Great Xia: At the start, summon the Net of Heaven to suppress the martial arts world.

Meanwhile, inside the main hall of the Cai family's ancestral home.

All the senior members of the Cai family gathered together again.

Similar to the last time, the gathering of Cai's top officials was twice due to the Great Xia Dynasty.

However, this time the head of the Cai clan has changed.

Since the Cai family sent someone to assassinate Jing Ni, which resulted in retaliation from the Zhenwu Division, causing the family to suffer huge losses, the previous patriarch has been personally removed by the old patriarch; otherwise, it would not have been enough to quell the anger of the clansmen.

The current clan leader is a successor from a branch line.

At this moment, everyone in the main hall had their brows furrowed and their expressions solemn.

The head of the Cai clan even invited the old clan head to take charge of the overall situation.

Today, it is no exaggeration to say that the Cai family is experiencing an unprecedented upheaval.

After the old patriarch emerged from seclusion and learned the whole story, he frowned deeply and closed his eyes in deep thought.

The hall was silent as everyone looked up at the old patriarch, waiting for him to make a decision.

After a long while, the old clan chief raised his head and opened his eyes. Looking at the clansmen in front of him with hopeful eyes, he felt a pang of pity and couldn't make a decision for a moment.

"Tell us your thoughts! The Cai family belongs to everyone; let's hear your opinions!"

The old patriarch, who could have acted dictatorially, ultimately chose to listen to everyone's opinions.

As soon as the old clan chief said this, everyone looked around, waiting for the first person to stand up and speak.

Seeing this, the Cai clan patriarch stood up, frowned, and said:

"There are only two possible outcomes to this matter: to give it up or not to give it up!"

"If you're willing to give up, then you should obediently follow the policies of the Great Xia Dynasty. Although the Cai family may suffer heavy losses in the future, at least their foundation will still be intact!"

"If we can't bear to part with them, then we should mobilize all our clansmen and disciples of the Cai family to fight against the imperial court to the very end."

"But this path is extremely dangerous. Even if we succeed, the Cai family will not benefit much; they will only maintain the current situation. But if we fail, I think the entire Great Xia will no longer have any space for the Cai family to survive, and the Cai family's thousand-year-old lineage may even be cut off!"

"Now that everyone is here, and this matter concerns the very survival of the Cai family, everyone has the right to express their opinion!"

As soon as the Cai clan patriarch uttered these words, no one in the main hall was foolish; everyone understood the seriousness of the matter.

As soon as the Cai clan patriarch finished speaking, the patriarch who had been dismissed stood up, looked at everyone, and slowly began to speak:

"If the Cai family admits defeat now, the entire Great Xia will be free of any more troubles. Who can be sure that the current emperor will not let the Cai family off the hook when he has the time?"

"This is a great opportunity amidst the chaos of the Great Xia Dynasty, and we are definitely not the only ones who have chosen to fight against the Great Xia Dynasty."

"If the Cai family doesn't dare to resist, then their future fate won't be any better."

The former patriarch of the Cai clan, with just a few words, pushed everyone to the brink of disaster.

The former patriarch of the Cai clan, who already harbored resentment towards the Great Xia, naturally wouldn't let go of any opportunity to cause trouble for the Great Xia.

Although he has been removed from the position of clan chief, the residual influence of his previous position still lingers, and his words can still affect the decisions of many members of the Cai clan.

Sure enough, as soon as the former Cai clan patriarch uttered these words, someone below immediately stood up and shouted back:

"That's right. The Cai family already had conflicts with the Great Xia Dynasty. Once they have the time and resources, they will definitely not let the Cai family off the hook. At that time, they will truly have nowhere to turn for help."

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Now, the Great Xia is surrounded by enemies on all sides. No matter how many experts are in its court, it is difficult to fight against so many opponents!"

"Besides, we're not fighting against the imperial court, so what's the use of having many experts?"

There are those who agree, and of course, there are those who disagree; quite a few people simply want to live out the rest of their lives in peace.

"I think it's enough for the Cai family to sit back and watch the tigers fight. At that time, the outcome of the battle will be none of my business!"

"Moreover, when the deputy director of the Zhenwu Division came that day, we had already promised him that we would give way to the people of the Zhenwu Division in the future. If we go back on our word now, it will damage the reputation of the Cai family!"

"Moreover, the grudges between the Cai family and the imperial court have long been settled!"

Upon hearing this, someone immediately voiced their objection:

"Naive. It will be too late to regret it when the Cai family is on its last legs."

"Besides, it's about agreeing to the Zhenwu Division to back down; what does that have to do with the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the main hall looked at the speaker with slight disdain.

As a family with a thousand-year history, the integrity passed down through generations is not just empty words.

Especially for long-established families with numerous members and a wide network of disciples, integrity is highly valued.

They don't easily go back on their word, and even if they do, they won't do it openly and honestly.

Seeing that the conversation inside the main hall was becoming increasingly chaotic, the old patriarch helplessly tapped the table to signal for quiet.

At this moment, the old patriarch knew clearly that it was unrealistic to expect the people in front of him to make a decision.

"Cai Yu is right. If we don't fight now, it will be too late when the dust settles in the court!"

Upon hearing this, the original Cai clan chief's eyes lit up, but before he could say anything, the old clan chief continued.

"But now, there are many experts within the imperial court, and the Cai family's strength is insufficient to confront the imperial court."

"This matter should be carried out in secret and not made public. We must not openly oppose the court unless absolutely necessary."

The imperial court is currently at the height of its power, and the old clan chief still harbors lingering fears towards it.

On the Grandmaster Ranking alone, there are three people from the imperial court on the list, not even counting the Misty Pavilion.

If the court is pushed too far, not one of those present may survive.

The only things the Cai family could use to fight against the imperial court were business competition and their reputation.

Having operated for many years, the Cai family could be said to control nearly 20% of the economic lifeline of the Great Xia Dynasty.

Seeing that the old clan chief had made the decision, no one said anything more.

This is a solution that's not really a solution.

If the Cai family were to give up resistance, the morale of the clan would likely be low, and many members would be unwilling to accept it.

However, if they were to raise the banner and stand up to fight the court to the very end, the Cai family would not have the strength to resist the court.

After waiting a moment, seeing that no one objected, the old patriarch spoke again, giving his instructions:

"There is no rush to take action for now. At this time, every move we make is under the surveillance of the imperial court."

"It won't be too late to take action after the other three major families have expressed their opinions!"

"Yes!" Now that the decision was made, everyone in the hall immediately expressed their obedience.

Now, without a doubt, the imperial court will select a faction to establish its authority.

When it comes to making an example of someone, the one who jumps the highest should naturally be chosen.

If the Cai family were to take action at this time, they would undoubtedly be walking right into a trap.