"Lin Changsheng has disgraced the Lin clan time and time again. He doesn't even have Spirit Roots, yet he dares to yawn during the Ancestral clan meeting. He deserves to be punished!"
The clan head, Lin Xiao Yan, spoke with fury in his voice as he stood in the Ancestral Hall, pointing at Lin Changsheng as if he were ready to chop his head off. The other clan elders glared at Lin Changsheng as though he had committed a crime. However, they couldn't voice their thoughts; after all, Lin Changsheng was a direct descendant of the Lin clan.
"But... but I didn't say anything!" Lin Changsheng defended himself in a low voice.
"You hear that?" Elder Lin Bai Cheng continued, "He's now brave enough to talk back to his elders."
Lin Changsheng sat quietly, thinking inwardly, 'When did it all go wrong? Everyone in this clan hates me. Why? Was it when I reincarnated three days ago? I didn't even know why, but when I opened my eyes, I was here in this Ancestral clan. I should never have come here today, but if I didn't attend the meeting like the elders ordered, that would have been even worse.'
That's right, Lin Changsheng had reincarnated into this world three days prior. Just three days before his reincarnation, he was a professor on Earth, teaching art; however, he had met a brutal end when he was hit by a truck. When he woke up, he found himself in a cultivation world where Immortals could cut through mountains with a simple swing of their sword. But unfortunately for him, the original owner of this body didn't even have Spiritual Roots, so even if he had hope for cultivation, there was nothing he could do.
"Lin Changsheng, as the clan head, I hereby banish you to the outer courtyard for a hundred years."
"A hundred years? Grandfather, I'm not a cultivator; I'm a normal human being with rights! I can't live in seclusion for that long," Lin Changsheng protested hoarsely.
"If you're not a cultivator, then you shouldn't bear the Lin clan name. What if you go out there and other clan families find you? Wouldn't that be a disaster and a disgrace to the Lin family?"
The hall fell silent; no one dared to make a sound. Suddenly, the Lin clan's butler walked in, dressed in blue martial robes. His posture was straight and commanding—so much so that even Lin Changsheng, who was not a cultivator, felt his intimidating presence, every cell in his body urging him to flee from the hall.
The butler bowed to the clan head and then to the elders before speaking. "I arrived as soon as I could. Is there any problem?"
"Take this boy to the outer courtyard," the clan head commanded.
Lin Changsheng forced a smile and bowed his head. "I will go pack my things from my former home."
He walked out of the courtyard. A few hours later, Lin Changsheng and the butler arrived at the outer courtyard. It was then that Lin Changsheng realised that the position of successor was now far beyond his reach. After all, being banished from the Ancestral Hall meant that he no longer had the right to compete as the clan heir.
"Young Master," the butler called Lin Changsheng, pulling him from his thoughts. "We've arrived at the outer courtyard."
Lin Changsheng gazed back at the Lin household, now far away from the outer courtyard. It felt as though the clan head was indirectly saying that if anything were to happen to him, they wouldn't care.
After some time, the butler instructed other servants to begin cleaning the courtyard. The cobwebs and dust were cleared away, and old furniture was replaced with new ones.
"All the other maids you had decided to serve your brothers and sisters, except for Wang Mei; she said she would stay with you," the butler informed him calmly.
"Wang Mei? You mean the maid without Spirit Roots, just like me?" Lin Changsheng asked.
The butler nodded. "Yes."
"Ha... I think I'm doomed."
"Don't say it like that, Young Master. At least you still have a home, and you will be fed when you're hungry. I suggest you apologise after a year or so; I'm sure the clan head will forgive you."
"Why does the clan head hate me?" Lin Changsheng asked, curiosity piqued.
The butler looked left and right before continuing, "I'm not really sure. But I think this has something to do with your father. You know very well he was supposed to be the clan head, correct?"
Lin Changsheng nodded.
"Well, eighteen years ago, when you were just a child, the clan head ordered your father to become the clan head. However, your father, who was in the Golden Core stage at that time, refused, stating that he wanted to travel the world with your mother. To this day, we don't know if they ascended to the upper realm or if they perished somewhere far away. That's why everyone in the clan is so cold toward you."
"I see. That's interesting. Thank you, butler."
The butler nodded with a smile. "Take care, Young Master."
With that, the butler and the servants left, leaving Lin Changsheng alone in the courtyard. Suddenly, he heard a knock at the door.
"Who could it be now?" he wondered as he stood up from his resting bench and opened the door. It was Wang Mei, his maid, dressed in red robes that complemented her youthful figure.
Her face dripping with sweat, she held a large bag in her left hand that seemed to contain her belongings.
"Young master... sorry I'm late," she gasped, breathing heavily.
"Where were you running?" Lin Changsheng asked.
"Yes... I was running."
"Is this the place where we'll be staying? It's beautiful," she remarked as she gently walked inside.
"Don't worry, young master. I will take care of you and this place from now on."
"Is that so? I will look forward to it. But before anything else, could you please take a bath? You really stink."