Chapter 176: Dismissing the Deacons

Ning Family War Hall.

Branch member Ning Xiangqian said with an angry face: "Two Clan Elders, I do not accept this!"

"Removing me from my position as a War Hall Deacon for no reason is not in accordance with the family's rules!"

The two Clan Elders smiled slightly, and one of them said: "Ning Xiangqian, stay calm. How could the family arbitrarily deprive you of your Deacon position?"

"According to family rules, War Hall Deacons must prioritize combat strength. To ensure the quality of personnel, Deacon positions have always been limited, adopting a policy of elimination. Those who come later and wish to serve must challenge their predecessors and seize the Deacon position with solid combat strength."

Ning Xiangqian nodded: "I am certainly aware of this."

"But no one has challenged me."

"I was stripped of my Deacon position without even a single exchange of blows. It seems the main branch is holding a grudge against me for helping that Ning Zhuo yesterday."

The Clan Elder smiled faintly: "Ning Xiangqian, you have misunderstood us. We are actually thinking of you, worried that you might be defeated and injured. Healing from injuries wastes too much time."

Ning Xiangqian laughed: "I haven't even fought yet, and you've already determined I've lost; this is simply unreasonable. Who exactly has set their sights on my Deacon position?"

"I must fight before I will be satisfied."

"Otherwise, I will never yield, and I will definitely make a scene at the ancestral hall!"

Upon hearing the mention of the ancestral hall, the expressions of the two Clan Elders darkened.

One of them snorted coldly: "To make a scene at the ancestral hall over such a trivial matter, as a descendant, disregarding the peace of the ancestors, is truly unfilial!"

"Ning Xiangqian, you are measuring a gentleman's belly with a villain's heart. Very well, I will let you know who your opponent is."

Saying this, the Clan Elder signaled to his subordinate with his eyes.

The subordinate stepped back and soon brought someone back.

This person was quite thin, with handsome features, a head of flowing white hair, a pair of white eyebrows, and the appearance of a young man.

But when Ning Xiangqian saw this person, his expression changed instantly, and he blurted out: "Ning Qingqiao?"

Ning Qingqiao raised his eyebrows and sneered at Ning Xiangqian: "You should thank the two Clan Elders; all of this is for your own good. Just obediently step down and save everyone some time."

Ning Xiangqian clenched his fists, his face showing anger.

Ning Qingqiao was at the Foundation Establishment cultivation level and possessed the talent 'Frost Descends Without a Sound'. If Ning Xiaohui was the only signboard among the Ning family's Qi Refining cultivators, then Ning Qingqiao was one of the geniuses among the Ning family's Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Ning Xiangqian gritted his teeth and said: "Good, good, good. The main branch uses a genius to squeeze me out and make me lose my Deacon position. Truly a grand gesture!"

Ning Qingqiao sneered: "Naive! You helped Ning Zhuo yesterday and shouted the loudest; you should have had this realization. Do you think this is a game?"

"Be quick and get out!"

Ning Xiangqian looked up and laughed, his anger causing him to make an irrational decision: "Get out? How is that possible!"

"Come, come, I want to fight you."

"I want to see what qualifications you, this long-famous genius, have to be so arrogant!"

The battle lost all suspense from the very beginning.

Ning Qingqiao occupied an absolute advantage, suppressing Ning Xiangqian and beating him throughout the fight.

"Don't beat him to death." The Clan Elder watched the battle from the side, and seeing Ning Xiangqian covered in blood, he couldn't help but remind him.

"Tch, boring." Ning Qingqiao stopped in time and knocked Ning Xiangqian to the ground.

Ning Qingqiao walked over to Ning Xiangqian and stepped on the latter's head: "How do you feel now?"

"This was really for your own good, but unfortunately, you don't know what's good for you, refusing a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit."

"Pah!" Ning Xiangqian struggled in vain and spat a mouthful of blood at Ning Qingqiao.

A cold light flashed in Ning Qingqiao's eyes, and he applied slight pressure with his foot, knocking Ning Xiangqian unconscious.

"Someone, carry this branch trash away for me!"

Almost at the same time, in the Talisman Hall.

The Clan Elder pointed at the inferior talismans and said to Ning Xianguo: "You are responsible for this. You had better have a perfect explanation, otherwise..."

Ning Xianguo smiled slightly: "Explanation? I don't need an explanation."

He took a letter from his bosom and handed it to the Clan Elder: "I will not do this Deacon job in the Talisman Hall anymore."

The Clan Elder was stunned, then his expression softened, and he sighed deeply: "Xianguo, who told you to be a member of the branch? And you spoke up yesterday to help that Ning Zhuo."

"Sigh, I feel it's not worth it for you."

"That Ning Zhuo received an extremely bountiful reward, but what about you? You lost the Deacon position you fought for nearly ten years to obtain."

Ning Xianguo shook his head: "If I could do it all over again, even knowing this would be the result, I would still do it."

"Farewell."

After speaking, he turned and left without any hesitation.

Watching Ning Xianguo's departing back, the Clan Elder's expression became extremely poor.

Ning Xiangqian, Ning Xianguo... it wasn't just the two of them; a great many Deacons were approached by the main branch and dismissed by the upper echelons for various reasons.

The news spread throughout the entire clan.

The branch clansmen, who were still feeling invigorated by yesterday's victory at the ancestral hall, were like being hit on the head with a club, and the spirit they had just gathered scattered once again.

Once the hearts of the people were scattered, all sorts of things were said.

"I told you not to go, not to go, and now look! The Deacon position is lost."

"The main branch is bullying people too much! The Deacons dismissed and driven away today are all from our branch; it's clearly retaliation for yesterday's events."

"The key is that they have reasons and evidence, acting according to family rules, and we cannot refute them."

"Just like Elder Ning Houjun often says, our branch lacks a Clan Elder. If we only had one Clan Elder, this kind of thing wouldn't happen!"

The squeezed-out and dismissed Deacons could completely attach themselves to the side of a branch Clan Elder, unlike now, where they are beaten back to their original form and become ordinary clansmen.

Some branch clansmen who lost their Deacon positions wanted to find Ning Youfu and Ning Houjun to seek justice for them.

Ning Youfu closed his doors to guests, while Ning Houjun received them.

Ning Houjun said: "The Young Clan Leader has been pulled down from his horse; the main branch's retaliation like this is not entirely unexpected."

"Can we imitate Ning Zhuo and gather a crowd to go to the ancestral hall?" some clansmen asked.

Ning Houjun snorted coldly: "What do you think the ancestral hall is? Do you want to be thrown into the dungeon? That bunch of bastards in the main branch are just waiting for you to go and make a scene."

Someone asked: "Then why could Ning Zhuo do it, and succeed?"

"He holds solid evidence in his hands, with both human and material evidence, so even the main branch cannot refute it. Do you have any?" Ning Houjun glared, "You have nothing!"

He pointed at the clansmen seeking help: "The main branch dismissed you all for suitable reasons."

"Who told you to be dishonest in your daily work? Now that you've been caught, lost your Deacon positions, you still have the nerve to come and find me!"

The branch clansmen looked at each other.

Someone complained: "Elder, you don't know. It's hard for our branch to make a living and cultivate. We have a whole family to support; if we don't abuse our power for personal gain, how can we have enough resources?"

"Like the main branch, even the idle people, lying down all year round, never lack resources for cultivation."

Ning Houjun sighed: "That is why I came forward to personally help that Ning Zhuo."

"He has talent; once he grows up, he will inevitably be a Clan Elder."

"Only when our branch has a Clan Elder can we have a little power to contend with the main branch."

Someone sneered disdainfully: "Elder, that was exactly how you persuaded me yesterday, and that's why I got involved in the ancestral hall matter. But now, in my opinion, we helped the wrong person."

Ning Houjun: "What do you mean by that?"

Another person said: "That Ning Zhuo received an extremely bountiful reward, far exceeding the previous standard. However, he is extremely stingy. Even when his cousins asked to borrow things, they were directly rejected on the spot."

"People like this are easy to share hardship with, but difficult to share wealth with. Is it really right for us to pin our hopes on him?"

Ning Houjun snorted coldly: "If we don't pin our hopes on him, should we pin them on you?"

"Do you have talent?"

The crowd was silent.

Some clansmen took the initiative to explain for Ning Zhuo: "He is, after all, only ten."

Upon hearing these words, Ning Houjun frowned instead.

Because he recalled yesterday's banquet, where Ning Zhuo's performance left a deep impression on him, and he had been very happy on the way back to his residence, believing that Ning Zhuo had talent and a mature mindset, which was a blessing for the branch.

But today, Ning Zhuo's performance made Ning Houjun secretly very disappointed: "Being so stingy, how can he gather the hearts of the people, how can he accomplish things?"

Ning Houjun felt uneasy, pondered for a while, and decided to give Ning Zhuo a hint.

"Someone." He summoned a servant, "Go and bring my message to Ning Zhuo; I want his two taels of Ice Jade Wine as a thank you for his help yesterday. Go and return quickly."

Hearing Ning Houjun's order, the branch clansmen all expressed that they wanted to stay and see what Ning Zhuo's reaction would be.

Ning Zhuo was checking the family's rewards.

The generosity of this reward made him slightly surprised.

"The Tornado Wheel magic treasure must be worn close to the middle dantian; after being activated, it can create waves in the Qi Sea, producing a mana tornado, which increases the speed of mana refinement and has a certain effect of purifying mana."

"The Five Elements Ruler, when held in the hand, can quickly divide spiritual power, mana, etc., into the five elements. It was originally a manufacturing tool, but since I am now cultivating the Five Elements Qi Law, using it to decompose five-element mana will greatly facilitate spellcasting practice."

"Every time the Meditation Bell is struck, it can quickly bring a person into meditation. Striking it continuously can allow a cultivator to deepen their meditation."

"The Profound Ice Waist Token is an identity token, but when worn on the body, it can gather spiritual energy at all times, helping Ning family members refine mana."

Ning Zhuo carefully tested these four magic treasures and found no problems.

To be safe, he still had to take these four magic treasures to Sun Lingtong to see. The latter had spiritual eyes, was a disciple of a large sect, and had managed the black market for a period of time, so his vision was very broad.

Not just the magic treasures, but the elixirs, talismans, etc., also had to be tested.

Ning Zhuo had taken Ning Xiaoren down, so his conflict with the main branch was irreconcilable. He dared not be careless about anything given by the main branch.

At this time, Ning Houjun's servant arrived, bringing Ning Houjun's request.

Ning Zhuo listened and sighed softly: "The Elder is reminding me to distribute wealth to keep people. The family's main branch is using differential treatment to disintegrate my popularity."

"Give my regards to Elder Ning Houjun and convey my gratitude."

"I know the Elder wants to use the Ice Jade Wine to show everyone that they didn't help the wrong person, and that I am not a stingy person."

"But I have my own ideas."

"There is no need to give the Ice Jade Wine; take this letter back and give it to the Elder."

The servant took the letter back.

Ning Houjun frowned as he opened the letter.

After reading it, his brow smoothed out, and he laughed heartily: "Ning Zhuo, Ning Zhuo, clumsy on the outside but clever on the inside! I was worried for nothing. You all take a good look at this letter."

Many former Deacons quickly passed it around; some had their brows smoothed out, while others remained hesitant: "This... can it work?"