177: Chapter 177 Whether or not it is born is none of our business

On the plaza outside the window, Young Clan Leader of the Jiuqiu Fox Clan had reached the edge of the square. The nine women of the Jiuqiu Fox Clan spread out beside her, forming a loose arc that protected her in the center.

The young girl stopped in her tracks, her gaze sweeping over the eyes cast upon her, a mysterious smile playing on her face.

Under the tea shed, several Cultivators were still whispering about her origins.

On the stone steps across the plaza, Chu Xuan's gaze also landed on that fiery red figure, and his brows furrowed slightly.

In the Heavenly Sword Sect's group, Duan Xinghe remained holding his long sword, his expression cold and detached, as if indifferent to the girl's appearance, yet his eyes lingered on her for a fleeting moment.

The atmosphere by the window quieted down once again.

Baili Qingfeng had finished readjusting his breathing, his complexion gradually recovering, though the folding fan remained tightly gripped in his hand, unopened.

Lu Jinghan returned to his seat by the window, his gaze cast toward the fiery red figure in the center of the plaza. His expression was calm, but the roiling emotions in his eyes were known only to himself.

Young Clan Leader of the Jiuqiu Fox Clan stood at the edge of the plaza, her fiery red long dress fluttering gently in the afternoon breeze, the gold thread patterns on the hem shimmering with faint light under the sun.

Her gaze swept across the moving figures in the plaza one by one. She was in no hurry to speak, simply standing there quietly, as if observing this long-lost world before her.

The nine women of the Jiuqiu Fox Clan spread out beside her in various postures; some stood slightly sideways, some with their arms crossed, and others with their hands hanging at their sides.

Although it seemed casual, they perfectly surrounded Young Clan Leader of the Jiuqiu Fox Clan in the center, creating an invisible distance between her and those curious or scrutinizing gazes.

Young Clan Leader of the Jiuqiu Fox Clan was observing the people present. The Jiuqiu Fox Clan had been in seclusion for ten thousand years; although they had heard of the current situation in the Southern Wilderness, it was ultimately shrouded in mystery.

Before leaving the mountains, the Elders of the clan had compiled a list of Prodigy Disciples from the Seven Great Factions of the Southern Wilderness for her. However, a list is static, while people are dynamic; the feeling of seeing them in person was far more intuitive than those written descriptions.

Chu Xuan's Sword Intent, the faint aura of starlight on Duan Xinghe, the swiftness of Zhou Yuanshan's blade just now, and those faces she couldn't name yet but were clearly extraordinary, all fell into her eyes one by one.

She matched those figures with the list in her memory, noting them down silently, yet that charming smile never left her face.

At this moment, a person suddenly stepped out from the crowd on the other side of the plaza.

He was a young man dressed in brocade robes with a handsome face. Embroidered on his robe was the emblem of the Nanli Dynasty, and his gait was composed, carrying a hint of the arrogance typical of an aristocratic family's son.

He stopped a few zhang away and bowed toward Young Clan Leader of the Jiuqiu Fox Clan, his tone filled with undisguised curiosity: "I am the Second Prince Yang Yan of the Nanli Dynasty. May I ask where you are from, Miss? I saw you enter the city just now; your bearing is extraordinary, yet you look very unfamiliar. You must not be from any of the Seven Great Factions of the Southern Wilderness, right?"

The Cultivators in the plaza who had been watching this side pricked up their ears.

Yang Yan's question hit upon the doubt in everyone's mind.

Young Clan Leader of the Jiuqiu Fox Clan did not answer immediately; she merely tilted her head slightly and glanced at Yang Yan.

A mysterious luster swirled in those amber eyes. After a moment, she smiled slightly, her voice as clear and resonant as jade: "Nine Hills, Young Clan Leader of the Jiuqiu Fox Clan."

Four words, spoken lightly, yet they caused the plaza to fall silent instantly, followed by a burst of low exclamations and discussions.

"Nine Hills? There is a Yao in the Southern Wilderness, beneath the Nine Hills... Is that the Jiuqiu Fox Clan?"

"Hasn't the Jiuqiu Fox Clan been in seclusion for nearly ten thousand years? Why would they suddenly appear here?"

"That girl is from the Jiuqiu Fox Clan? No wonder her temperament is completely different from ordinary Cultivators. Although that Demonic Qi is well-hidden, you can still feel it if you look closely."

Yang Yan's expression also shifted slightly.

He had clearly heard of the Jiuqiu Fox Clan, but he hadn't expected that this girl, who looked to be no more than seventeen or eighteen, actually came from that ancient Yao Race that had been in seclusion for ten thousand years.

He quickly composed his expression and bowed again, his tone becoming more solemn than before: "So it is a Fellow Daoist from the Jiuqiu Fox Clan. My apologies for my lack of respect."

Young Clan Leader of the Jiuqiu Fox Clan nodded slightly, not saying anything more, nor did she remain in the center of the plaza to be scrutinized by those gazes.

She led the nine women of the Fox Clan through the crowd and walked toward the other side of the city. That fiery red figure soon disappeared around the corner of the street.

But the four words she left behind were like an invisible wind, quickly spreading throughout the entire plaza—the Jiuqiu Fox Clan has emerged.

Yundian Ancient City, City Lord's Mansion.

The City Lord's Mansion was located in the northeast corner of the ancient city, a compound with three courtyards.

The architectural style was heavier and more archaic than the restaurants and inns in the city, with blue bricks, grey tiles, and upturned eaves. In front of the gate stood two stone-carved Bi'an, baring their fangs and brandishing their claws, looking lifelike.

As the temporary meeting and coordination center during the Cloud Sea Grand Ceremony, the City Lord's Mansion had been jointly requisitioned by the Seven Great Factions some time ago, and several figures were currently gathered within.

On the highest pavilion in the mansion, a south-facing window was open, and three figures stood by it.

The leader was Zhao Cheng'an, the City Lord of the Yundian Ancient City, a Cultivator at the Peak of Body Integration, with a resolute face and a steady expression.

Half a step behind him stood two honored guests, both elderly men at the Late Stage of Body Integration, who were now looking toward the plaza along with Zhao Cheng'an.

Everything that had just happened in the plaza, from Young Clan Leader of the Jiuqiu Fox Clan entering the city to Yang Yan stepping forward to ask questions, and then those four words falling into everyone's ears, they had seen clearly from their vantage point.

"The Jiuqiu Fox Clan."

Zhao Cheng'an repeated these four words in a low voice, his tone tinged with complexity.

"They have been in seclusion for nearly ten thousand years; why would they suddenly choose to emerge at this time?"

The honored guest on his left shook his head: "City Lord, the status of the Jiuqiu Fox Clan among the Yao Race of the Southern Wilderness is extraordinary. They were already a major clan when they went into seclusion. Now that they have emerged again after ten thousand years, it surely cannot be as simple as just participating in the Cloud Sea Grand Ceremony."

The honored guest on the right took over the conversation, his tone carrying a hint of gravity: "Does the City Lord remember that Yao Race civil strife from ten thousand years ago?"

"The Jiuqiu Fox Clan was one of the few major clans at that time that did not get involved. They chose to seal their mountains and avoid the world, escaping that catastrophe. Now that they have suddenly appeared, I fear there is some reason they were forced to emerge."

Zhao Cheng'an was silent for a moment, his gaze still fixed on the plaza.

There, Young Clan Leader of the Jiuqiu Fox Clan's figure had already disappeared around the street corner, but the undercurrent triggered by her appearance was quietly spreading throughout the entire ancient city.

Zhao Cheng'an slowly said: "Whether they emerge or not, it has nothing to do with us."

"This Cloud Sea Grand Ceremony is guarded by the experts of the Seven Great Factions. Even if there are problems, they will be the ones to handle them. We just need to watch quietly."