After returning to Jiang Castle again… Jiang Yi and the others felt as though a lifetime had passed.
Today, everyone originally thought that it would be impossible to return to Jiang Castle no matter what happened. They were all either going to perish or escape with Heaven Evasion. No one had expected after everything, they would be back here again… and in an honorable manner as they were personally escorted by Situ Ao.
“Nephew, just stay here peacefully in the future. Tell Uncle everything, and do not let this repeat!”
Situ Ao left behind a statement while smiling bitterly and left as he had too many things to handle. Princess Qianqian had gone with Situ Yinian to the Situ Small Construct, but there were too many things that happened tonight. Situ Ao had to go have a conference with his father and the clan’s elders and plan on how to suppress this incident’s influence and how to gain more benefits.
“Jiang Yi, I am thoroughly convinced by you!”
Situ Yixiao had stayed behind while Situ Yinian went to make arrangements for Qianqian. Jiang Yi didn’t bother about Situ Yixiao as he spoke to Big Sister Bell and her mother, “Big Sister Bell, Aunt, you will stay in Jiang Castle from now on. About that Nangong Clan… it is fine to disown them!”
Big Sister Bell didn’t cry as she revealed an intoxicating smile instead and nodded vigorously. “Qiling shall not have the clan name of Nangong anymore. Why not I take little brother’s clan name instead? From now on, I will be called Jiang Qiling.”
“That is fine, too!”
Jiang Yi nodded and looked at the Big Sister Bell’s mother who was still terrified and spoke sincerely, “Aunt, Qiling is my big sister. You can just treat this place as your home. In the future, no one will be able to harm both of you anymore.”
Situ Yixiao added on and said, “That’s right. Aunt, if you need anything, you can just talk to me. This place is absolutely safe; it is the safest place in the entire Gods Bestow Tribe.”
“Feng’er, Qing Yu, Yun Fei, can you bring Big Sister Bell and Aunt to their rooms to rest?”
Jiang Yi took a glance at Feng Luan while she, Qing Yu, Zhan Wushuang, and Yun Fei quickly brought Big Sister Bell and her mother away. Jiang Yi then looked at Situ Yixiao and said, “Yixiao, do you still trust Wanguan in the future? Do you still want to continue the Soaring Dragon Merchant Association?”
“I personally put in my absolute trust. Wanguan is my young brother-in-law, and if I don’t trust him, who else can I trust?”
Situ Yixiao looked at Qian Wanguan, who still had a dimmed expression and lowered head, before he continued and said, “Wanguan, it is nothing to experience failure in life. The most important matter is to stand back up! However, for the operation of the merchant association, it will be up to Father and the elder hall.”
Qian Wanguan was indeed feeling a little gloomy. If he had made proper arrangements, the three clans wouldn’t have the excuse to deal with them. He was too careless and actually never expected for President Liu to be a spy.
“Wanguan!”
Jiang Yi walked over, slapped on Qian Wanguan’s shoulder, and said, “Even if it didn’t happen this time, the three clans will surely find other excuses to deal with us. This failure is actually a good thing for you, and you should absorb this lesson and make up for your flaws. Later on, we will have a discussion with Uncle and see how are we going to operate this.”
“All the people from East Imperial Continent cannot be used!”
Qian Wanguan’s eyes flickered as he lifted his head and spoke, “All the connections in the East Imperial Continent are not safe. I underestimated the opponent nevertheless. This time, the development had gone so smoothly because someone was intentionally helping us in the dark. Thus, all the connections aren’t safe. If we are to pave another business route, we will have to control a smaller continent and make use of it as a springboard. If we are to operate this time, we must be prepared to take ten or twenty years to slowly infiltrate. I was too impatient for success previously, and so I fell into the opposition’s scheme. Another thing, the new Soaring Dragon Merchant Association cannot exclude the Lei, Nangong, and Lu Clans. We will all earn profits together as a fort’s most vulnerable place is from the inside…”
Jiang Yi and Situ Yixiao looked at each other and laughed. Qian Wanguan didn’t lose his confidence. Because of the failure this time, he had gotten even more experienced instead. He had even proposed for the Lei, Lu, and Nangong Clans to get involved, meaning his mind and thoughts are much wider now.
Situ Yixiao stood up and said, “Alright. Jiang Yi, you should recuperate first. We will discuss again tomorrow. That’s right… Brother Huangfu had been placed under house arrest by the Huangfu Clan’s Patriarch in the Huangfu Clan’s inner courtyard. I am afraid that he will not be able to get out for this period of time.”
“En, it will be a good thing for him to return. I hope his Clan’s Patriarch will be able to change his mind!” Jiang Yi nodded. He too had a deep resentment for Jiang Bieli in the past, but he had understood that there was no eternal hatred between a father and son… as a son was a father’s own flesh and blood. Which father would truly wish to harm his own child?
“Xiaonu, are you injured?”
After Situ Yixiao left, Jiang Yi looked at Jiang Xiaonu with concern while the latter shook her head and looked at Jiang Yi with concern instead. “Young Master, I only sustained some minor injuries. Our Ink Feather Race’s recuperation ability is very strong, and I will be able to recover without recuperation! Young Master doesn’t have to bother about me. You should go recuperate your injuries first.”
“Alright!”
Jiang Yi nodded with relief. Jiang Xiaonu had been in seclusion for more than a year and had reached the peak of the second stage of Ink Feather Divine Art, and her strength had broken through to the peak stage of the Heaven Monarch. She might not be comparable to peak-stage Heaven Monarchs who comprehended five-star dao patterns and beyond, but regular peak-stage Heaven Monarchs would never be a match for her. She was too fast, and her claws were too sharp.
“Oh, right…”
He walked a few steps and suddenly recalled something. He then asked Jiang Xiaonu, “Xiaonu, does your Ink Feather Divine Art has a third stage?”
“There isn’t any!”
Jiang Xiaonu had a flash of disappointment in her eyes as she shook her head and replied, “No matter what I did this time, I was unable to awaken the third stage of the art. Perhaps, our Ink Feather Race can only cultivate to the peak stage of Heaven Monarch!”
Jiang Yi paused for a moment and comforted Jiang Xiaonu. “There might be a later stage for your cultivation art, but you might have to return to your race to obtain it. Later on, I will ask around if anyone knows about the Ink Feather Race.”
“No, I don’t want that!”
Jiang Xiaonu shook her head and said, “I don’t want to return to the race. What if I return, and the race doesn’t allow me to follow Young Master? I am not going to return!”
“We will talk about it again.”
Jiang Yi let out a light sigh as he had a subtle feeling that he might never be able to find the Ink Feather Race in this life unless he could find Yi Piaopiao.
Jiang Xiaonu was such powerful and was even younger than him. How long was it when she awakened the Ink Feather Divine Art? It must have been less than six years? If a weak girl was able to become a peak-stage Heaven Monarch in six years, it was needless to say that her race was very powerful. However, he had never heard of this race, and when he talked about it with Huangfu Taotian, the latter never heard of it as well.
Jiang Yi headed back to his room. He had suffered serious injuries this time as his internal organs were splitting open due to the backlash, and his soul spirit had been shocked. It would take him at least a month to recover back to his prime. Furthermore, he had to figure out the Fury of Thunder and his newly comprehended Divine Sound Heaven Skill. Tomorrow, he still had to attend the funeral of Yang Dong, Niu Deng, the Golden Flood Dragon, and the Yazi Beast. Everything was arranged rather close together.
Shh-shh-shh!
Just as Jiang Yi was returning to his room, he heard echoes of footsteps on the outside. Jiang Yi knitted his brows and walked out to see two beautiful ladies under the moonlight who walked over while being accompanied by servant girls. They were Young Lady Qianqian and Situ Yinian.
Jiang Yi had just been rescued by Ao Lu, and the latter seemed to have a close relationship with Young Lady Qianqian. Hence, Jiang Yi quickly went out to welcome her. Young Lady Qianqian stopped at the entrance of the door and didn’t enter. She smiled at Jiang Yi and said, “Young Master Jiang, the Forebear had especially sent me a message when he left. There were too many around earlier on, and so Qianqian didn’t say it.”
“Oh?”
Jiang Yi asked curiously, “What did Senior Ao say?”
Qianqian looked towards the east and said, “The Forebear asks you to head over to the Xuanwu Palace within a month. He has something important for you to do!”
“Something important?”
Jiang Yi’s brows raised up as finally understood when he recalled about the preferential treatment that Ao Lu gave to him. It seemed like Ao Lu had something that he wanted to request of Jiang Yi.
However… Ao Lu’s strength was sky-shaking. Was there anything he couldn’t do? If he couldn’t do it, could Jiang Yi actually do it?