I'm Here To Inform You

The Household Guard was taken aback by Du Chen's roar. This *should* have been a joyous occasion of monumental significance! A discarded son, banished from the family, now destined to marry the Prime Minister's granddaughter? Any other man would be beside himself with joy, if not outright mad with elation, surely thanking Heaven for such immense favor! Even if he wasn't ecstatic, such profound shock was entirely out of place.

Du Chen, already a Three-Star Fighter, swiftly closed the distance. A Whip of Glacial Frost materialized in his hand, its icy coils rapidly ensnaring the neck of the Household Guard, who was merely a Two-Star Fighter. Du Chen's gaze sharpened, and he barked, "When did this happen!?" Seeing the Household Guard choke, Du Chen slightly loosened his grip. "Who said I agreed to this marriage!? Who made this decision? Vice-General Arges, was it!?"

He truly was no longer the disgrace of the Saint Sigurd Cain family. The Household Guard lowered his eyes, not daring to meet the gaze of Du Chen, whose presence was now far more formidable than his own. He murmured, "Just, just now, His Excellency the Prime Minister paid a visit to His Grace the Duke... Now, you're requested to go, go to..."

"Hmph!" Du Chen flung the Household Guard onto the ground. It wasn't that he was deliberately taking out his anger on this particular guard; rather, when Francis was still the family's disgrace, this very guard had subjected him to countless disdainful glares and petty bullying. Du Chen was merely seeking a small measure of justice for the deceased young Francis!

Looking up, the eastern sky was already showing the first blush of dawn. Du Chen clutched Beibei close, his battle qi circulating beneath his feet as he swiftly headed towards the Aristocratic Quarter in the eastern part of the city. "Brook," he called out, "We're going to the Saint Sigurd Cain Estate immediately!"

The Household Guards and servants of the Saint Sigurd Cain Estate had already received orders regarding Du Chen's imminent arrival. No one dared to stop him, allowing him to storm furiously into Sigurd Cathedral. Their gazes, however, were exceptionally peculiar. How could this Third Young Master, who had been expelled from the family, seem to be here to cause trouble? Yet, since the higher-ups had commanded that Francis could freely enter the estate from now on, the servants prudently refrained from prying further.

Inside the cathedral hall, Antoine and Arges were raising their cups, a seemingly harmonious scene of "future in-laws meeting."

Du Chen entered without a word. He approached the wine table, holding his daughter with one arm, and with the other, slammed his palm down hard upon the surface. Then, his cold gaze fixed upon Vice-General Arges, whose face was already a mask of displeasure.

At this moment, Du Chen's fury burned fiercely. Yet, he wasn't incensed because Antoine had schemed to arrange this marriage; if Du Chen hadn't cultivated the Celibate Cultivation, he would actually be quite willing to accept it. To claim he wasn't moved at all by Avril's deep affection was a lie Du Chen himself wouldn't believe. What truly ignited his temper was Arges. "Vice-General Arges," he seethed, "Ever since *I* reincarnated, you've treated me with cold disdain and constant obstruction, even driving a ninety-year-old man and a simple-minded child out of the family, leaving them to wander the streets, solely because they were *my* servants! Who was it back then who forced our family to subsist on burnt black bread in a dilapidated tower within a noble's grand estate? Who was it who denied us even a single copper coin, compelling our family to move to the slums of the Southern District!? And who was it who expelled Francis from the family, even revoking his right to pay respects to his own mother!? Have you forgotten all this? Hah! How utterly laughable. Now that you're besieged by political rivals, you suddenly remember *me*, and decide to use me as a political pawn!? I am Du Chen, not Francis!"

Du Chen's unconcealed fury caused Antoine to frown slightly. He hadn't expected that Francis, whom he viewed as eminently rational and possessing the potential of an outstanding politician, would show such fervent resistance to this marriage.

His Excellency the Prime Minister glanced at Arges, who then turned his cold gaze to Du Chen and declared, "You were summoned here to be informed of a matter! In ten days, you and Miss Avril will hold your engagement ceremony at Sigurd Grand Cathedral! Hmph, that's all there is to it. Now, go pay your respects to Lord Antoine! From this day forward, he will be your grandfather!"

"Who said I'd agree to this marriage!? Huh?" Du Chen handed Beibei to Deboning, then braced his hands on the table, staring down at Arges with a voice colder than his own. "What right do *you* have now to decide the choice of my fiancée? Vice-General Arges!?"

"Hmph!" Arges slammed his hand heavily on the table. A *clatter* of cups and plates rattled across the wine table as he raised his voice. "You may have indeed been expelled from the Saint Sigurd Cain Estate, but you are still a descendant of Ancestor Sigurd, even if only a Collateral Branch descendant! As the Family Head of the Saint Sigurd Cain family, I have every right to decide the marriage of a collateral branch descendant! Francis, do you *dare* to refuse this marriage!?"

"Who was it who declared back then that everything about my future would be unrelated to the Saint Sigurd Cain Estate!?" Du Chen retorted sharply. "His Grace, Grand Duke, your memory is truly appalling, isn't it!"

*Crash!* Arges overturned the wine table and stood up in a furious rage. He was the Imperial military's foremost figure, a Divine Scion Grand Duke. Since the day he was born, no one had dared to speak to him in such a manner—and this individual was his most despised third son!

"Your Grace, Duke! Francis! Both of you, please calm yourselves! Today is a joyous occasion!" Antoine also stood up, stepping between them to mediate. "Your Grace, Duke, no matter what, Francis is still your bloodline. Is there truly nothing that can be discussed calmly? And Francis, you are also in the wrong; no matter the circumstances, how can you speak to your father in such a manner!?"

"He is not my son!"

"He is not my father!"

Du Chen and Arges spoke almost simultaneously. A moment later, they exchanged cold, unwavering gazes. Du Chen's voice dropped to a low, resonant tone: "I came here to inform you of one thing, Lord Arges: you have no right to decide *anything* concerning me! Remember that—*anything*!"

"Ha, haha!" Arges burst into a mocking laugh. Suddenly, his eyes sharpened, fixing Du Chen with a piercing glare. "You rebellious wretch! It seems you're begging for me to enforce the family rules upon you!"

As he spoke, Arges, an Eight-Star Battle God, locked his formidable aura onto Du Chen. A vast, majestic, and scorching oppressive force surged directly towards Du Chen's heart—it was the Sigurd family's secretly transmitted unique Secret Art, Holy Flame Incineration of Heavens!

Du Chen showed no weakness. "Vanishing Snow" immediately circulated, and his Lotus Internal Force was already secretly primed for action.

Antoine's heart trembled with alarm. He hastily interjected, "What are you doing!? This is Sigurd Cathedral, the sacred place where you venerate your ancestor Sigurd! Are you truly going to let your ancestor witness his descendants slaughtering each other!?"

Arges sneered, "Lord Antoine, is it not precisely before our ancestor's spirit that family law should be enforced!?"

"Indeed," Du Chen countered, "The ancestor's spirit tablet is right here. It's the perfect opportunity for him to witness just how 'powerful' his descendant, Lord Arges, truly is!"

Hearing Du Chen's taunt, Arges's face twisted into an even more hideous sneer. He was utterly enraged. Suddenly, two orbs of white flame materialized in his hands! The crackling fire and scorching heat were so intense that even Antoine, a Seven-Star Battle God standing nearby, found it unbearable. But just then, a soft, almost imperceptible "Hmph" resonated. Though exceptionally light, it struck Arges's heart like a thousand-ton hammer, abruptly halting his momentum and nearly causing him to lose his battle qi entirely.

Deboning, holding Beibei in one arm, sidestepped to Du Chen's side. His demonic, bloodthirsty smile made Arges's heart involuntarily tremble! "Young Master," he announced, "Your retainer Brook awaits your command!"

Du Chen looked at Arges with disdain. The Vice-General gritted his teeth and chuckled angrily, "Oh, so you brought back an expert! Are you here to show off?" Suddenly, he threw his head back and roared, "Holy Flame Knights! Where are you!?"

*Boom!* The main doors, the rose windows, and even the false walls within the cathedral exploded outwards. Over twenty red-armored Battle Gods flashed into existence beside Arges. "Family Head," they intoned as one, "The Sacred Flame of Sigurd endures eternally! Awaiting your command!"

"So this is the Holy Flame Knights, once comparable to the Red Phoenix Battle Formation?" Du Chen glanced at them, sneering dismissively. "After a millennium, how could the long-declined Holy Flame Knights possibly contend with a Red Phoenix Battle Formation that was even more powerful than their ancestors'?"

"The Precious Lotus Scripture's power lies hidden. Grand Matriarchs, prepare to act!"

The situation instantly became fraught with tension, poised for open conflict. Antoine watched it all with a deep frown. The overwhelming aura emanating from the opposing parties was more than he could bear, forcing him to take several steps back. He pondered how to defuse the immediate crisis, but after much deliberation, he realized he lacked the power and the right to interfere in the internal affairs of the Saint Sigurd Cain family. Offering a few words of persuasion was already the utmost he could manage.

Just then, several servants timidly approached the doorway. They dared not enter, but one bolder one called out from a distance, "Master, Matthew, the deacon of the Lotus Charitable Foundation, requests an audience! He wishes to see Lord Francis, and it's said he bears a message from Foye!"

"Uncle Foye?" Du Chen's heart eased, and his simmering anger immediately subsided significantly. At this moment, only Old Foye could calm his agitated spirit.

Glancing at Arges, Du Chen turned and walked towards the main doors, his back to the Vice-General. "From now on," he declared, "I do not wish to hear news of you arbitrarily interfering in my affairs ever again! I solemnly reiterate: *anything*! Your Grace, Duke, one should not be so forgetful! Especially a great figure such as yourself, hah!"

Arges desperately wanted to unleash his fury, but Deboning's ice-cold gaze ensured that neither he nor the Holy Flame Knights around him dared to make a move. Not until Du Chen had gracefully departed, and Deboning followed him out, did Arges finally exhale a heavy, ragged breath, continuously cursing under his breath, "Ungrateful wretch! Rebellious son!"

"Now, Vice-General Arges..." Antoine was about to offer a few words of persuasion, but Arges cut him off with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Your Excellency the Prime Minister," he declared, "I will never go back on my word! The marriage between Francis and Avril is already settled. Tomorrow—no, I will immediately dispatch messengers to notify all the great families of the Imperial Capital!"

Antoine shook his head. "Lord Arges, please calm down. Do not approach this matter from the mindset of an enraged father! Instead, view it from your perspective as Vice-General: that expert beside Francis just now... what level was he?"

Arges was stunned. Indeed, his rage had completely overwhelmed his judgment just moments ago. But now, reflecting, Francis seemed to have completely disregarded the threat posed by himself, an Eight-Star Battle God, and the Holy Flame Knights. He had appeared too confident, even too nonchalant. Did that mean he... had victory firmly in his grasp?