Zi Linling smiled faintly and sat down imposingly in an empty seat nearby, saying, "Then let's begin!"
Ye Lingyuan naturally took a seat to her left, showing no concern for appearances.
Situ Yunfeng also sat down to Ye Lingyuan's left, casually drinking his wine.
Zi Wenchang, unaware of Zi Linling's true intentions, felt a shiver at her seemingly calm smile.
So many unexpected things had happened today; he cautiously probed, "Lin'er, the ceremony should be presided over by the Second Elder, but he is injured and may not be able to do so."
Zi Linling asked with a half-smile, "Is that so?"
She turned her head to look at Zi Yangchun, who was still dazed on the stage, and said, "Second Elder, can the ceremony continue?"
"Yes, yes!"
Zi Yangchun, not yet recovered from his shock, automatically nodded in agreement.
But as soon as he spoke, he regretted it, remembering his words before stepping onto the stage.
Thus, he said with difficulty, "Third girl, this—this—"
Zi Yangchun stammered for a long time without producing a coherent reason.
Zi Linling, however, was not in a hurry. She watched Zi Yangchun with amusement, making no move to rush him.
Having navigated the world as the Ghost Hand Poison Doctor, how could she not guess the reason for Zi Yangchun's hesitation?
A flicker of ruthlessness crossed Zi Wenchang's eyes. Though he intended to test Zi Linling, he was displeased with Zi Yangchun's performance.
Combined with Zi Yangchun's words before taking the stage, his heart sank.
Testing was one thing, but it did not impede his ambition to become the family patriarch.
"Is the Second Elder too severely injured to preside over the ceremony?"
Zi Yangchun glared at him fiercely, sneering, "Does Second Master wish for me to be more severely injured?"
Zi Wenchang was choked, his face instantly turning ugly.
He said coldly, "Second Elder misunderstands. I am merely concerned for your health!"
Zi Yangchun sneered, "Thank you for your concern, Second Master. This old man is in excellent health!"
Though his tone was unfriendly, he spoke the truth.
The pill Zi Linling had given him worked exceptionally well, not only healing his injuries to about seventy to eighty percent but also dispelling the fatigue from his body and soul.
Of course, he had no idea that pills produced by the Ghost Hand Poison Doctor were the absolute finest.
"The reason I hesitated is that I believe you, Second Master, are not fit to be the family patriarch!"
Zi Yangchun's statement sent shockwaves through the audience.
The spectator area erupted.
"These Zi family members are truly something. They invite us to witness, yet they claim their patriarch is unqualified. Don't they want to save face?"
"Exactly! He was chosen by themselves. Even if he's incompetent, they shouldn't humiliate him so publicly."
"Whether Zi's Second Master was truly chosen is debatable. I heard that the people behind him are not simple. Perhaps he was forcefully pushed into the position by someone with an agenda?"
"Mhm, I heard that too. It seems the Imperial Zi family is backing him!"
"The Imperial Zi family? That's one of the four great families of the Azure Dragon Empire. No wonder the Zi family elder is turning against them now!"
...
Zi Wenchang's face darkened completely. He said coldly, "Second Elder, what do you mean by this? My succession as patriarch was decided by the Elder Council. If you felt I was unsuitable, why didn't you say so in the council?"
Zi Yangchun sneered, "You dare mention the Elder Council? If you hadn't invited wolves into the house and used coercion, how could the Elder Council have agreed to your succession?"
Zi Wenchang, exposed before the eyes of everyone, finally revealed his true colors.
"Second Elder, a wise man knows when to adapt to circumstances! If we align ourselves with the Imperial Zi family, this tiny land of three kingdoms will be ours to do as we please!"
His words enraged the other seven family patriarchs.
Do as they please?
Zi Wenchang had laid bare his ambition, clearly showing no regard for the other seven prominent families.
Of course, with the support of the Imperial Zi family, he did not need to restrain himself.
However, his actions had undoubtedly offended the seven prominent families completely.
Under the deterrence of the Imperial Zi family, the seven prominent families naturally would not dare to do anything to the Zi family.
But fortunes change.
Once free from the Imperial Zi family's protection, the Zi family would certainly become a target of public criticism.
Zi Yangchun was furious at Zi Wenchang's incredible capacity for self-destruction. "Zi Wenchang—"
"Oh! Second Uncle has quite grand ambitions!"
Zi Linling lightly interrupted Zi Yangchun, looking at Zi Wenchang with a mocking expression, as if the word "idiot" was written on her face.
Zi Wenchang, as if not sensing the sarcasm in her words, proudly declared, "Great men are not bound by trivialities! I am also thinking of the Zi family's future."
Thinking of the Zi family's future?
Zi Linling found it amusing. "Second Uncle, you are indeed thinking of the Zi family's future, but you are thinking of how to push the Zi family into an abyss of eternal damnation!"
Zi Wenchang retorted angrily, "What do you know?"
Zi Linling languidly replied, "I truly don't know much, but I do know that if you don't court death, you won't die. Therefore, I've changed my mind!"
Zi Wenchang was about to erupt in anger but caught her last sentence.
"Changed my mind? Changed what mind?"
Zi Linling raised her eyes, her gaze becoming sharp. "My mind is that you are not fit to be the Zi family patriarch, not even for the ceremony!"
Zi Wenchang was stunned for a moment, then laughed heartily. "So what? Ask the Grand Elder and the others if they dare offend the Imperial Zi family?"
As he spoke, he cast a threatening gaze at Zi Yangshang, Zi Yangbei, and Zi Yangqiu, and declared arrogantly, "Zi family rules state that if the Elder Council unanimously approves, the position of patriarch cannot be changed, unless—"
Zi Wenchang stopped abruptly at this point.
Zi Linling asked with a smile, "Unless what? Why doesn't Second Uncle continue?"
Zi Wenchang boldly stated, "What's the point of saying it? Unless the Zi family's Patriarch Token is produced, a new one can be appointed."
"Oh?"
Zi Linling said unhurriedly, "So Second Uncle still remembers this rule!"
The reason this rule was added to the Zi family's regulations was twofold: firstly, to prevent the Zi family from being left leaderless due to the loss of the Patriarch Token, and secondly, to prevent someone from acting arbitrarily and forcibly usurping the position of patriarch after its loss.
This was precisely why Zi Wenchang's plans had failed for so many years, and why he had desperately sought to obtain the Patriarch Token.
Zi Wenchang sneered, "What if there is this rule? The Patriarch Token has been missing for a long time, so no one can stop me from becoming the patriarch!"