"Splitting the family? That's complete nonsense!"
"Even if Ning Zhuo acts foolishly, you've all grown so much; why do you follow in such folly!"
"I do not agree to the family division!"
Upon hearing this news, Ning Jiufan became furious and immediately called a halt.
"Splitting the family will inevitably reduce our Ning Family's lifespan."
"Ning Zhuo, as a son of the core branch, cannot be allowed to split off on a whim!"
"If it happened under my watch, leading to further decline of the Ning Family, how could I, Ning Jiufan, face our ancestors in the Netherworld?"
Ning Jiufan's stance was very firm.
As the only Golden Core Cultivator of the entire Ning Family, his statement immediately overturned the whole situation.
"What, stopped by our Golden Core Ancestor?" Hearing this bad news, Ning Zhuo's expression turned ugly.
The envoy he had been in touch with had a face like a funeral: "The family has brought your Bloodline Umbilical Cord, as well as the tablets for the family branch separation and ancestral veneration, but they were intercepted by the Elder Ancestor and confiscated."
"The Clan Leader specifically told me to make sure you understand that this isn't due to the main branch not wanting to cooperate, but rather that an arm cannot twist a thigh."
Ning Zhuo was silent for a while.
He fell deep into thought, fingers unconsciously stroking the lid of his cup.
After a long silence, he spoke, "I am aware of the matter, and I trust in the sincerity of the main branch's cooperation."
"This is not your fault, nor is it mine; it's simply an unexpected event that occurred."
"I will still honor our previous agreement to release Ning Xiaohui's grandmother and to embrace Ning Xiaoren under my command, aiding him in establishing his merits."
"However, I hope that the Ning Family main branch will use its strength to join forces with me, to persuade our Elder Ancestor."
"Take my wishes back with you."
The envoy left with a bittersweet sentiment, respectfully taking his leave.
Ning Zhuo sighed deeply.
Ning Jiufan had always stayed out of mundane affairs; he had not expected him to suddenly interfere.
Was it because the matter of splitting the family was too significant, or had Ning Zhuo himself already been under the constant watch of Ning Jiufan? Or perhaps it was a bit of both?
Not long after, Ning Zhuo actively sought an audience with Ning Jiufan to discuss the family division.
Ning Jiufan snorted coldly, his face full of displeasure, and directly gave Ning Zhuo a knock on the head: "You still have the nerve to mention it?!"
"After being quiet for some time, I didn't expect you to cause such a big stir as soon as you came back."
Ning Zhuo protested: "This time it was Ning Xiaohui's grandmother..."
Ning Jiufan interrupted him: "I don't want to hear about it!"
"If she has made a mistake, then deal with it according to the family rules. It's not a bargaining chip for your own benefit."
Ning Jiufan glared at him: "What did I tell you before? I told you not to get entangled in mundane affairs and to focus all your time on the imperial examinations."
"What have you done?"
"Or do you think that your military achievements are already so outstanding that you can afford to relax?"
Seeing that things were going south, Ning Zhuo hurriedly said, "Elder Ancestor, please calm your anger."
"Please forgive my boldness, but even if you stop me now, can you truly stop my determination?"
"I am serious about dividing the family, and my resolve is unyielding!"
"I firmly believe: splitting from the main branch will allow us both a way out and our own destinies. On the contrary, staying together will only lead to growing animosity and mutual hindrance. In the end, it will result in a bloody feud too atrocious to speak of!"
"If it comes to that, Elder Ancestor, you will bear some responsibility as well."
Ning Jiufan grew violently angry: "You impudent boy!"
His Golden Core energy erupted, pressing Ning Zhuo to his knees on the ground.
Ning Zhuo, knowing the critical moment, forcibly held himself up; blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, he stubbornly raised his head: "Elder, Elder Ancestor, if you don't believe me, shall we make a bet?"
Ning Jiufan's momentum wavered slightly: "What bet?"
Bearing a secretly predetermined wager, Ning Zhuo left the house.
He sighed deeply, understanding this was the best outcome he could fight for.
Having come this far, Ning Zhuo, of course, wouldn't give up easily. He decided to take the risk of betting with the Ning Family Ancestor!
Even though the family division didn't succeed, Ning Zhuo still released Ning Xiaohui's grandmother and recruited Ning Xiaoren, inciting widespread dissatisfaction among his subordinates.
The side branches had already held great disdain for the main branch, and Ning Zhuo, whom they saw as their future leader, acted overly ingratiating.
Ning Ze and his wife, Wang Lan, still mourning the loss of their child, were even more active, spreading the word that Ning Zhuo had changed, and secretly spreading rumors that he'd made a secret deal with the main branch, receiving immense benefits and abandoning the entire Ning Family side branch.
They wanted to force Ning Zhuo to prove his innocence.
And how could he prove his innocence?
It lay in pursuing the murderer to avenge his cousin, Ning Ji.
With internal traitors like Ning Xiangguo making moves, the City Lord's Mansion seized the opportunity and conspired with Ning Ze and Wang Lan to stir up a movement within the Ning Family side branch against Ning Zhuo, hoping he would step forward to clarify the situation and the process.
Yet Ning Zhuo did not make an appearance.
He knew that if he did, he would have to concede.
And once he conceded, having dealt with Ning Xiaohui's grandmother, how could the many family elders continue to support his proposal to divide the family?
At the very least, he needed to maintain the hope of division, not letting that hope diminish.
Meanwhile, the second round of the imperial examinations had reached a critical juncture, forcing Ning Zhuo to focus his main energy on the examinations.
The eighteenth examination question.
The content of the exam was undergoing minor changes—with an open arena for the preparation stage cloaked from view, allowing Cultivators to use magic to bolster their position.
Ning Zhuo began his battle against Sun Lingtong.
Sun Lingtong released the Golden Blood Battle Ape and taunted, encouraging Ning Zhuo to simply admit defeat.
However, after Ning Zhuo finished preparing, rather than creating any Mechanical Puppets, he merely refined more than twenty hovering mechanical devices!