With Zhuge Ming's execution by the most extreme punishment, a storm that had swept through the entire Zhuge Clan finally came to a bloody and decisive end.
However, the calming of the storm did not mean that everything had returned to peace.
On the contrary, a more profound reshuffling of power and interests had just begun.
The Fifth Elder's faction was uprooted, leaving a large power vacuum. The clan's finances, foreign trade, and dozens of shops and properties in Qingyang City that he had originally managed all became ownerless, attracting the covetous gazes of countless greedy eyes.
At the same time, the Third Elder, Zhuge Lie, was severely injured and crippled, completely withdrawing from the core of the clan's power. The pro-war faction he represented was thus left without a leader, their morale low, no longer possessing their former toughness.
In such a delicate and complex situation, the attitude of the Clan Head, Zhuge Yuan, became crucial.
However, to everyone's surprise, after handling the aftermath of Zhuge Ming's affairs, Zhuge Yuan once again announced that he was going into seclusion. He handed over all daily affairs to the Second and Fourth Elders to handle, while he himself lived in deep seclusion, seemingly exhausted by the tragedy of this internal strife and unwilling to deal with worldly matters any longer.
The Clan Head's "delegation of power" was undoubtedly like adding a handful of fierce fire to a pot of oil that was about to boil.
The Second and Fourth Elders, whose positions in the clan were not particularly prominent originally, belonged to the typical middle-of-the-road faction. Now with great power in their hands, on the one hand, they had to appease the people and maintain the basic operation of the clan; on the other hand, they had to face the open and secret probings and contests from other elders and branch families, and were in a terrible fix for a time.
The entire Zhuge Clan fell into a strange state of balance.
On the surface, all was calm.
But beneath the surface, undercurrents were surging. All factions were gearing up, eager to fight for that huge piece of cake that had been vacated.
And at the center of this vortex of power change, the instigator who had caused all of this, Zhuge Xuan, seemed to have been forgotten.
He still stayed quietly in his remote courtyard, either sitting in his wheelchair basking in the sun every day, or staring blankly at the unfinished game of Go by himself. His injuries were slowly recovering under the care of the clan's best medicinal pills, but there was still no sign of improvement in his severed meridians.
He seemed to have really become a cripple who had no worldly desires, an onlooker who was sympathized with, but also looked down upon.
No one came to disturb him anymore, and no one regarded him as a threat anymore.
After all, what kind of waves could a cripple who couldn't even stand up stir?
...
On a summer afternoon, the sun was a bit fierce.
Under the old locust tree in the courtyard, the Go game on the stone table was still the same unfinished game.
Zhuge Xuan sat in his wheelchair, holding a white stone in his hand, but his gaze was on the direction of the courtyard gate, as if he was waiting for something.
Uncle Quan stood behind him like the most loyal shadow.
"Counting the time, it should be about now," Zhuge Xuan suddenly said, his voice flat.
Uncle Quan bowed slightly, "The Young Master is referring to?"
"The fish... should be taking the bait," a faint, almost imperceptible smile appeared at the corner of Zhuge Xuan's mouth.
A trace of doubt flashed in Uncle Quan's eyes, but he did not ask further. Over these days, he had long become accustomed to the Young Master's headless and tailless, yet seemingly profound, words.
He only needed to... trust and execute.
As expected.
Before long, a soft sound of footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate.
The visitor was not a servant, but a man in a long, green robe, who looked to be in his early 30s, with a scholarly face and a calm temperament.
Seeing this person, Uncle Quan's eyebrows twitched upward.
"Seventh Uncle?"
The visitor was none other than the Seventh Elder of the Zhuge Clan, Zhuge Qing.
Zhuge Qing was considered the youngest in the clan's council of elders. He belonged neither to the Third Elder's pro-war faction nor the Fifth Elder's pro-peace faction. He had always been detached from worldly affairs, indulging in calligraphy and painting, and was a figure with almost no presence in the clan.
But Zhuge Xuan knew that this seemingly detached Seventh Uncle was one of the most meticulous and best at forbearance in the entire clan.
"Xuan'er," a gentle smile appeared on Zhuge Qing's face. He first nodded to Uncle Quan as a greeting, then turned his gaze to Zhuge Xuan, his eyes showing a perfectly measured concern and pity.
"I heard that your health has improved recently. Seventh Uncle has come specially to see you."
"Thank you for your concern, Seventh Uncle," Zhuge Xuan nodded slightly and motioned for Uncle Quan to get him a seat.
"It's just a lingering existence. An improvement is out of the question."
His tone was self-deprecating and dejected. Paired with his pale face and weak body, it seemed so "real."
Zhuge Qing sat down opposite him, glanced at the Go board on the stone table, sighed, and said, "Victory and defeat are common in military affairs, and so is life. A temporary setback is nothing. The most important thing is that your spirit must not be broken."
These words were spoken in a high-sounding manner, very much like a loving elder concerned about his junior.
Hearing this, Zhuge Xuan just smiled bitterly and did not reply. He picked up the teapot and personally poured a cup of tea for Zhuge Qing. His movements were a bit clumsy due to the injury on his wrist.
"Seventh Uncle's visit today is probably... not just to see a cripple like me, is it?" he pushed the teacup in front of Zhuge Qing and said bluntly.
Zhuge Qing picked up the teacup, took a light sip, the smile on his face unchanged. "Xuan'er, you are overthinking it. You and I, uncle and nephew, have always been close. Now that you have suffered such a disaster, it is only natural for me to come and visit."
"Close?" Zhuge Xuan's eyes narrowed, the corner of one brow lifting just enough to make his meaning unmistakable. "I don't recall Seventh Uncle ever setting foot in my small courtyard before my accident."
With one sentence, a tear was made in the veil of warmth and affection.
Zhuge Qing's face stiffened slightly.
He hadn't expected that this young man, who seemed to be disheartened, would still have such sharp words.
He put down the teacup and was silent for a moment, as if reorganizing his words.
"Xuan'er, I know you have resentment in your heart," his tone became a bit more sincere. "Fifth Brother... Zhuge Ming, for him to do such a rebellious thing is truly an outrage to both gods and men. Although he has been brought to justice, the harm he has caused to the clan and to you is irreparable."
"Now, the Clan Head is in seclusion, and Third Brother is severely injured. Second and Fourth Brothers are just old good-for-nothings who only know how to smooth things over. The entire clan has no leader. They are fighting to the death over the properties left by Fifth Brother, creating a foul atmosphere! I... I really can't stand to watch it anymore!"
He spoke with righteous indignation, looking like a loyal minister worried about the future of the clan.
Zhuge Xuan listened quietly, neither agreeing nor refuting, just toying with the cold white stone in his hand, as if listening to a story that had nothing to do with him.
"Xuan'er," Zhuge Qing's body leaned forward slightly, and he lowered his voice, speaking in a very inciting tone, "I know that although your meridians are destroyed, your wisdom and your strategy are second to none! The ability to overthrow Zhuge Ming in one fell swoop this time is the best proof!"
"What the Zhuge Clan needs now is not a reckless man who only knows how to fight and kill, nor a coward who only knows how to smooth things over! What it needs is a helmsman who can see the situation clearly and can turn the tide!"
"And you, Xuan'er, you are the most suitable candidate!"
The dagger is revealed when the map is unrolled!
After going around in such a big circle, this Seventh Elder, who had always been detached from worldly affairs, finally showed his true colors.
He wasn't here to visit the sick.
He was here to... invest! Or rather, to seek an alliance!
In his opinion, although Zhuge Xuan was crippled, he had displayed unparalleled political skills. Overthrowing Zhuge Ming not only avenged himself, but also removed the two major forces of the Third and Fifth Elders from the center of power at the same time. His methods were so brilliant they were simply appalling.
Such a person, even without cultivation, was definitely a force to be reckoned with.
And he, Zhuge Qing, although he had the cunning and ability, his foundation in the council of elders was still shallow, and his seniority was not enough. If he could get the support of Zhuge Xuan, the "Clan Head's legitimate son" and "hero of vengeance," his path to contending for the future voice of the clan would undoubtedly be much smoother.
This was his true purpose for coming today.
However, in the face of his almost "heart-to-heart" attempt to win him over, Zhuge Xuan's reaction was once again beyond his expectations.
"Me?"
Zhuge Xuan laughed self-deprecatingly, as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world.
He raised his own wrist, which was still wrapped in a bandage, and then pointed to his own legs, which could not move.
"Seventh Uncle, are you thinking too highly of me?"
"Look at me now, I don't even have the strength to truss a chicken, I have to rely on others to push me when I walk. What can I use to be the helmsman? What can I use to turn the tide? Just with this still-functioning brain of mine?"
He shook his head, his face full of dejection and despair.
"Seventh Uncle, I appreciate your good intentions. It's just that... I'm tired, and weary."
"Having taken my revenge, I have no more regrets. The future of this Zhuge Clan, whoever is in charge, has nothing to do with a cripple like me."
"Right now... I just want to live out the rest of my life in peace."
After speaking, he closed his eyes, as if unwilling to talk any further.
This time, it was Zhuge Qing's turn to be completely stunned.
He had imagined countless possibilities. He had thought that Zhuge Xuan might feign indifference, waiting for a better offer. He had also thought that Zhuge Xuan might propose some harsh conditions for cooperation.
But he had never expected to be... rejected so cleanly and decisively!
And in such a... disheartened, completely giving-up manner!
This... this is not right!
This is completely inconsistent with the deep-scheming, ruthless Zhuge Xuan he had imagined!
Could it be... that he had really guessed wrong?
Was overthrowing Zhuge Ming really just a flash in the pan, out of his instinct for revenge? Now that his great revenge had been taken, had he really lost all fighting spirit and was content to be a cripple?
Zhuge Qing's mind was in a mess.
The young man before him was like a cloud of mist, making it... completely impossible for him to see through.