Chapter 296
No Death in Vain
Ning Zhuo held the cup, took a light sip, and smiled faintly at the Ning Family Patriarch, “Patriarch, don’t you want your son to return to the family?”
The Ning Family Patriarch was taken aback.
He never expected such words to come out of Ning Zhuo’s mouth.
After all, it was Ning Zhuo who had pulled Ning Xiaoren down!
According to the Patriarch's understanding, Ning Zhuo should be extremely disgusted with Ning Xiaoren. How could he say such a thing?
The Ning Family Patriarch was shocked.
At this moment, he suddenly saw a part of Ning Zhuo’s true nature!
The young man in front of him was well-versed in righteousness, and he was the same type of person as himself.
What kind of person?
Cold and ruthless, putting personal interests above feelings!
Or rather, the emotions he showed on the surface were just masks, a disguise that best served his personal interests!
The Ning Family Patriarch believed that he had seen through Ning Zhuo’s essence.
Thus, for the first time, he showed an unprecedentedly serious expression.
For the first time, he regarded Ning Zhuo as an equal and treated him with solemn respect.
“Xiaoren…” When the Ning Family Patriarch mentioned his son, his face showed a trace of tenderness, “I do hope he can return. But how can I trust you to bring him back?”
Ning Zhuo’s expression was blank, “Since I was able to pull him down, I can naturally bring him back up.”
“Not long ago, didn’t he try to seek my protection as well?”
“I can agree to this matter, let him work by my side. With my current status, arranging some tasks for him and giving him credit wouldn’t be difficult, right?”
“By then, I’ll personally announce to everyone that Ning Xiaoren has reformed and earned my forgiveness. His political disgrace will be washed clean.”
“You see, what a perfect solution. In the entire world, only I can do this.”
“I believe this is also what Ning Jiufan, the Ancestor, would be happy to see.”
“After all, both our branch and your main branch bear the surname Ning. We are all one family, aren’t we?”
Hearing Ning Zhuo, who had been pushing for a family split, say such things, the Ning Family Patriarch sneered, “What shamelessness!”
After a moment of contemplation, the Ning Family Patriarch, with a heavy heart, slowly nodded.
The Ning Family Patriarch left, leaving Ning Zhuo alone in the room.
“Split the family, split the family…” he sighed deeply in his heart.
He always brought up this idea whenever he had the chance, and it wasn’t just for fun.
A sect had a Soul Lamp, a country had records, an alliance had covenants, and a family naturally had things to bind its descendants.
When a newborn baby was born into the family, the umbilical cord cut from them would be made into a Bloodline Umbilical Artifact and stored in the ancestral hall under strict guard.
After the baby was named, blood from the heart, tongue, and feet would be used to write the name into the family records.
These were just two of the main conventional methods, but there were even more powerful binding methods.
And that was the ancestors in the underworld!
This world was divided into two sides: the living world and the underworld.
The living world was where Ning Zhuo resided, with the sun rising and the moon setting, winds blowing and clouds moving, filled with life.
The underworld was filled with ghosts, dark and gloomy, with deathly energy everywhere.
The gate between the living world and the underworld was called the Ghost Gate.
Humans had both a lifespan in the living world and the underworld.
According to the natural rules of this world, when cultivators or mortals died, their souls would return to the underworld, where they would remain for many years. Only when their underworld lifespan was exhausted would they truly cease to exist.
The strength of a family in cultivation wasn’t just judged by its size and highest cultivation in the living world but also by the size and cultivation of its ancestors in the underworld.
The Ning family was a genuine large cultivation family. Though its power in the living world seemed weak, it was strong in the underworld.
This was because sixteen years ago, the Ning family had migrated all the way from North Wind Country, sacrificing many family members, even Golden Core cultivators!
The family’s strength in the underworld had been greatly bolstered.
The connection between the living world and the underworld was strong.
Every year, during the Ning family’s grand ancestral ceremony, when new descendants were born or during funerals, the family would communicate with the underworld.
Therefore, when it came to family members violating family rules and enforcing family laws, it was not something to be taken lightly.
Ning Zhuo needed to gain the right to act independently.
Without it, it would become a flaw in his future actions.
If the family seized on this flaw and pursued it, it would be a huge problem.
Even if Ning Zhuo didn’t die, he would at least be severely harmed.
Now, through an exchange of benefits, the Ning Family Patriarch had relented and agreed to the matter. The various family elders, controlled by other factions of the main branch, had also been persuaded by Ning Zhuo, thanks to the matter with Ning Xiaohui’s grandmother.
Ning Zhuo then gathered Ning Xiangguo, Ning Xiangqian, Ning Ze, Ning Chen, and Ning Yong.
As soon as he started speaking, Ning Ze immediately interrupted him, “What? You want to let the murderer go and send her back?!”
“I disagree!”
“I absolutely disagree!!”
Ning Ze couldn’t sit still and stood up, “Ning Zhuo, Ning Ji was your cousin. You grew up together.”
“Now he’s been killed!”
“And you want to compromise with the main branch, letting the murderer go and handing her back to them?”
“If Ji’er knew this from beyond the grave, what would he think of you?”
“I’ve supported you all this time, the entire Ning family branch has supported you to this extent, and you can’t be spineless now!”
Ning Ze had never had any concerns, knowing the deep conflict between Ning Zhuo and the main branch. But now, at this meeting, Ning Zhuo’s first words were like a thunderclap, shocking him to his core.
Ning Ze couldn’t understand why Ning Zhuo’s attitude toward the main branch had changed so drastically!
“Zhuo, how can you face Ning Ji, how can you face us, how can you face the branch family that supports you?!”
Ning Ze cried out, trying every way to pressure Ning Zhuo into changing his decision and retracting his earlier stance.
Ning Xiangguo and the others also looked toward Ning Zhuo with questioning eyes.
Ning Yong wanted to speak but was stopped by Ning Chen, who sat beside him, holding his arm down.
Ning Zhuo sighed deeply, “Uncle, please sit down.”
“I can’t sit down! Zhuo, give me a straight answer, right now!” Ning Ze was extremely agitated.
Ning Zhuo no longer looked at him, scanning the room, his expression heavy, his tone calm, “Of course, I am worthy of all of you, and I am worthy of the Ning family’s branch.”
“My cousin is dead, and I am deeply grieved. I believe that in this world, aside from my uncle and aunt, no one wants to punish the murderer more than I do.”
“I wish I could split Ning Xiaohui’s grandmother in two right now!”
“But at this critical moment, I thought of another aspect.”
“I am not alone. I am the hope of the Ning family’s branch, the future leader. My desire for revenge is merely personal.”
“But if I let this personal desire ruin the relationship between the Ning family’s branch and the main branch at this crucial moment, it will undoubtedly give our enemies an opportunity!”
“Don’t you all think that’s the truth?”
Ning Zhuo paused and looked at the people in the room.
Ning Xiangguo was the first to nod, “Indeed, Zhuo’s consideration is thorough. At this stage, it’s the key moment for the palace examination. In fact, this matter has already consumed too much of your time and energy. It’s truly not appropriate to act hastily.”
The others also showed agreement.
Ning Ze grumbled discontentedly, “Even so, you could just imprison the murderer. There’s no need to send her back!”
Ning Zhuo sighed, “This brings me to the second and main reason.”
“I have used this matter to reach an agreement with the important factions of the Ning family’s main branch and with the Ning Family Patriarch.”
“I will release the murderer and at the same time recruit Ning Xiaoren to work by my side. In the future, I will publicly announce reconciliation and help him return to the family.”
“What we will gain is the Patriarch’s and the elders’ unanimous decision—to grant me the power to split the family.”
This was like a stone causing a thousand ripples.
Everyone was shocked, and several people exclaimed, “Split the family?!”
After coming to their senses, Ning Xiangqian, Ning Yong, and others hurriedly asked.
“Is this true? Did I hear wrong just now?”
“If the family really splits, that would be wonderful!”
“I never expected Zhuo to quietly achieve such a great thing. Wonderful, wonderful!”
Only Ning Ze remained frozen like a statue, standing still, his eyes wide, staring at Ning Zhuo with clenched fists, saying nothing.
A family split was not a simple
matter and was extremely rare.
A family was a small country, and a country was a large family. The division of a country was a major event. For a family, splitting was also a significant matter!
After a family split, the family would inevitably fall into a period of weakness.
The people who split off, however, would be able to establish their own foundation and create new enterprises.
Each person would have enormous room for advancement.
Ning Zhuo’s branch of the family would immediately rise and he would become the leader of the newly split family.
Ning Xiangguo, Ning Xiangqian, and others could potentially become elders of the split family.
Ning Chen and Ning Yong, who were close to Ning Zhuo, would receive the focus of resources from the split family and could potentially rise to the rank of elders in the future.
As for the resources of the split family, to say nothing of anything else, just the ability to use the titles of Patriarch and Elder during each ancestral sacrifice to communicate with the ancestors in the underworld would bring enormous benefits.
Looking back before the family split, Ning Xiangguo and his group couldn’t even become family stewards.
Seeing the excitement on everyone’s faces, Ning Zhuo sighed deeply, “Although I wish I could kill Ning Xiaohui’s grandmother immediately, for the greater good and for all of our futures, I am willing to suppress my personal desires, endure the pain, and make this decision. I hope you all can understand and support me.”
The people in the hall were immediately moved.
“Boss, I knew you were righteous and considerate. Ning Ji was corrupt and oppressive during his life. Many people complained to you about him, but you suppressed it all. You must be dying to tear the murderer apart, I understand you!” Ning Yong was the first to speak.
Ning Chen sighed deeply, “Boss, you’ve made too many sacrifices and carried too many burdens. I misunderstood you earlier, I’m sorry. Now I realize your deep intentions, I was wrong!!”
Ning Xiangguo stood up and bowed to Ning Zhuo, “Patriarch, please give your instructions for the next steps. I am at your service!”
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone turned their heads.
Ning Chen thought to himself, “I’ve learned something, I’ve learned something.”
Ning Zhuo exhaled a breath of turbid air and nodded slightly, “To have your support and understanding, I am greatly comforted.”
“Uncle, what are your thoughts?”
Ning Ze had been standing in place for a long time.
Hearing Ning Zhuo’s question, he let out a hollow laugh, looking at Ning Zhuo and then sweeping his gaze across the room.
People’s joys and sorrows do not connect.
Seeing the faint joy in everyone’s faces, Ning Ze, who was filled with the pain of losing a son, felt deeply desolate. He felt out of place with the surroundings.
While others were in the midst of fire and flowers, he was standing alone in an ice-cold wasteland, as if abandoned by the world.
Finally, Ning Ze’s gaze locked onto Ning Zhuo.
Not long ago, he had used righteousness to represent the Ning family’s branch and put pressure on Ning Zhuo, forcing him to avenge Ning Ji.
But now, after Ning Zhuo casually tossed out the meat of family division, the entire Ning family’s branch had been driven mad with temptation, leaving no one to care about a mere Qi Refining disciple’s death.
Ning Ze’s voice was hoarse, “Ning Zhuo, your cousin’s death has become just a bargaining chip for you, a tool to gain benefits!”
“What more can I say?”
“What more is there to say?”
“I just feel cold, terribly cold.”
“Farewell, farewell.”
After finishing, Ning Ze walked away without looking back.
Ning Zhuo hurriedly stood up, wanting to stop him, but Ning Ze walked resolutely, his back hunched.
Ning Zhuo stood at the doorway, watching Ning Ze leave, and sighed sorrowfully, “Time spares no one. My uncle has grown so old.”
“I’ve wronged him! Everyone, I feel suffocated right now.”
“Did I do the right thing or the wrong thing? I don’t even know anymore.”
Ning Xiangqian and the others quickly gathered around, speaking one after another, praising Ning Zhuo’s actions and extolling his sacrifice and dedication.
“You’ve borne too much for the entire family branch!” Ning Xiangqian said.
“Yes, Patriarch,” Ning Chen added.
Ning Xiangguo glanced at Ning Chen and offered comforting words, “Ning Ze’s feelings are understandable. After all, losing a child in middle age is indeed tragic.”
“But I believe he just hasn’t come to terms with it yet.”
“It’s not as if he can’t have more children. Once he comes to his senses, he’ll realize that he’s now part of the elder lineage, the closest to you, Patriarch.”
“To put it bluntly, Ning Ji didn’t die in vain.”
These words drew strong agreement from Ning Yong, who loudly echoed, “Yes, yes. Ning Ji didn’t die in vain!”
Finally, Ning Zhuo gave his instructions, “Make sure to take extra care of my uncle and aunt.”
“I will be busy with the palace examination and can’t attend to them myself, so I’m counting on all of you.”
Everyone quickly responded in agreement.
(End of this chapter)