There was a lot of attention being paid to this incident among the Elders and it even reached the Clan Leader. Some were whispering about the possibility that maybe Jin might get expelled from the Clan. Although most of the Elders disagreed. It was a matter of fact that Jin disobeyed the Clan rules. But at the end of the day, he was defending the honor of his parents who died protecting the Clan. Elder Alda was furious! She and Elder Ito, Koyen's father, were having a huge argument.

Elder Ito was one of the younger Elders in the Velor Clan and was also the most ambitious. His ambition meant he had a way of achieving anything he desired, which included using his son to tease Jin the grandson of his rival, Elder Alda. He wanted Elder Alda's seat at the upper table of the clan council.

Elder Alda, on the other hand, wanted to maintain her status quo and didn't consider Elder Ito as her rival, but she could not tolerate anyone acting against her grandson, and even disrespecting dead Clan members. Especially her daughter and son-in-law.

Both Elders had strong wills and were known for their pride. This conflict was getting out of proportion, and the Clan Leader knew that. So he intervened in the discussion of the Elders. "This is enough! A mere fight between kids is making our Clan like this! If our enemies knew how fragile our unity is... it could mean our end" He lectured.

All the Elders quieted down after listening to their Clan leader. They knew exactly what the clan leader meant. If they lose their unity, they will fall apart. The clan was still struggling to rebuild itself, since the war that killed a huge number of the Velor Clan members. Of course, Elder Ito knew that, but the clan rebuilding itself also meant that it was a great opportunity for fast growth.

"I will treat this only as a kids' fight. Not as a fight between Elders." The Clan Leader continued in a thoughtful manner. "In the future, if we see this happens again, the punishment will be harsher on all the involved parties." His energy permeated the hall. Both Elder Alda and Koyen's fathers nodded their heads in agreement.

On the following day, Jin came into the Clan Hall to meet with the Clan Leader. The Clan Leader looked at this young disciple with admiration and respect. Jin admired the Clan Leader greatly too. The Clan Leader, Lier, a small friendly old man with a long beard and sharp eyes, his nickname in the Martial World was the Radiant Warden of Justice. He was well respected by friends and foes.

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"Jin, you broke Clan Rules." the Clan Leader started, "This can not be tolerated."

Jin looked down, concerned. But he gathered courage and answered. "May I talk, Clan Leader?"

"Yes, you have the right to tell your side also." The Clan Leader responded.

"Sir, you know that the other Disciples were teasing me. And I didn't give in to their provocations. " Jin made a pause, and looked up," Their comments were not true at all, I just defended my parent's honor," Jin said "I defended the Clan Honour!" he finished with confidence.

"That's why I called you today." The Clan Leader interrupted Jin's sentence, "In the Martial World, and in the Velor Clan, honor is of utmost importance. But so are the rules. Your mistake was letting the situation get this far." the voice of the Clan Leader got more serious "In times like this, if you cannot avoid a fight you need to be smart! How could you fall for a petty trick like this?" the Clan Leader said in a stern manner, "You lost this round of wits, let this be your lesson."

Jin lowered his head silently, he understood what the Clan Leader was talking about. He fell for Koyen's plot, if he acted earlier and challenged Koyen to a duel following the clan rules, the situation was going to be different.

The Clan Leader walked toward Jin and patted him on the shoulder. "I think this incident shows you how important it is for a young warrior not to act rashly or blindly..." he paused for a second before continuing "And you should also learn not to attack without considering the consequences."

"Yes, Clan Leader."

"I am sure you will become a great warrior one day. But I also need to obey the clan rules, and so I need to punish you" With those words, the Clan Leader walked back to his seat leaving a stunned Jin behind. He turned his head towards Jin "Your punishment will be three months of secluded training...” he made a small pause “at the Cave of Spirits."

"Thank you, sir." Jin said, relieved, that he wasn’t expelled from the Clan.

"Don't thank me yet. I expect you to perform well under these three months of seclusion." The Clan Leader said as he looked away from Jin.