Facing the High Priest's coercion, a nameless rage surged within me. My instinct was to draw my sword and overturn the table, but realizing that such an outburst would negate all my previous efforts, I restrained myself.
Suppressing my anger, I looked at the High Priest with a stern face.
"High Priest, this is not within the rules."
On the matter of allegiance, I could not afford to be ambiguous. In any power struggle, the ones who die the fastest and suffer the worst fates are invariably the fence-sitters and the two-faced.
Therefore, having been branded with the mark of the Tiger Slayer since joining the Du'an tribe, I could not compromise under the High Priest's pressure. I had to stand my ground!
I would absolutely not bow my head!
"Batu, do you know what you are saying? Are you still a believer of the Shepherd God? I'll give you one more chance, kneel down!"
The High Priest put down his makeshift megaphone and spoke to me in a deep voice, his tone brooking no argument.
The Du'an tribesmen below, unaware of our exchange due to the High Priest lowering the megaphone, did not cause a commotion. On the surface, everyone appeared to be in good spirits, with no overt signs of animosity.
Observing the High Priest's actions, my expression remained unchanged, but inwardly, I breathed a sigh of relief.
Since the High Priest had put down the megaphone and not publicly escalated the conflict before the entire tribe, it indicated he was not ready to openly break ties with the Tiger Slayer faction and engage in full-scale war.
This left room for me to maneuver.
"High Priest, this Temple Guard Commander position was not a gift from you. I personally took it from Gui Du Si himself!"
"You don't need to put on that high and mighty act. Let me tell you, I don't buy it! If you insist I kneel, then I, Batu, will gladly relinquish this Temple Guard Commander position!"
With that, I turned and made a move as if to leave.
In the blink of an eye, I had devised a somewhat risky solution.
Knowing that the High Priest was not prepared for a full-blown conflict, I understood that there was room for him to back down from his current pressure.
Since I had nothing to lose, I decided to go all in, acting as if I were done for.
My gamble was that the High Priest would not risk his reputation to the point of mutual destruction with me, turning this ceremony into a farce!
However, I couldn't carry out this act alone. I needed someone to step in and salvage the situation for a complete resolution.
And among those present, only one person had the qualifications...
"You... Batu!"
The High Priest was enraged by my sudden decision to quit. His hypocritical mask was completely gone. If it weren't for the crowd, he would have probably pounced on me and torn me to shreds, swallowing me whole!
The situation had escalated to this point, and the only one qualified to resolve it finally spoke.
"Ahem, Batu, wait a moment."
Hu Tu, who had been watching the unfolding events quietly, cleared his throat twice and called out to me.
My elder brother was indeed remarkable, knowing when it was his cue to act at this crucial juncture.
I stopped in my tracks and turned to look at Hu Tu.
Despite my inner elation, I maintained an appropriately indignant expression on my face.
Hu Tu walked over to the High Priest, glanced at his livid face, and wordlessly took the ancient sword, symbolizing the Temple Guard Commander, from his hand. He then strode over to me.
"Batu, don't throw a childish tantrum. The position of Temple Guard Commander for this term is yours, and no one can take it away!"
With a few casual words, Hu Tu brushed aside my extremely damaging actions, which had nearly ruined the ceremony.
The gamble had paid off!
I struggled to contain my laughter and stood before Hu Tu without a word, looking at the High Priest behind him with a scowling face. Inside, I was immensely satisfied.
I wished I could pop champagne right then and there, shooting the cork with its spraying foam straight into the High Priest's face.
Hu Tu didn't bother with any elaborate rituals. Instead, he reached out and adjusted my slightly creased clothing. Then, he handed me the ancient sword that symbolized authority.
As I ran my hand over the ancient sword, a simple thought crossed my mind.
If I could take this sword outside, how much would it fetch at an auction?
Hu Tu didn't give me time to ponder. After I received the sword, he grabbed my wrist and led me step by step before the crowd.
"I declare, Batu is officially the new Temple Guard Commander!"