At the Nie Family’s main gate, the Nie Clansmen, led by Nie Beichuan, all had different expressions, as they looked at the father and daughter pair.

Nie Beichuan had a cold and indifferent expression, as well as a pair of emotionless eyes. The corners of the Clan Elder Nie Feiyun’s mouth contained a cold smile, as if he was secretly pleased.

Some other Clan Elders had a somewhat complicated look, and it seemed like they felt guilt in their hearts. However, no one spoke up.

The other clansmen knew that the father and daughter pair were about to go and beg for forgiveness from the Lingyun Sect and had all come to send them off. The gaze that they used to look towards the father and daughter pair was somewhat indignant and helpless.

Nie Donghai, who knew that this was a foregone conclusion, had a rather calm appearance. He didn’t argue with Nie Beichuan in front of the many clansmen present.

“Donghai, during this trip to the Lingyun Sect, don’t be too worried.” The oldest Clan Elder Nie Yaozu muttered to himself for a bit, before he finally said, “During these years, you can be considered to have done your duty for the Lingyun Sect with all your heart. The issue of the mine… they might not deeply investigate it.”

Nie Yaozu felt that the indescribable disappearance of all the Fire Cloud Stones in the mine could have just been an accident and shouldn’t have any relation to Nie Qian.

However, since the issue had already occurred, the Nie Family had to give the Lingyun Sect an explanation. Currently, Nie Donghai was no longer the master of the Nie Family. Added on to the fact that he had suffered heavy injuries from the Yuan and Yun Families, he was unable to help the Nie Family anymore. Nie Yaozu also felt that it was more suitable for him to undertake this task.

However, in his heart, he still felt somewhat sorry towards the father and daughter pair. Because of that, he had said a few words to console them.

“I understand.” Nie Donghai lightly nodded, and said, “I will go to the Lingyun Sect to beg for forgiveness. However, Nie Tian is still small. If I’m punished by the Lingyun Sect and am unable to return to the Nie Family, I hope that you can remember my actions today and help me take care of Nie Tian.”

“You can be rea.s.sured of this.” Nie Yaozu gave his word.

Nie Donghai didn’t say anything more and turned around, leading Nie Xian to the Lingyun Sect.

“Grandfather!”

At that moment, Nie Tian loudly shouted and charged out from the clan.

Under the gazes of the many clansmen, he charged in front of Nie Donghai and Nie Qian. He blocked them and shouted, “Blame the disappearance of the Fire Cloud Stones in the mine on me! Blame it on me, I’ll go beg forgiveness from the Lingyun Sect!”

“Little Tian! Why are you making trouble, quickly go back!” Nie Qian urgently said.

Nie Donghai stared at him and shouted, “Before I left, I didn’t come and see you because I didn’t want to distract you! Don’t be so naughty!”

Nie Tian didn’t retreat because of their berating. Instead, he stood ramrod straight, raised his head to face Nie Beichuan, and said, “Clan Master, my grandfather is already old. He cannot withstand the anger of the Lingyun Sect. Furthermore, when the mine collapsed, I was also there. If the clan truly wants to find a scapegoat, then let me go!”

“Impudent!” Nie Beichuan coldly snorted, “What do you mean ‘find a scapegoat’? When the changes occurred in the mine, you and Nie Qian were there. However, why do you think that the changes were caused by you? What status do you have, how great are you? Giving you to the Lingyun Sect, wouldn’t it just humiliate the Nie Family? Do you want to let the Lingyun Sect think that this is just a trivial matter?”

“Nie Tian! Stop making trouble. You shouldn’t be here!”

“Yeah! Handing a child to the Lingyun Sect, this is practically a joke!”

“You still don’t want to back down!”

A few Clan Elders copied what Nie Beichuan said and berated him in stern voices.

They had only managed to persuade the father and daughter pair with much difficulties to get them go to the Lingyun Sect and take the blame. How could they let Nie Tian destroy all of their hard work?

In their opinion, Nie Tian’s words were practically complete rubbish.

Only Nie Tian understood that the abnormal changes that had occurred in the mine were truly caused by him.

He was unable to explain that the Fire Cloud Stones, that had disappeared, had been drained of all its Flame Energy by the dragon’s bone and reduced to mud.

However, he couldn’t just look on helplessly as his grandfather and aunt went to the Lingyun Sect to beg for forgiveness for him and suffer the anger of the Lingyun Sect.

“Nie Qiu! Drag Nie Tian back! Don’t let people laugh at our Nie Family!” Nie Donghai’s third brother, Nie Nanshan, glared and commanded his son to quickly drag Nie Tian back to the clan.

At that moment, a lot of people from Black Cloud City heard the commotion at the entrance of the Nie Family and had quietly gathered.

In just a few moments, tens of people had gathered by the entrance to the Nie Family.

“Nie Tian! Go back!” Nie Donghai strictly said.

“No!” Nie Tian shook his head and shouted, “I’ll go to the Lingyun Sect by myself to beg for forgiveness!”

As he said that, he didn’t wait for Nie Qiu to arrive before he suddenly ran away.

“Nie Tian! What are you doing? I’ve travelled a long distance from the Ling Bao Court to find you! Won’t you receive me at all and just run off like that?”

At that moment, Pan Tao’s shout unexpectedly came from the back of the crowd.

Nie Tian’s figure paused, and he suspiciously looked towards the source of the sound, searching for Pan Tao’s figure.

“Let me through!” A sudden shout echoed out from the crowd.

“The Master of the An Family, An Rong!”

“It’s actually the Master of the An Family!”

The crowd that had gathered suddenly raised an uproar. From the direction of Pan Tao’s shout, many people took the initiative to disperse and make a large path.

Shortly after, Nie Tian saw Pan Tao and a middle aged man that looked similar to Pan Tao. They walked over, with a speed that wasn’t fast or slow, together with the An Family’s Master An Rong.

The An Family’s An Rong was roughly sixty years old. He had a tall body and a long beard. At that moment, he had a cold expression as he calmly exuded his might

After the people beside him from Black Cloud City took the initiative to spread out, they slightly bent their bodies to mockingly greet him.

[Note: Yes, the raw actually says mockingly.]

“Greetings to Master An.”

“I hope that Master An is well.”

“Long time no see, Master An.”

An Rong ignored the greetings of those people. By contrast, he was slightly respectful as he took the initiative to lead the middle aged man beside him towards the area where the Nie Family was at.

Within Black Cloud City’s three great families, the An Family’s strength was ranked first, a ranking that had never changed.

In the opinion of the majority of people in Black Cloud City, An Rong, who was the Master of the An Family, was actually the city lord of Black Cloud City and was therefore most powerful person in Black Cloud City.

Currently, the city lord of Black Cloud City was actually going in person to the Nie Family, and was even leading the way for a stranger. This made many people feel suspicious.

“An Rong, why did you come here?” Nie Beichuan was somewhat lacking in confidence. However, from their t.i.tles, he, who was the master of the Nie Family, was actually on equal footing with An Rong.

“Second Nie, is Black Cloud City your own home?” An Rong flew into a rage and berated him, “If I walk around in Black Cloud City, do I have to tell you in advance?”

Nie Beichuan was annoyed. However, he couldn’t do anything about it. “Anyway, our Nie Family doesn’t welcome you!”

“I wouldn’t even go to your Nie Family’s little birdhouse even if you invited me!” An Rong oddly laughed and said, “Since the eldest Nie got injured, your Nie Family has been in a complete mess! Internal disputes all day long, do you think that is interesting?”

“The Nie Family’s issues are not for you to worry about!” Nie Beichuan refuted.

“Haha, who the f.u.c.k gives a d.a.m.n about your c.r.a.p!” An Rong mocked him, “I heard that you destroyed the mine of the Lingyun Sect? Heh, there’s going to be some fun to watch this event unfold! The moment you became the Clan Master, that mine collapsed! That’s a pretty bad omen!”

“That mine is but your Nie Family’s roots. Since the mine collapsed, I feel that it won’t be long before that position of yours collapses too.”

An Rong let out a great laugh and used Nie Beichuan’s weak spots to make fun of him without giving him any face at all.

Many of the surrounding observers thought deeply after hearing his words. They felt that his words had quite a bit of logic behind them.

Even some clansmen of the Nie Family, after carefully thinking, recognised the fact that the mine had suddenly collapsed just after Nie Beichuan had become the clan master. Could it be that Nie Beichuan had bad luck?

“Stop talking nonsense!” Nie Beichuan was so angry that his beard rippled as he glared at An Rong. However, he couldn’t find any way to refute An Rong.

[Note: Chinese pun. Angry has the same meaning as air, so his beard was blown away by the ‘air’.]

At that moment, Pan Tao had already led the middle aged man and moved to Nie Tian’s side.

“Nie Tian, this is my father.” Pan Tao pointed at that middle aged man and smiled as he introduced him. After that, he pointed at Nie Tian and said, “Dad, he is my good brother Nie Tian.”

“h.e.l.lo, Uncle Pan.” Nie Tian hurriedly greeted the middle aged man.

Pan Bo slightly laughed. With a very gentle tone, he said, “When Little Tao returned to the Ling Bao Court, he urged me to follow him to Black Cloud City. During the journey, he told me how you fought shoulder to shoulder with him and experienced many trials with him in the Green Illusion Realm. He really regards you as an important person.”

“Pan Bo! He’s the Ling Bao Court’s Pan Bo! During that year, it was him who personally came to take An Shiyi to the Ling Bao Court! He’s the son of the Great Elder Pan Hongzhen!”

“Every time the Ling Bao Court recruits a disciple, it’s always him who’s responsible! He seems to have a cultivation at the later stages of the Zhongtian Realm!”

“Why would he come to Black Cloud City?”

When Pan Bo walked over, there was always a person within the crowd who was staring at him. Currently, he seemed to have finally confirmed his ident.i.ty and the onlookers couldn’t help but to cry out.

“Pan Bo!”

All of the people in the Nie Family, including Nie Donghai, were all shocked. They used a strange gaze, as they looked at Pan Bo.

At this moment, they finally understood why the An Family Master, An Rong, was rather respectful towards this person.

Even though An Shiyi was there, the An Family was still a subordinate family of the Ling Bao Court, while Pan Bo was a person who was at the core of the Ling Bao Court. His father, who was Pan Tao’s grandfather, held a status that could command over ten thousand people in the Ling Bao Court.

“Eldest Nie, you’re in luck. The reason why Mister Pan personally came to Black Cloud City is for Nie Tian.” An Rong stopped teasing Nie Beichuan, who had an embarra.s.sed expression. Instead, he turned his head and looked towards Nie Donghai as he said, “Mister Pan is responsible for the recruitment of disciples with potential for the Ling Bao Court. As long as he takes a fancy for someone, they don’t need to be at the ninth Lianqi level to be admitted to the Ling Bao Court.”

“The reason why he personally came is the same reason as when he came to take my An Family’s girl. It’s to take Nie Tian back to the Ling Bao Court to cultivate.” An Rong seriously spoke.

Once those words had left his mouth, all of the surrounding observers, including the clansmen of the Nie Family, immediately raised an uproar.

……