Chapter 147: Life and Lineage

In the profound silence, the young general’s fingers tapped rhythmically against the table, striking their hearts like a heavy sledgehammer. With every tap the youth made, their bodies seemed to sink another fraction under the crushing weight.

Swallowing hard, the head of the Wei family mustered his courage and stepped forward. "Perhaps the General is unaware, but the son of my fourth sister is naturally unruly and hopelessly addicted to gambling. He was sent away to the suburban estate when he was just a child..."

Chu Junhan narrowed her eyes, a mocking, wicked smirk playing at the corner of her lips. The head of the Wei family was certainly trying to wash his hands clean of the matter!

Seeing that the youth remained unmoved, the man bent his waist a little lower, his voice humble and submissive. "I know not how my nephew Ziyuan has offended the General, but on his behalf, I offer you my deepest apologies! We humbly pray that the General, in your great magnanimity, will not stoop to his level."

"Are you truly unaware of what your Wei family has done, yet you dare come here to question me?" Chu Junhan’s expression turned slightly angry as she retorted to the man standing in the hall.

Over the years, she had suffered no end of hardship because of the intelligence network of the Jiuling Trading Firm, dragging out this prolonged battle for a full twelve years.

Yet what could she do? She was simply poor; others could afford to buy intelligence, but she could not! Therefore, she had to tear the Jiuling Trading Firm down root and branch!

Hearing the youth's cold chuckle, the middle-aged man shuddered involuntarily and dropped to his knees. Seeing this, the rest of the Wei family members behind him dropped to their knees as well. Terror was written across every face. The wrath of a future commander was something their humble Wei family could never hope to endure.

The head of the Wei family kowtowed repeatedly, his face pale and trembling as he spoke. "We beg the General to see the truth! Ever since my fourth sister passed away, young nephew Ziyuan was sent to the suburban estate. This humble servant truly has no idea how my nephew could have offended the General, causing you to go to such lengths..."

"The suburban estate? Are you truly ignorant of everything he has done?" The youth raised an eyebrow slightly, deep in thought. This Lord Jiuling hid himself remarkably well. No wonder Fang Meng had investigated for twelve years and only managed to dig up a name.

"When Ziyuan was sent to the suburban estate, Old Wei accompanied him. Perhaps... perhaps Old Wei knows where he is. My little nephew is naturally wayward, and it is a failure of discipline on the Wei family's part, but everything he has done was entirely unknown to us! I fear... I fear only Old Wei knows the truth."

"Old Wei knows, you say?" The youth flicked her sleeve and nodded slightly. "Where is he?"

"If the General will wait a moment, I shall have someone summon him right away."

"Very well," the youth replied coldly, her eyes narrowing slightly.

A short while later, an old man with a hunched back, slightly disheveled hair, hollowed cheeks, and clouded eyes brimming with the vicissitudes of life was led in.

"This humble servant pays respects to the General." Bony and stooped, the old man dropped to his knees.

"Rise."

"My thanks to the young General Chu." The old man slowly climbed to his feet, looking up at the youth seated in the high hall with a bewildered expression, his voice weathered and aged. "May I ask why the General has summoned this humble person?"

"Do you know where Wei Ziyuan has gone?" Chu Junhan went straight to the point, scrutinizing the old man.

The old man nodded sheepishly, hesitation halting his words. His wrinkled lips twitched, but in the end, not a single syllable came out. Instead, he cast a furtive glance toward the head of the Wei family.

Unsettled by that look and feeling thoroughly uneasy, the family head let out a light cough. "Answer the General truthfully whatever is asked of you."

Acknowledging the command with a murmur, the old man took a few unsteady steps forward, bowing humbly with cupped hands. "Reporting to the General, young master Ziyuan has likely gone to gamble."

"Gambling?"