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"Rongrong, what exactly is this Clan Assembly? I've never heard of it before," Ning Tianchen asked, puzzled.
Where there are people, there are power struggles. All the Ning family members within the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect, in addition to being disciples of the sect, were also part of smaller factions tied to their respective families.
Among them, Ning Fengzhi's lineage was the strongest. As a result, the leaders of this branch had always been the Grand Elder and the sect leader throughout history.
The Clan Assembly differed from the Elder Council; it was typically convened only during festivals or ancestral worship ceremonies.
The sudden convening of the assembly now indicated that the sect was in an emergency situation.
After listening to Ning Rongrong's explanation, Ning Tianchen finally understood.
He knew that the industrial optimization measures he proposed would indeed harm the sect's interests in the short term. Originally, he had assumed that since Ning Fengzhi was the sect leader, there wouldn't be any resistance. He hadn't anticipated the influence of clan politics within the sect.
It wasn't his fault for not considering these factors. When the original body's parents perished, Ning Tianchen was just old enough to remember. Those so-called relatives and clansmen hadn't accepted him.
Later, after Ning Tianchen crossed over, his close relationship with Rongrong made him part of Ning Fengzhi's lineage. Given his young age, it was normal for him to be unaware of the intricacies of clan affairs.
"Rongrong, can the clan patriarch influence the sect's decisions?" Ning Tianchen couldn't help but ask.
Ning Rongrong had only heard about the clan matters from her mother and didn't know the specifics.
Soon after, under the guidance of the disciples, the two arrived at the ancestral hall.
Ning Fengzhi stood in the center of the hall, surrounded by several elderly clan members. In particular, the elder standing before him was already a hundred years old. In terms of seniority, he outranked even Ning Fengzhi's grandfather.
"Grand Elder, I wouldn't normally interfere in sect affairs, but your actions have gone too far, severely damaging the sect's interests. If you don't stop this reckless behavior immediately, the sect's share in Tiandou City will be completely carved up by various factions."
Ning Huajing's voice was filled with age. If it weren't for the sake of the sect and his own interests, he wouldn't have urgently called for the Clan Assembly.
Earlier that morning, Ning Tianchen had passed by Third Street.
To demolish the existing buildings, Ning Fengzhi had sent two Soul Emperor-level experts from the sect to clear the area.
Now that the assembly was being held, it was already too late.
All that remained was to discuss the reconstruction efforts, which aligned perfectly with Ning Fengzhi's intentions.
It seemed that this Uncle Ning was even more meticulous than he had imagined.
From the moment he decided to demolish the original shops, Ning Fengzhi had already prepared for the Clan Assembly.
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"Grand Elder, think carefully before acting. Although the sect has reached unprecedented prosperity under your leadership, you cannot act recklessly," several branch elders couldn't help but lecture him.
It was easy to grow accustomed to luxury, but difficult to return to simplicity.
These clan elders naturally didn't want to give up their comfortable lives.
Ning Fengzhi responded to everyone with a faint smile, showing no signs of anger.
After everyone had spoken, he unexpectedly sidestepped the issue and introduced, "This is my daughter, Ning Rongrong, and the other is the sect's number one genius, Ning Tianchen."
Ning Huajing immediately grew displeased. "Grand Elder, don't change the subject. This is the ancestral hall—our ancestors are watching our every word and action."
Ning Fengzhi ignored his words and continued, "The recent reforms in the sect were jointly proposed by Tianchen and Rongrong. Right now, all you see is the damage to the sect's interests, but you don't know how much profit there will be in the future."
In Ning Fengzhi's eyes, these elders were parasites on the sect. Not only did they fail to contribute to the sect's prosperity, but they also relied on their seniority to pressure him into submission.
Such a Clan Assembly was utterly meaningless.
It might as well not exist at all.
Moreover, the Sword and Bone Douluo were loyal only to the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect and Ning Fengzhi—these people couldn't overturn anything.
Ning Huajing's cloudy eyes turned toward Ning Tianchen and Rongrong, and he let out a few snorts. "For the sect's major decisions to be guided by two children—it's simply absurd!"
Ning Fengzhi's tone was calm but laced with threat. "One of them—either Tianchen or Rongrong—will inevitably become the future sect leader and Grand Elder. Old Patriarch, it would be wise to treat them with respect. Otherwise, in the future, your pension might be reduced."
"You... you..." Ning Huajing was enraged.
Already advanced in age, he suddenly felt a surge of blood rush to his head and collapsed unconscious on the spot.
"Grand Elder, the old patriarch is already frail. You shouldn't have provoked him like this," several elders sighed, but none dared to openly defy Ning Fengzhi.
The Seven Treasures Glazed Sect was no longer controlled by the clan; Ning Fengzhi, as the sect leader, wielded absolute authority. Challenging the sect leader's authority would inevitably lead to dire consequences.
Ning Huajing lay on the ground, life unknown, yet no one dared to step forward to help him.
"Bold move," Ning Tianchen silently gave a thumbs-up.
Ning Fengzhi had never shown such dominance before—this was the first time.
In truth, the sect breaking free from clan governance was a sign of progress.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family, entirely governed by its clan system, left no room for non-clan disciples to rise within the sect.
Such a sect, even if it established an academy, would struggle to attract strong individuals and geniuses. The Seven Treasures Glazed Sect's approach was similar to the Spirit Hall's—while inner disciples held higher status than outer disciples, they enjoyed no real privileges.
Outer disciples had multiple paths for advancement: they could hold leadership positions in the outer sect or enter the inner sect through their own strength to assist the sect leader in managing the sect.
Ning Tianchen suddenly thought that if not for the Spirit Hall's soul-hunting operations, the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect's model could have thrived for thousands of years.
Ning Fengzhi turned his gaze to him. "Tianchen, since you proposed the industrial optimization plan, explain your thoughts to the elders here."
Ning Tianchen nodded and bowed to the elders. "Third Street is located in the best area of the city. Unless Tiandou City is razed and rebuilt, its geographical advantage can never be replaced."
"Demolishing the original shops is to construct a centralized mega-mall. Once completed, all the shops from Eighth Street will be relocated to the Seven Treasures Mall. The land on Eighth Street will then be repurposed for the construction of the Seven Treasures Academy."
The elders exchanged glances, unsure what to say.
If Ning Fengzhi had informed them beforehand about the sect's major moves, things wouldn't have escalated to this point.
Ning Fengzhi took over, his tone cold. "The Seven Treasures Glazed Sect has been inactive for too long. As a result, various factions have come to see us as a docile tiger. This time, I'm making it crystal clear to everyone: the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect's fangs are still sharp. Think carefully about your strength before opposing us."
While Ning Tianchen admired the boldness, he couldn't help but inwardly comment.
The stronger the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect appeared, the more determined Bibi Dong would be to destroy it. Whether this was good or bad remained uncertain.
However, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family and some other clans and merchant guilds had been stockpiling goods recently. Once news of the Seven Treasures Mall spread, they would surely curse their misfortune.
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