Chapter Seventeen: The Protagonist?

After settling Bull and the other Dao soldiers, Yang Xuan followed Zhou Sheng to the gates of the Zhou Family Fortress. What came into view was a castle built entirely from silvery-white iron, shining with a cold metallic luster.

Yang Xuan’s eyes lit up at the sight; this was perhaps the most extravagant residence he had ever seen.

Of course, he had not seen many mansions in this world yet.

But, judging from the memories in his mind, the Zhou Family Fortress was indeed the most lavish and impregnable among the great families in the surrounding area.

“Turtle Clan!”—that was the private nickname the other local families had given the Zhous.

The Zhou family was among the first to establish themselves in Fuyou County, at the very time when the Tianxuan Sect was expanding its influence there.

Back then, Fuyou County was far from the secure place it was now. Demons and monsters weren’t everywhere, but they were numerous enough, and it was common for the territories of these families to be raided by the demon races or even gods.

It was said that, because the Zhou family’s estate was on the open plains, they nearly met their end at the hands of the demon race.

Having survived that brush with annihilation, the Zhou family became especially zealous in fortifying their fortress.

Over the years, not only did they strengthen their defensive formations, but they also constantly upgraded the materials used in their buildings, replacing them with ever rarer ores and stones.

Eventually, the Zhous even spent a fortune importing this very silver-iron from the Northern Sword Sect—an ore that could be blended into magical tools to enhance their hardness—to construct their castle.

To put it plainly—

If Yang Xuan’s Fireball Spell hadn’t reached the threshold of mastery, merely using the lesser version, and without the help of formation reinforcement, it would take him an entire day to break through the walls.

And just the silver-iron used for this castle must have cost at least ten thousand spirit stones.

Truly, a family that had endured for centuries in this land—one could only say that their extravagance was something Yellow Maple Mountain could never hope to match.

Upon entering the castle, his field of vision instantly broadened.

Beyond the main gates lay an extraordinarily spacious martial training ground.

At that moment, aside from the Dao soldiers practicing martial arts, there were also many cultivators training in spells.

A rough count told Yang Xuan that there were at least twenty cultivators present.

Though all were merely Qi Condensation cultivators, this number was enough to make Yang Xuan feel a stab of envy.

So this was the strength of foundation—a heritage built over centuries, one that Yellow Maple Mountain, barely a few decades old, could not possibly compare to.

“Yang Li, you’ve returned to Yellow Maple Mountain?”

A surprised voice rang out. Instantly, Yang Xuan’s good mood evaporated, and he looked helplessly at the speaker.

“Young lady, I’m Yang Xuan! Yang Li is my elder brother.”

This was what frustrated Yang Xuan the most—he and Yang Li looked too much alike.

When they were young, they could have been carved from the same mold. And since Yang Li had started working at an early age, people often confused them.

As they grew older, their features gradually diverged, and it had been years since anyone had mistaken him for his brother.

But, to his surprise, it happened again today.

He had no idea how his elder brother came to know a young lady of the Zhou family, but even if he did know, Yang Li would never tell.

After all, his brother had left quite a few romantic entanglements across Fuyou County, and on several occasions, women had come to their door seeking him out.

If their father, Yang Huaiyun, ever learned he dared provoke a Zhou family daughter, he would probably break his legs.

After all, it was one thing to mess with a loose cultivator, but daughters of the great families were not so easily trifled with. If one was earnest, it was fine; but if he abandoned her, the Zhous might well muster an army for vengeance.

Yellow Maple Mountain’s tiny force was no match for the mighty Zhou family.

“Oh! So you’re not Yang Li. Do you know when your brother will return to Yellow Maple Mountain? He borrowed a batch of spirit stones from me and hasn’t paid me back!”

The Zhou young lady, who had rushed over in a great hurry, scrutinized Yang Xuan after his explanation. Once she was sure he wasn’t Yang Li, she spoke.

Yang Xuan’s mouth twitched. He believed her words.

This was just like Yang Li—not only seducing women but cheating them of money as well.

Those who had come to their mountain before were also there to collect spirit stone debts.

“He’s at Fallen Phoenix Pass right now; I’m not sure when he’ll return, but it probably won’t be any time soon,” Yang Xuan replied.

Yang Li’s departure for Fallen Phoenix Pass was common knowledge. Yang Xuan doubted this young lady would go there herself to demand repayment.

As for repaying the debt for his brother—he wouldn’t even consider it.

That guy had swindled so many female cultivators out of their spirit stones without giving him a single one; why should he repay any of it?

After a few more polite words, Yang Xuan noticed that the young lady seemed distracted and had no intention of continuing the conversation.

“Your elder brother used to visit the Zhou Family Fortress often when he was at Yellow Maple Mountain. He was quite close with several of my brothers and sisters…” Zhou Sheng, who had been by Yang Xuan’s side all along, spoke up once the young lady had left.

He hadn’t finished when Yang Xuan interrupted, “Is that young man over there one of your Zhou family members?”

Yang Xuan pointed to a youth standing in a corner of the training ground.

“You mean Xiao Yun? He’s not actually a Zhou by blood—his mother married out of our third branch. The Xiao family is a ninth-rank clan from Northern Cloud Prefecture.

A few years ago, their ancestral lands were overrun by demons, and both his parents perished in the catastrophe, leaving him alone.

His aunt—our third elder—took pity on him and brought him to stay with us,” Zhou Sheng explained, following Yang Xuan’s gaze to the plainly dressed youth.

Yang Xuan’s eyes sharpened.

Surname Xiao, orphaned and displaced, living under another’s roof and seemingly not having an easy time of it.

This was the protagonist’s template, without a doubt.

But more importantly, in Yang Xuan’s eyes, the youth named Xiao Yun was shrouded in a faint purple glow.

This was the radiance of destiny.

According to the Qi Viewing Technique, destiny came in seven colors: gray, white, green, blue, purple, orange, and gold.

Since mastering the Qi Viewing Technique, Yang Xuan had developed the habit of subconsciously checking a person’s fate and karma whenever he met someone.

As for karma, after observing a number of people, he grew uninterested.

He had noticed that one’s karma seemed directly proportional to their cultivation level.

He didn’t understand why that would be, but for now, it wasn’t of much use to him—unless he encountered someone hiding their true strength.

So while he still checked karma, most of his attention was on destiny.

Just recently, he had looked over thousands of people and found that most only possessed gray or white fate.

As far as he knew, there was only one person with green fate: himself.

Yes, sometimes he secretly rejoiced at being one with a modicum of fortune.

Unexpectedly, today he had come across someone whose destiny far surpassed his own.

Instinctively, Yang Xuan wanted to go over and introduce himself.

But after taking two steps, he stopped abruptly.

A memory from his previous life surfaced—of the game “Cultivation”—and the friends and family of its protagonists.

“Cultivation” had main characters, but most were regional heroes, the protagonists of a certain area, or of an entire world.

Each world’s protagonist had a different personality. Some were demons, some human, some from the oceanic tribes, and some were gods.

Though their races differed, they almost all shared two traits: suspicion and ruthless decisiveness.

If he were to approach now, the other party might think he was plotting something.

Which, to be fair, he was.

After some thought, Yang Xuan decided it was better to hold back for now.

He would first observe and understand this person’s character before making contact.

“Do you know him?” Zhou Sheng asked, curious.

“No, he just looks like a friend of mine. Never mind, let’s head inside,” Yang Xuan replied, shaking his head.

“Very well! We haven’t had guests at the Zhou Family Fortress in ages. Tonight, I’ll have my elder brother host a banquet to welcome you properly,” Zhou Sheng declared, licking his lips.

Seeing his expression, Yang Xuan knew at once that this fellow wasn’t thinking about welcoming him at all—he was just craving a feast himself.