**: For the Greater Good**

"Su Mo?"

"Coming to my door so late, just to proactively spar with me?"

"He must be an assassin!"

"I won't see him!!"

Upon receiving the report from his Foundation Establishment guard, Ning Zhuo immediately shook his head: "Chase him away."

Ning Zhuo's attitude was direct and resolute.

The Foundation Establishment guard showed a hesitant expression: "Young Master Ning Zhuo, if you do this, I'm afraid..."

"Afraid of what?"

The guard continued: "I'm afraid it might harm your reputation."

"This Su Mo claims to be a low-level cultivator. If you refuse to respond to a challenger like him, and word gets out, what will the outside world think of you, Young Master?"

Ning Zhuo sneered: "Do you think I don't know what you're saying?"

"The other party probably heard the rumors and came deliberately to probe me."

"There are definitely others behind him!"

"It might not even be probing, but an assassination attempt."

"Reputation is important, but my life is even more important."

"I climbed up from the bottom myself. Look, others think the black market business is dirty work, but I don't! I'm very pragmatic."

Having said this, Ning Zhuo added: "However, your reminder isn't without reason."

"Alright, take Su Mo to the courtyard, treat him to good wine and food."

"Tell him this: say that recently the situation is tense and strange, with people slandering and spreading rumors about me. I've noted this challenge and sparring invitation; we can compete when I have time in the future."

"During this period, I will live secluded and rarely go out, and won't easily take action. The signs are bad, the signs are bad."

"It's very likely someone will come to assassinate me!"

"Do they think I'm stupid?"

"Hehehe, I won't easily give assassins an opportunity."

"Hmm..."

"Tomorrow, I'll move back to live in the clan territory."

Ning Zhuo let out a faint, cold laugh.

"This subordinate understands, and will do so immediately." The Foundation Establishment guard withdrew.

Ning Zhuo's explanation had convinced him.

However, Ning Zhuo's words weren't primarily meant for him, but for others.

Zhu Xuanji and Ning Jiufan, upon hearing Ning Zhuo's plans and arrangements, both frowned slightly.

They wanted Ning Zhuo to act as bait to lure the City Lord's Manor into an assassination attempt, thus making a mistake. But Ning Zhuo himself had also realized the situation was dangerous and already wanted to retreat.

"This won't do!" Zhu Xuanji thought.

Ning Jiufan frowned: "Will moving into the clan territory mean he won't be assassinated? Naive!"

He didn't want to see Ning Zhuo take such action.

Although moving into the clan territory would indeed be much safer for Ning Zhuo than here, if the City Lord's Manor truly intended to assassinate him, the mere clan territory wouldn't be able to stop the assassins.

If Ning Zhuo lived in the clan territory, it might反而 increase casualties. After an assassination attempt, other members of the Ning Clan would likely suffer as well.

Zhu Xuanji simply sent a sound transmission to Ning Jiufan: "Brother Ning, please make arrangements. Ning Zhuo is a disciple of your Ning family."

In such matters, it wasn't very appropriate for Zhu Xuanji to intervene directly.

Having Ning Jiufan persuade him was the most legitimate course of action.

Thus, Ning Jiufan sent a sound transmission to Ning Zhuo.

"Ancestor! Great Ancestor!" Hearing this, Ning Zhuo was overjoyed and promptly cried out, "Ancestor, you've come to save me! I will never forget your life-saving grace, this junior won't!"

However, Ning Jiufan told Ning Zhuo not to be afraid; he had already arrived nearby, lying in wait to protect Ning Zhuo. He ordered Ning Zhuo to bravely accept the challenge!

"Even if this Su Mo is the assassin, this old man will guarantee your safety," Ning Jiufan said.

But Ning Zhuo shrank his neck in fear: "Ancestor, I... I don't want to."

He rubbed his large head, suddenly showing an expression of realization.

"Wait, it couldn't be..."

"Ancestor, could it be that you were the one spreading the rumors, saying I obtained the Demonic Sect True Scripture?"

"You're protecting me in secret, yet having me face the challenge. Isn't this clearly using me as bait?"

"Who are you trying to deal with?"

Ning Jiufan coughed: "You don't need to ask who."

If they really told Ning Zhuo they were targeting the City Lord's Manor this time, wouldn't it scare him out of his wits?

Therefore, Ning Jiufan didn't respond directly, brushing it off.

Ning Zhuo was, of course, not stupid.

"I won't do it, I won't do it!!"

"This job is too dangerous. A single misstep, and my life is on the line, Ancestor."

"My arms and legs are too thin and weak; I can't bear this."

Seeing Ning Zhuo so uncooperative, Ning Jiufan couldn't help but snort coldly.

Unexpectedly, this cold snort didn't intimidate Ning Zhuo but instead provoked his "rebellious" side.

"Ancestor, you can't do this, Ancestor!"

"Although I'm from a branch lineage, we branch lineage members are people too, and we also bear the Ning surname."

"You can't treat me so differently, Ancestor."

"Ancestor, if you do this, it will make people utterly disheartened."

Hearing this, Ning Jiufan suddenly felt as if he had become a biased, incompetent patriarch.

Ning Jiufan said coldly: "Stop shouting nonsense, kid. I'll have you know, even the main lineage Clan Head, if he were in your position now, would have to do the same."

"This is for the greater good."

"You are in this position; the times are urging you on. You must consider the overall situation, child."

Ning Zhuo stiffened his neck: "No, I won't do it!"

"Ancestor, don't force me."

"What kind of ancestor forces a junior to their death?"

"If you keep forcing me, I'll kneel in the ancestral hall! I'll hug the memorial tablets of your father and your grandfather and cry!"

"I'll go and complain! I'll move into the ancestral hall to live, eating, drinking, and relieving myself there."

Ning Jiufan: ?!

For a moment, he was stunned.

Honestly, he had never seen a junior clansman like this before!

This was far too disrespectful.

He was about to teach Ning Zhuo a lesson but was stopped by Zhu Xuanji.

Zhu Xuanji said: "At present, we still need this boy to cooperate with us."

"For the greater good, stabilizing him for now is the best strategy."

Ning Jiufan immediately frowned.

Zhu Xuanji added: "Ning Zhuo is a junior of your family, don't you understand him?"

"Let me remind you a little."

"He comes from a branch lineage, treated harshly since childhood. Although he attended school and received training, his skills in mechanical arts had been accumulating without showing prominence. This means he wasn't highly regarded in school."

"It was only around the time the Lava Immortal Palace appeared that his mechanical arts attainments reached the point of bursting forth after long accumulation."

"It's only recently that he discovered he has talent."

"A young man like this, unloved by both uncles and aunts, growing up wild for sixteen years, don't expect him to have innate filial respect for the Ning family elders and higher-ups."

"Don't forget, not long ago he was the one who brought down your clan's Young Clan Head. To this day, your former Young Clan Head is still imprisoned in the family's private dungeon, isn't he?"

Ning Jiufan's frown deepened: "Then, according to your meaning, Lord Zhu..."

Zhu Xuanji only smiled, not answering.

Ning Jiufan felt displeased!

What?

He, a Golden Core cultivator of the Ning family, a Ning family ancestor, had to accommodate a family junior?

This was simply turning the natural order upside down!

But what Zhu Xuanji said wasn't wrong; everything must consider the greater good.

What was the greater good at present?

It was to lure the City Lord's Manor into making a mistake by sending assassins after Ning Zhuo.

Only by seizing evidence against the City Lord's Manor could they prove and expose the great crimes of the City Lord's Manor: sending shadow demonic cultivators, blowing up the Immortal Palace, and nurturing bandits to strengthen their own position!

Once these major crimes were confirmed, the Southern Bean Royal Family could justifiably take action, overturning the entire situation in Fire Persimmon Immortal City.

By then, Zhu Xuanji wouldn't need to do anything; he would be directly guaranteed to become the master of the Immortal Palace.

Ning Jiufan couldn't help but fall silent.

Currently, if Ning Zhuo dropped the act and refused to continue the pretense, it would be easy for Fei Si to detect clues and become alert. How could there be an assassination then?

So, Zhu Xuanji was right; they needed to stabilize Ning Zhuo, persuade him to cooperate with them.

Of course, the Golden Core ancestors weren't without means; there were spells that could control Ning Zhuo, like a puppet.

But this approach was not good.

On one hand, they were all righteous path cultivators who valued integrity. For esteemed seniors, a total of six people, to bully a mere Qi Refining junior was simply unacceptable.

Especially Ning Jiufan, as a Ning family ancestor, who should be protecting his junior clansmen, yet was colluding with five other Golden Core cultivators to bully and manipulate his own junior – that would be utterly disgraceful.

On the other hand, Ning Zhuo needed to maintain a normal state. Only if he was willing to cooperate could they best deceive Fei Si.

The forceful control methods available to the ancestors could easily leave traces or unconcealable abnormalities, allowing Fei Si to discover them easily.

"Ancestor? Ancestor? Are you there? Are you still there?" Seeing that Ning Jiufan hadn't responded for a long time, Ning Zhuo quickly called out in a low voice.

"I am here." Ning Jiufan was both angry and amused. "You brat, you really deserve a beating."

"This old man clearly tells you now: you cannot escape. Stay here and wait for the assassination attempt."

"With me here, you won't die!"

"An emperor does not send out hungry soldiers. What do you want? Speak up. This old man will see if it can be granted to you. You won't take this risk for nothing."

Ning Zhuo smiled bitterly and plopped down into a chair.

His expression was very unpleasant: "Can we really not run away? Ancestor?"

Ning Jiufan's tone was profound: "No."

"Enough. Quickly state your demand." Ning Jiufan grew impatient. He, a Golden Core cultivator, was being exceptionally tolerant towards a mere Qi Refining junior like Ning Zhuo.

"Fine." Ning Zhuo gritted his teeth. "Ancestor, I want to inherit the entire family. I want to be the Clan Head!"

Ning Jiufan: ...

"Ancestor? Ancestor?" Ning Zhuo called out again.

Ning Jiufan was angered into laughter a second time by him: "You, a mere Qi Refining cultivator, have such great ambition? You actually dare to covet the position of Clan Head?"

Ning Zhuo hurriedly said: "Ancestor, being Clan Head is so prestigious, I just want it."

"Especially now, in our Ning family, the main lineage people always look down on us branch lineage members, constantly trying to suppress us in every way possible."

"Our branch lineage has a very hard life."

"Otherwise, I wouldn't have brought a group of people to scrape a living in the black market, Ancestor."

Hearing this, Ning Jiufan fell silent again.

He wasn't unaware of the Ning family's situation; he knew about it and understood that what Ning Zhuo said was true.

But it was difficult for Ning Jiufan to take action against the main lineage.

The main lineage were also Ning family bloodline, direct descendants of another Ning family ancestor from the past. Ning Jiufan had promised his old friend to look after his descendants.

(End of )