Tai Tan, patriarch of the Strength Clan, had a burly build, the muscles of his arms nearly as thick as his thighs.
At that moment, his lips were pressed tightly together, and his thick brows were drawn into deep furrows. Anger was clearly weighing on his heart.
Niu Gao of the Defense Clan sat at the head of the table, his back ramrod straight. Even the white bandage around the wound on his shoulder did nothing to diminish his unyielding air.
His somber gaze swept over everyone, his fingertips tapping lightly against the edge of the table. There was no telling what he was thinking.
Bai He of the Speed Clan had white hair and a white beard, yet showed no sign of frailty.
His sharp eyes swept over everyone present like those of a hawk.
His fingers unconsciously drummed rapidly against the tabletop, making soft tapping sounds. The rhythm grew faster and faster, revealing his inner unrest.
Yang Wudi of the Breaking Clan, meanwhile, had kept his eyes closed in repose from the very beginning, his hands folded over his abdomen.
He seemed detached from the proceedings, but his occasionally trembling eyelids and the faint, sharp aura around him both showed that he was not truly at rest.
This patriarch, renowned for his domineering and direct manner, was clearly waiting for an opportunity to speak.
In the incense burner at the center of the long table, three sticks of incense burned slowly, their pale smoke rising straight upward.
This meeting was being held at the Defense Clan, so Niu Gao was naturally the host, and naturally the one to begin.
Niu Gao tapped his fingers lightly on the tabletop, swept his gaze over the other patriarchs seated there, and said:
"Old Gorilla, Old White Bird, Old Goat, I imagine