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Chapter 43 - Chapter 43: You Are Unworthy to Be Clan Head

The Seventh Elder shook his head with a sigh.

"Clan Head, given the situation today, how will you answer our forefathers?"

The First Elder, Third Elder, and Seventh Elder had always been the most dissatisfied with Wang Yan's rule. Thus, in this family council, they were the first to question him openly.

The Ninth Elder, seeing how disrespectful the three were toward the clan head, immediately shouted:

"First Elder! Watch your tongue! Without the clan head's sacrifices, shedding blood for the family, how could the Wang Clan have reached the prosperity it enjoys today?"

Wang Yan's trusted ally, the Second Elder, stroked his beard and added:

"The clan head acted for the good of the Wang Clan. At that time, the Second Prince held the strongest faction. The clan head's decision was not wrong. If the Second Prince had become Crown Prince, our Wang Clan would already be counted among the empire's top families."

Another elder quickly chimed in:

"What use is questioning the clan head now? The matter is done. What we should be discussing is how to solve the crisis before us!"

Elder Wang Yuan tried to mediate:

"Everyone, arguing won't solve anything. Let us discuss calmly, weigh our options carefully!"

Soon, the hall erupted into a cacophony—elders supporting Wang Yan, elders opposing him, and those trying to play peacemakers all shouting at once.

The noise buzzed like hundreds of flies, filling the entire ancestral hall.

At the head seat, Wang Yan sat unmoving. His aged face was calm, as deep as still water. His eyes betrayed no emotion, as though the uproar beneath him didn't concern him at all.

And indeed, it didn't—for his thoughts were elsewhere, occupied with how best to assassinate Crown Prince Xu Natural.

So long as Xu Natural died, all problems would be resolved. The Second Prince would ascend, Wang Yan would break through to Title Douluo, and the Wang Clan would rise to new heights under his leadership.

If the attempt failed, then all was lost—death for him and doom for the clan. Nothing more needed to be said.

He certainly did not intend to share this plan with the clan.

To Wang Yan, the fewer people who knew of such an assassination, the better. If word leaked and Xu Natural was forewarned, he could strengthen his defenses, and the task would become infinitely harder.

Assassination required precision, not numbers. Too many participants would turn it into a frontal assault instead of a covert strike.

And would an open assault succeed? Impossible. The commotion would immediately attract the Soul Tool Regiments and the empire's ninth-tier soul engineers. Death would be certain.

Therefore, when the Second Prince and Wang Yan had first planned the scheme, they had decided that the assassination party could not exceed five people. Each would be a Soul Douluo-level powerhouse.

Once Xu Natural's route was confirmed, they would simply ambush him in an isolated location and strike.

As Wang Yan pondered these matters, the argument among the elders grew even louder, until his brow furrowed at the clamor.

"Silence!" Wang Yan's voice thundered.

Immediately, most of the elders fell quiet.

His decades as clan head carried heavy authority. Even with his grievous political blunder, most elders dared not openly defy him.

Only the First Elder, who had broken through to Soul Douluo just a year ago, refused to be cowed.

He snorted coldly:

"Clan Head, you've kept silent all this time—perhaps because you know how great an error you made. Wang Yan, you are old. You should retire and live out your years in peace. You are no longer fit to lead the Wang Clan. Step aside for someone younger."

Breaking through to Soul Douluo had clearly emboldened him. Against Wang Yan, who was of the same level but advanced in years, he no longer felt fear.

After all, even if Wang Yan was stronger, the First Elder believed the gap was not insurmountable.

Wang Yan's calm mask finally cracked, his face turning cold.

For decades, he had ruled the Wang Clan unchallenged, his word law. For someone to defy him so brazenly—it was intolerable.

Narrowing his eyes, Wang Yan asked softly:

"First Elder, are you saying I am unfit to lead this clan?"

Around them, the elders barely dared breathe.

The First Elder didn't flinch.

"Wang Yan, I admit you were once a competent clan head. But now, you are unworthy."

Wang Yan laughed in fury.

"Good. Good. Very good!"

As the words fell, eight soul rings rose around him, and a fierce soul tool battle armor materialized on his body.

Several rings lit up at once. He struck with a single devastating punch.

Even with Martial Soul and soul tools unleashed, the First Elder could not withstand him.

After only three exchanges, the elder was blasted from the ancestral hall, his chest caved in, blood spraying, unconscious before he hit the ground.

All the elders froze in shock.

"This power… could it be a ninth-tier soul tool?!"

"No… not quite… but still terrifying…"

Wang Yan swept his gaze coldly across them.

"So long as I draw breath, the Wang Clan will not fall. If any of you have objections to my leadership—speak them now!"

No one dared reply. The elders exchanged uneasy glances, and in the end, the meeting dispersed in oppressive silence, each elder leaving the hall with heavy thoughts.

When they were gone, the hall was hushed, save for the crackle of whale-oil candles and the faint sigh of wind.

Alone, Wang Yan stared at the ancestral tablets.

After a long silence, he whispered:

"I, Wang Yan, have no regrets."

That night, under a bright full moon and a sky full of stars, Wang Chen finally returned home.

No sooner had he arrived than his long-worried parents bombarded him with anxious words.

Neither his father nor mother knew the full extent of his strength or influence. They only knew he had been away for far too long.

Tears welled in their eyes when they saw him.

"Chen'er, you child… gone so long without a word, not even sending someone to tell us you were safe," his mother said, gripping his hand, scanning him for wounds with anxious eyes.

His father added, "Son, now that Xu Natural has become Crown Prince, you mustn't run about recklessly anymore."

Wang Chen listened quietly to their scolding, a warmth filling his heart. He knew how much worry he had caused them.

Smiling, he reassured them:

"Dad, Mom, don't worry. See? I'm fine. I've made friends outside who watch out for me. I'll take care of myself."

Soon, their hearts eased. The family of three enjoyed a rare, happy reunion dinner together.

The next morning, Wang Chen visited Elder Wang Yuan, from whom he learned what had transpired at the clan council the night before.

He was stunned.

Wait… that half-crippled old man Wang Yan is still this strong?!

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