Chapter 172

Ancestral hall.

"Elder, there are not enough seats." A subordinate came to report.

The ancestral hall elder's face was as calm as water: "Transfer tables and chairs from the school, and fill the front and middle courtyards."

"Too many people have come, and there's even a trend of more and more coming, this isn't right!"

The ancestral hall elder smelled the scent of a conspiracy.

"Go, urge Ning Zhuo! Why is this kid walking so slowly? He hasn't arrived yet, many elders have already come, is he putting on such a big show?"

The ancestral hall elder knew deeply: the longer the time dragged on, the more disadvantageous it was for the main branch.

At this time, someone suddenly reported: "Young Clan Leader has arrived—!"

The ancestral hall elder and others immediately stood up and left the middle hall to welcome him.

Ning Xiaoren arrived at the ancestral hall a step early, saw the ancestral hall elder, immediately stepped forward quickly, cupped his hands to the ancestral hall elder, his face calm and unhurried, while secretly and anxiously transmitting his voice: "Elder, please, for the sake of my father, save me!"

The ancestral hall elder's pupils shrank slightly upon hearing this.

Just at this time, Ning Youfu, Ning Ze, and their group also arrived.

The ancestral hall elder said a polite phrase, hurriedly got rid of Ning Xiaoren, and went to welcome Ning Youfu.

The ancestral hall elder smiled: "Elder Fu, you are here! It's truly rare to have another opportunity for us juniors to listen to your teachings."

Ning Youfu chuckled: "This old man doesn't have much time left, I wanted to live a leisurely life, but since this matter has arisen, I had to come. Beside me here is Ning Zhuo's own uncle, Ning Ze."

The ancestral hall elder said "oh," took the lead, and invited Ning Youfu and Ning Ze into the ancestral hall.

During this time, Ning Xiaoren transmitted his voice to him, but he acted as if he didn't know and gave no response.

The people from the ancestral hall came to urge Ning Zhuo, whispering to him: "Ning Zhuo, you've caused such a big event. Now the elders are all over there at the ancestral hall, but you haven't even walked half the distance."

Ning Zhuo hurriedly apologized, saying that the clansmen were asking too many questions and explaining to them one by one wasted some time, and asked the messenger to go back and say that Ning Zhuo would be there soon.

After the people from the ancestral hall left, Ning Zhuo still went his own way, and even slowed down a bit more.

Thanks to his continuous explanations, more and more clansmen gathered around him.

His team size swelled to over sixty people.

When turning a street corner, an old man leaning on a cane, with three attendants, looked at Ning Zhuo from afar and waved at him slightly.

Someone in Ning Zhuo's team suddenly exclaimed: "Ah, it's Elder Ning Houjun!"

Ning Houjun was also once an elder, and a War Hall elder at that. It's just that he voluntarily resigned more than a dozen years ago and had been enjoying his old age at home.

Like Ning Youfu, Ning Houjun was also a branch clansman and had high prestige.

Ning Zhuo hurriedly quickened his pace, arrived in front of Ning Houjun, and bowed deeply.

Ning Houjun looked Ning Zhuo up and down and praised: "Good, the young man is dignified and high-spirited, he has the look of a young man."

"I have heard about your affair."

"Let me accompany you to the ancestral hall this time."

Ning Zhuo expressed his thanks, and the clansmen around him began to cheer, saying that with Elder Ning Houjun accompanying them, this trip would surely be a success!

Ning Zhuo and Ning Houjun walked side by side, talking with words while secretly transmitting their voices.

Ning Houjun transmitted his voice and asked: "Young man, do you know who the most critical person is in this operation?"

Ning Zhuo replied without hesitation: "It is the Old Ancestor."

He was not talking about the ancestors, but the Golden Core Old Ancestor.

Ning Houjun glanced at Ning Zhuo, his eyes showing appreciation, and continued to transmit his voice: "Not bad, you see it very clearly."

"Our clan's Old Ancestor is not from the main branch, but the main branch's Golden Core Old Ancestor has done him a great favor. Therefore, the Old Ancestor has shown much care for the main branch. But he himself has no direct blood descendants."

"Because of this, more than a dozen years ago, our clan's branch families gathered their strength to challenge the main branch. Although it failed, throughout the whole process, the Old Ancestor did not come forward to express anything."

Ning Zhuo nodded: "Since that is the case, then I will surely win this time."

"That's right." Ning Houjun laughed and continued to transmit his voice, "This old man has always liked winning battles. Otherwise, why would I join your group? This time, it's only a question of how much we win."

Ancestral hall.

The Ning Clan Leader had arrived.

The Clan Leader was expressionless: "That Ning Zhuo still hasn't arrived?"

Immediately, he sent someone to urge him.

The messenger saw Ning Zhuo and was originally arrogant, but was scolded by Ning Houjun: "This old man is old, what's wrong with walking slowly?"

"Go and tell the Clan Leader, is he in such a hurry because he needs to pee or has the runs, is he rushing to take a dump?"

The messenger ran back with his tail between his legs, naturally not daring to report the original words, only saying that Ning Houjun was there.

The Clan Leader took a deep breath and endured it.

The War Hall elder laughed: "After so many years, Elder Ning Houjun's temper is still so big."

"I wonder how his son has been doing since he was expelled from the family?"

"In recent years, has he had any correspondence with Elder Ning Houjun?"

It wasn't until the sun was high and approaching noon that Ning Zhuo's group arrived at the ancestral hall.

The size of the team had exceeded a hundred people.

However, there were even more people inside the ancestral hall.

Most of the people around Ning Zhuo could only stand outside the ancestral hall wall to listen.

Even so, there were no good spots.

The entire ancestral hall was surrounded by clansmen, three layers inside and three layers outside.

Ning Zhuo, Ning Houjun, and Wang Lan were led into the ancestral hall.

All the Ning family upper echelons who could come had come.

Ning Zhuo saw Ning Ze, saw Ning Ji, saw the Ning Clan Leader, and of course, saw Ning Xiaoren.

Ning Xiaoren's face was livid, staring fixedly at Ning Zhuo, his neck stretched out, his fierce posture like a vulture ready to fight to the death.

Ning Zhuo had just cupped his hands and wanted to speak when Wang Lan suddenly wailed: "Master, you were finally rescued! That Ning Xiaoren didn't do anything to you again, did he?"

Ning Ze walked out of the crowd, hugged Wang Lan, and said in a deep voice: "It was Elder Fu who saved me personally! He let me escape from Ning Xiaoren's clutches!"

Along the way, Ning Ze had already learned the ins and outs of the matter.

Although Ning Xiaoren kept threatening and bribing him, Ning Ze had already made up his mind!

Just kidding.

"Do you really think I feel good every time I get hit in the head?!"

"Do you really think I have no temper?!"

Ning Ze's wife, Wang Lan, had already stepped to the front; the Ning branch clansmen were filled with righteous indignation, the momentum was already set, and the truth was indeed that Ning Xiaoren had not given Ning Zhuo any cultivation resources and had indeed framed Ning Ze.

All along, the humiliation Ning Ze had suffered and the resentment he had accumulated made him choose Ning Zhuo's side without hesitation.

Hearing Ning Ze's words, Ning Xiaoren's heart sank to the bottom, feeling cold all over.

His only turning point was Ning Ze.

At this moment, it drifted away like a leaf in the autumn wind.

With both human and material evidence present, Ning Xiaoren had no room to refute.

Originally, his framing of Ning Ze was a spur-of-the-moment decision; who told Ning Zhuo to emerge so suddenly? The whole event had too many flaws; if Ning Ze had cooperated, it would have been easy to talk about, but once he turned against him, there was countless evidence.

For other clansmen to investigate, it was simply effortless.

All kinds of ironclad evidence were like a mountain!

"Ning Xiaoren!" The Ning Clan Leader shouted angrily, tore the rope of his waist token, and threw the token directly at Ning Xiaoren.

Ning Xiaoren was hit in the head by the token and immediately bled profusely.

He knew that the defeat was set and there was no hope of being spared, but at the last moment, he performed with enough toughness.

He let himself bleed and cupped his hands to his father: "Clan Leader, I did the wrong thing and have no face to face the family from top to bottom. I accept all punishments!"

And this was Ning Xiaoren's final performance.

The Ning Clan Leader immediately announced the cancellation of Ning Xiaoren's position as Young Clan Leader and imprisoned him in the dungeon for three years. After three years, he would be expelled from the family and exiled, only allowed to return to the family to worship ancestors during the family's grand sacrifice.

"Clan Leader is wise, destroying his own kin for the sake of justice!"

Once the verdict was out, countless branch clansmen inside and outside the ancestral hall cheered in unison, their voices shaking the wilderness.

The main branch elders watched Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo won too beautifully, stepping on the Young Clan Leader Ning Xiaoren with one foot. After today, he would surely be famous throughout the clan, and his prestige would soar.

Even with only "third-level Qi Refining cultivation," with such habits and actions, who would dare to underestimate him?

That night.

A small banquet was held at Ning Ze's residence.

Ning Zhuo and Ning Ze entertained the two former elders, Ning Youfu and Ning Houjun, as well as several family deacons like Ning Xiangguo.

Ning Zhuo frequently toasted and expressed his thanks, appearing humble and polite, and sincerely asked for advice.

Ning Youfu pointed out: "Once this matter is out, Ning Zhuo, you are at odds with the main branch. Especially the Clan Leader, don't have any extravagant hopes of easing the relationship."

Ning Houjun sighed: "It's a pity, the Clan Leader cut off his own arm to save his life today, but didn't drag him down as well. Only taking down a Young Clan Leader, the win is limited."

Ning Xiangguo said: "Even so, it is the only victory our clan has had in over a dozen years. A branch family member brought a main branch Young Clan Leader to justice, what a heart-stirring thing this is!"

Ning Zhuo looked at the people at the table, but in his heart, he was guessing: who among them was the Ning family traitor who had secretly defected to Fei Si?

Ning Zhuo took the initiative to ask, how would the main branch deal with him?

Ning Youfu smiled: "Ning Zhuo, you are now participating in the renovation team and are very capable at exploring the Immortal Palace. Plus, you are in the limelight, the main branch won't touch you. Lest you suffer unfair treatment again and make a scene at the ancestral hall again."

He looked at Ning Xiangguo and said to him: "The main branch's counterattack will come soon, and it will be you who suffer."

Ning Xiangguo smiled slightly: "I am already mentally prepared. It doesn't matter! Even if I am removed from office, what of it? The main branch doesn't dare to remove too many. After all, there are too few of them, haha."

Ning Houjun sighed: "To this day, there isn't a single elder position in the clan held by our branch family. This point is too passive, to the point of having no basic foundation. Although there are many deacons, they can only be slaughtered."

"Fortunately, Ning Zhuo, you have talent; in the future, if you develop steadily, you will surely be an elder."

"Our branch family hasn't produced talent for a long time. To tell you the truth, for these dozen years, this old man has been waiting for someone who can shoulder the burden."

"Although your cultivation is weak now, it's very good, you have spirit and also have methods."

"The key point is, you have talent and are worth investing in."

"Don't worry, as long as this old man is still alive, I will support you with all my might!"

"You are now the banner of our clan's branch family, you must not fall."

Ning Zhuo laughed: "Things have reached this point, on one hand, it is indeed the main branch's pressure, but on the other hand, isn't it also my personal desire to progress?"

"I have talent, I am exceptionally good at exploring the Immortal Palace, and I have everyone's full support, why worry that the great cause won't be accomplished?"

Everyone laughed loudly.

Amidst the laughter, everyone raised their glasses to touch.

Ning Ze swallowed the fine wine in his cup in one gulp, and when he put down the glass, he looked at Ning Zhuo, his gaze exceptionally complex.

"Little Zhuo, oh Little Zhuo, so this is the real you."

"It was my eyes that were blind, my eyes were blind."

"Such methods, temperament, and capacity..."

Ning Ze felt that for the first time in his life, he truly recognized Ning Zhuo.