Beastmaster of the Ages

”Lin Xiaodao!” Lin Zhongtian charged at him and grabbed him, then pointed at Tianming. In a low voice, he said, ”It’s one thing to betray them, but what’s going on with him?”

”Huh?” Lin Xiaodao stepped back from the crowd and waved Tianming over. Then he followed Lin Zhongtian to the side.

”Lin Feng! Why’s he here?!” Lin Zhongtian said.

Tianming happened to hear what Lin Zhongtian had said and smiled. ”Nice to meet you, Uncle Zhongtian. Let me answer your question!”

Lin Zhongtian coldly glared at him.

”Last time, I was almost killed by Tianxi and the monster from the ancestral world. Ebonia is far too scary, so I quickly cozied up to my master and decided to come to Gladeus instead. It’s for my survival!”

”Then how do you see our betrayal?!” Lin Zhongtian said with grit teeth.

”See? Well, I’ll stand and watch, I guess,” Tianming said with his arms crossed.

Lin Zhongtian was completely speechless.

”Uncle, you don’t get it. We’re only standing up for ourselves and becoming independent. How can you call it a betrayal? We can still maintain a good relationship with the Infinitum Swordsea after forming our own clan. Taking one of them as my disciple is also a form of apology for what we just did!” Lin Xiaodao said. Then he switched to whispering to Lin Zhongtian. ”Shhh! Don’t keep asking. While my disciple is talented, he’s quite stupid! I tricked him into coming here! We only need to brainwash him for a few decades and he’ll be one of us! Not to mention, he’ll be a hostage for us just in case the ones at the Infinitum Swordsea want to cause us trouble, you see.”

”What in the world?!” Once more, Lin Zhongtian was stupefied. Was that even something they could do? He looked at Lin Xiaodao, then at Tianming, who was playing dumb before being pulled back into the crowd. What followed were emotional cheers of celebration.

Lin Xiaodao had someone record his announcement and broadcast it all over Gladeus. It was necessary to sway the masses to his side; he needed to be able to create the narrative that the Skycross Lin Clan was fighting for themselves, not the Infinitum Swordsea, as the people here weren’t particularly invested in their main clan on Ebonia.

Lin Zhongtian and Lin Zhonghai saw the changes to the new Skycross Lin Clan and remained flabbergasted for quite a while. Their dream had just come true.

”Come, Brother, let’s drink to celebrate!” Lin Zhonghai said.

”This isn’t right!” Lin Zhongtian said all of a sudden.

”What isn’t right?” Lin Zhonghai asked, annoyed.

Lin Zhongtian ignored him and pulled Lin Xiaodao away from the crowd again as he was further stoking the flames. ”A moment of your time, please!”

”Alright, everyone! I’ll be back later to drink with you all!” Lin Xiaodao, seemingly drunk, was dragged away by Lin Zhongtian.

”Xiaodao!”

”What’s wrong, oh uncle of mine?”

”Get serious. We’re going to talk business.” Lin Zhongtian grabbed his arm tight. ”If you take Lin Feng as your disciple, many outsiders like the ebons won’t believe that we truly betrayed the Infinitum Swordsea. If they eventually defeat them and Yi Daiyan, they won’t let us off as long as Lin Feng’s here!”

”I know,” Lin Xiaodao said.

”Then why did you bring him here?” Lin Zhongtian asked.

”Uncle, you simply don’t get it. No risk, no reward.”

”Well? Tell me what the reward is!”

”Sheesh, no matter what I tell you, you won’t get it until you see this kid’s talent. You have to witness it for yourself! I’ll be honest. Once he matures, not even ten of me will be able to take him on. He’s definitely someone who’ll take first place on the rex mundi ranking. As long as he’s here, Yi Daiyan won’t be sitting on her throne for long. When that day comes, we’ll be the heroes that took the Ancestral Swordheart back! Even though we’ve cut ties with the Swordgod Lin Clan, as long as we have the Ancestral Swordheart, we’ll be able to maintain some legitimacy, right?”

”Even if he’s able to take it back, he’s still Lin Xiao’s grandson. What would that achievement have to do with the Skycross Lin Clan?”

”Uncle, are you a fool? This child’s only a hundred years old. It’s the best time to brainwash him. If I do him a huge favor and make him indebted to me, there’s no way he won’t pay me back! Just relax. In a few years, I’ll have him so loyal to me you’d think I was his dad. He’ll forget his grandfather then. Not to mention, your family has so many pretty girls, too! Use this chance to tie him to us, won’t you? Let the girls try their luck with him! While my disciple already has a wife and two concubines, it’s almost certain that he’s a playboy. Toss him tens of girls singing his praises all day and birthing countless children for him and it’ll be an accomplished fact. There’s no way he’ll be able to shake himself free by then!”

”Babies? So you want him to be my grandson-in-law?”

”Of course! However, if you want an even closer relationship with him, wed your daughter to him! Then he’ll be your son-in-law! You have a young daughter about his age, right? His girlies are only in their thirties. Maybe he’ll like someone more mature and closer to his age!”

”Nonsense! That would only mess up our seniority! Your disciple would become your cousin-in-law that way!”

”Oh, you’re right!” Lin Xiaodao feigned realization before he laughed and patted Lin Zhongtian’s shoulder. ”Uncle, relax. Watch me work my magic.”

Lin Zhongtian gave it some thought, but eventually shook his head. ”No good!”

”What’s no good?” Lin Xiaodao asked, speechless.

Lin Zhongtian looked at Tianming from a distance. ”You said that he’ll become the first rex mundi, and much stronger than you. However, I haven’t seen his performance with my own eyes. I refuse to believe that a mere first-astral orderan will amount to much. If he’s not that talented, the risk we took would be for naught. It isn’t worth the trouble we’re courting.”

”Didn’t you see the recordings of the battles in the minor ranking event?”

”Who knows what it was really like in that senseless ancestral world? I don’t trust recordings. I want to see it for myself. If his talent can’t convince me, I’ll still insist that you send him back!”

”What do you think, Third Uncle?” Lin Xiaodao asked the chubby man.

”I think the same,” Lin Zhonghai said.

Lin Xiaodao sighed.

”What’re you sighing for?” Lin Zhongitan said.

”Dammit, you’re forcing me to give him a chance to show off again,” Lin Xiaodao said. He snickered and returned to the crowd and stood beside Tianming. Then, he addressed the seventy thousand astral gods.

”What is it, Etherean?” they asked.

”My disciple has something he wishes me to relay for him!”

”What is it?”

Lin Xiaodao cleared his throat. ”He said that everyone here is trash. He looks down on us on behalf of the Infinitum Swordsea, calling us nothing but bumpkins!”

Confused anger began surfacing.