ATTENDING the Council meeting is boring.
Lily found it a pain in the ass whenever her father brought her to the assembly hall. Whenever she refused, he would threaten to send her to the temple.
He had become smarter, unfortunately.
"Clan Head," two elderly men greeted as soon as they arrived at the entrance of the Conclave Palace. "Young Heir," they added upon seeing her.
Lily casually waved a hand in greeting.
They were two of the seven elders representing the Pei Clan. Every year, the clan held a vote to determine who would represent the clan alongside the Clan Head, and these two had won.
The First Elder, Xu Mingyuan. He was not a member of the Pei Clan by blood, but he had served the clan for three generations. He had been recruited because of his strength and eventually became the first elder whose surname wasn't Pei.
Lily had heard that he never allied himself with anyone whenever a new Clan Head was about to be chosen. Not that he had needed to during her father's generation. Her father's generation had been the gentlest and calmest when choosing the Clan Head.
Her great-grandfather's and grandfather's generations, however, had been the bloodiest.
Then there was the Seventh Elder, Pei Yanshu.
He looked young.
Probably around half a century old?
She wasn't sure.
She had only heard that he was the youngest among the elders, and he didn't look like a Sage at all. He looked to be around the same age as her father.
He also had the gentlest smile she had ever seen.
The two of them were like yin and yang. One wore the coldest and strictest expression imaginable, while the other always carried a warm smile.
"So the Young Heir is attending as well," Elder Xu said.
With his grumpy face and cold tone, Lily couldn't tell whether he was being sarcastic or merely stating a fact.
Regardless, she answered truthfully.
"Did I have a better choice?"
Elder Xu's expression darkened.
"Young Heir, becoming the Head of the Pei Clan is a matter of great importance. If you have no intention of taking it seriously, then perhaps we should reconsider your succession."
Lily nodded in agreement. She was about to ask whom Elder Xu considered the most suitable successor when Lord Pei covered her mouth with his hand.
"Shut up," he whispered in warning.
She was genuinely curious about Elder Xu's opinion, so she tried to pull her father's hand away. Unfortunately, he was stronger.
"Elder Xu, Young Heir is still a child," Elder Yanshu said with amusement. "Don't take her words to heart." Then, as if remembering something, he continued, "She is still the best candidate as a successor."
His gaze shifted to Elder Xu, probing.
Elder Xu merely harrumphed and turned his attention elsewhere.
"Lily is my only successor," Lord Pei clarified. "She is not a candidate."
Elder Yanshu scratched the back of his head. "Yes, Clan Head. My apologies for the wrong word." Then, he winked at Lily. "Young Heir wouldn't care, right?"
"Oh," Lily said after slapping her father's hand away, "No one did."
Except her father.
"Let's head inside," Lord Pei said, wanting to end the conversation. The elders and Clan Heads from the other great clans were already arriving.
Lily walked beside him.
Elder Xu wanted to say something else, but the words caught in his throat when he noticed the arriving guests.
Elder Yanshu, on the other hand, simply watched Lily with amusement.
"Cangyuan!"
All heads turned.
The other man was fast enough to reach them and enthusiastically slap Lord Pei on the back.
Lily was kind enough to give them space.
And...
Smack!
The person behind her flew five meters away.
Bai Yichen, the Young Heir of the Bai Clan, groaned in pain.
Lily cracked her fingers as she gave the young boy a menacing look.
"Stand up. We're not done yet."
"Pah!" Bai Yichen spat out the blood in his mouth before sitting up. "Unfair!" he couldn't help but complain. "I already did what Teacher taught me, yet you still noticed me!"
What move silently?
What move without anyone hearing your footsteps?
What move like an invisible man?
Pah!
He still got smacked hard in the face before he could even land a blow on Tianli!
"You're not good at using your brain," Lily said honestly. "Just act like you usually do."
He always acted before thinking and only knew how to brawl.
Since when had he ever used his head?
The moment his father arrived, Lily already knew he was nearby.
All she had to do was stay aware of her surroundings.
Lord Bai laughed.
"My son still couldn't defeat your daughter." He shook his head with a tsk before patting Lord Pei on the shoulder again. "How about letting Tianli visit our estate and train my son?"
Lord Pei found the suggestion absurd.
"Does your clan lack experts? Why are you asking my daughter to teach your son?"
"It'll help establish friendship between our clans," Lord Bai replied.
"No need."
Lord Pei walked toward the two children and grabbed Lily by the back of her collar, pulling her away from Bai Yichen.
She was already kicking and stomping on the poor boy.
She hadn't even bothered to control her strength.
Bai Yichen began looking like a dumpling.
"Father, let me train this foo—... Bai Heir. It'll be good for him," Lily said as her feet dangled while Lord Pei continued walking toward the assembly hall with her still suspended by the collar.
"Don't fool me. You just want a punching bag."
Lily clicked her tongue.
Meanwhile, Lord Bai looked at his son and nodded approvingly.
"Good," he said, giving him a thumbs-up. "This time, you didn't bulge like usual."
"Really?" Bai Yichen's eyes twinkled.
"Yes. Tianli didn't even hold back, yet you only have a few bumps on your face. You're getting stronger!"
Elder Xu watched the father and son, and the corner of his eye twitched.
A few bumps...
He quietly averted his gaze and followed Lord Pei.
The Bai Family were truly spectacular.
A few minutes later, the two clans entered the assembly hall.
Inside, the representatives of the Lu Clan were already seated quietly.
Lord Lu gave them a brief glance before saying, "A minute late."
"Yes, just a minute late," Lord Bai replied with a shrug.
Lord Lu's expression darkened.
"Every second matters," he said. "Had you arrived on time, we could have already begun discussing the matter."
"And instead of reprimanding us, shouldn't we discuss the matter at hand?" Lord Bai shot back. "That would save more time than listening to your lecture."
Lily was wrong.
Not every assembly was boring.
This one, for example.
"Enough," Lord Pei said as soon as he, Lily, and the Pei elders had taken their seats. "Let's begin the meeting."
Lord Lu's expression remained dark, but he didn't argue further.
Lord Bai, on the other hand, wore the smile of someone who had just won a battle.
"My apologies for convening this meeting on such short notice," Second Elder Lu Chenghai began. "Several days ago, the Kingdom of Liang sent us a report regarding an anomaly discovered in one of its villages. This morning, the investigator we dispatched confirmed that the report was true."
"What happened?" Lord Pei asked.
"The cultivators within that village are unable to cultivate," Second Elder Lu Chenghai answered. "Furthermore, their cultivation revert to the state they were in before choosing a Path. Strangely enough, the moment they leave the village, their cultivation returns. It is as though something within that village suppresses a cultivator's power."
"How is that possible?" Lord Bai frowned.
Second Elder Lu Chenghai shook his head.
"We have yet to determine the cause. For now, the villagers have been evacuated, and the area has been placed under quarantine. No one is permitted to enter."
"Who is currently investigating the site?" Lord Pei asked.
"My son is leading the investigation," Lord Lu replied. "I have also dispatched two elders and several of our younger disciples."
"How come you didn't inform us sooner?" Lord Bai asked.
"This is an anomaly unlike anything we've encountered before," Lord Lu answered calmly. "We wanted to verify the report before informing the Council."
Lord Pei didn't mind.
Although the three clans governed the Empire together, each still handled matters within its own territory independently. Only when an issue had the potential to affect the entire Empire were they obligated to report it to the Council.
"What is your proposal?" Lord Pei asked.
"We will require the Bai Clan's expertise in formations and the Pei Clan's warriors."
The Lu Clan was renowned for producing Mages.
The Bai Clan was renowned for producing Artisans.
The Pei Clan was renowned for producing Warriors.
These had been the paths most commonly pursued by the three clans for countless generations.
However, possessing a Soul Core did not determine one's Path.
Everyone was free to choose.
Yet choosing the wrong Path came with great risk.
If a cultivator forced themselves onto a Path unsuited to them, it could damage their Soul Core.
In the worst cases...
It could shatter it.
Because of that, one had to be certain that the chosen Path was truly their calling.
Over the generations, the three great clans accumulated countless manuals, techniques, masters, and experience in their respective Paths.
Naturally, most of their descendants chose to follow them.
While the Clan Heads and elders began discussing their plans, the two young heirs were slouching in their seats.
"How come Jingxuan gets to lead a team while we're stuck rotting in here?" Bai Yichen complained.
"I am a seven-year-old girl who hasn't even undergone the Soul Core Trial yet. Meanwhile, you and Jingxuan are already attending the academy."
"I know that. Why are you telling me?" Bai Yichen asked curiously.
"You and Jingxuan are on the same level. Yet here you are, rotting in this assembly hall. You can't compare me with Jingxuan, however, because I'm still young…" Lily said, blinking innocently.
In short...
Bai Yichen fell short of Lu Jingxuan.
"You—!"
"Shhh." Lily raised a finger to her lips before pointing toward the adults. "They're in a meeting."
"..." said Bai Yichen.
Damn it.
He wanted to thrash this Young Heir of the Pei Clan.