her long ago.
She tried hard to suppress her displeasure and forced a smile. "Chief, it's our first meeting, there's no need to be so polite."
"Politeness?" The patriarch sneered, his aged face full of mockery. "My Ye family doesn't care for such formalities! Strength is the only true measure of success! What right do you have to stand here and speak to me?"
"Hey, grandpa, that's going too far!" Jiang Ye couldn't stand it anymore and jumped in to stand up for Ye Shuli.
Ye Shuli quickly nudged Jiang Ye with her elbow, signaling him not to cause trouble.
"Clan Chief, you're right. Strength is the only true measure of success." Ye Shuli took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, but her tone remained neither humble nor arrogant. "In that case, why don't we sit down and have a proper talk about how to lead the Ye family to survive in this chaotic world..."
"Hmph, survival?" The clan chief scoffed contemptuously. He stood up, his back to Ye Shuli, leaving her with an arrogant silhouette. "I'd like to see what makes you think you can survive..."
His words came to an abrupt end, leaving endless suspense.
His unfinished words remained a mystery in Ye Shuli's mind.
Ye Shuli smiled slightly, like a queen in control of the whole situation.
"Clan Chief, what do you think of the Ye family's current situation? Remaining stagnant and closing ourselves off will only lead to the Ye family being crushed into dust by the wheels of time in this chaotic world." She paused, her gaze sweeping over everyone in the hall, her tone laced with sarcasm, "You don't actually think that with the Ye family's current strength, you can remain unscathed in this cannibalistic world, do you? Wake up, you old fogies!"
The clan leader's expression changed; this girl's words were truly...
So poisonous!
However, what she said wasn't entirely without merit.
The Ye family has indeed developed slowly in recent years, with scarce resources and a decline in talent. If this continues, the consequences will be unimaginable.
Although he was somewhat moved, he remained outwardly calm, and snorted coldly, "Sharp-tongued! Tell me, what brilliant idea do you have?"
"I wouldn't presume to offer such profound insights; I merely wish to point out a clear path for the Ye family." Ye Shuli didn't mince words, picking up the map on the table and pointing to several locations. "Currently, several powerful families are eyeing us covetously, and our Ye family is like a piece of fat meat, at their mercy. Rather than waiting to be slaughtered, we should take the initiative, unite with other forces, and jointly resist external enemies." She spoke eloquently, analyzing the current situation and the advantages and disadvantages of uniting with various forces, her logic clear and well-organized, leaving everyone stunned.
The clan chief's tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed.
This girl's analysis was indeed insightful and every sentence made sense.
He's lived for so many years, what storms hasn't he seen?
But the girl's insight and courage impressed him.
Some of the younger members of the family were particularly excited, and looked at Ye Shuli.
Jiang Ye watched Ye Shuli silently from the side, his eyes full of tenderness and love.
His Li'er is just so wonderful!
He quietly handed Ye Shuli a cup of tea. When Ye Shuli took the teacup, their fingers touched lightly, and an electric-like sensation instantly spread throughout her body.
Ye Shuli's heart trembled slightly, and a blush crept onto her cheeks.
"So, what do you think of my proposal?" Ye Shuli put down her teacup and looked at the clan leader with a firm gaze.
The clan chief pondered for a moment, then slowly spoke, "Your plan does indeed have its merits..."
However, at that moment, a sharp voice shattered the silence of the hall, "Nonsense! Utter utter nonsense!"
A middle-aged man dressed in a magnificent robe and wearing a jade crown stepped out from the crowd. He was Ye Hong, an elder in the family known for his conservatism.
His face was contorted with rage as he pointed at Ye Shuli's nose, spitting almost onto her face. "You little brat, what do you know about family righteousness? Joining forces with outsiders? That's like inviting a wolf into the house! I think you want to drag the Ye family into utter ruin!"
Ye Hong's words were like a signal, instantly igniting the anger of the other conservatives.
They all jumped out to criticize Ye Shuli's plan as unrealistic and simply a pipe dream.
A barrage of criticisms came crashing down on Ye Shuli, with terms like "unfilial daughter," "spendthrift," and "spreading rumors" raining down on her like machine gun fire.
Ye Shuli felt as if she were in the eye of a storm, with all sorts of negative emotions like invisible hands gripping her throat, making it hard for her to breathe.
The surrounding air seemed to thicken, making her feel incredibly oppressed.
She took a deep breath, trying to maintain a calm demeanor.
"Elders, I understand your concerns." Ye Shuli smiled slightly, her tone eerily calm. "However, words are meaningless; how about we do something concrete?" She paused.
Upon hearing this, the entire hall fell silent instantly, as if time had been paused.
Everyone stared wide-eyed at Ye Shuli in disbelief.
They originally thought that the girl would be scared out of her wits by their imposing manner, but they never expected that she would make such a "death-defying" request.
"A contest? Heh, what a boastful tone!" Ye Hong sneered, his eyes filled with mockery. "You, a frail little girl, dare to compete with us old guys? You're really overestimating yourself!"
"As for the competition, how about we compare our insights into cultivation?" Ye Shuli ignored his sarcasm and said to herself, a meaningful smile playing on her lips.
"Of course, to be fair, we should compete with the younger generation."
The clan chief squinted, scrutinizing Ye Shuli.
This girl is really unexpected.
He originally thought she would back down, but to his surprise, she took the initiative to issue a challenge.
But what is this girl up to?
He was also a little curious.
The atmosphere in the hall instantly became tense yet filled with curiosity.
All eyes were on Ye Shuli, waiting for her next move.
Ye Shuli glanced around, a mysterious smile playing on her lips, and said softly, "Then it's settled. The time and place of the competition..." Her words trailed off, her eyes sharpening like knives.
Ye Shuli's clear voice was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating ripples.
The confident smile on her lips seemed to say, "Today, I'll show you old fogies what to do!"
The competition began quickly, and the location was chosen to be the martial arts training ground behind the Ye family's mountain.
Sunlight filters through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground, like spotlights on a stage, illuminating the exciting show that is about to unfold.
Ye Shuli did not directly participate, but instead selected several talented young people from her family.
She first gave a brief explanation of modern biomechanics, such as power generation techniques and breathing rhythms, which left the young people dumbfounded, as if they were listening to gibberish.
Subsequently, she tailored "special training programs" for each person based on their individual characteristics, including "core muscle training," "high knees," and "burpees." This combination of techniques completely baffled these ancient people.
On the sidelines, the conservative elders, led by Ye Hong, stood with their arms crossed, looking on with expressions of "watching the show."
They thought this girl was just messing around, spouting nonsense that was completely useless.
However, when the competition officially began, the expressions on their faces froze instantly.
The young people who had undergone Ye Shuli's "devil training" were all like they had been injected with chicken blood. Their spiritual energy circulation speed had increased by more than one level, and their attack angles had become more tricky.
Their opponents, who were originally of equal strength, were now being beaten so badly that they were completely powerless to fight back. It was a one-sided crushing defeat, which made everyone present exclaim "outrageous".
"Holy crap, what kind of operation is that? It feels like he's using cheat codes!" Jiang Ye, watching from the side, was so excited that he couldn't help but swear.
He knew Ye Shuli was capable, but he didn't expect her to be this capable; she was practically a "walking cheat code."
Ye Shuli stood on the sidelines, arms crossed, a slight smile playing on her lips.
She enjoys this feeling of being in control; this is exactly the kind of "female protagonist in a wish-fulfillment novel" script she wants!
As the clan chief watched the young people's performance, his tightly furrowed brows finally relaxed.
His eyes, weathered by time, were also filled with surprise and admiration.
This girl is really something!
In the end, without any suspense, the younger generation led by Ye Shuli achieved an overwhelming victory.
On the training ground, cheers, shouts, and applause rose and fell, echoing through the sky, even startling the birds in the trees into flight.
Ye Shuli proved herself with her abilities.
Those elders who had previously scoffed at her now showed expressions of admiration.
"Good! Good! Good!" The clan chief exclaimed three times, his face beaming with satisfaction. "Girl, you've truly impressed me!"
Ye Shuli smiled slightly and nodded to the clan leader, which was considered as accepting his affirmation.
She knew she had successfully taken the first step, and the next step was to completely conquer this closed-off family.
Having resolved the internal family issues, Ye Shuli learned from the patriarch that to completely resolve the crisis, they needed to find a mysterious prophet, who was said to possess crucial clues.
However, this prophet is elusive and difficult to approach.
"A prophet? Interesting." Ye Shuli's eyes narrowed, and a confident smile appeared on her lips. She decided that she must find this prophet and uncover the secrets hidden behind him.
She turned to look at Jiang Ye, her eyes questioning. Jiang Ye understood and nodded at her.
The two understood each other implicitly, as if everything was under their control.
"Let's go, let's go take a look," Ye Shuli said softly, her tone firm.
Her and Jiang Ye's figures gradually disappeared into the afterglow of the setting sun, leaving behind a future full of unknowns and challenges.
They had no idea what awaited them ahead...