The Greater Good?

Ning Muchun rose to her feet and said calmly, "Ning Fa, let's take this opportunity today to make this matter clear."

"That's right, your father did buy that shop, but he also said that he intended to make it the communal property of our branch. It was only because he died so suddenly that he never had the chance to tell you."

Ning Fa frowned slightly. With his parents already gone and the deed in Ning Muchun's hands, whatever she said could not be verified by the dead.

Ning Fa gave her a long look, then said evenly, "Eldest Aunt, have you forgotten that possessing the deed alone does not mean one can legally own that shop? The Sect Affairs Hall has records pertaining to that shop, and they still bear my father's name. Since he has passed away, I naturally inherit it. If I apply for clan arbitration, that shop will still return to my hands."

At those words, Meng Jinliang, who had been smiling and acting composed all along, lost his smile and narrowed his eyes.

Ning Muchun looked at Ning Fa in surprise. She felt that her nephew, who had always been dull and stubborn, seemed somewhat different today.

Yet she did not show much surprise. With a faint smile, she continued, "Ning Fa, you're right, but you also know how poorly regarded our branch is right now. If you apply for clan arbitration, there's a strong chance that, due to unclear ownership, the shop will be reclaimed by the clan. At most, they'll compensate us with a few spirit stones."

"So we need your cooperation. Come with us to the Sect Affairs Hall and amend the shop's registration, officially changing it into the communal property of our branch."

The moment those words fell, Ning Fa could not help staring in disbelief.

Only then did he understand why Ning Muchun and Meng Jinliang had looked at him that way when they saw him.

So they wanted him to handle this matter, allowing them to seize that shop openly and aboveboard. It was truly shameless.

Yet Ning Fa had seen even more shameless things in his past life, so he was not overly surprised.

Still, Ning Fa found it rather amusing. Cultivation clans were quite similar to those families on Blue Star after all; such filthy affairs were not uncommon here either.

Before Ning Fa could answer, Ning Muchun cut in first. "Ning Fa, don't refuse just yet. Do you know what everyone from our branch has gathered here to discuss?"

Now that she mentioned it, Ning Fa truly was somewhat curious. So many people had gathered together; it did not seem as though they had come solely because of that shop.

Ning Muchun continued, "You should know that our Ning Clan holds a direct-lineage competition every ten years. The next one will be held in just a few years. Rumors have already spread that, because the clan gained considerable benefits from defeating the Qian Family earlier, this competition will differ from the previous ones. There will be far more direct-lineage slots than before."

"So this time, our branch also has a sliver of hope of obtaining a direct-lineage slot. But the prerequisite is that someone from our branch must advance into Late Qi Condensation before we can qualify to compete. Therefore, our branch must cultivate a Late Qi Condensation cultivator as soon as possible."

"What we are discussing is selecting someone to focus our cultivation on. Over the coming period, we will pool all the resources of our branch to nurture that person. Thus, every resource is important now. That shop is of paramount importance, and its ownership must be decided quickly, lest outsiders set their sights on it."

"You also know that our branch is in a very bad situation right now. Ning Guichuan's branch is watching us like tigers watching their prey, constantly seeking to drive us off Pingchang Island. That is why we must do this. Even if we cannot win a direct-lineage slot, having one more Late Qi Condensation cultivator will at least keep our branch from being bullied."

"Ning Fa, you are also a member of our branch. I hope you can put the greater good first."

Ning Fa suddenly understood. So this was why everyone had gathered together.

And they had already decided internally that this Maternal Cousin of his aunt's family would be the candidate, concentrating their resources on helping him break through to Late Qi Condensation.

Although Meng Jinliang was a Late Qi Condensation cultivator, he was a live-in son-in-law and could not participate in the competition according to clan rules.

The smile vanished from Ning Fa's face. Expressionless, he said, "You speak of the greater good? As it happens, I also have a greater good here. I am confident that I can pass the clan's alchemist examination within a month. Once I become a clan alchemist, my status will be far higher than that of an ordinary Late Qi Condensation cultivator. For the greater good, why not have our branch fully support my alchemy? What do you think?"

Ning Muchun frowned. "Ning Fa, stop making trouble. Everyone knows you failed the clan alchemist examination again the day before yesterday. You simply have no talent for alchemy, so stop wasting resources on it!"

Ning Fa immediately replied, "Then can you guarantee that my Maternal Cousin, with his mediocre aptitude, will definitely advance into Late Qi Condensation? As far as I know, he only cultivated to the Sixth Layer of Qi Condensation so quickly by taking a great many pills. But the bottleneck before Late Qi Condensation is no ordinary hurdle. With his aptitude, throwing resources at him does not guarantee a breakthrough. If he fails to advance when the time comes, wouldn't that also be a waste of resources!?"

The room fell silent at once. Quite a few people looked at Ning Fa in surprise, never expecting him to be so sharp-tongued today.

Ning Baiquan was rendered speechless for a moment. After all, it was exceedingly difficult for someone with a low-grade spirit root to break through into Late Qi Condensation, and even pouring resources into them did not guarantee success.

Ning Furong's face flushed red from being called out. He glared at Ning Fa furiously.

Ning Muchun also shot Ning Fa a vicious glare.

Ning Fa looked at her with a smile. "You want me to agree to this? I'm telling you, that is nothing but a fool's dream in broad daylight! If you have the ability, drag me to the Sect Affairs Hall right now. Even if the shop is confiscated by the clan, I will never let you benefit from it for nothing!"

With that, he strode away.

Ning Zhengqian and his wife, Guo Ru, wore strange expressions. There was even a trace of a smile on Guo Ru's face.

Ning Muchun and Meng Jinliang, however, looked so gloomy that water seemed ready to drip from their faces.

Their gazes met, but Meng Jinliang shook his head.

Ning Muchun drew a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the anger in her heart. As though nothing had happened, she began discussing matters again.

The old man in black looked in the direction Ning Fa had departed, his brows slightly furrowed. Then his expression returned to normal as he joined the discussion.