The evening banquet ended, and everyone dispersed. Only the river flowed east, departing never to return.
After breakfast at the Chen Family Residence, Fang Yun headed to the Sacred Academy again to begin the second day of deliberations.
Some Great Scholars and family heads were no longer as enthusiastic upon seeing Fang Yun as they had been the day before. Instead, their heads felt twice their usual size.
Both proposals Fang Yun had raised yesterday had gone disastrously awry. The Sages had vetoed them, and Yan Ningshan had called for reconsideration. Who knew what would happen today?
Before he entered the Assembly Hall, Fang Yun received a secret voice transmission from Chen Mingding.
"I just received word that Weng Shi and the Miscellaneous School members spent last night lobbying every faction. They insist that only Great Scholars may serve as elders of the Bloodmang Hall. Unless something unexpected happens, over seventy percent will still support it today. They absolutely refuse to let Bloodmang Grand Academicians lay a finger on those elder seats."
"What do you think?" Fang Yun asked through a voice transmission.
Chen Mingding sighed softly. "Were it not for you, I would certainly support it. This matter... I think it would be better to put it off for now. Once your standing rises further, and once the Bloodmang Realm produces Great Scholars, the qualifications for selecting elders can be revised."
"I cannot do that."
Fang Yun's answer was unusually firm.
The struggle over the Bloodmang Hall's elder seats was for the Bloodmang Realm, for the Bloodmang People, and for himself as well.
"Very well..." Chen Mingding stopped trying to persuade him.
"Void Sage Fang, how was yesterday's Flood Dragon Feast?" Weng Shi stood before the Assembly Hall's entrance, smiling at Fang Yun.
Many people stopped and looked toward