Chapter 5: Temporarily Stripping the Elder's Position!
"Elder, isn't this blatant double standards? When his grandson hits someone, it's considered a junior's sparring match. But now that his grandson got hit, he's the one who's getting angry and bullying the younger ones!"
"Yeah, exactly! And he's supposed to be the elder! So, it's only okay for his grandson, Xiao Ning, to hit others, but it's not allowed for anyone else to fight back!"
"Bullying the younger ones, such arrogance! If it weren't for Xiao Ze being the Fourth Young Master and the patriarch arriving in time, he probably would've continued attacking, using the strength of a Great Dou Master to suppress the family's talented cultivators!"
The elder's face twitched. He might be old, but he wasn't deaf! These words felt like sharp thorns piercing into his ears and then into his heart.
The elder found it both grating and frustrating. But what he did was indeed as Xiao Ze had said. Even he didn't know how to argue against it.
And with Xiao Zhan standing beside him in a rage, the elder felt trapped. He regretted deeply why he had come here in the first place, letting anger cloud his judgment!
At this moment, the elder suddenly realized that the fundamental reason he came here was Xiao Ning!
This grandson of his who usually caused trouble for himself!
In his heart, the elder was already cursing Xiao Ning up and down, but his face remained silent.
Xiao Ze naturally heard the comments from the onlooking members of the Xiao family. He smiled faintly.
If an elder couldn't gain the approval of the people, then the position of elder was likely doomed.
"Why are you silent, Elder? Are you speechless in the face of the truth?" Xiao Ze pressed on, taking advantage of the situation. The elder finally managed to calm his blood flow a bit and opened his mouth slightly, intending to explain.
"Hmph! Elder, there's no need to explain. Everyone saw what happened today!" Xiao Zhan suddenly interjected, glancing at the Second and Third Elders who had just arrived in a hurry.
"Elder, as a member of the council, your behavior should inspire trust. But openly going against the rules of the Xiao family, bullying the younger ones, and even trying to suppress the family's talented cultivators – this is unacceptable!"
"Now, in my capacity as patriarch, I hereby announce the following punishment: the temporary removal of the Elder's position in the Xiao family. If there is a repeat offense, cultivation will be abolished, and you will be expelled from the Xiao family!"
"Hiss—"
Upon hearing Xiao Zhan's words, everyone present gasped in shock.
The elder himself was stunned, his face showing a mix of shock and anger.
"Xiao Zhan, for the sake of your son, you're stripping me of my position as elder?!" The two other elders exchanged looks of disbelief. They had arrived late and only witnessed Xiao Zhan attacking the elder in anger.
What exactly had the elder done to warrant such severe punishment?
The other members of the Xiao family began discussing fervently.
"Is this punishment too severe for the elder? While bullying the younger ones is disgraceful, the elder is still an elder."
"Indeed! Stripping the elder of his position for the sake of a still-growing talent seems a bit excessive, doesn't it?"
"The punishment from the patriarch seems too harsh. Who will dare to wholeheartedly serve the Xiao family in the future if an elder's position can be revoked for a minor mistake?"
Hearing the discussions around him, the elder regained his composure.
Yes, he had made a mistake, but Xiao Zhan's handling of it was unjust and overly harsh, equally failing to gain the people's trust.
Indeed, the two other elders also began persuading Xiao Zhan.
"Xiao Zhan, your punishment is too severe. While the elder has made a mistake, it's not enough to warrant stripping him of his position. This will only dishearten many members of the Xiao family!"
"Exactly! You're punishing severely for a minor mistake! This punishment is unjust!"
Facing the questioning of the crowd and the persuasion of the two elders, Xiao Zhan coldly smiled.
"Do you all think my punishment is too severe?"
Surveying the surroundings, anyone who met Xiao Zhan's gaze instinctively looked away, unable to meet the gaze of this furious lion.
"Ze, show everyone your current strength!" Xiao Zhan suddenly turned to Xiao Ze.
Xiao Ze didn't hesitate to reveal his true strength any longer.
Without further ado, Xiao Ze's aura, initially unremarkable, began to rise steadily.
Soon, those with keen perception could sense that Xiao Ze's aura as a cultivator was far too substantial to be that of a novice! At the very least, he was an advanced-level cultivator, possibly even at the peak of that stage!
The two elders were even more dumbfounded now. They could easily discern Xiao Ze's cultivation level. At this moment, they were both stunned to realize that Xiao Ze was already a Nine-Star Dou Practitioner!
The elder himself was profoundly shaken. Xiao Ze was only eleven years old!
When Xiao Yan was eleven, he had just become a One-Star Dou Practitioner and was hailed as the most talented individual in the Xiao family for a century.
Now, Xiao Ze, at the age of eleven, was already a Nine-Star Dou Practitioner. What should he be called? The most talented individual in the Xiao family for a millennium?
"Everyone sees it now, right? An eleven-year-old advanced-level cultivator!" Xiao Zhan's tone was full of pride. "If he doesn't meet an untimely death and continues to grow smoothly, he's guaranteed to reach the level of Dou King in the future."
"With a high probability of becoming a Dou Emperor, or even the legendary Dou Ancestor!"
"If the Xiao family has a Dou King presiding, it would be considered a first-class power in the entire Jia Ma Empire! Instead of the three-way struggle in a small place like Wu Tan City, the Xiao family would reign supreme!"
"If we have a Dou Emperor, we can enter the ranks of the top forces in the Jia Ma Empire! The Xiao family would flourish, possessing endless resources for your cultivation!"
"As for a Dou Ancestor, that's too lofty a dream! I'm not harboring such extravagant hopes. But even so, Xiao Ze is still the hope for the future prosperity of the Xiao family!"
At this point, Xiao Zhan's tone suddenly changed, his impassioned speech turning into anger.
"Yet now, the elder dares to lay hands on the future hope of the Xiao family!"
"Using the strength of a Great Dou Master against a cultivator! Is this teaching by example or simply attempting murder?!"
Whoosh!!!
The entire crowd erupted into murmurs. After listening to Xiao Zhan's explanation, everyone looked at the elder with blame and anger!
This wasn't just an ordinary talent; this was a future Dou King or even Dou Emperor!
If earlier they had taken a hands-off approach, now they were beginning to feel the pain themselves.
People only truly feel pain when their own interests are affected!
Having a powerful figure guarding them not only provided a sense of security but also meant access to abundant cultivation resources!
Advanced martial skills, medicinal pills to aid cultivation, guidance from stronger individuals – all these benefits made them eager.
The two other elders felt this even more keenly. They understood better than anyone else how desirable it was to have a high-level cultivator in the family!
The resources for cultivation they had been longing for, even the elixirs to break through critical bottlenecks, could all be obtained through the presence of a high-level cultivator.
Higher cultivation levels also meant longer lifespans!
And now, the elder dared to act against the future of the family. They hadn't lived enough for this!
For a moment, even the two elders glared angrily at the elder!
The elder was dumbfounded. He never expected his target in his rage to be such a prodigy!
In an instant, regret flooded his heart!
(End of Chapter)