Chương 152: A Debt of Bones

Before long, over a dozen figures had gathered in the Yun family's guest pavilion. At the head stood a tall, commanding man in flowing white robes. His features were sharp and noble, his bearing every inch the clan patriarch. A flicker of emotion crossed his face, excitement tinged with something deeper. This was Yun Zhaoxi, leader of the Yun family and elder brother to Yun Chaoge. The bond between the two brothers had always been unbreakable.

When Yun Chaoge had vanished without a trace all those years ago, the Yun family had turned Ganyang Prefecture upside down. They'd even searched the surrounding prefectures. But it was as if he had simply ceased to exist. The battle that had claimed him involved a pair of Azure Glow Spirit Rhinos, anomalous beasts that had appeared with uncanny timing. Almost as if someone had leaked Yun Chaoge's location to his enemies. To make matters worse, no Tier 3 had been stationed at that particular site.

With two Purple Mansion Spirit Rhinos bearing down on him, one of them at the mid stage, a Tier 2 cultivator like Yun Chaoge never stood a chance. He had been a genius, yes. But even geniuses had their limits. Not everyone could be like Huaijin, whose monstrous combat ability allowed him to challenge a Tier 3 cultivator fresh off his breakthrough to the late stage. Behind Yun Zhaoxi stood a dozen relatives, men and women, young and old, all of them bound by blood to Yun Chaoge.

Every pair of eyes was fixed on Huaijin. Huaijin rose calmly to his feet.

"I am Zhang Huaijin. Greetings, Senior." He inclined his head in a formal bow. The other party was a Tier 3 cultivator, after all. Propriety demanded nothing less.

"Brother Huaijin, you're far too modest!" Yun Zhaoxi's smile was warm.

"The Tiger of Langya, even here in Ganyang, your name echoes like thunder." He meant every word. Huaijin's achievements had blazed across the cultivation world like wildfire. Most of the major powers across the Bing Province had already heard of the monstrous talent that had emerged from the Qingtai Prefecture.

"Senior, you flatter me. They are empty titles and idle gossip, nothing more." Huaijin felt a quiet surge of relief. If he had come to the Yun family fresh off his Foundation Establishment breakthrough, he would never have received such a reception. But now, with his reputation and power, he stood among the strongest cultivators below the Purple Mansion level, even here in Ganyang. Even Tier 3 cultivators would think twice before dismissing him.

The Yun family members behind Yun Zhaoxi exchanged glances of quiet astonishment. The Tiger of Langya's battle record was the stuff of legend, and they couldn't help but feel a pang of envy.

"Brother Huaijin, I won't waste words. How did you come by Chaoge's remains?" Yun Zhaoxi's voice softened as he cut to the heart of the matter. Huaijin produced Yun Chaoge's skeletal remains with due reverence, recounting his discovery in concise, measured terms. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Yun Zhaoxi's expression remained composed, but something flickered deep in his eyes, a silent sigh. Chaoge had been hunted across such a vast distance…

only to perish alone in a foreign land, his life force quietly extinguished. The Yun family had investigated Qingtai Prefecture back then, but found nothing. Eventually, the trail had gone cold. Now, as they gazed upon the tattered black robe and the skeletal remains where flesh had long since rotted away, grief washed over the assembled relatives. Tears slipped silently down more than a few cheeks. Yun Zhaoxi gestured for his clansmen to reverently collect Yun Chaoge's remains, then turned back to Huaijin.

"Brother Huaijin, I am in your debt. Please, stay at the clan estate for a time, I must properly express my gratitude." He reined in his emotions with visible effort, his invitation genuine. But Huaijin shook his head.

"Thank you for your kindness, Senior. But Elder Chaoge's final wish was to be returned home. Now that I've fulfilled that duty, I won't impose on your hospitality. Your priority should be laying Elder Chaoge to rest in the ancestral grounds and giving his soul peace." The refusal was polite but firm. Yun Zhaoxi, seasoned patriarch that he was, saw through Huaijin's caution immediately. He didn't call attention to it, instead, he felt a flicker of approval.

Only a man who walked with such care could hope to travel far.

"Very well! But Brother Huaijin, you can't simply leave like this. If word spread that you came and went without proper hospitality, people would say the Yun family has forgotten its manners." He gestured behind him.

"Nanzhi, Pinyu, come here." Two figures stepped forward from the crowd. The first, clad in flowing purple robes, moved with elegant grace. A gentle smile played at her lips. Her eyes sparkled like scattered stars, her skin was smooth as porcelain, and her cheeks bore a soft, rosy flush, like a ripe peach, inviting and warm. There was a refined tenderness in her gaze, the very embodiment of a noble lady. The second wore simple green robes.

Her beauty was more striking, an androgynous sort of handsomeness, with sharp brows and a spirited vitality that radiated energy. Yun Zhaoxi addressed them: "This is our honored guest. The two of you will attend to him properly. I'll take your uncle Chaoge's remains to be interred in the ancestral grounds." He turned back to Huaijin.

"Brother Huaijin, we'll follow your advice. I'll see to Chaoge's burial now. Please forgive any shortcomings in our hospitality."

"This is my daughter, Yun Pinyu, and my niece, Ning Nanzhi. They'll keep you company." Before Huaijin could refuse, Yun Zhaoxi swept away with his clansmen in tow. The pavilion fell quiet. Only Huaijin and the two young women remained. A faint, wry smile tugged at the corner of Huaijin's mouth.

'Is Yun Zhaoxi playing matchmaker?' He studied the two women with a private, bemused appreciation. There was no denying it, both were breathtaking beauties, the cream of the crop. Ning Nanzhi, in particular, was even more striking than Yun Pinyu. And her demeanor, gentle and reserved, appealed to him more as well. Ning Nanzhi is Yun Zhaoxi's niece, which means Yun Chaoge was her uncle too. The family ties run deep.

"The Tiger of Langya, now that's a name with some bite to it!" Yun Pinyu was the first to break the silence, her tone as blunt as her nature.

"But you're way too cautious, you know that? It's not like my family's estate is some den of dragons and tigers. Why won't you even set foot inside?" Most people would have been too polite to point it out. Pinyu had no such filter. Huaijin didn't take offense. He simply smiled.

"Not at all. I simply didn't wish to trouble your family." He settled back into his seat, his gaze drifting toward Ning Nanzhi. Yun Pinyu's cultivation was nothing to sneeze at, she'd reached the fifth level of Tier 2, firmly in the mid stage. But Ning Nanzhi was on a completely different level. If Huaijin's senses were accurate, she had already reached the late Foundation Establishment stage, the seventh level, the very same as his own.

And to reach that height in under a century marked her as a prodigy among prodigies.

"Hey! You're being rude, you know!" Yun Pinyu planted her hands on her hips.

"I'm talking to you, and you keep staring at Nanzhi. What, have you taken a shine to her or something?" The words hung in the air like a thunderclap. The pavilion went dead silent. Ning Nanzhi's cheeks flamed scarlet, the blush spreading all the way down to her neck.

"Pinyu! What are you even saying?!" Her voice, soft and melodic even in protest, cut through the stillness like a clear stream.