C4 A Genius of a Family

Admit I'm wrong?

Upon hearing this, the Grand Elder spun around and jabbed a finger at Su Zhongwu. "You expect me to apologize to Su Zhongwu and address him as the patriarch? Not in a million years!"

"We'll just see about that!"

"Will we now?"

Su Ze cracked a faint smile and stepped forward, his hand resting on Su Hee's shoulder. "I'm not going to give you the luxury of time. If today's grudge is to be settled, let's settle it today."

"If you don't acknowledge my father as the patriarch today, then your son, Su Hee, can remain here in the ancestral temple. We'll handle this by the family rules and discipline the young man who refuses to follow them."

"Do you dare?" Su Bocheng bellowed in fury.

"What's stopping me?" Su Ze's grip tightened slightly, eliciting an involuntary cry of pain from Su Hee.

"Release my son!" The Grand Elder, seething with rage, looked ready to strike again. But Su Ze's father, Su Zhongwu, along with three Su family elders, had already advanced and now stood in support behind Su Ze.

If he attempted to take Su Hee by force, he would surely injure his son first. Bitterly, he conceded, "Fine, I admit defeat! But know this—I'm conceding not to you, but to your son, Su Ze!"

He bowed to Su Zhongwu, conceding, "Patriarch, I was in the wrong."

Then, lifting his head, he quickly departed with Su Hee, his pride clearly unyielding.

Su Shuye, the Third Elder, and Su Jichong, the Fourth Elder, followed suit with complex looks on their faces. They muttered a vague acknowledgment to Su Zhongwu before hastily retreating with the Grand Elder.

"What's the meaning of this? Do they really hold such contempt for the patriarch?" The majority of the Su family members dispersed and headed home after the group had left. An elder uttered a soft sigh at the sight.

Su Ze glanced at him, a knowing smile playing on his lips. "Weren't you and the Grand Elder also just showing disrespect to the patriarch? If I hadn't stepped in to reverse the tide, you would have banished me today and possibly even elected a new patriarch."

But he didn't need to spell it out. Now that he had realigned with the patriarch, he was someone they could count on. It was best to leave this person in his father's hands.

Despite Su Ze's success in foiling the Grand Elder's scheme today, it was clear from the earlier events that the Grand Elder had already swayed a significant portion of the Su family. Su Zhongwu still had a long way to go before he could truly wield the full authority of the patriarch.

Su Zhongwu couldn't help but burst into laughter from the sidelines. "Since I took on the role of patriarch, this is the first time I've seen Su Bocheng yield to me and address me as such! Su Ze, you've done an excellent job!"

The other three Su family elders joined in the chorus of praise for Su Ze.

Aside from Su Dayi, who had initially supported Su Zhongwu, both Su Daren and Su Dade had clearly recognized Su Ze's remarkable talent at his tender age. He had mastered the Stone Breaking Palm so proficiently, and possessed an Earth Spirit Low Grade Root Bone. They were generous with their accolades, seeing his potential.

Su Ze, however, remained indifferent to their praise. He knew their allegiance could change with the wind; they could just as easily betray him for the same reasons they now supported him. Only time would tell if their loyalty was true.

"Su Ze, has your Stone Breaking Palm reached Level 5 yet?" Su Zhongwu, basking in the elders' admiration for his son, eagerly inquired.

Upon hearing this, Su Dayi gave a slight shake of his head.

Su Daren and Su Dade shared a knowing smile and shook their heads as well.

Misinterpreting their gestures, Su Zhongwu addressed Su Ze, "So, your Stone Breaking Palm hasn't achieved Level 5? I thought as much. Since I've managed to cultivate my Stone Breaking Palm to Level 4, I'll take it upon myself to teach you in the days to come."

"Patriarch, you've got it all wrong!" Su Dayi interjected, "With your Level 4 Stone Breaking Palm, what makes you think you're qualified to teach Su Ze? Even if we three dedicated our lives to it, we'd only reach Level 5 at best, barely surpassing Su Bocheng. But do you realize the extent of Su Ze's mastery of this martial skill?"

Su Zhongwu shook his head, his imagination failing him. "He can't be that formidable, can he? After all, Su Ze is just sixteen."

"Do you understand why we didn't hesitate to stand against Su Bocheng with you?" Su Daren added, "Su Ze's display of skill is a testament to his potential and innate ability. He's the prodigy who will lead the Su family to reclaim our former glory and secure our position as the preeminent family in Tieling City!"

Such high praise?

Su Zhongwu was taken aback. Even though Su Ze had an Earth Spirit Low Grade Root Bone and was considered a prodigy, he had never received such lofty commendations before!

"Is that true? And his Stone Breaking Palm technique?"

"Absolutely. It's beyond what you could imagine—his Stone Breaking Palm has reached a new, unprecedented level!" Su Daren declared with gravity.

Su Dade chimed in, "From what I've seen, it's no longer just a run-of-the-mill technique. It's a Yellow Rank Low Grade palm technique!"

Overwhelmed with excitement, Su Zhongwu nearly passed out as he clutched Su Ze's hand. "This is fantastic! My son, Su Ze, has independently advanced his palm technique to Yellow Rank Low Grade. Our Su family truly has a remarkable son!"

Su Ze watched his father, the clan patriarch, so thrilled he was stumbling over his words, and a smile tugged at his lips.

They're this thrilled over a Yellow Rank Low Grade Martial Skill. If I told them it's actually a Profound Rank Low Grade Martial Skill, a whole rank higher, they'd probably be ecstatic.

In his excitement, Su Zhongwu ushered Su Ze out of the Ancestral Temple, eager to spread the good news to the rest of the Su family.

Soon, only two juniors remained in the courtyard, with barely a dozen people at the temple entrance.

Su Zhongwu's excitement vanished as quickly as it came.

He let out a sigh and murmured, "Am I really not cut out to be the patriarch?"

Turning to Su Ze, he said, "You've done well today. Why don't you go find Qingya and enjoy a day out shopping? In Tieling City, the Fang and Su families have the strongest bond. You're talented, but don't be a heartbreaker. Qingya is a fine young woman; don't disappoint her."

Su Ze's face took on an odd expression. Faang Qingya, a fine young woman? The Su and Fang families, the closest of allies? What was his father talking about?

It finally dawned on him why his father might not be the best fit for patriarch—it was his lack of astuteness.

As a father, his character was certainly commendable. But against a strategist like the Grand Elder, or the duplicitous Fang family and Faang Qingya, it just wasn't enough.

Su Ze decided it was best not to say too much to Su Zhongwu. While Su Zhongwu was enthusiastic, he lacked subtlety. Sharing too much could lead to slip-ups.

With a nonchalant agreement, Su Ze quickly left the Ancestral Temple and began to wander the streets. His memories were intact, but he had yet to witness this world firsthand.

Inviting Faang Qingya as Su Zhongwu suggested would surely astonish her. Just this morning, she and the Second Palace Holy Son from the Star Moon Holy Land had pilfered Su Ze's Earth Spirit Low Grade Root Bone!

Should the opportunity arise, Su Ze was determined to exact his revenge. His grudge extended beyond the Fang family to the entirety of the Star Moon Holy Land.

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