C2 Pure

"Young Master."

Once Kong Chuyang and the guards had departed, the majority of the servants by the courtyard gate had quietly slipped away. A timid maid approached.

After addressing Zhou Jibo, she added, "I trust that you wouldn't take Zhou Leng's Element Gathering Powder, Young Master."

Zhou Jibo remained unfazed. If Zhou Qian had already sent Kong Chuyang to stir up trouble, surely he had more tricks up his sleeve. Clearing his own name wouldn't put an end to this, nor would the maid's belief change the outcome.

As expected, within half an hour, a servant approached Zhou Jibo with a message.

"The Great Elder has called a family meeting at the ancestor temple. Young Master Zhou, please make haste."

Zhou Jibo let out a cold laugh. "Just as I thought."

Crossing the Zhou family courtyard, he arrived at the ancestor temple. A crowd of Zhou family members had already assembled at the entrance, many murmuring about the unfolding events.

At Zhou Jibo's glance, the whispers ceased.

They were trying to frame him, to make him an outcast, weren't they?

Zhou Jibo scoffed internally. Such petty schemes were hardly worthy of consideration.

Armed with a Profound Rank low-grade martial skill and an Earth Spirit top-grade bone root—treasures previously unknown to the Zhou family—Zhou Jibo had no fear of these ordinary folk, despite being only at the fifth layer of the Acquired.

With a smile, he stepped into the ancestor temple.

Inside, over a dozen Zhou family youths stood, including Zhou Leng from the Great Elder's line, Zhou Tong from the Third Elder's, Zhou Zheyan from the Fourth Elder's, and others from various branches.

As Zhou Jibo met their gaze, smiles broke out among them.

Enemies surrounded him, not allies.

His memory served him well. His father, Zhou Kaile, might be the patriarch, but the Great Elder and others held significant sway over the family's power. He wasn't free to make unilateral decisions.

The family conclave, traditionally convened by the patriarch within the Zhou's ancestor temple, was now being orchestrated by the Great Elder.

As Zhou Jibo stepped into the courtyard, a furious voice erupted from the ancestor temple's main hall: "I don't agree!"

Instantly, the main hall fell silent, and the murmuring Zhou family members ceased their furtive movements.

Recognizing his father's voice, Zhou Jibo headed towards the main hall.

"Zhou Jibo, the elders are deliberating in the ancestor temple. What business do you have there?"

Zhou Leng, the Great Elder's son, spoke with a mix of smugness and mockery.

Zhou Jibo gave him a dismissive laugh and strode into the main hall.

Zhou Leng's smirk stiffened as he barked, "Zhou Jibo! You dare to ignore me?"

But Zhou Jibo paid no heed to his outburst and took in the scene before him.

The Great Elder, Zhou Qian, sat at ease on the upper left, savoring his tea, flanked by a row of chairs occupied by the Third and Fourth Elders and two venerable Elders of the previous generation.

On the upper right, Zhou Jibo's father, Zhou Kaile, sat opposite a lone Elder. His face was flushed with anger from just having slammed his palm on the table, locking eyes with the Third Elder, Zhou Zhenbo, who had issued the earlier shout.

Zhou Kaile's surprise at his son's entrance furrowed his brow.

However, Zhou Zhenbo chuckled, "Perfect timing! The suspect arrives!"

The Great Elder and the Fourth Elder couldn't hide their glee.

With calm detachment, Zhou Jibo inquired, "Is this grand assembly convened on my account?"

"Indeed, it concerns you!" the Third Elder confirmed, then added, "But it's not solely about you."

"As the Patriarch's son, you've stooped to theft, stealing Zhou Leng's Element Gathering Powder. Though the powder may not be worth much, your conduct is deplorable. It's evident you're unfit to be the rightful heir of the Zhou family."

"That's precisely why we've convened this meeting—to deliberate on this issue and to strip you of your rightful son's status. We intend to expel you from the Zhou family to prevent any further disgrace!"

"I object! Zhou Jibo possesses a low-grade Earth Spirit constitution. He has no need to resort to such actions!" Zhou Kaile rose to his feet, his voice booming in protest.

Witnessing his father's staunch defense, memories flooded back to Zhou Jibo, prompting him to interject, "Father, please, there's no need for such fury. Allow me to clarify things."

Zhou Kaile cast a skeptical glance his way.

The Great Elder let out a soft chuckle, while the Third Elder openly scoffed, "You're far too young to understand anything!"

"My knowledge may be limited, but it certainly surpasses yours," Zhou Jibo responded coolly. "Even someone as young as I knows that accusations require proof. Third Elder, aren't you aware of this?"

The Third Elder's face turned beet red with indignation. "You show no respect! Your arrogance knows no bounds!"

With a serene smile, Zhou Jibo replied, "The highest authority in our Zhou family isn't you—it's the Patriarch."

"You overlook the Patriarch's role and rush to judge me. Who is truly the arrogant one here—you or me?"

The Third Elder was left speechless, seething with anger.

Zhou Jibo continued, "You have no rebuttal, do you? You claim that I, an Acquired fifth-layer Warrior with an Earth Spirit constitution, stole a batch of Element Gathering Powder. Where is your proof?"

"Evidence?"

Caught off guard, the Great Elder felt compelled to interject. He sighed, seemingly with reluctance, "Zhou Jibo, there's no point in denying it any longer. We have all the necessary witness testimonies and physical evidence. Bring forth the evidence."

"There's no need for that," Zhou Jibo dismissed with a wave of his hand. "That evidence was conveniently prearranged by you, wasn't it?"

He pressed on, "Element Gathering Powder typically sells for ten taels of silver, correct?"

Zhou Qian, unsure of Zhou Jibo's angle, responded uncertainly, "Yes, that's the going rate."

"And what if someone purchased it for twenty taels?" Zhou Jibo inquired further.

"That would make him quite the fool," Zhou Qian replied, growing impatient. "What are you driving at?"

"I aim to demonstrate that I am not the thief of the Element Gathering Powder, and to highlight the absurdity of the Great Elder's premeditated scheme," Zhou Jibo addressed the assembly. "I have but two conditions. First, everyone must remain silent. Second, I will summon Zhou Leng for questioning."

Zhou Qian's brow furrowed slightly, his voice tinged with unease, "This has nothing to do with Zhou Leng."

Zhou Jibo chuckled, "If you're panicking, then just concede and confess that you've lied."

"You're just being obstinate!" Zhou Qian exclaimed.

"Well, let's put it to the test with a couple of questions for Zhou Leng," Zhou Jibo proposed. He strode to the entrance of the hall, beckoning Zhou Leng inside. Without mincing words, he asked, "Zhou Leng, I was told by the witness that you purchased the Element Gathering Powder for twenty taels of silver. Is that true?"

At the question, the Great Elder let out a gasp of shock, attempting to prevent Zhou Leng from responding.

"Be careful!"

Hearing that the statement came from the witness, Zhou Leng promptly nodded in agreement, "Yes."

Only after his response did he catch the Great Elder's cautionary words and turned, bewildered, to face the assembly inside the ancestor temple.

What's wrong?

Unbeknownst to him, his simple affirmation had just punctured a hole in the Great Elder's web of deceit. His meticulously crafted scheme unraveled in an instant, leaving him with no way to justify his actions.