Cherry Miller immediately asked, "Who runs the Divine Temple? Who's in charge of the ritual? How many people have to go?"
"In previous years, it was always the Zhang Family member with the highest seniority who opened the Divine Temple. As for who led the ritual, it was the one blessed by the gods from the previous generation! The number of people allowed depends on the will of the gods!" Mrs. Liu's gossiping nature was strong, so she continued without Cherry Miller needing to ask: "Normally, this year, Zachary Zhang should be the chief officiant. But Zachary not only has to lead the ritual, he's also competing with Eric Zhang for the Divine Blessing. So Edward Zhang isn't happy. He tried to stop it a few days ago but failed, and now there's trouble at the mine—Edward Zhang has teamed up with several elders to put pressure on Zachary! Henry Zhang is very biased; even after his third son caused such a big mess, he didn't punish him. Edward Zhang and the elders won't accept that. They're arguing about it inside right now."
Alright, no need to ask further—Mrs. Liu had already told everything she knew.
Cherry Miller asked, "Do you think Henry Zhang will favor Zachary again this time?"
"That's hard to say. After all, Eric Zhang is the eldest grandson of the Zhang Family," Mrs. Liu replied. "But it's also true that Zachary is favored."
Cherry Miller realized she wouldn't get more information from Mrs. Liu, so she made an excuse and left.
Meanwhile, the main courtyard—Henry Zhang's residence—was already packed with people.
Edward Zhang spoke passionately, "Dad, I know you favor Zachary, but so many people died in the mining accident. Shouldn't Zachary give everyone an explanation? We spent a fortune recruiting these workers, and the Zhang Family's future depends on these villagers. Now that so many have died, how is Zachary going to answer to their families?"
Zachary Zhang's expression was dark as he replied, "Big brother, that's a harsh accusation. You know more about the collapse than I do. I'm devastated about the deaths, but right now, our priority isn't our personal feud—it's handling the aftermath and giving over a hundred families an answer!"
Eric Zhang chimed in, "Uncle Zachary, you sure sound good. So, may I ask, how do you plan to explain yourself? If you hadn't been greedy for credit and ignored instructions, there wouldn't have been a collapse! Uncle Zachary, you can't shirk responsibility! If you can't handle these things, then step down and let someone more capable take over!"
Zachary Zhang sneered at Eric Zhang, "A bit impatient to seize power, aren't you? I've been in charge for twenty years and brought so much to Six Saints Town and the Zhang Family—everyone knows it. Yes, I'm a little greedy. But who am I greedy for? Isn't it for all of you here? The secret of the gold mine is the foundation of our Zhang Family in Six Saints Town—a secret that must never be revealed. We've worked so hard for years to keep it hidden. I may not be that capable, but I've managed to keep that gold mine secret for twenty years! Even if I haven't achieved much, I've put in the effort, right? What, you want to burn bridges before the Divine Temple is even opened?"
"You think those people I contacted will only speak to me? Even if you take my place, they probably won't accept you—they trust me, Zhang San!" Zachary slammed the table. "You all live comfortably in Six Saints Town, eating well and enjoying life. Do you have any idea how hard I've fought to protect everything here? Do you know what the outside world is like? Aren't you afraid the secret will leak and the gold mine can't be hidden anymore? Maybe you haven't heard—there's no emperor or dynasty out there now, and all mining is illegal for private citizens! If we're exposed, we'll lose everything, and we'll end up in jail!"
At that moment, Henry Zhang finally spoke up: "Enough. Stop arguing."
Everyone in the courtyard turned to look at Henry Zhang.
Henry Zhang was over seventy this year and not in the best health.
Without modern medicine, living to seventy was already impressive.
Still, his years of authority were undeniable.
"Dad, please say something fair!" Edward Zhang and Zachary Zhang urged together.
Henry Zhang lifted his eyelids and said, "You all know what Six Saints Town used to be like. I'm not biased toward Zachary—he's just truly capable. Twenty years ago, all we had was a bit of grain and a few sheepskins, and even then, we barely made any money. But now? Every one of you is well-fed and well-dressed. And don't forget, many of the things you use at home were brought back from the outside world by Zachary, after much hardship. Don't forget where you came from."
Several elders looked uncomfortable.
Someone spoke up, "That's not quite fair. We've all seen how hard Zachary works. But rules are rules—his achievements and mistakes can't be mixed together. That's just how it is. Sure, our lives are better, but Zachary's life is even better. So all his hard work has benefited him too."
Edward Zhang gave the elder an approving look and continued, "That's right, Dad. I trust Zachary's abilities, but he's been keeping everything to himself all these years. Who's he trying to guard against?"
"Too many people just cause chaos. I'm doing this for everyone's sake," Zachary Zhang frowned. "Big brother, I know what you're after. You just want the route to the outside world, right? Well, let me be clear—I'll never reveal it lightly. That's Six Saints Town's lifeline, and it must be protected at all costs."
"Call it stingy if you want, but don't drag the town's lifeline into it," Edward Zhang retorted. "I suggest we open the Divine Temple early this year and choose a new leader. If Zachary can't handle things, let someone else do it!"
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"I agree with opening the Divine Temple early. It's right after the summer harvest, so everyone has time."
"I don't think we need to wait for the harvest—let's open the Divine Temple as soon as possible. It'll help us deal with the mine collapse quickly."
"Deal with what? Just give the families some money and be done with it! People die every year—this time it's just a few dozen more." One of Zachary Zhang's teammates said carelessly, "They're just a bunch of paupers. If some die, we'll just get new ones. There are plenty of people in Six Saints Town—it's not hard to find miners."
"Enough! Silence!" Henry Zhang slammed the table. "I'm not dead yet!"
Everyone in the courtyard fell silent.
Henry Zhang made the final decision: "We'll open the Divine Temple after the summer harvest. Zachary—"
"Dad." Zachary Zhang quickly went over and supported Henry Zhang's hand.
"First, deal with the gold mine issue. You're right—the contacts are yours, and no one can take that credit from you," Henry Zhang said. "Until the Divine Temple is opened, you'll stay in charge. But if the gods don't choose you, you must hand over the route selflessly."
Zachary Zhang's face darkened, but he still nodded, "Yes, Dad."
"Edward," Henry Zhang turned to his eldest son, "I know you've felt wronged all these years, but there's nothing more to say now. Zachary's shared a fair amount of wealth with you—that's compensation enough."
"Dad, I..." Edward Zhang wanted to argue, but his son tugged his sleeve, so he fell silent.
"Grandpa's right," Eric Zhang said. "Dad and I just wanted an explanation. We all recognize what Uncle Zachary's done for the family. Grandpa sees things more clearly than we do—if there's anything wrong, he'll point it out."
Seeing his eldest grandson so sensible, Henry Zhang's expression softened. He turned to the elders, "We're all Zhang Family here—no need to fight. Over the years, Zachary's given you plenty of respect and gifts, hasn't he? It doesn't matter who leads; what matters is how much they share. We're all old now, fighting over scraps for the kids' sake. Don't worry. As long as I'm alive, whether it's Zachary or Edward, no one's getting shortchanged."
The elders, seeing their goal achieved, relaxed. "Yes, yes, we just wanted to ask about the mine collapse—nothing else."
"That's enough. Everyone go," Henry Zhang waved his hand and left the courtyard.
After everyone else had left, Edward Zhang quietly asked his son, "Why did you stop me from finishing what I was saying?"
"Dad, can't you see? Grandpa is clearly favoring Uncle Zachary!" Eric Zhang said darkly. "There's no point in arguing right now."
"So we just give up?"
"Give up? No way! Twenty years ago, Uncle Zachary broke your leg so you couldn't go to the Divine Temple. If he played dirty first, we can play dirty too. When the time comes, we'll make sure he can't go either! If Uncle Zachary is absent, even Grandpa's favoritism won't matter." Eric Zhang said, "We still need to win over those elders. When it's time to fight for that position, we'll have an advantage."
Edward Zhang relaxed, "You're right."
Suddenly, Edward Zhang's expression changed. He looked up at the roof, "Who's there? Who's up there!"
The next second, Eric Zhang immediately had someone bring a ladder and personally climbed up to check the roof.
A gentle breeze blew by.
The rooftop was empty.
After looking around to make sure, Eric Zhang slowly climbed down. "Dad, there's no one."
Edward Zhang breathed a sigh of relief, "Whatever happened today, it must not get out. If word gets out, the Zhang Family is finished."