"Knock, knock." Two soft pecking sounds came from outside the door.
Mo Tiange stopped cultivating. She swept the door with her divine sense and removed the restriction outside. "Please come in."
The one who pushed the door open was Ye Zhenji's mother, Madam Yan.
Madam Yan brought four maids with her. She smiled before saying anything. "Senior, did I disturb you?"
Mo Tiange had a good impression of this Madam Yan, probably because her maternal love for Ye Zhenji reminded her of her own mother.
"Nothing. Is something the matter, Madam?"
"Oh, it's like this. The guest room is simple and crude, and I'm afraid Senior won't be used to it …" As she spoke, she signaled the maids to put down the things in their hands.
Mo Tiange glanced at them. They were all flashy but impractical things used by rich people, so she shook her head. "Madam, you don't have to be so polite. It's not good for cultivators like us to pay too much attention to external objects.
These things are useless to me, so Madam doesn't need to worry about them. "
"This … Senior is an honored guest of my Ye Clan. I'm afraid I'm not good enough …"
Mo Tiange smiled faintly. "I understand Madam's intention, but these external objects are really unnecessary."
Seeing how determined she was, Madam Yan had no choice but to order all the maids to leave.
However, after hesitating for a moment, Madam Yan still smiled and said, "I have something to tell Senior. I don't know if it's convenient for Senior …"
"Madam, if you have something to say, just say it."
With her permission, Madam Yan ordered the maids to leave first and stayed alone.
"Senior, I shouldn't disturb your cultivation for such a trivial matter, but I'm a mother, so I always want to know more about my son."
Madam Yan paused nervously for a moment before continuing, "You're Zhen 'er's martial uncle, and you've spent a lot of time with Zhen' er in the past ten years. However, I haven't been able to see him for such a long time … Senior, are you willing to tell me about Zhen 'er?
How has he been all these years? Has he suffered any grievances? How is he now … "
Mo Tiange had no reason to refuse such a small request. A mother whose child had been away from her for eleven years was naturally eager to know more about her child.
"Madam, you don't need to worry. Zhenji is doing very well.
He's an advanced inner disciple of a Core Formation cultivator, so he'll be fine. "
"Really?
Does he have friends in the sect?
Were you bullied? "
Mo Tiange chuckled. "His grandmaster is Lord Daoist Jinghe — who would dare to bully him?
Moreover, if you want to bully him, I won't ignore it.
Don't worry, Madam. This child has a gentle personality and is very popular. "
"That's good."
Madam Yan was gratified. "Zhen 'er has been sensible since he was a child. If there is anything wrong, he definitely won't tell us. I was worried about this, so I came to disturb Senior.
Senior, Zhen 'er has already reached the tenth layer of Qi Refining, why did he choose to leave the sect at this time? "
Upon seeing Madam Yan's worried expression, Mo Tiange explained, "I originally wanted to wait until he built his foundation before letting him come back on his own. But Zhenji really missed you guys, so he begged you for a long time.
Coincidentally, I was ordered by my master to leave the mountain, so I sent him here directly. "
"So that's how it is …" Madam Yan's gaze swept over Mo Tiange then she suddenly asked, "Senior, you look so young. May I know how old you are?"
This question was indeed a bit abrupt, so Mo Tiange was startled. Her age wasn't something she couldn't say, so she answered, "I'm thirty-seven years old now."
"Oh?
Senior's age is similar to mine, but you look like a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl. You really make mortals like me envious. "
In fact, Madam Yan's appearance was already quite young. Ye Zhenji happened to be twenty years old, and Madam Yan was his birth mother, so she must be at least thirty-five years old. However, she took good care of herself, so there weren't any wrinkles on her face. She looked like she was in her thirties, which was the age when women were most mature and charming.
Mo Tiange didn't flatter her back. Instead, her sharp gaze swept over Madam Yan's face and she asked faintly, "Madam, what do you mean?"
If she couldn't hear the hidden meaning behind Madam Yan's words, she'd be too slow.
Sure enough, this Madam Yan's intention wasn't that simple.
Being stared at like this, Madam Yan was a bit embarrassed. She stammered, "… It's nothing. Senior's age is similar to mine, but you look about the same age as Zhen 'er, so I really can't tell … You're his elder. Presumably, if I said you're brother and sister, other people would also believe it …"
Mo Tiange suddenly felt like she didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
This Madam Yan was obviously worried that there was some unexplainable relationship between her and Ye Zhenji!
Nevertheless, Mo Tiange's expression didn't change. She just stared straight at Madam Yan.
Madam Yan was only a mortal. Under Mo Tiange's inadvertent spiritual aura pressure, she had no ability to resist at all, causing her to break out in a cold sweat.
She hastily grabbed a handkerchief to wipe her sweat, but she couldn't even lift her hand. With great difficulty, she said, "Senior, if I … if I offended you in any way, please … please forgive me."
Madam Yan recklessly speculated about her relationship with Ye Zhenji. Although she was Ye Zhenji's mother, it still made Madam Yan feel displeased, so she deliberately acted like this. Now that Madam Yan saw that Madam Yan was showing weakness, she withdrew her spiritual aura pressure and said coldly, "For cultivators like us, looks are merely the bones beneath the skin. Madam, you shouldn't say such things in the future."
Madam Yan naturally didn't dare to refute her. She recalled the clan head's instruction to treat this senior well. Her behavior just now might've already offended the other party, so she repeatedly apologized. "Senior, please forgive me for offending you. I'm just an ignorant woman who didn't know about cultivators' taboos and spoke nonsense …"
Mo Tiange interrupted her. "Madam, you're Zhenji's mother, so there are some things you have the right to ask clearly.
If you don't ask clearly, presumably you also won't feel at ease, right?
That being the case, if there's anything you want to say, just say it. "
Madam Yan finally calmed down a bit when she heard no anger in Mo Tiange's tone. Upon seeing Mo Tiange's calm demeanor, Madam Yan couldn't help but feel ashamed. "Senior, please forgive me. I really saw that you and Zhenji have a close relationship, so I was afraid that child would make a mistake.
You're his martial uncle. If … if that child doesn't understand things, wouldn't he implicate you and ruin your clean reputation? "
She spoke politely, but this Madam Yan wasn't someone who didn't understand things.
Mo Tiange softened her tone. "Madam, Ye Clan has been in the secular world for more than twenty years, right?
Have you ever been to Kunwu? "
Madam Yan was startled, but she soon nodded.
When she married into Ye Clan, Ye Clan was already Marquis Changninghou in Wei Country, so she naturally hadn't been to Kunwu.
"It's no wonder you don't know about the cultivation world.
In the cultivation world, there's no such thing as human relationships in the secular world. Everything is determined by cultivation levels.
Regarding Dual Cultivation, seniority and age have nothing to do with other people. No matter who Zhenji likes, it won't affect his future. "
Upon seeing Madam Yan's complexion turn pale, Mo Tiange smiled and continued, "Besides, how can one's age be accurately determined based on one's appearance?
That master of mine is more than eight hundred years old, but he looks like he's only in his thirties. Zhenji's master also looks similar to Zhenji's age. Madam, Zhenji respects me as his master, so how could there be anything embarrassing?
Madam, please don't think too much. Otherwise, if Zhenji finds out, he'll inevitably be sad and embarrassed. "
"…" Madam Yan's face turned green then white, but she couldn't say anything. She was just a mortal woman — how could she know anything about the cultivation world? As a mother, she was just worried about her child.
Mo Tiange's straightforwardness made her feel too ashamed to show her face.
"Alright, I'm going to continue cultivating.
Madam, it's rare for Zhenji to come home, so you'd better spend more time with him. "Mo Tiange straightforwardly sent the guest off then sat cross-legged and closed her eyes, looking as if she didn't want to say anything.
Madam Yan bowed embarrassedly then retreated.
Mo Tiange didn't care too much about this matter. This Madam Yan was a mortal woman, so it was understandable that she didn't understand.
Mortals always thought that when men and women were the same age, even if they had different seniority, something was bound to happen. However, they didn't know that in the cultivation world, judging people by their age was the most ridiculous thing.
Mo Tiange cultivated until the evening. Ye Cheng, the Patriarch of Ye Clan, sent someone to invite her, saying she came from afar and that they were holding a banquet to thank her master in Zhenji's stead.
Mo Tiange thought about it but still went to the banquet.
Before his death, Second Uncle entrusted her to take care of Ye Clan when she had the ability. Now that she came to Ye Clan, doing something within her ability was also something she ought to do.
"Senior, you're finally here. Please sit, please sit." As soon as Mo Tiange arrived at the banquet hall, Ye Cheng enthusiastically welcomed her.
A banquet table was already set up in the hall. Golden cups and silver cups could be seen, and the place was resplendent.
"… Martial Uncle!" Ye Zhenji also came over. Mo Tiange smiled at him.
This was a private banquet, so there weren't many people present. Aside from Ye Cheng, Ye Zhenji, and Ye Zhenji's father, Ye Zhun, there were four other people. All of them were cultivators, but their cultivation levels were only in the first or second layer. Two of them were middle-aged, one was a young man, and one was a teenager.
Ye Cheng introduced them one by one. "Senior, these are my Ye Clan's good-for-nothing juniors — Ye Mou, Ye Yu, Ye Bing, and Ye Dun."
Ye Mou and Ye Yu were the two middle-aged men. Judging from their seniority, they should be in the same generation as Ye Cheng. Ye Bing was the young man. His name was in the same generation as Ye Zhun, but Ye Dun didn't know his seniority.
However, according to Ye Clan's naming convention, Ye Zhenji was an exception. Mo Tiange didn't know whether it was because he was placed high hopes on him since he was a child.
"Junior greets Senior."
All the cultivators of Ye Clan were extremely respectful.
Mo Tiange was impatient with these things, so she said, "We're all cultivators, so we can dispense with these common customs."
Ye Cheng noticed she wasn't happy, so he hastily stopped her and said with a smile, "In that case, we'll do as Senior said. You can all take your seats."
Everyone from Ye Clan took their respective seats. Ye Cheng gave the order to start the banquet, and a maid immediately came forward to open the lids of the bowls. Delicacies from the land and the sea were all extremely luxurious.
Ye Cheng said humbly, "This old man knows Senior has already transcended the mortal world. It's just that we've been in the secular world for a long time, so we can't bring out anything good. Although these foods are from the secular world, they can still be considered delicious …"
Mo Tiange smiled faintly. "Patriarch Ye, you don't have to be so polite."
"Yes, Grandpa Patriarch," Ye Zhenji said. "Martial Uncle won't blame us."
Seeing this, Ye Cheng couldn't help but criticize him. "Child, no one will blame you for being too polite!"
Ye Zhenji wasn't convinced. Just as he was about to say something, Mo Tiange stopped him and said with a smile, "Your Grandpa Patriarch is right. If you want to interact with others, you'd better behave like this.
But there's no need for that today. Patriarch Ye, I watched Zhenji grow up, so I don't treat you as outsiders. You can dispense with these empty formalities. "
Upon hearing the words "I don't treat you as outsiders," Ye Cheng instantly felt comfortable. He smiled and nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes. Since Senior said so, we'll do as you say."
Soon after, everyone persuaded Mo Tiange to drink some wine and began to chat with her.
Ye Clan had left Kunwu for several decades. Now that they suddenly met a Foundation Building senior, they naturally had a lot of things to ask about cultivation.
The teenager called Ye Dun, in particular, still had the temperament of a child, so he wasn't as reserved as the adults. If he had any questions, he just opened his mouth and asked. He was reprimanded by his elders, but after seeing Mo Tiange kindly answering all of their questions, the elders finally let him go.
Gradually, under the control of Ye Dun and Ye Zhenji, the adults also relaxed. This way, the guests and the hosts were both happy.
"By the way, Senior." When they were almost done talking about cultivation, Ye Cheng suddenly said, "There's one thing Junior doesn't quite understand, so I'd like to ask Senior."
"Please ask."
Ye Cheng looked quite hesitant, but in the end, he asked, "I saw that the spirit tool Senior gave Zhen 'er didn't seem to be an ordinary one. May I know where Senior obtained it?"
Mo Tiange was stunned, but she immediately understood what he wanted to ask.
The spirit tool in Ye Zhenji's hand was the Green-Wood Sword, right?
This sword came from Ye Clan, so this Patriarch of Ye Clan had probably seen it before.
She glanced at Ye Zhenji, but Ye Zhenji lightly shook his head, indicating that he didn't say anything.
Mo Tiange smiled and said, "This thing came from a good friend of mine. It's a family heirloom."
"Oh?"
Ye Cheng looked surprised. He asked eagerly, "May I ask Senior, what's your friend's name and where is she now?"
Mo Tiange was slightly surprised. "Her surname is Ye, and her name is Xiaotian. What? Does Patriarch Ye know her?"
Ye Cheng was stunned again. Her surname is Ye, but why is her name Xiaotian?
There's no such person in the clan!
"Then what about your friend's age and cultivation level?"
"… She's about the same age as me, but she's already in the Foundation Building realm."
The more Ye Cheng asked, the more baffled he became. This … doesn't match at all!
He wouldn't be surprised if she said she bought this Green-Wood Sword from somewhere, but she said it was Ye Xiaotian's family heirloom, and she was even a young Foundation Building cultivator.
Mo Tiange seemed to suddenly remember something. "Right, my friend was originally from a cultivation clan. Later, her clan declined and she moved to the secular world. Could it be …"
Ye Cheng's eyes brightened. "That sounds like our clan, but I'm not familiar with this name."
Mo Tiange thought for a moment then said, "She originally had an uncle named Ye Jiang. Do you know him, Patriarch Ye?"
Upon hearing this name, everyone in Ye Clan became excited. They looked at each other and saw surprise and doubt in each other's eyes. In the end, Ye Cheng asked, "Senior, Ye Jiang?
Are you sure that's his name? "
"Of course."
Mo Tiange's heart was clear, but she pretended to be calm. "I remember she said Ye Clan used to be a cultivation clan in Mount Qingmeng. Her father was the most talented cultivator in Ye Clan. Back then, his name shook western Kunwu. He successfully formed his Gold Core when he was only a hundred years old. Patriarch Ye, is this true?"
"Ye Clan's most talented cultivator, successfully formed his Gold Core when he was a hundred years old …" Ye Cheng muttered with a fanatical look in his eyes.
Of course he remembered. When he was born, it was the Ye Family's golden age. That genius cultivator brought honor to the Ye Family that they had never had before. But later …
Ye Zhun took over the conversation. "He was the most outstanding cultivator in Ye Clan. His name was Hai."
"Correct."
Mo Tiange smiled. "That being the case, the clan my friend was talking about was your Ye Clan.
This is really fate. Unfortunately, I haven't seen my friend for a long time. I don't know where she is now, so I can't tell her. "
After all, Ye Cheng was the patriarch. After his excitement, he was now full of doubts. "But … our granduncle didn't leave any descendants …"
"I'm not sure about that."
Mo Tiange simply pushed the matter aside. She wanted to play the role of an outsider, so she naturally couldn't say too much about some things.
Everyone in Ye Clan looked at each other and gradually calmed down.
That's right. That granduncle didn't leave any descendants, so how could there be a cultivator from Ye Clan?
In the end, Ye Cheng said, "Senior, do you know how your friend's uncle is now?
Can you get in touch with him? "
Upon hearing this question, Mo Tiange's eyes flashed with a hint of hidden sorrow. She said faintly, "Her uncle has already passed away."
"What?" Everyone in Ye Clan was startled.
Ye Zhun cried out involuntarily, "How could that be?
That granduncle is only a little over 300 years old, right?
According to the lifespan of a Foundation Building cultivator, he should still be alive. "
"Correct. It's more appropriate to say that her uncle died because of his death."
Mo Tiange's gaze fell on the void with an indifferent expression. "The two of them were being chased by other cultivators. In order to protect her, her uncle was seriously injured, so his lifespan was sharply reduced. That's why he passed away."
After she finished speaking, the hall became silent.
Ye Cheng's expression was gloomy. This kind of thing happened too often in the cultivation world. Individual cultivators without any backing were very likely to encounter this kind of thing.
In other words, the last real cultivator in Ye Clan was also gone?
Then didn't Ye Clan really become a mediocre clan in the secular world?
Even when they were forced to move out of Mount Qingmeng, Ye Cheng didn't have this kind of desolate feeling back then.
He always felt that Ye Clan was different from those so-called cultivation clans in the secular world because they still had a Foundation Building elder who was still alive!
But it was only now that he knew that Foundation Building elder had already passed away …
After thinking for a long time, Ye Cheng finally closed his eyes and sighed.
He was already more than seventy years old. Although as a cultivator, it wouldn't be a problem for him to live to more than a hundred years old, he was, after all, old.
He originally thought that if Zhen 'er was successful and got in touch with that granduncle, Ye Clan would still have a chance to return to Kunwu. But now, even if Zhen' er could build his foundation, how could Ye Clan return to Kunwu without an experienced cultivator?
Besides, it was still unknown whether Zhen 'er could build his foundation or not.
Could it be that Ye Clan would really decline in his hands?
"Senior, is this true?"
"Of course it's true."
Mo Tiange's expression was indifferent. Ye Zhenji was the only one who noticed the sadness under her expressionless face. He gently touched her then called out in a low voice, "… Martial Uncle?"
Mo Tiange shifted her gaze and smiled at him. There was a meaning in her smile that Ye Zhenji couldn't understand.
Ye Cheng muttered, "So, our Ye Clan … can't return to Mount Qingmeng …" He suddenly cheered up. "Senior, that friend of yours … Has he really built his foundation now?
Can you contact him? "
"I can't."
Mo Tiange flatly refused. "Patriarch Ye, my friend promised Uncle that when he forms his Gold Core, she'll give Ye Clan a certain amount of help. However, it's best if Ye Clan doesn't return to Kunwu.
You have to know that enjoying glory and splendor in the secular world is much happier than being weak and living in Kunwu in constant danger. "