Chapter 1196 Expulsion from the Family
Bai Yuanhua commanded extremely high prestige within the White Fox Clan. This was largely due to his strength and his usual conduct. Almost all members of the White Fox Clan held him in awe, and the Enforcement Hall Master was, of course, no exception.
Precisely because of this, at Bai Yuanhua's frigid command to halt, the Enforcement Hall Master, despite being consumed by fury and lingering fear, and itching to kill Jing Miao immediately, nonetheless instantly stopped his hand, not daring in the slightest to defy Bai Yuanhua's will.
It wasn't just the Enforcement Hall Master who wanted to lay hands on Jing Miao; among the White Fox Clan members who had recovered, a considerable number wished to strike her down. However, having witnessed the Enforcement Hall Master's predicament, those White Fox Clan members who desired to attack Jing Miao could only glare at her fiercely, looking as if they wanted to devour Jing Miao alive, yet none dared to disregard Bai Yuanhua's command and make a move against her.
This scene deepened the smile on Yang Haoran's face.
The controlled members of the White Fox Clan were Yang Haoran's bargaining chip to ensure the safety of Bai Xue and the three others. The most appropriate course of action would have been to first let Bai Xue and her companions leave, and then allow the White Fox Clan members to regain consciousness.
Conversely, if the White Fox Clan members were allowed to recover first, before Bai Xue and the three others left Snow Fox Mountain, it would be somewhat disadvantageous. If Bai Yuanhua were to go back on his word, then the four of them would be in a dangerous situation.
Yang Haoran had indeed considered the pros and cons of this. Since he had considered them and still proceeded this way, there was naturally a reason for his actions.
In truth, Yang Haoran didn't trust Bai Yuanhua as much as he claimed. His willingness to let Jing Miao first restore the White Fox Clan members' consciousness stemmed from two reasons. On one hand, he genuinely wanted to negotiate a mutually beneficial deal with Bai Yuanhua, which was why he didn't stubbornly insist on them leaving before the White Fox Clan members returned to normal. As he had stated, to facilitate this transaction with Bai Yuanhua, he decided to show a gesture of sincerity first, and trusting the other party was his so-called sincerity.
Besides these two reasons, there was another crucial factor: in Yang Haoran's view, Bai Yuanhua would not commit such a foolish act of breaking his word. This wasn't a conclusion drawn from mere intuition, but rather from an understanding of Bai Yuanhua's character, as well as the observations of Bai Yuanhua's words, actions, and even every subtle facial expression during their current negotiation.
It was precisely because of these factors that Yang Haoran decided to first allow the White Fox Clan members to regain consciousness. If he hadn't had everything figured out, he would absolutely not have done something that would put himself in such a passive position.
However, Yang Haoran was unaware that Bai Xue, even before rushing to Snow Fox Mountain, had already prepared herself for the worst and had specifically devised a method of escape. Originally, when facing the siege of the White Fox Clan, she had planned to use this method to allow the three of them to flee. But Jing Miao's appearance led her to temporarily abandon the use of this technique. Even now, if their party of four, including Jing Miao, were truly to encounter danger, the method she had prepared in advance would still prove useful.
If Yang Haoran had known that Bai Xue had long prepared such a method, he would undoubtedly have felt even more at ease.
"Haha, Clan Head Yuanhua, I have already allowed your clan members to regain consciousness. Shouldn't you also let the four of them leave?"
Yang Haoran looked at Bai Yuanhua and asked with a faint smile. Bai Yuanhua, for his part, let out a cold snort, then replied with an ugly expression.
"Hmph, I, Bai Yuanhua, am not one to go back on my word. Since I promised you, I will certainly fulfill my commitment!"
Bai Yuanhua spoke handsomely, but his heart held no such thoughts. Today, Yang Haoran's people had caused such a ruckus on his Snow Fox Mountain, utterly shaming his old face. Naturally, he didn't want to let Bai Xue and the three others leave so easily.
However, he also harbored deep reservations about Yang Haoran and did not truly wish to fall out with him, lest it affect the entire White Fox Clan. Furthermore, he was indeed somewhat interested in the transaction Yang Haoran had proposed, which was why he was not preparing to make a move against Bai Xue and her companions.
After uttering these words, Bai Yuanhua turned his gaze to Bai Jiumeng within the protective barrier, his eyes utterly cold, devoid of any warmth.
"Bai Jiumeng, from this day forward, you are no longer a member of my White Fox Clan. In my capacity as Clan Head, and in front of all the clan members, I hereby expel you, Bai Jiumeng, from. . ."
Bai Yuanhua's words were cut short by Yang Haoran's laughing interruption.
"Haha, Clan Head Yuanhua, don't be impulsive. If you expel Jiumeng from your White Fox Clan, it will significantly impact our upcoming transaction."
Although Bai Yuanhua had not finished his words, everyone present knew exactly what he intended to say, including Bai Jiumeng herself.
It went without saying that Bai Yuanhua intended to expel Bai Jiumeng from the White Fox Clan in front of all the clan members. As for why he would make such a decision, it was equally easy to understand; everyone was well aware.
Bai Yuanhua made this decision because, in his eyes, everything today had originated from Bai Jiumeng. If it weren't for Bai Jiumeng, things would not have escalated to such a degree, and his reputation, along with the prestige he had established within the clan, had been significantly affected as a result.
If it weren't for Yang Haoran protecting Bai Jiumeng, he would surely have inflicted a more severe punishment upon her, even crippling her cultivation to kill the chicken to warn the monkey. But with Yang Haoran safeguarding Bai Jiumeng now, he was not only unable to punish her further but also had to release her as per their agreement. Vexed as he was, he simply decided to expel Bai Jiumeng from the White Fox Clan, providing an explanation for himself and for his clan members. After all, from a certain perspective, this too was a severe punishment!
However, he hadn't finished publicly announcing this command when Yang Haoran interrupted him. Yang Haoran even informed him that Bai Jiumeng was involved in their transaction. This made Bai Yuanhua stop mid-sentence, and at the same time, a feeling of being on a tiger's back, unable to dismount, arose within him, causing him to gnash his teeth in anger at Yang Haoran!
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Therefore, he was not prepared to comply with Yang Haoran's wishes.
"Hmph, are you the Clan Head of the White Fox Clan, or am I the Clan Head of the White Fox Clan? If I don't expel Bai Jiumeng from the White Fox Clan today, how am I to account to the other clan members? I don't know what this so-called transaction of yours entails, and whether I'm willing to agree is another matter entirely. So, you needn't use this to threaten me. Today, I will expel Bai Jiumeng from the White Fox Clan; no one can intercede, and no one can stop me!"
Bai Yuanhua's words were quite loud, for he spoke them not only for Yang Haoran to hear, but also for everyone present, including Bai Jiumeng herself. However, upon hearing Bai Yuanhua's declaration, Bai Jiumeng showed not the slightest reluctance. Her emotions appeared very stable, but her expression was cold, and deep within her eyes, there was a trace of imperceptible disappointment.
Although the White Fox Clan's governance under Bai Yuanhua had caused her much dissatisfaction, she was, after all, still a member of the White Fox Clan. This was the place where she was born and raised, so she naturally harbored deep affection for it.
Now, with Bai Yuanhua expelling her from the White Fox Clan in front of all the clan members, she wasn't exactly heartbroken, but she couldn't bring herself to be happy either. Furthermore, deep down, she felt profound disappointment with Bai Yuanhua's decision. Yet, she was a rather strong-willed person, so she didn't show her inner disappointment on her face. Instead, she maintained a cold expression and stable demeanor, appearing as if she didn't care about Bai Yuanhua's decision.
At this moment, Meng Ba and Meng Ma had also regained consciousness. However, upon hearing Bai Yuanhua's words, the couple's emotions were far less stable than Bai Jiumeng's. Their expressions instantly underwent a drastic change. In their desperation, they cast aside all propriety, their bodies flickering several times until they appeared a few meters in front of Bai Yuanhua, then unhesitatingly dropped to their knees before him.
Previously, with members of the Enforcement Hall maintaining order, the couple could only obediently remain outside the combat zone. Now that no Enforcement Hall members were overseeing the situation, it was simple for them to approach Clan Head Bai Yuanhua.
"Clan Head, please calm your anger! Jiumeng is ignorant, please don't hold it against her. She must have been beguiled by these outsiders, which is why she acted foolishly time and again. You can punish her however you wish, just please, do not expel her from the clan! We beg you, Clan Head, to be lenient and give Jiumeng another chance!"
"Yes, Clan Head! Jiumeng is ignorant and can still be educated. I believe that under your guidance, Clan Head, Jiumeng will surely change. So please, Clan Head, give Jiumeng another chance! Furthermore, Jiumeng has now successfully advanced to a Five-tailed Demon King. Such strength is no small aid to our White Fox Clan. To simply expel her from the White Fox Clan like this would be a tremendous loss for our entire White Fox Clan!"
To prevent Bai Jiumeng from truly being expelled by Bai Yuanhua from the White Fox Clan, Bai Jiumeng's parents anxiously knelt and pleaded, hoping to make Bai Yuanhua retract his command through this method. However, their pleas had no effect whatsoever, as Bai Yuanhua's expression didn't change in the slightest. From this, one could tell that Bai Yuanhua's decision had not been swayed in the slightest by the couple's desperate entreaties.
Seeing this scene, Bai Jiumeng's calm façade shattered. Her expression became complex, showing both unbearable pain and anger!
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