Chapter 333

Chapter 333: Testing

“Sir.”

One day, while Wang Chen was cultivating in the quiet room, Little He hurried to the door and softly said, “Chief Chen has just sent someone to invite you to the Chen clan temple.”

Wang Chen abruptly opened his eyes and inquired, “Did they mention what it’s about?”

Little He responded, “They said it’s concerning Old Man Chen’s family at the east end of the village, and they need your judgment to settle the matter.”

A family inheritance dispute…

Wang Chen’s lips twitched.

As a distinguished Purple Palace master, why should he meddle in someone else’s domestic affairs? What about his dignity?

Yet, as the village chief, such matters were indeed within his duties!

“Very well, I understand.”

After sending Little He away, Wang Chen did not immediately rise.

He first changed into a fresh robe and then leisurely stepped outside, mounting his large blue donkey.

He made his way to the Chen clan temple without haste.

Over ninety percent of Datian Village’s villagers belonged to the Huang, Chen, and Xu families. It was said that their ancestors were sworn brothers who jointly founded the village.

Thus, the temple was built and shared by all three families.

When Wang Chen arrived at the temple, it was already crowded with villagers eager to witness the proceedings.

Chen Anhe was among them.

“Greetings, village chief.”

The elderly cultivator, with his white hair, promptly bowed to Wang Chen and said, “I am truly ashamed to trouble you, sir.”

He appeared as though he felt deeply embarrassed but had no other recourse.

This old fox!

Wang Chen waved his hand and asked, “What exactly is the issue that you cannot resolve?”

Generally, matters concerning each family were handled internally, without the interference of outsiders.

And Wang Chen was the outsider!

As the clan leader of the Chen family, Chen Anhe’s standing in Datian Village, especially within his own clan, far surpassed that of Wang Chen, an outsider—even if Wang Chen was a Purple Palace cultivator.

As the saying goes, family troubles should not be aired in public. To be honest, Wang Chen was quite intrigued.

He did not believe that this old fox genuinely could not resolve Old Man Chen’s family matters.

“It’s just those two brothers…”

Chen Anhe said with a bitter smile, gesturing toward the two men standing beside him. “They both claim they are being shortchanged in the inheritance and refuse to heed my arrangements. It’s gotten out of hand, so I had no choice but to ask you to mediate.”

He bowed once more, saying, “Please forgive me, sir.”

“Never mind.”

Wang Chen replied calmly, “Then you may speak.”

His gaze shifted toward the Chen brothers from Old Man Chen’s family, who involuntarily shivered and instinctively lowered their heads.

Wang Chen’s piercing stare made both men too intimidated to meet his eyes.

The surrounding villagers also fell silent, and the vast temple became so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

The atmosphere grew increasingly tense and strange.

“Ahem!”

Chen Anhe suddenly cleared his throat forcefully and said, “Sir has asked you to speak; why are you standing there in a daze?”

The Chen brothers snapped out of their stupor and hurriedly recounted the events leading up to this moment.

It turned out that a few days ago, Old Man Chen had fallen suddenly ill and passed away without leaving a will. Now, the two brothers were locked in a bitter dispute over the inheritance, bringing the matter to the clan for resolution.

They were both dissatisfied with the distribution plan proposed by Chen Anhe and refused to back down, nearly coming to blows!

Is that all?

Wang Chen scoffed, “Why not just split everything equally?”

Chen Anhe sighed helplessly, “Some things aren’t so easy to divide. The land is manageable, but how can a house be cut in half?”

Besides the property and land, there were also furniture, livestock, grain, and spirit stones to consider.

For instance, there was a storage bag left by Old Man Chen; both brothers wanted it, but how could it possibly be divided?

This was the root of their endless conflict.

The elder brother of the Chen family spoke with a defiant tone: “Village chief, all I seek is fairness!”

The younger brother, Elder Chen, was no pushover either: “Exactly!”

The two brothers glared at each other, their anger palpable.

“Since that’s the case…”

After listening, Wang Chen said expressionlessly, “Then we will proceed with my plan for the division.”

Without giving them a chance to argue, he pointed at the elder brother of the Chen family and declared, “You will divide the inheritance.”

The elder brother’s face lit up with joy, but Wang Chen continued, “Divide it into two portions, and you will choose first.”

He then pointed at Elder Chen.

“Huh?”

Both brothers were stunned, momentarily frozen in place.

As the saying goes, even the fairest official struggles to resolve family disputes, and dividing an inheritance is the most troublesome of them all.

No one had expected Wang Chen’s method to be so simple.

Yet, upon reflection, no one could deny the fairness of this plan!

Instinctively, they both turned their gaze toward Chen Anhe.

“Ahem!”

Chen Anhe coughed once more and declared, “I stand with the village chief; the matter is settled.”

Wang Chen chuckled softly and turned to leave.

He remained convinced that Chen Anhe couldn’t possibly fail to control the Chen brothers.

After all, Chen Anhe was not only the head of the Chen family but also boasted a cultivation level at the Qi Training ninth level.

Though the brothers appeared formidable with their broad shoulders and sturdy builds, their cultivation levels paled in comparison to Chen Anhe’s.

Moreover, they didn’t strike him as particularly sharp-witted.

They were perfect pawns to be manipulated!

Wang Chen couldn’t decipher what scheme Chen Anhe was plotting.

But he was genuinely starting to feel irritated.

Since assuming his role in Datian Village, Wang Chen had been ostracized and even shunned by the villagers. Apart from overseeing the hundred acres of spirit fields, he had scarcely exercised any authority as village chief.

He didn’t mind this; in fact, he found the solitude conducive to his cultivation.

Yet, it seemed some were determined to make his life difficult. Today’s events were a blatant probe, too obvious to ignore.

The question lingered: Wang Chen had no desire to interfere with the governance of Datian Village, and Chen Anhe and the others surely knew this. So why were they targeting him?

Wang Chen sensed this was merely the beginning, and more challenges lay ahead.

What were they so afraid of?

“Why?”

After the villagers had dispersed from the ancestral hall, Chen Anhe stepped into the back room and asked, perplexed, “Didn’t we agree earlier that as long as he stayed in line, we wouldn’t need to concern ourselves with him?”

“Things have changed,” Huang Deqi replied in a deep voice from where he sat in the back room. “It seems we’ll need to replace the village chief once more.”

Chen Anhe was startled. “But he’s only been here for a little over a month. Do you have a way to remove him?”

“Remove him?” Huang Deqi laughed. “Why would you think that? If I could remove him, the village chief position wouldn’t have remained vacant for two years. You’re giving me too much credit.”

Though the role of village chief was minor, it was tied to the entry assessment of the West Sea Sect, which was beyond his influence.

There was only one way to deal with Wang Chen.

Chen Anhe fell silent for a moment before saying, “I don’t think that’s a wise approach.”

He now felt an inexplicable unease about Wang Chen.

“It’s not the first time,” Huang Deqi said dismissively. “Chief Chen, we’re in this together; I wouldn’t do anything to harm you.”

He held Chen Anhe in contempt, viewing him as greedy and cowardly, always seeking to protect himself.

Already knee-deep in the mire, yet still hoping to emerge unscathed—it was laughable!

“Leave it to me; I’ll take care of this matter.”