Mu Family.

In a wide and spacious hall, over a dozen people had assembled. A middle aged person was pacing at the center of the hall.

"Patriarch, calm down." One person addressed the middle-aged man.

"Calm down?" Mu Xuefeng cried. "How can I calm down? Changshou has yet to return!"

"Youngsters these days have no sense of time." Another elder said, "He will return. Let's proceed with the meeting."

"It's easy for you to say," Mu Xuefeng scowled. "It's not your grandson who is missing."

The elders face turned a bit red from embarrassment and he didn't speak anymore.

"Cough! Isn't his soul jade fine?" Another elder suggested.

Mu Xuefeng stopped pacing and retrieved a flat and rectangular piece of jade from his spatial ring, the length of a finger. Milk-white in colour, with the figure of sun engraved on one side, and the name Changshou on the other―it was intact without the slightest crack.

"The jade's fine―" Mu Xuefeng placed the jade back into his spatial ring. But the pristine state of the jade did little to appease his nervousness. "The jade's fine―that doesn't mean he is fine." Mu Xuefeng frowned and resumed his pacing.

The elders looked at one another in exasperation, but didn't refute. The soul jade could only tell if a person was alive or not. Even if the person in question was an inch away from death, the jade would still be fine. The jade would crack only after the death of the individual.

"Wasn't he with the youngsters from the Ming Dynasty?" Another elder said. "Haven't they returned?"

"He was with Qin Huang and others. I was able to contact Qin Huang, but he said Changshou and him got separated during the beast tide." Mu Xuefeng said. "The Ming Dynasty youngsters have already returned back safely."

"What about other youngsters from Family? Some of them must have returned by now? Maybe they have seen Mu Changshou?" One elder suggested.

Mu Xuefeng didn't waste any time and immediately sent an attendant to get the news. The attendant soon arrived and handed over a list.
 
"According to the guards report, aside from Changshou and a few other members, all have returned. But none of them have seen Changshou since the tide." Mu Xuefeng said as he looked at the list. "What's this?" Mu Xuefeng stared as his eyes fell on one particular name. "Even Mu Chen returned safely? How did someone like him come back safely and Changshou is still missing?!" Mu Xuefeng's face turned ugly. "We should send a search team in the forest. Elder Wang, arrange―"

"Patriarch, don't be hasty." One elder interrupted. "The beast tide has just receded. The forest should be left alone in peace for now. If we send more people in, it might trigger another tide."

"Yes, Patriarch. Without knowing the cause of the beast tide, it won't be safe if we send more people."

"Yes, Patriarch! We can't take the risk."

"I agree." Other elders chimed in and dissuaded Mu Xuefeng.

"Then what should we do?" Mu Xuefeng gritted his teeth. "Changshou must still be in the forest. Otherwise I would have been able to contact him! Are we going to just sit here while he might be fighting for his life?"

"Hasn't the Old Ancestor returned yet?" Elder Jun said. "He must know more about the situation in the forest."

"Old Ancestor had already returned before us." Mu Xuefeng sighed. "But his room is locked―so I didn't disturb him."

The elders fell silent. They didn't have any more suggestions to offer and they could only look at each other in dismay. The assembly had been called to discuss the reformations in the wake of the beast tide. However, once Mu Xuefeng knew Changshou was missing, he became so agitated that he could no longer focus on the original purpose of the meeting.

Several elders sighed looking at Mu Xuefeng. Although they didn't say it out loud, many elders were dissatisfied with Mu Xuefeng's way of handling things. Mu Xuefeng, preoccupied with his worry, remained oblivious to the elders' attitude, not realizing his behaviour was degrading his status.

"There is no other choice―I will go ask the Old Ancestor for advice." Mu Xuefeng announced, after thinking for a while. "This meeting is adjour―"

The door of the hall flew open and an old man entered. The elders were angry and surprised at the sudden intrusion, and about to lash out, but immediately suppressed their outburst on recognizing the newcomer.

"Greetings, Old Ancestor!" The elders stood up and bowed. Mu Hao nodded in acknowledgement.

"Old Ancestor!" Mu Xuefeng was stunned for a while but recovered quickly, "I was just about to pay you a visit."

"Why?" Mu Hao asked, "Is the meeting over? Did everyone reach an agreement?"

"The meeting is―"

"Since the meeting is ongoing―don't mind my presence. I will just sit by and watch." Mu Hao said.

"That―" Mu Xuefeng wanted to protest but was cowed by the stern look in Mu Hao's eyes. Mu Xuefeng gulped, "As Old Ancestor wishes."

Under Mu Hao's suppression, the meeting was resumed and the topic of discussion was not Mu Changshou, but the calculation of damages suffered by the Family and remediations.

"According to the report, the bases in the Dark Forest have suffered extensive damages. They have been rendered useless and it will take at least a year to repair them..." Elder Yuhan who handled the finances and resource allocation, talked for almost half an hour before concluding, "...and because the Mu Family didn't help resist the beast tide for the city, according to the covenant, we are not eligible for the gains from the defeated beasts. Instead, we are required to pay a penalty of ten thousand middle-grade spirit crystals. Much of the cultivator and mortal staff that had been hired to work in the base, has been killed during the tide―compensation will have to be issued to the surviving family members, amounting to one thousand middle-grade spirit crystals. Construction and repair of the base itself will cost another ten thousand middle-grade spirit crystals. Therefore, I suggest that over the next couple of years, the resources handed out to the younger and older generation alike be reduced by about forty percent until the finances have returned to normal." After reading his report, Elder Yuhan sat down.

The council of elders exploded in a buzz.

"This is unacceptable." One elder said.

"Forty percent cut is too much." Another elder complained. "Elder Yuhan, are you sure you're not exaggerating? I don't believe our situation is so bad as to warrant a cut in resources."

"Since the disaster has just happened, you won't feel the consequences so soon." Elder Yuhan raised a brow. "But one of our major sources of income has been affected. If consumption of resources isn't monitored, it will affect our foundation in the long run."

"But if we reduce the resources consumed, everyone's cultivation progress will slow down. If that happens, Mu Family will fall behind other Sects and Families!" Elder Yuan said.

"Hmph! What progress?" Elder Shi scoffed. "Elder Yuan, you have been wasting resources for so long, but your cultivation hasn't improved a bit! And you are worried about getting less resources?!"

"Elder Shi!" Elder Yuan roared. "I don't see you making any progress either! If I'm wasting resources, so are you!"

Other elders joined in the discussion, some felt the decision was too extreme, others felt it was necessary, some were undecided or so.

"You guys are just concerned about yourselves!" Elder Chang couldn't hold it and said out loud. "I'm more worried for the younger generation. Unlike us old hags, they are the ones who are in need of more resources."

"Elder Chang, do you have another suggestion?" Mu Xuefeng finally asked. Everyone stopped arguing.

"The young should not be burdened by the follies of the old." Elder Chang looked at all the elders and sighed. "We already lost a few talents during the tide. The remaining ones should be trained even more vigorously. I would rather forfeit my share of resources―let the younger generation cultivate in peace."

Everyone in the hall fell silent contemplating Elder Chang's words. Mu Hao, who was sitting beside Mu Xuefeng, had an appreciative look in his eyes.

"Elder Chang is right." Elder Qiang said, "I will also forfeit my share till things return to normal."

"I will also forfeit my share." Another elder said.

"Me too."

"I agree."

"..."

One by one all the elders present voiced their agreement. Elder Shi and Elder Yuan were reluctant, but since everyone else had agreed, they had to give in.

"Since everyone has decided to forfeit their share, as the Patriarch I cannot fall behind." Mu Xuefeng said.

The decision was made, and the meeting continued. After dealing with a few more issues, the meeting was finally over. The elders once more greeted the Old Ancestor before they left the hall, leaving behind Mu Xuefeng alone with him.

"Grandfather!" Once the last elder had left, Mu Xuefeng hastily turned towards Mu Hao, his face anxious. Under the insistence of Mu Hao, he had managed to keep his calm during the meeting, but he could no longer hold it back. "Changshou is still―" Mu Xuefeng had barely opened his mouth, invisible pressure enveloped him forcing him to kneel.

"Insolent!" Mu Hao roared. "Is this how you conduct your image of a Patriarch?! Is this what I taught you?"

"Great-Grandfather, I―" Mu Xuefeng groaned under the pressure. "P―please listen to me, Changshou he―"

"I know he is missing." Mu Hao said, "What of it?"

Mu Xuefeng was speechless. Mu Hao looked at Mu Xuefeng in disappointment, but he removed his suppression and allowed him to regain freedom. Mu Xuefeng stood up slowly, panting for breath.

"Today, you almost ruined your image as the Patriarch." Mu Hao shook his head, "Your affection for your son has blinded you. As the Patriarch, the Family's issues come first, personal issues later. Do you understand?"

"I understand, Grandfather." Mu Xuefeng said with a lowered head. "But...Changshou?"

"He may come back. It has just been a few hours―there's no need to assume the worst." Mu Hao said. "Don't bother to send anyone to search in the forest. The forest isn't safe right now. Forget about me, even Sir Chen suffered injury."

"What?!" Mu Xuefeng exclaimed.

"It was a beast lord..." Mu Hao explained to Mu Xuefeng about what happened in the forest. "...I've settled Sir Chen into my cultivation chamber. He is very weak right now, monster qi has invaded his dantian. So make sure he isn't disturbed for the next few days. If anything happens to him, it will be us who will take the blame. The Family has already suffered a lot―" Mu Hao paused and looked at the door. "Who?"

The door of the hall was opened, revealing the figure of a tall and handsome youth.

"Changshou greets Great-Grandfather!"Mu Changshou bowed towards Mu Hao, before turning Mu Xuefeng, "Father!"

"Changshou! You are back!" Mu Xuefeng exclaimed in joy and rushed to meet him. "Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"

"Father, I am fine!"

"Did you just return?" Mu Hao asked.

"Yes, Great-Grandfather." Mu Changshou said. "I met Elders on their way back and heard that Father was very worried about me, so I immediately came here. But the door was locked, so I waited outside."

"Not even a scratch." Mu Hao said, inspecting Mu Changshou. "Excellent!"

"Great-Grandfather overpraised." Mu Changshou said. "It was just a beast tide, nothing to be worried about."

"Hahaha!" Mu Hao laughed. "Tell that to your father, he was worried about nothing. Since you are back, I will leave you too alone."

"Grandfather, are you leaving?" Mu Xuefeng asked.

"Since I am already out of my seclusion, I will go see some old friends." Mu Hao said and left the hall.

"Changshou, where had you been?" Mu Xuefeng asked, "I couldn't contact you."

"Father, I'm sorry," Mu Changshou said,"To avoid detection from the beasts, I had concealed my presence, but I forgot to dissolve the technique after the tide was over. I didn't think my carelessness would cause Father to worry…"

"It seems I was worried over nothing." Mu Xuefeng sighed. He looked at Mu Changshou for a while, but stayed silent.

"Father?" Mu Changshou asked, "Is there something?"

"N―nothing." Mu Xuefeng hesitated, but didn't say anything.

"If there is nothing else―I will head to my room." Mu Changshou said. "Today's events left me exhausted."

"Alright, you go get some rest." Mu Xuefeng said. "If you are short of any medicines for recovery, let me know. I will arrange for it."

"Yes, Father." Mu Changshou left the hall and headed towards his residence. But when he was halfway through to the location of his residence, he stopped and took out a token.

"It's me." Mu Changshou whispered into the token. "Come to my place as soon as you can―I have a task for you..."