Chapter 2229 — The Family Council
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
Outwardly the First Protector showed little reaction, but inwardly he breathed a sigh of relief. Had he known the danger beforehand, he would never have let Tagan Long go risk himself capturing a spirit beast! If not for the fact that the Fire Lion was keenly sensitive to his aura and would have been alerted by his presence, the First Protector would certainly have accompanied Tagan Long up the mountain himself.
"So, as you tell it, it was this man called Zhang Naipao who ruined everything from within. This person bears looking into — what his background is, and what he has come here to do!" The First Protector said little about the failure to capture the Fire Lion, and turned his attention to Wei Zhao instead.
"Oh, yes — there is one more important matter I must report to the First Protector!" Tagan Long suddenly remembered Sun Jingyan, and said so at once, his expression turning grave.
"Oh? What matter?" the First Protector asked.
"The First Protector once showed us two photographs, and had us search high and low for those two people..." Tagan Long said.
"Oh? That's right..." The First Protector nodded. He had indeed produced two photographs once and set the Tagan family to searching for them; in the end nothing had come of it, and the matter had quietly faded — he had not expected Tagan Long to bring it up again.
"First Protector, the woman in those photographs was a beauty, so my memory of her is very good. The woman at Zhang Naipao's side looks remarkably like her!" Tagan Long said. "So I kept trying to get close to her, meaning to lure her back for you to examine. Then, after the clash broke out, I thought to seize her by force — only the Great Fire Lion ruined it in the end..."
"What! Are you certain? The woman at Zhang Naipao's side is the woman from the photographs?" A strange light flashed through the First Protector's eyes, and he pressed him eagerly.
"It should be her, I can't be wrong... but photographs are dead things and people are living; it is only a strong resemblance. As for being a hundred percent certain, I would not dare swear to it." Tagan Long thought it over, then said.
"That woman — how old is she?" the First Protector asked.
"Twenty or so, I'd say. She can't be old!" Tagan Long said.
"Twenty or so? Are you sure?" Hearing this, the First Protector seemed perplexed again.
"That's how it must be. She and Zhang Naipao both look very young — both around twenty, I'd say." Tagan Long thought again, then answered with certainty.
"That can't be right..." The First Protector shook his head. "If it is that person, she would be at least forty-odd by now, close to fifty. How could she be in her twenties?"
"Ah? Forty or fifty? That's absolutely impossible — unless she's taken some elixir to restore her youth. Otherwise, my eyes are not so old and dim yet." Tagan Long was quite certain about Sun Jingyan's age.
"Restore her youth..." The First Protector shook his head, then asked again: "That man called Zhang Naipao — what does he look like? How does he compare with the man in the photograph?"
"Zhang Naipao and the man in the photograph are quite different — the gap is rather large..." Tagan Long shook his head. "At least, I don't think they are the same person."