Chapter 17 The Apologies of the Bellamy and Kessler Families

Chapter 17: Chapter 17: The Apologies of the Bellamy and Kessler Families

Facing the respectful greetings of the two families, Darius Fenwick showed little interest.

He did not even raise his head. Instead, he casually waved a hand.

"Discuss whatever you need to discuss. There’s no need to concern yourselves with me."

The expressions of the Bellamy Family Patriarch and the Kessler Family Patriarch stiffened.

Although Darius had said they could proceed, neither man dared to treat the City Lord so casually.

Regret rose in their hearts once again.

If they had known Darius would be visiting the Mercer Family today, they would have come a little later.

Now they had walked straight into an awkward situation.

The atmosphere gradually grew tense as Julian Mercer studied the two Patriarchs.

His lips curved into a faint, mocking smile.

"You two have come together. What business do you have with me?"

The Bellamy and Kessler Patriarchs exchanged nervous glances before hurriedly speaking.

"Patriarch Mercer, during the years you were away, we never truly wanted to seize the Mercer Family’s mineral veins and farmland. Unfortunately, we had no other choice."

"Exactly!" the Kessler Patriarch quickly added. "The Rourke Family repeatedly threatened us and forced us to target the Mercer Family. As you know, neither of our families has a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator protecting us. We were only trying to survive. We never intended to bring the Mercer Family to ruin. We beg you to understand our predicament!"

After hearing that the Rourke Family had been annihilated and learning that Julian had most likely broken through to the Purple Mansion Realm, the two Patriarchs had been terrified.

Their strongest experts had only reached the Heavenly Origin Realm’s 9th Layer.

Against the current Mercer Family, such strength was hardly reassuring.

Yet here they were, trying to explain away their past actions.

Julian listened to their excuses, his gaze gradually turning cold.

"So, according to you, the two of you were victims as well?"

His quiet laugh carried no warmth.

Both Patriarchs trembled.

Cold sweat began forming on their foreheads.

"N-No, of course not!"

"We admit that our families made many mistakes over the years, even if the Rourke Family pressured us into doing so."

The Bellamy Patriarch hurriedly continued.

"To compensate the Mercer Family for its losses, we are willing to surrender forty percent of our respective family assets."

"Starting today, both families are also willing to follow the Mercer Family’s lead!"

"That’s right! We sincerely wish to make amends!"

Julian’s expression showed growing impatience.

He raised a hand, silencing them.

When the hall finally became quiet, he spoke in a cold voice.

"The Mercer Family has suffered for years. If I hadn’t emerged from closed-door cultivation, you would probably have continued until there was nothing left of my Clan."

His gaze swept over the two families.

"And now you’re afraid?"

The atmosphere in the council hall became oppressive.

The members of the Bellamy and Kessler families lowered their heads. None dared to utter another word.

Only the Kessler Patriarch attempted to speak.

But Julian interrupted him.

"We can discuss your compensation later. For now, there’s something else I’d like to ask."

His gaze settled directly on the Kessler Patriarch.

"I wonder whether you can explain something to me."

The Kessler Patriarch’s mouth twitched.

"P-Please, Patriarch Mercer. Ask whatever you wish."

Julian’s eyes grew colder.

"Before I entered closed-door cultivation, I paid a considerable price to purchase a Purple Spirit Pill from the Treasure Pavilion operated by your family."

He paused briefly.

"After consuming it, I discovered that the pill had been tampered with and contained a poison. It nearly ruined my breakthrough at the final moment."

His voice sharpened.

"Patriarch Kessler, don’t you think you owe me an explanation?"

The instant those words fell, the entire hall erupted in shock.

The Kessler Patriarch’s heart nearly stopped.

How could he know about that?

Of all the matters Julian could have brought up, he had chosen the most dangerous one.

The Patriarch’s mind raced.

Damn it!

Hadn’t Gideon Rourke assured him that the poison was colorless and odorless, and that even a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator would be unable to withstand it once it entered the body?

He cursed Gideon inwardly.

When he heard Julian had emerged from seclusion, he had assumed the man had simply broken through using his own strength and somehow avoided the poison’s effects.

But Julian’s words made the truth painfully clear.

His original judgment had been wrong.

And now, a catastrophe was staring him in the face.

The Kessler Family members standing behind their Patriarch were equally stunned.

They had never imagined their Patriarch would dare to poison Julian Mercer.

The Bellamy Patriarch, meanwhile, looked at his companion as though he were a complete fool.

What were you thinking?

This was Julian Mercer.

He had just annihilated the Rourke Family, including its Purple Mansion Realm ancestor.

And the Kessler Family had actually tried to poison him?

Had they never considered what would happen if the attempt failed?

Even Darius Fenwick turned his attention toward the Kessler Patriarch.

A peculiar expression appeared on his face.

The man had attempted to poison Julian and still failed to kill him.

What a spectacular failure.

Beside Julian, Adrian Mercer had gone completely still.

He stared at the Kessler Patriarch in disbelief.

He had never known that the Patriarch had faced such a deadly danger while in seclusion.

The realization ignited a wave of fury within him.

Adrian stepped forward from behind Julian and pointed directly at the Kessler Patriarch.

"What a disgraceful family!"

His voice rang through the hall.

"You actually dared to tamper with a Medicinal Pill and poison our Patriarch!"

"If the Patriarch hadn’t been fortunate enough to survive your despicable scheme, you might have succeeded!"

Adrian’s eyes burned with anger.

"You’ve committed such a shameless crime, yet you still expect the Mercer Family to forgive you?"

"Keep dreaming!"

"For something like this, even dying ten thousand times wouldn’t be enough to atone for it!"

His furious rebuke immediately drew everyone’s attention.

Darius glanced at the young man.

Seeing that Adrian was little more than a youth, he couldn’t help smiling faintly.

The boy had only reached the Meridian Opening Realm’s 2nd Layer, yet he dared to publicly rebuke the Kessler Patriarch, a cultivator at the Heavenly Origin Realm’s 8th Layer.

That was certainly bold.

The Kessler Patriarch’s face darkened.

Being scolded by a junior in front of so many people was humiliating enough.

But before he could respond, his son, Gareth Kessler, stepped forward.

"How audacious!"

Gareth glared at Adrian.

"If Patriarch Mercer wants to question our family, we naturally have no choice but to answer. But my father is a Patriarch in his own right. What gives you, a junior, the right to point fingers at him?"

He sneered.

"Is this how the Mercer Family teaches its younger generation to behave?"

Having noticed that Darius was present, Gareth assumed the Mercer Family would be reluctant to act too aggressively.

His confidence increased accordingly.

Adrian’s expression darkened.

Being accused of lacking proper upbringing only made his anger burn hotter.

His chest rose and fell as he struggled to control himself.

This time, however, he did not lash out immediately.

Instead, he turned toward Julian.

Seeing his young Clan member being insulted, Julian’s gaze shifted to Gareth.

It was cold enough to make the latter’s smile falter.

"The discipline of the Mercer Family is not something an outsider gets to lecture us about."

Julian’s voice was calm, but every word carried an unmistakable edge.

"You’re courting death."

He glanced at Adrian.

"Adrian, go give him twenty slaps across the face. Let him learn that trouble often begins with an undisciplined tongue."

Gareth’s expression changed.

He had not expected Julian to defend his own people so openly.

"Patriarch Mercer, surely you’re not going to encourage such reckless behavior?"

He forced a smile.

"No matter what, you’re an important figure. How can you stoop to the level of a junior who doesn’t know any better?"

Julian did not even bother responding.

Adrian had already stepped forward.

He could no longer contain his anger.

His footsteps were steady as he approached Gareth.

Then he raised his arm and spread his fingers.

"Who do you think you are to lecture our Patriarch about how he should act?"

Adrian’s eyes flashed.

"You’ve got a filthy mouth. Let me help you clean it up!"

SMACK!

His palm swept across Gareth’s face with a sharp crack that echoed throughout the council hall.