The Wang Household's Clan Chief

With a crash, rocks slid down the mountainside. A gray-clad figure scrambled into a cave, then hurriedly covered the entrance...

"Hah! Hah!" His face concealed by a gray cloth, the gray-clad figure gulped for breath and muttered, "Damn it... a cultivator at major completion of the cultivation realm really is hard to deal with...!" He reached up and pulled the cloth away, revealing his face.

It was none other than...

Wang Yan!

"Tch! I told you going after them would be dangerous, but you wouldn't believe me! Now look at you. Your magic power's completely dried up, hasn't it?" The Card Fairy's voice rang out in Wang Yan's mind.

"It's fine... didn't I pull it off? Haha!" Wang Yan replied with some satisfaction, then burst out laughing.

What exactly had happened?

As it turned out...

Wang Yan had originally assumed that the Ma Family's Third Elder and the other cultivators would not rashly go looking for Wang Ziling. He had expected them to wait for reinforcements or find some other approach.

To his surprise, the Ma Family's Third Elder had simply left the cultivation realm cultivators behind and gone off alone to make trouble for the Wang Household.

That had given Wang Yan an opportunity. He already hated the Ma Family to the core.

This situation was entirely different from his descent into the pool on the Back Mountain. Back then, he had been unprepared while the Ma Family cultivators had come ready. This time, he was prepared, and they were not...

With the Third Elder leaving alone, Wang Yan could hardly restrain himself from striking at such a golden opportunity...

He would not listen even when the Card Fairy tried to dissuade him.

As luck would have it...

The young man and woman, accustomed to ordering others around, sent the young man in the long robe ahead to investigate. They claimed they would provide support from behind, but they were simply shirking their duties.

Wang Yan quietly approached the long-robed young man and launched a sneak attack with the Fireball Spell Card, bombarding him with over a dozen fireballs and killing him. Then he returned to deal with the young man and woman.

Since these Ma Family cultivators had all seen his face, Wang Yan dared not be careless. If he failed and they recognized him, he would be in trouble, so he covered his face before attacking.

He ambushed them with the Water-Fire Blast Card and killed the young woman first. But when he was about to unleash the Water-Fire Blast Technique again, he discovered that the young man's defenses were astonishingly strong. Killing him would not be so easy...

Still...

Even men could slip up, and horses could stumble. Although the young man's Ice Armor Talisman provided formidable protection, reinforced by his Shield Treasure, even the powerful Water-Fire Blast Technique had to break through two layers of defense. Wounding him would be easy; killing him would be difficult...

So Wang Yan chose to withdraw the Water-Fire Blast Technique and fight the young man at close quarters. His opponent's defenses were impressive, but the ice armor hampered his speed, while Wang Yan's martial skills were beyond those of ordinary cultivators. That was why he had moved straight into close combat.

It was worth mentioning that Immortal Cards differed from spells cast by cultivators. An ordinary cultivator would find it difficult to retrieve a spell once released, but Immortal Cards and the Immortal Card Artifact were different. Even after unleashing a spell, he could recover seventy or eighty percent of its magic power. That was no small advantage.

Wang Yan hated Wang Ziling as well as the Ma Family cultivators, so he had briefly impersonated Wang Ziling and deliberately left the young man alive.

Of course...

All of this had been extremely risky. The Card Fairy had vehemently opposed Wang Yan's actions, but how could she possibly talk him out of them?

"Hey! Brat, what do you plan to do next?" the Card Fairy promptly asked Wang Yan. "You can't just stay here waiting for Wang Ziling to come out forever, can you?"

"Of course not!" Wang Yan answered as he rummaged through the young man's and woman's Storage Bags. "After this incident, I expect both Wang Ziling and the Clan Chief will have noticed something. Wang Ziling won't come out easily now. Even the Third Elder couldn't find him after entering with his core condensation realm cultivation, so I'd have even less chance. The Wang Household will tighten security too... I'll have to think of another way!"

"Brat! You need to remember this saying: a gentleman can wait ten years to take his revenge!" the Card Fairy suddenly said. "With my Immortal Cards, who could stand against you once your cultivation amounts to something? You're so clever, so why can't you see that?"

"...!" Wang Yan fell silent and pondered her words. Indeed, after using the Immortal Cards' divine abilities so many times, he had managed to unleash something as astonishing as the Water-Fire Blast Card despite only reaching minor completion of the cultivation realm. He had even killed several cultivators at major completion of the cultivation realm, along with core condensation realm Demon Beasts...

If he developed the Immortal Card Artifact further, it would surely yield even more astonishing divine abilities. Why cling to his grudges at this moment? It seemed hatred had clouded his judgment somewhat... Yet whenever he thought of her... Wang Yan felt as though knives were twisting in his heart...

Right! Didn't the Card Fairy say there was a Resurrection Card among these Immortal Cards? I still have to bring her back! The thought suddenly struck Wang Yan. With that, he made up his mind and said solemnly, "All right! I've decided. I'll leave that damned Wang Ziling alone for now! I'll focus on cultivating first!"

"Mm! That's more like it! You need to know when to endure and bide your time!"

"...!"

Azure Spirit Mountain was ablaze with lights. Numerous cultivators patrolled everywhere, making the atmosphere extremely tense. Inside a vast, imposing hall...

A breathtakingly beautiful female cultivator, dressed in sumptuous robes and possessed of a mature, alluring grace, sat in the seat of honor with an icy expression. Thirty cultivators sat along either side, all around thirty-four or thirty-five years old and bearing impressive presences.

A cultivator knelt in the center of the hall. He was roughly thirteen or fourteen, with delicate features. It was Wang Ziling, handsome of face but black of heart...

Yet the entire hall was silent, with not a single person speaking. Wang Ziling remained composed, neither arrogant nor servile, a bearing that inspired considerable admiration.

Who knew how much time passed...

Suddenly!

With a whoosh and a flash of spiritual light, a powerfully built young man rushed in from outside and addressed the female cultivator with the utmost respect. "Greetings, Clan Chief!"

This stunningly beautiful female cultivator was actually the Wang Household's Clan Chief? That was rare indeed; few cultivation Lineages had women as their Clan Chiefs. Wang Yan naturally knew that the Clan Chief was a woman, but despite his many years in the Wang Household, he had never seen her. He had only heard that she was very beautiful. Of course, since he was not here, he did not see her now either.

"Mm. How did it go?" the female Clan Chief asked calmly, carrying herself with the poise of a great leader.

"Reporting to the Clan Chief, the intruder's cultivation was considerable. We were incompetent and let him escape!" the burly young man replied apologetically.

"Tch! You let him escape?" The female Clan Chief pressed a hand to her forehead and murmured in displeasure. After a while, she waved her sleeve. "Very well, go. Have everyone return and strengthen the patrols. Don't give the intruder another opening!"

"Yes, Clan Chief!" the young man answered solemnly before swiftly departing.

"It seems there's no doubt it was Ma the Third, Clan Chief!" said a thin, middle-aged cultivator with a sallow face.

"Mm! Who else could it be?" Clan Chief Wang nodded. "I didn't expect him to be so impatient. He only left this afternoon, yet he came back tonight!" She paused and looked at Wang Ziling. "Ling'er! Have you still not remembered anything?"

"Reporting to the Clan Chief!" Wang Ziling bowed respectfully at her words and hastily replied, "Ever since the Back Mountain Trial, this disciple has devoted himself to cultivation and has not taken a single step outside Azure Spirit Mountain. You know all of this. I truly cannot think how I might have offended the Ma Family!"

"Mm! That does seem to be the case. Could they simply want you to join their Ma Family?" Clan Chief Wang nodded and murmured. She paused, narrowing her eyes at Wang Ziling as threads of cold light flashed within them. "Do you have anything to say?"

"This disciple has no divided loyalties toward the Wang Household! In life, I belong to the Wang Household; in death, I will be its ghost!" Wang Ziling answered with the utmost respect, his solemn voice ringing with conviction. "Rest assured, Master. Once my cultivation amounts to something, I will certainly settle today's score!"

"Very good! You truly are my disciple!" Clan Chief Wang said in satisfaction, her beautiful smile blooming like a flower. "Rise. You've had quite a fright too!"

"Thank you, Master!" Wang Ziling replied with perfect obedience. He paused, then hurriedly spoke with due respect before standing.

"Although we don't know why Ma the Third came after you, they clearly won't give up easily. Don't leave the Cultivation Chamber without good reason for the time being. Focus on your cultivation. I will arrange for people to protect you!" Clan Chief Wang said calmly.

"Yes, Master!" Wang Ziling answered respectfully.

"You may leave!"

"Yes!"

"...!"

"Someone, come here!" Clan Chief Wang said solemnly as she watched Wang Ziling's retreating back.

With a whoosh and a flash of spiritual light, the burly young man from earlier entered through the doorway and answered solemnly, "What are your orders, Household Head?"

"Starting today, keep watch over Wang Ziling! Report any developments to me!" Clan Chief Wang said gravely.

"Yes!"

"You may leave!" Clan Chief Wang said solemnly.

"Yes!"

"Clan Chief! What is the Ma Family planning? I doubt it's as simple as wanting Wang Ziling himself, is it?" one of the cultivators asked, rising to his feet.

"I understand. All of you should pay closer attention too. I doubt they'll give up so easily!" Clan Chief Wang continued. Then she murmured, "Just what is the Ma Family planning?" Her eyes held a trace of puzzlement. The others were equally baffled and exchanged bewildered looks.

"...!"

Why exactly are those Ma Family people looking for me? Wang Ziling murmured as he walked along a mountain path, his eyes narrowed. He paused, a savage look crossing his face, and said coldly, "Ma Family... whatever your purpose, if you provoke me, I'll leave you without so much as a bone!" With that, he swiftly headed up toward the peak.