Shrouded Sky

"Why would such a powerful group come to this small town looking for the surname Jiang?" Ye Fan's heart was unsettled. He feared this might involve Old Jiang and little Tingting.

Clear Wind Town had never seen so many exotic beasts. More than a dozen mounts with glittering scales and radiant auras terrified the townsfolk, who hurriedly fled the streets.

A middle-aged man in his thirties, seated on a green-scaled beast, tried to appear friendly and said, "No need to be afraid. We mean no harm, we're just asking whether there's a Clan with the surname Jiang in this town."

Despite his peaceful tone, it was obvious that these were seasoned warriors, hardened by battles and bloodshed. The aura they emitted carried a natural air of killing intent that made ordinary people tremble in fear.

A trembling old farmer pointed toward West Street and stammered, "That street… the biggest residence… that's the one."

"Thank you." The group rode their beasts slowly toward West Street.

Not far away, Ye Fan felt a bit of relief, so there were other Jiang families in the town. He rushed toward East Street and soon returned to the small restaurant.

"Uncle Jiang…"

"What is it, child?" the old man asked as he walked out of the kitchen.

Little Tingting brought over a bowl of bright red wild berries, her big eyes blinking curiously. "Big brother, what's going on?"

"It's like this…" Ye Fan explained everything he had just seen and heard, then asked, "Uncle, have you ever had any connection to people like that?"

Old Jiang shook his head and said, "I've lived over seventy years and rarely ever left this town. There's no way I know anyone like that."

"So many exotic beasts? I want to see what they look like!" Tingting's big sparkling eyes lit up like stars as she ran outside, gazing down the street curiously.

Ye Fan leaned in and whispered, "Could it have something to do with Tingting's parents?"

"I don't think so," the old man replied, a trace of sorrow flashing in his eyes. "They always trained at Red Mist Grotto-Heaven and never traveled far. All their friends were fellow disciples."

"So many beasts, and they're not even touching the ground…" Tingting stood at the doorway, her little face full of awe and excitement. "Grandpa, come quickly, they're coming this way!"

Ye Fan and the old man rushed outside. The group of riders approached quickly, yet without stirring up any dust, their mounts hovered three inches above the ground.

"They look fierce…" Tingting was starting to get scared. Except for the three riders in front, all the others radiated intense killing intent, a battle aura that filled the air.

Ye Fan quickly grabbed Tingting's hand and supported Old Jiang. The pressure was too much for ordinary people, most would be terrified facing this for long.

More than a dozen beasts stopped in front of the small restaurant, their bodies glowing and scales flashing. They were majestic but carried a strong aura of death and bloodshed, clearly hardened from real battles, not pampered creatures.

"Is this the Jiang residence?" asked the elegant, scholarly-looking young man in the center. Dressed in snow-white robes, with calm, radiant eyes, he sat atop a golden qilin-like beast. Unlike the blood-soaked warriors behind him, he exuded a serene and refined air.

Old Jiang, his face lined with age, replied in confusion, "Yes. May I ask what brings you here?"

He was over seventy, his face carved by time, his eyes clouded with age.

Seeing this frail old man, the arrogant youth on the five-colored beast frowned and muttered, "He's just an ordinary old countryman at the end of his days, he can't be who we're looking for."

The white-robed man shot him a glance, and the boy held his tongue.

"Have you always lived in Clear Wind Town, sir?"

"Yes. I've hardly ever traveled far," the old man answered honestly.

"Did your ancestors also live here, or did they move here later?" the white-robed man asked.

"My father moved here. I was born in this town. Why are you asking all this?" Old Jiang looked puzzled.

The young man leaped down from his mount. His white robes fluttered in the breeze, and even his boots were spotless. He was exceptionally handsome, truly a man of noble bearing.

"Sir, may I ask you a few questions? I hope you'll be willing to answer."

"Of course. If I know the answer, I'll tell you," Old Jiang said respectfully, clearly awed by the cultivators.

Tingting held tightly to Ye Fan's hand, snuggling close to him and her grandfather. She was both nervous and curious as she looked at the beasts and their riders.

"Forgive me for asking, but is your father still alive?" the white-robed man asked with a hint of tension in his voice.

Old Jiang was puzzled, then said, "He passed away more than fifty years ago."

"What…" The young man was stunned. A flicker of sorrow crossed his face, and he sighed.

"I told you, he's just some old man…" the arrogant youth muttered, clearly wanting to leave.

"Silence, boy!" the white-robed man barked. He turned back and asked, "Sir, was your father's name Jiang Zhe?"

"How… how do you know that?" Old Jiang looked startled.

The beautiful girl on the silvery deer was surprised and said, "Looks like we've found the right place." She was tall, with fair skin and stunning features, but there was a distant, untouchable aura about her.

The boy on the five-colored beast frowned. "How could someone like him carry our Jiang Clan bloodline? If he were really a descendant of Great-grandfather Jiang Zhe, he'd at least know some cultivation. It must be a case of identical names…"

"Could you tell me more?" The white-robed man remained respectful and helped Old Jiang inside. "May we continue this conversation inside?"

The other riders stayed outside as the white-robed man entered the small restaurant with Old Jiang. The arrogant youth and the beautiful girl followed.

Seeing no ill intent, Ye Fan quietly pulled Tingting aside.

"Did Great-grandfather Jiang Zhe have several red moles on his left arm?"

"Yes, five of them. How do you even know that?" Old Jiang asked in shock.

"So he really did hide away in the State of Yan… We didn't expect he passed away more than fifty years ago." The white-robed man sighed. "Sir, I should probably call you granduncle."

"Please don't!" Old Jiang quickly tried to stop the young man from bowing.

"You two, pay your respects!" the white-robed man ordered.

"Greetings, Granduncle," the beautiful girl said with a graceful bow. She also glanced at Ye Fan and Tingting.

The youth mumbled, "Greetings, Granduncle," with clear reluctance.

"What is this…?" Old Jiang looked confused. He didn't understand why they were acting like this.

"Big brother, big sister, do you know my grandpa?" Tingting asked curiously, blinking her long eyelashes.

Seeing her so innocent and sweet, the white-robed man fondly patted her head. "We're from the same clan."

"What clan?" she asked with wide-eyed wonder.

"The ancient Jiang Clan, descended from the Desolate Era. One day, you'll understand how extraordinary our clan is in the Eastern Wilderness."

Ye Fan was stunned. The Ancient Clans were on the same level as the Sacred Grounds, towering existences in the Eastern Wilderness.

From what Ye Fan knew, the surname Jiang, like Ji, was one of the oldest in Chinese history. Historical texts recorded that the Jiang were descendants of the Flame Emperor, named after the river of his birth: "The Divine Farmer lived by the Jiang River, and thus took Jiang as a surname."

He was shocked that even on this side of the starry skies, the Jiang name still carried such extraordinary weight.

"Jiang Zhe was a prodigy in his youth, famous by the time he came of age. Later, he shook the Eastern Wilderness. When he made a move, all forces would tremble. Who would've thought…" The white-robed man looked emotional. It was clear that Old Jiang had lived a hard life. He never imagined such a powerful bloodline could fall so far.

The girl beside him was confused. "Didn't Great-grandfather Jiang Zhe teach you how to cultivate?"

"What's cultivation…" Old Jiang muttered. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"A lot happened back then. It's hard to explain in one go. Sir, would you be willing to return with us?" the white-robed man asked, then looked at Ye Fan and Tingting.

"I'm not part of the Jiang Clan. Tingting is Old Jiang's only granddaughter," Ye Fan quickly explained.

"The main clan owes Great-grandfather Jiang Zhe a great debt. Now that the truth is out, I want to bring both of you back to the Jiang clan."

Old Jiang was dazed. Though he didn't fully understand, he grasped the gist. It was hard for him to accept.

The beautiful girl smiled at Tingting. "Do you have any wishes? Big sister can grant them."

"I don't really have any wishes. I just want to be with Grandpa and Big Brother," she said sweetly.

"Any other wishes?"

Tingting tilted her head and thought hard. "I want to eat my fill every day. And I don't want anyone to bully me or Grandpa."

Her words left the girl stunned.

The white-robed man's expression also changed. He asked in a low voice, "Have you been bullied often?"

"Yes, until Big Brother came, bad people bullied us all the time," Tingting said innocently, but her words made everyone go pale.

"I forgot to ask, what about Tingting's parents?" the man asked.

Old Jiang's face turned sorrowful. "I had children late in life… but in the end, white-haired sent off black-haired."

"How could this be?!" the girl cried out.

"I still don't know if it was an accident… or murder…"

Tingting's eyes turned red at those words.

"Tell me everything!" The young man's eyes briefly glowed with god light.

The old man shared the details briefly. The white-robed man immediately stood up. "I've never heard of Red Mist Grotto-Heaven before, but we're going to pay them a visit. If anyone dares stop us, I won't mind wiping them off the map."

The beautiful girl sneered coldly. "To dare bully a member of the Ancient Desolate Jiang Clan… We'll visit the Li Clan first!"

The riders outside exploded with killing intent and battle aura. In that moment, all of Clear Wind Town was shrouded in a terrifying presence.