Scarlet Flame Mountain Range.
There were three bald mountain peaks, scattered on three sides like the word ‘品’, and in between the three mountain peaks, there was a huge valley containing the Ling Bao Court.
Within the valley, towering stone columns stood in great numbers on a wide stone path, around which a stream of people weaved about.
On the stone walls of the three mountain peaks surrounding the Ling Bao Court, there were numerous caves, and from time to time, people from the Ling Bao Court went in and out of those caves.
Those caves were all caves, which were prepared for the Ling Bao Court’s tool smelting experts.
When those tool smelting experts entered into the caves, their clothes were all exquisite and their bearings were confident and at ease.
But, when they walked out from the cave, their appearance was a mess with their hair being messy and their face being dirty.
Of those tool smelting experts who walked out, some were holding a spirit weapon in their hand and loudly howled with laughter, while some were hanging their head dispiritedly down, with a look as if their father or mother had just pa.s.sed away.
The large, gate entrance of the Ling Bao Court stood at the north entrance of the valley. Today, there were luxurious carriages taking the trouble of travelling a long distance to come here.
The An Family’s An Shiyi was wearing splendid clothes and her beautiful and tender face was filled with smiles. Upon seeing someone coming over, she would go to welcome them and help them settle problems like lodging and so on.
An Shiyi wore red clothes, including a red dress, a silver ring on her wrist, and a heart-shaped pendant that hung on her snow-white neck. Every single movement of her exhibited the most beautiful side of a woman, provoking others to fantasize.
Although she wore a light smile on her face from the beginning, within her eyes, however, there was a very deeply hidden sorrow.
With her position in the Ling Bao Court in the past, the Ling Bao Court would definitely not treat her unfairly and make her go and do something like receiving visitors.
However, because of the recent Green Illusion Realm trial where she, who was the person in charge of the Ling Bao Court’s side, didn’t detect the Ghost Sect’s and Blood Sect’s movements in time, she had seen a tremendous drop in her position in the Ling Bao Court. After all, that event had allowed for Yu Tong, Mo Xi, and several others to slaughter all of the Grey Valley’s disciples, and inflict serious damage to the other 3 sides.
In order to appease the other 3 sects, An Shiyi had been punished severely and had fallen to a degree where she had to welcome guests at the front of the sect’s entrance.
She, who had been sailing smoothly all those years in the Ling Bao Court and had received the court owner’s high regard, had practically never before met this kind of setback.
Because of the court owner’s high regard, the old men within the Ling Bao Court, who had evil intentions towards her, had also hid their intentions and not dared to be impudent.
Due to the failure to carry out her duty at the Green Illusion Realm trial, it was rumored that the court owner, who had always protected her, seemed to somewhat suspect her capability to handle things, and had removed her ident.i.ty of a deacon.
Thus, within Ling Bao Court, some old men, who had been drooling for her beauty, immediately started to become restless.
In the recent period of time, all those people, that had been in the dark, had sent people to probe out her intentions, revealing their wish of wanting to become her partner.
After she had continuously rejected those people a number of times, she had discovered that her situation in the Ling Bao Court was getting more and more difficult.
“There must be absolutely no accident at this pageant. If not… things will be even more difficult in the future.” An Shiyi thought to herself.
- Hu Chi! Hu Chi! - Sounds of panting rang out.
A golden, three-horned beast pulled a huge carriage and slowly galloped forward from the north.
On the carriage, the Grey Valley’s Sang Bing’s look was gloomy as water, as she coldly observed An Shiyi.
On Sang Bing’s side, the moment Yuan Xian saw An Shiyi, she shouted severely, “An Shiyi, you actually still dare to have the face to come and welcome us? If it wasn’t for you, my family’s Feng’er wouldn’t have died in the Green Illusion Realm! It was because of you, who didn’t sense the Ghost Sect’s and Blood Sect’s movements, that my family’s Feng’er died!”
Yuan Xian was the blood sister of Cold Stone City’s Yuan Family’s head, Yuan Fengchun.
Yuan Feng, who had led the Grey Valley’s disciples into the Green Illusion Realm, was Yuan Fengchun’s grandson, and Yuan Xian, who hadn’t married in her entire life, had always treated Yuan Feng as her own grandson.
Yuan Feng being able to be deemed as a ‘seed’ by the Grey Valley, aside from his own innate talent being exceptional, was also because of her.
Although the Yuan Family’s Yuan Fengchun was a well-known person within the big families of the 7 cities, compared to his sister, Yuan Fengchun he wasn’t even worth mentioning.
From a young age, Yuan Xian’s innate talent had been exceptional, and as of today, she was already the fifth valley owner of the Grey Valley.
There were a total of five valley owners in the Grey Valley, and although she was the valley owner who was ranked last, within the Grey Valley, she was also a person whose ident.i.ty was respected as the fifth valley owner.
It was because of her existence, that the Yuan Family was able to be that strong within the subordinate families of the Grey Valley.
It was also because of her that the Yuan Family was able to become the number one family in Cold Stone City.
During that time, the reason as to why the Yun Family had gotten rid of Nie Qian and let Yun Zhiguo marry Yuan Qiuying was because they saw highly of the Yuan Family’s special position in the Grey Valley.
After all, the Yun Family was the same as Yuan Family; both of them were subordinate families of the Grey Valley.
“Senior Yuan, Yuan Feng’s death… is due to the Ghost Sect and Blood Sect and isn’t related to me, right? If you want to take revenge, you should go and find the Ghost Sect and Blood Sect. Why is there a need to make things difficult for me?” An Shiyi, with a bitter face, forced herself to smile and said.
“The Ghost Sect and Blood Sect, I naturally won’t let them off!” Yuan Xian’s gaze was like ice. “But, you also similarly can’t escape from your responsibility! If it wasn’t for your failure in carrying out your duty and discover the movements of Ghost Sect and Blood Sect, how would they even have been able to set a foot into the Green Illusion Realm? If they couldn’t enter the Green Illusion Realm, how would Feng’er have even died?”
Speaking until here, Yuan Xian paused for a while and looked sinisterly at An Shiyi, then she suddenly said, “An brat, if you want to have a footing in the Heaven Leaving Domain with your beauty, then you should find a strong supporter. I heard that… within your sect, there are a few old guys, who are about to die, that have quite a favorable impression towards you. You should better obey them.”
“A woman like you, other than being good-looking, there is nothing else that you’re useful for.”
“If you were to become the wife or concubine of one of those old guys, then to give them face, I may perhaps not be able to do anything to you. But… if there is no one to protect you, then with your status in the Ling Bao Court as of now, I have plenty of methods to handle you!”
In front of everyone, Yuan Xian ruthlessly spoke about all the ugly matters of the Ling Bao Court.
After An Shiyi heard those words, her face clearly changed and she wanted to retort, but after thinking about her situation as of now, she forced herself to endure it.
She noticed that, in the surroundings, many of the Ling Bao Court’s inner disciples now looked at her with a strange gaze.
She quickly realized that the troublesome matters, that she had encountered recently, had all already been quietly spread to the inner court of the Ling Bao Court.
“Senior Yuan, please enter the inner court first.” An Shiyi slightly bowed, indicating for Sang Bing and Yuan Xian to enter.
“After all, your An Family’s foundation is too shallow. Within the Ling Bao Court, there is not a single elder from your An Family, and on the contrary, they’e relying on you and also that sister of yours to be established in Black Cloud City.” Yuan Xian wasn’t in a rush to go in and continued to sit in her carriage, looking down on An Shiyi and coldly said, “Once you lose your power in the Ling Bao Court, your sister and your An Family may all be implicated because of this. An brat, you better think clearly about it on your own for your sister and your An Family.”
“Much thanks for Senior Yuan’s concern.” An Shiyi frowned and said.
An Shiyi was already quite aware of what Yuan Xian had said.
She knew that one of the people, who was drooling for her beauty, was very close with Yuan Xian and that those words that Yuan Xian had just said were, more or less, spoken for that person.
Yuan Xian’s meaning was that, as long as she obediently gave in and obeyed that person, Yuan Xian would not make a fuss over her failure in the Green Illusion Realm anymore.
If not, Yuan Xian would continue making a fuss and use other ways to go against her and possibly even the An Family.
However, just thinking of that person’s disgusting look, gave her gooseb.u.mps all over her body and made her feel cold.
“You think carefully about it.” Yuan Xian coldly took a look at her and waved her hands, preparing to get off the carriage and enter the Ling Bao Court.
At that moment, deep within the clouds, a low cry suddenly rang out from within.
When everyone, who had a.s.sembled at the front of Ling Bao Court’s entrance, heard that low cry, all of them unconsciously raised their head to look.
Not long after, they saw that within the cloud, a spirit beast was gradually approaching.
- Hu! -
A gale blew past and the spirit beast, who had been within the clouds a moment ago, had steadily landed onto the ground.
The golden, three-horned beast which was pulling the Grey Valley’s carriage, after hearing that low cry ring out, began to tremble and slowly crouch down.
“Dark Thunder Beast!”
At the front entrance of the Ling Bao Court, when everyone saw that spirit beast descend, their faces slightly changed.
Even the Grey Valley’s Yuan Xian and Sang Bing, after seeing that Dark Thunder Beast slowly land onto the ground, suddenly became silent.
“So this is the Ling Bao Court?”
On top of the Dark Thunder Beast, an astonished voice suddenly rang out and everyone turned their attention to take a look. They discovered that it was actually a robust youngster who was sitting on the back of the Dark Thunder Beast.
“It’s... it’s him?” An Shiyi was astonished.
“Eh, big sister An!” Nie Tian looked around his surroundings and immediately noticed An Shiyi. On the back of the Dark Thunder Beast, he waved his hands towards An Shiyi and smilingly said, “Long time no see!”
“It’s only been half a year.” An Shiyi smiled slightly and said.
“He is precisely that child of the Nie Family.” At the Grey Valley’s side, Sang Bing, who was on the carriage, introduced to Yuan Xian without batting an eye.
Yuan Xian deeply took a look at Nie Tian and lightly nodded her head, not saying anything else.
“That old monster Wu’s disciple is not someone we can afford to provoke, next time… should we tell the Yun Family to exercise restrain?” Sang Bing said once again.
Yuan Xian remained silent for a while and then said, “Although Qiuying is my niece, a lady who has married out is like water which has been splashed away. I would naturally not offend that old monster Wu because of her.”
“That’s good then.” Sang Bing let out a sigh of relief in his heart.
“Let’s go in.” Yuan Xian said.
While Nie Tian jumped down from the Dark Thunder Beast and walked towards An Shiyi, the people of the Grey Valley didn’t stay any longer and one after another entered the Ling Bao Court.
Seeing them leaving, An Shiyi’s heavy mood somewhat lightened.
She understood in her heart that, if it wasn’t for the arrival of Nie Tian, with Yuan Xian’s harsh temper, she would still continue to mock and ridicule her in front of the Ling Bao Court’s entrance and wouldn’t let her off that easily.
“This brat…”
Half a year had pa.s.sed by, and now as she looked at the current Nie Tian, a complicated look was plastered on her face. She had a strange feeling, as if this happening was something from a lifetime ago.
……