Chapter Two: The Ancestral Teaching of the Chen Family

At the break of dawn, a young man wearing thousand-layered cloth shoes and dressed in simple coarse clothing emerged from the Old Well Temple. Chen Sān Jīn, who had stayed at the temple gate since the previous night, rubbed his sore face with both hands, revealing a stiff smile. "Good morning, sir."

"Don't you find it strange why I'm the only one accompanying you down the mountain?" Chen Sān Jīn said. "Our family teachings admonish that anyone associated with the Old Well Temple, no matter who, should be treated with respect. Even if it's a sparrow flying out of the temple, members of the Chen family must bow in reverence."

Chen Sān Jīn paused, emphasizing once again, "It's our ancestral teaching."

Indeed, it wasn't flattery from Chen Sān Jīn. The Chen family's ancestral teachings, handed down for nearly a century, comprised three rules. The first restrained internal conflicts among the Chen family. The following two instructed the family to seek refuge at the Old Well Temple in times of trouble and required respectful behavior when encountering people from the temple.

Each generation of family heads remembered these teachings, even though most didn't fully comprehend the meaning of the latter two rules. However, anyone becoming a family head was far from foolish, and the Chen family's rise to prominence was closely tied to the Old Well Temple.

"Giving face like this?" The young man chuckled, scratching his head in a somewhat naive manner, muttering to himself, "Didn't expect the old ancestor to be quite practical."

"May I ask, sir, how should I address you?"

"Surname is Xiàng, given name is Quē," the young man sighed. "Let's go; we're descending the mountain."

The two descended from the hill. He Jìn Zhōng, who hadn't slept all night, got up from the ground when he saw the two approaching. Having served as Chen Sān Jīn's assistant for over a decade, He Jìn Zhōng had never seen such a scene before. Chen Sān Jīn willingly walked behind the others.

The trio headed towards the outskirts of the mountain. Not taking the same path back, being a native of Zhōngnán Shān, Xiàng Quē knew a shortcut that could lead them down the mountain in a day.

"What's happening with your Chen family?" Xiàng Quē inquired.

Chen Sān Jīn furrowed his brow. His expression, which had been relatively calm since entering Zhōngnán Shān, now showed a hint of ferocity, and his words carried an unspoken sense of helplessness.

"Three months ago, just after the Spring Festival, our Chen family's sixteen business operations began encountering issues one after another. It's definitely not a financial breakdown, but various inexplicable reasons causing all these businesses to come to a standstill over the last two months," Chen Sān Jīn explained. Business setbacks weren't a significant blow to him; the financial strength of the Bǎo Xīn Corporation could easily withstand these challenges. However, the subsequent details he shared revealed a sense of fear within him.

"One month ago, abnormalities arose within our immediate family. My son and daughter fell into a coma after separate car accidents. One bedridden with an unknown ailment. Two of my three siblings encountered mishaps, and my wife suffered a nervous breakdown. Almost every person with the surname Chen in our family has faced adversity in this past month."

Chen Sān Jīn said solemnly, "It's easy to contend with others, but facing the heavens, I'm at a loss."

"You, who have long controlled vast wealth and personnel, possess an aura not easily seen in ordinary individuals. Typically, it's challenging to target you specifically. Hence, your family members became the initial victims. However, over time, you won't escape the engulfing darkness. It's only a matter of time," Xiàng Quē remarked, looking somewhat displeased. "This is quite a slap in the face for our Old Well Temple. Who would be so mischievous?"

He Jìn Zhōng felt somewhat bewildered. The high-achieving graduate from Harvard Business School understood the words but couldn't grasp their meaning. He vowed that he comprehended the gist of their conversation, but the intricacies seemed to elude him.

"If you hadn't come to the Old Well Temple this time, a similar mishap would have befallen you in half a month," Xiàng Quē declared, looking somewhat dissatisfied. "This is essential; the cause and effect left behind by our ancestors must be continued. Otherwise, it would be violating the principles."

Chen Sān Jīn's gaze changed dramatically. Although many members of the Chen family had fallen, as long as he remained standing, the Bǎo Xīn Corporation could endure. However, if something happened to him, the entire Chen family would truly be in jeopardy.

"May the Old Well Temple help the Chen family through this difficulty," Chen Sān Jīn said earnestly.

"It's imperative. The cause and effect left by our ancestors must be continued, or it would be going against the teachings," Xiàng Quē responded.

"You, who have long controlled vast wealth and personnel, are not easily detected by ordinary means. However, this time, it seems you've stirred up quite a commotion," Xiàng Quē stated with a hint of displeasure. "You should have been more careful."

He Jìn Zhōng, the outstanding graduate from Harvard Business School, felt somewhat dazed. He was confident that he grasped the essence of their conversation, yet the subtleties eluded him.

"That said..." Chen Sān Jīn interrupted. A day later, the three descended from Zhōngnán Shān and arrived at a gathering of Chen family members in the northeastern suburbs of Tangshan.

Chen Sān Jīn didn't disembark from the three SUVs.

Chen Sān Jīn, with a pained expression, rolled down the car window and stuck his head out, "Get lost, all of you! Every damn one of you, disappear! If you don't vanish, you'll disappear forever. Get lost!"

At this moment, Chen Sān Jīn restored his dominance and authority within the Bǎo Xīn Corporation. His habitual demeanor, typical of someone in control, resurfaced. His return symbolized a triumph for the Bǎo Xīn Corporation, the Chen family, and the Old Well Temple.

A crowd of family members and high-ranking members of the Bǎo Xīn Corporation, who had been waiting outside the manor, scattered at Chen Sān Jīn's sharp rebuke. His return seemed to mark a new beginning for both the Chen family and the Bǎo Xīn Corporation.

Facing the dawn, a young man wearing a pair of thousand-layered cloth shoes and dressed in simple coarse fabric emerged from the Old Well Temple. Chen Sān Jīn, who had been stationed at the temple gate since last night, rubbed his sore face with both hands, revealing a stiff smile. "Good morning, sir."

"Aren't you curious why I'm the only one accompanying you down the mountain?" Chen Sān Jīn explained, "It's part of our family teachings. Whenever someone from the Old Well Temple appears, regardless of who it is, we must treat them with respect. Even if a sparrow flies out of the temple, members of the Chen family must bow in respect."

Chen Sān Jīn paused, emphasizing, "It's our ancestral teaching."

Indeed, it wasn't flattery from Chen Sān Jīn. The Chen family's ancestral teachings, passed down for nearly a century, consisted of three rules. The first restrained internal conflicts within the Chen family, while the next two instructed seeking refuge at the Old Well Temple in times of trouble and treating anyone from the Old Well Temple with respect.

"These are giving face?" The young man laughed blankly, scratching his head in a simple manner, muttering to himself, "Didn't expect the old ancestor to be quite practical."

"May I ask sir's name?"

"Surname is Xiàng, and the given name is Quē," the young man replied wistfully, "Let's go, we're descending the mountain."

The two descended the hill, and He Jìn Zhōng, who hadn't slept all night, suddenly climbed up from the ground upon seeing the two approaching. Since serving as Chen Sān Jīn's assistant for over a decade, he had never seen such a person. Chen Sān Jīn willingly walked behind the stranger.

The three headed towards the mountainside exit, not taking the same path back. As a native of Zhōngnán Shān, Xiàng Quē knew a shortcut that could lead them to the foot of the mountain in a day.

"What happened to your Chen family?" Xiàng Quē asked.

Chen Sān Jīn furrowed his brows. His expression, usually calm and composed since entering Zhōngnán Shān, now showed a hint of grimness. There was an unspoken frustration in his words, "Three months ago, just after the Spring Festival, our Chen family's sixteen business operations, which were flourishing, started encountering issues. It wasn't a financial breakdown, but various inexplicable reasons, causing all businesses to come to a halt over the past two months." The disruptions in business weren't a severe blow for Chen Sān Jīn; the financial strength of the Bǎo Xīn Corporation could endure the setbacks easily. The real sense of apprehension came from his subsequent narration, "A month ago, peculiarities emerged within our immediate family. My son and daughter both fell into comas after separate car accidents. One bedridden with an unknown ailment. Two of my three siblings encountered mishaps, and my wife suffered a nervous breakdown. Almost every person with the surname Chen in our family has faced adversity in this past month."

Chen Sān Jīn somberly stated, "It's easy to contend with others, but facing the heavens, I'm at a loss."

This statement from Chen Sān Jīn seemed somewhat mysterious, and He Jìn Zhōng, who knew the details of the Chen family's misfortune, couldn't fathom the origins of this seemingly strange remark.

The heart of the family had returned, and it seemed that the troubles of the Chen family were about to be resolved.

Three off-road vehicles came to a halt, but Xiang Que did not step out.

An impatient Chen Sanjin rolled down the car window and stuck his head out, "Get the hell out of here! Disperse as far as you can. If you don't disappear now, then disappear forever! Damn it."

In this moment, Chen Sanjin reverted to his dominant self from the Baixin Corporation, and his ingrained traits from the martial world emerged.

This was the Chen Sanjin of old!

At his command, the crowd outside the car, without a moment's hesitation, scattered like birds and beasts. In the blink of an eye, they vanished without a trace. Not a single car made its way up the mountain; all were heading away from the hill.

Within the Baixin Corporation and the Chen family mansion, when Chen Sanjin said something, everyone within earshot had to treat it as a royal decree!