"It has been two months since I arrived in this world," thought 001 as he stood before a group of elders gathered around a round table. The leader of the Xiong clan, with a broad smile on his face, stood at the head of the table, while a rank-3 upper-stage gu master stood to his right.
"At ease!" barked the Xiong clan leader, and everyone except 001 took a seat.
"What is the report on the spies?" the Xiong clan leader turned to the head torturer, who had recently been appointed.
"With the help of our rising star, we have successfully weeded out all the spies," replied Xiong Zhe, casting a glance at 001 with a wide grin and a glint in his eye.
"And what about the runaways?" the Xiong clan leader now looked at the head of Human Resources.
"Ha! Same as the head torturer," chuckled the Human Resources head, also casting a smile and a glint at 001.
"What about our expansion plans to hunt down the nearby wolf dens?" the Xiong clan leader's gaze shifted to 001, his eyes shining with a gleam.
"Our Gu count has increased significantly, thanks to successful trading with other clans. We have acquired many useful earth path Gu that will surely be beneficial to our cause," spoke 001, his tone full of confidence. "The Lightning Wolves are furious with us after our recent expansion into their territory. But they are no match for our human ingenuity."
"I have personally led the charge in hunting down these wolves, and we have successfully eliminated five out of twenty dens. Their leadership is in disarray due to their recent recovery from the last wolf tide. However, we did come across an interesting specimen - a mutant wolf," 001 added, putting his hand on his forehead and shaking it slightly.
The elders listened intently, grinding their teeth in frustration not at 001's failure, but at the fact that these beasts were delaying their plans for dominating their most hated enemies - the other clans.
Xiong raised his hand, causing everyone to straighten their demeanor. "Name it, and it shall be done!" he declared, his eyes gleaming with determination.
"I may only be a rank-3 upper-stage gu master, but I believe that with the right circumstances, I could activate a rank-4 gu at least once. Therefore, I propose the creation of a law that allows special individuals to borrow gu of a rank higher than their own," 001 stated confidently.
The idea was met with some hesitation, as impartiality in law was a core principle. To allow for such an exception, a special circumstances clause would need to be added.
"Who agrees with this clause?" Xiong asked, raising his hand in support.
Before anyone else could raise their hands, a mortal burst into the room, falling to his knees in desperation. One of the elders was quick to start activating one of his Gu, but 001 stopped him.
With a swift motion, 001 raised his hand and stopped the mortal's execution. "Let us hear him out first," he said, his voice calm and steady.
The man pleaded with the clan leaders, tears streaming down his face. "This hatred is like a parasite! Even now, people in our own clan that were once friends and allies are being reported as spies for the smallest offense, all to gain an upper hand on each other. Even if we do defeat our neighbors, all that will happen is that our hatred will turn inward, consuming our own people. Please, consider this!" he implored.
All eyes turned to 001 for his response. "Those in favor of the 'special circumstances clause,' raise your hands," he instructed. With a swift motion, 001 killed the mortal with a Bamboo Spiral Spear Gu, but it didn't cause any reaction from the elders.
Every elder in attendance raised their hand, solely focusing on their decision.
A keen observer might have noticed a slight cloudiness in the eyes of the seated elders.
However, but only if for a brief moment, Xiong's eyes briefly cleared only for him to hear a sweet whistling sound, reverting his eyes back to their cloudy state.