Demonic Dao Fanfiction: Protecting You from Worries for a Lifetime

Hearing these words, Lan Qiren clenched his teeth, and the beard on his lower lip trembled slightly, obviously being hit by what Chaoyang said.

Wei Ying looked at Chaoyang and whispered, "Uncle...?" Chaoyang raised his hand to stop him from saying anything.

Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji asked in surprise, "Uncle?"

Lan Qiren said with difficulty, "At that time, I thought that if it weren't for that woman, my brother wouldn't have been forced into seclusion to protect her. However, I never expected that it wasn't her who killed Master, but that Master chose to collide with her sword and kill himself."

Chaoyang turned his gaze to Lan Qiren. "That's why you harbor resentment towards her. You couldn't hold your grudge against Sect Master Lan, so you took it out on Madam Lan. You took her two children away as soon as they were born. You only allowed her to see them once a month, alienating her from her two sons and causing Madam Lan to suffer the pain of missing them every day. It's so painful for a mother. This is also your revenge on Madam Lan, right?"

Lan Qiren didn't dare to look his brother and two nephews in the eye. He replied, "Yes."

"Qi Ren?" Qing Hengjun looked at Lan Qi Ren in disbelief. He originally thought that this was just because of the master, and he never expected that his brother would vent his anger on others.

Chao Yang said to Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji, who were still chewing on their uncle's resentment towards their mother, "You don't have to blame your uncle. He was still young at the time, and it was quite remarkable that he could do that. He took you away not only because of his resentment towards Madam Lan, but more out of fear."

Lan Xichen pressed on, "What are you afraid of?"

Chaoyang took a sip of tea to moisten his throat, then spoke leisurely, "What are you afraid of? He's afraid that you'll become like Madam Lan, or like Sect Master Lan. No matter which one you become, he'll be afraid. Only by keeping you by his side and through strict education can he feel at ease."

"Uncle?" Lan Wangji asked.

"As Sect Master Xuanyuan said, I'm worried that you'll be like your brother and sister-in-law, throwing everything away for love, so I'm educating you so harshly," Lan Qiren continued.

"Qi Ren..." Qing Heng Jun didn't expect that this was the image of him in Lan Qi Ren's mind.

Lan Qiren's confession caused everyone present to fall silent.

Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji exchanged a complicated look. They had never imagined that the grudges within the family would be so deep.

Chaoyang continued calmly, "Mr. Lan, I understand your resentment towards Madam Lan and your concern for Sect Master Lan. But have you ever considered the harm your actions have caused to Madam Lan and the children?"

Lan Qiren was silent, as if he was struggling deep in his heart.

Chaoyang continued, "Love and hate are both part of human nature. But as an elder of the Lan family, you should face these emotions with a broader mind, rather than letting them become weapons to hurt others. You took Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji away not only to avenge Madam Lan but also to punish them both. Love should not be built on pain."

Lan Qiren: “…”

Chaoyang continued, "For many years, due to the Jin family's machinations, Sect Master Lan was forced to retreat into seclusion, gradually weakening his power. This allowed some of the elders' factions within your Lan family, as well as those with ulterior motives, to grow stronger, forming a force that could not be ignored. I imagine that when Sect Master Lan emerged from seclusion to reclaim power from the elders, he must have killed no fewer than a few thousand people, right?"

Qing Hengjun: "Yes, we should take advantage of the opportunity to clean up the spies and deal with them all, otherwise we won't be able to get them back."

As Chaoyang spoke, his gaze turned to Lan Xichen, "That's because your bloody methods frightened them. I think with the burning of the Cloud Recesses and the serious injury to Sect Master Lan, some elders must be ready to make a move!"

Lan Xichen and Lan Qiren asked almost simultaneously, "Why do you think so?"

Chaoyang turned his head and looked at Qingheng Jun. "Master Lan, as a qualified ruler, your successor is clearly not performing as well as you would like in some areas. Perhaps you should teach him more attentively."

Qing Hengjun smiled slightly, his eyes deep, "It's natural."

"Father, why is this happening?" Lan Xichen looked at Qing Hengjun with confusion, his mind baffled. In his recent personal handling of sect affairs, he hadn't noticed anything amiss.

Qing Heng Jun: "Lan Qiren sat in the main seat, and you, the young sect leader, sat second. You really thought the elders didn't notice anything wrong and just kept silent, or that it was just a test. But you didn't expect that Sect Leader Xuanyuan would directly say it in public, making them lose face! From now on, they will obey your orders honestly, otherwise there will be some disputes."

Lan Xichen suddenly understood after hearing this. It turned out that the elders were not unaware, but did it on purpose.

Lan Qiren's lips trembled slightly. In the end, he did not reveal anything to Qingheng Jun. Instead, he turned to Chaoyang and asked, "Qiren has a doubt in his heart. I beg Master Xuanyuan to clarify it."

Chaoyang extended his hand and gestured: "Please speak."

Lan Qiren frowned slightly, and asked with confusion, "Ever since my brother went into seclusion to cultivate, the elders could clearly pull me down and take the position themselves. Why didn't they replace me and abolish Xichen's position as Young Sect Master?"

Chaoyang smiled contemptuously and said, "Why else? You're just wearing the cloak of a gentleman. Your Lan family is still in the hands of the direct descendants, and you are in control, but in reality, the power you possess is minimal and poses no threat to them. As for the position of Young Sect Leader? Humph, didn't you hand those handles over to them yourself?"

Lan Qiren pointed his finger at himself and asked doubtfully, "Me? What did I do?"

Chaoyang looked Lan Qiren in the eye and spoke word by word, "When you took Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji away, what did you call their mother? A sinner! A witch! You personally acknowledged that Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji were the sons of a sinner. In their eyes, a 'bastard' born of a sinner poses no threat at all, and they can be expelled from the Lan Clan at any time."

Sinner! Witch! Bastard!

These three words were so vicious that the faces of the four members of the Lan family turned pale in an instant.

Lan Xichen bit his lip, blood seeping from it, while Lan Wangji clenched his fists, veins bulging in his arms. Qing Hengjun and Lan Qiren sat slumped in their chairs, as if all strength had been drained from them.

Qing Hengjun's eyes streamed with tears, his heart filled with regret. He had never imagined that someone in the Lan Clan would view his two children this way. If it weren't for the two children's hard work, earning them the reputation of being the Lan Clan's twin pillars, he couldn't imagine the kind of criticism and discrimination they would have endured.