Without waiting for another urge, the little man stepped inside the room and sat right next to Chanui.

He turned his head toward him with a somewhat defiant grin and dug in after four copious and generous servings within a dish he seemed to have locked on even before he was allowed in.

This situation couldn't look any more shameful in the eyes of his mother who harrumphed in frustration, before giving in to the seriousness of her brash, but cute offspring. She apologized with a smile in his stead and started to discuss with her brother and sister in law about their anticipations for the rest of the day.

"Tang-Tang, what's Panzi's cultivation right now? I remember he was able to take quite a beating from that cruel offspring of ours. Five months ago, I seem to remember he was still stuck at the 4th layer of the Body Tempering realm? That's quite impressive for his age to be honest."

Feng Kong asked, curious about his little nephew's situation. He was quite shocked when he noticed how sturdy his four-eyed nephew actually was. Not to brag, but he was clear on his son's achievements. The boy was naughty but he was unmatched between his young peers. Every evening he had to apologize to some parents because of how aggressive the careless bloke was when he went out to "play" with the rest of the runts.

"I've told you to stop using that nickname in front of the kids!" Feng Mitang glared furiously at her brother before she coughed to clear her throat, not forgetting to menacingly eye her niece who was difficultly holding her glee. She cleared her throat before answering smugly the question.

"If that little pig didn't spend so much time eating and sleeping, he would have already broken through the 7th tier of the body tempering realm..." She told as she faked boredom and annoyment.

!!!

"You mean to say..." Feng Kong pitched in.

"Yes, that gluttonous animal has reached the peak of the 6th level four weeks ago." She nodded with satisfaction after seeing the look of bewilderment on everyone's face.

*Silence*

Eight pairs of eyes were directed at the culprit who was making loud noises with his chopsticks as he was devouring his food. He shot a competitive glance at the unfazed shorty next to him and continued to eat when he realized he wasn't as daunting as he thought.

"Well?"

Hit with a realization, Feng Kong and the others suddenly couldn't help but unnaturally widen their eyes for a short moment.

Chanui was astute so before they could inquire further he got up and left in a hurry. The ceremony was nearing and he would wait inside the carriage at the residence's front door.

Fifty minutes later, the rest of the family joined him after eating their fill. They all boarded the carriage and left with anticipation for the main house.

**********

Feng Clan, in a remote place.

Inside a large pavilion, a woman sat cross-legged on an enormous yellow cushion. The room was half dark, half-lighted with candles at the four corners of the room.

If Chanui were present at the moment, as an old earthling, he would associate this situation with a sinister ceremony of witchcraft or occult meditation.

The pentagram markings around the cushion on the floor could actually attest to the mysticism and spirituality of the event. The marks were black, not chalk or felt, but rather an extremely dark red, strangely resembling blood clotting.

The woman's features showed a maturity marked by the vagaries of age. It did not seem so old or stunted, quite the contrary, it displayed the charm and the devastating calm of the femme fatale, that of the ripe fruit, spiced and seasoned by the experience of years.

The woman took a long, recovering breath and then opened her eyes suddenly. As soon as she opened her eyes, someone knocked at the door.

“Mistress, the young Madame is requesting an audience.”

the girl who entered said respectfully.

"Make her enter," the woman was combing her hair and ordered in a dignified tone as she looked in a mirror. Another graceful figure entered the room and kneeled respectfully.

“Mother in law ... “

”Um. It's been a while.” The woman nodded.

She smiled and gestured for the other to get up. This person was, in fact, the mysterious, and second old wife of the clan, 'Ji Nalan'.

The lady bowed once again showing courtesy and etiquette before sitting in a lotus position just in front of the cushion at the center of the room. Honestly, if she didn't know what her mother in law was using it for, she would think the room to be a bit too crude even for someone with such unusual occupations as the old Lady's.

"So what do I owe the pleasure this time?" Ji Nalan smiled and asked after opening her eyes.

"Sheesh, Mother in law, how could you act so serene despite what is happening to the clan?"

"..." Ji Nalan frowned for a second before her expression turned merry, sour and then totally dark out of nowhere.

"Mother in law?" The lady was greatly startled by the sudden change. She didn't know how to act in this type of situation. In truth, she was always awkward around most seers, but the one just in front of her tended to show a very puzzling behavior each time they met.

"Hum..? Oh yes, I was thinking about something unpleasant." The old but burlesque woman then got up and gestured for her daughter in law to do the same. Her charisma shot through the roof and it was difficult to think before following up on her demands.

"What's the hurry?" the youngest woman asked when she snapped out her daze. "I haven't even said why I'm here, by the way." She protested in a low voice.

Ji Nalan shot her a look and replied as she led their way out. "You've come for the year assessment right? I'm pretty interested in it as well. I have some things to sort out first, then we'll think of some measures for your trouble."

"How do you kno-..." The little matron realized the stupidity of the sentence and stopped midway. "Mother in law did you breakthrough?" She asked joyfully.

"I've told you a hundred times to stop making assumptions, seers aren't minded readers per se, I've just reached the level where I can somewhat accurately predict a few hours into events before they actually come to pass..." She paused as she said this.

"No matter how unpleasant they might be..." She finished.

This time, the lady knew better than to ask for clarifications. She wasn't smart enough to understand the underlying meaning behind those words in any case. Little did she know that she would soon regret not being a bit more pushy and adventurous when it came to the short fuse she referred to as "Mother".