’Besides, I was the one who cured Marshal Qiu Chen and His Majesty the King of that deadly poison. They’ll probably think of me first!’

’It wouldn’t be a huge deal if other people found out, but the problem is that the wrong kind of people might come after me!’

For the first time, Ling Xiao felt an urgent desire to increase his own strength as quickly as possible.

But Ling Xiao didn’t know that at this very moment, thousands of miles away in the Imperial Capital, the entire leadership of the Gandalf Clan was embroiled in a fierce debate, their faces flushed as they ganged up on a young woman.

The young woman appeared serene, sitting quietly beside an old man, though a subtle hint of hurt lingered in her eyes.

"Clan Leader, you tell us! Was what Yisha did right or wrong? She used the Beauty Pill to gain immense personal benefits—yes, a title... ennoblement! Ha, sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? It might seem like our whole clan has become nobility, but in a few years, Yisha... she’ll have to get married, won’t she? And she’ll take that noble title with her! When that happens, the Gandalf Clan won’t have gotten a single coin or a shred of the glory! That’s completely unfair! I demand that we keep at least half of that money!"

The speaker was a man in his fifties with a pair of shrewd, glaring eyes, his voice filled with agitation. This was the Gandalf Clan’s Grand Elder, Maureen, a man from Yisha’s grandfather’s generation. He often clashed with Clan Leader Mosie over matters like succession, leading to frequent arguments. Once again, it was this Grand Elder—whose prestige in the clan was second only to the Clan Leader’s—who had fired the first shot.

As soon as he finished, others immediately chimed in.

A clean-shaven, fair-faced man in his forties chimed in, "Exactly. Yisha is young and naive; she’s being used and doesn’t even realize it. Who would be so generous? He stays hidden while making us stick our necks out! Do you have any idea how much pressure our clan has been under because of this? And we didn’t get a single copper coin! What’s more... and this is the most important part, I still don’t even know who supplied the Elixirs! Tell me, is that reasonable? Why should we work for someone else for free?"

"Right! Yisha, who exactly is this person? You need to remember, the blood of the Gandalf Clan flows in your veins! You are still the Gandalf Clan’s... future heir!" the Grand Elder roared, slamming his hand on the table, spittle flying.

"Grand Elder," Yisha said slowly, her voice soft. "Since you know I am the clan’s future heir, you should also know that even if I were to marry, I would not leave the clan." As she spoke those words, a sharp pain lanced through Yisha’s heart. ’Ling Xiao... Yisha... can’t stay by your side forever. It’s truly... heartbreaking!’

"The title of nobility is mine personally, that is correct." Yisha’s expression hardened, and she shot the Grand Elder a cold glance. "But the beneficiary is the entire Gandalf Clan. Whether you’re willing to admit it or not, that is an undeniable fact! The Gandalf Clan is now a noble house! That won’t change just because I marry someone else. Therefore, from this perspective, everyone in the clan has already reaped an unimaginable reward! A noble title is something our clan has failed to obtain for centuries, even if... it’s only the title of a knight! I don’t believe I need to elaborate further on this point."

"Hmph, a fine speech!" a voice sneered. "But what about the money? Over ten million Gold Coins! Why shouldn’t the clan get a single coin? You said it yourself, you belong to the clan! That means the money you earned belongs to the clan too! You claim you promised to give all the Gold Coins to the person who supplied the Elixirs? Ha! Who’s going to believe that? I sure don’t!"

This was another man in his forties, speaking with a sneer. His name was Moka, one of the thirteen Elders of the Gandalf Clan. Though not particularly old, he was from the same generation as Mosie and Maureen, and thus, his words carried great weight within the clan.

Yisha’s eyes swept across the faces of the thirty-odd people in the meeting room, and her heart ached. ’They all know the truth,’ she thought, ’but they’re still so shamelessly pressuring me, trying to force me to reveal the Elixir supplier’s identity, all while desperately scheming for that money. It’s because... every branch of the family gets a dividend each year.’

Yisha’s gaze fell upon a handsome, middle-aged man. He wore a look of shame and avoided her eyes, not daring to meet her stare.

This man was none other than Yisha’s father, Raymond Gandalf, who was notoriously incompetent within the clan. As the eldest son of the main branch, Raymond wasn’t even an Elder. Otherwise, why would Clan Leader Mosie still be in his position at such an advanced age? If his son had been capable, he would have passed down the leadership long ago.

Faced with his own daughter being ganged up on, the cowardly Raymond lacked the courage to say even a single word in her defense. He was seething with rage and had so much he wanted to say, but he... he just couldn’t force the words out.

Yisha sighed softly in disappointment and didn’t spare another glance for her father, whose face was flushed red. He was her father, after all. No matter how disappointed she was, Yisha couldn’t bring herself to blame him too harshly. She had only looked his way out of a subconscious hope that someone might speak up for her.

Collecting herself, Yisha continued, "The clan has been under a certain amount of pressure, I acknowledge that..."