Snake Clan Son-in-Law

The entire snake clan was still immersed in the joyous aftermath of surviving the calamity. Ji Xueruo, who was overworked, did not rest much and summoned the seven elders the next day.

Thanks to the invention of the You Su Cold Wind Fan, a cool breeze wafted through the council chamber.

Ji Xueruo sat upright in the main seat, the snake scale pattern on her black robe rising and falling slightly with her breath. Although she was only eighteen years old, she already possessed the natural majesty of a clan leader.

The seven elders sat in the lower seats, arranged to the left and right. They had put away the laughter of the previous two days and all had serious expressions. After all, this was the first meeting since the clan leader's return, and no one dared to be negligent.

"The Serpent Clan's ability to turn the tide this time is entirely due to everyone's concerted efforts." Ji Xueruo's gaze swept over everyone. "I remember Elder Hua's poison array, Elder Chi's frontal battle, and the contributions of all the elders. Without the elders' sacrifices, the Serpent Clan would have been doomed."

"Chieftain is too kind," Liu Yinyin said first. "This Non-Self; it is the result of the concerted efforts of the entire snake clan."

Ji Xueruo nodded slightly. She had already exchanged many polite words at the banquet and was too lazy to say more now. "Elder Liu is absolutely right. The first thing I did after summoning everyone here was to reward those who have made contributions."

Just as the seven elders nodded, she changed the subject, "But this reward is not for any one person, but for the merit of the entire clan, and the whole clan will be rewarded. Even though I've thought about it for two days, I still don't know how to reward them. Elder Hua, you are in charge of the clan's rewards and punishments, do you have any ideas?"

Elder Hua's pink gauze skirt unfurled like a rosy sunset. After a moment's thought, she said, "Saving the clan from annihilation is a great achievement, but it's impossible to reward everyone according to the scale of the feat. Precisely because this is a clan-wide achievement, the clan leader doesn't need to worry too much; just treat everyone equally. After all, turning danger into safety is what everyone desires, not for personal gain or rewards. A few Spirit Stone will be a double blessing for the clan members, and that's enough."

The elders all nodded in agreement, Ji Xueruo also agreed, saying, "In that case, let's do as Elder Hua says. However, Spirit Stone are not a reward for the seven of you, and the clan's Law Treasure are shared, so I don't know what to reward you with at the moment."

"Chieftain, you are overthinking this. You have made great contributions in this battle. Don't you feel that you deserve a reward?" Elder Hua smiled slightly. "We seven elders, like you, only wish for the well-being of the Snake Clan. The Snake Clan raised and nurtured us, so it is only right that I dedicate myself to them. Why should I be rewarded? In fact, even if you didn't intend to reward the entire clan, none of us would feel there was anything wrong with it. Giving some Spirit Stone is just to prolong this joy."

"Elder Hua is right! Clan leader, there's no need to dwell on this. If the Snake Clan is doing well, then everyone is doing well! We're all family, so what's the point of rewarding each other? If the clan leader wants to reward us, then he's treating us like outsiders!" Elder Chi, who had always been at odds with Elder Hua, also slammed her hand on the table in agreement, her red silk wrapped around her arm like a fiery snake coiled around her.

The other elders also expressed their agreement with Elder Hua's viewpoint.

Seeing this, Ji Xueruo was deeply moved. The snake clan had struggled greatly since being exiled from the sacred mountain, but they had not gained nothing. The entire clan had always been of one mind, which was the greatest wealth that even the most powerful clans would envy.

"Xue Ruo is too rigid."

"Chieftain, please don't be modest. You are already an excellent chieftain for always keeping your subordinates' achievements in mind. However, Elder Chi has reminded me that we don't need to reward our own people, but there is an outsider who made a great contribution in this battle." Elder Hua bowed, then suddenly became solemn. "If it weren't for Young Master You's secret planning and even his eventual turning of the tide, the Snake Clan would not have escaped this fate. Therefore, I believe that the clansmen should be rewarded lightly, but Young Master You deserves a great reward."

"Elder Hua is absolutely right," Elder Xiang quickly echoed. "Young Master You's contributions are no less than those of the Clan Chief and the Second Young Lady, but he is not a Snake Woman. If we don't reward him, how can we express the Snake Clan's sincere gratitude? We fear that a meritorious person will be disheartened."

Even the usually rigid Elder Jin felt that the two were right, and he also pleaded for the reward of You Su, even listing the disadvantages of not rewarding You Su one by one, and even bringing up that Ji Lingruo would probably be disheartened.

Seeing the elders' confident pronouncements, as if they couldn't refuse to reward You Su, Ji Xueruo couldn't help but grumble inwardly. She had already given him the reward he most wanted the night before; what else did they want to reward him with now?

A faint blush rose to the tips of her ears, but her expression remained calm. "Then, what should we reward him with?"

These words surprised all the elders in the hall. In fact, they had already discussed this in private. The so-called reward was only to prevent You Su from feeling disheartened. The real reason was that they were all determined to keep You Su, their precious treasure.

But when it came to devising a specific reward, he couldn't come up with an answer. After all, for a reward to satisfy him, it had to be something he needed. But he was young yet his cultivation level was similar to theirs, he had no shortage of Law Treasure Cultivation Method, and he even had a master at the Void Glimpse Realm. What reward could the snake clan possibly offer to satisfy him?

Thinking of this, they all glanced at the Eldest Young Lady sitting in the high seat, but none of them dared to speak out their thoughts.

Ji Xueruo raised her eyebrows slightly, feeling uneasy under their gazes, sensing that the elders' expressions towards her were rather strange.

Fortunately, Liu Yinyin spoke up in time, suppressing the truth that was about to emerge:

"Young Master You lacks nothing, but what he lacks is a place to stay. He has been slandered by Venerable Heng Lian, resulting in him being wanted by the Five Continents, and since then he has been like a rootless duckweed. Even with Lotus Sword Venerable's protection, he is ultimately living under someone else's roof. Now that the Serpent Clan has taken him in, he will repay them with his life. With such a sincere and devoted heart, any reward from the outside world is ultimately just empty formalities."

"Then... what does Elder Liu mean?" Ji Xueruo concealed the ripples in her eyes.

"Let's admire Young Master You's place in the Serpent Clan."

Upon hearing this, all the women in the hall were momentarily stunned.

Liu Yinyin continued, shaking her sleeve, "The mutual assistance between the Snake Clan and Young Master You is based on the romantic relationship between Young Master You and the Second Young Lady. Now, no one in the Snake Clan will oppose them anymore, so in my opinion, it would be better to acknowledge this relationship. Although the Snake Clan has no precedent for accepting outsiders, firstly, Young Master You and the Second Young Lady are truly in love, and secondly, Young Master You has rendered meritorious service in saving the Snake Clan. Now that he is in dire straits, it would be better to let the Snake Clan become his home."

"This..."

Ji Xueruo hesitating when she saw the other six elders bow in unison, their opinions surprisingly unanimous.

Once upon a time, the snake clan harbored an unusual hostility towards human men because of her mother's tragedy. But unexpectedly, You Su not only changed her and her sister's views, but also changed the entire snake clan's opinion. Or perhaps this change was only directed at him.

Ji Xueruo pursed her thin lips. She knew that what Liu Yinyin said was absolutely right. You Su was doing his best in the snake clan, not only to repay the snake clan for taking him in, but also to gain the snake clan's recognition and acceptance.

However, as the clan leader, she couldn't help You Su out of personal favoritism, but fortunately, he accomplished it on his own. Therefore, she had no reason to refuse him.

"Very well, then we shall follow Elder Liu's advice and take You Su as our son-in-law. However, since his grievances have not yet been cleared, it is inconvenient to hold a formal ceremony for him. Nevertheless, we can inform the entire Snake Clan that we have a new member. Elder Jin, please have his Snake Clan token engraved and sent to him tomorrow."

Elder Jin hesitated upon hearing this, not daring to agree. Seeing that she dared not question the clan leader's decision, Elder Hua took the initiative to speak:

"Young Master You desires is a sense of belonging, and the Snake Clan is willing to make an exception for him. However, the clan leader's suggestion of him becoming a live-in son-in-law is questionable. After all, Young Master You is no ordinary person, and he probably wouldn't like the title..."

"How can one be included in the snake clan's genealogy without marrying into the family?"

Upon hearing this, all the elders' beautiful eyes widened in disbelief, as if they had misheard. Seeing Ji Xueruo's matter-of-fact expression, they realized their clan leader was serious—her promise of a safe haven wasn't just simple protection; she wanted You Su to truly become a member of the snake clan, the first man in a thousand years!

However, they were unaware that the snake race had never had men in the beginning, and that the history of men in ancient times was fabricated to conceal the secret of the snake race's origins.

Therefore, if You Su is included in the snake clan's genealogy, he will be the first male in the snake clan's history!

It is said that You Su had no father or mother and no roots since childhood. As such, Na You Su would truly regard the snake clan as a family!

Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! The clan leader is truly a clan leader!

"You think this is inappropriate?" Ji Xueruo frowned.

"We certainly don't mind!" Elder Hua answered immediately, his eyes shining brightly. "The key question is... can Young Master You accept the title of son-in-law?"

"That's fine, he'd be more than happy to do so," Ji Xueruo blurted out.

"How does the clan leader know he's so happy?" Elder Chi reacted quickly and asked immediately.

Ji Xueruo's toes tensed instantly, inwardly annoyed at her own suddenness, but she still forced herself to remain calm and explained:

Although I didn't know him well, I knew he wasn't someone who cared about worldly opinions.

The women inwardly scoffed, "If that's not deep, what would be considered deep?"

"Furthermore, my sister also told me privately that she told You Su that she didn't want to marry out of the family, You Su readily agreed, even saying that she was willing to marry into the family. Her only worry was that our snake clan wouldn't agree."

"He really said that?" Elder Jin raised his eyebrows, looking somewhat excited.

"If this hadn't happened, how could I have rashly given him this title? Wouldn't that be deliberately humiliating him?" Ji Xueruo retorted, knowing that it was true, but the shameless man was talking to her.

"Indeed!" Elder Yin clapped her hands and laughed. "Being a son-in-law is merely a formality in accepting Young Master You. Once he truly becomes one of our snake clan members, we will still respect and love each other. How could we look down on him because of the empty title of 'son-in-law'? I imagine that Young Master You, being so understanding, knows that my snake clan is not that kind of woman. Since neither side minds, this is truly a perfect match, a win-win situation!"

Elder Xiang covered her mouth and smiled charmingly, "A son-in-law is good! A son-in-law is good! A son-in-law is much closer than a son-in-law from another family; he's a true family member!"

Ji Xueruo noticing, wondering what Elder Xiang was up to with that fawning smile. But Elder Xiang was just like that by nature, so she wasn't surprised.

"Then let Elder Jin handle this matter," Ji Xueruo decided immediately, handing over the task.

Seeing that a major matter had been resolved, the elders sipped their tea, chatting and laughing happily. Not one of them doubted that the clansmen would object. After all, they had all seen the attitude of the little snake women towards You Su, and they probably wished that You Su, who always brought novelty and joy, would become one of their own.

After a short rest, Ji Xueruo gently patted the paperweight, her expression already composed. "Next, there are two more pieces of news."

The women quickly composed themselves, and then heard Ji Xueruo say:

"All Six Great Demon Clans have extended olive branches to my snake clan, saying they will do their utmost to support us in securing the opportunity to reside on the sacred mountain this year. Furthermore, the celestial officials of the Immortal Ancestor Temple have privately approached me, subtly hinting that my snake clan should prepare. I was initially worried about the risks during the year-end assessment, but Elder Liu's cultivation has improved. If he breaks through to the Upper Realm of Feather Transformation by the end of the year, the snake clan will have a great chance of returning to the sacred mountain."

"Really?!" Liu Yinyin was the most excited, her snake-headed staff trembling involuntarily. "Our snake clan has waited for a thousand years, and finally, it will be our turn—"

The cheers were like thunder, and the elders were all beaming with joy.

Although they had already guessed it when the Six Great Demon Clans personally escorted their clan leader back, they still couldn't hide their excitement when Ji Xueruo confirmed it herself.

The serpent clan's greatest wish was to return to the sacred mountain and restore its High Antiquity glory, and now the day has finally come when their wish will be fulfilled!

"The second piece of news," Ji Xueruo's voice suddenly turned icy, "Is that the celestial officials of the Immortal Ancestor Temple and the people of the Six Great Demon Clans also told me that the smallest normal Demon Race on Star Zhao Divine Mountain has at least three hundred members. But my snake clan... only has a hundred members."

The once lively council hall fell into a deathly silence, with only the whirring of the Cold Wind Fan fan in the corner.

"But when did the Demon Race start judging strength by the number of its members? Many High Antiquity demons have lost their bloodlines, making it difficult for their numbers to expand." Elder Chi felt quite aggrieved about this.

Elder Liu gently shook her head and explained for her, "So the celestial official said it's within the normal range of Demon Race. Such rare bloodlines are extremely rare on the sacred mountain, and each one is exceptionally talented, capable of taking on a hundred opponents. Our snake race doesn't even have Void Glimpse Realm, so how could we possibly compare to them?"

"This is not about belittling others, but an objective fact." Ji Xueruo sighed softly. "Although there is no specific regulation on the number of clansmen allowed to reside on the sacred mountain, the snake clan's return to the sacred mountain will inevitably draw criticism from many Demon Race. That's why the celestial official told me to be prepared. It's not easy to get onto the sacred mountain, and it's even more difficult to stay there."

The elders all tacitly agreed. The snake clan was indeed in a somewhat awkward situation. Their average strength was enough to qualify for entry into the sacred mountain, but the overall strength of the clan seemed to fall short of the sacred mountain's standards. If they could not establish a foothold on the sacred mountain, then returning to it would be nothing but a pipe dream.

Elder Yin was the most disappointed, sighing repeatedly:

"Alas, I know no one wants to talk about it, but the truth is that the Snake Blood Pool has long been destroyed... The means for our serpent clan to continue has been severed, and these 108 people are the last generation of the serpent clan. Isn't this a cruel joke that fate is playing on the serpent clan? Why must we see the hope of fulfilling our long-cherished wish when the serpent clan is on the verge of extinction?"

The women were equally saddened upon hearing this. The survival of the snake clan had always troubled these elders, but You Su's arrival and the Golden Peng Clan's conspiracy had temporarily suppressed these emotions.

But after great joy comes even greater sorrow.

Liu Yinyin couldn't help but ask herself, was there really no chance for the snake clan to regain its High Antiquity glory?