Did I hear that right? What kind of joke is this—why go to the library? There’s no gambling there, no beast fights, no beauties, no fine wine...

It wasn’t until James Carter asked again that the guard, still somewhat absent-minded, led James Carter to the library. When he saw James Carter enter, his expression became even more peculiar, as if he were watching a mouse willingly run into a cat’s den.

Strange. Could the family head be ill? Otherwise, why would he go to the library? Going to the Red Sleeve Pavilion would be normal for him!!

...

The Ren family mansion covers an enormous area, spanning over thirty li in the surrounding region. Within the family grounds, it’s perfectly normal to ride horses at full gallop. Behind the mansion lies a section where, for four or five li around, there are almost no buildings—just all kinds of natural plants, as if entering a wild forest.

Grace Bennett, who had been walking quickly, immediately slowed down upon reaching this area. He knew that unless there was an emergency, Mr. Charles disliked people moving quickly or making noise here.

In this bustling, land-scarce Jade Capital, the Ren family had set aside such a space within their mansion, with no buildings except for two small wooden houses in the very center. At this moment, a middle-aged man in a plain blue robe sat calmly on a wooden bench in the courtyard, flipping through an ancient book.

Grace Bennett carefully walked to the side, holding his breath and standing silently. Though he was just over twenty and already possessed supernatural cultivation—enough to be a renowned young talent in the capital—having grown up at Mr. CharlesCharles Carter’s side, he knew how insignificant he truly was.

A person’s pride often comes from limited perspective. A sparrow may arrogantly watch countless ants, simply because it doesn’t know that phoenixes exist above the sky. Having followed Mr. Charles for years, Grace Bennett, though still young, had long since lost the arrogance and restlessness common among the capital’s youth. But whenever he went out or saw those so-called geniuses in the family, he realized how lucky he was to be by Mr. Charles’s side.

“So, did something special happen at the elders’ meeting today? Why are you so unsettled and excited?” Mr. CharlesCharles Carter held a book in one hand, picked up a freshly brewed cup of tea with the other, and asked casually as he sipped.

Grace Bennett’s mind was indeed not yet calm, because what had just happened in the council hall was too shocking, too unexpected, too unbelievable.

“Today’s events were extremely bizarre. The elders kept trying to cut the family head’s expenses, but suddenly the family head exploded—he actually jumped up and cursed them out in the council hall, scolding the second, third, and fourth elders thoroughly.” In front of Mr. Charles, Grace Bennett dared not hide anything and simply reported everything as it was.

“Jumped up and cursed them out? He scolded all those old guys?” The teacup in Mr. Charles’s hand trembled slightly, a few drops spilling over the side. But just as they were about to fall on the book, an invisible force instantly evaporated them.

Mr. CharlesCharles Carter set down his teacup and book, looking at Grace Bennett in surprise. “Tell me exactly what happened.”

“Yes.” Grace Bennett bowed and then recounted everything from the council hall, not leaving out a single detail—including James Carter’s actions, like flipping the table, pointing at the family head’s throne and telling the second elder and the others to sit, and even jumping onto the seat himself. These actions still left a deep impression on him.

“This little rascal actually knows how to pull that off—he’s pretty fierce when he throws a tantrum.” After hearing Grace Bennett’s account, even the usually calm and indifferent Mr. Charles showed a rare hint of a smile.

Seeing that smile on Mr. Charles’s face, Grace Bennett was momentarily stunned. Having grown up at Mr. Charles’s side, he hadn’t seen him smile in years. Even though it was just a faint smile, it made Grace Bennett feel that, even if he was playing the clown, James Carter had at least done one thing right.

“He really was impressive. In the end, the second elder and the others didn’t dare make a sound, and never brought up cutting the family head’s expenses again. If the family head had always acted like this, they wouldn’t have dared to be so presumptuous.” Seeing Mr. Charles happy, Grace Bennett couldn’t help but share in the joy.

Mr. Charles neither agreed nor disagreed, saying lightly, “They’re just a bunch of idle people—kids and old kids, don’t bother with them. But go investigate that woman, Fang Qi, and also keep an eye on what the family head has been up to lately. Notify the people protecting the family head that the academy should also assign some men. Although the five great families have an agreement and no one dares to risk making a move on the family head, we still can’t rule out that some people, bored out of their minds, might want to see our Ren family thrown into chaos.”

“...” Grace Bennett was momentarily stunned, then quickly replied, “Yes.”

As he left, Grace Bennett couldn’t help glancing into the two wooden houses. Ever since that incident, Mr. Charles had been disheartened and hadn’t concerned himself with anything for years. Even when he heard reports, he would usually just grunt in response.

To be given instructions like today was the first time in years. Could it be related to the time before, when the previous family head, John Carter, forcibly handed the position over to James Carter? Because everything today felt so unusual, Grace Bennett found it hard to adjust.