Our Reading time is interrupted by a sound in the trees. The trees shook a little and a middle-aged man jumped out, face smiling widely. His eyes were locked on his son under the moonlight.
The middle-aged man was wearing an expensive looking grey tunic. He walked with pride and dignity and his face showed it. He was the Xiao clan leader, as well as this bodies father.
"Hello father." I tell the man standing up.
"Ryan, xun'er your out mighty late I came to check on you guys and see how you were doing." he said with a doting smile.
This would be the point where I realised I've become a young master with an overprotective father who would do whatever it took for his son.
I see it's true someday you'll become what you fear. I hope I don't become a fish anytime soon though.
"Before we get into that father I have a request. This would mean a lot to me." I say looking at the man.
"Oh and what would you need from this old man. If I can get it I'm sure I'll give it to you." He laughed happily.
"I want the clans ancient gu jade." I tell him.
His eyes sharpen before looking over and xun'er and back to me.
"How do you know about that." He asks me.
"I'll explain that later. For now it would be a great help to me if I could get that item." I say with a smile.
"A great help how?" he asks eyes still narrowed.
"Well that would be telling wouldn't it? So father do you trust me enough to give me the key?" I ask him.
There's quite a bit of struggle on his face before he sighs and pulls out a little wooden box.
He passes it over to me. Inside is a jade stone.
I honestly only know that this leads to a powerful manual or something that was locked up years ago. Apparently the strongest in the continent. What a joke.
I look at the girl beside me. "This is the item your clan sent you to get isn't that correct?" I ask her.
She nods her head before looking at me.
"I'll let you have this key freely and you can leave without any danger or anything like that and go back to your clan. However at that point I'll cut ties with you." I say with a smile. "Or I make this item dissappear and you just stay with me like nothing happened and we pretend we didn't see or hear anything."
She looks me in the face as I put the box in her hands and step back.
She eyes the box curiously.
"That key unlocked a locked tomb containing the strongest technique on the continent and every single ancient clan wants to get their hands on it." I tell her.
She looks at me again before tossing the box back. "I didn't see anything." She says in a sweet voice.
I store the item in my inventory.
"Well welcome to the family officially now." I happily say.
My father cuts in. "Ryan is what you said true about that key and every ancient clan is after it?"
"Yep and they all know you've got it in your possession I'm sure some of them are already plotting to kill you off for it as that would be easier." I say with a shrug.
his face pales considerably. "Quickly son give me the key it's dangerous." he begs.
Truly a doting father.
"Nope." I reply.
"This is no time for jokes please give me the key." He says frantically.
"I'm serious it's fine. Don't worry about it." I try to reassure the man but have zero luck.
"Look just trust me on this. What you should be looking for now is a way to protect the clan and yourself." I tell the man.
"That is true but what about you?" he asks still worried.
"Oh I'll be fine." I wave him off heading back to my room for the night with xun'er following heading to hers.
he just watched me go with a strange look. "Something is off about him today." The words he was thinking were copied by the young girl as she walked thinking about what had happened.
There where many restless thoughts that night.
The next morning a wizened voiced sounded outside of my door: "Young master, the clan leader has requested your presence in the hall."
Ooh I know what's going to happen let's mess with them a bit. I quickly open the door.Outside of his room was an elder in a green robe. "Let's go!"
Looking at the young man's fresh face, the elder nodded his head. But when he turned around, his eyes showed a flash of regret.If young master had his former talent, he probably would have been a great Dou Zhe, such a waste…
The elder and the young man crossed through the back yard and finally arrived solemnly at the welcoming hall. After politely knocking, the two softly went in.
The hall was quite large, but there were many people already in it. At the head of the hall were Father and three emotionless elders. They were the clan elders and had equal importance to the Clan leader.
On the left, below the four were other elders from the clan. These elders didn't hold as much power as the clan elders but nevertheless, they had quite a bit of say and weren't pushovers. Besides these elders were young men that had shown promise and talent.
On the other side was three strangers. Of the three, there was an elder wearing a moon white outfit. Although the elder was all smiles, his tiny eyes were full of energy, restlessly scanning the room.
Beside the elder were a young couple. They were also wearing moon white robes. The male was about 20 years old and had a handsome face, coupled with a strong build. He was definitely the ideal type for any girl. on the other side of him was a beautiful girl who had a hint of the princess and spoiled type to her. I just looked at her in pity and smugness. This whole time I had activated my vampire allure cause I knew what was coming next and I enjoy chaos.
My actions caused a slight tension within the girl. Although she wasn't the kind that had an entire universe revolving around her, her beauty and appearance wasn't bad. My random glance over her was a first for her.
I walk up towards the head table. "Good morning father." I say to the happy man.
He was in a very pleasant mood today however the elders just looked at me in hate. he was about to offer me a seat when a beautiful voice range out from across the room.
"Brother Ryan, come sit here!" The clear voice of a girl rang across the hall.
The three elders tensed, their gaze shifting to Xun Er in the corner. Their mouths twitched but none of them said anything…
In the corner, Xiao Xun Er closed the thick book in her lap, and blinked at me.
I happily make my way over as who wants to sit near some douchebag elders. Xiao Xun Er lightly smiled, two small dimples appearing on her face. Her slender fingers flipped open the book in front of her.
In the main hall, Xiao Zhan and the three clan elders were talking excitedly with the strange elder. The guest seemed to have something weighing on his mind, yet every time when it seemed as if he was about to broach the subject, he would swallow back the words and change the topic. Each time he did this, the delicate girl next to him would give the elder a subtle yet firm glance…
Boring shit. I'm nudged from the side by the beauty next to me.
"Ryan you know who those people are right?" She asks me.
"Yep they are from the misty cloud sect and that girl nalan yanran is here to ask to annul the engagement between us." I say with a happy smile.
Xun Er raised her eyebrow at me. "Why do you seem so happy about that?" She asked.
"Well that means I just get to marry you right?" I chuckle asked stick my tongue out at her. Her face flushes red and she stutters for a bit.
I got to admit I'm not a fan of prearranged marriages.
However the old man who set up the agreement before this body was born is a good man and handles agreements and promises very seriously his little grandaughter over there however didn't inform him of any of this and decides to break the marriage contract in quite a rude way.
A small fragile hand cleverly evaded my sleeves and held onto my hands. Xun Er softly said, "Brother Ryan, if she really cancels the marriage, then that's her own loss. I believe that in a couple of years, she will be regretting her decisions today!"
oh that's for sure. The guest elder, under the repeated signals from Nalan Yanran, finally stood up…
"Heh, using the Faction of Misty Clouds to pressure father? This Nalan Yanran certainly is using some shameless tactics…"