The Three Great Elders' Shock—Make Xiao Lei the Young Patriarch?

As the Dou Ling Puppet slaughtered the Ao Ba Family and the various factions speculated about its connection to the Xiao Family,

Xiao Lei concealed himself once more, moving back and forth through the Ao Ba Family estate as he plundered their cultivation methods, Dou Techniques, and treasures.

As for Oba Pa's and that Tier 3 Alchemist's Storage Rings, Xiao Lei had long since taken them.

After finishing his plundering, Xiao Lei put away the Dou Ling Puppet, concealed himself, and vanished into the night.

Outside the Ao Ba Family estate, people from the various gathered factions had been waiting, hoping to step forward and pay their respects to curry favor once the Dou Ling expert emerged.

Unexpectedly, they waited until the latter half of the night. The Ao Ba Family had fallen deathly silent, while that Dou Ling expert had vanished without a sound.

Seeing the Ao Ba Family's miserable state, everyone was terrified, though they were not overly surprised.

After all, there was the precedent of the Jia Lie Family.

Before dawn, news of the Ao Ba Family's destruction had spread throughout Wu Tan City, stirring up another storm.

The Xiao Family, which had been miserably suppressed in business by the Ao Ba Family, was filled with joy.

Especially when they considered that two of Wu Tan City's three great families had already been destroyed, leaving only the Xiao Family. From now on, would Wu Tan City not belong entirely to the Xiao Family?

While the ordinary members of the Xiao Family celebrated excitedly, Xiao Zhan wore a somewhat grave expression as he summoned the Three Great Elders once again to discuss the destruction of the Ao Ba Family.

"What do you think about the destruction of the Ao Ba Family?"

Third Elder said with a broad smile, "They were destroyed wonderfully! If my strength had been sufficient, I would have personally gone and wiped out the Ao Ba Family long ago."

Second Elder nodded as well. "No matter who did it, the destruction of the Ao Ba Family is a good thing for our Xiao Family."

"Does the Patriarch have some concern?" First Elder did not echo the other two. After a long silence, he asked Xiao Zhan.

Xiao Zhan nodded with a grave expression. "We do not know the origins of that Dou Ling expert, nor do we know his purpose in coming to Wu Tan City."

"Last year, he destroyed the Jia Lie Family. This year, he destroyed the Ao Ba Family. Of Wu Tan City's three great families, only our Xiao Family remains. But who can guarantee that we will not be that Dou Ling expert's next target?"

Whoosh!

Upon hearing Xiao Zhan's words, the Three Great Elders' expressions abruptly changed.

Thinking it over carefully, Xiao Zhan's concerns did not seem unreasonable.

Wu Tan City had three great families, and that Dou Ling expert had already destroyed two of them in succession.

What if the other party's target was the three great families of Wu Tan City...

Thinking of the fates of the Jia Lie Family and the Ao Ba Family, the three of them shuddered and did not dare think any further.

"Probably not, right?" After a long while, Third Elder said uneasily. "We never provoked that Dou Ling expert."

Second Elder said, "Isn't there another theory? That Dou Ling expert acted on behalf of our Xiao Family."

"Last year's Jia Lie Family and this year's Ao Ba Family were both destroyed by that Dou Ling expert only after they became enemies with our Xiao Family."

First Elder frowned. "But we all know clearly that the Xiao Family has no connection whatsoever with that Dou Ling expert."

"Patriarch, Elders, stop scaring yourselves," a clear voice tinged with helplessness sounded from outside the study at that moment.

"It's Xiao Lei," Third Elder immediately said upon hearing the voice.

Xiao Zhan naturally recognized Xiao Lei's voice as well. He immediately stepped forward and opened the door, only to see Xiao Lei standing quietly outside.

Beside him stood a middle-aged man dressed in black, his face somewhat stiff.

Upon seeing the middle-aged man's appearance, Xiao Zhan and the Three Great Elders' expressions changed sharply, and they instinctively became vigilant.

Looking at the four of them, Xiao Lei smiled and shook his head. "Patriarch, Elders, there is no need to worry. This man is a servant my master left to me. His name is Ling Kui."

After sorting through his gains from the Ao Ba Family, Xiao Lei had refined the Storm Skill he had created last time based on the Ao Ba Family's Dou Qi Cultivation Methods. He had then planned to give the Storm Skill to Xiao Zhan.

When he arrived outside the study, he overheard the conversation between Xiao Zhan and the three elders. After a brief moment of thought, he decided to reveal a portion of the truth to them.

Hearing Xiao Lei's words, Xiao Zhan and the Three Great Elders all wore expressions of utter disbelief.

"Y-you're telling the truth?" Third Elder asked, his voice trembling slightly.

Xiao Lei nodded faintly. "Naturally."

Second Elder said in shock, "Then the Jia Lie Family and the Ao Ba Family were both destroyed because you sent him?"

"That's right." Xiao Lei smiled casually. "Back then, I crippled Galeo, and the Jia Lie Family hated me to the bone."

"Because the Patriarch and the Three Great Elders protected me, they could do nothing to me. So they intended to deal with the Xiao Family first, arrogantly believing that once they eliminated my support, they could deal with me."

"I received news that the Jia Lie Family had invited an alchemist named Liu Xi. They planned to first crush the Xiao Family's business, then gradually swallow up the Xiao Family. So I had the servant my master gave me destroy the Jia Lie Family."

"So that was what happened!" Xiao Zhan was deeply shocked as well. He had never expected that Xiao Lei had already resolved a major hidden threat for the Xiao Family.

First Elder smiled. "The Jia Lie Family probably never imagined that your support was not the Xiao Family."

Third Elder said angrily, "I never thought the Jia Lie Family had long been plotting against us. They truly deserved to die!"

"The Jia Lie Family has already been completely wiped out," Second Elder said with a smile.

Xiao Lei smiled faintly and continued, "As for this time, the Tier 3 Alchemist who approached the Ao Ba Family was the master of that alchemist named Liu Xi."

"He helped the Ao Ba Family deal with us both to fulfill his disciple's dying wish and to avenge that disciple. Once I learned of this, I had Ling Kui destroy the Ao Ba Family."

After Xiao Zhan and the Three Great Elders heard Xiao Lei recount the entire matter, they were all deeply shaken. Once the shock faded, their faces filled with delight.

"To have a descendant like Xiao Lei is truly a blessing for our Xiao Family!"

After a long while, First Elder sighed emotionally.

Third Elder said, "I say that given Xiao Lei's talent, strength, and contributions to the Xiao Family, he should be made the Xiao Family's Young Patriarch."

"I support Third Elder's proposal as well!" Second Elder immediately voiced his agreement without hesitation.

First Elder looked at Xiao Zhan and asked with a smile, "Patriarch, what do you think of making Xiao Lei the Young Patriarch?"

Although Xiao Lei had somewhat eased the relationship between First Elder and Xiao Zhan, their relationship could not be called good.

The position of the Xiao Family's Young Patriarch had originally been meant for Xiao Yan.

But now, there seemed to be a better candidate—and it would also make Xiao Zhan and his son unhappy. Naturally, First Elder was happy to help make it happen.