I walk sideways in the game world

Chapter 202: Tribal chaos comes, get involved

Ren Xiaoyao calmly stared at the captain of the guards, his eyes sharp as a knife. "It seems my return has made some people uneasy."

The captain of the guards was startled by his sharp gaze, but he still feigned composure. "Hmph, it's good that you know! The family situation is beyond the comprehension of someone like you who has been away from home for so many years. I advise you to stay out of other people's business!"

Ren Xiaoyao ignored the captain's warning and headed straight for the city gate. He knew there was no point in talking any more; only by meeting the Great Elder could he find out what had happened to the family. The captain tried to stop him, but an old soldier beside him held him back and whispered, "Captain, don't be rude. He is..."

Before the veteran could finish his words, he was interrupted by the captain of the guards, "Shut up! It's not your turn to speak here!"

As Ren Xiaoyao entered the city gate, everything he saw and heard along the way only confirmed his uneasiness. The once bustling streets now seemed somewhat desolate, and the faces of the hurried passersby were devoid of smiles, replaced by anxiety and uneasiness.

He arrived at the family hall. The disciple guarding the gate was stunned when he saw him, and then hurriedly ran in to report. A moment later, the elder slowly walked out, surrounded by several family members.

The elder was old, but still vigorous and his eyes were still bright. But at this moment, his brows were furrowed and his face was filled with gloom.

"Xiaoyao, you're back." The Great Elder's voice was low and hoarse, without any joy in it.

"Great Elder, I'm back." Ren Xiaoyao bowed respectfully, but his heart was full of doubts.

The Great Elder looked him up and down, his eyes complicated and difficult to read. "How have you been doing out there these years?"

"Reporting to the Great Elder, Xiaoyao is doing well."

"Okay, that's good," the elder said calmly, his tone devoid of emotion. "Now that you're back, rest well. Stay out of the family's affairs."

"Great Elder, I heard..." Ren Xiaoyao wanted to say something but was interrupted by the Great Elder with a wave of his hand.

"Xiaoyao, I know what you want to say. However, family matters have their own way of handling them. You've been away for a long time and don't understand the situation, so it's best not to interfere."

Ren Xiaoyao's heart sank. He knew the Great Elder was deliberately distancing himself from him. He opened his mouth, wanting to argue again, but heard a young man next to the Great Elder say in a sarcastic tone, "Yes, Cousin Xiaoyao, it's good that you're back. Leave the family affairs to those of us who have stayed with us."

Ren Xiaoyao turned around and saw that it was his cousin, the second young master Ren Tianxing, who was speaking...

The second young master, Ren Tianxing, curled his lips into a sarcastic smile, glanced at Ren Xiaoyao, and said with a hint of meaning, "That's right. Some people, who have been away from home for many years and know nothing about family affairs, still like to meddle in other people's affairs. I wonder what their intentions are?"

Ren Xiaoyao naturally heard the sting in his words, and anger surged within him, but he remained impassive. He had long known that this cousin had always been at odds with him, and now that he had been away from home for so many years, Ren Tianxing had intensified his antagonism, targeting him at every turn.

"Second brother, what do you mean by that?" Third Miss Ren Ling'er couldn't stand it any longer and stood up to speak for Ren Xiaoyao. "Big brother just came back, and you're talking like that?"

"Isn't what I said right?" Ren Tianxing retorted without a shred of timidity. "Ren Xiaoyao was once the genius of the family. Now that the family is in trouble, he's out there enjoying himself. Now that he's back, who knows if he's sincere or has other motives?"

"You..." Ren Ling'er was so angry that her face turned pale. She pointed at Ren Tianxing but couldn't say a word.

"Enough!" The Great Elder shouted angrily, stopping their quarrel. "It's not your turn to argue about family matters!"

He turned to Ren Xiaoyao, his tone softened, but still carried unquestionable authority, "Xiaoyao, you just came back, go back and rest first. I will take care of the family affairs."

Ren Xiaoyao knew that the Great Elder was ordering them to leave. He looked deeply at the Great Elder, then at the smug Ren Tianxing standing beside him, and finally said nothing as he turned and left the hall.

After he left, Ren Tianxing's smug smile became even more pronounced. He approached the gloomy elder and whispered, "Father, do you really believe he just came back to take a look? I think he's clearly after the family..."

Ren Tianxing's voice was very low, but Ren Xiaoyao could still vaguely hear some of it. He sneered in his heart, it seemed that this family dispute was not as simple as it seemed.

He walked aimlessly in the family courtyard, thinking back to what had just happened in the hall. He felt an invisible dark cloud hanging over the family, and behind this dark cloud, there seemed to be a deeper secret hidden.

"Young Master Xiaoyao." An old voice sounded behind him.

Ren Xiaoyao looked back and saw that it was the family's steward from another family, Wang Fu.

Wang Fu had watched Ren Xiaoyao grow up and had always been very kind to him. Ren Xiaoyao knew that although Wang Fu was the family steward, he was an upright man and loyal to the family, and that he might be able to get some useful information from him.

"Uncle Wang." Ren Xiaoyao stepped forward and asked, "Why are you here?"

"I'm just taking a walk." Wang Fu smiled, but his eyes flickered.

"Uncle Wang, you've watched me grow up, so I might as well be frank with you." Ren Xiaoyao lowered his voice, "Has anything happened in the family recently? The Great Elder..."

The smile on Wang Fu's face disappeared. He looked around warily and whispered, "Master Xiaoyao, there are some things you'd better not know. The more you know, the more disadvantageous it will be for you..."

"Uncle Wang, please tell me!" Ren Xiaoyao said anxiously, "I must know the truth!"

Wang Fu hesitated for a moment, then finally sighed, leaned over to Ren Xiaoyao's ear, and whispered...

Wang Fu's wrinkled face was filled with worry. He lowered his voice and whispered something shocking into Ren Xiaoyao's ear: "Master Xiaoyao, there's a traitor in the family."

This sentence was like a thunderclap, exploding in Ren Xiaoyao's ears. A traitor? He had never imagined that the family's internal disputes would actually collude with outsiders.

"Uncle Wang, what is going on? Do you know who it is?" Ren Xiaoyao asked anxiously, trying to get more information from Wang Fu.

Wang Fu shook his head, his eyes filled with helplessness and worry. "I just happened to hear some rumors, and I don't know who it was. Master Xiaoyao, you have to be careful. The master... sigh..."

Wang Fu didn't say anything more, but Ren Xiaoyao already understood what he meant. The Great Elder had always been stubborn, and now that the family was facing internal and external troubles, he refused to reveal a single word. Perhaps there was a deeper hidden meaning behind this.

Ren Xiaoyao thanked Wang Fu and turned to walk deeper into the courtyard. Wang Fu looked at his back, sighed deeply, and his eyes were full of worry. He was just a housekeeper. There were some things he could not do anything about. He could only hope that Ren Xiaoyao could turn the bad situation into good.

Ren Xiaoyao walked aimlessly, Wang Fu's words echoing in his mind. Who could it be? He tried to recall every move of every family member, trying to find any suspicious clues.

Suddenly, he remembered that he had seen a furtive figure outside the Great Elder's study when he returned home a few days ago. At that time, he didn't pay much attention to it, thinking it was just a servant passing by. Now thinking about it, the figure seemed a little unfamiliar, not like a servant in the mansion.

Could this be the traitor Wang Fu mentioned?

An idea flashed through Ren Xiaoyao's mind, and he decided to wait outside the Great Elder's study to see if he could meet the mysterious man again.

As night fell, the entire family was enveloped in an eerie silence. Ren Xiaoyao hid behind a rockery, his gaze fixed on the direction of the Great Elder's study. Time ticked by, and just as he was about to lose his patience, a dark figure flashed from the distance and silently sneaked into the study.

Ren Xiaoyao's heart trembled, he held his breath, and followed quietly.

He hid under the window and through the crack in the window, he saw the dark figure with his back to him, whispering something to the Great Elder. Due to the distance, he could not hear the conversation between the two. He could only vaguely see that the dark figure was of burly build, dressed in black, with a mask on his face, so he could not see his face clearly.

Mystery man!

Ren Xiaoyao's heart trembled. He knew this person must be involved in the family feud. He clenched his fists and tried to suppress the urge to rush in. Now was not the time to alert the enemy. He had to find out the identity of the other party and their relationship before he could find the key to solving the problem.

After an unknown amount of time, the mysterious man finally left the study. Ren Xiaoyao watched him leave without making any rash moves. He knew that the most important thing now was to remain calm. He needed a plan...

After the mysterious man left, Ren Xiaoyao paused for a moment, suppressing the turmoil within him. He knew he was stepping into an invisible net, and every step required extreme caution. Various factions were watching closely, and if he wasn't careful, he could become a victim of the family's internal strife.

He had to find a safe place to clear his mind.

Ren Xiaoyao avoided the patrolling family guards and deliberately avoided the crowded areas, heading towards the mountain behind the family. There was a dense bamboo forest there, where he often practiced martial arts as a child. It was rarely visited by people and was an ideal hiding place.

The night wind rustled through the bamboo forest, making a rustling sound, as if telling the family's unknown secrets. Ren Xiaoyao sat on a piece of bluestone, his brow furrowed, trying to piece together the fragments in his mind.

Who was this mysterious man? Why did he want to meet with the Great Elder in private? What was the content of their conversation? A series of questions swirled in his mind, but he could not find any answers.

Ren Xiaoyao knew that the information he currently had wasn't enough to solve the mystery of the family feud. He needed more clues and a deeper investigation.

"Brother Xiaoyao, where are you?"

A crisp sound broke the tranquility of the bamboo forest. Ren Xiaoyao looked in the direction of the sound and saw Xia Lin holding a lantern and looking around anxiously.

"Why are you here?" Ren Xiaoyao stood up and greeted him with a hint of surprise on his face.

"I heard you were back, so I came to see you." Charlene approached him and noticed the serious expression on his face. She asked with concern, "What happened? You look worried."

Ren Xiaoyao hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided not to tell Xia Lin what he had witnessed tonight. He knew that family disputes were complex and could backfire if he wasn't careful. He didn't want to drag Xia Lin into this and put her in danger.

"Nothing, just a little tired." Ren Xiaoyao forced a smile and changed the subject, "How did you know I was here?"

Charlene didn't notice his abnormality and said with a smile, "Have you forgotten? You often brought me here to play hide-and-seek when we were little. I'm very familiar with this place."

Ren Xiaoyao nodded, but his heart felt even heavier. He knew that Xia Lin's appearance was no accident. All parties were watching him, and his every move was under their surveillance.

"It's getting late, let's go back." Ren Xiaoyao took Xia Lin's hand and walked out of the bamboo forest.

However, when they reached the edge of the bamboo forest, they found two figures blocking their way.

"Second Young Master, Third Young Miss." Ren Xiaoyao recognized the people at a glance. They were the Second Young Master and Third Young Miss in the family who had always been at odds with him.

The second young master sneered, his eyes darting back and forth between Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin, his tone tinged with sarcasm: "Hey, isn't this our great hero Ren Xiaoyao? Why are you hiding in a place like this? Did you do something shameful?"

"What do you want to say?" Ren Xiaoyao looked at him coldly. He knew that tonight was destined to end badly.

"You know what I want to say." The second young master took a step forward, a sinister glint in his eyes. "Ren Xiaoyao, I advise you to be sensible and hand it over obediently..."

Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by the Third Miss: "Brother, why are you wasting so much time talking to him? Just take him down and see what else he has to say!"

As the third young lady said this, she was about to take action, but was stopped by the second young master.

"Don't be impatient, sister." The second young master's cold eyes fell on Ren Xiaoyao, "I want to see, without the protection of the eldest lady of the Xia family, what else you can do!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a deep voice suddenly came from behind him:

"Really? Then what about me?"