Weapon seller in the world of magic

When Mark finished speaking, silence washed across the hall as if someone had frozen the air itself.

Grand Elder Yuxuan stared at him with an expression stuck somewhere between disbelief and exasperation. The other elders simply looked stunned.

Even Lan Xia, who usually maintained her cold and blank demeanor during official gatherings, widened her eyes in surprise before lowering her gaze shyly, a small smile tugging at her lips as if she couldn’t suppress it.

Yuxuan exhaled sharply and pinched the bridge of her nose. ”Three days?” she said with a frown. ”That is not enough time, Patriarch. Not only must we decorate the entire Lan Clan estate, but we must also prepare invitations, arrange guest accommodations, prepare ceremonial offerings, set up the ancestral altar, finalize banquet preparations, and coordinate with the musicians and officiants. Three days is impossible.”

Mark shrugged casually, as if she had just complained about running out of tea leaves. ”Well, you managed it in two days when I became the Patriarch.”

Yuxuan opened her mouth, blinking rapidly. ”That... That was different! A coronation is one thing, but a wedding is...”

Mark lifted a hand, cutting her off without hesitation. ”I don’t want a grand wedding. It will be simple. Just send the invitations. Whoever comes will be considered the ones who still value the Lan Clan. The rest don’t matter. Oh...” he added, pointing at her with a finger, ”and do send an invitation to the imperial palace as well. Also extend one to Lord Hei Zhenyu.”

Some elders sucked in a sharp breath. Inviting the imperial palace after declaring independence was basically throwing bait into a tiger den, but nobody dared to contradict him at the moment. Openly challenging the decision of a newly ascended Patriarch of a clan or the Monarch of an Empire is akin to suicide. Because they won’t take it lightly.

However, Yuxuan pressed her lips into a thin line, unwilling to give up. ”Patriarch... it is not just invitations and decorations. A wedding must take our clan’s prestige into consideration. If we make sloppy arrangements for our Patriarch’s marriage, we will be mocked endlessly. Also, the guests must have enough time to prepare appropriate wedding gifts. Rushing things will only make things look cheap.”

Mark stared at her for several seconds, as if weighing whether or not to argue further. Then he sighed. ”Fine. Ten days then.”

”Ten... Ten days?” Yuxuan repeated, almost choking. She looked like she wanted to say ”one month would be more reasonable,” and indeed she opened her mouth to try, but Mark cut her off again before she could even inhale.

”No,” he said firmly. ”In a couple of months, there will be a grand expedition. Waiting for a month isn’t appropriate as everyone needs to make their preparations.”

The room fell silent again. The elders exchanged unreadable gazes. And this is the problem with their new patriarch. His decisions are always seemed reckless and bold, but he always has a reason to back up his words.

Some looked resigned. Some looked troubled. A few looked offended but swallowed it.

And Lan Xia... she couldn’t hide her smile anymore. She kept her gaze lowered to her feet, but her whole posture radiated quiet joy, like someone who had just been handed something she’d been secretly hoping for.

Mark looked around the hall once more. ”If there’s anything else to discuss,” he said calmly, ”say it now.”

Several elders glanced at Yuxuan, hoping she would speak for them. But she just shook her head lightly and murmured, ”Nothing else, Milord.”

Mark nodded, pleased. ”Good then.”

He stood, adjusted his robes, and walked out of the hall with relaxed steps, not caring for the mix of fear, admiration, confusion, and curiosity directed at his back.

The elders remained seated for several seconds even after he left, as if none of them dared to move first.

Meanwhile, on the side, Lan Xia’s fingers played with the hem of her sleeve. She still stared at her own feet, unable to stop the gentle smile curling her lips. Even though she tried to maintain her usual cold composure, her happiness leaked through like warm sunlight slipping past a curtain.

And none of the elders dared to comment on it as they had already gotten used to this love-struck lady.

*

And then an hour later;

Deep inside one of the forbidden chambers of the Ice Palace, the emergency secret assembly was forced to gather under dim yellow lanterns. Hooded elders sat around a long stone table once again.

And at the head of the table was Former Patriarch Lan Yujin, who was under the hood too, although every elder knew who their leader was.

His fingers tapped slowly against the armrest of his chair, the sound echoing faintly like a quiet countdown as he said, ”I have no doubt...” His voice seemed calm but laced with venom, ”that the brat is the one who killed Elder Meiran. After all, I was the one who gave the order to him. That old fool must have failed to strike him with Zhen’s poison before getting caught. It’s my fault for giving him the mission when his strength was clearly slipping.”

A murmur rose in the room. One elder leaned forward and whispered with unease, ”Patriarch, then... what should we do now?”

Yujin raised his eyes, sharp and cold. ”After this, we can no longer send an assassin to his residence to kill him. He will not only be vigilant but also take his own defensive measures. There are only two proper opportunities to remove him. The first is during the Sect Head Trials.”

Several elders stiffened. One of them whispered, ”But... if he passed the sect head trials, you will be left with no power and influence.”

”I know,” Yujin replied with a bitter sigh. ”But we can’t do anything about it. Sooner or later, he will challenge it anyway. Rather than waiting for him to break through again to attempt it, it’s better to use the grand expedition or a tense situation with the imperial palace as an excuse to send him to the trials. Considering he has beaten me, I highly doubt he will die, but at the very least, we can hope for his failure. When his failure becomes known to anyone, more and more people will join us against him. It will become easier to dethrone him. But if he succeeds...”

The room remained silent as he gave a long pause.

Yujin leaned forward. His eyes gleamed with murderous intent as he said. ”The second opportunity will be the wedding.”

Gasps went around the room. A few elders exchanged worried glances, but none dared interrupt him.

”Yes,” Yujin continued, his voice lowering into a cold, calculated tone. ”That will be the best time to strike. A wedding brings guests. Many important ones and many of them will have motivation. Sect leaders, clan elders, officials from allied sects... even the imperial envoy. With so many powerful people in one place, just slipping the Zhen poison into his wine would be no big deal. With enough witnesses present, the investigation will drag on for weeks, months... And in the end, it will all be forgotten.”

An elder sitting on the left spoke carefully. ”But Patriarch... what about Princess Xia? Didn’t we plan to propose a marriage alliance with the imperial palace to mend the damage that boy caused? If she becomes Lu Zhen’s widow, that plan fails. Which prince would marry a widow?”

Yujin smiled slightly under the hood as he replied. ”Their marriage can be annulled, so long as it is not consummated. Her future remains clean as long as he dies during the banquet.” He paused before adding, ”And as for the ceremony itself... that girl’s feelings are irrelevant. We do what is needed for the clan.”

Silence met those words. The elders looked uncomfortable, some shifting in their seats. But none dared oppose him.

Yujin’s expression hardened again. ”I had enough Zhen poison with me. Elder Meiran might have failed, but this time, I will do it myself. During the banquet, when he least expects it, the brat will die. He will not even live long enough to even finish the banquet.”

A chill swept through the room. A few elders gasped softly, their hands trembling under the table as they realized how far Yujin planned to go.

”Patriarch...” a trembling voice whispered, ”dethroning a clan patriarch is within the laws and even assassinating one is alright, but to kill the current clan head during his own wedding... that... that is a sin. The ancestors won’t forgive us.”

”It is not a sin, elder,” Yujin replied, voice calm and confident. ”It is a necessary sacrifice. If the leaves of the tree get poisoned, we need to cut all the branches to protect the tree. Remember, Clan is above an individual.”

He lifted his cup of tea, sipping it slowly while the others watched in fear.

”Make preparations for the wedding as if it is a real one,” Yujin said at last. ”The day of the wedding... will be the day we end Lan Zhen.”