Chapter 2229 — The Family Council

Those scattered herb traders, minor clans, and small gangs who went up the mountain to gather herbs all had to pay a hefty commission before they were allowed to set foot on it!

Of course, you could also go up by some unguarded path, but there was only one road up the mountain; everywhere else the jungle grew thick, to say nothing of venomous insects and poisonous plants — you might well run into savage beasts besides. And most of these small herb-gathering clans and gangs were not cultivators at all; even those who were, cut a rather poor figure. Better to spend a little money and buy some peace of mind.

Seeing Young Master Tagan Long and Lazi come stumbling and staggering down the mountain, the Third Protector of the Tagan family, who had been posted there to receive them, hurried forward at once: "Young Master Tagan Long, what has happened? Why such panic?"

"I'm furious, absolutely furious!" Tagan Long began bawling at the top of his lungs. But after two shouts he lowered his voice and said to the Third Protector: "We'll talk when we're back..."

There were others in the vicinity besides the Tagan family's people — retainers of the Lu family and the Shangguan family, and men from the Fire Wolf Gang and the Red Conch as well. So Tagan Long kept up his act of being a brainless fool, hollering and carrying on, letting everyone think him a worthless dandy.

Only, this Third Protector was a core figure of the core family, Tagan Long's own uncle, and naturally knew all about Tagan Long's affairs. He grasped the hint at once, and together with the still-shouting Tagan Long he quickly climbed into the Hummer they had come in, and they roared off back to the Tagan family estate!

In the Tagan family's secret chamber, the family head, the First Protector, the Second Protector, the Third Protector, and Tagan Long — five men in all — sat gathered around a round table.

These five were the core figures of the Tagan family at present!

The head of the Tagan family was Tagan Long's grandfather, Tagan Hao; the Second Protector was Tagan Hao's eldest son, Tagan Sha, who was also Tagan Long's father; and the Third Protector was Tagan Hao's younger son, Tagan Long's uncle, Tagan Mo.

In truth, the "Protectors" of the Tagan family were much like the elders of other clans and sects — it was simply that among the families of Ruileida Town, the title "Protector" was the customary form of address.

The First Protector, however, was not a member of the Tagan family by blood — and yet he was one of its Heaven-rank experts! The Tagan family, of course, had more than just him; Tagan Hao's father was a Heaven-rank expert too, and stronger than the First Protector at that, only he spent his years in seclusion and never came out.

And yet, whether it was Tagan Hao the family head, or the Second and Third Protectors, or Tagan Long, or even Tagan Hao's father, the Tagan Patriarch — all of them took their lead from this First Protector!

Not because the First Protector's strength was overwhelming — his cultivation was only of the early Heaven rank — nor because he was a core member of the Tagan family. Strictly speaking, he counted as no more than a distant relative of the Tagans, and one with no blood tie at all.

But his standing in the Tagan family was extraordinary, for a simple reason: he came from a place of great mystery...

And if the First Protector was the Tagan family's number one figure, then Tagan Long was its number two! For he was the man the First Protector had his eye on!

Tagan Long held nothing back. He recounted everything that had happened on the mountain, exactly as it was, to everyone seated there — and this time Tagan Long had shed his former brainless-dandy manner entirely; he spoke with perfect clarity and order.

When he heard that the hunt for the Fire Lion had failed, the First Protector did not seem to mind much. He waved a hand and said: "Failed, did it? Then it failed. So long as no one was hurt, that is what matters!"

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."

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