Chapter 2154: Fate Node and Replaying the Murder Case

Lu Zhensheng tried to justify himself: "This is a treasure left by the Immortal Ancestor for his descendants; how could it, how could it possibly harm anyone!"

How pale and powerless his words were, every Lu family member present understood clearly.

"Is that so?" He Lingchuan pointed at the golden ring. "Since you say it won't harm anyone, if you can just hold onto it, I'll immediately withdraw my troops and never set foot in Bailie again. How about that?"

Lu Zhensheng's hands were tucked into his sleeves; he dared not stretch them out. Just moments ago, two Black Armored Soldiers died instantly upon touching it, and he knew he would be no exception.

He Lingchuan first set him aside, then only asked Lu Lianqing and the other clan elders: "For this verification, have you elders seen it clearly?"

Lu Lianyuan glanced at Lu Zhensheng, hesitated for a moment, and was about to open his mouth, but Lu Lianqing had already spoken first, his voice ringing like a bell, loud enough for everyone inside and outside the ancestral hall to hear clearly: "The verification is complete. The Immortal Ancestor's relic not only recognizes the Great Emperor but was even made whole in his hands. You truly are the Child of Fortune of our Lu family!"

That made sense, and the other clan elders nodded in agreement. Emperor Jiuyou's performance had already exceeded everyone's expectations; it wasn't a pleasant surprise, but rather a cause for terror. To be honest, if even the Immortal Ancestor's relic couldn't harm him, they certainly couldn't bear the consequences of refusing him again. Besides, if the Lu family could have such a powerful patriarch, wouldn't that be a hundred times better than that good-for-nothing Lu Zhensheng? With Emperor Jiuyou acknowledged as their patriarch, would Bailie ever need to suffer humiliation again?

At this point, Lu Zhensheng was no longer relevant for the "Child of Fortune" recognition.

Lu Zhenxian immediately followed up: "Only with great fortune can one not fear this lethal trap where whoever touches it dies! Great Emperor, as the patriarch of our Lu family, please accept this bow from Zhenxian!" With that single sentence, he shifted the conflict back to Lu Zhensheng. Then he led his entire family in kowtowing to Emperor Jiuyou, to solidify this recognition. Sixth Elder Lu's branch immediately knelt on the spot, and the ball was now in the court of the other Lu family members. Should they follow and kneel? If they knelt, it would mean acknowledging Emperor Jiuyou as the patriarch! Not kneeling… Under these circumstances, could they afford not to kneel?

"Wait!" Commander Wu gritted his teeth and interjected, "The succession of the Lu clan patriarch has always had to be reported to Mudu and conferred by our Great Mou Emperor; it cannot be privately conferred." He knew perfectly well that the current situation was gravely unfavorable to him. But duty called. He had been sent to protect Lu Zhensheng; how could he stand by silently while the Lu clan patriarch was replaced?

"'Always?'" Lu Feiyan sneered, "The Mou Kingdom has existed for barely 150 years since its founding, while our Lu clan's history dates back nearly three millennia. Before the Mou Kingdom was founded, who would have conferred the title on the Lu clan patriarch? Absurd!"

Emperor Jiuyou paid no attention to Commander Wu. There was no hurry. He swept his gaze over the other Lu clan elders. Third Elder Lu and Fifth Elder Lu were still somewhat hesitant, but upon meeting his gaze, they immediately shivered and knelt. The other elders also followed suit and knelt. As for the other Lu family members, it went without saying. With the elders and those in positions of authority having knelt, how could they possibly not kneel? A chorus of thuds echoed as knees hit the ground.

After merely ten breaths or so, the only ones still standing upright in the hall, apart from the Mou soldiers and the Black Armored Army, were Lu Zhensheng and his son. Commander Wu's face flushed green then white; the Lu family members were using their actions to slap him in the face.

Before Lu Zhenxian even got up, he announced loudly: "Patriarch, I report: The previous patriarch, Lu Xuanyuan, died a sudden and mysterious death, in the exact same kneeling posture as these two Black Armored Guards! At the time, it was an unsolved mystery, but now, now—" He pointed at Lu Zhensheng: "You'd better explain this clearly!" He suspected based on the principle of who gained the most and who was the most suspicious, which was perfectly reasonable.

The previous generation's Lu clan patriarch was Lu Xuanyuan from the main branch, who was also Lu Xiaoyun's father and He Lingchuan's maternal grandfather. After his accidental death, Lu Xiaoyun lost her support, and Lu Zhensheng, taking advantage of her status as an unprotected orphan, successfully usurped the patriarch's position. Lu Xiaoyun was also forced to flee overseas. Lu Xuanyuan's death was mysterious and had been a subject of much discussion over the years. Yet, even though the clan members suspected Lu Zhensheng, there wasn't a shred of evidence. After today's events, Lu Zhenxian was not the only one harboring suspicions.

"Nonsense!" Lu Zhensheng roared, "Even if Lu Xuanyuan was killed by the Immortal Ancestor's treasure, what does that have to do with me?" The past was lost to the winds; what evidence could possibly link him directly to Lu Xuanyuan's death?

While he harbored a sliver of hope, Emperor Jiuyou crooked his finger, summoned the golden snake ring before him, and blew gently. Immediately, a sheet of golden light spread in all directions. Within a fifty-zhang radius, everyone was swept by the golden light. Everyone was startled; the timid ones immediately felt their knees buckle, fearing they would follow in the footsteps of the two Black Armored Guards. But they soon discovered that the golden light was merely cool to the touch and caused no harm.

Lu Qingbang turned to look at his sister and father, a look of surprise on his face: "You, you! Behind your heads..." Lu Feiyan added, "You too!" Behind the heads of those swept by the golden light, images appeared one after another, very faint, like a revolving lantern. The images that appeared for Lu Qingbang were of learning martial arts, leading troops, and killing. Behind Luo Xie, there were images of apprenticeship and the destruction of a village. The images appearing behind each person were different, and they themselves were unaware.

After only about fifteen breaths or so, the light and shadows gradually disappeared, and the scene returned to its previous calm.

Lu Lianyuan said dryly, "What, what are these?"

"They are the most important turning points in your lives," He Lingchuan added with precision. "To this point, their existence constructs the course of your lives."

Lu Qing'an, however, stared straight at the back of Lu Zhensheng's head, trembling: "Fa-Father!" Lu Zhensheng looked back, saw nothing, but knew something was terribly wrong: "Do I, do I have something behind my head...?" Lu Qing'an nodded, his face pale. The illusory images behind everyone else's heads had disappeared, but only Lu Zhensheng's continued. In plain sight of everyone.

He Lingchuan pinched his index finger, middle finger, and thumb together, then gently expanded them slightly outward, and the illusory image behind Lu Zhensheng's head suddenly magnified. Now, everyone could see clearly. Among Lu Zhensheng's unique turning points were scenes of murder, worshipping in the ancestral hall, and so on. However, what truly captivated everyone's gaze was another set of images: Still in this ancestral hall, two figures stood before the shrine: one was Lu Zhensheng, but he looked much younger, and the other—

Lu Zhenxian blurted out, "That's Patriarch Lu Xuanyuan!"

Lu Xuanyuan's expression was somewhat angry; he seemed to have just reprimanded Lu Zhensheng and was about to turn and leave. Unexpectedly, Lu Zhensheng suddenly drew a knife and held it against the back of his neck, forcing Lu Xuanyuan to the edge of the cauldron. Then, he slammed his palm onto the cauldron, activating it. Lu Xuanyuan naturally didn't want to reach out, but Lu Zhensheng said something unknown, and Lu Xuanyuan finally sighed deeply, raising his hand to press it onto the brass fragments inside the cauldron.

What happened next, every Lu family member present already knew. After more than twenty years, no one expected to see a playback of the crime scene from that very day.