Beastmaster of the Ages

Right as Tianming finished speaking, someone clapped loudly. ”Well said!” Lin Xiong roared, causing around a third of the astral gods present to clap as well. Even those outside the Myriadsword Mausoleum could hear Tianming’s proclamation and cheered as passionately as they could.

”I have a feeling that the Swordgod Lin Clan’s bravery, unity, and passion has finally returned,” Dongshen Yue said, blankly looking at Tianming.

”Yes. This is what we should actually look like,” Lin Xiao said.

It went without saying that Lin Jie was the most awkward person out of everyone there. ”Well said. I hope you live up to your words.” He squinted at Tianming before stepping off the altar. ”Lin Xiong, it’s your turn.” At least he was courteous enough to ask Lin Xiong to step up.

The big, burly man ignored him and waited for him to step down. Then he got up on the platform and held Tianming’s arm up high, transferring two and a half million merit points to him. It was finally here! Seeing the long row of numbers on his disciple card made him feel so much joy that he almost fainted.

”Alright, go back down and enjoy the afterglow,” Lin Xiong said, giving him a push.

Tianming quickly stepped down. Then seven council members ascended to the altar, Lin Changkong included. Lin Jie and the others, on the other hand, remained below. The crucial moment was here.

Lin Changkong addressed the hundreds of thousands of astral gods in the mausoleum, as well as the countless disciples of the clan watching from outside. ”Lin Xiao of the second branch has rendered great merit for the sake of the clan, more than any of us can possibly lay claim to! After that, he was excommunicated from the council for failing to raise his son well. By now, he’s been mired in regret for nearly a century. But not only has he earned the recognition of the former master of the second branch to become his heir, he’s also managed to raise an amazing swordgod disciple like Lin Feng. His accomplishments are not to be overlooked! As such, the seven of us submit the motion to allow Lin Xiao to return to the council, bearing the Sword in the Forest, so that he may continue serving and bring us to a bright new future!”

The time had finally come. Nobody was more suited to deliver these words than Lin Changkong. Lin Xiong, for instance, was already quite old. With his waning powers, his words also held less weight.

”We object!” said two voices of dissent. People turned and saw Lin Yun and Lin Ziqing, who had suddenly rushed back. They rushed into the Myriadsword Mausoleum, expressions horrible.

The moment he entered, Lin Yun said, ”There’s no precedent in our clan’s entire history of reinstating excommunicated council members!”

”That’s right. Lin Xiao failed in raising a good son. His grave error caused us to lose the Ancestral Swordheart and brought much suffering to all of us! Even if he had ten lifetimes to atone for it, it wouldn’t be enough to make up for his wrongs! Allowing someone like him to return to the council is an affront to the ancestors!” Lin Ziqing yelled.

It wasn’t a surprise that they were objecting. After all, if Lin Xiao returned to the council, the reformists would be at a severe disadvantage. The whole reason Lin Jie had wanted to suppress Tianming in the first place was that Tianming’s rise would also help Lin Xiao’s reputation recover. What Lin Changkong had proposed was the thing Lin Jie was worried about the most.

Lin Jie took his side, standing with Lin Yun, Lin Ziqing, and four other council members. They were all much younger members who took Lin Jie’s side, coming from the third, fourth, fifth, and eighth branches respectively, and representing the reformist faction.

It was a stalemate—seven for and seven against. Back then, Lin Changkong had been a fencesitter between the reformists and traditionalists, making it rather unreliable for either side to get a certain outcome during votes. Lin Jie and the rest got Lin Chongjing into the council and attempted to get him on their side as well in an attempt to gain a simple majority and break the balance. Incidentally, the number-one elite of the clan that resided in Gladeus didn’t join the council out of pride, so he didn’t affect the clan’s affairs in any significant manner. He was probably too busy ruling his own world.

The fourteen council members continued arguing in the Myriadsword Mausoleum about Lin Xiao’s readmission into the council. Lin Jie looked Lin Xiao in the eye and addressed the crowd, ”I respect the second patriarch’s accomplishments, as well as his being chosen by the Sword in the Forest. However, someone still has to be held accountable for the loss of the Ancestral Swordheart. If this precedent is to be established today, our clan will be reduced to a joke.”

”Not letting a passionate, powerful, and responsible old man contribute to the clan is the real joke!” Lin Changkong said. He had been expecting this conflict the entire time. He turned his golden eyes back to the three hundred thousand astral gods, before looking further to meet the gazes of all the cultivators watching from outside. ”Since the council is evenly split on the matter, we’ll resort to the conventions established in the house rules: a referendum! All members of the clan will have a say in the future of the second patriarch! He’s loyal and brave, and would even give his life for the clan! Whether he gets an opportunity to do so will depend on all of you!”

It was the key moment! The crowd burst into a commotion after the announcement.

”We’ll make the call!”

”Vote on it!”

”Let’s start counting right away!”

A vote of ’yes’ or ’no’ was far too simple, so all nine branches of the clan immediately started the voting process. It took place at the entrance of Myriadsword Mausoleum; there was no more surveilled area in the clan than that. The voter turnout far, far outstripped that of the council successor override of the second branch. The vote back then had concerned stripping Lin Xiao of his position as master of the second branch, but the current vote sought to make him a member of the council again!

The members of the nine branches all had their own thoughts on the matter. It wasn’t a given that all members in the second branch would support their patriarch. The inverse was true with the third branch, as well. Not everyone there agreed with Lin Yun, especially considering his recent embarrassing actions. Recent events had opened the eyes of many people to the truth of current affairs.

The voting process lasted four hours. People were all nervously awaiting the results, Tianming among them. Eventually, it was ready. Everyone witnessed the announcements.

”Eight-tenths of the first branch support the second patriarch’s reinstatement! All members of the second branch support the motion! Three-tenths of the third branch support the motion! Half of the fourth branch support the motion! One-fifth of the fifth branch support the motion!”

By the time people heard that a fifth of the fifth branch were for Lin Xiao’s reinstatement, they were more or less assured that Lin Xiao would be reinstated. It was the will of the people! Not even the fifth branch master would be able to ensure that all their members voted against it!

”All of the sixth branch support the motion!” That was quite a shocking result as well; Lin Xiong’s camaraderie was on full display.

”Seventh Branch: three-tenths. Eighth Branch: half. Ninth Branch: nine-tenths! In total, approximately seventy-five percent of the entire clan supports the reinstatement of the second patriarch as a member of the council! Let’s congratulate him together!”

The crowd cheered at the sound of the final announcement.