435 - Rebirth of a Star: Another Day, Another Drama

Chapter 435: Confrontation at the Ancestral Hall The commotion at the entrance immediately drew the attention of everyone inside the hall. All eyes turned towards the large doors of the ancestral shrine. The first thing everyone saw was a person being carried in on a wooden plank, covered with a white cloth. Next to the plank was a middle-aged man, crying and wailing. He bore some resemblance to Baile Xiao, who was seated at the head of the room, although Baile Xiao seemed more imposing and authoritative. Upon seeing his brother, Baile Xiao rubbed his forehead with a hint of a headache. "Baile Xing, what have you done this time?" he asked, exasperated with his brother who never seemed to do anything productive and was always causing trouble. "Elder Brother, I'm here to seek justice from you! You must stand up for your nephew—my son died a horrible death!" Baile Xing dropped to the ground with a thud, beating his thighs and wailing loudly. He then pulled off the white cloth covering the plank. When everyone saw what lay beneath the cloth, they gasped in shock. Baile Yuan even jumped up from his seat, his face full of surprise. "This... Is this Ran'er?" Baile Xiao could barely recognize him. The person on the plank had wide-open eyes filled with terror and disbelief, a gaping wound on his forehead, and his entire body had turned a purplish blue, rendering him unrecognizable. "Waaaah, Brother, you must seek justice for Ran'er. He died so miserably!" Baile Xing continued his ear-piercing wailing. Baile Xiao was getting a headache from the noise—his brother was not only useless, but also cowardly and foolish. "Enough, enough, stop crying. How exactly did Ran'er die?" Baile Xiao asked impatiently. Just as Baile Xing was about to reply, he was interrupted by a voice from the entrance. "I killed him!" All eyes turned again to see Baile Ming standing at the entrance of the ancestral hall, accompanied by an unfamiliar woman. The woman was Ye Linglong, and although her name was often whispered in rumor, few had seen her actual face. Upon seeing her, a hint of confusion flickered in Baile Yuan's eyes. "Baile Ming, I haven't even begun to hold you accountable, and you confess! Why did you kill my son—your elder, your cousin uncle? This is rebellion!" Baile Xing scrambled to his feet, pointing at Baile Ming and berating him, waving his hand as if to strike. But before the slap could land, a sword dropped sharply onto his neck, its blade drawing a thin line of blood. Ye Linglong held the sword with a cold gaze. "If you don't want to die, just let that hand fall. Let's see if you're faster than my sword." Baile Xing trembled all over, his raised hand not daring to fall. The onlookers were stunned by Ye Linglong's audacity to wield a weapon in such a sacred place. "Dage!!" Baile Xing looked towards Baile Xiao for help, his voice shaking. "Ming'er, who is this?" Baile Xiao asked sternly, but he paused upon seeing Baile Ming's expression. Baile Ming was gazing at Ye Linglong with an adoring look, eyes filled with a joy he hadn't shown in two hundred years. Baile Xiao couldn't recall when he last saw this side of Baile Ming. "Hmph! Reckless girl, do you not want your hand anymore?" A fiery voice thundered from the entrance, followed closely by the sound of something slicing through the air—an aim at Ye Linglong's wrist with a flame-red whip. Before Ye Linglong could react, Baile Ming's large hand firmly caught the whip. Leering dangerously, he yanked, and a fiery-clad figure was pulled into the room, landing beside Baile Xing—a flamboyant middle-aged woman who closely resembled Baile Ran. Gazing at Baile Ran's body, tears welled in her eyes. She then glared at Baile Ming and Ye Linglong before turning to Baile Xiao. "Master of the house! Will you intervene or not? My son was killed without reason by Baile Ming, and there must be an explanation!" "Yueniang, you shouldn't speak to my brother like that," Baile Xing whispered, tugging on her sleeve. Yueniang glared fiercely at him and shook off his hand. "Baile Xing! You're utterly useless. Marrying you was the worst decision of my life. If it weren't for our son, do you think I'd return to this family?" "Your son is dead, yet you remain spineless!" Baile Xing lowered his head, unable to respond, while Baile Xiao's voice darkened. "What kind of explanation do you want?" Yueniang's gaze turned icy as she looked at Baile Ming. "A life for a life!" Her words drew gasps from the onlookers, with Baile Yuan leaping to his feet, "No, that's impossible!" Baile Xiao's expression grew even more somber, a flicker of lethal intent in his eyes. "Hmph! Elder Brother, you may be the head of the family, but even you can't shield your son from the consequences, or how will you command respect in the future?" Baile Xiao furrowed his brow, on the verge of speaking when Baile Ming interrupted him. "Indeed, there's no covering up. Baile Ran deserved his fate." These words struck a nerve. "What do you mean?" Yueniang retorted. Baile Ming met her gaze with cold determination. "Your son, Baile Ran, over the years, for the sake of some formation core, has murdered countless members of the Baile clan's collateral branches. I imagine you're quite aware, as you assisted him." The collateral members of the Baile clan shot hateful looks toward Yueniang. Baile Xiao's face turned ice-cold as he asked, "Is this true, Yuan'er?" Baile Yuan hesitantly replied, "There have been rumors. I questioned Uncle about them, but..." He fell silent, leaving Baile Xiao closing his eyes in disappointment, a deep sigh escaping him. Observing his father's disappointed look, Baile Yuan hung his head in guilt, remorse written all over his face. Yueniang, however, retorted with sarcasm, "Accusations require proof! One can't believe baseless allegations." Baile Ming stated confidently, "Who says I have no proof?" At his cue, several people filed in from outside—among them were Yueniang's subordinates, Baile Ran's confidants, and a blindfolded youth. As these individuals entered, Yueniang's expression gradually collapsed into panic, yet she continued to put on a brave front. Baile Ming's eyes bore into Yueniang coldly. "Qin Yueniang, I've always intended to stay out of your messy affairs, but Baile Ran made a fatal error—by targeting my daughter. That's on him!"