Chapter 504: Powerful Friends
Meanwhile, within
Li Family Clan
territory, Yu Qiuyanâs flying carriage drew countless gazes as it glided overhead.
"Weâre here!" Li Xiang announced cheerfully as she guided the carriage down, landing it directly outside the Patriarchâs main residence.
The Li Family Clan lay nestled between two towering mountains, its vast grounds bathed in deep greens and shimmering jade. Emerald adorned nearly everythingâclothing, jewelry, buildings, even the decorative tiles beneath oneâs feet. Xiao Fang had learned from Li Lian that the clan owned a massive emerald mine and was the largest distributor of jade in the entire province. Subsidiary clans often paid tribute in raw emeralds, and it showed.
The moment the carriage appeared in the sky, the city erupted.
"Woahâlook at that!"
"Who does it belong to?"
"Isnât flying only possible for Heavenly Realm cultivators?"
"Could they be from the Heavenly Fate Sect?"
"Then why would someone like that come here...?"
The murmurs followed the carriage until it finally settled outside the Patriarchâs estate.
Drawn by the commotion, the Patriarch and his wife hurried outside. The instant the Patriarch saw who stood atop the carriage, his breath caught.
"Youâ" he stammered, pointing.
Standing proudly atop the carriage, Li Xiang planted her hands on her hips, grinning brightly. Beside her, Xiao Hei sat with her legs dangling off the edge, nose twitching as she sniffed the air.
âSo many sweets...â she thought eagerly. âI need to try them all.â
"Father. Mother," Li Xiang declared grandly. "Your daughter has returned."
The Patriarch stared in disbelief. "Xiangâer... where did you get a flying carriage?"
"Youâve only been gone a year," her mother added, stunned. "Your sisters will be green with envy."
Li Xiang puffed up slightly, then quickly restrained herself. Boasting in front of Yu Qiuyanâand Xiao Fangâdidnât feel appropriate.
"Father, Mother, Iâve come with my friends," Li Xiang said instead, holding up the control pendant. "The carriage belongs to them. I only drove it here using this."
The Patriarchâs eyes sharpened as he examined the pendant. The intricate formation engraved upon it told him everything he needed to know.
âHeavenly Fate formation...â he immediately recognized it.
Before he could say anything, Yu Qiuyan stepped out of the carriage, stretching lightly before descending with effortless grace.
The Patriarch immediately straightened and bowed. "Welcome, esteemed guest," he said respectfully, his wife following suit.
Yu Qiuyan smiled politely. "The pleasure is mine."
A brief exchange of courtesies followed.
Moments later, Xun Wei stepped out, her presence modest yet composed.
The Patriarch examined them carefully. As a cultivator himself, it wasnât difficult to gauge relative strength. Yu Qiuyanâs cultivation clearly surpassed his own. Xiao Hei, however, unsettled him even moreâher realm was similar, yet she was far too young. As for Xun Wei... despite possessing the lowest cultivation among them, she carried an air that felt untouchable. Her potential, subtle yet unmistakable, ran deeper than the rest.
âThat should be all of them. What an impressive group, the Patriarch thought warmly. It seems my daughter has made some powerful friends."
"Good, good, good," he said aloud. "Please come inside. You must all be tired from the journey."
The Patriarch gestured for them to follow him, but the moment he turned he felt the air shift only slightly, but for someone with his cultivation, it was enough. There was someone else coming out of the carriage. However, he couldnât sense that personâs presence at all.
When he turned around to check, thatâs when he saw himâa blindfolded man carefully descending.
That man was Xiao Fang.
Xiao Fang despised false sincerity. He had kept his blindfold on to better judge the Li Family Clan without interference.
Fighting through lingering pain, he stepped down slowly. Even after absorbing several soul crystals, the backlash had yet to fully fade.
Fighting through the pain, Xiao Fang carefully stepped out of the carriage. Even after absorbing several soul crystals, it still wasnât enough to completely heal him from the backlash.
He carried no oppressive aura like the others. And yetâ
The Patriarch felt it clearly.
The subtle way the others angled their bodies. The way their attention unconsciously returned to him. As if they were waiting for his lead.
"Young man, what might your name be?" The Patriarch asked respectfully.
"My name... is Fang."
"Welcome to my humble family clan, Fang. Itâs a pleasure to have you."
The Patriarchâs smile remained warm, but inwardly, his thoughts churned.
âFang... I wonder what family heâs from.â
The name carried no weight to him at first glance, yet the moment it was spoken, the air seemed to settleâalmost as if the space itself acknowledged it. More unsettling still was the way the others reacted. Yu Qiuyanâs posture remained relaxed, yet subtly deferential. Li Xiang, who moments ago had been bursting with energy, stood quietly now. Even the strange little girl atop the carriageâwhose cultivation baffled himâkept glancing toward the blindfolded man.
They were waiting on him.
That realization made the Patriarchâs spine stiffen.
"Well then," he said smoothly, masking his thoughts behind practiced hospitality, "since you are all guests of my Li Family Clan, pleaseâcome inside. We will prepare the finest accommodations."
Xiao Fang inclined his head slightly. "Thank you for the hospitality."
...
Rooms were prepared, refreshments served. As the day wore on, the group dispersed.
Yu Qiuyan vanished into the first bathhouse she could find. Li Xiang and Xiao Hei made plans of their own. Xun Wei remained in her room, cultivating quietly.
Xiao Fang, however, took to the streets.
By the time night came around, he was done exploring, and had found what he was looking for.
Li Lianâs family estate.
"Not bad," Xiao Fang murmured as he approached the gate and knocked.
"Coming," a sweet voice called out.
It reminded him of Li Lianâolder, calmer, yet unmistakably similar.
As footsteps approached, Xiao Fang slowly removed his blindfold. If he was to meet her again, he would not hide himself.
The door opened.
The woman behind it was exactly who he had hoped to see.
Her eyes widened. Her breath caught.
Seeing Xiao Fang again, her jaw nearly dropped.
"...You came."