"Luo Lin, are you lonely? Or, perhaps, are you feeling isolated?" Lin Tian asked, looking at Luo Lin's departing figure in the darkness.

Luo Lin stopped in her tracks, gazing into the darkness at the end of the corridor. Lin Tian couldn't see her expression, and she merely replied calmly, "The Blood Clan lives with solitude. If you're new, you'll gradually understand this truth."

By "new," she meant those who hadn't been part of the Blood Clan for long. Lin Tian also knew that anyone who had been a part of the Blood Clan for less than a century was considered new. True, earthly lives barely last a hundred years, and after a century, the Blood Clan essentially sheds human characteristics.

"Have you ever thought about changing the status quo? Always being someone else's servant... this world is so vast, you should go out and see it," Lin Tian said flatly.

"Do you know? By saying this, I could already consider you a traitor to the Blood Clan," Luo Lin raised her voice slightly, yet Lin Tian still couldn't see her expression as she spoke.

"Then you can arrest me now for judgment, or tell Elder Asina," Lin Tian replied, his expression unreadable.

Luo Lin didn't respond to Lin Tian's words any further, continuing to walk away until she disappeared at the end of the corridor. Lin Tian sighed inwardly, realizing that the Blood Clan's loyalty ran deep. Yet, this also reflected the unparalleled dominance high-level Blood Clan members held over the low-level ones, something nearly impossible among humans.

Feeling spontaneous, Lin Tian wanted to test it out. As expected, converting a Blood Clan member was no easy task unless one used special means of control. Shaking his head, Lin Tian returned to his room.

In the following two days, nothing special happened. When the Blood Clan had no tasks, they were no different from ordinary people—eating, drinking, and entertaining as usual.

However, Lin Tian noticed one thing: his status among the Blood Clan had skyrocketed, placing him alongside Luo Lin as one of the superior Blood Clan members they revered. In the Blood Clan, strength indeed spoke the loudest.

On the evening of the third day, after Lin Tian had finished dinner and was about to study Western alchemy, there was a knock on the door.

Nasha and Nolan went to open it, and it was Luo Lin who walked in. She found Lin Tian, maintaining her businesslike demeanor, and said, "The elder has returned and wants you to come over."

Finally, Lin Tian was delighted internally. He had long awaited Asina's return; only with her here would the conflict with the Jimi Chi Clan begin, giving him a chance to contact Charlotte's people.

In the past two days, Lin Tian had tried to subtly inquire about Charlotte's whereabouts from Luo Lin and Reya, but they too knew nothing since Charlotte had never appeared in previous battles with the Jimi Chi Clan.

This was also because Lin Tian was overly eager; a Blood Clan of a lord level couldn't possibly appear in ordinary Blood Clan battles.

"Let's go," Lin Tian signaled, walking out of the dormitory with Luo Lin.

Luo Lin led Lin Tian, taking the elevator down to the underground bar hall. However, the hall was quiet this time; the usual music and lively scene were nowhere to be found today.

At the most conspicuous spot in the hall, there was a large chair covered with soft fur, comfortable for anyone lounging on it. No one else but Asina would dare to display such flamboyance in a bar hall.

But before Asina appeared, the Blood Clan members had all gathered, each quietly standing with a respectful look.

Reya stood at the forefront of the Blood Clan, and when Lin Tian and Luo Lin arrived, they also stood at the front.

Soon, Asina, unseen for a few days, finally appeared, still dressed in a long gown and a black cape, as beautiful, elegant, and enchanting as ever.

Lin Tian felt like he needed to comment: what's with wearing a cape in this heat? Unknown to him, most Blood Clan members despised sunlight, so capes became a necessary item over time.

"Greetings, Elder Asina."

After Asina sat down, all the Blood Clan members immediately knelt on one knee to pay their respects. The only one left standing was Lin Tian, making him the most conspicuous figure as all the Blood Clan's eyes focused on him.

"Brother Tian, kneel quickly, don't anger the elder," Reya tugged at Lin Tian's sleeve, whispering a reminder.

Asina looked at Lin Tian, with a faint smile, but Lin Tian still didn't kneel. Instead, he cupped his hands and said, "Good evening, Elder."

Asina glanced briefly at him again but moved her gaze away swiftly, pretending not to notice Lin Tian hadn't knelt. She surveyed the Blood Clan, stating authoritatively, "I just returned from the Prince's place, and I have two matters to announce. The first is about the ennoblement."

"Ennoblement?" The Blood Clan members showed obvious excitement. Within the Blood Clan, ennoblement implied status, especially when conferred by the Elder Court and the Prince, as acknowledged by the Blood Clan Alliance.

Like Lin Tian's ennoblement to Baron by a private elder, it was internally recognized but not by other Clans' Blood Clan. A title given by the Elder Court and the Prince enjoyed equal standing within the Blood Clan Alliance.

"After deliberation by the Prince and the Elder Court, we confer the title of Duke to Luo Lin," Asina announced with a smile, looking at Luo Lin.

"Thank you, Elder. Thank you, Prince," Luo Lin bowed her head in respect, her expression solemn while others cast envious glances.

Amid the attention of the entire Blood Clan, Luo Lin approached Asina, knelt again, and devoutly kissed Asina's foot.

Lin Tian watched in utter amazement, thinking why such a grandiose and humble gesture was necessary for a mere ennoblement.

Foot kissing is an ancient rite, especially popular in Europe; the "Book of Isaiah" records it: "Kings shall be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They shall bow down to you with their faces to the ground and lick the dust of your feet."

This is a ritual of ennoblement, symbolizing submission. Particularly in feudal times in Europe, a lord's knights and servants had to perform this rite, pledging loyalty and dedication to their master.

For a modern civil individual like Lin Tian, such a menial ritual was absolutely unacceptable. If it were him, he'd rather forgo ennoblement than kneel and kiss anyone's foot.

In Huaxia, it's considered a disgrace comparable to crawling under someone's legs to make a man kneel; doing so to kiss feet would be even more humiliating.

While Lin Tian's thoughts wandered about, Luo Lin had already received the badge conferred by Asina and respectfully stepped down.

Asina turned her gaze to Lin Tian, preparing to speak, but Lin Tian promptly interjected, "Elder Asina, I've just joined Sinmore, so I'm probably not qualified for ennoblement yet, right?"

What kind of joke is this; having to perform a foot-kissing rite for ennoblement? Lin Tian was a hundred percent unwilling. His words caused the Blood Clan's attention to gather on him once more.

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