Several dozen li beyond this forest stood a manor. At its gate were two stone qilin; rather than looking solemn, they seemed somewhat eerie. Above the gate hung a plaque bearing four large characters: "Qilin Manor."
Just as Yan Chihuo fainted, a faint layer of golden light arose from his body. The moment it appeared, the two stone qilin outside Qilin Manor seemed to come alive, their four eyes slowly turning.
At that moment, the manor gates opened, and an elderly man in purple robes, around fifty years old, walked out. He looked at the two stone qilin and murmured, "The qilin foretell good tidings. It seems the manor may yet be saved."
He shouted, "Men!"
A moment later, someone who looked like a steward emerged from the manor. The purple-robed man said, "Steward Xun, send people to search within a hundred li of this place. See if there are any unusual individuals nearby."
Steward Xun acknowledged the order, then summoned several dozen people from the manor. They flew into the air and scattered in all directions to investigate. Before long, someone spotted Yan Chihuo lying unconscious on the ground and came back to report it.
Upon hearing this, the purple-robed man said, "I'll go take a look myself."
Steward Xun was secretly astonished. He had never expected his master to take this matter so seriously.
When the purple-robed man arrived before Yan Chihuo and saw the golden light on his body, delight appeared on his face. Yet when he saw that Yan Chihuo was unconscious, he stepped forward to examine him for a moment, seeming somewhat surprised.
The purple-robed man turned Yan Chihuo over and saw two plum blossom marks on his back. His expression changed. "Carry him back to the manor."
Yan Chihuo only felt as though his