CHAPTER 69: CHAPTER 9.10 : A CLASH OF PRIDE (1)

The old man was trying to confirm Al’s identity, carrying a small suspicion—what if Dedy had lied to him?

If he’s the real young master... then why wasn’t I told from the start? he thought.

"I and the family’s elite unit were only away for a year, climbing Mount Everest to hone our strength. I had no idea that in just a single year, we suddenly had a new young master..." he said to Vianna and David, expecting an explanation.

David was just about to speak when—

"Whether I’m the real young master or a fake, what business is it of yours to destroy that building?" Al cut in, his tone slightly lazy yet irritated, breaking the silence without even bothering to stand.

The old man turned toward Al. He felt a flicker of annoyance—this boy, whoever he was, seemed to challenge him. Yet, he smiled, radiating arrogance.

"That building wasn’t important. Even if it’s destroyed, it doesn’t matter," he replied firmly. "Do you even know who I am? Huh? Even Master Edward wouldn’t dare scold me, and now you dare lecture me?"

"You don’t know me either. Why should I know you?" Al shot back with a sour face.

"You...!" How dare you.

The old man’s irritation flared, ignoring everyone else, including David and Vianna. He moved forward slowly, channeling energy into his right hand. Once he was standing before Al—

"You think I wouldn’t dare eliminate you, even if you were the true young master? Forget you—I could break Young Master David’s arms and legs if I wanted."

From a distance, David heard those words and knew this person wasn’t just spouting nonsense. A chill ran down his spine at hearing his name mentioned in such a terrifying context.

Vianna watched calmly. She didn’t want any misunderstandings... yet, strangely, she wanted this to happen to Al.

Meanwhile, Al remained sitting casually on the ground, looking up at the old man now towering over him.

Their eyes locked.

"You think I’m afraid?" Al challenged.

David and Vianna were both shocked at Al’s nerve. Vianna thought, Maybe this little brother of mine isn’t so bad—he actually has guts.

David, however, was more pleased than surprised. At least he wouldn’t have to lift a finger to crush the orphan boy he hated.

The tension almost boiled over—until the rest of the family finally arrived.

A little late, but right on time.

Edward, Sandra, and Aurielle stepped out, with Fani following behind. Their presence alone shifted the atmosphere.

Edward’s eyes swept over the scene—the rubble, the scattered belongings, Al sitting on the ground, and the old man he recognized, clearly preparing to attack Al.

"Wait! Uncle Acok, what are you doing?"

The old man turned his head.

"You... destroyed this building?" Edward asked.

The old man—Uncle Acok, known as Daoist Storm—broke off his clash with Al and respectfully greeted Edward, Sandra, and Aurielle with a polite smile.

"I’ve returned, Master Edward, Madam Sandra, Young Miss Aurielle," he said, then straightened and explained as if the matter were trivial. "I mistook him for an intruder and attacked. I suppose I got a little too excited with my new strength. I didn’t expect a light strike to destroy such a small building. Hahaha."

Edward paused. "You’re still as barbaric as ever, Uncle Acok. I suppose it’s understandable since you didn’t know who this boy was. Still, shouldn’t you... confirm first before attacking? Or maybe surround the intruder and secure the area—peacefully. What if you had the wrong person?"

Uncle Acok put his hands on his hips and studied Edward’s words. After a long moment, he nodded. "You’re right, Master Edward. I may have gone too far. My apologies."

Sandra only raised an eyebrow. Edward sighed—at least the conflict was cooling down.

"But I’m curious," Uncle Acok added. "Is he really the young master of this family? Why have I never heard of him?"

Edward was puzzled. Surely someone should have told Uncle Acok by now. David and Vianna were here, along with Dedy and several staff who knew Al’s status—why was Uncle Acok still asking?

"Hasn’t anyone explained this to you, Uncle Acok?" Edward asked.

Everyone reacted, lowering their heads. Technically, Dedy had already mentioned it when Uncle Acok arrived, so they hadn’t bothered to repeat it.

Edward turned to David and Vianna. "David... Vianna... you didn’t explain?"

They glanced at their father, wanting to speak but unsure how without making things worse. They looked toward Dedy—but he was being tended to by a family nurse and clearly wanted no part in this.

Thankfully—

"Dedy already told me, Master Edward," Uncle Acok finally answered. "No need for more explanations. I guess everyone here was just stunned by my overwhelming power, so they’ve stayed silent. Hahaha."

"Then why attack him anyway?" Sandra asked, sounding uneasy.

"Even after hearing it, I wasn’t convinced," Uncle Acok admitted. "And the boy... he had the guts to defy me. I thought a little lesson would do him good." His gaze shifted toward Al.

And, as if on cue, everyone else looked at Al too.

Feeling the tension, Aurielle stepped forward toward Al and Uncle Acok. Despite not being particularly close to Al, her instincts as the eldest sibling stirred—if only to ensure her youngest brother was safe.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

Al frowned, a little surprised by her concern. In this house, only Sarah and Aurielle spoke to him often—Sarah mostly to mock him, but Aurielle sometimes interacted more positively. She was even the only one who had ever given him something.

Al smiled faintly. Even a small gesture from Aurielle carried a rare warmth for someone who had never known sibling care.

Still, Al was Al—with his sharp tongue and biting words. The small warmth he had received from Aurielle was nothing compared to the irritation he felt toward the old man standing before him.

"Not really. I’m used to people acting before confirming... especially in this house," he replied, subtly aiming his words not just at Uncle Acok but at everyone present.

Aurielle was taken aback. Al’s jabs were always sharp. She felt slightly annoyed, but given he was clearly the victim here, scolding him would feel wrong. She let it slide and turned away.

"Well, at least you won’t be a burden to the family if something happens to you," she said, delivering a jab of her own.

Haha. You think you’re the only one who can make snide remarks? she thought.

She smiled faintly, pleased with herself—but...

"So even a family this big worries about hospital bills?" Al shot back.

Aurielle froze, irritated she hadn’t expected a counterattack. But she decided to let it go, exhaling sharply before walking back to her parents.

This kid... she thought, still annoyed.

Edward and Sandra exchanged glances, finding it a bit strange to see their two children trading barbs. Especially since they realized Al wasn’t just mocking Aurielle—he was subtly jabbing at everyone present. They didn’t make an issue of it, though.

To them, Al was just a wild kid, used to arguing and brawling in the streets. What they hoped for was that he could learn to carry himself better and adjust his behavior, so he could be accepted more quickly into elite circles.

They walked toward Al and Uncle Acok, passing servants and guards who were waiting for instructions.

"He’s truly a member of this family. I’ll explain later. For now, let’s head back—it’s late, and this was just a misunderstanding," Edward said calmly but firmly, his eyes sweeping over the crowd.

They didn’t approach Al to comfort him; instead, they focused more on chatting with Uncle Acok.

"Very well, Master Edward," Uncle Acok replied with a short nod.

Slowly, everyone began preparing to leave, their footsteps heavy in the quiet courtyard.

Meanwhile, Fani, now changed into a regular set of pajamas, stood some distance behind, biting her lower lip.

Damn it... all my plans... ruined, she cursed inwardly.

Her right hand clenched inside the folds of her pajama sleeve, holding back her anger. She turned toward David, who was still standing casually—their eyes met like two players who both knew the game was over before it even began. They both understood that whatever they had planned for tonight... was now unlikely to happen.

Vianna and Aurielle, now side by side, decided this petty matter wasn’t worth their time and left early.

Upstairs, Clarista slept soundly, blissfully unaware of the chaos outside.

The night’s tally was simple:

Al’s room was completely destroyed.

Dedy was badly injured.

One of the Virellano family’s top combat pillars appeared.

Fani’s plan to "deal with" David failed spectacularly.

Clarista... still slept peacefully, perhaps even smiling in her dreams as if she had just won a Nobel Prize.

Yet, for all the chaos that had just unfolded, the courtyard felt strangely calm—as if the air itself had chosen to pretend nothing had happened. Servants whispered among themselves, trading theories about who would clean up the mess. A few guards exchanged uneasy glances, knowing this ’misunderstanding’ might spark a far bigger storm in the days to come

But no one realized—the trouble of the night was far from over.