Two beautiful women arrived in the evening, yet Zhang Yang didn't even let them past the threshold, leaving Ren Lijuan at a loss for words.

"Then we must trouble you, Mr. Zhang. Everything this time depends on you!"

Huang Jing didn't seem bothered by it and quickly bowed deeply, speaking with palpable tension. The entire fate of the Huang family now rested squarely on Zhang Yang's shoulders; it was impossible for her not to be nervous.

"Zhang Yang, we came all this way to bring you something, and you won't even offer us a cup of tea?"

Just as Huang Jing was preparing to leave, Ren Lijuan suddenly called out. Her eyes were still wide open, fixed in an expression of utter disbelief.

Zhang Yang's brow twitched slightly. Standing at the doorway, having already signaled for them to leave, he hadn't intended to invite either of them in. This wasn't specifically directed at Ren Lijuan; the main issue stemmed from the Huang family's actions. What the Huang family had done this time was truly excessive. Not only had they unilaterally changed a previously agreed-upon, straightforward transaction, but they had also attempted to sell the same item twice, ultimately bringing unimaginable disaster upon themselves. This left Zhang Yang with a deeply negative impression of the Huang family, and currently, he had no desire to maintain any further contact with them.

"Lijuan, it's too late, it's inconvenient!"

Huang Jing tugged at her arm again, but Ren Lijuan pulled free, retorting loudly, "What's inconvenient about it? There are two of us; are you afraid he's going to eat us?" As she spoke, Ren Lijuan kept her gaze fixed on Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang let out a soft sigh. "If you don't mind, please come in and sit for a moment!"

Zhang Yang stepped aside, yielding his position at the door. Ren Lijuan was completely unaware of the context or the underlying reasons for the situation. Zhang Yang found it difficult to explain the intricacies to his old classmate, so he decided to invite them in first.

Just as Huang Jing was about to decline, Ren Lijuan had already grabbed her hand and stepped inside.

"Squeak squeak squeak!"

The moment they entered, a white flash darted past them and shot toward the back, startling both women into a sharp scream. The white streak then leaped directly onto Zhang Yang's shoulder, where it promptly settled down for a nap, looking incomparably adorable.

"A pet ferret?"

Ren Lijuan patted her chest, a hint of surprise coloring her tone. Keeping pet ferrets was a thing now, but she hadn't expected Zhang Yang to own one.

"This is my friend, named Lightning. It's a Tayra!"

Zhang Yang smiled faintly, gently lifting Lightning from his shoulder and cradling the creature in his arms. Lightning issued a muffled sound of protest before settling comfortably into Zhang Yang's embrace and drifting off to sleep.

Upon hearing the words "Tayra," Huang Jing’s body swayed unnaturally. She stared at the pristine, seemingly adorable Lightning with a measure of dread. Though the Huang family had fallen, their foundational knowledge remained. The Huang ancestors had specialized in intelligence gathering to acquire resources, leaving them with a vast repository of data. The sword techniques requiring a Fourth-level expert and the secret knowledge of the Fifth-level realm were things they had stumbled upon while out gathering information. The Tayra—a Heaven and Earth Spirit Beast, one of the Ten Great Poisonous Beasts—she naturally understood the weight of that name. A Spirit Beast was inherently more powerful than a cultivator of the same level. That Zhang Yang possessed a Spirit Beast beside him simultaneously shocked Huang Jing and solidified her rising confidence in him.

"Have a seat!"

Holding Lightning, Zhang Yang spoke softly. He moved aside to fetch mugs and prepare coffee. Anyone crossing a home's threshold was a guest, and basic hospitality was required.

"Zhang Yang, your pet—that Tayra is so beautiful!"

Ren Lijuan spoke softly to Zhang Yang, her tone far less aggressive than before, though the envy on her face was genuine. Girls generally had little resistance to cute things.

Zhang Yang smiled, but before he could speak, another head poked out from the living room. Zhuifeng snorted softly and sauntered out, its pace slow and deliberate, its expression seemingly tinged with displeasure. It had just consumed a Fourth-level Spirit Beast Marrow Pill and was currently in the process of digesting its medicinal effects. Being disturbed from its slow assimilation in the room by the noise outside naturally caused some irritation.

"A white horse, so beautiful!"

Ren Lijuan's eyes lit up again, staring in astonishment at Zhuifeng as it emerged. Zhuifeng was not large, completely white like Lightning, and exuded an aura of flawless beauty. Compared to Lightning, Zhuifeng was more captivating, especially since it wasn't a tall warhorse, but rather gave the impression of being small and exquisitely formed.

"This is a Celestial Steed, named Zhuifeng. He is also my friend!"

Zhang Yang introduced them with a light smile. Ren Lijuan’s eyes were filled only with envy and a slight touch of jealousy, but Huang Jing’s eyes widened again. She scrutinized the two small, horn-like indentations on Zhuifeng's forehead and felt an involuntary shiver run down her spine. The Spirit Beast Celestial Steed, known as the fastest creature on land—after the appearance of the Tayra, one of the Ten Great Poisonous Beasts, another Spirit Beast claiming the title of speed champion had appeared. Huang Jing was unsure how to classify the complex emotions swirling within her heart. If they had known Zhang Yang possessed such power, how could they have dared to attempt selling the item twice? The family had erred this time, grievously so. Not only had they provoked a terrifying devil, but they had also offended someone this immensely powerful. In Huang Jing’s heart, there was now only regret.

"Zhuifeng, this is my classmate Ren Lijuan, and her friend Huang Jing!"

Zhang Yang addressed Zhuifeng as well, introducing the two girls. The way he introduced them—mentioning Ren Lijuan first and then using her status to introduce Huang Jing—clearly signaled his stance. Huang Jing was astute enough to grasp Zhang Yang’s meaning, and her expression dimmed slightly. Upon hearing Zhang Yang, Zhuifeng lifted its proud head, nodded once toward the two women, and snorted a few times in greeting. After the exchange, it turned and walked back, a tiny white mouse lying unnoticed on its back, which neither Ren Lijuan nor Huang Jing observed.

"It—it can understand?"

Ren Lijuan's face grew even more astonished as she pointed at Zhuifeng and exclaimed loudly, "That white horse's demeanor was clearly a formal nod upon a first meeting!"

"Of course, Zhuifeng is very intelligent!"

"Squeak squeak squeak!"

As Zhang Yang finished speaking, Lightning chirped again. The smile on Zhang Yang's face broadened, and he murmured, "Lightning is also very smart. Lightning is the smartest Tayra!" Only after this did Lightning contentedly lie back down, giving Ren Lijuan a smug little smile before settling in. Ren Lijuan felt like she was on the verge of losing her mind. A pet ferret was actively smiling at her, and it looked so smug! She wondered if she was hallucinating or if the world itself had gone mad.

"I don't have tea prepared. Have some coffee. It’s late; you both should head back soon!"

Zhang Yang served the freshly brewed coffee. At that moment, another person descended from upstairs—Long Feng, clad in white practice attire, walked down. He too had heard the commotion and came down to see what was happening.

"Long Feng, you're here too!"

Seeing Long Feng, Ren Lijuan immediately greeted him happily. She had met him at her cousin's wedding banquet and knew him.

"Miss Ren," Long Feng nodded, then glanced at Huang Jing.

"Long Feng, this is Miss Huang Jing. Miss Huang, this is Long Feng, my best friend!"

Zhang Yang made the introduction. Ren Lijuan and Long Feng knew each other, but this was Huang Jing's first meeting with him. Huang Jing quickly stood up.

"Long Feng, from the Xuanyuan Clan!"

Long Feng gave a slight nod toward Huang Jing and introduced himself. As Huang Jing extended her hand, she froze stiffly on the spot. The Xuanyuan Clan—Long Feng was actually a member of the Xuanyuan Clan! With a legacy spanning over two millennia, the Xuanyuan Clan was the foremost family in the country, a name that resonated thunderously among internal energy cultivators. The Huang family had even provided intelligence on the Xuanyuan Clan in the past. Moreover, the Huang family had endlessly fantasized about achieving the same enduring heritage as the Xuanyuan Clan—but fantasy remained just that. Huang Jing distinctly remembered complaining as a child about not being born into a grand family like the Xuanyuan Clan, which offered such a powerful foundation. Now, she was meeting someone from that very lineage, and Huang Jing had no idea what emotions to process.

"Since you have company, I won't intrude. I’ll take Lightning out,"

After greeting Huang Jing, Long Feng spoke to Zhang Yang. In truth, he had known Huang Jing was there earlier; he had deliberately come out. The Huang family's recent actions were reprehensible, and Long Feng was angry on Zhang Yang's behalf, which was why he explicitly stated his identity—to make the Huang family aware of their influence. Long Feng was certain that Huang Jing understood the gravity implied by the name Xuanyuan Clan.

With that, Long Feng departed, taking Lightning, who had automatically hopped onto his shoulder. Ren Lijuan watched him leave with several confused glances, her expression utterly bewildered. The Xuanyuan Clan—did such a family name even exist anymore? She certainly had never heard of it.

Only after Long Feng left did Huang Jing snap out of her shock. The respect she held for Zhang Yang intensified, as did her fear. Zhang Yang’s strength was profound: he had reached the Fourth level himself, possessed Spirit Beasts, and now had a friend from the Xuanyuan Clan. A person like this could crush their entire Huang family like an ant at any time. To attempt trickery against such an individual in a transaction—they truly didn't know how to court death. Huang Jing felt a chill settle in her heart. Now that she had truly witnessed Zhang Yang's power, her feelings were conflicted: on one hand, she felt a glimmer of hope for her family's future; on the other, she was terrified of having offended someone like Zhang Yang. She was clever enough to know that Zhang Yang helping their family wasn't due to any regard for her personally. More accurately, Zhang Yang was helping because of Chu Yuntian—a demonic figure whom Zhang Yang would oppose wherever he met him, regardless of whether it was the Huang, Li, or Wang family.

"Zhang Yang, what is the Xuanyuan Clan? You aren't from that Xuanyuan Clan, are you?"

Ren Lijuan suddenly asked, purely out of curiosity. Huang Jing immediately lifted her head. She knew Zhang Yang couldn't be from the Xuanyuan Clan; members of that lineage carried the surname Long, with Xuanyuan being their ancestral name, generally only used among their own.

"I am not. I come from a very ordinary family. My ancestors have practiced medicine since ancient times; my forefather was the Medical Saint Zhang Zhongjing!"

Zhang Yang chuckled, shaking his head as if making a joke. Ren Lijuan laughed along instantly, but Huang Jing’s heart clenched again—only she understood the true significance of Zhang Yang’s statement. First chapter, more to follow. (To be continued) RQ