Keeper | The Lost Tomb Fanfiction

Familiar (3)

Chapter 66: Familiar (3)

The words of Zhang Rishan managed to pique the interest of Liu Yi as her left eyebrow raised in surprise. As far as she knows, the man only had some basic information about the Noble Clan, but he shows such great confidence. Liu Yi doesn't know if is due to blind confidence or he knew much more information than he let on. But she prefers to think it's the latter. Afterall, Zhang Rishan is not an arrogant brat.

"So, our enemy this time are those 'Noble Clans'?" 

"Maybe." Xiu Jingchen took the lead to explain. "So, knowing them will be beneficial to you all. Besides, you can't see the 'Noble Clans' as a whole group because those old families are also consisting of different factions. From the most powerful to least are Bai and Hei Clan of Twin Palace, Zhang Clan of Longevity Mountain, Xu Clan of Divination Temple, and Wang Clan of Phoenix Mansion." 

The room suddenly fell silent before bursting into chaos.

Pangzi was shocked that the peanuts he held fall to the ground. "Zhang?!" 

Su Wan shiver. "Wang?!"

"What's with the names? Am I the only one who noticed your Master's surname?" Yang Hao looked confused and elbow his friend, who looked more confused than him now looking at Hei Xiazi.

Liu Sang close his eyes at the pain of their loudness. "And why are you guys shouting?! It could be someone else's family!" He turned up the white noise of his earphone before massaging his dizzy head.

"Calm down people. Let the kid continue." Although Wu Sanxing was also shocked, but he still calms the crowd.

Xiu Jingchen didn't seem disturbed by their reactions and continue after they calm down. "As I was saying... Twin Palace is the most powerful and from the name itself, the head of both clans are twins of opposite gender, representing Bai and Hei. It was also mysterious due both Clan Heads' lack of interest in appearing in public, shrouding their appearance from the Noble Clans. With the situation of the Clan Heads, the Twin Palace is managed by the Bai Clan's Nine Disciples." 

"What a pair of willful siblings." Pangzi sighs as he picks the peanuts on the ground and pop one in his mouth.

"Exactly. Poor disciples." The red-haired kid suddenly agreed causing the others to suddenly remember his presence.

"What?" Xiao Tang asked after he noticed their attention, sitting down with a bowl of popcorn on his hand that came from somewhere else. It's not his fault it was too boring that he left the room to find something to eat and they never noticed.

"I think you're looking for a beating." Xiu Jingchen said after finding Hei Xiazi's glaring at the teen. Xiao Tang followed his line of sight and found his Hei Xiazi facing his direction.

"Opps." He jumped out of his seat sheepishly. "I feel h-hot, I'll stand near the windows---"

"Sit down." He immediately sat back down dejectedly after hearing those words. Second Uncle is scary. 

The twins look at the unpromising situation of the teen and laughed at him. The two of the three ducklings' also giggle quietly.

The farce ended so they continued.

Wu Sanxing looked curious. "So why did they hide from the crowd?" He said which got the attention of others. 

Pangzi smirked. "Maybe they are too ugly to show themselves?" That earned him a glare from Xiazi, which he felt confused as to why.

"Or maybe, maybe they are too good looking." Xiazi said almost narcissistic, as if he was describing himself which now in turn earn him a glare from Liu Yi. He zip his mouth immediately with a forced smile. His boasting did earn him suspicious looks from the others, but when they thought of his personality, they just leave this comment aside.

Liu Sang rolled his eyes. "You talk as if you knew." He suddenly froze. "... do you?" Xiazi just smiled playfully with a shrug, making him glare. Hei Ye definitely knew something.

"Forget about that guy. He's so mysterious these days, now he won't even give information." Pangzi signal the crowd to never mind the guy.

'It's not that I don't want to talk, it's because I can't talk.' Xiazi was aggrieved. He glared at the figure on the window playfully with a hint of resentment. 

Xiu Jingchen patiently waited for the crowd to go quiet before continuing. 

"The next clan, Zhang Clan used to be on par or even a bit stronger than Twin Palace, but due to dwindling pure descendants and their missing Clan Head, they descend to second most powerful. And from what I know, both Twin Palace and Longevity Mountains still remain in friendly terms though not as close as in the past." Those words manage to turn their attention towards the silent man on the crowd.

"That sounds familiar..." Pangzi muttered before looking his silent brother with wide eyes.

"The missing Clan Head, could it be our Xiaoge?" Pangzi pointed with open mouth. He was amazed. From Patriarch to Clan Head, what a level up. But if this is really true, what is Wu Xie called? Zhang Matriarch? Or Clan Head's Wife? Suddenly thinking of this, Pangzi snickered to himself.

"Pang Ye, what are you laughing about?" Su Wan asked innocently after seeing the fat man giiggling.

Pangzi snapped out of his strange thoughts and thought of the question on hand. He looked from Xiaoge to Zhang Rishan and suddenly wondered if he's wrong. "Or maybe it's you, President Zhang?"

"It can't be me. After all, I'm not a part of the main family because I followed Fo Ye." Zhang Rishan disagree with a smile. 

"Is it really Xiaoge?"

"That's not important right now." Wu Sanxing rolled his eyes, stopping their chattering for the nth time. He felt a headache not just because of his missing nephew, but also because of his nephew's friends. If he knew calling all of them out together on a meeting would be such a mess, he'd rather face his tyrant second brother.

"Let Xiao Xiu finished talking or else we won't finish discussing today." He said with a tired sigh.

"The third most mysterious and powerful clan, Xu Clan. The mystery of their clan doesn't lie with their identity but of their methods in divination. They are also neutral party, doesn't care about worldly affairs and usually only use their expertise based on 'fate'. As for what criteria for judging the said 'fate', no one really understands. And you should be familiar with the last one, the Wang Clan. They are the main family with the real Wang bloodline. As for the Wang family you knew before, it was actually just a side family with no bloodline connection."

Pangzi narrowed his eyes, thoughtful. "With that Wang family being just a side family, I can imagine the might of the main family, what more the others more powerful than them. What if it's the Twin Palace we're facing this time?"

"Actually, you don't have to be afraid. Twin Palace is known to mind their own business, well, unless you hurt their people and they're probably busy with other things. Zhang Clan are busy with their internal problems to care, while Xu Clan are neutral factions, they only think of improving their techniques."

"So, we're down to Wang Clan then?"

"Wrong." Liu Yi and Hei Xiazi said at the same time, earning confused looks from the others. Hei Xiazi just smirked as he thought the same thing as Liu Yi as he looked at her only to see her expressionless face. He clicked his tongue in disapproval as he thought she was now looking more like a mute friend he knew.

A pity. She used to be cute.

"Huh?" The crowd looked at them, waiting for explanation.

"There is still that clan." He reminded after remembering he was still in conversation since knowing Liu Yi, she won't say another word after.

"You mean the Li? But weren't they kicked out thousands of years ago and reduced to Wang Clan's minions?" Xiao Tang asked in shock.

"Li Clan? Who's that?"

*****
I guess, I'm back?