Chapter 41: Family's discussion.

The following morning arrived quietly.

A thin layer of mist still lingered around the family grounds, drifting between the trees and old stone paths as the first rays of sunlight slipped over the distant mountains.

The morning air carried the faint fragrance of spiritual herbs from the nearby gardens, while somewhere across the family grounds, the sound of early-rising children practicing their bodies could occasionally be heard.

Elsewhere, within the deep ancestral grounds, stood the huge ancestral hall that occupied the front area near the entrance. Unlike the other buildings, the hall had remained completely unchanged throughout the years.

Or, a better way to put it, it had been maintained through a certain someone's diligence. The entrance was reached by a short flight of stone steps.

Two large wooden doors stood beneath the roof, their surfaces darkened with age. Above them hung an old wooden plaque bearing three words.