"Qingyuan, you've finally returned!"
The moment he stepped into Huashan County, Zhang Qingyuan saw the Old Clan Leader approaching with several others from not far away, his face showing the relief of someone who had finally let out a long breath.
In truth,
Ever since Zhang Qingyuan had left, the Old Clan Leader had been worried.
Not only because Zhang Qingyuan was the most outstanding junior the Zhang Family had produced in the past hundred years, the greatest pillar of the Zhang Clan at present, but also because he was worried for Zhang Qingyuan himself on this perilous journey.
Such worry could not possibly have been entirely without consideration for the Lineage's interests.
There was selfishness,
But at the same time,
There was also simple concern for a junior of the Lineage.
Even if Zhang Qingyuan had merely been an utterly ordinary junior of the Zhang Family, such concern would not have been absent.
After a life of twists and turns, the Old Clan Leader had placed the development of the entire Zhang Clan upon his heart. Toward every junior, he carried a sense of care and protection for the Lineage's future.
It was precisely because of this that the Zhang Clan's traditions had always remained so commendable.
Back when the parents of Zhang Qingyuan's present body had passed away, there had been no chaotic incidents such as Family Elders oppressing clan members and seizing their inheritance.
At the same time,
The Lineage had also managed to endure for over several decades without dispersing beneath the suppression of a hidden great enemy.
"I made the Clan Leader worry. This time, Qingyuan did not think things through carefully enough. Fortunately, everything went smoothly on this journey. That great enemy hidden in the shadows also died within the Secret Realm. From now