I Have an All-Knowing Mirror

Chapter 170: Stirring the Winds of Change

"Understood."

Tega Chiyun nodded.

He then followed Su Yuan's instructions.

He sent the multitude of evidence proving Tengxing Chiyun's collusion with alien races to the relevant imperial departments.

Although he felt a twinge of reluctance, Tega Chiyun knew in his heart that Su Yuan was right.

If he wanted to become the Patriarch of the Chiyun family, the first person he needed to eliminate was the first successor-in-line, Tengxing Chiyun.

Without eliminating him, was he supposed to just wait for Tengxing Chiyun to voluntarily hand over the Patriarch position?

Su Yuan glanced at Tega Chiyun, feeling quite satisfied.

The reason he chose to support this man for the top position in the Chiyun family was precisely because of his obedience. He would never feign compliance while secretly opposing Su Yuan's commands.

This was also Tega Chiyun's greatest virtue."Mr. Ming, what happens next?"

After finishing sending all the evidence, Tega Chiyun looked at Su Yuan and asked cautiously.

The Chiyun family had a total of six successors. Tengxing Chiyun was the first successor-in-line, followed by the second, third, and so on up to the sixth.

Dealing with Tengxing Chiyun alone would not make Tega Chiyun the Patriarch of the Chiyun family, as there were still five other successors ahead of him.

As for Tega Chiyun? Currently, he did not even have the qualifications to be listed among the successors-in-line.

"Next? We just wait quietly."

A faint smile appeared on Su Yuan's face.

Soon, a massive earthquake would rock the Chiyun family. The first successor-in-line, Tengxing Chiyun, was colluding with alien races, and the matter had been escalated directly to the Empire. Even though the rest of the Chiyun family was not involved, it would still cause an uproar.

It would heavily impact the internal political landscape of the family.

As the first successor-in-line and the practically guaranteed future Patriarch, Tengxing Chiyun had too many factions standing behind him. With his downfall, the family's internal power structure would undergo a massive reshuffle.

This was especially true regarding the attitude of the current Chiyun family Patriarch.

"Understood, Mr. Ming."

Tega Chiyun could not figure out what they were waiting for. Even with Tengxing Chiyun out of the picture, he still saw no hope for the Patriarch position. There were so many successors-in-line ahead of him that it would not be his turn even if he waited until he died.

But since Mr. Ming had said so, Tega Chiyun did not intend to overthink it.

Not long after.

Several Stellar Life Forms from the Imperial Law Enforcement Department of the Canglan Cosmic Human Empire descended upon the Chiyun family. They publicly declared Tengxing Chiyun's crimes and took him away to await trial before the Imperial Court.

This incident caused a massive uproar within the Chiyun family.

"Tengxing Chiyun was taken away by imperial enforcers?"

"Yes, I saw it with my own eyes. The enforcers were all Stellar Life Forms! The aura they exuded was utterly terrifying. Even the Grand Elders of the family did not dare to intervene before Eldest Brother Tengxing was hauled away."

"But why? Why would the imperial enforcers arrest Eldest Brother Tengxing?"

"Rumor has it that Eldest Brother Tengxing colluded with alien races. The evidence is irrefutable, leaving absolutely no room for leniency."

"Colluding with alien races? Eldest Brother Tengxing must have lost his mind! With his status, why would he ever associate with alien races?"

Countless members of the Chiyun family discussed the matter fervently. As the first successor-in-line to the Patriarch, Tengxing Chiyun had always received an immense amount of attention.

Now that he had been publicly taken away by imperial enforcers, the shockwaves it generated were unimaginable.

It was not just the Chiyun family discussing it internally. The surrounding factions and other families closely affiliated with the Chiyun family also turned their watchful eyes toward them because of this incident.

A scandal involving a family's first successor-in-line was a monumental crisis for any clan, requiring careful and measured handling.

Inside a grand hall, Doubei Chiyun, the current Patriarch of the Chiyun family, wore a dark and gloomy expression.

With his own biological son publicly hauled away by imperial enforcers, he naturally found out immediately. Moreover, Doubei Chiyun knew the exact reasons for Tengxing Chiyun's arrest.

The imperial enforcers did not arrest people without cause. They had already sent Doubei Chiyun the relevant information before making their move.

"Tengxing, you..."

Doubei Chiyun sighed inwardly.

In his eyes, his son colluding with alien races was not an unforgivable offense, as long as he had not sold out the family's interests.

However, what Doubei Chiyun could not comprehend was how Tengxing Chiyun could be so careless with such a highly classified and critical matter. He had left behind hard evidence, completely erasing any chance of salvaging the situation.

Little did Doubei Chiyun know that Tengxing Chiyun had been extremely cautious, ruthlessly silencing anyone who needed to be eliminated. Unfortunately for him, he had run into Su Yuan.

"Just who did this?"

"Who reported him?"

Doubei Chiyun composed himself. Tengxing Chiyun was the Patriarch successor he had spent countless amounts of time and energy cultivating.

In the Chiyun family, although the Patriarch held absolute power, he could not unilaterally dictate the choice of his successor. This was a traditional rule upheld by the Chiyun family and many other noble clans.

This rule existed to safeguard the family's vitality, preventing a single generation from monopolizing power and propping up an incompetent son as the next Patriarch.

In the Chiyun family, personal capability was the most heavily weighted factor in becoming the Patriarch. Even being the Patriarch's biological son did not offer much of an advantage in this regard.

Doubei Chiyun had paid an unknown price, which, combined with Tengxing Chiyun's genuine talent, had finally allowed him to secure the position of first successor-in-line.

And now it was all gone?

Doubei Chiyun closed his eyes.

Of the Chiyun family's six successors, only Tengxing Chiyun was his son. The other five came from the family's other main branches.

'Was it them?'

Doubei Chiyun opened his eyes. A light screen materialized before him, flashing the names of the remaining five successors-in-line.

It was obvious that the ironclad evidence sent to the Imperial Law Enforcement Department was aimed entirely at thoroughly tearing down Tengxing Chiyun from his pedestal as the first successor-in-line.

And who would do such a thing?

The Chiyun family's enemies?

No.

If the family's enemies had obtained such hard evidence, the most beneficial course of action for them would be to wait until Tengxing Chiyun inherited the Patriarch position before using it for blackmail.

Reporting it directly to the Empire right now? Besides toppling Tengxing Chiyun, it yielded no real benefits. It would not even cripple the Chiyun family, as they still had five other capable successors waiting in the wings.

Therefore.

Doubei Chiyun easily deduced that this was the work of an insider. It was highly likely that the perpetrators were the five remaining successors-in-line themselves.

Whoever stood to gain the most was the prime suspect.

With Tengxing Chiyun's downfall, those five successors reaped the most benefits, as his removal instantly reignited their hopes of becoming Patriarch.

"The Grand Elders have gone too far."

Doubei Chiyun's eyes turned icy, easily pinning the blame on the family's Grand Elders.

Naturally, there were Grand Elders backing the remaining five successors.

These Grand Elders hailed from different main branches of the family. If one of their juniors managed to inherit the Patriarch position, the benefits for their respective branch would be astronomical.

"Do you really think you'll succeed?"

Doubei Chiyun scoffed mockingly. As the Patriarch, he indeed could not overly interfere with the successors, but he did have the power to scrap the entire board and start over.

Namely, revoking the succession rights of all current candidates and electing six completely new successors-in-line.

Within a Personal Space on the Virtual World Network.

Su Yuan sat calmly, while Tega Chiyun sat beside him, his face filled with awe.

"Mr. Ming, I actually became a Patriarch successor... and the second successor-in-line at that..." Tega Chiyun felt as though he was dreaming.

Shortly after Tengxing Chiyun was taken away, the family's high-ranking officials convened an emergency meeting. During the meeting, Patriarch Doubei Chiyun was absolutely furious, while the Grand Elders appeared somewhat guilty.

This guilt was especially prominent among the Grand Elders backing the five successors. Although they had not actually reported Tengxing Chiyun—not out of mercy, but for lack of evidence—they were undeniably the greatest beneficiaries of the incident. The Grand Elders were even side-eying each other, suspecting that one of their peers had secretly pulled it off.

It was precisely because of this guilty conscience that the Grand Elders' opposition was notably weak when faced with the furious Doubei Chiyun's proposal to strip all current candidates of their qualifications and select an entirely new batch of successors-in-line.

The final result of the selection was Tega Chiyun being thrust into the limelight as the second successor-in-line, while the other five positions were filled by individuals from other main branches.

The reason Tega Chiyun was elevated to this position was due to his stellar performance within the family over the recent period. His assessment scores were outstanding, and his decisions regarding the alien Stellar Life Form closely aligned with the family's best interests.

These various actions and factors made Tega Chiyun stand out as one of the more exceptional figures among the Patriarch's many sons.

Furthermore, given the scandal surrounding Tengxing Chiyun, the Patriarch's suspicions were not limited to the original five successors.

Even his own other sons fell under his umbrella of suspicion.

This ultimately led to Tega Chiyun becoming one of the six Patriarch candidates.

In Doubei Chiyun's eyes, Tega Chiyun was the least likely person to be involved in the incident.

After all, he was the youngest, and even if Tengxing Chiyun fell, the Patriarch position still had nothing to do with Tega Chiyun. There were simply far too many people ahead of him.

Therefore, Tega Chiyun was ultimately chosen.

"Thank you, Mr. Ming."

Tega Chiyun stood up and bowed deeply to Su Yuan.

The more he thought about it, the more terrifying he found Su Yuan's scheming. It wasn't just his profound grasp of how the situation would unfold, acting with absolute certainty that a reshuffle of the candidates would follow Tengxing Chiyun's arrest.

He had even calculated Patriarch Doubei Chiyun's exact thoughts and considerations, preying on his paranoia to ensure he chose the supposedly unrelated Tega Chiyun as a successor.

Little did Doubei Chiyun know, the mastermind behind everything was Tega Chiyun himself.

"Just remember your promise."

Su Yuan said, his tone utterly placid.

"I will."

Tega Chiyun nodded solemnly. After pondering for a moment, he cautiously asked again, "Mr. Ming, what should I do next?"

At this moment, Tega Chiyun was filled with unbridled ambition. As the second successor-in-line, it was no exaggeration to say that the Patriarch's seat was right before his eyes.

"You don't need to do anything." Su Yuan glanced at Tega Chiyun. "Just wait quietly."

"Just wait quietly?" Tega Chiyun felt a surge of joy. He loved waiting quietly more than anything. If he was actually required to do something, he'd be terrified of messing it up.

"Next..."

Deep within his sea of consciousness, Su Yuan reviewed the numerous answers provided by the gray mirror. After ensuring everything remained firmly within his control, he dismissed Tega Chiyun.

Divine Body World.

Su Yuan sat cross-legged, carefully sensing his completely energy-based physical body. Within it, the Yin-Yang Five Elements Cosmic Energies intertwined and clashed.

"Come in."

Su Yuan opened his eyes and spoke.

As soon as his voice faded, the Lord of Luoyang City gingerly walked into the room.

"Lord," the Lord of Luoyang City said respectfully. "The members of the Bai family are waiting outside. They requested an audience with you."

Given the Bai family's typical standing, the Lord of Luoyang City would not normally spare them a second glance if they came to visit. But remembering the Bai family's connection to Su Yuan gave him pause.

Although Imperial Citizen Players did not heavily value their worldly ties within the Divine Body World, a connection was still a connection. The Lord of Luoyang City did not dare make assumptions on Su Yuan's behalf.

"The Bai family?"

Su Yuan's tone was flat; he had already sensed their arrival long ago.

"Let them in."

Su Yuan instructed.

"Yes, Sir."

The Lord of Luoyang City immediately withdrew.

A moment later.

The Bai family Patriarch and a large group of people were led inside.

"Shilin, our Bai family has wronged you." The Bai family Patriarch dropped to his knees with a loud thud, his face a picture of agonizing remorse.

As he spoke, he sneaked a glance at Su Yuan seated in the position of honor, and the sycophantic Lord of Luoyang City standing nearby.

He still could not suppress the trace of shock rippling through his heart.

Originally, he had assumed that Su Yuan merely stood on equal footing with the Lord of Luoyang City.

But looking at the situation now, was this equality? The Lord of Luoyang City looked like he wanted nothing more than to grovel on the floor.

Under these circumstances, the Bai family Patriarch immediately adjusted his strategy for dealing with Su Yuan.

Behind the Patriarch stood Bai Tianshu and over a dozen Bai family youths, their faces deathly pale.

These youths were the members of the main branch who had previously bullied and conflicted with Bai Shilin. Now, they were all gathered here like sheep to the slaughter.

Additionally, a few Family Elders were also present, such as Bai Tianshu's grandfather, Bai Cangku.

"Why aren't you kneeling?!"

The Bai family Patriarch rebuked them in a low, furious shout.

Instantly, everyone dropped to their knees, bowing their heads and not daring to look at Su Yuan.

"Shilin, these people are at your disposal. I only beg that you do not implicate the rest of the Bai family..." the Patriarch pleaded.

Su Yuan's gaze remained tranquil as he looked at Bai Tianshu and the others.

With a mere thought, the Yin-Yang Five Elements Cosmic Energies swept across the room.

In an instant, the mental will of Bai Tianshu and his cohort was completely shredded by this majestic force. Their bodies slumped to the ground, entirely devoid of life.

Although Su Yuan was not truly Bai Shilin, as an Imperial Citizen Player who had assumed this identity, he had absorbed the original's memories regarding Bai Tianshu. Naturally, he didn't mind enacting a bit of revenge on his vessel's behalf.

"This...?"

The Bai family Patriarch trembled inwardly.

As a Tier 3 Expert, he naturally sensed the sudden deaths of the people behind him.

It was terrifying to comprehend that Family Elder Bai Cangku was also a Tier 3 Expert! Yet, in front of Su Yuan, he had been squashed like a bug, unable to muster even a sliver of resistance!

"The next Patriarch of the Bai family will be Bai Housu."

Su Yuan looked at the current Bai family Patriarch and delivered his decree.

Bai Housu was the only youth who had tried to help Su Yuan earlier in the Bai Family Compound. Although his intervention hadn't been of much use, his intentions had been kind.

"Bai Housu?"

A flurry of information regarding Bai Housu immediately surfaced in the Patriarch's mind.

Mediocre aptitude. Born to a branch family.

For a clan member with such a background, breaking into the middle management was difficult enough, let alone becoming the Patriarch.

"Very well. I will step down as soon as I return and pass the Patriarch position to Housu."

The Bai family Patriarch agreed without hesitation.

"You may leave."

Su Yuan closed his eyes, no longer paying him any mind.

"Yes, yes, of course."

The Bai family Patriarch scrambled out of the room as if he had just been granted a royal pardon.