The Fiancee Arrives

Upon seeing her family, Jiang Yao was overjoyed.

She immediately leaped from the White Phoenix Bird, descending gracefully before the gathered crowd.

“Father, Mother, First Madam, and Grandfather, Eldest Brother, all my uncles… it’s been so long.”

Jiang Yao greeted each of her relatives in turn.

Jiang Yao’s mother, Xia Yu, gazed at the daughter she hadn’t seen in seven years, her eyes instantly welling up with tears.

She swiftly approached Jiang Yao, and after a quick appraisal, pulled her into a tight embrace.

“Yao’er,” Xia Yu sobbed, “you’ve… you’ve grown so much.”

Jiang Yao, too, immediately returned her mother’s heartfelt affection.

No one dared to interrupt the mother and daughter’s reunion, years in the making.

Disciples from the Yunhua Sect, too, drifted down from the sky.

These disciples, both male and female, possessed cultivation bases no lower than the initial stage of the Spirit Transformation Realm (TL Note: A cultivation realm).

Among them, a relatively mature woman, Yang Lin, had already reached the minor accomplishment stage of the Divine Mark Realm (TL Note: A higher cultivation realm).

Such was the caliber of the sect’s disciples.

As for Jiang Yao, despite being only twelve years old, she had already achieved the minor accomplishment stage of the Cavern Heaven Realm (TL Note: A cultivation realm).

Outwardly, she appeared no different from a girl of fifteen or sixteen.

Cultivators naturally matured quickly; it was only because Yan Yun’s cultivation progress was slow that she still looked like a child.

After a prolonged embrace with her mother, the two slowly parted.

“Father,” Jiang Yao then addressed, “First Madam.”

She then went to embrace her father, Jiang Yuan, her First Madam, and her grandfather.

With these familial greetings concluded, the homecoming rituals were complete.

Once the greetings were done, the family moved to the front hall, where Jiang Yao introduced her senior brothers and sisters to Jiang Yuan and the others.

“Father,” she began, “this is Yang Lin, Senior Sister Yang, a core inner disciple of our Yunhua Sect.

They have been dispatched by my master to protect me.”

Upon glimpsing Yang Lin, the Jiang family members’ faces were filled with awe.

“As expected of the Yunhua Sect,” Jiang Yao’s grandfather, Jiang Chen, marveled.

“A Divine Mark Realm cultivator so young — such a feat is simply impossible within the mortal cultivation world.”

Yang Lin offered a slight smile.

“Grandfather Jiang, you flatter me,” she replied.

“With Junior Sister Jiang Yao’s innate talent, I fear it won’t be long before she effortlessly surpasses me.”

After exchanging pleasantries, Jiang Yao finally turned to the pressing matter at hand.

“Father,” she inquired, “how fares Uncle Yan’s side?”

At the mention of the Yan family, the Jiang family members’ expressions immediately clouded with worry.

“Alas!” Jiang Yuan sighed, “It’s all my fault for bringing misfortune upon the Yan family and your Uncle Yan.

They’ve been utterly devastated by the Lin family.”

He then quickly recounted the recent events that had befallen the Yan family.

The moment Jiang Yao heard that the Song family had crippled Yan Kun, her eyes blazed with a chilling light.

“Lin Mo has gone too far,” she declared, rising abruptly.

“He must have secretly instigated the Lin family’s schemes.

Father, we shall go to the Yan family at once, and we shall do so with great fanfare!”

Only she could save the Yan family now; only by openly declaring her connection to them could the Lin family be made to hesitate.

“Did you return specifically for this matter?” Jiang Yuan asked, a note of concern in his voice.

“Won’t this… won’t this cause any complications?”

Jiang Yao offered a gentle smile.

“Father, rest assured,” she replied, “this matter has already received my master’s approval.

I did not return on my own accord.”

With Jiang Yao’s reassurance, the Jiang family members all breathed a collective sigh of relief.

“If that’s the case, then let us depart,” Jiang Yuan stated.

He rose, then led First Madam, Xia Yu, Jiang Yao, and the others out of the Jiang family estate, heading towards the Yan family.

****

Meanwhile, at the Zhou and Song families, news of Jiang Yao’s return caused their expressions to shift dramatically.

“What?” Family Head Zhou exclaimed, “Brother Lin, wasn’t it said that Jiang Yao wouldn’t return for at least another four years?

Why has she come back today, and created such a stir?”

Family Head Zhou and Family Head Song (TL Note: The head of the Song family) voiced their worries simultaneously.

If Jiang Yao were to lend her support to the Yan family, should they continue their feud with them?

Lin Yuan’s face was also ashen.

He was about to speak when, in the next moment, a jade token on his person, used for communication, lit up.

After glancing at it, he, too, breathed a slight sigh of relief.

“Don’t worry,” Lin Yuan declared, “Jiang Yao is Jiang Yao; the Yunhua Sect wouldn’t turn against our Lin family just for the sake of one Yan family.

Don’t forget, my nephew Lin Mo is a disciple of the Yunhua Sect’s Grand Elder, and he has also arrived in Qifeng City.

Let us go out and greet him.”

Upon hearing of Lin Mo’s arrival, the Zhou and Song families once again felt a slight easing of their tension.

They hurried to the courtyard, and soon, several figures shot down from the sky, landing before Lin Yuan and the others.

Upon closer inspection, the newcomers were also Yunhua Sect disciples, a group of over a dozen, all from the Grand Elder’s lineage.

“Brother Mo, you’ve arrived,” Lin Ze greeted him immediately.

Lin Mo, his face grim, simply nodded at them.

“Fourth Uncle,” Lin Mo began, “Jiang Yao intends to completely sever ties with me.

Her return this time is specifically to expedite her marriage to the Yan family.”

Lin Mo had returned right on Jiang Yao’s heels.

His presence in Qifeng City was certainly not to genuinely attend Jiang Yao’s wedding; he was undoubtedly here to cause trouble.

“What?” Family Head Song exclaimed, “Then, if we’ve targeted the Yan family so fiercely, won’t they resent our Zhou and Song families once they become one?

Brother Lin, will you… will you help us?

We only dealt with the Yan family for the sake of the Lin family!”

Family Head Song and Family Head Zhou’s hearts once again pounded with anxiety.

Unfortunately, Lin Mo could offer them no precise answer, merely telling them not to fear.

The Yunhua Sect would not arbitrarily interfere in the disputes of mortal families.

****

Meanwhile, Yan Long, upon learning of Jiang Yao’s return and that she was heading towards their Yan family, felt a surge of relief.

His suppressed emotions were instantly swept away.

He immediately instructed his clansmen to prepare themselves to welcome Jiang Yao’s arrival.

“Quickly, go and call Young Master Three and Seventh Madam here,” Yan Long exclaimed excitedly.

“Tell them Jiang Yao has arrived!”

Jiang Yao’s sudden return, without a doubt, was to lend support to their Yan family.

After all, the Yan family had only incurred such great trouble purely for the sake of helping Jiang Yao.

“Understood, Father,” Yan Xia replied, “I’ll go fetch Little Three and Seventh Mother right away.”

Yan Xia rushed to Yan Yun’s residence with the utmost speed.

****

Turning to Yan Yun’s side, as the flames beneath her medicinal cauldron slowly died down, a purple pill rolled out from within.

Upon seeing the pill, her face was filled with delight.

“Excellent!” Yan Yun cheered. “It’s finally done, Ancestor!

I’ve successfully refined a first-tier poison pill (TL Note: A type of medicinal pill with poisonous properties)!”

With this achievement, she could now be considered a first-tier poison refiner, capable of independently concocting poison pills in the future.

“Hmm, not bad,” Yan Lingyun commented, also sighing in relief.

“Your soul power seems inherently stronger than others, making you quite suited for alchemy.

This way, I won’t have to be busy every day.”

Just as Yan Yun was about to speak, Yan Xia’s voice suddenly called out from outside.

“Little Three, come out quickly, we have guests!”

The moment Yan Yun heard the nickname “Little Three,” she immediately rolled her eyes.

She thought, ‘If you weren’t my sister, I’d definitely curse you back.’

Nevertheless, she immediately withdrew her poison cultivation and stepped outside.

“Big Sister,” Yan Yun began, “even if guests have arrived, was there really a need to tell me?”

Yan Yun, of course, had no idea Jiang Yao had come.

Yan Xia immediately reached out, grabbed Yan Yun, and pulled her along, rushing towards the front hall.

“Hey, Sister,” Yan Yun protested, struggling slightly, “I can walk on my own.”

“Forget about your sluggish walking pace,” Yan Xia retorted.

“You probably don’t know, but your fiancée, Jiang Yao, has returned from the Yunhua Sect, and as soon as she arrived, she came straight to our Yan family.

Whether our Yan family can overcome this trouble will likely depend entirely on Junior Sister Jiang Yao.

You’d better put on a good show later!”

Yan Xia reminded her as she spoke.

After hearing Yan Xia’s explanation, Yan Yun was utterly dumbfounded.

She hadn’t expected Jiang Yao to return so early.