Never mind Xiao Xun'er being bewildered-even the Xiao Clan's Three Great Elders were baffled. What did he mean, the old clan leader hadn't actually died?
He had merely escaped with serious injuries and hidden himself away for over a decade to keep his enemies from coming after him again. And now he was back.
In the Xiao Clan's main hall, the Three Great Elders, summoned by Xiao Zhan, stared blankly at Xiao Lin sitting in the seat of honor.
"But..."
Second Elder Xiao Ying muttered, then looked toward the First Elder. What was going on? They had only just begun to feel they could keep Xiao Zhan under their thumb.
Now, out of nowhere, they were told that the old clan leader had returned. And although he no longer possessed the strength of a Dou Wang, he was still a Peak Dou Ling.
In the Xiao Clan, whether in prestige or strength, his word carried the weight of nine tripods. If Xiao Lin hadn't fallen back then, their three factions would never have emerged.
"Second Uncle, you... why didn't you come back all these years? You didn't even send a message."
The First Elder swallowed. Xiao Lin wasn't his father, but his second uncle, belonging to the same generation as his father.
His father had been the eldest of Xiao Lin's generation, but Xiao Lin had been the first to break through to Dou Wang-or rather, the only Dou Wang.
Strength reigned supreme, so naturally, Xiao Lin had become the clan leader.
"What, do I need to prove my identity to you?"
Xiao Lin slammed his palm onto the armrest. Furious Lion Vajra surged forth, taking the form of an enormous lion, far more imposing and majestic than the one Xiao Zhan had conjured with Dou Qi.
The Three Great Elders jumped in fright and hurriedly waved their hands, saying they wouldn't dare.
Xiao Lin said evenly, "After all these years, my enemy may well have left long ago, or stopped paying attention to this place."
"That's why I came back. Who would have thought the clan's development would leave me so bitterly disappointed? We've fallen from Jia Ma Holy City to being so-called established nobility in this little city."
"Not even a single Dou Ling. Are you still the Xiao Clan?"
Xiao Ying mumbled, "Clan Leader, after you fell... disappeared, the clans in Jia Ma Holy City joined forces against us. If we hadn't abandoned most of our businesses, we might not even have reached Wutan City safely..."
"Do you really think I haven't looked into it?"
Xiao Lin snorted coldly. "From today onward, I will review the businesses of your three branches. And there is no place in the Xiao Clan for four branches standing on equal footing."
"The main branch is the main branch. From now on, the other three branches will defer to it in all matters!"
"Or you can kill me outright and take my place."
Xiao Lin's words left the Three Great Elders trembling. The First Elder hurriedly said, "Whatever the clan leader says goes!"
What else could they do? This was the old clan leader, and a Peak Dou Ling at that. Even all three of them together couldn't match a single hand of Xiao Lin's.
"Also, from now on, Xiao Long will be the Xiao Clan's young master!"
Xiao Lin declared, "Within the clan, his words will represent mine."
Although Xiao Long hadn't asked for it, after looking into things, Xiao Lin had found that Xiao Long was the only promising talent in the clan. The rest were nothing but rotten fish and putrid shrimp.
Only Xiao Yan, before he had become a good-for-nothing, might have been worth a look.
The Three Great Elders could only nod. The First Elder felt particularly stifled. Before, he could still use his position as First Elder to put Xiao Long in his place.
Well, that was just wonderful.
The young clan leader could speak for the clan leader now.
"Also, summon the disciples of all four branches to the council hall."
Xiao Lin gave the order.
A short while later, Xiao Xun'er stood beside Xiao Long, staring at Xiao Lin in utter astonishment. Xiao Lin really was still alive...
But hadn't her clan said he had already fallen?
Otherwise, her clan wouldn't have sent her here so soon. After all, her mission might escape the notice of a Da Dou Shi, but certainly not a Dou Wang.
Although she didn't care much about that mission either. She felt it would be enough to stay like this with Brother Xiao Long forever.
But she worried that once news of Xiao Lin being alive reached her clan, they would terminate her mission and make her leave the Xiao Clan.
Wouldn't that mean she couldn't see Brother Xiao Long anymore?!
"This is the old clan leader. He did not fall. He simply stayed away all this time to avoid certain dangers."
The First Elder addressed the gathered disciples. Many of them had never really seen Xiao Lin before. Only the older ones might still have some memory of him.
But everyone was startled. After all, someone they believed had died long ago had suddenly appeared before them.
How could they not be shocked?
"Didn't they say the clan leader had already..."
"They did. They even set up an ancestral tablet and a cenotaph for him."
"Hey, but with the clan leader back, things will be better for our Xiao Clan..."
The disciples below whispered among themselves. Xiao Yan was equally bewildered. He didn't really have any impression of his grandfather. By the time he was old enough to understand things, his grandfather had already died.
That was what he had always believed.
His grandfather had supposedly died even before his mother. Now they were suddenly telling him his grandfather wasn't dead?
"Whitebeard, does the power to bring the dead back to life really exist in this world?"
"Impossible. Your grandfather probably never died. He merely seems to have lost some of his strength, but his aura does indeed resemble yours."
Hearing Yao Chen's words, Xiao Yan set aside his doubts. After all, he knew how powerful old man Whitebeard's soul was.
If even he said there was nothing wrong with this grandfather, then he was probably his grandfather.
The next announcement shocked everyone even more: Xiao Long would be appointed young clan leader, and from now on, his orders would carry the same weight as Xiao Lin's.
"Wait!"
Just then, Xiao Long suddenly raised his hand. "No, Grandfather. I don't want to be some young clan leader!"
Xiao Lin had been about to ask who dared object, only to find that the first person to oppose him was Xiao Long. But then he remembered that his own "little life" was still in Xiao Long's hands.
"Why? Once you become young clan leader, you'll be second only to me in the Xiao Clan..."
"It's a waste of time. I don't have that much free time to manage the clan."
Xiao Long shook his head. The others feared Xiao Lin's authority, but he wasn't worried. Not long ago, Xiao Lin had still been a statue.
"You won't have to manage anything. You'll just hold the title."
"That works."
Xiao Long loved arrangements where he could enjoy power without shouldering obligations. Besides, he'd made an enormous contribution, all right?
I didn't disgrace the clan. I resurrected an ancestor!
The other disciples arrived bewildered and left bewildered.
Xiao Long, meanwhile, followed behind Xiao Lin, who said there were certain things he needed to tell him now that he was young clan leader.
But when Xiao Lin handed him a box, Xiao Long opened it in puzzlement and saw the object inside.
"Holy shit, are you trying to get me killed? Is this something you can just hand out?"
Xiao Long had never seen this object before, but he recognized it at first glance.
The piece of jade looked incomplete, yet somehow whole, and gave off a strange, faint radiance.
The Tou She Ancient God Jade.
The final proof that the Xiao Clan was an Emperor Clan, and the very thing the Gu Clan and the Soul Clan had been searching for all along.
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