章 112: Clan Huo takes action
"...as I was saying, the development of the lizard tide is progressing more slowly and weakly than expected." Huo Xi gestured calmly with his hand in the middle of his words, signaling for a servant to bring more wine.
He elegantly took a sip of his spicy red wine, a specialty of the clan, and continued his conversation. "According to what the scouts reported to me, this could be related to a disruption in the food chain due to the near extinction of the white-chested boar."
Huo You Hua took a sip from his now-full wine glass, refilled by the servant called by Huo Xi, and nodded calmly with a sigh of resignation at these words.
He appeared as an elderly man in good health and posture, still having brown hair and few wrinkles on his face, radiating an aura of vitality, with his belt marked with a "3" above the inscription "Middle."
"It's only a matter of time before the white-chested boar becomes extinct in the wild, which was to be expected..." Huo You Hua said in a heavy voice and a somber expression, finishing his wine until nothing was left. "...In fact, the moment it was discovered that their internal organs and chest could be used both to feed the White Boar Gu and refine it to Rank 2, its extinction was declared on paper and signed by fate."
The servant serving the wine filled Huo You Hua's glass again, which was quickly emptied by the elder, who was publicly regarded as a lover of quality wines.
"Certainly, but fortunately, thanks to Elder Hua's long-standing connections with refining Gu masters, we learned of the news in time to obtain large batches of the boar for domestication..." Huo Xi, saying this, shifted his gaze from Huo You Hua on his right to look at an elder on his left, who was speaking softly to another elder.
"If it's not too presumptuous, I would like to inquire in detail with Elder Ji about how this domestication is going?" Huo Xi asked with a courteous smile he had perfected over the years as an elder.
"Well—" Before Huo Pei Ji could begin his words, the meeting room door was opened by an old man with a white beard and wise appearance.
"My deepest apologies for the delay, but my duties at the academy keep me busy most of the day..." Huo Zhi quickly spoke without pausing, not even taking a breath between words. "...So, in the little time I have to instruct my grandson in Gu cultivation and refinement, I ordered my servants not to interrupt me, which they did not dare to do."
But despite his haste, his overall appearance, as well as his white clothing, was meticulously arranged, as was his belt with the inscription "3" above the word "Initial."
"In fact, if it hadn't been for my son coming to inform me of the meeting's convocation, I would still be educating my grandson!" Finally finishing his words, which were quickly spoken in just a few seconds, Huo Zhi took a deep breath.
Hearing this, all the elders nodded calmly and spoke soft words to express their understanding, as they were also busy men and genuinely understood Huo Zhi's situation.
And in truth, although he had arrived late to the meeting, it was not by more than half an hour, which was not enough to cause dissatisfaction among the other elders.
"Oh, little Zhing is indeed talented. I heard that he is already at Rank 1 peak even before the end of the academic year. Is that correct?" Huo You Hua asked politely while continuing to savor his spicy red wine.
"Indeed, Elder Hua is correct about my grandson's cultivation, and I am truly delighted by my family's good fortune in having such a remarkable young man," Huo Zhi said after bowing slightly to everyone, apologizing for his delay, and then heading to his seat.
Huo You Hua turned to his right, where Huo Zhi sat, and continued speaking in a relaxed manner. "Your joy is not unjustified... In fact, I offer to instruct a talent like young Zhing in the realm of refinement, should Elder Zhi find it appropriate."
"If that is your will, I thank you in advance for instructing my grandson in the art of refinement by a specialist like you, Elder Hua,"*he said, bowing slightly, as dictated by clan etiquette.
"I would also like to apologize, especially to the clan leader, for making her waste her precious time..." He turned to the clan leader and bowed respectfully to her.
She was a beautiful woman with pale jade-like skin, red hair tied in a high ponytail, matching her elegant and expensive traditional red dress, which accentuated her long, seductive crossed legs, radiating an aura of elegance as expected from a lady of her authoritative position.
"It's not a problem since this meeting was indeed sudden, and Elder Zhi wasn't very late..." Huo Mei Yan spoke in an elegant and gentle voice that matched her mature appearance as a well-educated lady. "...and given your responsibilities and contributions to the clan's academy, it is understandable."
"Also i, too, was a bit late because I was in a rare closed refinement session that I had to plan weeks in advance to ensure I didn't neglect my responsibilities to the clan..." She said with a gentle smile on her pretty face, capable of making a young man's heart tremble with regret for the soft reprimand from the beautiful lady, "...but I was interrupted when the meeting was called by Elder Xi."
But Huo Xi, being the old fox he was, was unaffected by the beauty of the clan leader, who at only thirty years old was young enough to be his daughter, so he quickly replied:
"My most sincere apologies for interrupting Leader Yan's cultivation. It is truly a privilege for the clan to have such a talented leader who, at only thirty, is already a Rank 3 peak-stage Gu master." Huo Xi spoke with a tone of respect on the surface, while constantly gesturing with his hand.
"If anything, I am certain that if Leader Yan continues at this pace, she will soon reach Rank 4! This would undoubtedly bring happiness and celebration to the entire clan, wouldn't it?" Saying this, he looked around at all the clan elders, who nodded with smiles and faces of agreement.
But apart from Huo Zhi, who was from the clan leader's faction, he did not believe any of those smiles were genuine, for at this point it was an unspoken rule among all the clan elders that the leader's breakthrough to Rank 4 would be an undesirable outcome for them. And they would use their political influence to prevent the clan leader from entering long-term closed cultivation.
To ordinary clan members with no understanding of politics, this might seem nonsensical and could even be seen as an act of betrayal, as it hindered the clan's strengthening.
But the elders knew that this "strengthening" would only mean a greater centralization of power in the hands of the clan leader and her faction, which would strip many benefits and authority from opposing elders while declaring it for the greater good of the clan and the dignity of righteous paths.
"So why would I or any other elder treat Leader Yan's cultivation lightly?" Huo Xi put on a face of such convincing helplessness and melancholy that he might even believe it himself. "I say, if it were not a matter of true urgency, I would never dare to commit such an act of betrayal against the clan!"
Huo Mei Yan, who listened to these words with an expressionless face, sighed with a bit of helplessness, seeing all the elders, as if in tacit agreement, nodding in agreement with Huo Xi's story and then giving polite words of support. Only Huo Zhi remained silent, bit stil not daring to go against the general agreement of the elders.
'Ahh, greedy old bastards who act righteous but sacrifice the greater good of the clan for petty interests...' She thought in her heart while maintaining an elegant smile and speaking friendly words to Huo Xi. '...When I successfully break through to Rank 4, I will make sure to put all of you in line!'
An elderly woman with light red hair that falls elegantly over her shoulders, covered by a long, modest dress as expected of a grandma, but one that does not completely hide her curvaceous body, complementing her beautiful face without a single wrinkle, even with her advanced age, which is one of the highest in this room.
"Oh my, and what a urgent situation! A Rank 3 demonic Gu Master wandering through clan lands is truly concerning," Huo Li Li says coquettishly as she opens her luxurious fan with floral designs. "I wonder why it is that whenever Elder Xi calls for a meeting, bad news always seems to follow?"
Huo Li Li still has a coquettish smile that blends perfectly with her innocent tone, making one wonder how many young mans hearts she stole in her youth, or, looking at how her beauty has not diminished with age but rather taken on a mature air, how many hearts she continues to steal now.
"Bad news is always hard to hear, but someone must bring it, right?" Huo Xi doesn't care about the old woman's tone and continues to speak with dignity. "And as it is, I am willing to bear this burden for the good of the clan."
"Indeed, it is a great contribution to the clan, for without Elder Xi's work, we would not have been aware of such a dangerous demonic Gu Master!" Huo Pei Ji places great emphasis on his words while looking around, seeking everyone's agreement.
Seeing that most gave the courteous smiles that Huo Pei Ji knows are mostly false, he continues, "Such is his danger that he managed to outsmart and completely defeat the group of Gu Masters sent by Elder Xi."
"But I do not blame you, Elder Xi as you acted alone without thinking deeply or taking the necessary time for us, the other elders, to offer our assistance..." he says, with a look of pity and concern that appears honest but lacks any sincerity. "How could the outcome be different?"
"...I think I speak for all the clan elders when I say that Elder Xi need not take such harsh actions without the liberty of asking us for assistance to avoid similar occurrences in the future."
Huo Xi forces a calm smile on his face while looking at the elder, who still maintains his gentle smile, as if he were nothing more than an honest friend trying to help another.
"Truly, the fiasco of the team's defeat should be attributed to me since I was the one who organized and sent them..." He puts on a sincerely helpless expression. "...But unfortunately, my hand was forced to act in this hasty manner due to the exceptional case of a demonic Gu Master roaming freely through the clan's lands."
"And as your representatives not only attended the decision-making moment but also harmoniously conveyed their agreement with my actions, it would be wrong to consider this solely my decision..."
The aura in the clan hall quickly becomes heavy as the clan elders face each other with sincere smiles, like the best of friends.
"Well, what we need now, and the reason this meeting was called, is to take action!" Huo Mei Yan quickly breaks the silence, advancing the discussion to where it needs to go, using her authority as the clan leader.
And at this point, the pragmatism of the old foxes who are the clan elders was shown as they began to discuss in an orderly and technical manner the information they had obtained so far about the demonic Gu Master.
Because of the various deductions, not only did they infer more information but also questioned the veracity of what they already possessed, as well as discussed courses of action the clan should take or the intentions behind the demonic Gu Master's actions.
Not only that, but the elders spoke with total sincerity about their thoughts regarding the presented strategies and openly discussed their publicly known abilities and trump cards that could be used to handle this situation.
In this environment, where so many words were spoken every second that they could cause a headache to a young person, it didn't take long for all the elders to see the sun setting silently on the horizon, making way for the elegant moon to rise.
"Well... it seems we have reached the end of this meeting," Huo Mei Yan rubs her temple as she tries to soothe the headache caused by hours of relentless discussion and planning.
"So, to recap the main points, we will put the clan on high alert, preventing the entry and exit of Gu Masters from the clan..." She forces herself to speak, pushing her headache to the bottom of her priority list. "... including those of high authority, requiring inspections to maintain their passage."
She casts her eyes over all the clan elders, who did not want this to become the norm, but after much discussion and persuasion, they accepted it.
"Likewise, we will meticulously relocate the clan's Gu Masters to guard both the walls and the perimeter near the clan..."
And seeing all the elders nodding in agreement, she continues with confidence, "...while, of course, inspecting for anything suspicious, ready for a battle of total intensity should it erupt at any moment."
"As it is of utmost importance to prevent the news of this demonic Gu Master from spreading, the clan's mobilization will be masked with false news of a sudden beast tide, but nothing to worry about..."
Huo Mei Yan pauses to take a deep breath before continuing, "As everyone here can understand, it is of utmost importance to prevent the neighboring clans from using this situation to attack or extort our clan."
"And to deal directly with the demonic Gu Master, we will begin a meticulous investigation into his origin, not leaving even a single hair he left behind unseen."
"And after doing so, we will confront him head-on with a team led by me and all the elders, except Elder Hua and Elder Zhi, who, due to their low combat capabilities, will remain defending the clan."
Both, hearing these words, nod their heads without the slightest dissatisfaction, for not only is this true, but it is also nothing to be ashamed of, as not all Gu Masters are focused on combat, and not only for that reason are they useless, as can be seen with Elder Hua being a master in refinement and Elder Zhi being a master in educating the new generation, which can be considered two activities of even greater importance than fighting on the front lines for the clan.
"Finally, our priority is to reach a peaceful agreement to offer enough benefits to convince the demonic Gu Master to release his hostages and leave the mountain..."
"But if that cannot be achieved or if the requested benefits are unreasonable, we will expel him, showing the ferocity and glory of the righteous path carried by our Huo clan!" Huo Mei Yan says, clenching her fist tightly and wearing a proud and determined expression.
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