Beastmaster of the Ages

Soon, people came to take Lin Xiaopo away. They didn’t say anything and kept their expressions cold. After all, the child had lost fair and square. Nobody in the arena would doubt such a result, for that would only be an even more embarrassing display.

Tianming turned and looked at the higher viewing platform, finding the atmosphere there to be rather dour. ”Fifth Branch Master Lin Jie, eh? He used to be my grandpa’s disciple, yet he wanted to kill him right after taking the position as master of his branch? How heartless can he be?” His eyebrows did give off a completely unfeeling personality, though his facial features contrasted against them and gave him an air of gentlemanly fairness.

”I can only wonder what goes through his mind....” The Lin Clan was really large, so there were bound to be good and bad people in it. Tianming simply categorized those that were against his grandparents as enemies.

The Lin Clan disciples in the arena had been completely defeated by Tianming’s three young ’wives’. Once Lin Xiaopo had been escorted away, the remaining young ones gathered together with sour looks, not saying a word with their heads lowered. Perhaps they felt embarrassed at having cheered for Lin Xiaopo and talking down on Lin Feng’s wives. The truth turned out to be exactly the opposite of what they had expected. Their parents might even feel just as shameful or disappointed. By now, the daisy ranking’s competition no longer mattered.

Feiling, Xiaoxiao, and Moran had all made it into the top four, and Xiaoxiao’s performance in particular had come as quite a surprise for Tianming. She was the one who had fought the hardest, using all the methods at her disposal to make it through.

For three of the top four ranks to be occupied by outsiders who married into the clan, history had been made. Normally, few women in Ebonia would marry that early, let alone outsiders who married into the clan. By now, as Lin Xiaoxiao only coincidentally had the same surname as the clan and was thus still considered an outsider, at least half of the top four didn’t bear the Lin surname.

”Guess the top three spots of the ranking will be settled next.”

The other person in the top four was a male disciple from the Third Branch, a first-level stellaminor. Fortunately, Xiaoxiao hadn’t run into her, but Moran instead, who faked a loss to allow her to advance in the ranking. If that weren’t the case, she might have eventually matched up against the Lin Clan disciple and lost to him in the fight for third place.

Needless to say, Feiling took first place and would be greatly rewarded, on top of gaining the status of a grade-four disciple. Coupled with her status in the clan, which allowed her to gain privileges of two grades higher, she was allowed to enter the sixth level of the Caeli Vault. That was where most disciples of the clan wanted to go—even Lin Xiaopo—but losing at the point he had meant his dreams had been dashed.

As Xiaoxiao had managed to get second place, she was allowed to enter the fifth level thanks to her privileges being elevated by a grade as a concubine of an heir. As for the fight to determine third and fourth places, Moran naturally won, making her a grade-four disciple as well. Lastly, all three of them got merit points for taking the top three. First place got a thousand, second place got six hundred, and third place was awarded three hundred! Tianming was all too happy for them, especially since the wealth of the wives were also considered part of the household wealth in which he could partake! ”Their money is also my money! Hahaha!”

There was a particularly addictive feeling to having his ‘wives’ earn money for him. Not to mention, their victories had also qualified them for eleven myriadstar manna! And apart from Xiaoxiao, the rest didn’t need any of it. Moran did have a whale lifebound beast bound by a blood pact, but its bloodline was still far too weak for it to use manna of that caliber.

It was one thing for Dongshen Yue to use her amassed merit points to get Tianming precious manna from the clan treasury, which would no doubt be stopped, but nobody could stop her from giving Tianming anything that was already in her possession. The clan had a record of all transactions made with merit points to verify that. In the case of these rewards, there was nothing that could stop people in the same household from transferring ownership of them.

”At the end of the day, I became the biggest winner without having to lift a finger.” While the other two weren’t his wives, they basically worked for him anyway, so what was the harm? Tianming was starting to see a bright future for himself within the clan. ”I’ll have to reward you all tonight!”

Tianming happily charged toward them once the ranking was settled, drawing many envious and disdainful looks.

”Hey, we already discussed it and decided that the merit points are our own private funds to spend. Forget about getting your hands on them,” Xiaoxiao warned.

”Haha, Xiaoxiao, you’re my maidservant! Maidservants don’t hold private funds! Looks like someone needs a spanking...” Tianming said, widening his eyes.

”No means no!”

They were rebelling.

......

All five elites on the higher viewing platform watched the proceedings. Many disciples of the clan felt their confidence take a huge hit and moved aside, merely shooting odd looks at Tianming and the rest. Their parents, meanwhile, kept softly muttering to one another with gloomy expressions.

”You said that genius wondermancer wasn’t raised on Ebonia?” Lin Jie said, turning to look at Lin Xiao.

”Her birthplace doesn’t really matter. What matters is that she’s one of my Feng’er’s wives,” Lin Xiao said, smiling.

”What a bright future...” Lin Xiaoyun said with an odd tone.

”It isn’t just bright. At the very least, she’s better than your six-six talent,” Dongshen Yue said, rolling her eyes. Not far from her, Lin Wuyi had her head lowered, her face twisted into an ugly grimace. She had been keeping silent for quite a while.

”Of course! Even Little Po’s self-esteem has crumbled,” Lin Jie said, smiling as he shook his head while rising to a stand. Suddenly, he descended from the platform and landed before Tianming and the others.

Tianming stood protectively in front of the girls, who unconsciously got behind him. The moment he met Lin Jie’s gaze, he felt as if every single albus in his body had been pierced by a sword. The sharp pain told him of the danger that man posed to him. He was far more threatening than Etherean Zhaohua! Fortunately, all Lin Jie did was stare. Lin Xiao and Dongshen Yue also immediately appeared beside him to take part of that pressure.

”Jiang Feiling, Weisheng Moran, and Lin Xiaoxiao, the three of you are now grade-four disciples. Your talent has been recognized by the clan. From tomorrow onward, you’ll study in the Infinitum Class,” Lin Jie said with a smile.

They didn’t know what that entailed, so they kept silent.

Lin Jie proceeded to explain, ”The Infinitum Class is reserved only for the very best in our clan. I and five other members of the clan council give personal guidance to students of that class to forge them into the future pillars of our clan. Students there receive the best guidance and resources. It was Little Po’s dream to join the Infinitum Class before the age of thirty, but he lost to you. However, his loss was well deserved.”

Right as he finished speaking, Dongshen Yue waved a rejection. ”Enough. These three are my granddaughters-in-law. I’ll teach them myself. You and your cronies aren’t required. Let your son join the Infinitum Class.” She turned to the girls and said, ”Let’s go.”

”Granny Dongshen, that won’t do. All infinitum-class geniuses of the clan have joined the Infinitum Class. We’re best equipped to instruct them,” Lin Jie calmly said.

”Leave.” Dongshen Yue turned back to him with a less than amicable look. She hated having to fake politeness, and she knew very well what kind of person Lin Jie was.

”I know that you’re afraid we’ll put too much pressure on the children, Granny, but don’t worry. They’re members of our clan and will be treated with utmost fairness in the Infinitum Class.”

”Don’t bother. It’s pointless,” Lin Xiao said.

”Do you share the same opinion, Second Patriarch?” Lin Jie asked.

The old couple merely stared at him, then Dongshen Yue said, ”We fully know what you intend to do. There’s no point in pretending.”

”Very well! Since the two of you doubt my intent of giving our clan’s geniuses the best, I won’t insist. I leave these three’s futures to the two of you. However, you two will also be held responsible if they fail to procure the resources and guidance required to fulfill their full potential.”

”That’s enough nonsense from you for one day.” Dongshen Yue simply turned around and ignored him, leaving for good. Tianming and the rest followed without hesitation and set off in the mini ship.

......

After they left, Lin Xiaoyun and Lin Wuyi joined Lin Jie.

Lin Wuyi said, ”Brother Jie, I have an idea.”

”Let’s hear it.”

”The talent of those three girls isn’t in any doubt, especially the wondermancer. Putting aside how they came to us, they’re now in Dongshen Yue’s hands.”

”What about it?”

”Lin Feng is how you can get to them.”

”What do you mean?”

”I don’t know how he managed to trick those three girls, but he’s as good as crippled! His pathetic mediocrity isn’t something that can easily be changed. He merely relies on his decades of seniority to just barely keep those girls in line, but in time, the gap between their talents will show more and more. Do you think Lin Feng will be able to tame them once they’re much more powerful than him?”

”It doesn’t sound likely,” Lin Jie said.

Lin Xiaoyun said, ”People are always aiming higher. While young girls are easily tricked, there’ll be a day when they snap out of it. Swans can’t spend their lives with a mere duckling forever.”

Lin Wuyi nodded. ”Our clan has many youths that’re far more talented than Lin Feng, not to mention their charm. When those three girls spread their wings in the Infinitum Swordsea, those youths will have a chance to... poach them. While they’ve no doubt been spoiled by that talentless trash, surely some of the boys will bite.”

Lin Jie nodded. ”I wanted to brainwash them in the Infinitum Class and open their eyes to reality. At the same time, I also wanted to give our clan’s youths a chance to mingle with them. It’s a shame that Dongshen Yue knew what I was planning.”

”Hehehe.... Honestly speaking, even if that old woman keeps an eye on those girls, she won’t be able to stop their hearts from swaying! People change, and as long as they stay here to cultivate, there’ll be many chances. We can perhaps find a few boys and teach them some techniques on how to highlight their superiority compared to Lin Feng,” Lin Wuyi said.

”Very well. I leave this to you. You know how women work,” Lin Jie said.

”Yes, Brother Jie! I’ll get to it!” Lin Wuyi imagined how Dongshen Yue would react in the future and couldn’t stifle her laughter. ”You think you’re some hotshot? Once we poach the three of them, I can’t wait to see you cry!”