Ning Family War Hall.
The branch member Ning Xiangqian had a face full of anger: "Two elders, I refuse to accept this!"
"Without any reason, you have revoked my position as steward of the War Hall. This is against the clan's rules!"
The two elders smiled slightly, and one of them said: "Ning Xiangqian, calm down. How could the clan casually strip you of your steward position?"
"According to the clan's rules, the steward position of the War Hall must prioritize combat strength. To ensure the elite status of personnel, the position is limited and operates on a system of elimination. If someone wants to be a steward, they must challenge the current holder and seize the position with actual combat prowess."
Ning Xiangqian nodded: "I am certainly aware of that."
"But no one has challenged me."
"I haven't had a single duel, yet my steward position was taken away. It seems the main branch holds a grudge against me for helping Ning Zhuo yesterday."
The elder smiled faintly: "Ning Xiangqian, you misunderstand us. We are actually thinking of you, worrying that you might get injured in a duel. Healing your wounds would be too much of a delay."
Ning Xiangqian chuckled coldly: "I haven't even fought yet, and you presume I would lose. This is utterly unreasonable. Who has set their eyes on my steward position?"
"I must fight fair and square before I am willing to let this go."
"Otherwise, I will absolutely not concede and will take this to the ancestral hall!"
Hearing about the ancestral hall, the faces of the two elders darkened.
One of them snorted coldly: "For such a trivial matter, you want to take it to the ancestral hall, disturbing the peace of our ancestors. It's truly unfilial!"
"Ning Xiangqian, you measure the heart of a gentleman with your petty mind. Very well then, let me show you who your opponent is."
Speaking thus, the elder signaled to a subordinate with his eyes.
The subordinate withdrew and soon returned with someone.
This person was quite thin, with a handsome face, flowing white hair, and a pair of white eyebrows, looking like a young man.
However, Ning Xiangqian's expression changed immediately upon seeing this person, exclaiming: "Ning Qingqiao?"
Ning Qingqiao raised his eyebrows, sneering at Ning Xiangqian: "You should be grateful to the two elders. This is all for your own good. Step down obediently and save everyone's time."
Ning Xiangqian clenched his fists, his face showing anger.
Ning Qingqiao was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, possessing Heavenly Talent Frost Descent Silent. If Ning Xiaohui was the only ace among the Ning Family Qi Refining Cultivators, then Ning Qingqiao was one of the geniuses among the Ning Family Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
Ning Xiangqian gritted his teeth: "Alright, alright, the main branch brought a genius to squeeze me out, to make me lose my steward position. Truly impressive!"
Ning Qingqiao sneered: "Naïve! You helped Ning Zhuo yesterday and shouted the loudest. You should have this awareness. Do you think this is a game?"
"Quickly, get lost!"
Ning Xiangqian tilted his head back and laughed, the fury in his heart leading him to make an irrational decision: "Get lost? Impossible!"
"Come on, I will face you in combat."
"I must see what makes you, a long-famous genius, so arrogant!"
The battle lost its suspense from the very beginning.
Ning Qingqiao held an absolute advantage, beating Ning Xiangqian relentlessly.
"Don't kill him," an elder, observing from the side, couldn't help but remind, seeing Ning Xiangqian covered in blood.
"Tch, boring." Ning Qingqiao stopped in time, throwing Ning Xiangqian to the ground.
Ning Qingqiao stepped on Ning Xiangqian's head: "How do you feel now?"
"This is really for your own good, but you just won't appreciate it, insistent on choosing the hard way."
"Pah!" Ning Xiangqian, struggling in vain, spat out a mouthful of blood at Ning Qingqiao.
Ning Qingqiao's eyes flashed with coldness, and he lightly exerted force, knocking Ning Xiangqian unconscious.
"Take this trash from the branch down!"
Almost simultaneously, in the Talisman Hall.
An elder pointed at some low-quality talismans, saying to Ning Xiangguo: "This is your responsibility. You'd better have a perfect explanation, or else..."
Ning Xiangguo smiled slightly: "An explanation? I don't need an explanation."
He took out a letter from his bosom and handed it to the elder: "I am not doing the steward job of the Talisman Hall anymore."
The elder was stunned, then his expression softened, sighing deeply: "Xiangguo, who told you to be from the branch? And you spoke up yesterday, helping that Ning Zhuo."
"Sigh, I don't think it's worth it for you."
"Ning Zhuo got an extremely generous reward, but you? You lost the position you worked so hard for nearly ten years to obtain."
Ning Xiangguo shook his head: "If I had to do it again, even knowing the outcome, I would do the same."
"Farewell."
After speaking, he turned around and left, without hesitation.
Watching Ning Xiangguo's departing figure, the elder's expression turned extremely poor.
Ning Xiangqian, Ning Xiangguo... It wasn't just the two of them. Many stewards were sought out by the main branch and dismissed by the higher-ups for various reasons.
The news spread throughout the clan.
The branch members, who had been greatly excited by yesterday's victory at the ancestral hall, felt like they were hit by a sledgehammer, their newly rallied spirits scattered again.
With their spirits scattered, everyone had something to say.
"I told you not to go, not to go. Now look! The steward position is lost."
"The main branch bullies us too much! The stewards dismissed and driven away today are all from our branch. It's obviously revenge for yesterday."
"The key is, they have a valid reason, following the clan's rules. We can't refute it."
"Just like Elder Ning Houjun often says, our branch lacks an elder. If we had an elder, such things wouldn't happen!"
The dismissed stewards could completely find refuge with a branch elder, instead of being reduced to an ordinary clan member as they are now.
Some branch members who lost their steward positions sought Ning Youfu and Ning Houjun to speak for them.
Ning Youfu closed his doors to guests, while Ning Houjun received them.
Ning Houjun said: "The Young Clan Leader has been deposed. Such retaliation from the main branch was not entirely unexpected."
"Can we imitate Ning Zhuo, gather the crowd, and go to the ancestral hall?" one clan member asked.
Ning Houjun snorted coldly: "Do you think the ancestral hall is a child's play? Do you want to be locked up in the dungeon? The main branch bastards are just waiting for you to cause trouble."
Someone asked: "Then why could Ning Zhuo do it and succeed?"
"He had solid evidence, with both witnesses and material evidence. Even the main branch couldn't refute it. Do you have that?" Ning Houjun glared, "You have nothing!"
He pointed at the clansmen seeking help: "The main branch dismissed you with suitable reasons."
"Who's to blame if you couldn't keep your hands clean? Now that you've lost your steward positions, you have the audacity to come to me!"
The branch members looked at each other in dismay.
Someone complained: "Elder, you don't understand. It's hard for us branch members. We have to cultivate and live, with a family to support. If we don't use our positions for personal gain, how can we have enough resources?"
"Unlike the main branch, even idle people never lack cultivation resources."
Ning Houjun sighed: "That's why I personally helped Ning Zhuo."
"He has talent. If he grows, he will certainly become an elder."
"Only if our branch has an elder can we somewhat counterbalance the main branch."
Someone sneered disdainfully: "Elder, yesterday you persuaded me with this, which is why I got involved in the ancestral hall matter. But now, I think we've helped the wrong person."
Ning Houjun: "What do you mean?"
Another person said: "Ning Zhuo received an extremely generous reward, far exceeding the previous standards. But he is extremely stingy. Even if his cousins ask to borrow resources, he refuses them directly on the spot."
"Such a person can easily share hardships but not wealth. Are we right to pin our hopes on him?"
Ning Houjun snorted coldly: "If not him, should we pin our hopes on you?"
"Do you have talent?"
Everyone was speechless.
A clan member tried to defend Ning Zhuo: "After all, he's only sixteen. It's unrealistic to expect him to have your kind of awareness."
Hearing this, Ning Houjun frowned.
Because he recalled yesterday's banquet, Ning Zhuo's performance had left a deep impression on him. On the way back home, he felt pleased, thinking that Ning Zhuo had both talent and maturity, a blessing for the branch.
But today, Ning Zhuo's behavior greatly disappointed Ning Houjun: "So stingy, how can he win people's hearts, how can he achieve anything?"
Feeling uneasy, Ning Houjun pondered for a moment and decided to give Ning Zhuo some advice.
"Someone," he called a family servant, "go to Ning Zhuo and bring back two taels of Ice Jade Wine as a thank you for yesterday's assistance. Go quickly and return quickly."
Hearing Ning Houjun's command, the branch members all expressed their intention to stay and see Ning Zhuo's reaction.
Ning Zhuo was inspecting the family's rewards.
The generosity of this reward slightly surprised him.
"The Tornado Wind Car must be tightly attached to the Middle Dantian. After activation, it will ripple in the Qi Sea, creating a Mana tornado, which can speed up the refining of Mana and has a certain purification effect."
"The Five Elements Ruler, when held, can quickly divide Spiritual Power and Mana into the five elements. It was originally a manufacturing tool, but now that I'm practicing the Five Elements Qi Regulation Art, using it to break down the Five Elements Mana will greatly facilitate spell practice."
"The Calming Bell, each time it rings, can make one quickly enter meditation. Continuous ringing can deepen a cultivator's meditation."
"The Mysterious Ice Waist Badge is an identity token, but when worn, it can gather spiritual power at all times, helping Ning Family members refine their Mana."
Ning Zhuo carefully examined these four magic artifacts and found no issues.
To be safe, he also needed to take these four artifacts to Sun Lingtong for inspection. The latter possessed spiritual eyes, was a major sect disciple, and had managed the black market for a while, having a broad perspective.
Not only the magic artifacts, but the elixir pills and talismans also needed to be checked.
Ning Zhuo, having dethroned Ning Xiaoren, knew his conflict with the main branch was now irreconcilable. He couldn't afford to be careless with the things given by the main branch.
At this moment, Ning Houjun's servant arrived, bringing Ning Houjun's request.
Ning Zhuo sighed lightly: "The elder is reminding me to distribute wealth to win people. The main branch differentiates deliberately to weaken my prestige."
"Send my regards and thanks to Elder Ning Houjun."
"I understand the elder wants to use the Ice Jade Wine to show everyone that they haven't helped the wrong person and that I am not stingy."
"But I have my own ideas."
"No need to give the Ice Jade Wine, take this letter back to the elder."
The servant then took the letter back.
Ning Houjun frowned as he opened the letter.
After reading it, he relaxed his brows and laughed heartily: "Ning Zhuo, Ning Zhuo, outwardly clumsy but inwardly astute! I was worried for nothing. All of you, take a good look at this letter."
The former stewards quickly read it, some relaxing their brows, while others still hesitated: "This... will it work?"