Return to the Mansion

After waiting in the row house for about half an hour, a glamorous, voluptuous middle-aged woman who seemed to be Kong Yun's close attendant entered to report that Meng Jizu and the others were about to arrive.

At this, Kong Yun, the mistress of the Meng Family, finally lost her usual unruffled calm. She affectionately rubbed her daughter Meng Rong's little head and said to everyone,

"Since that is the case, let us go welcome them."

With that, Kong Yun and An Hui took the lead, each holding one of Meng Rong's slender, fair hands as they walked out. Meng Xi, Meng Wen, and Meng Zhao, the three brothers, followed close behind.

At the main gate, they took their positions according to protocol. Meng Zhao stood in the second row beside Meng Xi and Meng Wen. Behind them stood a vast throng of Meng Mansion servants—stewards, guards, attendants, and more. Lü Yue was mixed in among them.

As for the long street before Meng Mansion, it had always been quiet and empty, with few passersby. Now, it had been cleared entirely.

Very soon, a mounted party came galloping from the far end of the street. The rapid clatter of hooves striking the stone pavement was dense, loud, and piercing, tightening everyone's nerves.

Meng Zhao looked over and saw that the riders all sat Black Scale Horses with ferocious beast bloodlines. Every one of them radiated a savage aura, far surpassing the two Black Scale Horses that had pulled his carriage.

The riders themselves were equally extraordinary. Though there were only some twenty of them, they gave off the illusion of clashing steel and iron steeds, of ten thousand cavalry charging across the battlefield. It seemed that whatever stood in their way would only be torn apart and crushed beneath them.

The two riders at the front wore fitted short robes, golden crowns, and long beards. Both had striking features and an imposing presence.

They even resembled one another somewhat. They should be Earl of Nan'an Meng Jizu and his third younger brother, Meng Hongdao.

The riders behind them were no simple figures either. Most were upper-echelon members of Meng Mansion, men of considerable standing who could not be underestimated.

Meng Zhao paid particular attention to Meng Jizu.

He looked far younger than his actual age, appearing only around thirty. It was likely not merely due to good maintenance, but also related to his attainment of the Innate Martial Dao and his profound inner strength.

The lines of his features were somewhat hard, and compared to his two sons, he looked rougher and more rugged. Fine lines sat at the corners of his eyes, while his skin was slightly dark, lending him the air of one weathered by life.

Yet his bearing was truly first-rate, a powerful presence that emanated from every gesture and movement.

A tiny motion of his hand, a casual glance, could firmly seize everyone's attention and draw their eyes to him. He possessed an intense personal charisma.

It was as though he had been born to lead, born to stand at the center of every crowd.

It could be said that Meng Jizu, the Earl of Nan'an, perfectly matched all of Meng Zhao's expectations and imaginings.

Seeing this man, one could roughly understand what a powerful, aggressive, ambitious family head looked like—what a hero, what a true powerhouse, looked like.

Honestly, having such a family head was like having a safe mountain to lean upon. The ease that rose from the depths of one's heart would often well up without notice.

In contrast, although Meng Hongdao bore some resemblance to Meng Jizu and was several years younger, whether in bearing or temperament, he was still somewhat inferior to his elder brother.

Or perhaps it was too narrow-minded to say that Meng Hongdao simply could not compare to his brother.

In Meng Zhao's eyes, Meng Hongdao and Meng Jizu were simply people of two entirely different styles.

If Meng Jizu was powerful, domineering, and as steady as a mountain, then Meng Hongdao was refined, approachable, and as delicate as water.

These two brothers were both dragons among men. Under their management, the enormous Meng Family was kept in impeccable order and flourished with ever-growing prosperity.

There was also one person who drew Meng Zhao's attention, along with that of many others, mainly because he was simply too unusual.

He followed behind Meng Jizu and Meng Hongdao. When he swung himself down from his horse, the entire ground seemed to tremble.

By Meng Zhao's estimate, the man stood around six feet three inches tall. His muscles were like hard boulders, and his body was broad and massively built. From afar, he looked like a little giant.

Moreover, unlike the others, who wore their hair tied up beneath crowns, he had a distinctly different head of short, spiked hair, every strand standing straight upward. His somewhat stern and square face was entirely expressionless, as cold as a block of ice.

Still, he should not have been very old. A trace of youthful immaturity remained on his face. Judging from his resemblance to Meng Hongdao before him, he should be Meng Zhao's cousin, Meng Chuan, the fifth in the family.

Good heavens, Meng Chuan should only be sixteen this year, yet he has grown into this. What on earth did he eat to grow up? This is practically a genetic mutation.

Meng Zhao secretly clicked his tongue. With that physique and build, if he had been placed in the ancient world of his previous life, he would have been born to become a fierce general. On the battlefield, beheading enemy commanders and seizing banners would have been as easy as eating and drinking.

Even in this world where martial arts had become sacred, he was a top-notch prospect for martial cultivation. With those bones, his aptitude could not possibly be poor.

Meng Zhao would not even have doubted it if someone claimed that Meng Chuan possessed some kind of Special Physique. His natural advantages were simply too great.

As for the other Meng Mansion powerhouses and experts, beneath the brilliance of these three major figures of the Meng Family, they appeared far dimmer and failed to draw Meng Zhao's attention.

It was like placing a movie star beside an ordinary person. Everyone would instinctively overlook the ordinary person and focus most of their attention on the star.

When Meng Jizu and his party dismounted, the Meng Mansion servants standing behind Meng Zhao and the others hurried forward under a steward's lead to pay their respects, while also settling the horses and baggage.

Kong Yun and An Hui, meanwhile, led Meng Rong forward by the hand.

Yet compared with An Hui's concern and affection for Meng Hongdao, Kong Yun remained as calm as ever.

Holding Meng Rong's hand, she asked in a mild voice,

"You are back? Did everything go smoothly this time? Were there any problems?"

It was a very formal inquiry, her tone devoid of the slightest emotional fluctuation.

By contrast, Meng Rong was extremely excited. Holding her mother's hand on one side, she lovingly clasped her father's somewhat rough yet powerful hand on the other, her eyes glittering like stars.

She snuggled into Meng Jizu's arms and coquettishly asked whether he had brought her any gifts.

Meng Jizu was indulgent and deeply fond of his daughter. He ruffled Meng Rong's hair with his large hand and nodded with a smile, not responding to Kong Yun at once.

Only after soothing Meng Rong did he reply in an even, indifferent tone,

"Not bad. Everything went smoothly."

Then there was nothing more.

The husband and wife did not appear close at all. Their exchange resembled more the greeting between two friends with a distant relationship.

This was hardly how an old married couple who had borne three children and lived together for decades ought to act.

Meng Zhao took it all in. Could there be some conflict between the two of them?

Even if it had been a political marriage, after so many years, there should have been familial affection even without love, should there not?

Yet the unsurprised looks on everyone around him told him that this was simply the everyday state of the master and mistress of Meng Mansion.

After answering, Meng Jizu swept his gaze over the people behind Kong Yun, as though searching for something.

When he spotted Meng Zhao standing alongside Meng Xi and Meng Wen, his bright, commanding eyes filled with delight, and he strode toward them in great steps.