After Lurans made his promise, a new round of arguments erupted in the great hall of Wushan Fortress.
It was mainly up to Wiggin, along with Negan and the other two Knights, to finalize the compensation plan, and of course, there was plenty of haggling.
From that point on, no one wasted another breath on Ronin, as if he had nothing to do with the matter at all.
'So I really am just a disposable tool.'
Ronin muttered to himself. He'd listened to the first few exchanges of the argument in the hall, but his attention was soon stolen by the aching pain in his legs.
His predecessor had been drowning in wine and women every day. His body was in terrible shape, completely worn out.
If he could, he would have stood up and left the hall right then and there.
But it wasn't the right time.
He had survived the immediate crisis, but he had no idea what fate awaited him next.
Generally, a noble stripped of their inheritance was either sent to a smaller city to manage the family's assets, or kept in the castle like a pet. Of course, the more unfortunate ones were stripped of their family name and exiled, or even met a violent end.
'So what fate is waiting for me?'
'Anything is fine, as long as I'm not thrown in a dungeon or placed under house arrest.'
The arguments lasted for over an hour before Negan and the other two Knights left the fortress, satisfied with the outcome.
Barring any surprises, officials from both sides would later supplement the specific details and draft a formal contract.
At that moment, Ronin, still kneeling on the floor with numb legs, forced himself to focus.
'The outsiders are gone. It's my turn now.'
Wushan Fortress fell silent for a long moment. Then, Wiggin angrily snatched the Crystal Cup beside him and hurled it in front of Ronin. It shattered with a loud CRASH.
"It's because of you that the family had to pay such a heavy price!"
Ronin wanted to retort, 'Your son already paid with his life,' but he didn't dare say it out loud.
The Old Marquis, from his high seat, shot a look at the son he so disapproved of and questioned in a cold voice, "And how are you any better than Ronin? *Cough... cough...*"
"As a battlefield commander, you dared to divide your forces without even knowing the enemy's strength. You even agreed to let Slant, who's in charge of logistics, lead a charge. Is your head filled with horse manure?"
"*Cough, cough... cough, cough, cough!*"
The more he spoke, the angrier he became, and the Old Marquis descended into a fit of violent coughing.
Wiggin had a short fuse, but faced with his father's criticism, he could only shrink back sullenly and sit in his chair without another word.
"Sigh!"
After calming down, Lurans heaved a heavy sigh. It seemed his good-for-nothing son still hadn't grasped the deeper meaning behind Selena's suicide. His political instincts were simply too dull.
If his eldest son, Gremes, were here, he wouldn't have these troubles.
Lurans shifted his gaze to the still-kneeling Ronin. Perhaps out of boredom, he asked offhandedly, "Ronin, my grandson, what are your thoughts on this matter?"
He sighed internally. The personality of this eldest grandson of his was a carbon copy of a young Wiggin.
No, he was even worse. At least Wiggin had mastered Fighting Qi, while Ronin was just a Mortal.
Hearing the Marquis question him, Ronin raised his head.
He didn't understand why Lurans would ask him such a question, but he knew that how he answered could affect his future.
"A conspiracy! This is a conspiracy!"
His predecessor wasn't the brightest, so he tried to be as vague as possible.
"Although I don't remember what happened that night, Selena and I had mutual feelings for each other. Even if something had happened between us, she would never have killed herself. There's definitely a conspiracy behind this!"
A flash of surprise crossed Lurans's eyes. 'This grandson of mine actually has such insight?'
'And at a time like this, shouldn't a boy who just lost his inheritance be on his knees, wailing in endless regret and sorrow?'
"Get up, my grandson. Tell me, what kind of conspiracy do you suspect?"
Ronin breathed a sigh of relief. Grimacing against the pain, he slowly got to his feet. The corporal punishment was finally over.
He thought for a moment, organizing his words.
"Grandfather, I believe someone assassinated Selena and framed me to sow discord between our family and the Hyde Clan. Their goal is to make Wushan Territory more unstable and restless, ultimately aiming to break it apart!"
In truth, he was more inclined to believe it was a conspiracy by the Hyde Clan itself. However, that was a deeper level of analysis, not something his predecessor could have conceived of, so he offered a simpler explanation.
Yet even this simpler theory earned a nod from Lurans. "To have even this level of awareness shows you're a bit brighter than your father, Wiggin."
Wiggin looked as if he wanted to object but held his tongue. 'Has the old man gone senile? This foolish son is smarter than me?'
'Trying to sow discord between the Hyde and Wushan clans? As he saw it, Ronin was just spouting nonsense.'
"There's some truth to what you say."
Lurans smiled, gesturing for Ronin to take a seat to the side.
In his heart, he was already beginning to doubt whether Selena was even of the Hyde Clan's bloodline.
But there was no need to voice his own suspicions.
"Letting Bretton inherit is fine as well. The little guy is only thirteen and has already formed a Fighting Qi Spirit Seed. His future accomplishments will certainly surpass yours. Furthermore, with the Hyde Clan's support, our family will continue to hold a firm grip on the Wushan Territory."
Ronin's expression flickered as he began to understand.
'Perhaps from the very beginning, the Old Marquis knew exactly what the Hyde Clan was after.'
'The Old Marquis looked down on Wiggin and he looked down on my predecessor. So, once he saw through the Hyde Clan's intentions, he simply went with the flow and stripped me of my inheritance rights.'
'Rather than let the Wushan Territory fall apart after his death, it was better to let the Hyde Clan offer their full support. At least the lord of the Wushan Territory would still bear the Wushan name.'
That was why, from beginning to end, Lurans had shown no anger toward Ronin, not even a hint of blame.
This put Ronin's mind at ease. 'Maybe I can use this—losing my inheritance—to ask for some benefits?'
"Losing your inheritance rights might actually be a good thing for you."
Lurans continued, "Even without inheritance rights, you are still a child of the Wushan Clan. You can live out your days in this castle without any issue."
'Live out my days?'
Ronin was still young. After all the trouble of transmigrating, he had no desire to live a predictable life in this castle, where he could see his entire future laid out before him.
'Besides, being at the center of this maelstrom, I could lose my life at any moment. It's better to leave as soon as possible.'
"Grandfather, I don't want to just live out my days in the castle!"
The words had barely left Ronin's mouth when Wiggin exploded in anger. "What? Is the clan feeding and housing you not enough? Believe it or not, I'll throw you out of the family myself!"
But Lurans just chuckled and asked, "Oh? Then what is it you want to do?"
That single question choked the rage Wiggin was about to unleash, leaving him feeling incredibly frustrated.
But it was precisely because the old man had shown no anger or blame from start to finish that Ronin felt he had an opportunity to ask for something.
Of course, asking directly wouldn't be wise. He needed to put on a bit of a show with his words.
Ronin's expression immediately turned desolate, the very picture of someone heartbroken and full of regret.
"Grandfather, Father... because of the foolish mistake I made, the family has paid such a heavy price. From yesterday until now, I've been filled with nothing but guilt and self-reproach!"
As he spoke, Ronin rubbed his eyes forcefully, the irritation forcing a few tears to well up at the corners.
"I don't want to be a useless freeloader who just eats the family's food! I want to atone for my mistake. I want to manage one of the family's properties. I'd even be willing to go to a small town in a remote region as a Baron and earn profits for the family!"
Without a Noble Title, Ronin was still a nobleman.
But with a Noble Title, he could activate his Golden Finger.
That was his true goal.
"You actually want me to grant you the title of Baron?"
Wiggin was so angry his beard seemed to bristle. "Let you manage a town? Do you even have the ability?"
"Hahaha! *Cough, cough, cough...*"
Lurans's laughter turned into coughing. He was too tired today; his old injuries left him exhausted.
"It's rare for you to have such a mindset. Your idea isn't bad. And the fact that you sensed a conspiracy behind Selena's death proves you're not as foolish as I thought."
At this, the Old Marquis paused. "I can give you a chance."
He looked at his son. "Wiggin, pick a remote town for Ronin. Let him try his hand. Even if he mismanages it, it's of no great consequence."
Most importantly, it would get Ronin far away from Wushan City, which was good for everyone.
Ronin smiled. He was more than happy to get away from the center of this maelstrom.
"Thank you, Grandfather! I'll be sure to manage it well and live up to the family's gift!"
But Wiggin's expression soured. "Father, you're spoiling him. This boy is only interested in a life of pleasure. We've just returned from war, and those who earned merits haven't even been rewarded yet. To grant a fief to Ronin first... it's not right!"
Lurans didn't comment further on the matter. Instead, he leaned on his cane and slowly rose to his feet, preparing to leave.
"My health is failing. I estimate I only have two or three years left before I die. As the Count of Wushan City and the future heir to the Wushan Territory, can you not learn to think more objectively about things?"
Wiggin fell silent. He didn't understand why his father had suddenly lost his temper with him.
But looking at his father's increasingly gaunt frame, he felt a bitter pang in his heart.
A Knight at the Meteor Peak level could normally live to be at least 110, but a grievous injury Lurans suffered thirty years ago had left his body in extremely poor condition. Now, at 75, he was nearing his limit.
"Fine, Father!"
Wiggin sighed, and after a moment's thought, said, "Then let Ronin serve as the Baron of Mountain Forest Town and manage it for us. That way, the men who earned merits won't have too many complaints."
'Mountain Forest Town?'
Ronin's ears perked up. There was no information about Mountain Forest Town in his predecessor's memories; it must be a remote place.
'But what did Wiggin mean by that last sentence? Why wouldn't the men who earned merits have many complaints?'
Lurans's footsteps faltered for a moment, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he remained silent.
"As you wish."
With that, the Old Marquis continued on his way out of the great hall.
Just then, Ronin broke into a smile. In his line of sight, the line of text had changed:
[Noble Title acquired. System is activating...]
"Grandfather, let me help you!"
Ronin grinned and hurried over. He was incredibly grateful to the old man.
"Heh, you're a bit more considerate than you used to be."
At the same time, Lurans sighed to himself. 'If you had changed sooner, perhaps I wouldn't have had to strip you of your inheritance.'
But it was all too late.