Chapter 267

Chapter 267: No Spirit of the Martial World

Before Yu Zhi Yi left the capital, Jiang Yu Chuan had already sent a swift rider home with the news.

As the mountain home drew near, he smiled and said to Yu Zhi Yi: “Yi’er, let me introduce our family again. Your eldest uncle is the alliance leader of the Martial Alliance. He is warm and bold, and he treats the younger generation with great care.”

He went on: “Your eldest aunt comes from the martial world family of Mysterious Moon Manor. Her martial arts are strong, and her temper is gentle.”

Then he added: “You have three male cousins and one older female cousin, and you also have a brother. He wanted to go to the Capital City with me, but your mother has not been well, and he is impulsive and unreliable, so he had to stay to care for her.”

Jiang Liu Yun muttered under his breath: “If you mean my brother, just say my brother. Why bring me up too?”

The sunny, handsome boy looked helpless, not angry. His bright eyes showed he still respected his big brother a lot.

“As for your mother,” Jiang Yu Chuan’s voice lowered, though a slight smile stayed on his face as he said: “She is a very good person.”

Though the smile was bitter, the love in his eyes was real and strong.

Yu Zhi Yi looked away. She wanted to comfort him, but after these years she no longer knew how to deal with family, much less with family she had not known existed for seventeen years. Even after almost a month together, they still felt like strangers.

“We are here.”

Their carriages stopped before a towering mountain. Tall steps wound up from the foot to the mid-slope.

Jiang Liu Yun pointed and said: “Our Martial Alliance sits on a large natural terrace halfway up this mountain. The air is fresh, the environment is great. Sister, you will like it.”

Yu Zhi Yi studied the mountain filled with spiritual energy and grew thoughtful.

Beneath this mountain lay a dragon vein.

No wonder the spiritual energy was rich.

She wondered if the Jiang Clan had chosen this site by luck for its beauty, or if a master had guided them here.

As the carriages neared the foot of the mountain, they saw a group waiting from far away.

Jiang Liu Yun’s face reddened with excitement as he called out: “It’s Big Brother! And Eldest Aunt and the cousins!”

Yu Zhi Yi looked ahead.

Two neat lines of people stood a few hundred paces away. The leaders carried a swirl of purple aura around them. It was not thick, but among all the people Yu Zhi Yi had seen, their fortune was still quite strong.

Behind them stood dozens of men and women in matched uniforms, likely the Martial Alliance’s bodyguards.

There were women among them.

Li Rou asked with curiosity: “The Martial Alliance even has women bodyguards?”

“Of course,” Jiang Liu Yun said at once: “We children of the Martial World are not bound by so many rules like in the capital. Anyone with talent, man or woman, can learn martial arts. If your skill reaches a high level, you can make a place for yourself in the Martial World.”

He added with pride: “Mysterious Moon Manor, where Eldest Aunt comes from, was founded by Immortal Maiden Xuan Yue.”

Yu Zhi Yi’s brows lifted, her interest caught: “Immortal Maiden Xuan Yue? Is she also a mystic arts practitioner?”

“No,” Jiang Liu Yun explained in a hurry: “People in the Martial World like grand nicknames. For example, our father. When he was young, he was brave, daring, and very skilled, so people in the Martial World gave him a loud title, the Mount Ming Overlord Tiger.”

The name sounded fierce, but looking at Jiang Yu Chuan now, Yu Zhi Yi felt secondhand embarrassment. He was a gentle, refined middle-aged man. With this calm air, no one would doubt he was a scholar. [This title made her scalp tingle with awkwardness.]

Li Rou’s eyes shone with worship as she said softly: “Master is amazing.”

Jiang Liu Yun did not notice Yu Zhi Yi’s real reaction. She usually kept a calm face, and now, feeling embarrassed, she looked even cooler. He was long used to his sister’s unruffled way. Lifting his chin with pride, he said: “And I am the Mount Ming Young Overlord.”

Yu Zhi Yi understood why he was proud, but she also knew that the word “overlord” often carried a bad taste in many places. Her feelings grew more complicated. Still, seeing both father and son satisfied with their nicknames, she said nothing.

While they spoke, the carriages reached the mountain foot.

Acting as coachman, Jiang Liu Yun jumped down first and called out to the people waiting: “Eldest Aunt, Brother Ting, Brother, Brother Shuang, Brother Bin, Sister Ying, Sister Xin Yue.”

Then, unwilling but polite, he added: “Aunt Chen.”

The Martial Alliance group greeted Jiang Liu Yun with smiles, then turned together to look at the carriage.

They had already received the second uncle’s letter saying he had found his daughter, so they were all very curious.

Some were simply curious. Some were curious with a hint of resentment.

One young girl wore a gentle smile, but anger smoldered in her eyes. She wanted to see what this wild girl looked like.

At last, the curtain lifted and a pair of slightly rough hands appeared.

Even without seeing the face, the girl with the gentle smile relaxed a little.

As expected, a wild girl raised outside.

Those hands were rougher than the hands of many women of the Martial World who trained with weapons.

She must have done hard labor.

Then a girl of about eighteen or nineteen showed her face.

Her looks were at most neat and pleasing. In a crowd she might catch the eye, but among the Martial Alliance, where handsome men and beautiful women were common, her face did not count for much.

The gentle-smiling girl could not help blowing out a tiny breath.

Eldest Aunt Lin Jing Xuan did not comment. She stepped forward with a warm smile and asked: “Is this Yi’er?”

Li Rou had already hopped down. Hearing that, she glanced at the middle-aged woman in surprise and said: “Sorry, I am not my lady.”

Then she lifted the curtain and said into the carriage: “Miss, we have arrived.”

A clear, airy voice answered: “Mm.”

It was only one sound, but it was so pleasant that everyone seemed to feel it in their ears.

A soft, delicate hand rested on Li Rou’s slightly rough one.

The curtain opened, and a poised, elegant face appeared.

The girl’s features were not the most delicate, but together they formed a striking, noble beauty. Even with no expression, she was dazzling.

Second Young Master Jiang could not hold back his praise as he said: “Second Sister is truly breathtaking.”

Yu Zhi Yi’s hand trembled. No one had praised her looks since she turned ten. Hearing it now, her scalp tingled. [Stay calm. Do not show it.]

She controlled herself and stepped down with Li Rou’s help.

The Martial Alliance members watched her manner and showed different looks.

Lin Jing Xuan only blinked in brief surprise, then smiled as usual and said: “Yi’er, welcome home.”

Two male cousins and the older female cousin also came forward with smiles to welcome her.

Aunt Chen and another young girl were a step late and ended up pushed to the edge of the crowd. Seen from a distance, the two looked a bit lonely and pitiful.

Yu Zhi Yi greeted them all one by one.

Suddenly, a snide voice cut in: “You even need a footstool to step down from a carriage. You are so pampered. You have none of the spirit of us children of the Martial World.”