Chapter 149: Grand Elder's move (2)
The swan didn't come too close to the city but hovered above it. A figure emerged from the swan, leaping towards the Ye clan manor before slowly descending in front of the watchful crowd.
Everyone greeted him with a bow, and the Holy Son stepped forward to welcome the Holy Swan Lord Zin Magha. "Holy Lord, I was waiting for you," he bowed and greeted him.
Zin Magha, the Holy Swan Lord, stepped onto the ground, his presence commanding respect and awe. His eyes, ancient and wise, scanned the crowd, eventually settling on the Ye mu and Ye Yang. A flicker of interest passed through his eyes as he recognized the potential in the young boy.
"Ye Mu," he called her. She bowed and greeted him, "Master."
He mused, his voice carrying a subtle weight, "You have already received the reason why I'm here, but I'll still ask, will you accept me as your master?"
Ye Mu looked at her brother, Ye Yang, who nodded and pushed her forward. Ye Mu nodded and bowed again, "I accept, Master," she spoke. The Holy Swan Lord laughed, "Ha-ha, good, my disciple. Then say your goodbye to your family; then we are heading back to the sect."
"This soon!" Ye Yang exclaimed a bit loudly, which was heard by the Holy Swan Lord, who looked at Ye Yang and asked, "You?"
Ye Mu introduced her family to her master, "Master, this is my big brother, Ye Yang."
The Holy Swan Lord nodded, "Good seed." Hearing this, the clan members were surprised to hear the Holy Swan Lord praise the good-for-nothing fourth young master.
"Oh, I have another big brother," she introduced Ye Nian to him. The Holy Swan Lord again nodded, "Good seed." Then the crowd thought that he was either saying this to everyone or had simply made a mistake in the case of Ye Yang, the good-for-nothing fourth young master.
Then she introduced her mother, "This is my mother, and this is my half-mother."
Yu Mei and Shi Lian bowed and greeted the Holy Swan Lord, who nodded. Then Ye Mu introduced the Grand Elder Ye Tianxing, First Elder Eva Angel, Second Elder, Sect Leader Ye Wanshu, and other clan members.
Sect Leader Ye Wanshu bowed, "I welcome you to our small clan, Holy Swan Lord." The Holy Swan Lord didn't speak much and simply nodded.
Then he asked, "Disciple, you have a sister, right? Where is she and your father?"
Ye Mu nodded, "Yes, Master, but unfortunately, they are both in closed-door cultivation, even before we received the news of your arrival."
The Holy Swan Lord nodded in understanding. Then, the Grand Elder Ye Tianxing came forward, "Holy Lord, if I may, I want you to look at some prodigies of our clan and see if they can join the Holy Fairy Sect." He bowed and waited for the Holy Swan Lord Zin Magha's answer.
The Holy Lord pondered and nodded, "Who might that be? If there is truly a prodigy in this clan, except for my disciple, then I'll take them with me. But remember, they should be equally or more talented than my disciple Ye Mu, and they should be young like her, not more than 20 years of age."
Everyone was shocked by his words. So, if there really was a talented prodigy in the clan, they could join the Holy Fairy Sect. All eyes turned to a single individual: Ye Nian.
The Grand Elder looked at Shi Lian with mysterious eyes and then at Ye Nian. Ye Nian understood the signal and came forward, bowing, "Greetings, Holy Swan Lord."
Holy Swan Lord looked at Ye Nian, his eyes piercing through the young boy. He saw potential, a spark of talent, but it was raw and unrefined. A frown creased his brow, a sign of disappointment.
"He is talented, but his foundation is weak," he stated, his voice carrying a note of disapproval. "He needs more time to mature."
The Grand Elder's face fell, but he quickly recovered. "Perhaps, with proper guidance, he can reach his full potential."
The Holy Swan Lord merely nodded, his gaze shifting to Ye Yang and a few other young children of the clan. The opportunity had presented itself, but the timing was not right. Ye Nian, though promising, was not ready to join the Holy Fairy Sect.
Shi Lian breathed a sigh of relief. Her son had been spared the immediate scrutiny of the Holy Swan Lord. However, she also felt bad for her son, who was eager to join the Holy Sect. She knew that the Grand Elder would not give up easily. His plans for her were far from over.
But then the Holy Son spoke, "Holy Lord, didn't the Holy Mountain Lord be looking for a disciple who could comprehend the divine words and accept his mantle? Why not let him take to the Holy Mountain Lord and see if he can do that or not?"
The Holy Lord thought for a moment and then took out a jade slip from his space ring. He injected his Qi into it, and a few seconds later, the jade slip hovered in the air above Ye Nian.
The jade slip hovered above Ye Nian for more than a minute and then dissipated in the air. Holy Swan Lord Zin Magha spoke, "Indeed, what you said is true. Among all the disciples, he was the only one who had the jade slip hover above him for more than a minute. The old man will definitely be happy when I take this disciple to him."
The Grand Elder's eyes widened in surprise. He had not expected this turn of events. His plan to send Ye Nian away had been foiled, but a new opportunity had arisen. With Ye Nian gone, he could more easily manipulate the situation to his advantage, pursuing his desires for Shi Lian and his fiancée.
Shi Lian, on the other hand, was overwhelmed with a mix of joy and fear. Her son was going to join the Holy Fairy Sect, one of the most powerful sects in the world. But deep down, she knew that once he was gone, she would be left vulnerable, a mere plaything for the Grand Elder's twisted desires and a vessel for his seed.