I Have Infinite Attributes

Chapter 20

C20 – Exterminate Zhou Qian!

Members of the Zhou family gradually gathered at the entrance of the Zhou estate. An hour later, Zhou Shuang and Zhou Shu returned with updates.

“In the Zhou family genealogy, there are a total of 460 men. Fifty-three have left to start their own families.”

“Out of the remaining 407, three are ill, and twenty-four were unable to return today due to other commitments.”

“As for the remaining 380, aside from Zhou Qian’s son, Zhou Leng, 350 have arrived. There are 29 who refuse to heed our call.”

Zhou Shuang and Zhou Shu briefed Zhou Jibo on the family’s current state.

Aside from the 29 dissenters, the rest showed no signs of resistance.

Initially, the majority would only follow Zhou Qian’s lead. Now, they were increasingly willing to follow Zhou Jibo, which was beyond his expectations.

“How is Zhou Leng doing?” inquired Zhou Jibo.

“His wounds have healed. He’s under guard,” replied Zhou Shuang. “Zhou Jibo, there’s no need for you to concern yourself with this. You’re still young. You killed Zhou Qian in self-defense; there’s no reason for you to get further involved.”

Zhou Shu added, “The Zhou family is coming together again, as it should. We’ll assist the patriarch in restoring order. Let the patriarch handle those 29 men who won’t come.”

Zhou Jibo’s frown eased, and he responded with a respectful gesture, “Very well, I’ll leave it in your hands. Let’s avoid any further errors.”

“We intend to,” assured Zhou Shuang and Zhou Shu, with the Third and Fourth Elders echoing their commitment.

Zhou Jibo nodded, then retreated to his own courtyard to focus on his cultivation, distancing himself from the matter.

He understood the elders’ true intent. They weren’t after power; they aimed to preserve his reputation. Zhou Jibo’s act of self-defense was justified. If he were to relentlessly pursue Zhou Leng and the remnants of Zhou Qian’s followers, it would be seen as excessive for someone his age.

Zhou Jibo might not be concerned with such matters, but a tarnished reputation could hinder the clan’s wholehearted support for him. Zhou Shu and Zhou Shuang willingly stepped in to manage the situation, their advanced age freeing them from concerns about their own reputations.

Additionally, there was no need for Zhou Jibo to further involve himself in these affairs. He had no desire to become the patriarch of Icefair.

Zhou Kaile watched the unfolding scene with concern. The ready compliance of Zhou Shu, Zhou Shuang, the Third Elder, and the Fourth Elder suggested they had preemptively selected the next patriarch. If Zhou Jibo agreed, they were prepared to elevate him to the role immediately.

The thought was somewhat daunting, yet Zhou Jibo was his son, and that filled him with joy.

Zhou Kaile beamed, his smile broad as he and the others deliberated on how to manage the consequences of Zhou Qian’s death.

The Third and Fourth Elders took responsibility for retrieving Zhou Qian’s body, while Zhou Shuang led the guards to deal with the twenty-nine men. Zhou Shu joined Zhou Kaile in examining the Great Elder’s financial records, thoroughly scrutinizing the family’s accounts to clarify all financial matters.

Within half a day, the Zhou family had undergone a transformation. With unanimous support, Zhou Kaile ascended to the position of family head, now able to direct any member of the Zhou clan.

It was at this juncture that Zhou Chulang, Zhou Zheyan, Zhou Tong, Zhou Xunshi, and Zhou Youqing joyfully returned from Glorious House.

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

The Great Elder had been slain by Zhou Jibo? And now the family was purging all traces of the Great Elder’s influence?

How had things changed so dramatically while they were merely out shopping?

After their discussion, both Zhou Chulang’s group and Zhou Kaile’s were equally astounded.

What kind of treasure had Zhou Jibo traded with the Myriad Treasure Auction House? He had managed to secure two treasures and still retained thirty thousand taels of silver?

“Per Zhou Jibo’s instructions, we purchased Element Gathering Powder, Body Nourishing Powder, Body Strengthening Powder, and other cultivation supplies, spending a total of twelve thousand taels of silver. This will provide enough resources for every warrior in the Zhou family to use two or three times over,” Zhou Chulang explained.

“We have twenty thousand taels of silver remaining, available for withdrawal or to purchase additional items from Glorious House whenever necessary.”

Zhou Kaile spoke urgently, “We need to withdraw some money, and fast!”

“What’s the matter?” Zhou Chulang inquired, puzzled.

With a wry smile, Zhou Kaile explained, “For years, Zhou Qian has been claiming credit for the cultivation items the family distributed, making it seem as if they came from him. He’s gone to great lengths to swindle the family’s assets.”

“That’s why he has so much support. All the praise he’s received is because of this!”

“Now that we’ve reconciled the accounts, it’s clear he’s embezzled the funds. The Zhou family is now saddled with a debt of ten thousand taels of silver. If it weren’t for our annual income, the shortfall would be even greater. Why has the Zhou family been weakening? Over the past twenty years, we’ve had no profits, only a loss of ten thousand taels of silver. He’s used all that money to buy people’s loyalty.”

Zhou Chulang was stunned. He exclaimed, “That scoundrel, he should pay with his life!”

Zhou Shuang and Zhou Shu were equally astonished. “The audacity! If he were to become the patriarch, would the Zhou family not be doomed to even greater losses?”

The Third and Fourth Elders remained silent. They had been aware of the situation but had been indifferent, believing Zhou Qian would eventually take over as patriarch.

Yet, they hadn’t anticipated that Zhou Qian would embezzle such a vast sum and plunge the Zhou family into ten thousand taels of debt.

They were also in the dark about Zhou Qian’s collusion with enemies to eliminate Zhou Jibo. Only now did they realize the extent of Zhou Qian’s misdeeds and his consistent failure to achieve his ambitions.

Perhaps he truly lacked the caliber to be patriarch.

Zhou Kaile might have had his flaws, but he had a son.

In recent days, Zhou Jibo had decisively taken control of the situation. Since then, he’d been focusing on his cultivation, steering clear of external affairs. Although not the patriarch, he was the one the three senior elders and two other elders genuinely backed to lead the Zhou family to greater heights.

In comparison to Zhou Jibo, Zhou Qian fell woefully short. Zhou Qian’s past efforts now seemed utterly inconsequential.

Within days, word of the Zhou family’s dramatic transformation had spread throughout Icefair City, reaching every clan and organization.

Most were adopting a wait-and-see approach, with only a handful experiencing new developments.

The Zheng family kept silent about the Elder’s passing, biding their time for the envoy from the Shrine of Astral Radiance to arrive. They planned to annihilate the Zhou family then; the Yu family was gearing up to offer Zhou Jibo some advantages to defuse his animosity; meanwhile, others were itching to take action.

Zhou Jibo was destined to be a Soul Separation Stage master in the future, but his time had not yet come.

Until he reached his full potential, he would not ascend to the ranks of a Soul Separation Stage expert.

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