At the edge of the Silver Teeth Clan’s village stood a pristine cliff, from which a waterfall cascaded down into the stream that sustained the lives of the Silver Teeth Clan.
Nearby this waterfall, there was a square platform covered in claw marks, behind which a lifelike white wolf head was carved.
From the center of the wolf head, looking towards the village, one could see the houses of the Silver Teeth Clan arranged in a perfect fan shape, as if they had been constructed in the beam of a flashlight shining from the wolf head.
And right before the wolf head, at the starting point of the fan-shaped spread, was the office of the Clan Leader.
This signified that the Clan Leader of the Silver Teeth Clan, along with their ancestors, managed the affairs of the Silver Teeth Clan.
The Clan Leader’s office was built entirely of wood, towering and massive, yet only three stories high.
The third floor served as a lookout tower for surveying the village, from where one could overlook everything happening within the community.
The second floor was used for storing important documents and items.
The first floor was a reception hall where guests were received and the clan members’ problems were resolved.
The reception hall was extremely spacious, with a doorway over six meters high that even Lotcar, transformed into a gigantic wolf, could easily pass through.
After greeting the guards, Yang Yu and his companions followed Kai Bu into the reception hall, walking on the animal skin carpet towards the end of the room, which was filled by a mass of flesh covered in silver fur.
He was Chunjiang Silver Teeth, the current Clan Chief of the Silver Teeth Clan.
In the Silver Teeth Clan, governed by Lotcar, a robust physique was considered beautiful, and it was rare to see anyone overweight.
As the current Clan Chief of the Silver Teeth Clan, Chunjiang Silver Teeth also held this belief and had not wished to become what he now was.
Nearly every member of the Silver Teeth Clan over one hundred and fifty years old eventually swelled to this bloated state and suffered a painful death within one or two years.
Before reaching the age of one hundred and fifty, Chunjiang Silver Teeth had been all muscle, with the vigor of a man still strong in his advancing years.
But once past the age of one hundred and fifty, no matter how perfect his physique had been maintained before, his body would collapse into this state within just a few months.
The Old Clan Chief had been in this condition for four years now; his continued survival was nothing short of miraculous.
His swollen body now made eating difficult; he could only be fed by having food ground into tiny pieces and painstakingly inserted into his mouth, hidden beneath the fur, to barely sustain his life.
Even though he lay there immobile, nearly blind, the sound of Lotcar’s footsteps was enough for Chunjiang to know that Lotcar had returned.
The fur ball trembled slightly, Chunjiang’s throat could no longer produce sound, and he could only speak faintly with the aid of Magic Power.
"I am back, Clan Leader. You’ve been through a lot these past years."
Lotcar gestured for Yang Yu and the others to dismount from him before bowing deeply to Chunjiang.
"It hasn’t been a burden. Protecting the village is my duty. Now that you’re back, it’s time for you to take over this position, and at last, I can be relieved."
The fur ball continued to emit sound, and Chunjiang never wavered from his original intention, regarding Lotcar as the sole successor to the clan leadership.
During this period, he faced innumerable doubts, yet he never showed any desire to change his mind. He knew exactly what kind of person Lotcar was; no one was better suited to the role of Clan Leader than Lotcar, and Lotcar would surely return.
There was a look of helpless resignation in Lotcar’s eyes, "But Clan Leader, about the events seven years ago..."
"What happened seven years ago, I trust you can handle well, that’s why you’ve come back, right?"
The Clan Leader’s confidence invisibly bolstered Lotcar’s own, while Kai Bu stood aside, eyeing the fur ball with narrowed eyes, striving to restrain his fury.
This old fellow, after so many years, why does he still trust him so blindly? Am I really not good enough?
I am also capable. I know, you old geezer, that you seized this position from the former Clan Leader.
The former Clan Leader didn’t choose you as his successor, and what I’m doing now is no different from what you’ve done.
With the Clan Leader in this state, Kai Bu could snuff out his life at any time.
The reason he hadn’t done so was partly to avoid exposing himself unnecessarily, and partly to let the old man witness him ascend to the Clan Leader’s throne with his own eyes.
This goal should have been achieved long ago, but due to various reasons, it was postponed.
To fulfill the promise he had made to the Middleman and the Curse Sect, their Silver Teeth Clan had to actively send troops to participate in the war between Wansheng Country and Luoze Empire.
However, the Old Clan Chief adamantly refused, unless Kai Bu agreed to annul the previous announcement of abdication.
To make the old geezer agree to send troops for the war between Wansheng Country and Luoze Empire, Kai Bu had no choice but to accept his demand.
Consequently, the Silver Teeth Clan, which had long been isolated from the outside world, suddenly announced their support for the war on behalf of Wansheng Country, ready to lend their strength.
As a consequence, Kai Bu would lose his position as acting patriarch until the Old Clan Chief’s body began to collapse, and he announced his abdication, allowing Kai Bu to reclaim the acting leadership.
Kai Bu knew this was just the Old Clan Chief’s stalling tactic; the Old Clan Chief still had no intention of selecting him as his successor, nor did he have any intention of naming another.
Except for Lotcar, the Old Clan Chief truly had no plans to let anyone else lead the clan.
It was this realization that drove Kai Bu to hatch a plan to dispose of Lotcar, but alas, his efforts were in vain, and Lotcar was still alive upon his return.
Kai Bu also knew that if Lotcar returned, the Old Clan Chief would choose him as his successor again, despite all opposition.
"Old Clan Chief, are you sure you want Lotcar to participate in the ritual battle for the Clan Leader position at the Full Moon Festival a week from now?"
Kai Bu asked the Old Clan Chief once more with a forced smile.
The furry ball remained unchanged in his determination and answered in a weak voice:
"His status as the heir has not changed at all. Please convey that for me. Forgive me, Kai Bu, I don’t think you could be a good Clan Leader."
"Whether I can be or not isn’t for you to decide," Kai Bu interrupted Chunjiang’s words. "Time will prove that I can become an excellent Clan Leader, leading the whole tribe to prosperity. It’s just a pity you may not live to see that day."
None of the Old Clan Chief’s words surprised Kai Bu.
Kai Bu had tried everything possible to prevent Lotcar’s return, but now, there was no longer a need.
Lotcar had been placed on the Curse Sect’s purge list.
It wasn’t his fault—blame it on the fact that the people he brought with him had crossed paths with those they shouldn’t have.