The next day, You Rong summoned all the beastmen tribe leaders to discuss the formation of the beastmen alliance.
You Rong's purpose in forming the beastmen alliance was twofold: to unite all beastmen forces to counterbalance the blood race, and because the establishment of the alliance was ultimately beneficial for all beastmen. Therefore, after You Rong explained the rules of the alliance one by one, all the beastmen leaders unanimously agreed.
You Rong solemnly announced, "Alright, since there are no objections from anyone present, I officially declare that the Beastmen Alliance is formally established today!"
As his words fell, the leader of the Spirit Fox Tribe was the first to applaud.
After the applause subsided, several beastmen leaders exchanged glances. The leader of the Lion Tribe stepped forward and said, "Leader You, the few of us discussed this privately yesterday. You have vision, foresight, and courage! These are qualities we old folks lack. We have always believed you are capable of leading the Beastmen Alliance. After the alliance is formed, we all hope you will become its leader! From now on, we and all our tribe members will obey you! Obey the alliance!"
This was within You Rong's expectations, and he did not refuse. "I am grateful for your trust. I shall respectfully accept. Please rest assured, the alliance will always prioritize the interests of all beastmen."
"We believe in Leader You!"
"Yes! We all believe in Leader You!"
After the unanimous expression of trust in You Rong, he lowered his gaze slightly and met Lin Qinghe's smiling eyes beside him. A flicker of emotion stirred within him, and he said in a deep voice, "The establishment of the Beastmen Alliance today is a great joyous occasion, but I have another piece of good news to announce to everyone."
"Another joyous occasion to announce?" The leader of the Lion Tribe and the other beastmen leaders looked at each other, their faces filled with confusion.
"What other good news does Leader You have for us? Just tell us, we're all waiting!"
"Yes! Leader You, stop building suspense. Hurry up and tell us!"
You Rong's gaze settled on Lin Qinghe, his expression softening. "The other joyous occasion is that I will be forming a bond of companionship with the Ancestor of the Blood Race. The ceremony for this bond will be held soon. Once the exact date is set, we will notify everyone individually and invite you all to attend."
As his words ended, the beastmen leaders, who had been whispering amongst themselves, fell silent, their faces etched with astonishment.
Had they heard him correctly?
Leader You was going to form a bond of companionship with the Ancestor of the Blood Race?!
That was the Ancestor of the Blood Race, the most powerful being for tens of thousands of years, a figure they had always feared.
After a long pause, those stunned into silence gradually came back to their senses and began to offer their congratulations. "Leader You and the Ancestor of the Blood Race... *cough cough cough*! You are truly a match made in heaven, a perfect pair! Congratulations, congratulations!"
"Yes! We congratulate Leader You wholeheartedly! We wish you a hundred years of happiness together!"
"Right, right... Congratulations, congratulations. We will definitely attend the bond ceremony between Leader You and the Ancestor of the Blood Race!"
Lin Qinghe took You Rong's hand, stood up, and smiled at the beastmen leaders present. "Thank you for your blessings. We have received them all. On the day of the ceremony, please be sure to attend."
"Please rest assured, Ancestor of the Blood Race! It is our honor to be invited to your bond ceremony, and we will certainly be there!"
"That's right! We will be there no matter what!"
After Lin Qinghe and You Rong thanked them individually, You Rong arranged for all the beastmen leaders from Meng Bei to rest. The large room was left with Meng Jianghe and Meng Xiaoyi, Lin Qinghe and You Rong, and Zhang Yi and Chu Tianhao.
Meng Jianghe frowned and asked in a deep voice, "You Rong, when you said you liked someone before, were you referring to the Ancestor of the Blood Race?"
You Rong nodded. "That's right. The person I've always liked is her."
Meng Jianghe's expression turned somewhat grim. "You Rong, do you remember that your entire family was tragically killed by the blood race?"
Lin Qinghe's expression remained unchanged, she didn't even lift her eyelids. However, Chu Tianhao became displeased. He rolled his eyes at Meng Jianghe and retorted irritably, "What is this smelly old man trying to say? Can't you see that our Ancestor and Young Master are in love? Are you trying to break them up? Regarding the tragic death of the Young Master's parents at the hands of the blood race, are you trying to implement collective punishment? What era is this! It's the 21st century, and your thinking is still so backward. Besides... don't you know that it was the Ancestor who avenged the Young Master, killing Ouyang Feng and other trash that very day!"
"You... you're the one with backward thinking! And who are you calling a smelly old man! Don't forget, you're a blood race member who is tens of thousands of years old, you're several times older than me. If anyone's a smelly old man, it's you!"
"Is that so? Too bad, who can help it if the blood race is immortal? It seems you really are a smelly old man, while I'm still in my prime!" Chu Tianhao pouted. "But if you're not trying to break them up, then what did you mean by what you just said?"
"I, I just..." Meng Jianghe was quite angered and snorted, deciding not to argue with Chu Tianhao. After all, one word from this blood race member could kill someone. He looked at You Rong and asked, "You Rong, what do you think?"
You Rong exchanged a look with Lin Qinghe, tightened her grip on Lin Qinghe's hand, and replied in a deep voice, "Grandfather, besides my parents, Qinghe is the one who has been best to me. As Patriarch Chu said, the hatred for my family is one thing, and their death at the hands of the blood race is another. We cannot blame the entire blood race. Moreover, I love Qinghe, and she loves me. There is nothing wrong with us forming a bond of companionship. I will not care about anyone's opinion, I only want her!"
Meng Jianghe's eyes were filled with complexity. After a long while, he said, "Fine. What you say is also true. Since you love each other, I have no reason to object. I will bless you."
Perhaps this was an opportunity to resolve the millennia-old animosity between the werewolf and blood races. Moreover, Meng Jianghe could see that Lin Qinghe was sincere towards You Rong. You Rong would likely be happy with her as a companion, and then he would be able to face You Rong's deceased father with a clear conscience.
You Rong turned his head and smiled at Lin Qinghe. "Thank you for your blessing, Grandfather. Qinghe and I will definitely be happy!"
Meng Jianghe had Meng Xiaoyi push him out. As Meng Xiaoyi passed by You Rong, she paused and said, "Although I've never had a good impression of the blood race since childhood, the Ancestor of the Blood Race seems truly different. She doesn't seem like a bad person, so... I also bless you!"
Lin Qinghe smiled and replied with a thank you for her blessing.
After Meng Jianghe and Meng Xiaoyi left, Chu Tianhao changed his attitude, scrutinizing You Rong with a critical gaze. He warned irritably, "Young Master! I'm saying this upfront: I don't object to you forming a bond of companionship with our Ancestor, but your bond ceremony must be grand and glorious! The bond ceremony of our Ancestor of the Blood Race must not be treated lightly! Also... if you dare to fool around behind our Ancestor's back in the future, even if you are now the leader of the Beastmen Alliance, our blood race will never let it go!"
Zhang Yi, for once, stood on the same side as Chu Tianhao, nodding emphatically in agreement with his words.