Chapter 141

The Ouyang family ranks third among the seven major families in Linhai City.

　　The Ouyang family has been rooted in Linhai City since the late Qing Dynasty. Although they went through turbulent years, after a period of recuperation, they have regained their former glory in recent years.

　　The accumulated wealth and resources over more than a century have made the Ouyang family a force to be reckoned with by all other families.

　　It is precisely because of its centuries of heritage and accumulation that the Ouyang family wields immense power in the military, political, and business spheres.

　　Over the years, the Ouyang family has also intentionally cultivated its own people to enter these fields.

　　With the support of their families’ strong financial resources and connections, they often get promoted faster, acquire more power, and are promoted to the Ouyang family more quickly.

　　All of these things are complementary.

　　And now, Ouyang Yu, the grandson of the current patriarch Ouyang Wudi and the successor that the Ouyang family was grooming to succeed him, has been brutally murdered.

　　Even someone like Ouyang Wudi, who had weathered many storms, couldn’t bear to look at the horrific sight of his grandson after his head was severed.

　　He was furious. For the first time in many years, he felt such anger and such deep pain.

　　He felt that this was a challenge to the authority of the Ouyang family, a blatant provocation.

　　At this moment, Ouyang Wudi was lying in bed, and his family doctor had just helped him take his medicine.

　　Yes, he fell ill. After learning that his grandson had been brutally murdered, he coughed up blood on the spot and then fell ill.

　　In the living room on the other side of his bedroom, his three sons, as well as some elders and prominent figures of the Ouyang family, were present.

　　They were whispering among themselves, talking about Ouyang Yu’s murder and Old Master Ouyang’s illness.

　　No large family can remain a monolithic entity forever.

　　Especially when faced with the temptation of power.

　　The Ouyang family has been passed down for over a hundred years, and naturally has many branches and collateral branches.

　　They were all unwilling to let the eldest son continue to occupy the position of family head, even though this was stipulated in the family rules.

　　But times are changing, and shouldn’t some rules change too? Even emperors can be democratically elected, so why should the head of a family inherit the throne? Why not have a democratic selection process?

　　Ouyang Wudi is almost eighty years old. He is old and now he is ill.

　　This is an opportunity, and everyone has their own agenda.

　　The only one who had no interest in anything was Ouyang Wudi’s eldest son, Ouyang Yu’s father, Ouyang Yingliang.

　　The pain of losing a son is more important than power.

　　Moreover, he had never gained favor in the Ouyang family, and the only thing that comforted him was that he had a very promising son.

　　But now, this future head of the Ouyang family has been brutally murdered.

　　How could he not be hurt?

　　Seeing the complex expressions on the faces of his two younger brothers, the elders of the Ouyang family, and his fellow clansmen, he felt even more lost and pained.

　　Was it right or wrong to be born into the Ouyang family?

　　Thinking of this, he stood up somewhat blankly and was about to walk outside. He wanted to see his son’s urn and take one last look at his son’s photo.

　　”Big brother, where are you going?”

　　Just then, Ouyang Yingke, Ouyang Yingliang’s second brother, who was sitting to his left, said with some dissatisfaction.

　　In such a solemn setting, you actually stood up and left as you pleased. What do you take the people for?

　　Ouyang Yingke thought angrily to himself.

　　Ouyang Yingliang turned around and gave his second brother a deep look, a disdainful sneer on his lips.

　　He ignored his reminders and just walked forward aimlessly, wanting to leave this place as soon as possible, to leave this room devoid of any human warmth or kinship.

　　Ouyang Yingke tried to reach out and grab his elder brother, but was stopped by his third brother, Ouyang Yingcheng, who secretly shook his head.

　　Seeing that Ouyang Yingliang looked somewhat lost and dejected, none of the clan elders said anything to stop him.

　　Several elders also sighed slightly, looking at this most incompetent member of the Ouyang family with a bit of pity.

　　Some elders were secretly thinking: How could someone as capable as the head of the Ouyang family have such an incompetent son?

　　Did they cut corners during production?

　　Look at his two younger brothers, aren’t they both more capable than him?

　　Ouyang Yingliang’s departure didn’t attract much attention. In their eyes, Ouyang Yingliang had never existed. Not before, and certainly not in the future.

　　They used to have a very promising son, Ouyang Yu, and everyone was wary of him potentially taking over the family business, which is why they didn’t dare to make things too difficult for Ouyang Yingliang. But what about now?

　　According to clan rules, Ouyang Yingliang has the right to inherit the position of patriarch. But now, who cares about him anymore? As a result, this position has become highly uncertain.

　　The third brother, Ouyang Yingcheng, leaned close to his second brother, Ouyang Yingke’s ear and whispered, “Ignore that good-for-nothing, just let him go.”

　　“But…” Ouyang Yingke hesitated, unable to finish his sentence.

　　Despite his sorrowful expression, he was secretly overjoyed.

　　Upon learning that his nephew Ouyang Yu had been murdered, he was initially shocked, but then overjoyed.

　　He just hid it very well, always showing only immense pain. Who knew the joy in his heart?

　　Ouyang Yu is dead, and his elder brother Ouyang Yingliang is incompetent. According to the family rules, if he is not assassinated, he will definitely be the next head of the family.

　　Do you think he wouldn’t be happy?

　　However, seeing the complex emotions of jealousy, envy, and hatred in the eyes of so many elders and relatives below, he still felt a little uneasy. That’s why he wanted to bring his eldest brother along. The three brothers working together would surely be a formidable force.

　　Even if he helped his elder brother rise to power, it wouldn’t be impossible for him to rule from behind the scenes.

　　Normally, he wouldn’t bother with that most incompetent person in the Ouyang family.

　　He even wondered whether he should expel his elder brother from the family after he became the head of the family.

　　Because he did nothing in the family and just ate and drank for free.

　　Moreover, he has a special hobby: he is passionate about calligraphy and wastes a lot of high-quality Xuan paper every year.

　　But the old man continued to indulge his pointless hobby.

　　Just as everyone was having different thoughts, Ouyang Wudi’s butler, who was over fifty years old, quietly entered Ouyang Wudi’s bedroom.

　　Seeing that Ouyang Wudi was awake, he walked over and said respectfully, “Master, the Yun family is calling. Should we answer it or not?”

　　”The Yun family?” Ouyang Wudi sat up weakly and asked, “The Yun family called?”

　　”Yes, it was Yun Hongsheng who called.” The butler said respectfully.

　　”That kid,” Ouyang Wudi said casually, as if he had just remembered something.