Volume 4: Hidden Struggles, Chapter 250: Truly Superfluous

On the top floor of the Chu Corporation building, in an office of nearly 600 square meters with elegant and interesting decor, Chu Tianyu sat upright on a carved sandalwood chair, while his grandfather, Chu Fangshan, sat across from him, watching him intently.

Apart from the initial pleasantries, the grandfather had hardly spoken since, and Chu Tianyu felt he seemed deep in thought. To ease the atmosphere, Chu Tianyu casually asked, “By the way, Grandpa, I’ll introduce Nianran and the others to you properly later…”

Before he could finish, Grandpa Chu Fangshan cut in irritably, “You little Tianyu! Grandpa arranged Qin Nianran for you, and you went and found Ouyang Ziyi instead. I didn’t expect you to be so capable as to even win over the famous star Xue Feifei. I heard there’s also some Li Rou. Are you planning to have three wives and four concubines? As a child, you were such a good boy—how did you end up like your third grandfather? Sigh, what misfortune for our family!”

“Just kidding. I’m the direct descendant of my third grandfather…” Chu Tianyu thought to himself.

Though the grandfather’s tone was reproachful, it was laced with humor, rendering his seemingly serious words utterly ineffective. Especially the last line, “What misfortune for our family,”—from the old man’s expression, Chu Tianyu felt an indescribable sense of pride, especially those narrowed eyes, glowing like those of an old-fashioned feudal patriarch seeing his descendants procreate and live together in harmony.

As Chu Tianyu was speculating wildly, Grandpa Chu Fangshan suddenly leaned forward, his expression strange, as if he had something important to say. This made Chu Tianyu lean in as well. He heard the grandfather ask in a very low voice, “By the way, Tianyu, with so many wives coming into the house… are you really up to it? I don’t recall any of your masters mentioning that the Purple Void Dragon Energy can enhance that aspect of strength. Don’t be overconfident. Young man, your health is the most important. Don’t end up with kidney problems—extremes lead to disaster!”

The grandfather’s bold words left Chu Tianyu utterly embarrassed. He couldn’t help but admit in his heart, “Grandpa, you really think of everything!”

But instead of saying that, Chu Tianyu adopted a more bold tone and replied frankly, “Grandpa, I’m not very strong in that area…”

Before Chu Tianyu could finish speaking, Old Master Chu immediately slapped the table and said excitedly, “Look, look. I told you—no matter how strong your martial arts skills are, they don’t necessarily mean you’re strong in this area. Come, luckily I was prepared this time and brought you antler wine, kidney tonics, and this aphrodisiac recipe…”

As the old man spoke eagerly while handing over the items, Chu Tianyu interrupted shyly, “Grandpa, please let me finish. What I mean is, I’m not just strong in this area—I’m extremely strong! Usually, those girls say they can’t handle it, but I’m still not satisfied…”

At these words, Old Master Chu, who was holding antler wine in one hand and kidney tonics in the other, froze in shock, staring at Chu Tianyu with an expression impossible to describe in words.

It was now Chu Tianyu’s turn to look relaxed. Seeing his grandpa’s embarrassed face, he blinked and flashed a innocent smile before asking innocently, “Grandpa, are these things for me?”

Chu Tianyu’s words snapped Old Master Chu out of his daze. He didn’t know whether to keep or put down the items, so he could only look at them and then at Chu Tianyu’s mischievous grin, forcing himself to smile awkwardly and say self-mockingly, “Extra, truly extra! Well, I’ll have to return them to your father—such an overbearing man!”

With that, as if he had finally found an excuse, Old Master Chu threw the items back and clapped his hands, acting as if nothing had happened.

Hearing his grandpa’s excuse, Chu Tianyu felt chilled inside. He never expected his grandpa to bring up his father as a scapegoat. Truly, experience does teach one—old ginger is still the spiciest!

At that moment, while the grandfather and grandson tried to return to their normal relationship, Chu Minglei, who was thousands of miles away and hadn’t done anything, suddenly sneezed several times and shuddered. He was surprised to find the room still warm, showing a puzzled expression…

“Tianyu, last time I talked for a long time with your master, the radical scholar. I never thought there were even more hidden forces stronger than Qianfeng. It was really a stroke of luck that they managed to escape last time!” After this brief interlude, Grandpa Chu Fangshan spoke seriously.

Chu Tianyu also said seriously, “Yes. This isn’t just about Qianfeng—it’s based on ancient records from the entire Xuanji Sect. The reason my master came to this conclusion stems from last time’s attack. It involves Zhan Yupeng of the Dragon Soul clan, as well as his entire family, along with many other prominent families and clans. Dozens of families have been wiped out alone. Moreover, this hidden conflict doesn’t just affect cultivators; it also involves the business and political worlds…”
“Does that include your elder brother, Tianfeng?” Before Chu Tianyu could finish speaking, his grandfather, Chu Fangshan, suddenly interjected and then turned to look out the window.
Although his grandfather appeared calm, Chu Tianyu could sense the helplessness and sorrow in his heart. So, Chu Tianyu didn’t answer “yes” or “no”; he simply sat quietly beside his grandfather, his gaze also fixed on the window…
After a long while, Grandpa Chu slowly turned back to look at Chu Tianyu and said slowly, “Sigh. I’ve fought against your second grandfather my whole life and suffered greatly. I originally thought your generation would never repeat the same mistakes. But ever since the competition between Tianfeng and Tianao began, it was destined that our Chu family’s fate would remain unchanged! Sigh…”
After a pause, Chu Fangshan seemed to adjust his emotions and continued, “I now know why you want to return to the Chu family. Grandpa knows your abilities—this should be a piece of cake for you. After all, this is a society of survival of the fittest. I originally planned to hand over the Chu family to you, but considering your situation—since you refused even the vast Qianfeng, how could you possibly take on the Chu family? That’s why I later allowed the competition between Tianfeng and Tianao. Now that you want to return to the Chu family, Grandpa has nothing to say. But I have only one request: give your elder brother a fair chance and spare his life!”
Facing his grandfather’s honest words, Chu Tianyu’s lips curled slightly as he said calmly, “Grandpa, rest assured. This time, my elder brother isn’t facing me—he’s facing your chosen daughter-in-law, Qin Nianran!”