hapter 380: “The Elder Appears (1)”

The bright sun was at its zenith and the place was crowded with people. It was the first day for the Zephyr Academy’s enrollment of new disciples and everyone was rus.h.i.+ng towards the gates to secure a spot for themselves. The scalding sun blasted his rays down and the heat rose, and the overly pampered young youths from wealthy and loaded families were soon moaning and groaning as sweat ran down their bodies. But in order to maintain some semblance of their dignified status, they braved the overwhelming heat through myriad ways. Especially for those in the back of the queue, they knew it would be a long wait but were unwilling to give up their spot. Their retainers soon reacted, umbrellas and parasols mushroomed, men stood under the heat fanning their little masters and mistresses. There were even some who had ice stored within their carriages and several retainers were running to and fro while they prepared ice cold pickled plum drinks.

September might not be the hottest month of the year, but the midafternoon sun nevertheless was scorching enough to make one dizzy with its heat.

There were several young girls who suffered from a weaker const.i.tution, fainted on the spot, and were carried into their horse carriages to escape the heat.

The heatwaves soon drove the excited crowd into silence. Those youths who were chattering away were overwhelmed by the heat and the only sounds they made were only orders for their retainers to keep fanning, quickly losing the mood for any useless chatter.

It was in that silence that a loud and excited exclamation sounded, turning all eyes towards the source of the shouting.

Everyone was agitated by the blazing heat but they still raised their heads, turning to look with frowns on their faces at two figures under a large tree. A tall dignified figure dressed in white was standing with his hands behind his back under that tree and a extremely excited youth stood before him with his hands clasped over his own mouth. The excited shout seemed to have come from the youth.

The youths in the queue before the academy were all looking to see what had caused the commotion and what the excited youth said after that made them all p.r.i.c.k up their ears and gave all their attention to what was happening under that tree.

“Mu Chen! Aren’t you Mu Chen, the Elder of the Qing Yun Clan!? I’ve found you here at last, Elder Mu! I beg you to sell me another one of that elixir from before. After my elder brother took it, the speed of his spiritual power development increased by leaps and bounds! I beg you! Sell me another one of that!” The excited youth pleaded loudly at the man dressed in white.

The other youths before the academy blinked their eyes as they stared in disbelief at what they had just heard from that exchange under the tree.

Their minds had exploded when they heard the three words “Qing Yun Clan” and those three words had sounded clear as thunder in their ears!

Who had not heard of the Qing Yun Clan, the top clan under the skies? And something had happened to that top clan just recently! The Elder of the Cloud Treading Peak, Mu Chen, had suddenly announced the disbandment of the Qing Yun Clan and the Sovereign and Elders of the other peaks has left. Mu Chen was the only Elder who had stayed behind and after the announcement, Mu Chen had disappeared as well and no one knew of his whaereabouts.

The topmost clan had suddenly announced its disbandment and the news had stirred the entire world. Speculations had been rife but no one knew the real reason behind it.

The Qing Yun Clan’s disbandment had driven many people still waiting for treatment to tears  throughout the world. And on top of that, the people of the lands seeked not just treatment from the Qing Yun Clan, but also for their rare elixirs!

Did that youth just call the man in white “Mu Chen”!?

Wasn’t that the name of the Elder of the Cloud Treading Peak who had been the last one to leave the Qing Yun Clan?

When they realised that that man in white under the tree could be the Elder from the Qing Yun Clan, all their eyes were fixated on the scene under that tree.

The Cloud Treading Peak had been specialised in the nurturing and development of veins and arteries and not many people had seen Mu Chen in person. Many of them were in doubt at what they were seeing till they spotted the jade ornament hanging from hip of the man in white. All their suspicions evaporated right at that point!

That was the jade badge carved into the “cloud” character, which was symbolic of the Qing Yun Clan!

Such badges were only carried by the Sovereign, the Elders, and disciples of the Inner House exclusively and even the disciples of the Outer House could only dream of possessing one.

The Sovereign and the various Elders had seemingly evaporated into thin air overnight and only people from the Cloud Treading Peak were ever spotted!