Protect Our Clan Leader

...

Seasons swayed between spring and winter, and years passed by swiftly in no time.

It was the spring of the 3,184th year of the Great Qian Longchang Calendar.

Qing’an Prefecture.

The Qing An Basin, spread across thousands of miles of fertile land surrounded by clear streams, was well-known as the "land of fish and rice" within the Dagan Realm. Accordingly, the food industry here flourished impressively.

Outside the county town of Qing’an County, there was a manor named "Quiet Elegance Residence."

This gourmet manor covered an extensive area. It combined food and accommodation and was distinctively well-known throughout Qing’an County. Food connoisseurs from outside the county eagerly visited it.

Many Profound Martial cultivators who visited Qing’an County were eager to savour the local cuisine, so Quiet Elegance Residence was a must-visit.

The extent of its reputation speaks volumes.

However, this Quiet Elegance Residence wasn’t owned by the Zuoqiu family, the first prominent family of Qing’an County, but by King Cheng, a relative of the Imperial Household.

Though it might be a disposable small business for King Cheng, it managed to compete with other food manors in Qing’an County due to the backing of the Wang Fu.

One day.

The shopkeeper of Quiet Elegance Residence, Xu Qingbo, was seated behind the counter at the entrance, casually doing his accounts when a crisp tweet echoed from the sky.

Raising his head, he saw a flying carriage pulled by a giant white bird approaching from afar.

The bird was pure white like the fresh snow, elegant and graceful, with a powerful spiritual aura. It was highly distinctive.

"Jade Claw Egret? Is it someone from the Zuoqiu family?" Xu Qingbo wondered.

The Jade Claw Egret was a Level Four Spirit Bird and a unique species to Qing’an County. In Qing’an County, only the Zuoqiu family had the financial ability to use such birds to pull their flying carriages.

As they spoke, the flying carriage spiraled down and landed in the square before the manor’s gate.

Next, the carriage door was opened, and two middle-aged men dressed in robes and wearing jade crowns strolled out one after the other.

One looked older, with fine lines at the corners of his eyes, which gave him a slightly aged look. The younger one bore a remarkable resemblance to the elder one, indicating a blood relationship.

They did not exhibit their prowess intentionally, but composure was clear in their steps, reflecting their extraordinary demeanour; they were obviously not weak.

Xu Qingbo recognized the men. Hastily setting down his abacus, he hurried forward to greet them. "Esteemed ancestors, what wind has blown you two here today?"

It turned out that these two were none other than Zuoqiu Deye and Zuoqiu Zhenghua, the first and third Old Ancestors of the Zuoqiu Family of Qing’an, both formidable forces in the Purple Abode Realm.

As the shopkeeper of Quiet Elegance Residence, he naturally had to interact with various dignitaries. He, of course, knew all of Qing’an County’s top powers.

"We’re here to meet a guest." Seeing that Zuoqiu Deye had no intention of speaking, Zuoqiu Zhenghua motioned him to go about his business. "Don’t worry about us. Also, send your best food and wine to Qingzhu Court and put it on our Zuoqiu Family’s tab. Off you go."

With that, the two walked into the manor and soon disappeared into its depths.

Xu Qingbo, as expected, respectfully saw them off.

Meanwhile, Zuoqiu Zhenghua was still not quite clear about what was going on.

"Great grandfather, you’re the first Old Ancestor of our Qing’an Zuoqiu family. You’re highly respected. Are such precautions really necessary? Is the guest an Enlightened One from the Divine Skills?" he send a sound transmission to his great-grandfather seeing it was deserted around.

"What do you know?" Zuoqiu Deye gave him a glance and similarly sent a sound transmission, "The guest today might not be an Enlightened One from the Divine Skills, but he’s a Great Heavenly Proud of the Lingyun Sacred Land.

Sooner or later, he will become an Enlightened One, and if luck is on his side, he might even hold power over the Sacred Lands and become one of the two most influential people in Dagan."

"Hiss~"

On hearing this, Zuoqiu Zhenghua immediately felt awed.

Being both in the Purple Abode Realm, a Great Heavenly Proud represented not only greater combat strength but also greater potential. Moreover, this Great Heavenly Proud had the backing of a behemoth like Lingyun Sacred Land, so his status was naturally unlike their regular Purple Abode cultivators.

Cautiously, he asked, "I’ve vaguely heard of the reputations of several Great Heavenly Prouds in Sacred Land. I wonder which one of them this guest is...."

"His surname is GongYang, named Ce and it is bestowed the title ’XuanMiao’. You can call him ’Master XuanMiao’ or ’Young Master Ce’", explained Zuoqiu Deye, "When you meet him, remember to be respectful; it’s better for us to lower our status a bit. We must not offend him."

"Great grandfather, don’t worry; Zhenghua understands the importance."

As they spoke, they had reached the Qingzhu Court.

After swiping open the prohibition with the door plaque they had received in advance, they pushed the door open. Immediately, their eyes fell on the three people in the gazebo in the courtyard.

Among the three, one was seated while the two stood, one on each side. The two women standing on the sides had a humble and respectful demeanor. Seated in the center was a young man dressed in white.

He was tall and lean, had a face as handsome as jade, and possessed an elegant demeanor. He looked flawless just from his appearance.

His aura far surpassed that of the two women standing by his side. It was an inherent sense of calmness, a confidence and indifference built upon numerous successes, as if nothing in this world could pose a problem for him.

With such a demeanor and style, the identity of this young man in white was self-evident.