Stone Fairy!

The next day.

As soon as the sky brightened, the doors of the Xie family's main hall were already wide open.

This main hall is where the Xie family holds meetings. It is not frequently used on ordinary days, and is only opened for festivals, ancestral rites, or important clan events.

Early this morning, servants swept the hall inside and out until it was spotless, and the finest agarwood incense was lit in the incense burner, its wisps of smoke lingering in the morning light.

The main hall was decorated in an extremely solemn manner.

The ground was paved with large bluestones, their surfaces polished smooth as mirrors, reflecting people's images faintly. On both sides were rows of rosewood chairs, with carved small tables between them, each with a cup of tea on it.

On the wall directly opposite the gate hangs a huge landscape painting, depicting a panoramic view of Yunmei City. The city walls are majestic, the streets and alleys are crisscrossed, the distant mountains are like dark eyebrows, and the nearby river is like a ribbon.

Above the painting hangs a plaque with the three large characters "Dunmutang" written on it. The calligraphy is vigorous and powerful, with gold lacquer outlining, and it shines brightly in the morning light.

Below the painting is a grand master's chair, which is taller and wider than the chairs on either side. The back of the chair is carved with auspicious cloud and crane patterns, and each armrest is inlaid with a piece of black jade.

This is the seat of the Xie family head, which is usually reserved for Xie Tian.

At this moment, the chair is empty.

Xie Ning sat on a chair that had been temporarily added next to the head of the family. Although the position was half a foot off, his back was straight and his gaze calmly swept over everyone in the hall.

The main hall was already full of people.

On both the left and right rows of seats, none of the Xie family's key figures were absent.

They were dressed in various brocade and silk robes, some sitting upright, some leaning back, some resting with their eyes closed, and some talking in hushed tones. The morning light filtered through the carved windows, falling on them, and the gold and silver threads on their robes shimmered in the light and shadow, making the whole room shine.

Further down the line, there are several heads of collateral branches, as well as several highly respected elders in the clan.

Each person's attire was different, but without exception, they all wore the finest materials and exquisite workmanship, exuding the air of a noble family.

Three people were kneeling on the floor in the very center of the hall.

It was the same three men in black who broke into Daozhen Courtyard last night.

They had been stripped of their night clothes, revealing their true appearances. The three men had rough faces and were covered in wounds. Some had dried blood on their lips, some had swollen and bruised eyes, and some had twisted and deformed fingers, clearly indicating that they had been tortured.

The three knelt on the cold bluestone ground, heads bowed, without uttering a word.

The ropes dug deep into their flesh, tearing in some places and oozing dark red blood.

Xie Ning sat in the chair, his gaze sweeping over the three people before looking up at everyone present.

"I have gathered all the elders here today because there is something I need to clarify in public."

Xie Ning's voice wasn't loud, but it was clear and resonant, spreading throughout the main hall amidst the wisps of incense smoke.

"Last night, three assassins broke into my Xie residence with the intention of murdering the guests staying here." She pointed to the three men kneeling on the ground.

"These are the three of them."

A low murmur of discussion arose in the hall.

Some people frowned, some shook their heads, and some exchanged meaningful glances.

Xie Ning ignored the discussions and continued, "After interrogation overnight, they have confessed."

"These three were instructed by someone within my Xie family."

As soon as he finished speaking, the murmurs in the hall grew louder.

Xie Ning's gaze slowly swept across everyone's faces, finally landing on Xie Qi on his left.

"Fourth Uncle," her voice was calm, yet carried an unavoidable gaze.

"These three people said it was you who ordered them to do it."

The hall fell silent.

All eyes turned to Xie Zong.

Xie Zong paused slightly in the teacup, but only for a moment. His expression remained unchanged, and a slight smile even appeared at the corner of his mouth. He slowly brought the teacup to his lips, took a small sip, and then put it down and looked up.

"My niece is mistaken."

Xie Zong's voice was calm and unhurried, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

"How can we believe the one-sided story of such a person?" Xie Zong glanced at the three people kneeling on the ground, his eyes filled with a casual contempt.

"These people are desperate criminals; what wouldn't they do to survive?"

"To shift the blame onto others is just their usual tactic."

Xie Ning stared at him, her gaze sharp as a knife.

Xie Qi seemed oblivious, picked up his teacup and took another sip, his tone still calm: "My niece is still young and doesn't know the wickedness of people."

"These people's words cannot be trusted."

"Your fourth uncle is right," Xie Qi, the younger brother, said in a loud, booming voice.

"How can you take the testimony of someone like that seriously?"

"Perhaps they are deliberately trying to sow discord within the Xie family so that they can profit from it."

Xie Cheng from the fifth branch twirled his folding fan in his hand and slowly added, "My niece is young and impetuous, and it's understandable that she's not calm enough when things happen."

"But it's best to be cautious about matters that concern the family's reputation."

"Yeah yeah……"

"That makes sense..."

"My niece is still young and doesn't understand these complicated matters..."

The noise in the hall gradually increased, with people talking amongst themselves, all trying to smooth things over.

Xie Ning's expression grew increasingly cold.

She knew, of course, that these people wouldn't admit it. She hadn't brought these three people up today expecting them to confess on the spot.

She just wanted to see how these people reacted, to see how much fake smile could still be squeezed out on those familiar faces.

"Alright," Xie Zong finally spoke.

His voice wasn't loud, but the murmurs in the hall immediately subsided.

His prestige in the Xie family was second only to Xie Tian.

Xie Zong withdrew his fingers from the armrest, sat up slightly, and looked at Xie Ning with a peaceful gaze, his tone filled with the affection and concern of an elder for a younger generation.

"Niece, someone will investigate the assassin matter. You are still young, so you don't need to worry about these things too much." Xie Zong paused, then changed the subject.

"There is something more important that I need to discuss with you all."

Xie Ning's gaze sharpened slightly.

Xie Zong continued unhurriedly, "Our patriarch has suffered a misfortune and remains unconscious. We brothers are all deeply saddened by this."

"But the Xie family has hundreds of members, and Yunmei City has hundreds of thousands of residents. They cannot be without someone in charge."

Xie Zong looked at everyone present, and they all nodded in agreement.

"The patriarch is the city lord of Yunmei City. With his fall, the city's political and military affairs have been at a standstill for several days."

"This can't go on forever," Xie Zong said, his voice turning somber, his face filled with worry.

"In my opinion, before the head of the household wakes up, someone needs to temporarily assume the duties of the head of the household to keep things running smoothly."

What do you all think?