Under everyone's gaze, Lu Ping remained composed and drained the wine in his cup in one gulp.
The fingers Zenin Ogi had been using to stroke his beard suddenly stiffened, tearing out several strands.
Jinichi's fleshy face instantly darkened, his fists clenching tight.
Chōjurō remained expressionless, but a flash of barely concealed astonishment passed through his eyes.
Naoya, standing at the very front, widened his eyes in disbelief.
Every gaze was filled with absurdity and confusion.
Before all the Zenin Clan's higher-ups, the former clan head's personal relic had been handed to an outsider from a branch family.
Was this an open declaration of the designated successor?
The dead silence in the courtyard was broken by the rustling wind sweeping through the dry landscape garden.
Zenin Jinichi stepped forward, his massive frame blocking the sunlight from outside.
As the strongest current candidate for the next clan head, the scar-covered face of this man twitched faintly as he restrained himself.
His heavy breathing could be heard clearly outside the silent main hall.
"Clan Head, what does it mean to give a Ten Shadows Relic to an outsider?"
The man's tone was stiff, carrying undisguised challenge.
Naobito Zenin casually tossed his wine cup onto the table, with no intention of answering directly.
He grabbed the wine gourd, tipped back his head for a swig, then let out a burp heavy with the smell of alcohol.
"You'll all be spending plenty of time together in the future. Make sure you get to know Lu Ping better."
His words were impeccably vague.
On the surface, he was deflecting the question. In truth, he was using the opportunity to warn everyone present and test the real reactions of every faction.
Shinrō Zenin, standing on the outskirts, was the first to act.
This Kukuru Unit captain