Rong Muchun stood up, her tone calm yet authoritative. “Xiao Yu, let’s take this opportunity to clarify the matter.”
“Yes, it’s true that your father purchased the shop. However, before his passing, he expressed his intention to make the shop a shared property for our lineage. His untimely death meant he never got the chance to tell you this.”
Rong Yu frowned, his mind racing. With his parents gone, there was no way to verify her claims. The title deed was already in Muchun’s hands, giving her leverage.
But Rong Yu wasn’t willing to back down. “Aunt, with all due respect, holding the title deed doesn’t make it legally yours. The clan’s records still list the shop under my father’s name. Upon his death, it automatically became my inheritance. If I request family arbitration, the shop will be returned to me.”
At this, Meng Jinliang’s once-smiling face hardened. He narrowed his eyes, his calm demeanor giving way to a calculating intensity.
Rong Muchun, however, remained composed. Her expression betrayed only a flicker of surprise. Clearly, she hadn’t expected Rong Yu to respond with such decisiveness.
“You’re right,” she admitted, her smile thinning. “But you must understand, Xiao Yu, our lineage isn’t in a favorable position right now. If you seek arbitration, the family might seize the shop due to ambiguous ownership and offer only a token compensation. To prevent that, we need you to officially transfer the shop’s registration to our lineage.”
Rong Yu’s eyes widened. So that was their plan. By convincing him to reassign the shop’s ownership, they could secure it permanently under their control. The audacity left him momentarily speechless.
Muchun pressed on, her voice softening. “Xiao Yu, this isn’t just about the shop. Do you know why we’ve all gathered here today?”
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Her words piqued his curiosity. It seemed this meeting wasn’t solely about the shop.
“The Ning family holds a direct lineage competition every ten years,” she explained. “The next one is approaching, and there are rumors it will be different. After our victory over the Qian family, the competition is expected to feature more direct lineage spots than ever before.”
She paused, letting the weight of her words sink in.
“For the first time in decades, our branch has a chance to secure a direct lineage spot. But to compete, we need someone to reach the late stage of Qi Refinement. That’s why we’ve decided to pool our resources and support one candidate. The shop is crucial for funding this effort.”
Rong Yu remained silent, his gaze steady.
“Xiao Yu, you’re part of this lineage. I hope you can put the overall situation above personal interests,” she concluded, her tone almost pleading.
Rong Yu finally understood the broader scheme. Muchun and Jinliang intended to concentrate their resources on Furong, their son, to give him a shot at the direct lineage competition.
But he wasn’t convinced. Furong’s mediocre talent had been bolstered by excessive reliance on pills, and breaking through to the late stage of Qi Refinement seemed unlikely.
Rong Yu’s expression darkened. “You want me to prioritize the overall situation? Fine. I have an overall situation of my own—I’m confident I can pass the family alchemist assessment within a month. Once I become a family alchemist, my status will surpass that of an ordinary late-stage Qi Refinement cultivator. For the sake of our branch, why not pool resources to support me instead?”
Muchun’s expression hardened. “Xiao Yu, stop being ridiculous. Everyone knows you failed the family alchemist assessment just two days ago. You lack the talent for alchemy. It would be a waste to invest any more resources in you.”
Rong Yu’s eyes narrowed. “And can you guarantee Furong will break through? He’s already consumed far more pills than necessary to reach the sixth stage. The bottleneck to the late stage is no small hurdle, and with his mediocre talent, there’s no guarantee he’ll succeed. If he fails, won’t all those resources be wasted?”
A tense silence fell over the room. Rong Yu’s pointed remarks left everyone stunned.
Furong’s face flushed red with anger, while Muchun glared daggers at Rong Yu. Meng Jinliang looked to his wife, shaking his head subtly.
Finally, Rong Yu broke the silence. “Let me make this clear—I won’t agree to your demands. If you want the shop, take me to the clan affairs hall. Even if the family seizes it, I won’t let you benefit from my father’s legacy without a fight.”
With that, he turned and left the hall.
As the door slammed shut, the room remained silent. Ning Zhengqian and Guo Ru exchanged amused glances, while Muchun and Jinliang’s expressions were dark with suppressed fury.
The old man in black, who had remained silent throughout the discussion, frowned slightly as he watched Rong Yu leave. After a moment, he joined the others in resuming their discussion, though the tension lingered in the air.