The Prodigies War

Lin Xun and the others received a warm welcome from everyone on Mind Cleansing Peak, which was something that had never happened before in the past. 

As Lin Xun ran his eyes over the expressions of awe, admiration and excitement and the familiar or unfamiliar figures, an indescribable feeling rose in his heart.

After three years, the internal troubles of the Lin Clan had finally been resolved and the enemies would no longer dare to attack them from now on.  

As he thought about his experience in the past three years, he made an announcement on the spot. In three days, the first clan meeting after the unification of the Lin Clan will be held!

Many things had happened since his return to the Forbidden City yesterday. He also needed some time to digest everything.

The newly unified Mind Cleansing Peak Lin Clan also needed some time to merge and re-establish a new order. 

……

Three days passed in a twinkling. 

Before dawn, on Mind Cleansing Peak, Xiaoyan was already dressed and left. 

“Paying respect to Steward.”

“Steward Xiaoyan, please take care of your former brothers in the future.”

“Xiaoyan, let’s have a drink tonight. I specially reserved a table and ordered some delicacies for tonight.”

Servants warmly greeted Xiaoyan along the way, many wearing ingratiating smiles. 

Xiaoyan responded calmly without paying much attention to them.

In truth, he was nervous with excitement. A few months ago, he was just a little servant responsible for chores such as serving tea, watering flowers, and weeding.

But yesterday, he was selected and promoted to be a steward and became in charge of thirty servants. 

For Xiaoyan, he felt he had reached the sky in one step.

“Don’t be so excited, calm down, I must not make a mistake at this time...” Xiaoyan reminded himself. 

A servant muttered sourly when Xiaoyan left, unable to conceal his jealousy, “Pah! Head Steward Ma Yong took notice of the brat when he was working yesterday and now he suddenly joined the ranks of stewards. He has such good luck.”

Some servants who had gone through thick and thin together with Xiaoyan in the past were determined to serve Xiaoyan well, hoping for an opportunity to change their fate!

Unaware of all that, Xiaoyan arrived outside the room of Head Steward Ma Yong.

He straightened his clothes, took a deep breath, bowed his head and stood outside the door, waiting quietly.

Before long, the closed door was pushed open, revealing Head Steward Ma Yong’s slender body.

“Xiaoyan? What are you doing here?” Ma Yong asked in surprise. 

He sharply noticed the dewy white frost on the tip of Xiaoyan’s hair, indicating that he had been waiting for a while. 

“I am honored to receive the Head Steward’s favor yesterday. I am filled with gratitude, but I don’t know how to repay you…”

Before he finished, Ma Yong nodded and interrupted, “You don’t need to. I promoted you because you are vigilant, smart, and have great potential. You are much better than the others.”

Xiaoyan quickly took out a bag that he prepared earlier and respectfully handed it over with both hands. “Head Steward, this is a little token of my gratitude, please accept it.”

There were one thousand gold coins inside the bag, which Xiaoyan had worked very hard to save over the years. His heart ached a little when he handed over the bag. 

But he didn’t mind because a little sacrifice was considered nothing for the sake of gaining a better foothold in Mind Cleansing Peak in the future. 

However, Ma Yong’s face darkened. “Boy, you are bringing trouble to me!” He slapped the bag to the ground. 

Xiaoyan trembled and his face paled, looking bewildered. It was his first time giving the head steward a gift. He never thought the head steward would react in such a way. 

Ma Yong drew a deep breath before he coldly warned, “Remember that this is the Mind Cleansing Peak Lin Clan. I noticed your potential and promoted you. It was not because I was after your gifts! If you want to thank me, show all your abilities and serve our Lin Clan wholeheartedly. If you try to play such tricks again, I will kick you out of Mind Cleansing Peak!”

Xiaoyan was so terrified that he trembled all over and cried out in panic, “I don’t dare to anymore! Please forgive me this one time!”

Ma Yong’s expression eased as he patted Xiaoyan on the shoulder. “Boy, do you know how many people in the Forbidden City want to serve the Lin Clan now? There are too many to count! The queue to join stretches across ten miles!”

“Our Lin Clan is different from before. As long as the head of the clan is around, even the high clans won’t dare to offend us. How amazing is that? To put it simply, our Lin Clan will only continue to rise in the future. Someday, we might be able to return to the ranks of the high clans! If I had accepted that little bit of money from you, then what is the difference between that and destroying my own future?”

Only then did Xiaoyan learn that the reason that Head Steward Ma Yong had refused his money was the same reason why he had tried to give the steward money in the first place.  Head Steward Ma Yong also wanted to rise higher and stand more stable in the Lin Clan in the future!

“Let’s go, the clan leader is holding a clan meeting today. During this period, we servants must not make any mistakes. If you perform to my satisfaction today, then I will forget about today’s matter.” Ma Yong hurried away as he spoke. 

Xiaoyan quickly followed him. 

“Ah? Chief Steward Lin Zhong, you’re so early.”

Before long, Xiaoyan was surprised to see Head Steward Ma Yong, whom he admired and respected the most, humbly bowing to an old man with a polite smile. 

“Head Steward, he…”

In his eyes, Ma Yong was like a divine being among the servants and had great authority. 

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If he could reach the position and status that Ma Yong had, he felt that he could die without regret. He had always viewed him as his goal. 

How would he not be shocked by Ma Yong’s humble manners?

Ma Yong turned around and scolded Xiaoyan, “Why are you standing there? Come and pay your respects to Chief Steward Lin Zhong!” 

Xiaoyan quickly stepped forward and bowed. A thought struck his mind like lightning. He remembered who Chief Steward Lin Zhong was.  

He was a higher-up who served the clan leader! It was said that Chief Steward Lin Zhong also served the former clan leader and so he held an extremely high status in Mind Cleansing Peak!

In the servants’ hearts, Lin Zhong was like a celestial figure!

Lin Zhong glanced at Ma Yong and Xiaoyan and nodded, “Today, we need to stay alert and work hard.”

With that, he turned around and left. 

Ma Yong bowed and saw him off. It wasn’t until Lin Zhong disappeared from his sight that he lifted his head and straightened his back. “Xiaoyan, did you see? Chief Steward Lin Zhong is who I aspire to be. If I have half his ability, then I can die without regret.”  

Xiaoyan fell into a daze, his emotions tumbling in his heart. He didn’t tell Ma Yong that from that moment, he also regarded Lin Zhong as the person he aspired to be!

When Ma Yong brought Xiaoyan to the top of Mind Cleansing Peak, it was still dawn, but the vast and spacious hillside was already packed with figures. 

Members of the North Light, West Creek, Cloud Weight and Flying Peak Lin Clans were all lined up and waiting.

Everyone wore solemn expressions, and no one dared to utter any nonsense. Only the whistle of the mountain wind echoed in the early morning.

Additionally, the villagers of Feiyun Village, Old Diao, Yang Ling, Blood Thorn and others were also present. They stood close together and dared not make any noise. 

The atmosphere seemed extremely solemn.

Xiaoyan trembled inwardly, feeling a little nervous and suffocating. It was the first time he had seen so many higher-ups gathered together. 

He stood at the edge of the crowd with Ma Yong. In that area were also other maids, stewards, and servants.

Xiaoyan’s eyes went wide with amazement when he saw that all the big shots of the Mind Cleansing Peak Lin Clan had already arrived, including Chief Steward Lin Zhong, Lin Huaiyan of the North Light Lin Clan, and Xiaoke. Everyone stood in silence and dared not utter a word. 

But his jaw dropped when he saw the patriarch of the North Light Lin Clan, West Creek Lin Clan and Cloud Weight Lin Clan, who were all the influential figures of the older generation!

Given their identities, they could sit inside the hall and participate in the clan meeting, but they were waiting like everyone else!

“The authority of the clan leader is so evident!” Ma Yong exclaimed emotionally, feeling indescribable awe and admiration. He couldn’t help but think about some of the past legendary events of the clan leader. 

Clang!

As the rays of the morning sun pierced the clouds and illuminated the mountains and rivers, a dull bell rang at the top of Mind Cleansing Peak. 

Everyone palpitated and donned more solemn expressions before their gazes all shifted to the high steps of Mind Cleansing Hall. 

The atmosphere was filled with a sacred and solemn mood. 

Bathed in the morning sun, a tall and handsome figure strode out of the hall. 

He was dressed in a moon-white robe that contrasted his fluttering black hair. His dark and straight brows framed his handsome, calm and resolute face, and his elegant figure seemed to be surrounded by an illusory glow under the rays of the morning sun. 

Everyone thought he was an immortal radiating an invisible majesty.

“Paying our respects to the clan leader!”

The audience bowed in unison, and their voices reverberated like drums stirring the world.

Lin Xun ran his eyes across the audience. If Father and Mother could see this scene, would they be proud?

Inadvertently, Lin Xun noticed Uncle Zhong’s eyes welling up with emotions. Perhaps he was also thinking of his parents.

After a long period of silence, Lin Xun took a deep breath and faced the morning sun, saying each word with a noticeable pause, “The Lin Clan…compared to before…is completely different now!

His voice had a rare hint of relief and pride as it stirred everyone’s emotions like a clap of thunder from the nine heavens.