"Hm?"
Grampa Ten Mo hearing this was slightly confused, but Xaio explained with a smile.
"It looks like Father had wanted to use my wedding procession as bait to lure the Royal Family into making a move."
Grampa Ten Mo's eyes lit up in understanding and he couldn't help but praise.
"The Family Head is truly someone with wisdom, even I had not seen through his true intentions."
However, he also showed a look of admiration towards Xiao who had managed to deduce the Family Head's plans.
Xiao only shook his head and said softly.
"Father always does this; he tends to leave others unaware when making his plans. It shows he's a great leader in terms of military tactics when it works, but there are consequences when it fails."
Suddenly, the image of a youth couldn't help but flash in Grampa Ten Mo's mind.
What happened to the second child of the Han Clan was truly a tragic accident that no one but the heavens could have predicted.
Grampa Ten Mo was only brought out of his sad reminiscing by Xiao's next words.
"Despite the threat of the Royal Family, I still wish for you to return Grampa Ten Mo. No one knows I'm an Innate Master except for my elder brother and father, as well as a few people in the Clan. I also have Mei-Mei with me, so my life is not at risk."
Grampa Ten Mo's perception slightly swept over Mei-Mei outside, and sensing the subdued but terrifying energy faintly emanating from her, he couldn't help but feel slight apprehension towards her.
'To think this is still that servant girl the third young master picked up from the Azure Pavilion.'
If he was not mistaken, her origins stemmed from a fallen major power south of the Continent.
The twelve-year-old third young master of the Han Clan had returned to the manor with a dirty servant girl in her late teens and asked the Family Head to help heal her shattered dantian.
After a bit of effort from the Family Head and some resources of the Han Clan, her dantian was fully repaired. However, she would then go on to shock the entire Han Clan when her lost cultivation started to be restored.
From a third-rate warrior, she broke into the ranks of Innate Masters and only stalled once she reached the Grand Master realm. She did this within a mere five years. The Han Clan having another Grand Master level cultivator would have caused a stir, but thankfully, the upper echelons of the Han Clan were quick to seal this news before it could spread to the entire Heavenly Murim Alliance, and Jianghu as a whole.
However, Grampa Ten Mo was a little uneasy now that he was sensing danger from this girl. Even though he was not the strongest elder in the Han Clan, he was confident that his strength was sufficient to contest against them. But the fact that he was feeling danger from her, something he hadn't felt when facing those elders, what did that mean?
'Her strength might be close to reaching the top ten Martial Artists of Jianghu. Just what was her identity to have such strength at the mere age of twenty? Her talent should be no less than the third young master. The investigations into her identity only reveal the power she came from but not her position in said power. The third young master also hasn't said anything if she had revealed her origins to him.'
After reining in his awe, Grampa Ten Mo released a sigh and then said to Xiao.
"Third young master, I apologize but I still need to watch over you to put the Family Head's heart at ease."
"You-"
Xiao wanted to protest, but Grampa Ten Mo's figure suddenly vanished from the carriage, which caused the two curtains at the windows to flap wildly.
Left alone inside the carriage, Xiao gritted his teeth and muttered hatefully.
"Damn it, this is going to hinder my plans. He's definitely going to step in if I cripple those Demonic Geniuses. No, this won't work, I have to think of something else."
Xiao tightly furrowed his brows as he thought up a backup plan. He was sure Grampa Ten Mo was following their carriage in secret.
While Xiao was thinking up a backup plan, they had finally reached Yellow Leaf Village.
As the name suggests, the village was in a valley situated on the outskirts of the Forest of Death. It was also populated with unique flows that bloomed yellow petals nearly all year round.
Though it was called a village it was slightly bigger than a town, but not large enough to be called a city. Its building infrastructure wasn't outstanding, it was simple, made from the surrounding forest trees and mountain stones.
However, this did not mean the village wasn't impressive.
Every single person that the carriage passed, Xiao would feel a lingering sense of danger. He was extremely shocked because this meant these people were at the very least an Innate Master.
'Since when was the Innate Master realm this isn't to reach?'
Even in his Clan or the Academy, he had never seen so many Innate Masters at once. All of a sudden, Xiao started to feel like his Innate Master cultivation was that impressive.
However, he consoled himself with the fact that all these Innate Masters were extremely old, while he was seventeen years old; eighteen in two months.
'Damn it, these old fogies almost scared me to death. But why are they all gathered here, did something happen?'
"Young master, it's best to be careful while in this village."
Xaio heard Mei-Mei's voice drift into the carriage via transmission.
"They couldn't all be related to the Demonic Cult, right?"
Xiao sent out a transmission of his own.
"No, from it looks of it most of them are wandering cultivators from all over the Central Plains who are not attached to any organization."
Xiao peeked through the curtains at the people outside before calming down and decided to head out. Getting up, he opened the carriage door and stepped down.
A few gazes were directed at the newcomer to the village, but most weren't paying much attention. However, the moment Xaio stepped out of the carriage, everyone turned to look at him with stunned expressions on their faces.
Xiao blocked the sun's rays with his hand and ignoring the gazes he muttered.
"Wasn't someone supposed to welcome us from the Demonic Cult?"
After closing the carriage door and standing protectively behind Xiao, Mei-Mei looked around and responded.
"That should be the case."
At that moment, a young man who looked to be in his early twenties among the crowd, recovered from his momentary daze while looking at Xaio and stepped towards him. He stared at Xiao and tentatively asked.
"Are you… the third young master of the Han Clan?"
Xiao looked at this person and nodded.
Seeing this the young man smiled and after cupping his fist with a bow, he politely introduced himself.
"Young master Xiao, it's an honor to meet you. I'm Dong-wei, I was sent by the Demonic Cult to greet you. As you've requested, we have not made a show of welcoming you."
"Hm, I'm quite satisfied. I'm ready so you can lead the way."
"Yes, yes, please follow me young master Xiao."
After saying that, Dong-wei led Xiao and Mei-Mei through the crowd, who were all still staring, and to the back of the village.