Chapter 83: Who Can Stop Him
The white-robed man came from the ancient aristocratic clan—the Jiang Family. His name was Jiang Yifei, and he lived up to it: jade-like in spirit, white as snow in attire, transcendent and otherworldly.
He did not speak much about the past of Old Master Jiang Zhe, but enough useful information could still be gleaned. Jiang Zhe, the father of Old Uncle Jiang, had left the Jiang Family years ago and never returned. There was an untold story behind it, seemingly involving the main branch of the family head.
"Old Master Jiang Zhe had profound cultivation—how did he pass away fifty years ago?" This was something Jiang Yifei found somewhat puzzling.
"He coughed up a lot of blood when he died." Old Uncle Jiang recounted the past without excessive sorrow; some things fade with time.
"I see." Jiang Yifei did not say much, only nodding. He seemed to understand the hidden circumstances.
Beside him stood a beautiful young woman named Jiang Caixuan. She had a graceful figure, a slender neck, and a pure, lovely face. As a young lady of the Jiang Family, her demeanor carried an air of unapproachable nobility.
However, she took a liking to Little Tingting and showed no arrogance. Holding Little Tingting's hand, she asked questions from time to time in a gentle tone.
The arrogant-looking youth was named Jiang Yichen. Although he now knew the identities of Old Uncle Jiang and Little Tingting, he was not particularly warm and still wore a cool, aloof expression.
Jiang Caixuan stepped forward, her voice crisp and pleasant: "Elder, come back to the Jiang Family with us. My grandfather said the family has wronged your branch and must find you no matter what, to invite you back."
"Forget it. I don't understand what you're talking about. Your life is too far from mine—we're from different worlds. I'm used to things here..." Old Uncle Jiang was an ordinary old man who had lived a long life and experienced much. He felt he couldn't fit into such a family and politely declined.
"Even if you don't think of yourself, think of Tingting. She is a little princess in the clouds and shouldn't be bullied. She needs a different kind of life." Jiang Caixuan brought up Little Tingting's future, trying to persuade him. "Come back with us. The elders in the family very much hope that Old Master Jiang Zhe's branch will rejoin the Jiang Family."
"You take Tingting away. I'm used to life here and don't want to go anywhere else..."
Little Tingting immediately hugged the old man's arm. "I'm staying with Grandpa. Where Grandpa is, Tingting will be."
At this, Jiang Yifei showed a warm smile. He seemed to like Little Tingting and patted her head. "The sky here is too small..."
Jiang Yifei was a clever man. He knew that persuading Old Uncle Jiang this way would have little effect. Only by showing the Jiang Family's transcendence might the old man change his mind. He stood up and said, "First, go to the Li Family." His words were calm but seemed to carry a strange magic. The exotic beasts outside all roared, a bloody aura spreading, and all the knights erupted with powerful battle intent.
Jiang Yifei remained composed. The golden divine qilin followed closely behind him. He slowed his pace to walk side by side with Old Uncle Jiang, and the others fell back accordingly.
None of them mounted their beasts; they walked toward the Li Family on foot. Little Tingting nervously held the old man's and Ye Fan's hands, surrounded like a star by the crowd, which made her somewhat uneasy. Jiang Yifei and Jiang Caixuan walked alongside them but stood to the left and right, not in the center.
The people on the street were astonished. Seeing Old Uncle Jiang and Little Tingting guarded like this, they showed looks of disbelief. Many trembled in fear of the savage beasts and retreated to the sides of the street.
"What's going on? Does Old Man Jiang know these people?"
"Look at those beasts—their feet don't touch the ground. They can probably fly through the sky. How does Old Man Jiang have dealings with them?"
"Poor Old Man Jiang has finally turned his luck around. Good people always get rewarded."
"This is big trouble for the Li Family. They seem to be heading there."
"Great! After all these years, someone's finally going to deal with the Li Family."
...
More and more people gathered along the streets. Though afraid and unwilling to approach, they showed excitement and anticipation, following from a distance toward the Li Family.
When Old Uncle Jiang reached the Li Family's main gate, he hesitated. Seeing this, Jiang Yifei helped him up the steps. "Don't worry about a small family like the Li Family. Even the imperial palace of the most powerful Eastern Wasteland kingdom wouldn't dare block us."
"Boom!"
A pair of vermilion gates suddenly flew inward, as if struck by a ten-thousand-jin hammer.
Chaos erupted inside. Curses came from the gatehouse.
"Who did that?"
"Coming to the Li Family to cause trouble? You're asking for death!"
...
Soon, a dozen men rushed out, all fierce-looking. But when they saw the dozen savage beasts, they froze. Their curses died in their throats. Their mouths hung open, their fierce expressions vanished, replaced by panic, and they quickly ran back inside.
"What are you scared of, you cowards? The Li Family has cultivators!" A steward, informed of the situation, came out cursing. "Damn it! Who's got the guts to cause trouble at the Li Family? Don't they know several immortal masters are staying here?"
"Bad guys!" As soon as the steward appeared, Little Tingting stepped back a few paces, clearly afraid of him.
"You..." The steward also grew frightened when he came out. Golden divine qilin, five-colored exotic beasts, divine deer with vertical eyes—he had never seen or heard of such things. He was instantly intimidated.
"Is this a bad person?"
"Yes. He led people to take our restaurant and beat Grandpa until he coughed blood." Little Tingting's childish words made it all the more infuriating.
Jiang Yifei waved his hand, and a knight stepped forward, advancing on the steward.
"You... what are you doing? This is the Li Family. Several immortal masters are inside—you can't act wildly here!" He blustered, shouting loudly as he backed away.
"Don't fight here. It might scare the child." Jiang Yifei was thoughtful, not wanting a bloody scene to frighten Little Tingting.
"Yes!"
The fully armored knight grabbed the steward by the collar and threw him out. A flash of green light passed, and another knight, riding a savage beast, soared into the air, carrying the steward away from the town in an instant.
"Heavens, they can fly!"
"They really can soar through the sky!"
"That beast is running in the air! Unbelievable!"
In the distance, the watching townsfolk were stunned, mouths agape, faces full of shock.
Little Tingting's mouth also formed an "O" shape as she stood on tiptoe, looking into the distance.
Jiang Caixuan smiled, crouching down. "Would you like to have a beast like that? You could fly through the sky every day."
Little Tingting almost nodded but quickly caught herself. She hugged the old man's arm tightly and shook her head. "I want to stay with Grandpa."
Jiang Caixuan hadn't expected Little Tingting to see through her intent, so she stopped tempting and persuading.
Soon, a green shadow appeared in the sky. The knight who had left returned, descending on his beast. A strand of hair was wrapped around his hand, with a few drops of blood on it.
Beside him, Ye Fan was very surprised. These Jiang Family knights all seemed extremely powerful, their strength unfathomable. He felt a surging battle force from them.
The group continued inward. The townsfolk followed behind, wanting to see the Li Family's villains get their comeuppance.
"Who dares to barge into the Li Family and cause trouble?" Just then, several middle-aged men in silk and a few elders came out, anger on their faces.
"Old Man Jiang, it's you?!" Clearly, they hadn't grasped the situation. Seeing Old Uncle Jiang in the courtyard, they immediately shouted, "Who let you in? Get out!"
"Second Master, keep your voice down. Look behind you," a servant whispered in warning.
Only then did the man notice the exotic beasts outside the gate. He panicked, stumbling backward. "Quick, go invite the immortal masters out!"
Jiang Caixuan's beautiful face turned cold. "A tiny family, with only a few who barely know cultivation, dares to bully the weak and oppress the people. They don't know their place."
She waved her hand lightly, and everyone flew back like leaves, crashing into walls and unable to get up. These were the Li Family's important figures, all groaning in pain.
With a flash of light, two figures rushed out to the front courtyard. They were the two cultivators of the Li Family. Seeing the situation, their faces changed.
"Friends, who are you? Have we offended you? Why break into our Li Family and hurt people?" Both were around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, shocked and angry but not daring to act rashly.
"You're not worthy to know." Jiang Caixuan sneered.
Jiang Yifei asked calmly, "Were Tingting's parents killed by you?"
"You... what are you talking about? Don't slander us!" The two's faces changed drastically. Seeing Old Uncle Jiang at the center of the group, they felt a chill in their hearts.
"Who's slandering you?" A knight stepped forward, his gaze as sharp as a blade. In a flash, he was before them. "Slap, slap!" Two crisp sounds rang out as he sent them flying. Red palm prints appeared on their faces, instantly swelling.
They were shocked and furious, covering their faces as they retreated. "Friends, don't go too far. We are disciples of the Misty Grotto Heaven. Several immortal masters are stationed in our mansion!"
"Immortal masters? Such big talk! We were just planning to visit the Misty Grotto Heaven. Let your so-called immortal masters lead the way."