Was Nalan Jia's position really as secure as it seems?

Clearly not!

Nalan Jia wasn't the sole lady on Ye Guan's side; there was also Ao Qianqian from the Ancient Heavenly Dragon Clan, who had been fighting alongside Ye Guan for a long time now. There were also those two ladies from the True Universe.

To make matters worse, the Ancient Heavenly Dragon Clan and the True Universe were far stronger than the Nalan Clan.

The primary reason Nalan Jia became the Pavilion Master of the Immortal Treasures Pavilion as well as one of the controllers of the Guanxuan Academy was the fact that she was Ye Guan's first wife.

They were also solemnized in the presence of Ye Guan’s parents.

However, if Nalan Jia were to falter, would the Guanxuan Academy and the Immortal Treasure Pavilion stay under her leadership?

A sense of crisis washed over the Nalan Clan. After all, the fate of the Nalan Clan relied solely on Nalan Jia.

If her status were to waver, so too would the standing of the entire clan.

A Nalan Clan elder broke the silence, sounding solemn as he said, "Those damned Nalan Ling and Nalan Gu; they are simply immoral!"

The other elders echoed his sentiment.

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

The current situation called for unwavering support to safeguard Nalan Jia's position in the Guanxuan Universe. Nalan Jia couldn't afford any missteps that could tarnish her image or undermine her authority, and she couldn't have a liability.

Nalan Jia glanced at the rest of the Nalan Clan members and nodded subtly. In truth, she wasn't overly attached to her position, but she understood that if she did not take drastic action, the clan would continue to become complacent.

A sense of urgency would make them take things seriously, and they'd also rally to her aid. After all, they were her kin. Of course, she couldn't bear to see them suffer as well.

Nalan Ming said, "Little Jia, we've been blind to these issues in the past... Rest assured, from this day forward, the Nalan Clan will never allow another like Nalan Ling to tarnish our name."

The elders nodded in agreement.

Nalan Jia extended her hand, and several dozen storage rings floated before them.

The sight left the onlookers first stunned, and then they were elated. The storage rings contained strands of Ancestral Origins, which was the most powerful form of spiritual energy known to them.

The rings also contained divine artifacts and rare cultivation techniques.

Sweeping her gaze across the crowd, Nalan Jia said, "For the Nalan Cla to thrive, I will need the support of everyone. Still, the journey won't be that easy. The road ahead of us is long and arduous."

The elders' emotions were complex; they understood that Nalan Jia cared deeply about her clan.

They couldn't help but wish they could beat up Nalan Ling and Nalan Gu. It was unforgivable of them to tarnish Nalan Jia’s name.

Exile from the Nalan Clan seemed too lenient a punishment.

As Nalan Ming gazed at Nalan Jia before him, a myriad of emotions swirled within. Little Jia was getting better and better at handling such affairs. Surviving in the Guanxuan Academy wasn't merely about skill. Without a degree of cunningness, one could easily fall prey to those below.

Nalan Ming knew that his daughter probably disliked politics, but he also understood that there was no turning back now.

After all, Ye Guan needed a capable partner.

And the Nalan Clan's was relying heavily on Nalan Jia...

A sense of urgency gripped the Nalan Clan like never before. They couldn't wait to go home and discipline the youngsters.

In their eyes, stabilizing Nalan Jia's position in the Guanxuan Universe took precedence over anything else.

Just then, an elder entered the hall. He bowed respectfully to Nalan Jia and said, "Pavillion Master. Li Shan, the Clan Leader of the Li Clan, requests an audience."

Nalan Jia looked at the elder and smiled. "Uncle, you should just call me Little Jia. After all, you watched me grow up."

The elder hesitated. "That's..."

"I'm not a fan of formalities at home. Let's keep things as they were back then."

The elder glanced at Nalan Ming, who nodded slightly.

The elder then smiled and said, "Little Jia."

"Tell Clan Leader Li to come in."

The elder nodded, "Of course!" and retreated.

Soon, led by the elder, Li Shan entered the hall, carrying a box in his hands. As soon as he entered, he knelt down and trembled, "Greetings, Pavillion Master."

"Clan Leader Li, please rise."

Li Shan shook his head frantically, "My Li Clan has committed a grave offense against Pavillion Master. I..."

Li Shan placed the box on the ground and opened it, revealing Li Qing's bloody head inside.

Trembling, Li Shan muttered, "I've already executed my son..."

Nalan Jia glanced casually at the head before saying, "Then, let's put this matter to rest. Clan Leader Li, you may leave."

Li Shan felt a wave of relief washing over him, and he kowtowed several times, saying, "Thank you, Pavillion Master! Thank you for your mercy..."

Li Shan was afraid that Nalan Jia would blame the entire Li Clan. The Nalan Clan was strong enough to make the Li Clan disappear with just a mere glance, so Li Shan was truly terrified.

At Li Shan's departure, a Nalan Clan elder hesitated briefly before asking, "Should we investigate the Li Clan?"

Nalan Jia shook her head and said, "It is alright."

She knew that nobody was perfect, and the Li Clan was not an exception to that rule. Investigating them wouldn't do much good. Nalan Jia also understood that the issues between the Li Clan and the Nalan Family didn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. The Xiaoguan Universe's situation was a hundred—no, a thousand times worse.

Moreover, Qin Guan had left her with an advise,

"Take it slow, don't rush."

Indeed, there's no need to rush!

The Yang Clan couldn't change the entire universe overnight. They had to take things one step at a time, as the road ahead was long and arduous.

Nalan Jia collected her thoughts and said, "Get ready. I'll visit the Ye Clan tomorrow."

Although the Ye Clan wasn't related to Ye Guan by blood, Ye Guan had always regarded them as family.

Nalan Jia had finally returned after a long time, so it was only right for her to pay her respects.

***

When Ye Guan arrived at the Ye Clan, he discovered that the members of the Ye Clan were already waiting for him at the gate.

Ye Guan was stunned by the sigh, as he hadn't said that he was going back to the Ye Clan today.

The Ye Clan members were thrilled to see Ye Guan; some of them even waved their arms and were already shouting, "Brother Ye Guan!"

The younger generation of the Ye Clan was still addressing him as "Brother Ye Guan," which brought a smile to his face. Back when he was still the heir of the Ye Clan, the younger generation of the Ye Clan addressed him that way, too.

Ye Guan walked up to the crowd and smiled at Ye Xiao. "Clan Leader.”

Ye Xiao smiled lightly and said, "It's good to see that you're back. Come, let's go inside and talk."

Ye Guan nodded.

In the main hall, Ye Guan and Ye Xiao sat side by side; a group of Ye Clan elders stood around them.

"It's been a long time since I've seen you all."

The Ye Clan elders smiled at Ye Guan's words.

He's still the same old Little Guan.

Ye Guan turned to Ye Xiao and smiled, asking, "Clan Leader, how is the Ye Clan these days?"

"Everything's fine."

Thanks to Ye Guan, the Ye Clan had always been a priority for the Guanxuan Academy, and as a result, the Ye Clan had been developing rapidly.

Although they still couldn't compare to some of the top clans in the Guanxuan Universe, everyone knew that the Ye Clan would become a superpower in the future.

After all, the Ye Clan didn't just have Ye Guan; they also had Ye Qing.

Ye Qing was also a remarkable talent.

Ye Guan opened his palm, and dozens of storage rings floated slowly toward the elders present.

The elders were overjoyed to see that the storage rings contained strands of Ancestral Origins, but they dared not accept them outright. Instead, they looked at Ye Xiao.

Ye Xiao smiled faintly at them and said, "Since they're from Little Guan, you may accept them."

With that, the elders graciously accepted the rings.

Among the major clans under Ye Guan's care, the Ye Clan was the most low-key. The reputation of the Ye Clan members outside was also the best, and it was all because of Ye Xiao's painstaking efforts.

Ye Xiao had started curbing the attitude of his clan members as soon as Ye Guan's identity was exposed. He knew very well that the Ye Clan was just a small clan.

If they didn't rein in their behavior and keep a low profile, they'd eventually be annihilated. A great example of that was the An Clan.

Just then, Ye Guan asked, "Clan Leader, where is Ye Qing?"

"He sent us a letter, saying that he's cultivating with the Great Daoist Brush Master."

"The Great Daoist Brush Master?" Ye Guan was taken aback.

"Yes."

Ye Guan fell silent. He hadn't seen the Great Daoist Brush Master for a long time now, and he actually went to look for Ye Qing, who was his little brother.

What is he up to?

There was no way the Great Daoist Brush Master would harm Ye Qing; Ye Guan was simply curious about what they were doing.

"You should rest first. Tomorrow morning, you should meet the youngsters of our clan. Upon hearing about your return, some of them dropped whatever they were doing to come back home as soon as possible," said Ye Xiao.

"Alright," Ye Guan replied and left.

An elder hurriedly said, "Little Guan, let me take you—"

Ye Guan laughed. "Second Elder, this is my home. I know the way even with my eyes closed."

The Second Elder and the other Ye Clan elders burst out into laughter.

Once Ye Guan was no longer in sight, the Second Elder sighed and said, "Our Ye Clan really is thriving, and it's all thanks to Little Guan and Little Qing."

The Ye Clan had become an untouchable clan like the Nalan Clan, even though they couldn't compare to the top clans in overall strength.

Just then, an elder said, "We owe this Clan Leader’s wisdom and foresight at the time. If Clan Leader were a bit more forceful and ruthless at the time, would we enjoy our position today?"

The other elders nodded in agreement.

When Ye Guan's cultivation base had inexplicably disappeared, many elders were clamoring to have him removed from his position as heir apparent.

If it weren't for Ye Xiao's strong opposition, would the Ye Clan have the glory it had today?

Ye Xiao shook his head slightly and said, "You have nothing to be ashamed of so long as you act with integrity."

***

Ye Guan soon found his way to his courtyard. The courtyard was clean, which meant that it was regularly maintained.

It feels like old times...

Ye Guan sat on the stone steps and looked up at the stars, smiling. "Master Pagoda, it all started here."