Chapter 253: 燕 Family Patriarch

"Was this truly an independent operation by the Ghost Spirit Sect, entirely unrelated to the Six Devilish Dao Sects? If so, the Seven Sects wouldn't have to fear anything. Even the strength of the Yan Family alone could handle the Ghost Spirit Sect's contingent, especially since the Yan Family had a Core Formation cultivator overseeing them!"

After considering this, Han Li finally felt a little more at ease.

Even if the sky were to fall, it would be the taller, more capable individuals who would bear the burden. Whatever shady dealings the Ghost Spirit Sect was involved in, it was not for him, a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, to worry about. The Yan Family would naturally deal with it. He just needed to be careful not to get caught in the crossfire.

Han Li wondered if the others thought the same. After their initial shock, their expressions gradually returned to normal, and surprisingly, no one brought up the matter again. Instead, they began discussing their cultivation experiences and insights, which immediately captivated Han Li. He joined the conversation without hesitation.

Time passed quickly. As dusk fell, the group, whose mouths were dry from talking, said their goodbyes shortly after the other cultivators departed.

This exchange of insights had greatly benefited everyone present. In particular, the methods and opportunities that several mid-Foundation Establishment cultivators used to break through bottlenecks made Han Li and other early-Foundation Establishment cultivators feel that their trip had been truly worthwhile.

Consequently, the middle-aged man surnamed Wu, clearly still eager for more, suggested that they find a secluded spot the next day, gather a few more fellow cultivators, and continue their discussion at length. They could also hold a small item exchange, which would be even better!

This suggestion was met with full agreement from the others, and Han Li naturally had no objections.

With their plans made, the group dispersed.

Han Li headed towards an inn marked on his map, an establishment specifically for visiting cultivators.

This inn, located in the southeastern corner of Yanling Fortress, was small and inconspicuous, clearly inferior to the other inns. Therefore, it should not have had many cultivators staying there. However, Han Li sought out this place precisely for its quietness and sparse population. Fewer people meant less chance of trouble or disturbance. Furthermore, its proximity to the city wall meant that if anything unexpected happened, Han Li could easily make a quick escape.

After all, the appearance of those Ghost Spirit Sect cultivators still made Han Li subtly uneasy. Making some preparations beforehand, just in case, was simply his cautious nature.

As expected, "Fengyue Inn" had few cultivators, and those who stayed there disliked crowds or were somewhat reclusive by nature. They all remained in their rooms, with no one lingering in the common areas. This pleased Han Li even more, and he immediately found a relatively clean room and settled in.

As for where Dong Xuan'er was staying, Han Li couldn't be bothered to look for her. After all, once the Treasure Seizing Assembly began, he was sure to see her. At that time, he only needed to return to Yellow Maple Valley with her. With these thoughts, Han Li drifted off to sleep.

That night, as many cultivators began to fall asleep or meditate to refine their qi, inside a heavily guarded room within "Soaring Cloud Pavilion"—the tallest building and command center of Yanling Fortress—a red-haired old man paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, his face devoid of expression.

Not far in front of him, three gray-robed old men stood respectfully, their hands at their sides.

"Zijun, did that Ghost Spirit Sect brat really say he's coming to see me tonight?" The red-haired old man finally stopped, looking calmly at one of the elders.

"Yes, Honored Ancestor! The young master of the Ghost Spirit Sect did indeed send me a private message after the martial arts competition!" The man replied deferentially.

"Hmm!" The red-haired old man nodded expressionlessly, but a sharp glint flashed in his eyes for a moment.

Just then, a middle-aged man in black robes entered from outside. He bowed and said, "Honored Ancestor, three elders. The guest has arrived! He has been settled in the main hall. However, his two escorts absolutely refuse to wait outside the hall. Several Iron Guards tried to force them out but were instead subdued. They appear to be Core Formation cultivators. How should we handle this? Please instruct us, Honored Ancestor!"

"Core Formation cultivators? That's not surprising! How could the Ghost Spirit Sect Master be at ease sending a distinguished young master here without any bodyguards? Let's go meet them! I'm quite curious about what this young master looks like under his mask, to be so secretive." After hearing the black-robed man's report, a hint of anger appeared on the red-haired old man's face, and he spoke somewhat unkindly.

Then, he led the way out of the room, with the others naturally following close behind.

Upon entering the main hall, the red-haired old man saw a slender young man wearing a silver evil spirit mask, sitting perfectly still in the guest seat. Behind him stood two figures in green robes: one had wrinkles piled upon wrinkles on his face, with white hair, appearing incredibly old. The other was a child with white teeth and a small braid. In the center of the hall, seven or eight black-robed cultivators lay unconscious, their faces covered in black qi.

"Who do we have here? So it's the renowned Li brothers! No wonder they don't hold our Yan Family in high regard." As soon as the red-haired old man saw the two green-robed figures, his pupils contracted slightly, but he still spoke expressionlessly.

Next, he walked towards the main seat in the hall, adjusted his robes, and sat down. Then, he lightly clapped his hands twice, and immediately several more black-robed figures entered from outside, silently dragging the unconscious people out of the hall.

"Heh heh, I never thought our brothers' reputation had grown so vast, even the Yan Family Ancestor knows about us, tsk tsk! This is truly an honor for us brothers! However, this time, my brother and I are only responsible for protecting the young master's safety. The one truly in charge is our young master! If there's anything, Brother Yan, you should discuss it with our young master." The childlike figure smiled innocently, yet a hoarse, grating voice like a broken gong emerged. This startled the vigilant Yan Family members around, who were greatly surprised.

The red-haired old man's heart tightened when he heard this. For these two infamous devils to speak like this, it seemed this young master was truly no simple character. His gaze fell upon the silver-masked youth.

After observing him for a while, he calmly asked,

"You are the young master of the Ghost Spirit Sect? Why do you wear a mask? Is there something you wish to hide?"

"You misunderstand me, senior. This junior wears a mask for a different reason; it's not because I have anything to hide. If senior truly wishes to see, this junior can, of course, remove the mask for you to behold." The Ghost Spirit Sect's young master chuckled lightly, speaking neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"Hmph, what's so special about a man's face? I have no interest in that! However, why have your Ghost Spirit Sect members suddenly traveled all this way to our Yan Family? And you specifically requested a meeting with me. Now I'm here, and you've seen me, so speak your mind directly. I don't have much patience for pointless mingling with you all." The Yan Family Ancestor cast a cold glance at the Ghost Spirit Sect's young master, speaking mercilessly, with an air that suggested he was ready to strike if the conversation went awry.

"Haha, since Senior Yan has put it that way, this junior will not beat around the bush and speak directly. My father has a letter he wishes this junior to deliver to you, senior, and also two words that this junior is to relay to you." The Ghost Spirit Sect's young master, seeing how the Yan Family Ancestor treated him, remained unruffled and composed. This level of composure alone was extraordinary.

"What letter? I've never met your father, and there's no camaraderie between the Yan Family and the Ghost Spirit Sect. What letter would need to be sent to me? And two mysterious words to deliver? Are you mocking me?" The Yan Family Ancestor spoke, but deliberately or inadvertently glanced at the Li brothers, checking for any unusual movements.

The Yan Family Ancestor still found it hard to believe that the true decision-maker was this young master of the Ghost Spirit Sect.

The Li brothers naturally perceived the Yan Family Ancestor's suspicion, but after exchanging a glance, they made no other moves.

At this moment, the Ghost Spirit Sect's young master took out a jade slip from his person. Standing up, he took a few steps forward and offered it. But the Yan Family Ancestor remained seated, unmoving, showing no intention of reaching out to take it. Instead, he merely glanced at the jade slip and said with extreme indifference,

"The letter can wait. First, tell me the two words! After I hear them, I'll decide whether to read the letter!"

The Ghost Spirit Sect's young master heard this and showed no irritation. Instead, he sighed lightly through his mask, then his lips moved slightly as he uttered two words, sending them directly into the red-haired elder's ear.

Although the other Yan Family members couldn't hear what the two words were, the Yan Family Ancestor's body suddenly jolted upon hearing them. He sharply stood up from his chair, his face extremely grim!

"Give me the letter, then follow me to the secret chamber!" The red-haired elder's expression fluctuated between dark and light for a moment before he spoke with sudden resolve.

Thus, in front of numerous Yan Family disciples, the Yan Family Ancestor led the Ghost Spirit Sect's young master into a secret chamber heavily guarded by multiple layers of barriers and restrictions.

Everyone else, including the Li brothers, who were both Core Formation cultivators, remained outside. These two showed no signs of worry whatsoever. They seemed extremely confident in the Ghost Spirit Sect's young master's safety.

And they waited like this for an entire night.