Chapter 25: Threads of a Grand Scheme
"Jin Wuyuan. You still look the same." The Ancestor welcomed his friend with open arms.
Golden Without Limits = Jin Wuyuan.
They hugged each other, but the sight was somewhat strange since the guest who embraced him appeared much younger, seemingly in his twenties.
"Why have you chosen this appearance? For a moment, I did not recognize you," Jin Wuyuan said as he stepped back from the Ancestor.
"Oh, you know the reason. Why do you still ask?" the Ancestor responded with a serious glint in his eyes.
The elders of the Hidden Dragon Sect tensed as the temperature suddenly dropped.
"Are you still not over it? Well, I am the same, but unlike you, I have a granddaughter who considers me her friend." Jin Wuyuan waved his sleeve, unaffected by his friend’s cold and indifferent tone. Instead, he introduced his granddaughter to everyone.
Jin Meiyu stepped out of the grand carriage, her presence akin to a moonlit breeze—serene yet commanding. Dressed in flowing silver-blue robes woven from silk, she appeared untouched by the dust of the mortal world. A golden sash cinched her waist, while a single phoenix hairpin adorned her midnight-black hair. Her jade-like skin and deep, unreadable eyes exuded an air of quiet majesty. She wore a veil that covered half her face, leaving others to only imagine her true appearance.
Golden Beauty & Jade = Jin Meiyu.
As she moved forward, the very air seemed to ripple—her restrained aura was enough to make even seasoned cultivators tense. With a slight nod, she acknowledged the elders—neither humble nor arrogant.
"I greet the Ancestor and Sect Master of the Hidden Dragon Sect," Jin Meiyu said, addressing the highest powers of the sect without even sparing a glance at the others.
Jin Meiyu bore a striking resemblance to her grandfather, Jin Wuyuan.
"So, why are you here, in the middle of nowhere? It couldn't be that you missed me, right?" The Ancestor nodded at Jin Meiyu before turning to Jin Wuyuan, prompting him to state his purpose for visiting. The guards of the Jin Family bristled at the casual tone with which a mere Ancestor from a secluded sect addressed their Patriarch. Even the Emperor would not dare to speak so lightly to him.
Middle of nowhere?!
The elders were stunned. The Sect Master fared slightly better, but his heart bled at the remark—he took great pride in declaring that the Hidden Dragon Sect was the best in the entire region.
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"I wish to enroll my granddaughter in your sect," Jin Wuyuan declared.
The moment these words left his lips, shock rippled through both the elders of the Hidden Dragon Sect and the members of the Jin Family.
"Patriarch, what are you saying?! How could the Miss stay in this countryside sect that isn't even worthy of being called first-rate?"
Jin Wuyuan cast a single glance at the commander of the Jin Family army, who had accompanied him. That one look was enough to silence any further objections.
He did not punish the commander. The man was his most trusted aide, and publicly reprimanding him in front of his subordinates would only breed resentment in his heart.
"Jin Meiyu, what do you say?"
"If Grandfather believes this is best for me, I have no objections." Though surprised and confused, Jin Meiyu did not question her grandfather’s decision. She knew he was only looking out for a future that she herself could not yet see.
"I have an objection," the Ancestor said, raising his hand.
"Let’s go inside first," the Sect Master interjected.
"Alright." The Ancestor walked into the Sect Master's hall. The elders hesitated briefly, unsure of what to do, but a quick signal from the Sect Master instructed them to form a straight line with an empty path in the center for the guests to walk through first.
"That arrogant prick." Jin Wuyuan twitched his mouth and followed behind his friend.
Jin Meiyu simply smiled beneath her veil. Though her mouth was hidden, the subtle movement of her eyes revealed her happiness. Her grandfather had never been this relaxed in front of anyone. Many might believe he was offended, but only she and the commander of the Jin Family Army knew the truth—he was genuinely pleased.
They were the closest people to Jin Wuyuan.
...
"Now, tell me. Why do you object? If it is a matter of material things, I have brought an entire cart filled with treasures."
The guests had seated themselves in a designated hall for visitors. All guards remained outside, as did the Hidden Dragon Sect elders. Only the Ancestor, Sect Master, Jin Wuyuan, and Jin Meiyu were inside, seated around a round table.
Jin Wuyuan spoke in an irritated tone.
"The entrance ceremony is already over." The Ancestor offered a logical and reasonable excuse.
"You know how far my place is—"
"No means no."
Jin Wuyuan pressed on like a child pleading with a parent.
Seeing that his friend remained unmoved, Jin Wuyuan shifted his attention to the silent Sect Master. "I’ll ask you. What do you say?"
The Sect Master glanced at Jin Wuyuan, then at the Ancestor, unsure of what to do.
"Well… if she can pass the talent stone test, then..." Under pressure, he closed his eyes and spoke the first thing that came to mind.
"Yes!" Jin Wuyuan cheered in excitement.
The Ancestor shot a final glance at the Sect Master before walking away. "Looks like our Sect Master has grown bold enough to make decisions about the future of the sect on his own."
Slide—
The Ancestor opened the sliding door and left, like a child sulking after their parents did something unexpected.
"Leave him be. I’ll lift his mood again. He hasn’t changed a bit—still getting emotional over little things."
[Take them to the test site.]
The Ancestor’s voice rang in the Sect Master’s mind, but he did not betray his anxiety through his expression.
Jin Meiyu sensed that something was off. Although everything was proceeding according to her grandfather’s plan, her instincts told her that the Ancestor and the Sect Master were merely putting on an act.
And she was right.
But there was one more person involved in this play—her grandfather himself.