C20 Exterminate Su Bocheng!

Members of the Su family gradually gathered at the entrance of the main courtyard. Half an hour later, Su Daren and Su Dade returned with an update.

"The Su family records show a total of 460 men. Fifty-three have left to start their own families," they reported.

"Out of the remaining 407, three are ill, and twenty-four were unable to return today due to being away on business."

"As for the other three hundred and eighty, aside from Su Bocheng's son, Su Hee, three hundred and fifty have arrived. Twenty-nine still refuse to heed our call."

Su Daren and Su Dade briefed Su Ze on the situation within the Su family. Aside from the twenty-nine holdouts, the rest showed no signs of resistance.

Initially, the majority of the clan only acknowledged Su Bocheng's authority. Now, they were gradually shifting their allegiance to Su Ze, a development that surprised him.

"How is Su Hee doing?" Su Ze inquired.

"His injuries have just healed. I've assigned guards to watch over him," Su Daren replied. "You needn't concern yourself with this matter any further, Su Ze. You're still young. Your previous actions were in self-defense when you killed Su Bocheng. There's no need for you to get involved any further."

Su Dade added, "The Su family is once again united, and it's the natural course of things. We will all support the patriarch in restoring order. As for the twenty-nine who refuse to come, let the patriarch decide their fate."

Su Ze slightly furrowed his brow upon hearing this, then respectfully said, "Very well, I entrust it all to you. Just ensure there are no further complications."

"We will see to it," assured Su Daren and Su Dade.

The Third and Fourth Elders echoed their commitment.

Su Ze nodded in acknowledgment, then retreated to his own courtyard to focus on his cultivation, leaving the matter in their hands.

He understood the elders' true intentions; they weren't vying for control but rather seeking to safeguard his reputation. Su Ze's act of self-defense, though it resulted in Su Bocheng's death, was just. Pursuing vengeance and eliminating all of Su Hee and Su Bocheng's followers would be seen as excessive for a young man.

Although Su Ze was indifferent to public opinion, his tarnished reputation made it difficult for the clan members to sincerely embrace him as their leader. Su Daren and Su Dade willingly shouldered this burden, their advanced age allowing them to disregard concerns about their own reputations.

Moreover, Su Ze had no need to meddle further; he harbored no ambitions to become the patriarch of Tieling City.

Su Zhongwu watched the unfolding events with concern. The deferential behavior of Su Daren, Su Dade, the Third Elder, and the Fourth Elder suggested they had preemptively selected the next patriarch. If Su Ze agreed, they were ready to elevate him to the role without hesitation.

The prospect was somewhat daunting, yet the realization that Su Ze was his son filled Su Zhongwu with joy.

With a beaming smile, Su Zhongwu began to coordinate with the others on managing the aftermath of Su Bocheng's death.

The Third and Fourth Elders took responsibility for retrieving Su Bocheng's body, while Su Daren led the guards to deal with the twenty-nine men. Su Dade joined Su Zhongwu in auditing the Grand Elder's accounts, meticulously examining the family's financial records.

Within half a day, the Su family was transformed. Su Zhongwu had won unanimous support and assumed the mantle of Patriarch, now commanding the respect and obedience of every family member.

It was at this juncture that Su Dayi, Su Jiang, Su Hai, Su Chi, and Su Mo returned from the Glorious Martial Merchant House, brimming with excitement.

They were taken aback by the drastic changes within the clan.

The Grand Elder had been slain by Su Ze? And the family was now purging his influence?

How had things escalated so quickly while they were merely out shopping?

After a thorough discussion with Su Zhongwu and the others, Su Dayi and his companions were visibly stunned, mirroring the shock on the faces of Su Zhongwu's group.

What extraordinary treasure had Su Ze traded with the Myriad Treasure Auction House? Not only had he secured two valuable items, but he also had thirty thousand taels of silver remaining?

"Per Su Ze's instructions, we purchased Element Gathering Powder, Body Nourishing Powder, and other cultivation materials, spending a total of ten thousand taels of silver," Su Dayi explained. "This should provide every martial artist in the Su family with two to three portions of cultivation resources."

"We still have twenty thousand taels of silver at our disposal. We can withdraw or purchase items from the Glorious Martial Merchant House whenever we need to."

Su Zhongwu spoke up urgently, "Then let's quickly withdraw some money!"

"What's the matter?" Su Dayi inquired with a puzzled look.

Su Zhongwu gave a wry smile and explained, "Su Bocheng has been currying favor for years, claiming that the cultivation items distributed by the family were from him. He's gone to great lengths to swindle the family's wealth."

"That's why he's got so much support. All the praise he's received is because of this!"

"Now that the accounts have been audited, it's clear he's embezzled the funds. The Su family is now saddled with a debt of ten thousand taels of silver. If not for our annual earnings, the shortfall would be even worse. Why has the Su family been weakening? For the past twenty years, we've had no income and have lost ten thousand taels of silver. All that money was used by him to buy loyalty."

Hearing this, Su Dayi was stunned and exclaimed, "That scoundrel, he should pay with his life!"

Su Daren and Su Dade were equally appalled. "He's got some nerve! If he were to become the patriarch, would the Su family not face even greater losses?"

The Third and Fourth Elders remained silent. They were not oblivious to these issues. They had assumed Su Bocheng would eventually take over as patriarch, so they hadn't been concerned.

However, they hadn't anticipated that Su Bocheng would embezzle such a large sum and plunge the Su family into ten thousand taels of debt.

They were also unaware of Su Bocheng's collusion with external forces to assassinate Su Ze. Only now did they realize the extent of Su Bocheng's misdeeds and that he had consistently failed to achieve his ambitions.

Perhaps he truly lacked the capability to lead as patriarch.

Su Zhongwu may not have been the most virtuous, but he had a son.

Within days, Su Ze had resolved the major issues. Afterwards, he focused on his cultivation, steering clear of external affairs. Even though he wasn't the patriarch, he was the one truly backed by the three venerable Old Su and the two elders—the one capable of guiding the Su family to a brighter future.

Compared to Su Ze, Su Bocheng seriously paled in comparison. All of Su Bocheng's previous hard work suddenly seemed trivial.

Within a matter of days, the dramatic upheaval within the Su family became the talk of Tieling City. Every clan and organization had caught wind of the developments.

Most were content to adopt a wait-and-see approach, though a few were stirring with new plans.

The Fang family kept the death of their elder under wraps, biding their time for the envoy from the Star Moon Holy Land to arrive. Only then would they make their move against the Su family. The Pang Family, on the other hand, intended to offer Su Ze some incentives to ease his animosity. And there were others itching to act.

Su Ze was destined to reach the Soul Separation Stage in the future, but that time was not now.

As long as he didn't advance, he wouldn't achieve the status of a Soul Separation Stage warrior.