Sudden Appearance
The group at the gate were none other than the disciples of Fu Xian Island Foundation Establishment and had been expelled from the sect. Leading them were Ling Feng and his two companions, who, following Yue Qianchou's instructions, had brought them all to the front of the Marquis General's Mansion in the capital. Most of these people possessed some Spirit Root and had been brought to Fu Xian Island from a young age. Now, many years had passed, and the youngest had not interacted with the mortal world for nearly twenty years. Expelled from the sect, they had nowhere to go, and with Ling Feng and his companions leading the way, they naturally followed. However, Ling Feng and his companions did not tell them that they were acting on Yue Qianchou's orders. Having overheard Ling Feng's conversation with the gatekeepers, which involved Yue Qianchou, they all exchanged astonished glances.
Upon first seeing such a magnificent mansion, the three couldn't help but feel a little uneasy, all somewhat doubting Yue Qianchou's words were true. Like the Weiguo General Pingguo General, the Pillar State General held the reins of military power in the Huaxia Empire, a position of prestige unattainable by ordinary people. They had heard of this, and truly didn't believe Yue Qianchou would be associated with such a family. However, when the time came, they had no choice but to bite the bullet and try.
Hearing the shouts from inside, the three finally breathed a sigh of relief; clearly, Yue Qianchou's reputation was indeed effective.
The vermilion gates of the General's Mansion swung open with a dull thud, and two rows of servants stood on either side. A handsome young man, with his hair tied in a golden crown, wearing a brocade robe and a jade belt, stepped out and looked around with delight. He paused slightly, slightly taken aback by the travel-worn appearance of the group, and asked with some confusion, "My name is Shi Xiaotian. Are you all looking for me?"
He was somewhat dismissive of the servant's report, finding it distasteful and condescending. He also began to suspect that these people might have been sent by that person, otherwise, why would they be in such a sorry state? Having lived in a wealthy family for so long, he had forgotten how he looked when he returned from the Qingguang Sect, and he was even worse off than them.
The servant who had just gone to report immediately turned pale; they had actually lied to him.
Having grown up overseas, these people were indeed not very worldly-wise. It was the first time they had ever seen such a dignified and elegant young master. Looking at themselves covered in dust, they all felt a little embarrassed. Ling Feng clasped his hands and said, "Your Excellency is indeed Shi Xiaotian. It was our Uncle Yue Qianchou who sent us to find you."
"Uncle-Master?" Shi Xiaotian looked him up and down. He seemed to be Yue Qianchou. A little uneasy, he asked tentatively, "Where do you come from?"
Ling Feng straightened his back slightly and said proudly, "Fu Xian Island."
Upon hearing this, everyone felt more confident. Although they had been expelled from their sect, the sect's status was enough to make them proud. The title of the number one sect in the Cultivation World was not just for show.
Shi Xiaotian's face lit up with joy. He had been waiting for this for so many years. He clasped his hands in return and said, "I was very rude just now. Please don't take it to heart." He then looked at the servants on both sides and gestured for them to come along, saying, "This is not the place to talk. Please follow me."
The dignified lifestyle of wealthy families in the secular world was quite a shock to these people. It was a completely different concept from the fairyland-like scenery of Fu Xian Island. Perhaps because they had been staying on Fu Xian Island for a long time, their aesthetic concepts were completely reversed from those of ordinary people. They were somewhat surprised by the magnificence of the General's Mansion and kept looking around, admiring it in their hearts.
Shi Xiaotian dared not be negligent towards the group in the slightest. He led the way and kept gesturing for them to enter. Occasionally, passing servants couldn't help but take a second look. How could the Third Young Master be so polite to a group of bumpkins? The former led the group to the back garden where Yue Qianchou used to live. However, it had now become his residence. This garden was still a forbidden area, and no one was allowed to enter except for him.
In the small courtyard behind the garden, the pile of Spirit Stone left to him by Yue Qianchou still stood there. Even though the group came from the most prestigious cultivation sect in the world, they had never seen such a large pile of Spirit Stone before, let alone some low-ranking disciples. They were all secretly astonished; indeed, this was a wealthy family, even their Spirit Stone were so casually exposed. They were unaware of Shi Xiaotian's suffering. Seeing these Spirit Stone stones every day was torture. In the Cultivation World, they were valuable, but in the mortal realm, they might not even be enough to buy a meal. And since he hadn't yet Foundation Establishment, he dared not absorb any of their Spiritual Qi; he could only admire them from afar, never daring to use them.
After inviting the guests from Fu Xian Island to sit down in the hall, Shi Xiaotian couldn't wait to ask Ling Feng, "Old... why didn't your Martial Uncle Yue come? What did he ask you to bring me?" The first thing that came to his mind was the Foundation Establishment Pill.
Ling Feng relayed Yue Qianchou's instructions to find Shi Xiaotian, and handed him the carefully preserved porcelain bottle. The latter immediately opened the seal, poured the contents into his palm several times, but found nothing. He looked at Ling Feng with suspicion. The three people beside him also paled; it was an empty bottle! Yue Qianchou had actually sent them with an empty bottle as a gift?
Shi Xiaotian squinted at the bottle, finding it empty. He then smelled it, frowning. Aside from a strong smell of blood, there was nothing else. He slowly looked up at the crowd and said indifferently, "What do you all mean? Are you playing a trick on me? Or has someone hidden the contents of the bottle? Give me an explanation!" Having been in a position of power for so long, his words, when spoken seriously, could indeed exert pressure on others, and the atmosphere in the hall became heavy.
The other disciples also looked at Ling Feng and the other two. Ling Feng snatched the bottle from their hands and checked it again. He found that there was nothing in it and muttered, "How could this be? The bottle has never been opened on me. Could it be that Martial Uncle Yue gave me an empty bottle?"
"Sending such a small empty bottle all the way from afar? Do you really think I'm an idiot?" Shi Xiaotian coldly swept his gaze over the crowd and said slowly in a deep voice, "I think you all should first prove your identities, otherwise my General's Mansion is not a place you can come and go as you please."
"Speak! Who are you? How do you know I know Yue Qianchou?" he shouted.
"Hey! You've gotten quite the temper in years!" A mocking voice suddenly rang out from behind the hall. Shi Xiaotian whirled around and shouted, "Who is it? Get out here!"
With a series of chuckles, a figure swayed out from behind the hall, grinning at him and sighing, "You've got some nerve, daring to talk to me like that. What? After all these years apart, you can't even recognize my voice?"
"Ah..." Everyone who was sitting stood up. This person was no stranger to them. He was a famous figure on Fu Xian Island and a former distinguished guest of the Marquis General's Mansion. He was Yue Qianchou!
The disciples bowed in unison, saying, "Martial Uncle Yue!" Ling Feng and the other two looked at him in disbelief. Wasn't he on Fu Xian Island? How did he get here in the blink of an eye?
"Boss... Boss!" Shi Xiaotian exclaimed in astonishment.
Yue Qianchou raised his hand to the crowd, indicating that there was no need for formalities. He then turned to Shi Xiaotian, patted him on the shoulder, and laughed, "Young man, you've got quite a temper! You dare to yell at me like that."
"I... I..." Shi Xiaotian stammered for a long time, and finally bowed with a look of surprise and said, "Boss!" Yue Qianchou turned around with a smile, walked to the chair in the main hall and sat down, his eyes sweeping over everyone.
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