Legend of The Young Master

Chapter 78: Hard Bargain

The Patriarch turned to Yun Minzhu. "Since this is your great-grandson, what are your thoughts on the matter?"

Yun Minzhu had gained more respect in the eyes of the clan after his grandson Xuan with special abilities was selected to become a member of the Sacred Sword Sect. And now, he had a great-grandson who had the mythical ability of spirit calling. It could be safely said that heaven kept blessing Yun Minzhu's descendants.

But Minzhu was not happy at the moment, as he knew it was the clan's decision whether the talented great descendant with special ability would live or die. He was not attached to this great-grandson, but having a spirit caller with an enhanced bloodline would certainly have boosted his faction's strength and earned him more respect in the clan.

In all honesty, he hardly knew anything about the boy. But now that he was informed, he needed to fully leverage the situation and also capitalize on the attack against his great-grandchild to secure some resources for his faction.

If he wanted, he could put forth the effort, pay the political price, and bring back this great-grandson of his to the clan and nurture him. But as the clan had made such a big blunder, and given his great-grandson could summon beings almost close to his power, he had to consider everything.

"Esteemed Patriarch, I thank you for your concerns. I am pleased my grandson and now great-grandson carry such auspicious abilities. If nurtured well, they shall become mighty pillars of our clan. But I also understand that the decision lies with the clan about my great-grandson. He harbors unfriendly thoughts towards the clan.

While it pains me to say this, I will let the clan decide the future of my great-grandchild. I will accept the clan's decision."

By saying this, he made it clear to the clan he was not ready to give up any political leverage he had in return for bringing his great-grandson back to the clan.

He continued, "My faction had sent a Qi Adept retainer to watch over the boy and update us, but that warrior is also missing. The child's two guardians were murdered by the short-sighted actions of Yun Tianxing's men. The boy understandably swore vengeance.

I shall not oppose the clan's decision, but if the clan decides to end my great-grandchild's martial path, I demand proper compensation must be made, including lives exchanged for those lost. Only then can we regain the faith of my heir, Xuan, who sired this seed and win his loyalty to the Yuanjing."

The Patriarch asked Yun Minzhu, "Do you know where the boy is currently located?"

Yun Minzhu replied, "I regret I am unaware of his precise whereabouts. However, my daughter-in-law divined and informed us that he is moving towards the north. But somehow, the boy was able to escape the divination, probably his summons might have something to do with it.

What we know so far is the boy had already reached Adept level cultivation himself at merely 11 years old, and can summon spirits rivaling Qi masters. Quite remarkable. This was all divined by my daughter-in-law before the boy hid himself."

He continued, "While concerning, this shows wisdom beyond his years. He mentioned a debt from the clan, but his hatred should only be towards those who plotted against his guardians. For this, I will, however, urge the clan not to make any rash decisions."

Murmurs rippled through the hall again, astonishing the elders a bit. These old men rarely got surprised.

Even the Patriarch was a bit surprised. "An eleven-year-old at the Adept level...even our ancestors would marvel. This makes the child more valuable and dangerous at the same time."

Another elder spoke up approvingly, "The boy shows maturity and cunning unheard of at his age. If he grows, he will grow into a true credit to the Yuanjing bloodline. But as it stands at present, he hates our clan. If he falls into the hands of any other clans, they will nurture him to harm our interests. Whatever the decision made, it is true Minzhu sired two very talented seeds.

Because of Tianxing's faction, the clan might have to make a difficult decision."

Many elders voiced their agreement - this could have been very good news for the clan, but because of Tianxing faction's misstep, it was not good news for the clan.

Yun Minzhu was not pleased; he was able to move these old fellows, but it seemed he would not get both of his desires today. This meant now Yun Tianxing would have to pay a higher price, which he desired, but the second hope that the clan would decide to bring his great-grandson back and nurture him became slim.

The Patriarch said, "Yun Minzhu, is there a way to track the boy's location and keep watch from afar? Governing elder, please see to it that Yun Minzhu is compensated properly."

The governing elder nodded while Yun Tianxing frowned - he had not done anything, but now he had to pay some price.

Yun Minzhu spoke ,"I can confer with my daughter-in-law; she may be able to divine his whereabouts through her gifts. But it will be difficult to trace the child; she might require a lot of Yin Jade Pearls. I also urge the patriarch to consider my family's sorrow because of the incident.

There is a chance that I might have to lose my very talented great-grandson, who might have been accepted into the Five Elements Sect but now might become an enemy of the clan."

Hearing this, all the elders rolled their eyes. The Five Elements Sect was not something even if he had a talented descendant like Xuan, who got into the Sacred Sword Sect, could get accepted into. They had to put in a good effort to get Xuan in. And besides, to get into the imperial sects such as The Five Elements Sect, you need the nobility's support such as Dukes, Princes, or Marquis.

That was a far-reaching dream for Yun Minzhu since his grandson was already in the Sacred Sword Sect. But that needed to be considered later.

For now, they had to consider all possibilities and make the decision. They understood Yun Minzhu was driving a hard bargain; he was trying to squeeze as many resources out of the clan as possible if the clan decides not to bring back his great-grandson and nurture him.