A frantic pounding echoed through the imposing gates of the Azure Cloud Yun Clan manor, shattering the serene afternoon. Yun Ling, her face etched with worry, rushed through the entrance, her heart hammering against her ribs.
Guards, clad in gleaming silver armor, materialized in her path, their expressions hardening at the sight of the distraught woman.
"Announce my arrival to the Clan Head immediately," she declared, her voice tight with urgency. "It's a matter of grave importance."
The guards exchanged a hesitant glance, aware of Yun Ling's high standing within the clan as the Third Young Master's most trusted confidante. But protocol dictated caution in such situations.
"Forgive my intrusion, Lady Yun Ling," the lead guard, a man named Wei Chang, stated respectfully. "However, the Clan Head is currently in a closed-door meeting with the First Elder. Would you like to wait here?"
