Chapter 19: The Huang Family
After emerging from the teleportation gate, the carriage continued towards the Huang family estate.
After another hour or so, Mingyan’s door was knocked on again. “Mingyan, we’re almost there. We’ll drop you off at the outer courtyard. A guest room has been prepared for you.”
“Thank you,” Mingyan replied. “Come in, Feiyan.”
Huang Feiyan entered hesitantly. “Don’t mention it. We’re the ones who should be thanking you… Mingyan, the outer courtyard is where we receive guests… We have quite a few guests recently. My attention towards you might cause you some trouble. So, if anyone approaches you with hostile intentions, please tell me immediately.”
“Your suitors?” Mingyan asked.
Huang Feiyan paused, her face flushing slightly. “Something like that… Anyway, just tell me if you have any trouble. It’s likely someone will try to bother you.”
Mingyan nodded. Huang Feiyan was essentially giving him a warning… Coming to the Huang family wasn’t entirely a good thing. It seemed conflict was inevitable. But he was prepared. He didn’t believe he was inferior to anyone.
Although his cultivation level was currently lower, he would catch up eventually.
Soon, the carriage stopped, and Huang Junru’s voice called out, “Feiyan, take Mingyan to the outer courtyard.”
“We’re here. Let’s go. I’ll take you there.” Huang Feiyan led Mingyan out of the carriage.
The light inside the carriage had been soft, but outside, it was blinding. Mingyan instinctively shielded his eyes, then slowly lowered his hand and looked up.
He had expected to see the sun, but instead, he saw a colossal statue of a divine bird.
The statue, made of an unknown material, glowed faintly red. Its outstretched wings seemed to blot out the sky, each feather intricately detailed, as if ablaze with flames. The head resembled that of an ordinary bird, but its lines and contours were exquisite, the overall form graceful and elegant.
The blinding light came from the bird’s eyes, which shone like two suns.
“That’s the Phoenix Divine Statue, built by our ancestors to commemorate the Phoenix. It’s not just a memorial, but also a treasure of the Huang family, protecting us for generations.” Huang Feiyan explained, bowing slightly in reverence.
Mingyan was awestruck by the statue. Its outstretched wings made it seem as if a true Phoenix was about to take flight. Despite its graceful form and vibrant colors, it exuded an imposing aura, inspiring awe and reverence.
Below the statue lay a vast city shrouded in mist, its outline barely visible. As the mist swirled, glimpses of floating islands appeared, creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene.
At the forefront stood a grand vermillion gate with a green plaque bearing two characters: “Huang Manor.”
The characters exuded weight and solemnity. Faint spiritual energy flowed within their simple strokes. Tiny, almost imperceptible runes were carved around the plaque, creating a subtle pressure. The plaque itself looked incredibly heavy… If used as a weapon, it could probably crush a person into pulp…
“Let’s go, Mingyan. I’ll take you to your guest room.” Huang Feiyan lowered her hand and looked at him.
Mingyan snapped out of his trance and nodded, following her.
The carriage had stopped in a plaza between the inner and outer courtyards. The plaza was quiet and serene, but as they entered the outer courtyard, the sounds of conversation grew louder.
The outer courtyard was crowded, and many people were talking amongst themselves.
“I saw Family Head Huang’s carriage return… I wonder when she’ll summon me… I should at least be given a chance to treat Celestial Qingfei’s illness…”
“Forget it. Although Celestial Qingfei is in a coma, she’s not someone you can experiment on. Without absolute certainty, Family Head Huang won’t allow anyone near her.”
“It’s the Eldest Miss… She’s back…”
The conversations quieted down. Huang Feiyan, seemingly oblivious to the whispers, smiled faintly at the people in the courtyard and led Mingyan through.
Soon, the whispers started again.
“Who’s that behind the Eldest Miss…?”
“An unfamiliar face. Doesn’t look like any of the chosen sons or young masters I’ve seen. But he’s quite handsome.”
“For the Eldest Miss to personally escort him, he can’t be ordinary…”
Mingyan, with his sharp hearing, caught every word. Huang Feiyan likely heard them too, but she showed no reaction, so he pretended not to notice.
He also felt several hostile gazes. Turning, he saw a few young men glaring at him. This must be the trouble Huang Feiyan had warned him about…
Mingyan frowned. He couldn’t understand. Huang Feiyan had said the women of the Huang family never married. Wouldn’t that mean pursuing her was pointless? Why would she have suitors?
He recalled a type of wild dog he used to hunt. The males far outnumbered the females, leading to intense competition among them. To win the favor of a female, the males would fight fiercely, often to the death. The victor earned the right to lick the female’s fur, hence their nickname, “licking dogs.” Due to their constant infighting, they were often injured, making them easy prey. He could lure them into traps with herbs that mimicked the scent of a female in heat. Even when they realized they were trapped, they rarely fled. However, their meat was tough and not very tasty, so Mingyan rarely hunted them.
He hoped these young men wouldn’t act like those dogs, trying to impress Huang Feiyan by causing trouble. Besides, even if they impressed her, it wouldn’t change the fact that she wasn’t one of them. No matter how much they tried to win her favor, she likely wouldn’t be interested.
Their cultivation levels seemed higher than his. Mingyan thought that winning a fight against them wouldn’t be easy. But he wasn’t afraid of conflict. As long as it didn’t endanger those he cared about, he enjoyed taking risks. Risks often equaled rewards.
Huang Feiyan led him to his guest room. “You might have to stay here for a while. If you need anything, you can use the special sound transmission formation in the room to contact me. I’ll take care of everything for you.”
Her smile was bright and captivating, her lips full and inviting. It was no wonder she was so popular. Mingyan sighed inwardly. If he didn’t have a goal he needed to achieve, perhaps pursuing a relationship with Huang Feiyan wouldn’t be a bad idea…
He nodded. “You too, Feiyan. Let me know if you need anything.”
“Yes. I need to take some of your blood…”
“No problem.” Mingyan let her take some blood. After thanking him profusely, Huang Feiyan left.
Mingyan watched as the wound on his arm healed rapidly, forming a scab. His regenerative abilities had undoubtedly improved after reaching the Great Brook Realm…
It would be harder to draw blood in the future, as it healed too quickly. He looked around the room.
The guest room was pleasant, clean, and tidy, without any dust or unpleasant smells. The bedding was new, although he wouldn’t be using it much.
He examined the room and noticed traces of formations on the walls, likely part of a larger, more complex formation beneath the room. He tried to memorize the patterns but couldn’t retain them in his mind, which surprised him.
He quickly gave up. The formations were likely too advanced for him to comprehend at his current level.
Even the outer courtyard was filled with dense spiritual energy, far surpassing that of Rain Terrace Blessed Land… No wonder the disciples of these Sacred Lands and families cultivated so quickly. Living in such an environment gave them a huge advantage, especially in the Spring Opening Realm, where quantitative change led to qualitative change…
Unfortunately, there didn’t seem to be anything he could utilize here… Dealing with troublemakers would be tricky.
Mingyan knew his strengths and weaknesses. His strength was his physique. Even Huang Feiyan had praised his excellent physical condition and his remarkable regenerative abilities. He had always been stronger than ordinary people. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have become a hunter at twelve. He could even fight bears in close combat and recovered quickly from injuries. His physique and regeneration were definitely his advantages.
But his weaknesses were also apparent. Rain Terrace Blessed Land’s “Rain Terrace Scripture” focused on cultivation methods and didn’t contain many combat techniques… This meant he couldn’t fully utilize his physical strength…
Perhaps he should ask Feiyan for help… Mingyan thought for a moment, then sat down on the bed, cross-legged, and continued cultivating.
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