Chapter 400: Yunlu's Husband, Capable of Battling Ma Chao!
"Uncle Snake's aura?"
Hearing the words of the small, elderly man in front of him, Mo Yu was taken aback, his face showing a trace of surprise.
Since the battle in the Black-Corner Domain, Uncle Snake had fallen into a deep sleep, and he hadn't appeared for years. Yet, this man in front of him could recognize Uncle Snake just from a faint trace of lingering aura. Could it be that this old clan leader of the Golden Warhorse Clan was truly a friend of Uncle Snake when he was alive?
Various thoughts flashed through Mo Yu's mind, but his expression remained calm as he said, "If I'm not mistaken, the 'Snake Wuwan' that the clan leader speaks of should be my elder, Uncle Snake."
"Oh, it really is him." The small old man was stunned at first but then looked overjoyed. "I haven't seen Old Snake since we parted ways long ago. I thought he had perished somewhere."
As he spoke, the old man let out a sigh of relief, his gaze now fixated intently on Mo Yu. Slowly, he asked, "Young one, since you're Old Snake's descendant, you can tell me now, where is your Uncle Snake?"
Hearing this, Mo Yu's fists clenched tightly. Beside him, Ma Yunlu perked up her ears as well. Although her grandfather had many friends, she had never seen him care so much for one.
Mo Yu's fists trembled, and a cold gleam flashed in his eyes. After a moment, he suppressed the turmoil in his heart, took a deep breath, and slowly replied, "Uncle Snake… is no longer with us."
"What?!"
At these words, the old man's expression darkened, and a chilling killing intent burst forth from his body, causing the temperature in the hall to drop significantly.
"How could this happen? With Old Snake's abilities, even in Central Plains, he was close to the pinnacle. How could he suddenly… I still owed him a few favors from back then!" The old man's face grew grim with anger.
Seeing her grandfather's fury, Ma Yunlu shrank back a little. Her grandfather was usually calm and composed, so seeing him lose his temper like this was a rare sight.
"Snake Wuwan… Could it be that he was the life-and-death friend my grandfather met during his travels, the one who saved him from mortal danger multiple times?" Ma Yunlu muttered softly to herself, her beautiful eyes widening in astonishment as she glanced at Mo Yu, seemingly realizing something.
Mo Yu, observing the old clan leader's reaction, also grew more certain that this man had indeed been one of Uncle Snake's close friends.
"Old Clan Leader, though Uncle Snake is gone, there may still be a chance to bring him back..." Mo Yu suddenly said in a low voice.
"Oh?" The old man's gaze sharpened as he looked toward Mo Yu.
As a rank-eight magical beast, he wasn't as skeptical about resurrection as ordinary people might be. But even so, the idea that Mo Yu could bring back Snake Wuwan piqued his curiosity and made him reevaluate the young man in front of him.
Reviving a powerful Dou Zun fighter was not something an ordinary person could accomplish.
Just as the old man was about to ask more questions, a familiar voice suddenly echoed from outside.
"Father, I have something to report!"
Following the voice, several figures walked into the grand hall, led by none other than Ma Fu.
When Mo Yu saw Ma Fu, his silver eyes narrowed slightly. Behind Ma Fu were three people whose attire and aura were distinctly different from those present. They were, without a doubt, people from the Myriad Sword Pavilion!
Seeing them, Mo Yu's hands tightened a little. Among the three were Tang Ying and Hei Jian, both of whom Mo Yu knew well, along with an elderly man carrying a broad, green sword and exuding a deep, powerful aura.
If Mo Yu wasn't mistaken, this elder was one of the four sword-guarding elders of the Myriad Sword Pavilion—Elder Qing Jian!
On the other side, Hei Jian also noticed Mo Yu, and a fierce, bloodthirsty look appeared on his old face. If it weren't for the fact that they were in the Golden Warhorse Clan's territory, he likely would've attacked Mo Yu on the spot.
"Father, these three are the Young Pavilion Master of the Myriad Sword Pavilion and two of its Sword-Guarding Elders. They have come here today regarding my second brother's son-in-law.
Some time ago, this son-in-law of my second brother killed the beloved disciple of a master swordsmith. The incident has caused quite the uproar in the Western Regions. Although our Golden Warhorse Clan and the Myriad Sword Pavilion have never interfered with each other, my second brother's actions have placed our clan in a difficult position."
Ma Fu gestured to Tang Ying and the others as he spoke, casting a cold, mocking glance at Ma Teng before turning to the old clan leader with a meaningful smile.
Seeing this, Ma Teng's face darkened. He knew that Ma Fu had deliberately brought the Myriad Sword Pavilion here to humiliate him!
As Ma Fu finished speaking, Tang Ying stepped forward and respectfully greeted the old clan leader. "I am Tang Ying. Greetings to the Clan Leader."
"Oh, so you're the talented sword disciple that the Sword Venerable took under his wing these past few years. Not bad. To have such strength at a young age, no wonder you've become the Young Pavilion Master of the Myriad Sword Pavilion." The clan leader raised his eyelids and gave the group a brief, indifferent glance.
Tang Ying and the others exchanged looks at the clan leader's lukewarm response, and finally, Elder Qing Jian, the one carrying the green sword, stepped forward and said, "Clan Leader Ma, this Mo Yu is the one who killed a disciple of our Myriad Sword Pavilion. Although I do not know why he has become the son-in-law of City Lord Ma Teng, murder must still be repaid with life, and debts with repayment. Both our Pavilion Master and the master swordsmith have made it clear that we will stop at nothing to capture Mo Yu and bring him to justice. We hope your clan can understand…"
Hearing this, everyone present froze for a moment, their expressions changing subtly.
Ma Fu's supporters wore looks of glee. If Mo Yu, Ma Teng's son-in-law, were taken away by the Myriad Sword Pavilion, it would be a public humiliation. How could Ma Teng maintain his dignity as Clan Leader of the Golden Warhorse Clan after such a spectacle?
On the other side, Ma Teng and his supporters looked grim. They had planned for Mo Yu to stand in for Ma Yunlu in the upcoming contest against Ma Chao, but would their plans be ruined before the battle even started?
Just as Ma Teng was about to speak up in Mo Yu's defense, the old clan leader's face darkened.
"Hmph! You can go back now. Mo Yu is not only my granddaughter's husband, but also a descendant of one of my dearest friends. Even if your Pavilion Master himself came, he couldn't take him away!"
Hearing the old clan leader suddenly speak up, Tang Ying and his group were stunned. They hadn't expected Mo Yu to have such a close relationship with the clan leader.
"Father, is it really worth offending the Myriad Sword Pavilion over a mere human?" Ma Fu asked, flustered. But before he could finish, the clan leader's cold voice cut him off.
"Enough! Are you a member of the Golden Warhorse Clan or the Myriad Sword Pavilion? Mo Yu is the descendant of my old friend, and no one can touch him. If you have any more thoughts of betrayal, I'll pass the Clan Leader position directly to your second brother. There will be no need for an election!"
At these words, Ma Fu's face froze. He shot a look of confusion and anger at Mo Yu, but reluctantly stepped back, saying nothing further.
Seeing this, Tang Ying and his companions were left in a difficult position. The Golden Warhorse Clan was one of the Western Regions' top-tier forces, even stronger than the Myriad Sword Pavilion. If the clan leader was determined to protect Mo Yu, they had no way of taking him by force.
Mo Yu, for his part, was surprised as well. It seemed that the old clan leader and Uncle Snake had quite a close bond.
As the tension in the hall thickened following the old clan leader's firm rejection, an awkward silence settled over the room. Then, a soft cough suddenly broke the stillness.
"Ahem, today is the Golden Warhorse Clan's leadership election. All other matters can wait. Determining the next Clan Leader is our priority."
An elderly voice echoed through the hall. Mo Yu glanced over and saw a dignified elder sitting beside the clan leader. His expression was calm and stern, exuding an air of authority, but what struck Mo Yu the most was the faintly powerful aura emanating from his body. Though not as formidable as the clan leader's, it was not to be underestimated.
"Hehe, the Grand Elder is right. Let's first select the next Clan Leader so I can stop worrying about it," the clan leader said with a smile, then turned his gaze to Ma Fu and Ma Teng.
"As my sons, I hadn't planned for either of you to take over so soon. But our clan's ancestors established a tradition to ensure the vitality of our bloodline: the Clan Leader position is to be replaced every hundred years.
So now, the question is, which of you two has the ability to succeed me as the next Clan Leader?"
With that, the clan leader gestured for the Grand Elder to take over the proceedings.
Ma Fu and Ma Teng exchanged glances, and an invisible spark seemed to ignite between them.
Mo Yu couldn't help but admire the Golden Warhorse Clan's rules. Their ancestors had clearly put a great deal of thought into ensuring the growth and strength of their clan.
The Grand Elder took charge of the election process. To Mo Yu's surprise, the first test was an evaluation of territorial management.
Ma Fu and Ma Teng, as the Lords of the Dikun Mountain Range and Golden City respectively, had been managing their respective territories ever since the clan leader had partially retired. This test not only assessed their current powers, but also served as a measure of their ability to lead the clan.
The evaluation method left Mo Yu impressed. Unlike many other forces in the Dou Qi Continent, where strength was paramount and leadership skills were secondary, the Golden Warhorse Clan placed equal importance on both.
In the first test, Ma Teng had a clear advantage. As one of the most prosperous cities in the Western Regions, Golden City had immense potential. Moreover, with Ma Teng's capable leadership, his management skills far surpassed Ma Fu's.
Delighted by his victory, Ma Teng smiled, while Ma Fu's face darkened with anger.
Mo Yu shook his head slightly. Although Golden City was naturally advantaged with its wealth and prosperity, this made it harder to show significant improvement. The Dikun Mountain Range, though more barren, offered far more room for growth. Yet, under Ma Fu's leadership, it had seen little progress.
There was no doubt Ma Fu had rightfully lost the first round.
Just when Mo Yu thought he wouldn't need to step in, the second round brought an unexpected twist: the test was a vote.
In the Golden Warhorse Clan, any clan member who had reached the rank of six-star or above was eligible to vote for the next Clan Leader. The rules were simple: whichever candidate received the most votes would win.
Mo Yu had thought Ma Teng would surely win this round, as he had cultivated close ties with many of the high-ranking members living in Golden City. These individuals, being high-level warriors, were some of the few eligible to vote.
However, Ma Fu had secretly gathered and trained many high-level Golden Warhorses in the Dikun Mountain Range. While he lacked many seven-star warriors, his supporters among the six-star warriors were abundant.
Even though one vote from a seven-star warrior was worth five from a six-star warrior, Ma Fu still won by a narrow margin.
"Hmph, my uncle must have misappropriated clan resources. Otherwise, how could his subordinates have trained so many six-star warriors?" Ma Yunlu pouted, grumbling softly.
Hearing this, Mo Yu was surprised. It seemed Ma Fu had been scheming for a long time to train such a large group of six-star warriors. This kind of patience and strategy was the mark of a true mastermind.
Perhaps the clan's higher-ups were aware of this, but they chose to turn a blind eye.
After two rounds, Ma Teng and Ma Fu were tied, with each winning one. All eyes were now on the third and final round—the competition between their heirs.
"My son, Ma Chao, is a remarkable talent. In a hundred years, he will undoubtedly become the Clan Leader!" Ma Fu declared with a proud smile.
His words left everyone stunned. He was already thinking about stepping down a hundred years from now? It seemed he was confident of victory in the third round.
The crowd's attention turned to Ma Teng's side, their gazes filled with curiosity.
Ma Chao's strength was well-known throughout the Golden Warhorse Clan, surpassing even some of the older generation's warriors. How could Ma Teng possibly respond?
Taking a deep breath, Ma Teng looked toward Mo Yu and shouted.
"Yunlu's husband, Mo Yu, will battle Ma Chao!"
(End of this chapter)
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