Temple Head Puyi gave Minister Ren a sharp glare.
The look alone was enough to make Minister Ren imdiately swallow his remaining words.
Without speaking, Puyi raised a hand and pointed toward Lin Mu.
More specifically, toward the jade stamp now visible in Lin Mu's hand.
Minister Ren followed the gesture.
The mont his eyes landed on the object, his pupils shrank.
For a split second, his brain refused to process what he was seeing.
Then recognition struck him like a lightning bolt.
His face went pale.
"The... Guardian Beast Decree?"
The words ca out as a stamr.
Temple Head Puyi said calmly, "Minister Ren. You should understand what this ans."
Ren's entire body trembled.
In the next instant, he dropped to his knees so quickly that the sound of his robes hitting the stone floor echoed through the courtyard.
THUD.
Without hesitation, he bowed deeply until his forehead touched the ground.
"This humble minister pays his respects to the Guardian Beasts!"
He did not dare raise his head again.
Lin Mu shifted slightly, looking sowhat uncomfortable.
To him, the situation felt a little excessive.
But Minister Ren's reaction was entirely genuine.
To the foxkin, the Guardian Beast Decree represented authority beyond that of kings or emperors.
Holding that seal was equivalent to carrying the will of the Guardian Beasts themselves.
And in their culture...
Standing in the presence of such authority was the sa as standing before the gods.
Lin Mu let out a quiet sigh as he watched Minister Ren remain prostrated on the ground, his forehead pressed firmly against the stone floor. The man showed no sign of rising anyti soon.
In fact, the deeper Lin Mu's senses extended toward him, the more he could feel the sheer reverence, fear, and awe radiating from the minister's very being. It was not rely respect for a person, but reverence toward an authority that transcended kingship itself.
This was precisely what Lin Mu had wanted to avoid.
Without another word, he raised his hand and calmly stored the Guardian Beast Decree into his spatial ring. The mont the jade stamp disappeared, the oppressive aura that accompanied it faded from the surroundings. The air itself seed to relax slightly, as if an invisible weight had been lifted.
Only then did Lin Mu speak.
"You may get up."
His tone was neither commanding nor forceful, but to Minister Ren, it might as well have been an imperial edict.
The foxkin official quickly pushed himself upright, his movents careful and respectful. However, even as he stood, he kept his head lowered and his gaze fixed sowhere near Lin Mu's feet. He did not dare et Lin Mu's eyes.
The change in his deanor was obvious.
Previously, while respectful, he had still treated Lin Mu as an honored guest. Now, however, the difference was absolute. In his mind, Lin Mu was no longer just a powerful cultivator or a prestigious guest of the kingdom. He was soone carrying the will of the Guardian Beasts.
And that placed him beyond the reach of ordinary hierarchy.
Minister Ren's thoughts raced uncontrollably.
With the Guardian Beast Decree in Lin Mu's possession, there was no one in
the entire Fox Scion World who could defy him. Not the nobles, not the ministers, and certainly not even the king. The decree stood above all earthly authority.
Even a royal command could be overridden by it.
While Ren's mind struggled to fully process this, Temple Head Puyi spoke calmly, his voice cutting through the tension.
"Minister Ren, Honorable Disciple Lin Mu has accepted a mission from the
Guardian Beasts themselves."
Ren's ears twitched slightly at the words, and although he still did not dare look
up, his attention sharpened imdiately.
"The mission concerns assisting the foxkin clans in resolving their population
issue."
For a brief mont, silence hung in the air.
Then Minister Ren's expression shifted subtly.
Understanding dawned.
'So that was the reason...
The shock of the Guardian Beast Decree had overwheld him earlier, but now that he heard the purpose behind it, the situation began to make sense.
The issue of bloodline degeneration among the Fla Fur Foxkin Clan and the Frost Fox Clan was not a small matter. It was a long-standing concern that had troubled the higher authorities of the world for generations.
If the Guardian Beasts themselves had intervened...
Then the gravity of the situation was far greater than he had imagined.
Ren swallowed slightly before speaking in a respectful tone.
"This humble minister understands."
Though he did not know how Lin Mu intended to resolve such a deeply rooted issue, he did not question it. If the Guardian Beasts had chosen Lin Mu for this task, then there was nothing more to say. Doubting the decision would be equivalent to doubting the will of the guardians themselves.
Temple Head Puyi gave a small nod.
"Ensure that Honorable Disciple Lin Mu is properly taken care of during his
stay."
Minister Ren responded instantly.
"That is without question."
There was no hesitation in his voice. In fact, he felt that even those words were
insufficient.
To properly "take care" of Lin Mu now ant sothing entirely different. It was not rely about hospitality. It was about ensuring that nothing, absolutely nothing, caused inconvenience to soone carrying the Guardian Beast
Decree.
Before Lin Mu could take his leave, Temple Head Puyi spoke again.
"One more thing"
Lin Mu paused and turned back slightly.
"I will assign soone to assist you during your journey."
Lin Mu raised a brow slightly. "Soone from the temple?"
Puyi nodded. "My disciple."
Lin Mu considered this for a mont before nodding. "That is fine. Where is he
now?"
The temple head gave a faint, slightly embarrassed smile.
"He is currently in seclusion, focusing on cultivation. But I will ensure he is
ready before your departure."
Lin Mu accepted this without further question.
"That works. We will need a few days before leaving anyway."
With that, the conversation ca to an end.
Lin Mu turned and began walking away from the temple, with Minister Ren
quickly stepping forward to guide him.
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