Chapter 306: Ying's Return Home!

"Grandfather!" Ying lovingly jumped into the arms of her giant, one-armed grandfather.

"Xiao Ying!" Grandfather Yue slid back from the force of Ying's tackle as he caught her.

  He happily smiled as he rubbed his beloved granddaughter's hair. Ying rubbed her face into his robes as the familiar smell of her grandfather brought joy to her heart. It's been years since she decided to travel to the Golden Serpent Sect to get stronger and return the Yue Family's status to the once noble heights it held in the past. A meeting between two close family members after a long time should be this bittersweet.

"You've gotten bigger, haven't ya? Hahaha. I'm glad to see you've been eating well! The last time I saw ya, you were barely taller than my knees!" Yue Gou took a closer look at his granddaughter.

"What happened to your arm, grandfather?" Righteous fury swiftly flowed through her blood at the sight of his empty, swaying arm sleeve.

"Nothing, a brat like you needs to worry about." He chuckled.

"I'm not a brat anymore! I'm an accomplished swordsman after everything I went through at the sect. Our family no longer has anything to worry about now that I've returned."

"Hee hee hee. You're gonna have to put your money where your mouth is. Come spar with this old man, and I'll see if your words are just words or not." Gou gestured for Ying to come at him.

"Fine, but you asked for this, Grandfather! Don't go complaining when I hurt your back or something!" Ying wielded Hao Gang with both hands.

  The giant demonic blade seemed to stare right at the bare-handed old man. The strange connecting purple and black pattern engraved into the body of the blade shined with an evil light. Ying prepared herself to show her grandfather the results of her training. She went full power right off at the start! A Yue family member only knows how to move forward and crush their foes with all their might!

  Ying's body burst into flames as she leaped forward with her sword. "Mountain Severing Cut!" She yelled as the flames caught onto the blade as well. The only thing Ying focused on was showcasing the absolute best of her swordsmanship. In the Giant Blade Manual given to her by Jing, Mountain Cleaving Slash was both the first and last sword technique in the book. Mountain Cleaving Slash became Mountain Severing Cut once the swordsman's attainments in sword arts reached their peak.

  Of course, Ying hasn't become the #1 swordsman in the world or anything just because she learned all that she could from the manual. She needed far more fighting experience against other high-level sword styles before she could claim that title. However, there was something else she gained from reaching the end of the Giant Blade Manual. Something she figured out of every angel, only herself and probably Jing have obtained. Weapon Intent.

"You don't know how proud I am, Xiao Ying..." Tears ran down Gou's eyes as he fully unleashed the strength of a 5th stage Qi Transformation Realm cultivator.

  The upper half of his body turned into solid metal! His only hand met Ying's big sword head-on as a knife-hand. With a harsh shriek of clashing metal and burning flying sparks, Gou's knife hand deflected the angle of Ying's sword as she flew past him. Now standing back-to-back, the grandfather and granddaughter duo suddenly burst into laughter together.

"I've done my best, grandfather... I'm here to finally revive the Yue Family's status to even greater heights than before..." Ying began to shed tears as well.

"After seeing you comprehend sword intent, I have no further doubts in your capabilities. That attack of yours could assassinate masters far above your own realm if you caught them unaware."

"Thank you, Grandfather... For everything, you've taught me growing up. I've become the person I am today thanks to your teachings..." Ying got on her knees and bowed toward her grandfather.

"I merely set you on your path. Everything else was your own efforts. Never forget that." Gou crouched down and rubbed Ying's head. "Now get up off that filthy ground and tell me about your experience at the most wicked of the three great sects." He loudly laughed.

"Ah! I have to tell you about all my friends!"

"Friends?" He raised his eyebrow.

"Yeah! We're all in one big group called Heaven's Angels. I guess I should talk about my leader first and then go from there." Ying excitedly chatted as they walked into the fallen Yue Family Estate.

______________________________________________

"Are the rumors true?"

"Absolutely, Master. I've double-checked, triple-checked, and even personally confirmed with several cultivators on their way to Clear Wind City. Several mid-level and low-level sects are arriving for the fighting tournament between noble families. Many suspect this is only a stop to look for potential recruits for their sects as they head to their true destination somewhere in Cursed Gold Valley."

"What could interest those mid-level and low-level sects but not the Great Three in Cursed Gold Valley?"

"Very few cultivators could guess, but from what I could investigate, the most likely situation is that a secret realm formed."

"A secret realm!? And the Three Great Sects aren't interested?!"

"Correct, sir. Not a single person knows why they aren't intervening, but the mid-level and low-level sects decided to take the chance while they could."

"Do you think it could be a trap by the Three Great Sects to wipe out their competition?"

"Fairly unlikely, Master. The only competition the Big Three see is themselves. The other sects are seen as lesser in every way, shape, and form by the Three Great Sects."

"Hmm. Make sure our family gets through the tournament with as few injuries as possible. We need to save strength to send the talented ones into the secret realm for the chance of obtaining treasures that could elevate our family into the strongest noble family in this city."

"Yes, Master. Should I stock up on medicine or directly inform the young masters and misses to avoid injuries during the tournament?"

"Both. It's better to be careful. Since those sects are coming, I'm sure the other families will be going all out to impress them while the others who got the same information we do will also save their strength."

"Understood, Master. Should I go prepare, or is there anything else?"

"Ah, there is something. I heard the Yue Family's only daughter returned."

"The fallen noble family?" The servant was confused about how his master heard about such insignificant news.

"Ha ha, that's right. I can tell by the look on your face that you're wondering how I got ahold of this information." The noble head smirked.

"That's correct, Master."

"They threw a huge celebration for her return. It turns out she's a disciple at the Golden Serpent Sect. Were you aware of this?"

"Vaguely... I assumed she died in the recruitment exam hosted by the Golden Serpent Sect because the atmosphere around the Yue Family Estate was somber for weeks and months."

"Well, she didn't. How do you think we should proceed? Tell our family members not to provoke her or test her and see if she's worth anything?"

"Master, she holds value by simply being a disciple of the Golden Serpent Sect. Regardless if she's strong or not, she could be a very valuable card in helping our family's prodigies get accepted into the sect. Perhaps a marriage proposal would be best."

"You don't know how happy I am to have kept you around, Mucheng. A marriage proposal would be absolutely perfect. A fallen noble family like the Yue Family wouldn't be able to refuse if they wish to return to the status they once had in the noble community. Our family is one of the top noble families in the city. Now the question is, who should we pair with the girl..."

"I would recommend Young Master Nichang."

"You don't think we're overvaluing the girl by matching her with our most gifted youth?"

"I know he's your son, Master, but the girl's value is worth it. Even if he might get upset and act out once it's proposed."

"I understand. I'll talk to the boy personally. You quickly send the marriage proposal along with some gifts before any other family gets any ideas. Then you can prepare for the tournament and secret realm. Feel free to take as much from the treasury as you need."

"Understood, Master. I'll be going now." Mucheng disappeared from his Master's office.

"Soon. Soon, this city will be in the palm of my hands. All these years, scheming, waiting, and maneuvering around. Just a little more, and it'll all be mine..."

  The Yue Family's celebration consisted of only those from the Yue Family. None of the other noble families bothered showing up. No one even sent gifts at the time of the celebration, firmly solidifying the Yue Family's status in the hearts of the other noble families. Ying reassured her family that they would regret not giving them the respect they deserve. Despite falling off in years, the Yue Family has been in Clear Wind City since its origin. Now it was time for all of them to remember that.