In the heart of a tranquil courtyard adorned with a vibrant tapestry of various blossoms, there stood a middle-aged woman, her beauty striking and her demeanor cold, like a resplendent, frost-kissed rose.
She was in her mid-thirties, but her aura carried a timeless grace that made her ageless.
Her attire was a violet robe embroidered with intricate patterns of phoenixes and peonies.
The deep violet of the robe contrasted exquisitely with the colors of the blooming flowers around her, making her presence all the more striking.
Her long, glossy black hair cascaded down her back in a waterfall of midnight silk, held in place by a delicate silver hairpin adorned with a single sapphire.
Her alabaster skin seemed almost untouched by the sun, lending her an otherworldly allure.
But it was the worry etched on her otherwise serene face that drew one's attention.
Her almond-shaped eyes, the hue of a clear winter sky, held a profound sadness within them.
Her lips, usually painted with a rosy tint, were now pressed together in a tight line, betraying the turmoil in her heart.
She paced back and forth amidst the blossoms, the train of her robe flowing with her every step, as if the courtyard itself was an extension of her being.
The scent of the flowers, a fragrant tapestry of lilacs and peonies, mingled with the air of tension that surrounded her.
Huang Yin, the clan master of the Jade Manor.
Huang Yin, the goddess of the Barren land. She had been the queen of the Barren Land for years with thousands of suitors.
Many powerful men had tried to court her, but all had failed. As she grew older, her temperament also underwent changes, turning her into an unparalleled cold beauty.
When she became the Huang sacred clan mistress, her scope of influence and beauty made her the most sought-after person in the whole of Barren.
Therefore, both young and old men even tried desperately to get her attention just for once.
However, Huang Yin never left the Huang sacred clan for years, leaving her suitors helpless.
"Elder sister..." a beautiful lady entered the courtyard.
Dressed in blue, she was extremely beautiful, with an oval face and porcelain skin. Her bright, youthful face radiated an enchanting smile.
Huang Yin turned her head and looked at her niece, Huang Rou.
"How was it? Is there any news from the sea?" Huang Yin asked impatiently.
"Not yet..." Huang Rou shook her head dejectedly.
The whole of Huang clan was in upheaval when they heard the news of their ship under the savage attack of the pirates.
However, what made the Huang clan worried was their young master on the ship.
Fear gripped the hearts of everyone as they waited nervously for news from the sea.
"Elder sister, you need to relax. The rescue team would save elder brother," she said, biting the edge of her lip.
The once playful little girl was now gentle, with worry etched on her face.
With her elder sister and brother by her side, she let go of her worry and became the lively and free spirit of the clan.
But now, her elder brother's situation was unknown.
Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps came from the outside.
Hearing this, Huang Yin and Huang Rou looked at each other and rushed out of the courtyard.
"Clan master!" A voice shouted with excitement.
Coming out of the courtyard, Huang Yin's deadly cold gaze landed on the middle-aged man a couple of meters from her.
"What happened?" She asked, her heart skipping a beat.
'Brother... nothing must happen to you... you must come back to me alive,' she prayed in her heart.
Taking a deep breath, the middle-aged man looked at the cold goddess for a moment before he averted his gaze and said respectfully.
"Young master has come back."
"What!" Huang Rou shouted, shock written on her face before it turned into pure elation.
As for Huang Yin, her expression didn't change, but the rapid beating in her heart slowed down a bit.
"Where is he, and how did he escape from the bandit's clutch?"
"I don't know. I just came to pass on the news."
....
Sitting inside the main hall of the Huang clan, Huang Yin looked at her young brother with relief that didn't show on her face.
"How did you do it?" She asked, her voice cold and deadly.
"Elder sister... can't you be gentle with elder brother a little bit..." Huang Rou pouted and looked at Huang Yin annoyedly.
As for Huang Yin, she didn't bother to look at her playful little niece.
Huang Guo looked at his playful niece and smiled before looking at her elder sister.
He didn't care about her elder sister's cold attitude toward him. He knew this was her sister's attitude toward everyone, thus. he didn't take it to heart.
Clearing his throat, Huang Guo explained his ordeal on the sea to the two in a low and crisp voice.
"Brother... Are you saying you were saved by some magical armor you bought from a merchant out of curiosity?" Huang Rou asked with wide eyes.
"Yes..." He nodded with a calm smile.
"Can I see the magical armor?" Huang Yin asked with no fluctuation on her face.
Huang Guo didn't dilly-dally and brought out the Metal Bone Construct from his storage ring.
Stepping down from her throne, Huang Yin took the construct from his hand and scrutinized the armor carefully.
"This is just an ordinary armor with many formations," Huang Yin said, a bit shocked, before she added, "Can I witness the power of the armor."
"Sure!"
Quickly, Huang Guo put on the armor and faced off against her elder sister.
"Be careful, sister," he warned.
"Don't worry about me... Let me see the power of the armor," Huang Yin said with no change in her expression.
Whoosh!
Huang Guo didn't use any martial skill and attacked with a fist strike. Just then, the armor did its thing.
A blue light flashed around the construct, augmenting the ordinary punch to another level.
Seeing the sudden change in the fist attack, Huang Yin and Huang Rou widened their eyes, not believing what they were seeing.
Bang!
Huh!
Huang Yin defended the attack, retreating a couple of steps with deep shock etched on her cold face.
If she were not a Body Building realm stage 9 expert, she believed she would have been defeated by the ordinary punch.
'How is this possible?!' She exclaimed in her heart.
As for Huang Rou, she was flabbergasted and couldn't process what she just witnessed.
'Elder brother forced Elder sister to retreat!!' She shouted in her heart.
After a couple of seconds, the shock in the air dissipated, and the two women could process what just happened.
"Where did you get this armor?" Huang Yin asked, with a slight anticipation in her voice.
"I don't think so.... the merchant has left the barren land."
"What!" Huang Yin showed a shocked expression for the first time, looking at her brother with an unsightly gaze.
"But I heard from the merchant which clan made the construct..." He quickly added.
"Good! We mustn't lose this opportunity to equip our soldiers with this armor. Which clan is it?" Huang Yin asked quickly as if she couldn't wait to arm their soldiers with the armor.
"S-Su Sacred Clan," Huang Guo said in a low voice.
*****
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