It was all supposed to be arranged, so how could John Bennett have come back alive? Could it be that that foolish girl Emily messed things up, and John Bennett didn’t take the small path out of Yuanbao Town?

The Second Madam looked around but didn’t see any sign of Emily. She couldn’t help but ask, “Where is your maid Emily?”

John Bennett shook his head with a look of regret and said, “Emily was too frail, and I accidentally played her to death. I heard Second Madam still has some pretty maids—why not grant me another one?”

As he spoke, John Bennett brazenly cast his gaze over the maids behind the Second Madam, instantly causing their faces to change with shock and fear.

The Second Madam’s expression changed at once. Emily is dead? Then does he know about the bandit ambush she arranged for John Bennett?

And after not seeing him for over a year, she felt that the John Bennett before her seemed like a different person. A year ago, he would never have dared speak to her like this!

With a cold snort, the Second Madam said indifferently, “Since you’re back, go on in. The Master and the others are all waiting for you.”

John Bennett raised his eyebrows, told Thomas Brooks to take the others to rest first, and then followed the Second Madam into the Chu family’s council hall.

Chapter 7: Chu Family Council

The Chu family mansion was magnificent and grand. Although it couldn’t compare to the Shen family, which had been rooted in Tongzhou Prefecture for centuries, within Tongzhou, the Chu family was undoubtedly a great clan.

John Bennett followed the Second Madam into the Chu family’s council hall. At this moment, the hall was already filled with people. At the head sat a tall, square-faced middle-aged man dressed in brocade, his eyes half-closed.

This middle-aged man was John Bennett’s father, the head of the Chu family, Charles Bennett.

Speaking of Charles Bennett, his life could be called legendary. Over twenty years ago, he brought dozens of Chu family members to Tongzhou Prefecture, started from scratch, and established a foothold. Now, the Chu family had become one of the three great families of Tongzhou, even stronger than the Li family, which had been rooted there for over a hundred years.

But in John Bennett’s memory, his father could only be described as extremely cold. From childhood to now, he had barely seen his father a handful of times.

Of course, Charles Bennett wasn’t just cold to him; he was about the same with his other sons. The only one he treated a bit better was the fourth son of the Chu family, also Charles Bennett’s youngest son, Matthew Bennett.

The former John Bennett hadn’t thought much of this, but now, after being reborn, John Bennett found his father rather strange.

Charles Bennett’s strength was at the Xiantian (Innate) level, having surpassed the Body Tempering and Blood Condensation stages, reaching a state where his internal energy, blood, and bones were perfectly integrated, pure and flawless, like a newborn child. Although Charles Bennett was actually over fifty, he looked even younger than the Second Madam, who was in her forties.

A martial artist at the Xiantian level was already considered to have entered the inner circle of martial arts. Outside, he would not be an unknown figure, and within Tongzhou, he was a true expert.

But in John Bennett’s memory, his father was always in seclusion, to the point of ignoring even the internal affairs of the Chu family, only voicing opinions on major matters. If not for the fact that he was the strongest in the family, the Chu family’s power might have already slipped away.

Actually, being fond of seclusion wasn’t a big deal. After all, the Chu family was a martial family, even if only a minor one. In the martial world, strength was everything; rather than scheming, it was better to simply overpower others.

But the problem was, despite Charles Bennett’s two decades of diligent cultivation, his strength didn’t seem to have changed much. It was simply a waste of time—without talent or insight, no amount of seclusion would make him a true master.

Below Charles Bennett sat five elders, the youngest of whom looked to be over sixty.

These elders were all Chu family elders and Charles Bennett’s seniors, each holding some power within the family.

Beside these elders stood several others—these were the Chu family’s stewards and managers, some of whom were the elders’ descendants. They, too, held a portion of the family’s authority.

Apart from the elders and stewards, seated on either side were Charles Bennett’s wives and John Bennett’s brothers.

The First Madam of the Chu family was said to come from a great clan and had married Charles Bennett before he came to Tongzhou.

The eldest son, Richard Bennett, was tall and always wore a proud, arrogant expression. Among the four Chu brothers, he was the strongest, having reached the Blood Condensation stage.

The third son, David Bennett, was rather thin and small, always wearing a gentle smile, but his gaze toward John Bennett carried a hint of malice—clearly, he hadn’t expected John Bennett to return alive.

The Third Madam was a graceful woman in her thirties, most favored by Charles Bennett. The fourth son, Matthew Bennett, was only sixteen, handsome, and said to closely resemble Charles Bennett in his youth, which was why he was also the most beloved.

There were four sons in the Chu family, but only three Madams. John Bennett’s birth mother was merely a concubine, not a formally wedded wife.

John Bennett entered, bowed to everyone in the hall, and said, “Greetings, Father, Grand-Uncle, Third Grand-Uncle, Seventh Grand-Uncle, Eighth Grand-Uncle, Ninth Grand-Uncle, First Madam, Second Madam, Third Madam.”

Charles Bennett nodded slightly and said indifferently, “You’re back. Go take a seat.”