Han Yan glanced coldly at Dan Tai Xuan, saying not a word. She hadn’t anticipated Dan Tai Xuan causing such a scene, but she would never compromise because of it. She had her pride and dignity; if she were to submit under duress, she wouldn’t be Han Yan.

"I am He Family Young Master He Qingzong, and I respect Lord Tantai greatly..." At this moment, the He Family Young Master stepped forward, smiling brightly as he spoke, clearly ready to align with Dan Tai Qing.

"What are you still thinking about? Do you want to get us all killed?" Seeing this, Mu Chengqi was even more anxious.

"My elder brother admires Lord Tantai greatly, so we He Family’s Young Master wish to follow Young Master Mu, joining forces to defend Lu’an City." Before He Zong could finish his words, a round little fatty stood out, speaking on his behalf.

"Very good, very good." Seeing another family aligning with him, Dan Tai Xuan wore a face full of smugness, nodding repeatedly as he spoke, while provocatively glancing at Han Yan. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

However, he quickly realized something seemed off. The noble family’s sons who had been flattering him were suddenly silent, all looking at He Qingwei with eyes as though they were looking at a monster.

Dan Tai Xuan was slightly bewildered, recalling that the first half of the sentence was admiration for him, while the second half pledged allegiance to Han Yan. The shift was so abrupt that even he didn’t react, and he uttered "very good" twice.

This damned little fatty, he really wanted to strangle him.

"Qingwei, what nonsense are you spouting?" Before he could act, He Qingzong was already shouting angrily.

"Brother, after careful consideration, I feel it’s better to follow Young Master Mu." He Qingwei shook his head as he spoke.

"This is not your place to speak, get back quickly!" He Qingzong said sternly.

"Brother, although you are the Young Master, this concerns the rise and fall of our He Family over the next few centuries. I believe you’d better listen to me." He Qingwei said unyieldingly.

"Qingwei, don’t forget your status, now I command you as Young Master to stand down!" He Qingzong was even more furious seeing his defiance.

Judging by his demeanor, if He Qingwei continued to defy him, he might very well teach He Qingwei a lesson publicly using his status as Young Master.

"Brother, if you insist on this, then I have no choice." The little fatty said helplessly, taking out a token, "Then I can only, in the capacity of acting Family Head, order He Family’s Young Master to follow Han Yan to Lu’an City."

"What, the Family Leader Token, how can it be in your hands?" Seeing the token in He Wei’s hand, He Qingzong was astounded.

Not only him, but also the sons of other families, even including Han Yan, were astonished.

If it was Yan Yu who unwaveringly aligned with her, Han Yan wouldn’t find it surprising, but coming from He Qingwei was quite unexpected. Wasn’t this little fatty supposed to hate her to the bone?

What shocked Han Yan even more was that this little fatty held He Family’s Family Leader Token. Had Old Patriarch He lost his mind to hand over the Family Leader Token to him? Though it’s only temporarily acting as Family Head, if anything were to happen to the He Family Patriarch, he would become the rightful Family Head.

Looking left and right, Han Yan couldn’t discern any qualities in this head-shaking little fatty that would suit being the Family Head, truly unable to comprehend what Old Patriarch He had been thinking.

"Impossible, how could grandfather hand over the Family Leader Token to you?" He Qingzong, even more bewildered, looked at He Qingwei in a daze.

Since he was young, He Qingzong had shown far superior cultivation talent and scheming mind compared to He Qingwei, cultivated as the Young Master. Everyone, including himself, believed that the future Family Head position would inevitably be his. Who would have thought that grandfather would entrust the Family Leader Token to He Qingwei, and his disappointment was unsurpassed.

"Brother, actually, I didn’t want this either." He Qingwei said with some helplessness looking at his brother, "But no choice, you seem to have forgotten the ancestor’s previous instructions, so I have to remind you."

Hearing He Qingwei’s words, He Qingzong trembled, revealing a look of shame and regret.

Everyone else wondered secretly, unsure what instructions He Family Ancestor had given, and how it was related to the Family Leader Token in He Qingwei’s hand.

"The ancestor said, if Han Yan couldn’t return, we must compete for what we need to; but if she returned, we must fully assist the Mu Family, and the rest need not be contested. However, the ancestor worried you would disobey his words, so he had grandfather hand the Family Leader Token to me, enabling me to act as Family Head.

If you were willing to heed his words, I would never have brought out the Family Leader Token; if anything untoward happened to him or grandfather, I would have used the Family Leader Token to help you ascend to Family Head legitimately. But since you wouldn’t heed his words and insisted on pressing me with your Young Master status, I had no alternative." He Qingwei continued obstinately, providing an explanation for He Qingzong and everyone.

Finishing his words, He Qingwei stood behind Han Yan. With the Family Leader Token in hand, other He Family’s Young Master, and the noble family’s sons originally attached to He Family, had no choice but to bury their ideas deep and follow suit.

He Qingzong glanced at Han Yan, let out a long sigh, and could only stand behind Han Yan.

He Qingzong had disregarded He Family Ancestor’s words previously, harboring an idea similar to Mo Yanhong’s, wanting to seize the opportunity when going to Lu’an City to elevate He Family’s status among the Eight Great Families, laying a more solid foundation for his future ascension to Family Head. After all, the ancestor had always favored He Qingwei; as long as the Family Head position wasn’t his, he wouldn’t have peace. But who would have thought the ancestor had anticipated this, having grandfather hand over the Family Leader Token to He Qingwei.

Once the first step was wrong, each subsequent step followed. He Qingzong knew his chances of ever becoming Family Head were likely gone.

The rest were all stunned, and Mu Daren and others felt even more turbulent inside.

They too had heard of He Family Ancestor’s name; unexpectedly, such a legendary strong figure valued Han Yan so much. To spare no effort supporting the Mu Family, more precisely Han Yan, he didn’t hesitate to hand the Family Leader Token to He Qingwei. If he hadn’t brought it out it would be different, but since he did, it meant the He Family’s nurtured Young Master position was exchanged.

By contrast, the earlier actions of other Young Masters seemed nothing short of ridiculous; could the He Family Ancestor’s judgment be inferior to these juniors?

In the silence, everyone’s gaze fell on the last noble family present, the Yan Family. After Zhao Family’s defeat in the Capital, the previous two leading families became part of the Eight Great Families, with Yan Family consistently ranking high, keeping pace with Mu Family. Earlier rumors suggested, after this round of family rankings, Yan Family would become the leading force of the Eight Great Families, indicating its undeniable strength.

Now it depended on Yan Family’s choice. Would they choose Han Yan or Dan Tai Xuan?