Stone Fairy!

The next day,

Before dawn, the Xie residence was already in motion.

The servants moved quickly and silently through the corridors.

Some people are cleaning the hall, some are preparing tea, and some are moving tables and chairs.

Everything was in perfect order, yet there was an unusual tension about it.

The Xie family's council hall opened again.

This time, there were even more people than yesterday.

The seats on both sides of the main hall were all filled. Not only were all the core members of the Xie family present, but many people were also standing in the corridor. There were members of the collateral branches, managers of the clan, and even several military generals in armor, with long swords at their waists, standing solemnly at the back of the crowd.

The atmosphere in the hall was even more oppressive than yesterday.

The wisps of smoke from the agarwood swirled in the air, yet they couldn't suppress the underlying tension.

No one spoke loudly, but every glance and every movement conveyed a tacit understanding.

Xie Zong sat at the head of the left, wearing a dark brown brocade robe with dark gold trim on the collar and cuffs. He looked more composed and dignified than yesterday. His fingers rested quietly on the armrest, his thumb gently stroking the black jade inlaid on it.

Xie Qi sat to his left, still wearing a dark blue robe with subtle patterns, his expression calm as he slowly sipped his tea. However, his gaze occasionally swept across the person opposite him and the generals below the corridor.

Xie An and Xie Cheng were also there.

Among the generals under the eaves, the one standing at the front was the one who had defended the city last night. He had changed into clean armor, and his expression was normal, but his eyes were somewhat evasive, and he dared not meet Xie Ning's gaze.

Xie Ning remained seated in the chair next to the head of the family.

Today she was dressed in a tight-fitting outfit: a red narrow-sleeved top, black belted trousers, and her black hair was tied up high with a red hairband.

He had the golden token hanging at his waist, but he didn't bring his spear. He was like a sword drawn from its sheath, its sharpness fully revealed.

Xie Ning's gaze swept over everyone in the hall, and he already understood.

The fact that even military personnel have come today shows that they are no longer satisfied with verbal arguments and are now trying to extend their reach into real power.

Xie Zong put down his teacup and coughed softly, silencing the whispers in the hall.

He stood up, faced the crowd, and spoke with a somber and sincere tone.

"Gentlemen, there are a few important matters that I have gathered here today to discuss in public."

Xie Zong paused, his gaze sweeping across everyone's faces before finally settling on Xie Ning.

"The first problem is the threat of bandits outside the city. Yesterday, a group of about a thousand bandits appeared three miles east of the city. They were well-equipped and moved with great skill, clearly not ordinary bandits."

"Although we were temporarily repelled last night, there's no guarantee they won't come back. Yunmei City cannot be left undefended for even a day; we need someone in charge to oversee and command the situation."

"Secondly, there's the matter of the family. The patriarch is unconscious, and the clan is leaderless. In the past few days, many clan affairs have piled up, and coordination between the different branches has also become problematic."

"If this continues, we'll fall into chaos on our own without needing outside help."

Xie Zong concluded, "These two things are, in essence, one and the same."

"Someone needs to step forward and temporarily assume the roles of family head and city lord to stabilize the situation."

Xie Cheng closed his folding fan, tapped it lightly in his palm, and slowly added, "Although my niece is intelligent, she is still young and a girl. It is not very convenient for her to get involved in military or clan affairs."

"In my opinion, it would be better to ask the eldest brother to temporarily assume the position of family head and take charge of the overall situation. Once the family head wakes up, the position can be handed over."

"Third Brother is right," Xie Qi immediately chimed in. "Although Eldest Brother is born out of wedlock, it is perfectly legitimate for him to temporarily assume the role of family head, and this will also win over the people."

"Yes, my elder brother has been assisting the family head all these years and is most familiar with the affairs of the clan..."

"The military also needs to coordinate..."

"My niece is still young, so we elders can handle these things..."

The voices rose and fell, as if they had planned it in advance, one after another, pressing down on us in layers.

Xie Ning sat in the chair, silent, his expression growing colder and colder.

She knew that today's coup was well-prepared.

Xie Zong raised his hand, and everyone quieted down. He looked at Xie Ning and spoke gently.

"Niece, we're not fighting over anything. It's just that the situation is critical, and we have no choice but to do this," Xie Zong said sincerely. "We won't touch your father's things."

"When he wakes up, everything will be the same as before."

"But before that, someone needs to take the burden."

As Xie Zong spoke, his gaze fell on the golden token at Xie Ning's waist.

"There is one more crucial matter: the threat of bandits requires troop deployment, and matters concerning the clan require orders."

"You need to take out that military tally. Only with it can everything be legitimate."

The military tally is not only a token for mobilizing troops, but it also has another important function: to gather the vital energy of the army and empower the commander.

With it, commanders can command with ease on the battlefield and unleash extraordinary strength.

Xie Zong looked at Xie Ning with an undeniable pressure in his eyes.

"Niece, the military tally is of great importance and cannot remain in your hands indefinitely."

Xie Qi also stood up, his tone even more direct than Xie Zong's: "Niece, although you are exceptionally talented, you have never been on the battlefield or led troops."

"The military tally is useless in your hands. Hand it over so we can use it; that's the only way to be responsible to Yunmei City."

Xie Cheng, fanning himself with a folding fan, said slowly, "Yes, Xiao Ning, what are you doing carrying a military tally, a young lady like you?"

"It would be better to hand it over, so that everyone can avoid worrying about it."

Although the generals under the corridor did not speak, their silence itself was an attitude.

The general who had been guarding the city last night kept his head down, not daring to look at Xie Ning, but he didn't stand up to say a word for her either.

All eyes were on Xie Ning.

Those gazes contained coercion, expectation, calculation, greed, and... contempt.

"Hand over the military tally."

"Niece, you can't handle this."

"Girls shouldn't get involved in these kinds of things."

"..."

Xie Ning's hand rested on the golden token at his waist, his knuckles turning white.

at this time,

A weak voice came from outside the hall, but it was as loud as a thunderclap.

"What? So many things happen the moment I'm gone?"

Everyone was stunned.

The voice was so familiar, but precisely because it was so familiar, it was unbelievable.

Xie Zong and the others' expressions changed abruptly.

The generals under the eaves looked at each other, their faces showing surprise and uncertainty.

Xie Ning suddenly stood up from the chair and looked towards the hall door.

The hall doors were wide open, and the morning light poured in, making people squint slightly.

Two people walked in from the light.

Walking in front was a middle-aged man, tall with a square face and an air of authority that came from long-held positions.

He wore a black robe, his hair was tied up with a jade hairpin, and although his face was still a little pale, his gaze was steady and his steps were calm and composed, each step firm and steady.

Thank God.

The city lord of Yunmei City, and the head of the Xie family.

Behind him followed a Taoist priest in white robes, his steps unhurried and his expression calm as still water, like a gentle breeze in the mountains or a still pool in a deep pond.

Daozhen.

The two entered the main hall one after the other.

Xie Tian's gaze swept over everyone in the hall, looking at them one by one: Xie Zong, Xie Qi, Xie An, Xie Cheng, the generals in the corridor, the clansmen from the collateral branches, and the elders of the clan.

No one dared to meet his gaze; those who had been talking so loudly just moments before now lowered their heads one by one.

The hall was so quiet that you could hear the faint sound of burning agarwood.

Xie Tian walked to the position of family head and sat down, facing the crowd.

His voice wasn't loud, but every word struck the hearts of everyone present with a heavy weight.

"Gentlemen, we're getting a little anxious."