Mo Cheng of the Mo Clan

In the spacious hall, people crowded together. Ordinarily, such a scene would have been filled with celebration, laughter, and cheer.

Seated on either side of the hall were the leaders of the Mo Clan's various branches and its major elders—more than thirty people in total. All of them were at least Dou Masters, and the vast majority had reached the level of Great Dou Master!

Yet they were all whispering among themselves. Some looked worried, some sneered, while others wore indifferent expressions. But whoever they were, their gazes kept drifting toward the two people on the raised platform in the center of the hall.

At the foremost seats on the platform stood two chairs, one on each side. In the left seat sat an elderly man in luxurious robes, his hair streaked with white and his face gloomy. His left hand repeatedly stroked his beard as though he were deep in thought.

"First Elder, judging by the time, that person should be arriving soon. We cannot afford to slight him this time," said the middle-aged man in luxurious robes seated to the right.

The elderly man in fine robes was none other than Mo Cheng, the Mo Clan's current First Elder. His expression darkened further as he replied, "Rest assured, Clan Head. This old man knows what to do."

The middle-aged man, Mo Lan, the Mo Clan's Clan Head, nodded and did not provoke Mo Cheng further. Although he had long been dissatisfied with this old bastard, who severely threatened his position within the clan, and had always hoped to see him lose power, the deaths of twelve Dou Masters were no small loss even for the wealthy and powerful Mo Clan.

More importantly, they still had no idea of the other party's background. All they knew was that he was a young man who should have been under twenty years old, with the cultivation of a Peak Great Dou Master.

When he had first received that report, he had even wondered whether there was something wrong with his ears. Though he had already reached the Dou Spirit realm, theoretically, even losing his ears would not affect his hearing, this time he would rather his ears had failed him—or that he had never cultivated to the Dou Spirit realm at all. A Peak Great Dou Master under twenty! How could a genius of that caliber appear in Yan City and happen to form a grudge against the Mo Clan?

More importantly, what kind of force stood behind such a genius? The very thought sent chills down his spine!

Mo Cheng, seated on the left, was also deep in thought. His cultivation had not yet reached the point where he could overwhelm Clan Head Mo Lan and take sole control of the Mo Clan. When he had first heard that the Jade Serpent Three-Flower Eyes had appeared, he had planned to seize them through the clan's secret technique. By then, let alone a mere Mo Clan, even the Misty Cloud Sect would sooner or later lie beneath his feet.

Unfortunately, the trash he had sent out had not only failed to bring the Jade Serpent Three-Flower Eyes back to him, but had also suffered losses and brought back such a formidable enemy, who now demanded compensation from him. Xiao Yan's demand was no small sum. Even he would be seriously drained by it, yet he could not refuse. Otherwise, the hearts of those beneath him would scatter. Who would still be willing to risk their lives for him in the future?

"Young Master Xiao, Lord Xiao, has arrived!"

Since Xiao Yan had only revealed his surname in advance, the announcer reported him that way.

A loud announcement rang out from the entrance, instantly silencing the hall, which had been somewhat noisy from everyone's whispers. The two men on the platform also set aside their private calculations, exchanged a glance, and then turned together toward the three figures slowly appearing at the doors. No matter how much they opposed each other in private, as the two highest-ranking members of the Mo Clan, they remained steadfast allies in resolving this crisis.

Xiao Yan wore white brocade robes today, with a hair crown atop his head and a folding fan in his hand. Together with the faint smile on his face, he looked every bit the young master of a wealthy family. Since Xiao Yan had said they needed to pose as people from a major power, Little Fairy Doctor had also dressed up with particular care. Standing there, the two looked like a perfect golden couple, drawing a chorus of admiration from the people in the hall. Even Mo Lan became more convinced that the two must have extraordinary backgrounds.

Only Mo Cheng felt a trace of doubt arise in his heart. Having once been an outer elder of the Misty Cloud Sect, and still regularly sending tribute to the sect even now, Mo Cheng had naturally met the true descendants of major clans. Yet their mannerisms had all differed somewhat from Xiao Yan's.

Could this man actually have no background at all? Mo Cheng suddenly thought.

Mo Cheng then looked toward the petite figure behind Xiao Yan. Qinglian had not dressed especially today, so everyone around them took her for a maid who had accompanied them. But the instant Mo Cheng saw Qinglian, he noticed the three faint green dots in her eyes.

Jade Serpent Three-Flower Eyes! Mo Cheng's pupils shrank as he confirmed it inwardly.

Suppressing his excitement, Mo Cheng kept his expression calm. He was the first to rise and greet them, smiling as he said to Xiao Yan, "You must be Young Master Xiao. What a distinguished and heroic young man!"

"Haha, sure, sure. Old man, no need to flatter me. I... I came here this time to collect that compensation. Hurry up and hand it over!" Xiao Yan said bluntly. The moment he opened his mouth, the refined young master image he had worked so hard to create was ruined by more than half. Even Little Fairy Doctor gave him a strange look.

The Mo Clan members around them were somewhat puzzled by Xiao Yan's crude manner of speaking. Mo Lan went a step further, guessing that Xiao Yan had spent a long time traveling outside and mingling with mercenaries and the like, thus developing such a way of speaking.

Only Mo Cheng was delighted inside. He felt that Xiao Yan was just as he had guessed—not some young master from a great power, but merely someone born into an ordinary family. As for why he possessed such cultivation, he had probably encountered some fortuitous opportunity somewhere. That also explained why a genius like Xiao Yan had appeared in a relatively small place like Yan City: because he had been born nearby!

It had to be said that while Mo Cheng's guess was not entirely correct, it was not far off. Xiao Yan had indeed been born in Wutan City, also located in the northeastern part of the Jia Ma Empire. He had indeed not come from any particularly great power, and his current cultivation did indeed owe much to the opportunities he had obtained.

"Hahaha, Young Master is truly forthright! But there is no need to rush over the compensation. This old man has another fine proposal to discuss with you. If we can reach an agreement, this old man is willing to offer double the compensation." Mo Cheng smiled as he began discussing this so-called deal with Xiao Yan amid the astonished gazes of the other Mo Clan members. Greed gleamed in his eyes!

Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes and sneered inwardly. "Oh? There is such a good thing? Elder Mo Cheng, let me hear it."

"Ah, it is like this. As the saying goes, it is better to resolve enmity than deepen it. Although our Mo Clan and Young Master Xiao have had some misunderstandings this time, Young Master Xiao has a boundless future ahead of him, and the Mo Clan still wishes to befriend you. This old man happens to have a grandson who is still unmarried. I find that the green-eyed little girl behind you is quite suitable for him. Why not make an agreement and turn conflict into friendship by becoming in-laws? What do you think?" Mo Cheng said with a smile. Though he believed there was a high chance Xiao Yan had no powerful force behind him, it was best not to gamble when gambling could be avoided. Besides, Xiao Yan's displayed strength alone was already considerable. Naturally, it would be best if he could obtain the Jade Serpent Three-Flower Eyes peacefully. If not...

A chill flashed through Mo Cheng's eyes.