Chapter 2255 — They Have Returned?
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
"Our master has already learned of his death by special means," Old Twelve said. "Now tell us—what exactly did the Grand Protector go off to do? Before he left, what did he say, what did he do? You are to recount it to us, word for word, without omitting a single thing!"
Old Twelve had to get to the bottom of how Old Thirteen had died, and why; and whether anything strange had happened here before his death.
"Yes!" Tagan Gao hurriedly invited the two of them to sit in the reception hall. After brewing tea with his own hands, he dared not conceal anything, and began his account from the moment Tagan Long discovered a young fire-lion of the fire attribute and resolved to take it as a contracted spirit beast: "It began like this. The adventurers' guild under our family's control openly recruited adventurers to go and surround and capture the young fire-lion..."
True, this matter sounded as though it had no necessary connection to the Grand Protector's death, but since Tagan Gao had chosen to begin here, there was surely a reason for it. So Old Six and Old Twelve were in no hurry; they sat and listened carefully to Tagan Gao's account.
When they heard how perilous it had been after going up the mountain—how the great fire-lion had appeared and nearly taken Tagan Long's life—Old Twelve could not help but knit his brows: "Tagan Gao, are you aware that Tagan Long's safety is of great importance? Even our master values him highly. How could you let him do something so dangerous? If anything had gone wrong, could your Tagan family bear the consequences?"
"I... I am sorry!" Cold sweat broke out at once on Tagan Gao's forehead. Though he did not understand that place very well, if it could lift his Tagan family from a third-rate clan to the foremost family in Ruileida, then it could likewise reduce the Tagan family to utter worthlessness. So he hastened to explain: "At the time, none of us thought it would be so dangerous, and the timing had all been calculated in advance. Who could have known that Zhang Nai Pao would secretly make trouble, covertly aiding that young fire-lion and delaying us—and so bring about such a consequence..."
"Enough, Old Twelve. Since Tagan Long is unharmed, let us not pursue this matter further. Just be more careful in the future!" Old Six waved his hand and cut Tagan Gao off: "The pressing task now is to determine the cause of Old Thirteen's death..."
"Sixth Brother is right!" Old Twelve nodded, then said to Tagan Gao: "You mean to say that Zhang Nai Pao concealed his true strength, and that his wife bears a striking resemblance to the woman in the photograph—the one we are searching for?"
"Yes!" Tagan Gao nodded. "It was precisely because of this that the Grand Protector, upon hearing these things, insisted on going up the mountain alone..."
"Could it be... that those people really have returned?" Old Twelve cast an inquiring glance at Old Six.
Old Six nodded. "In that case, summon Tagan Long and have him recount the details of that time to us once more, carefully."
"Yes. If the two lords would wait a moment, this old one will go and fetch Tagan Long himself!" Tagan Gao said hurriedly.
With that, Tagan Gao quickly left the residence.
Once only Old Six and Old Twelve remained in the room, Old Twelve spoke: "Sixth Brother, what do you make of this?"
"Your guess is likely correct. It should be that the heirs of that sect have returned. Only, I do not know what connection they have to the two people we seek—are they their descendants, or have those two come in disguise?" Old Six paused, then offered his conjecture.
"Those are the only two possibilities," Old Twelve said. "But one is only a mid-stage Earth-Rank expert, and the other a cultivator who has not even set foot on the Yellow Rank. Without the aid of the great fire-lion, even someone of the Fifth Protector's strength could deal with them at will—how could they possibly stand against Old Thirteen?"