The Lin's Patriarch is weird.

Chapter 12: 12. Enjoying the hunt.

The silence that followed was deafening.

Lin Zhenghai sat in the Patriarch’s seat with an increasingly ugly expression.

He could feel the mood of the hall shifting away from him.

What had begun as an attack against Lin Xuan had somehow turned into a trial of his own conduct.

More importantly, nobody seemed interested in discussing impeachment anymore.

They were all looking at him.

Waiting for an answer.

Unfortunately, he didn’t have one.

At least, not one that would satisfy the room.

Seeing the silence drag on, Lin Xuan decided it was time to end the matter.

He stepped forward and stopped before the raised platform. ƒгeewebnovёl.com

"Supreme Elder."

His tone was calm.

"Stand up."

Lin Zhenghai’s face twitched.

"What?"

"That seat belongs to the Patriarch."

Lin Xuan looked directly into his eyes.

"Stand up."

The old man’s fists clenched beneath his sleeves.

For a brief moment, it seemed as though he might refuse.

The atmosphere in the hall immediately became tense.

Then, under the watchful gazes of every elder present, Lin Zhenghai slowly rose from the chair.

Not because he wanted to but because he suddenly realized something.

If he refused now, he would be openly challenging the Patriarch’s authority in front of the entire council.

There would be no justification for it.

No excuse or room for interpretation.

The moment he stood, Lin Xuan calmly walked past him and sat down.

The Patriarch’s seat had returned to its rightful owner.

Only then did Lin Xuan look toward the gathered elders.

"Since everyone is already here, let’s settle a few matters."

Several elders immediately straightened.

"The first matter concerns the treasury."

His gaze shifted toward Lin Zhenghai.

"The order reserving all newly refined Body Tempering Pills for Lin Zhaowen is revoked effective immediately."

A few elders secretly sighed in relief.

While they admired Lin Zhaowen’s talent, many had been unhappy with the arrangement.

"The second matter."

Lin Xuan continued before anyone could speak.

"Future allocations of clan resources will be decided through proper procedures.

If anyone wishes to submit a proposal, they may do so but no elder, regardless of position, is permitted to issue orders in my name."

As he spoke, his eyes briefly lingered on Lin Zhenghai. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

The meaning was obvious.

The old man’s face darkened further.

"The third matter."

Lin Xuan leaned back slightly.

"The six hundred Body Tempering Pills I donated to the treasury earlier today will be distributed according to Elder Su Qinglan’s judgment."

This time, genuine surprise spread through the hall.

"A donation?"

"Six hundred?"

"When did that happen?"

The whispers quickly spread.

Even some of Lin Zhenghai’s supporters looked stunned.

The clan had spent the entire meeting arguing about a shortage that Lin Xuan had already solved.

The timing could not have been worse for the Supreme Elder.

Lin Xuan allowed the discussion to continue briefly before raising a hand.

The room immediately quieted.

"As for the final matter..."

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"Since the Supreme Elder has repeatedly emphasized the importance of serving the clan, I have prepared two options for him."

The moment those words were spoken, Lin Zhenghai felt an inexplicable sense of danger.

Lin Xuan continued.

"The first option is simple.

The Supreme Elder publicly acknowledges that bypassing the Patriarch and redirecting clan resources without consultation was inappropriate and that he is geniunely sorry for it."

The hall immediately became still.

Lin Zhenghai’s face darkened.

A public admission? IMPOSSIBLE!

That would be a direct blow to his prestige.

Before he could react, Lin Xuan continued.

"The second option is equally simple.

The Supreme Elder may maintain that everything he did was correct."

The old man’s eyes brightened slightly.

Then Lin Xuan smiled.

"In that case, since you are so dedicated to serving the clan, I will entrust you with the responsibilities that most directly affect its future."

The smile on Lin Zhenghai’s face froze.

"The next three months of recruitment, resource audits merchant negotiations, warehouse inspections, disciplinary reviews and quarterly financial reports."

With every responsibility listed, the expressions of the elders became increasingly strange.

Those were among the most exhausting administrative duties in the entire clan.

More importantly, they consumed enormous amounts of time.

Cultivators avoided such work whenever possible.

Lin Xuan leaned back.

"If your actions were truly motivated by concern for the clan, I trust you will gladly shoulder these responsibilities."

The hall became completely silent.

Then realization spread through the room.

Several elders nearly choked.

Others immediately lowered their heads.

A few shoulders even began trembling.

Everyone understood that this wasn’t a choice.

It was a trap.

If Lin Zhenghai admitted fault, his prestige would suffer.

If he refused, he would be forced to spend the next three months buried beneath mountains of tedious clan affairs.

Either way, he lost.

Lin Zhenghai naturally understood this as well.

His face turned red.

For the first time in years, he found himself completely cornered.

Lin Xuan patiently waited.

"Well?"

The single word felt heavier than a mountain.

After a long silence, Lin Zhenghai squeezed the words through clenched teeth.

"...I acted for the benefit of the clan."

A faint smile appeared on Lin Xuan’s face.

"I knew you would choose the second option."

The old man’s heart skipped a beat.

Lin Xuan immediately looked toward the council.

"Excellent, the matter is then settled. The Supreme Elder has volunteered to oversee all listed duties for the next three months."

Lin Zhenghai’s eyes widened.

"I never—"

"You just did."

Lin Xuan interrupted calmly.

"You stated that your actions were for the benefit of the clan."

His smile widened.

"Surely someone so devoted to the clan would not reject additional opportunities to serve it."

The old man’s mouth opened and then closed.

Because he suddenly realized he couldn’t refuse.

Not after everything he had said, not after spending the entire meeting preaching about sacrifice, responsibility, and putting the clan first.

Lin Xuan genuinely smiled.

The old fox had spent years creating problems for others. It was only fair that he spend the next few months solving a few himself.

At that moment, a familiar notification appeared before his eyes.

[Side Quest Completed]

[Teach the Supreme Elder and his supporters who’s truly in charge.]

[Reward: Body Tempering Pills ×1000]

Lin Xuan smiled at the system notification before looking toward the elders.

"Since the Supreme Elder has been generous enough to take on such an important responsibility, I’ll also donate another 1,000 Body Tempering Pills from my own pocket."

On hearing the word, every elders present couldn’t help but look at him in awe.