bookbashuk Chapter 312 Visit from Various Sects
Chapter 312 Visit from Various Sects
"I never expected my senior brother and junior nephew to keep this from me. It seems they don't trust me," Qi Lan sighed, then looked at Chen Anran and asked, "Do you want me to go with you?"
"I couldn't ask for more. But the bell and the stone..."
Qi Lan put down her teacup, her languidness completely gone. "Don't worry, Lingdang is a smart one, she'll be fine."
Chen Anran said no more, "Then I'll have to trouble Fellow Daoist Qi."
The two left "Miaoxianju" and walked slowly toward the resort's entrance plaza.
Chen Anran and Qi Lan stood side by side, watching the police tape slowly receding from the mountain road in the distance, and the gradually emerging car lights and figures. A dark mass, roughly estimated to be no less than a hundred people, belonging to different factions, dressed in various clothes, yet they vaguely formed a formation, blocking most of the main road leading to the Yunyin Sect.
Chen Anran spotted several familiar figures in the crowd at a glance.
The head of Maoshan, Tianbao, dressed in an apricot-yellow Taoist robe, stood at the front, with Shen Zui beside him. Behind them were seven or eight Maoshan disciples and a well-dressed staff member from the miscellaneous affairs department.
In addition, Chen Anran also saw Han Bailian of the Han family in the lake, Zhang Qingyuan of Longhu Mountain, Feng Wenyuan and Feng Yue of the Feng family, and Jiang Yan of the Jiang family.
Besides these familiar faces, there were also representatives of independent cultivators dressed in various costumes, as well as leaders or elders of other small and medium-sized sects. All sorts of people crowded the entrance plaza of the resort.
Master Tianbao was the first to see Chen Anran and greeted him with a cupped hand from afar: "Young friend Chen, I'm sorry to bother you! There was really a reason for this trip, so I had to come. I hope you will forgive me!" After saying that, he looked at Qi Lan and said, "You've been here for so long, and you didn't even come back to visit."
Qi Lan rolled her eyes and said, "Did I come back to watch you guys play mahjong? Or to go to karaoke with you guys?"
Master Tianbao chuckled twice.
Shen Zui nodded to Chen Anran, then respectfully addressed Qi Lan as "Senior Uncle," and whispered, "Senior Uncle, this time it really was..."
Qi Lan waved her hand, interrupting him, her tone languid: "Alright, let's keep it business as it is. No need to explain to me. Just don't tear down my cat cafe."
Shen Zui breathed a sigh of relief and said repeatedly, "No, no, how could that be?"
At this moment, Feng Wenyuan also approached with Feng Yue. Feng Wenyuan wore his usual gentle smile, first nodding to Chen Anran, then greeting Qi Lan, before speaking, "Young friend Chen, our visit is truly not our wish, but..."
Chen Anran smiled and returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "Senior Feng, you flatter me. Since you have come on official business, Yunyin Sect will naturally cooperate." He glanced at the Feng family members behind Feng Wenyuan, and then at Feng Yue, who always had a sour face.
Jiang Yan also stepped out from the crowd, and grinned when he saw Chen Anran: "Fellow Daoist Chen, our Jiang family is just here to make up the numbers, and also to see our little rascal."
Jiang Yan's words eased the atmosphere somewhat. Chen Anran also smiled and cupped his hands towards Jiang Yan, saying, "Senior Jiang, you flatter me. Brother Jiang Yun is running 'Lingqiaofang' very well at the resort and has helped us a lot. You should rest assured, Senior."
"Don't worry, don't worry!" Jiang Yan laughed heartily, patted Chen Anran on the shoulder, and lowered his voice, "It's my son's good fortune to be able to learn from you. As for today's matter... well, we're just going through the motions. Just keep it in mind and don't take it too seriously."
Han Bailian stepped forward, still with his kind and amiable demeanor, and cupped his hands in a smile, saying, "Young friend Chen, I'm truly sorry to have troubled you this time. As for the sect..." He glanced casually up the mountain, "Is Sect Leader Su alright?"
Chen Anran remained composed, smiling as he returned the greeting: "Thank you for your concern, Patriarch Han. My eldest sister is well and is currently in quiet cultivation in the mountains. You have all come from afar on official business, and the Yunyin Sect will certainly make things convenient for you." He paused, his gaze sweeping over the "acquaintances" before him and the sect with whom he had a good relationship, and said in a calm tone, "Since everyone is here, why don't we move to the international hotel in the resort? There are dedicated conference rooms there, which will allow you to rest for a while before discussing the specific arrangements. Standing here is not the proper way to treat guests, and it is easy to disturb other travelers."
Master Tianbao was the first to chime in: "Young friend Chen has made excellent arrangements! I've been standing here for quite some time, so I'd like to have a cup of tea!"
Shen Zui nodded: "That's excellent, it will also make it easier for us to explain the situation to Fellow Daoist Chen in detail."
Feng Wenyuan naturally had no objection, and Jiang Yan was even more pleased to see this happen.
Chen Anran stepped aside and gestured "please": "Everyone, please follow me."
He led the way, with Qi Lan following half a step behind him at a leisurely pace, her expression returning to its usual languid and indifferent state, as if she were merely accompanying him on a stroll. Tian Bao, Shen Zui, Feng Wenyuan, Jiang Yan, and others followed closely behind, and behind them, representatives from various sects, aristocratic families, and independent cultivators also suppressed their thoughts.
So the large group headed towards the modern international resort hotel in the heart of the resort area.
Along the way, many tourists and staff from the resort looked on curiously, but seeing Chen Anran's calm demeanor and that although the group was quite large, there was no sign of tension, they gradually relaxed.
The conference room on the third floor of the international hotel was spacious and bright, with floor-to-ceiling windows offering views of rolling green hills and the resort's staggered rooftops. Representatives from various factions sat down on either side of the long conference table, their expressions varied, but all had temporarily suppressed their initial aggressive demeanor.
The hotel waiter quickly served tea to everyone, the fragrant aroma rising with the steam. Chen Anran sat in the main seat, while Qi Lan leaned casually to his right, her fingertips lightly tapping the table.
Master Tianbao picked up his teacup, blew on it to cool it, took a sip, and his eyes brightened slightly: "This tea is quite good; it has a refreshing, wild mountain flavor."
"I'm glad you like it, Daoist Tianbao." Chen Anran smiled.
Shen Zui cleared his throat, took out several documents from his briefcase, and said solemnly, "Fellow Daoist Chen, now that we're seated, I'll get straight to the point. Our confirmed intelligence indicates that the Holy Maiden of the Crimson Spirit Sect appeared in a neighboring town half a month ago, and her trail subsequently led towards Cloud Hidden Mountain. She most likely disguised herself and infiltrated the resort's tourists, and perhaps…" He paused, "has a deeper scheme."
The meeting room fell silent, and all eyes turned to Chen Anran.
Chen Anran said calmly, "Shen Ke, is the intelligence accurate? What does that Holy Maiden look like? What are her characteristics? The Crimson Spirit Sect has been silent for a long time, so it's rather strange that they suddenly and accurately targeted my Cloud Hidden Sect."
Shen Zui exchanged a glance with Zhang Qingyuan beside him, and Zhang Qingyuan said, "We understand young friend Chen's concerns. This matter is indeed somewhat sudden. But the source of the information... is reliable. The Holy Maiden's specific appearance is unknown. Some say she looks like a child, while others say she looks like an adult. This still needs to be verified."