Chapter 8: The Unsettled Council of Elders

  In Longhua Country, a family like Hu's with over a thousand years of history has an exceptionally strict internal hierarchy.

  In the Hu family, apart from the Grand Priest's transcendent position, the direct descendant of the Jiuyou bloodline is usually the most respected and often serves as the patriarch of the entire clan.

  Of course, the head of the clan in the Hui ethnic group cannot be dominated by one person. Most things in the family must be managed by the Council of Elders, a very complex power institution.

  The heads of the three families, Zebai and Licheng, were appointed as Huangquan Grand Elder and Youming Grand Elder. Together with the Caidie Grand Elder appointed by the High Priest, there are a total of three Grand Elders standing at the top of the Council's power.

  Below the Grand Elder, there are six Elders consisting of the three branch family heads and the Transmission Elder, Punishment Elder, and Internal Affairs Elder. They generally reside in Ning City and are responsible for daily management within the family and some minor decisions.

  The remaining ordinary elder positions are supplemented by each major branch through a push-and-pull approach, usually with strong martial arts skills or making great contributions to the family. They rank among themselves from second elder to ninth elder, totaling eight people.

  At this time, in the Scarlet Blood Hall, apart from the six senior elders, there were also the second elder, fifth elder and ninth elder who came to participate, making a total of nine elders present.

  When Hu Gao followed the clan leader in, he thought he had walked into a demonic cult's altar. The architect responsible for designing this grand hall really had terrible taste. Not to mention the several pillars that were black and ugly, the lines carved on top of them looked like ghostly symbols.

  The chair on the main seat is surprisingly large and even has animal skin on it, giving people a kind of rustic feeling at first glance. The most bizarre thing is that next to each seat below, there is a copper-like object with clusters of bonfires rising from it, making the atmosphere very eerie!

  After the patriarch entered, the elderly people who were originally sitting and chatting all stood up. Hu Yinxue, who had been sent by the patriarch to inform everyone earlier, somehow floated to Hu Gao's side and followed behind the patriarch.

  "Everyone, please sit down." The tribal elder still had a smiling face, calmly walked to the main seat facing the door, and then beckoned Hu Gao to stand beside him.

  "Today, I've called all the elders here because there's an urgent matter that needs to be discussed with everyone. Yesterday, during the ritual, everyone knows that the Guardian Deity was severely injured when it descended and is now in a deep sleep, and we don't know when it will wake up. The Hu Gao standing before you now is just an empty shell without any memories or powers from his past life." The tribe leader got straight to the point without beating around the bush.

  "But as previously stated by the High Priest, Hugao's identity must be that of a Successor, which is beyond doubt. The purpose of calling everyone here today is to discuss how we can cultivate this Successor and awaken the Guardian Deity as soon as possible!"

  "Head of the clan, I think we should arrange for the Guardian Deity to be sent to our ancestral land. The heaven and earth's primordial energy is most abundant there, perhaps it can help him wake up sooner." The ninth elder with the least seniority spoke first.

  The other elders also nodded one after another after a brief discussion among themselves.

  At this time, the two elders stood out and said: "Head of the clan, I'm afraid it's not quite right. As the saying goes, 'a jade stone must be carved to become a useful vessel.' I think Hu Gao should go to the front line to fight!"

  Xue Te couldn't help but glance at the Second Elder, feeling that something was off about this old man since the ancestral worship ceremony. Although he spoke eloquently, it seemed like he actually wanted to get rid of himself. People like him needed to be carefully guarded against in the future. Moreover, from his words, it could also be seen that the Hu family's internal situation was not as united as it seemed.

  "I agree with the two elders' views. According to our family records, a successor will have three lives after obtaining the inheritance from their ancestors. With such an advantageous condition, it is only right that they hone themselves on the battlefield!" Another elder jumped out in support.

  Three lives? Hu Gao's serious face was stifling a laugh, it seems that crossing over isn't all bad after all, having three lives is absolutely an against-the-heavens tyrannical brother.

  "The two elders seem to have thought too simply, the current successor has no martial power at all, and having no memory means that they don't even have the basic knowledge of cultivation. Even if they had three lives, it wouldn't be enough for them to die. Our Hu family hasn't reached the point where we can afford to send our successors to their deaths!" This time, the speaker was the head of the Sha Luo branch, who had a very close relationship with the Li Qing branch and naturally leaned towards Hu Gao.

  Other elders also started speaking one after another, and it sounded like everyone's stance was determined by their buttocks, with no one able to convince anyone else.

  The clan leader, Hu Zhen Tian, looked at the timing and made a downward pressing gesture. It's good to have some disputes, and when he stepped out to make a decision, it wasn't easy to be opposed. "All of you elders are right, but as Luo Jia Zhu said, Hu Gao's current state is indeed not suitable for going to the front line. Why don't we let him go to the War Academy to lay some foundation first?"

  The two elders were originally at odds with each other, and the proposal of the clan head was also reasonable, so they did not object to it, and this matter was settled.

  "Also, due to the special nature of the successor, I hope that Master Guang can give Hu Gao a small stove, allowing him to grasp our Hu family's martial arts techniques more quickly outside of his studies in the War Institute. At the same time, I hope that Master Nei can provide as many resources as possible for his cultivation. Do either of you two Masters have any opinions?" Hu Zhentian continued to propose.

  Chuan Gong and Nei Wu, the two elders, were originally Hu Zhen Tian's direct subordinates, so they naturally had no objections. As a result, both proposals passed smoothly in the elder meeting. After all, without the participation of the three great elders, even if there were opinions, no one dared to really challenge the authority of the patriarch.

  "That's great, except for the transmission of the old man, everyone else will disperse." After Hu Zhen Tian finished speaking, he turned his head to look at Hu Gao who was calm and composed, and smiled. He found that this guy seemed more and more mysterious.

  It turns out that the reason why he didn't say anything about the result of his own investigation into Hu Gao's body was because he discovered that there seemed to be a mysterious power in Hu Gao's body, which had absorbed all the yuan force that had been transferred over, and it was almost instantaneous. This was really too unbelievable.

  As he is about to set off for the Qingyuan mine vein in a few days, he must arrange family matters properly before leaving with peace of mind. This Hu Gao is absolutely not just a simple case of amnesia, but rather he has already possessed some of the powers of a successor without realizing it. Such a treasure naturally needs to be carefully cultivated.

  "You should know that I'm about to set off for Qingyuan Mountain, and during this time, Hu Gao will have to rely on the two of you to take care of him. Matters within the War Institute will be handled by Hu Yiniu, while matters outside the War Institute will be handled by Elder Chuan Gong."

  "Yes, Patriarch." The Transmission Elder was called Hu Feng, who looked even older than the Patriarch. He came from the Blood Red lineage and had been known as a genius since he was young, with astonishing combat power. Therefore, he was entrusted with the heavy responsibility of being the Transmission Elder.

  As for Hu Yin Xue, within the Council of Elders she is the tribe leader's mouthpiece. Outside the Council of Elders, she is also a member of the Dark Guards with a special identity, taking orders from both the High Priest and the Tribe Leader. It was fitting that Hu Zhen Tian sent her to be in charge of Hu Gao's safety.