Chapter 144: Abnormal Movement

Lin Hao had ordered all the corpses from the various rival sects to be carefully sorted according to their affiliations and left precisely where they were. He intended to bring their bodies along with him when the time came for retribution.

On this particular day, Lin Hao visited the ancestral hall of the Clear Wind Sect, where numerous newly erected memorial tablets stood in neat rows. At the very front were the tablets dedicated to the sect master, the various elders, and Qingyun.

Accompanied by the remaining score and odd disciples of the Clear Wind Sect, Lin Hao gazed at these tablets with a solemn expression, then respectfully offered a few sticks of incense.

Standing before the wooden tablets of the sect master and Qingyun, Lin Hao dropped to his knees with a resounding thud, kowtowed heavily three times, and made a silent vow in his heart: Sect Master, Senior Brother Qingyun, I promise you both that I will avenge the Clear Wind Sect and restore it to its former glory.

Only after finishing his kowtows did Lin Hao rise to his feet, turn around, and walk out of the ancestral hall with resolute strides.

At that moment, Lin Hao suddenly sensed a subtle stirring within his Golden Bell Shield technique.

Glancing at Xing Wei, he said, "Senior Brother Xing Wei, go and check what is happening at the entrance."

"Understood." Hearing Lin Hao's command, Xing Wei immediately led several disciples toward the outer gates to investigate.

A short while later, he returned to the main hall to report, "Reporting to the Sect Master, it is some of our Clear Wind Sect disciples who were away on travels returning to the sect."

"Oh, is that so? Then quickly let them enter." With a wave of his hand, Lin Hao opened a small breach in the barrier of the Golden Bell Shield at the main entrance.

The people outside immediately walked through, and Xing Wei dispatched attendants to welcome them.

Before their return, when Xing Wei had sent them messages, he had already informed them of the dramatic chain of events that had transpired. As they walked in and took in the desolate, ruined state of the Clear Wind Sect, the leading figures among them all wore expressions of intense fury.

Upon stepping into the main hall and seeing Lin Hao seated before them, they were momentarily stunned, their faces carrying a clear trace of defiance.

Although Xing Wei had explained the whole story in his letters, these individuals were considered the prominent and influential disciples of the Clear Wind Sect who usually operated outside the headquarters. They were accustomed to having a decisive say in matters, holding a status equivalent to that of the inner-sect disciples. Ordinarily, they only heeded the words of the sect master and elders, sometimes even treating Qingyun and the others as their peers. Furthermore, having had no personal involvement in the recent catastrophe, they lacked a deep understanding of Lin Hao.

Seeing someone so young easily ascend to the position of sect master left a bitter knot in their hearts. Consequently, upon entering the hall, they merely glanced briefly at Xing Wei and Lin Hao, failing to immediately offer the traditional bow of respect due to a sect master.

Observing this, Lin Hao merely gave them a look, a faint smile curving the corners of his lips as he took the initiative to address them. "Senior Brothers, I believe you are already aware of the tragedy that has befallen us. Your return now means we can rebuild a new and prosperous Clear Wind Sect together."

Lin Hao had lowered his pride to speak to them first. In response, they felt it would be somewhat discourteous to completely ignore him.

Stepping forward, the young man wearing red who led the group—also of tender years—looked at Lin Hao with a smile, cupped his fists, and said, "We have indeed heard rumors of these events. We apologize for returning late; please forgive us, Sect Master."

Yet, when he uttered the title "Sect Master," there was not a shred of reverence in his tone.

Witnessing this, a spark of anger ignited in Xing Wei's eyes.

He had already felt deeply displeased when they entered without paying their respects to Lin Hao. Now, hearing their brazen and irreverent attitude, Xing Wei's eyes widened in fury. "What do you think you are doing? This is the Sect Master! Shouldn't you show him the proper respect? And Hong Wei, the way you speak to the Sect Master is completely out of line!"

Hearing Xing Wei's rebuke, the young man in red, called Hong Wei, showed no sign of anger. Instead, he raised an eyebrow and retorted, "How was that disrespectful? Besides, just because you say he's the sect master, does that make him one? Our Clear Wind Sect has suffered an unprecedented calamity, but none of us were here to witness it firsthand. Who knows what really happened? Why should we blindly address him as our sect master?"

His words were utterly unceremonious, directly challenging Lin Hao's legitimacy as the sect master.

The disciples who had fought alongside Lin Hao through thick and thin were now boiling with rage. If Lin Hao had not been present, they would have already rushed forward to trade blows with the newcomers.

However, Lin Hao himself, the principal party involved, showed no anger at all. Instead, he looked at Hong Wei with an amiable smile. "Senior Brother Hong Wei is right. He makes a very valid point."

Hong Wei found everyone else's reaction deeply abnormal. He had expected Lin Hao to fly into a rage upon hearing such insolence, yet it was the other Clear Wind Sect disciples who looked displeased. In particular, he had some prior acquaintance with Xing Wei and knew him to be a rigid individual who attached immense importance to protocol; he never imagined Xing Wei would become such a staunch defender of Lin Hao, ready to fall out with old comrades purely over an attitude. This baffled Hong Wei completely.

To make matters stranger, Lin Hao agreed with his provocative words, leaving Hong Wei momentarily dazed, unable to fathom what game the young leader was playing. He stared at Lin Hao with a probing gaze.

Rather than taking offense, Lin Hao stepped down from the dais and walked openly right up to Hong Wei, inviting his scrutiny.

Then, he raised a hand and patted Hong Wei gently on the shoulder.

Although the pat seemed light on the surface, Hong Wei's expression instantly shifted from shock to profound complexity.

Lin Hao acted as though nothing had happened, maintaining his friendly demeanor. Hong Wei, however, looked back at him with undisguised hostility.

The truth was that Lin Hao had channeled half of his internal energy into that single pat, and Hong Wei's shoulder had nearly been shattered by the impact. Caught completely off guard, Hong Wei's face had twisted in pain for a split second before he forced himself to stare back at Lin Hao with stubborn defiance.

Only then did Lin Hao withdraw his hand. Ignoring Hong Wei's hostile glare, he cast his gaze over the other disciples who had returned with him.

Underneath his lingering hostility, Hong Wei's eyes now held a shred of cautious respect rather than sheer contempt. The sensation Lin Hao had just inflicted upon him made it clear that this young man was far from incompetent.

Stealthily rubbing his sore shoulder and twitching the corner of his mouth, Hong Wei forced a smile and said, "Since the Sect Master agrees with my point, shouldn't we wait until all our affairs have settled before firmly deciding on the matter of the sect master's seat?"

"Indeed. The position of sect master is not something anyone can just inherit. The Clear Wind Sect may not be the largest sect in the world, but it is not insignificant either. Furthermore, none of us witnessed the former sect master passing the mantle to him with our own eyes," chimed in several disciples who had returned alongside Hong Wei, unwilling to yield.

Clearly, their resistance to Lin Hao's leadership ran deep.

"In the presence of the Sect Master, how dare you speak so insolently! I witnessed the whole thing with my own eyes! Senior Brother Qingyun personally handed the Sect Master token to him, and everyone present can vouch for it!"

"That's right, we are all witnesses! The Sect Master is the legitimate master!"

Hearing these defiant remarks, Xing Wei could no longer hold his tongue, and the score and odd loyal disciples erupted in indignation.

Seeing them stand up for him warmed Lin Hao's heart. He gestured for them to calm down, saying, "Alright, everyone, stop arguing. Both sides have valid points, and ultimately, our intentions are for the good of the Clear Wind Sect. Our priority right now is to rally all the scattered strength of our sect back to our headquarters. As for the matter of the sect master, I am confident you will all come to accept it willingly. You have just returned from a long journey, so you should go and rest first. Over the next few days, the remaining factions and disciples will continue to trickle back. Once everyone has returned, I will resolve this matter openly in front of all of you. Otherwise, I would exhausting myself explaining the same thing to every single wave of arrivals."

After listening to this, Hong Wei pondered for a moment before nodding readily. "Very well. We shall wait and see how the Sect Master plans to convince us."

With that, Hong Wei turned on his heel, flicked his sleeve, and walked away, showing not a shred of politeness toward Lin Hao.

The forty or fifty disciples he had brought with them followed suit immediately, turning and trailing after him without looking back.

Incensed by such flagrant disrespect, Xing Wei stepped forward, eager to voice his discontent, but Lin Hao reached out, pressed a hand onto his shoulder, and shook his head.

"Are only Hong Wei's group back?" Lin Hao asked.

"No, there are others as well. Hong Wei's group simply happened to be stationed closest to our sect. The rest of them should be arriving successively by this afternoon and tomorrow," Xing Wei replied, explaining the situation promptly.

Receiving this information, Lin Hao nodded and said, "That is good."

He then dismissed Xing Wei and the others, remaining seated alone in the grand hall to contemplate their next moves.

Once everyone else had departed, Cao Yi emerged from behind the dais. Having witnessed the entire scene—especially the defiant expressions of Hong Wei and his faction—Cao Yi looked at Lin Hao with a teasing, mischievous smirk.

"It seems your seat as sect master is far from secure. Looks like you're going to have plenty of headaches ahead of you."

"What does this amount to? I have the confidence and the strength to make each and every one of them acknowledge me. Since I have taken up the mantle of sect master, I will ensure no one has grounds for doubt," Lin Hao replied with absolute confidence.

He was entirely unfazed by Cao Yi's teasing, feeling no sense of intimidation whatsoever. In truth, this was precisely what he believed.

Cao Yi's appreciation for him deepened at his resolute attitude. Wearing an expression of genuine admiration, Cao Yi said, "I find myself admiring you more and more. If you ever decide you don't want to be sect master and wish to ditch this messy burden, I can offer you a much higher status elsewhere. Would you like that?"

Cao Yi's words prompted Lin Hao to give him a sharp, assessing look, his expression turning serious.

Meeting his gaze with equal calm, Cao Yi's eyes revealed a deep, unfeigned sincerity.

Sensing that Cao Yi was not joking, Lin Hao chuckled softly and replied, "Thank you for your kind offer, Senior Brother, but there is no need. I can earn my status and standing through my own efforts. I firmly believe the future Clear Wind Sect will not lag behind any sect in the world."