# Chapter 573: Family Head Heir
Chen Ji's two withered hands carefully rolled up the dragon-skin scroll again, nodding to the other two vein masters present, Chen Xican and Chen Tiankun.
Chen Xican and Chen Tiankun's faces showed joyful expressions, unable to conceal their excited emotions at all.
The fourth volume of the *Forty-Nine Mystical Arts* was about to return to the Chen Clan, and the Chen Clan would surely undergo earth-shattering changes.
On the contrary, Chen Ji's expression was somewhat awkward.
After all, he had already declared earlier that no matter what treasure was in the jade box, the Chen Clan would absolutely not lay a hand on it.
Who would have known that the jade box actually contained the fourth volume of the *Forty-Nine Mystical Arts*?
If the Chen Clan took away the fourth volume of the *Forty-Nine Mystical Arts*, then they would definitely leave themselves open to criticism and would surely be ridiculed by cultivators throughout the world.
What should be done now?
Chen Ji cast a pleading look toward Liuli Half-Saint.
After all, Liuli Half-Saint was Zhang Ruochen's future mother-in-law. With her stepping forward, communication would certainly be smoother.
Liuli Half-Saint naturally understood the importance of the *Forty-Nine Mystical Arts* to the Chen Clan. Even if she didn't step forward, the Chen Clan would definitely use other means, no matter the cost, to reclaim it.
Liuli Half-Saint walked over to Zhang Ruochen and said, "Ruochen, you should understand that the fourth volume of the *Forty-Nine Mystical Arts* has extraordinary significance to the Chen Clan. How about this: name a condition. As long as the Chen Clan can fulfill it, we will definitely agree."
Zhang Ruochen's gaze had been fixed on Bu Qianfan across from him.
Since Liuli Half-Saint had taken the initiative to speak, Zhang Ruochen naturally couldn't ignore her. So, he withdrew his gaze, showed a contemplative expression, and asked, "Any condition at all?"
The three vein masters present almost simultaneously replied, "Of course."
Zhang Ruochen's gaze shifted to Huang Yanchen, and he said, "Alright! I do have one condition... Hmm, I hope that Senior Sister Yanchen can become the future heir of the Chen Clan's family head. This condition should be acceptable, right?"
"Impossible. How can the heir of the Chen Clan's family head be a woman with a different surname?" The white-robed elder Chen Xican immediately changed his expression, shaking his head, feeling that Zhang Ruochen's condition was too excessive.
The blue-robed elder Chen Tiankun had a relatively gentler temperament, and his tone was not so direct. He said slowly, "Establishing the heir of the Chen Clan's family head is an extremely serious matter that requires consideration of many factors. It must go through careful deliberation by the vein master council and the elder hall before a final decision can be made. The few of us alone cannot decide such a major issue."
Even Huang Yanchen kept shaking her head at Zhang Ruochen, lowering her voice, "The Chen Clan would never allow a woman to be the family head heir, let alone a woman with a different surname. Besides, with my abilities, I simply cannot be the family head heir."
Zhang Ruochen had proposed this condition for his own reasons.
Huang Yanchen's Black Tortoise Sacred Source had already been exposed, and there were certainly many people secretly coveting it.
Only by making Huang Yanchen the Chen Clan's heir could she receive maximum protection and also gain access to more cultivation resources.
Zhang Ruochen smiled and said, "In the history of the Chen Clan, there have been cases of people with different surnames becoming family head. Moreover, I recall that there have also been precedents of women becoming family head. If they could do it, why can't you?"
Then, Zhang Ruochen looked toward the depths of the Saint King Manor, gathering his breath as if shouting into the air: "This condition isn't too much, is it?"
Zhang Ruochen's voice traveled directly to the depths of the Saint King Manor.
Everyone felt that Zhang Ruochen had gone mad, actually daring to hope that a woman from another clan could become the Chen Clan's family head heir. How was that possible?
But then, three breaths later, a response actually came from within the Saint King Manor: "Exchanging the identity of a family head heir for the fourth volume of the *Forty-Nine Mystical Arts* is not too much. I, the King, agree to it."
As that vast and distant voice rang out, everyone present felt an enormous pressure, as if the entire heaven and earth were shaking.
It was the voice of the current Chen Clan family head, the "Eastern Domain King."
All the Chen Clan members knelt down, placing their hands on the ground and pressing their faces to the earth, as if worshipping a deity. Even the Half-Saints were no exception.
After completing the grand ceremony, they stood up again.
Zhang Ruochen's condition was indeed not excessive.
After all, Zhang Ruochen was only asking for the identity of a family head heir for Huang Yanchen, not the position of family head itself.
The Chen Clan cultivated multiple heirs in every generation, but only one could eventually become the future family head.
Even if Huang Yanchen became an heir, the possibility of her becoming the future family head was almost zero.
However, with this identity, her status in the Chen Clan would be completely different from now on.
Even Huang Yanchen herself found it quite surreal, never imagining that she would one day become an heir of the Chen Clan. If the family head hadn't personally agreed, she would never have believed it was real.
The happiest people were naturally Qianshui Commandery King and Liuli Half-Saint.
"Yanchen, why don't you immediately kneel and thank the family head?" Qianshui Commandery King urged.
Huang Yanchen gradually calmed down, took a deep breath, knelt on one knee, and bowed toward the direction of the Saint King Manor, saying, "Thank you, Family Head, for the bestowal."
In fact, Huang Yanchen understood very well that she had become the family head heir entirely because Zhang Ruochen had fought for it on her behalf. The person she should be most grateful to was Zhang Ruochen.
Huang Yanchen stood up again, her gaze fixed on Zhang Ruochen, her expression extremely complex.
The words of gratitude ultimately remained unspoken.
If she said thank you, it would instead make her relationship with Zhang Ruochen seem too distant. Sometimes, communication between two people only required a single glance.
Some perceptive people finally understood that Zhang Ruochen had deliberately taken back the third jade box earlier and deliberately opened it. In fact, from the very beginning, he had been digging a trap, waiting for the Chen Clan people to fall into it.
Zhang Ruochen's goal was to secure the identity of a family head heir for his fiancée.
Faced with the fourth volume of the *Forty-Nine Mystical Arts*, the Chen Clan people had no choice but to compromise.
"Clap!"
"Clap!"
...
Bu Qianfan clapped his hands, speaking with innuendo, "Zhang Ruochen, impressive, truly impressive. Such ingenious tactics far surpass even the Half-Saints present. No wonder you've become the number one among the six kings of the younger generation in the Eastern Domain."
He continued, "Your betrothal gifts are indeed remarkable treasures. But I haven't lost yet. I still have one special betrothal gift that I haven't presented."
Everyone present showed disdainful expressions.
"Is there any betrothal gift that can compare to the Black Tortoise Sacred Source and the *Forty-Nine Mystical Arts*?"
"Today, Bu Qianfan is really asking for death. Not only has he completely offended the Chen Clan, but he's also offended Xuanji Sword Saint. Just wait and see—the Bu Holy Clan is definitely going to suffer."
...
While everyone was mocking Bu Qianfan, Zhang Ruochen's expression turned serious. He stared at Bu Qianfan and said, "You still have a betrothal gift? What betrothal gift?"
Bu Qianfan's right index finger gently rubbed his chin, revealing a strange expression, and laughed, "We can all see that you truly love Lady Yanchen. I can't compare to you in that regard. So, before I present this betrothal gift, let me ask you a question. If your mother and Lady Yanchen both fell into the water at the same time, who would you save first?"
Zhang Ruochen felt a bad premonition, his gaze turning extremely cold. "What are you talking about?"
Bu Qianfan still wore a smile, "Just joking with you. No need to be so tense, right?"
"Whoosh!"
Zhang Ruochen directly activated his movement technique, turning into an afterimage. In an instant, he rushed before Bu Qianfan and stabbed out a sword like lightning, striking toward Bu Qianfan's brow.
Bu Qianfan hadn't expected Zhang Ruochen's movement speed to be so terrifying.
He immediately withdrew his smile, stepped back half a pace with his left foot, and struck forward with his right hand, which was wearing a glove, aiming for the tip of the Abyssal Ancient Sword.
Zhang Ruochen's fingers quickly rotated, and the trajectory of the sword changed subtly in an instant, slipping through the gap between Bu Qianfan's fingers.
"Chi!"
The Abyssal Ancient Sword pierced into Bu Qianfan's brow, passing through his head, killing Bu Qianfan on the spot.
Everyone present was stunned by this scene.
Zhang Ruochen had actually killed Bu Qianfan?
No matter how annoying Bu Qianfan was, he was still the heir of the Bu Holy Clan. Killing him—would the Bu Holy Clan let this go?
The next moment, an even more astonishing scene appeared before everyone's eyes.
Ten zhang in front of Zhang Ruochen, the air twisted slightly, and another intact Bu Qianfan materialized.
The body of the Bu Qianfan who had died under Zhang Ruochen's sword gradually faded until it completely disappeared.
"How can this be?"
"Did I see wrong?"
"Wasn't Bu Qianfan already killed? How did a new Bu Qianfan suddenly appear?"
...
...
Zhang Ruochen, however, showed no surprise. His gaze was fixed tightly on Bu Qianfan as he said, "I guessed correctly. You really are a Heavenly Demon shadow. Di Yi, aren't you going to show yourself?"
Could it be that Bu Qianfan had become someone else's shadow?
When Zhang Ruochen said "Heavenly Demon shadow," many people immediately reacted, feeling that Bu Qianfan was abnormal, and they surrounded him.
"Haha! Zhang Ruochen, I didn't expect you to see through me in the end. But it's still slower than I estimated." Bu Qianfan laughed.
Bu Qianfan still looked the same, but the voice coming from his mouth was completely different from before. Clearly, it was someone else's voice.
Suddenly, Bu Qianfan's gaze became extremely sharp, and he said coldly, "Move."
"Boom, rumble!"
One thousand two hundred barbarian elephants pulling carts full of spirit crystals all charged flying toward the Eastern Domain Saint King Manor.
The barbarian elephants roared, the cart wheels turned, and in an instant, sand and stones flew, dust and smoke billowing.
Everyone knew that barbarian elephants were war beasts, but earlier, they had only been beasts pulling betrothal gifts, so people naturally ignored their offensive nature.
Now, as they went berserk, they erupted with a momentum like surging waves and crashing seas.