Chapter 1144: Chapter 285: Discovered?
Brand inwardly wailed, thinking, "My dear lady, you’re playing a male role now, could you at least have some professional dedication as an actor?" Yet, he remained tight-lipped, only showing a helpless, bitter smile on his face. The two of them slowly stepped into the hall, one following the other, almost drawing the attention of everyone present—attendants followed behind them, with Nia and Ronin among them, and also Char in disguise. All three possessed the power of the Golden Rank, which couldn’t be concealed from the eyes of most experts present, suddenly sparking another round of discussion about the formidable strength of the Yanbao Family.
This time, however, the focus of the discussion was on whether the return of this mysterious and powerful family to the circle of Erune Nobles was a fortune or a calamity—
"I didn’t expect they were from Yan Castle." Marquis Youxi watched as the figures of Brand and Delphire vanished beneath the balustrade, revealing a contemplative expression. No wonder, he suddenly connected some dots—the Yanbao Family’s detachment from the Erune Nobles’ power was a little-known secret to most people, but as a member of the Royal Family of Erune, he had heard some rumors about this mysterious family. Years ago, Erune was at odds with the Kruz, and under the leadership of Former King Ai Ke, they engaged in decades of resistance. The Wind Queen Temple and the Flame Temple were successively involved, evolving into a great war. The outcome of the war was unexpected but was eternally remembered by the people of Erune, as Erune managed to survive due to the compromise between the two temples, who then sealed the secret away. Subsequently, Yan Castle became a neutral buffer zone between the Empire and Erune.
The heir of Yan Castle has never been an Erune nor a Cruz; this neutral party is only conferred and favored by the two temples, the reasons for which even Marquis Youxi was not entirely aware. However, this didn’t prevent him from speculating. It seemed the temple indeed had its machinations, and Marquis Youxi instantly linked Wood’s conferment on Brand to the whole affair, arriving at an erroneous conclusion. Yet he was unaware of having reached a dead end, instead believing he had grasped the whole story.
This marquis recalled another person, unable to suppress a hint of smugness. He tapped the balustrade, and said to his attendant, "Come, let’s go down to meet this Count."
"Lord?"
"I personally heard his subordinates call him Lord that day. If I’m not mistaken, he must be the true heir of the White Stork Family." Marquis Youxi smiled, "He surely doesn’t expect to see me here; I really want to see the expression on his face when he does."
Although Marquis Youxi was notoriously carefree in the circle of nobles, his subordinates were nonetheless taken aback. Their master was willing to rashly offend a mysterious and potent family just to see someone’s expression, knowing fully well the person might be said mysterious Lord; what kind of spirit was this?
But to the slight disappointment of Marquis Youxi, Brand didn’t show any surprise upon seeing him, as if he had expected—indeed already knew—he would be there. Brand took his outstretched hand and spoke an old saying of the Nine Phoenix People, "No acquaintance without a fight, Marquis."
Fortunately, despite being reckless, Marquis Youxi inherited the Colcorva family’s usual erudition. He hesitated for a moment before deciphering the meaning of this phrase, then chuckled, "The Count is indeed a clever man."
Brand solemnly corrected, "No, you are mistaken; this is my Lord." He guided Delphire to the front. The Countess blushed slightly because Brand had given her a slight tug. She secretly gritted her teeth, thinking she must teach this presumptuous guy a lesson, but upon reflection, she felt somewhat deflated as she couldn’t think of a way to make a Holy Temple-recognized Templar look bad.
’No wonder he isn’t afraid of me exposing him; he is in cahoots with the temple.’ Delphire was relieved not to have acted rashly.
Marquis Youxi didn’t expect Brand’s offhandedness to totally deny it. In fact, Brand couldn’t acknowledge it, as he had nothing to do with the Yanbao family. But Marquis Youxi didn’t see it that way; looking at the Countess’s changing expression, he further cemented his speculation. Nevertheless, he still cheerfully replied, "It’s an honor to meet you, Count," his demeanor elegant, a stark contrast to his demeanor in the temple.
