Chapter 1699: Chapter 980: Five Heroes of One Family (Part 2)
Of course, Yang Xiao wouldn’t be so arrogant as to think this honor was given for his sake; who does Yang Xiao think he is? This honor is for the Patrol General Bureau he represents.
Indeed, when one leans against a big tree, they can enjoy the shade.
Seeing the other party being so courteous, Yang Xiao did not neglect any necessary etiquette. He shook hands and smiled, saying, "Then I must trouble Mr. Jiu Shan."
Not needing a translator and being able to communicate directly in Chinese saved Yang Xiao a lot of trouble. In fact, Yang Xiao knew a bit of Japanese, but given the special way he learned it, it was clearly not suitable to use here.
After winding along a mountain road for a while, Yang Xiao and his party arrived by car at the Ju Mountain Family’s residence located halfway up the mountain. After getting out of the car, he gazed at the imposing entrance before him; behind the white walls were dozens of old-fashioned buildings of varying heights, all appearing highly organized.
If someone unaware of the truth saw it, they might mistake it for the emperor’s palace or a place like a shrine, which clearly shows the Ju Mountain Family’s wealth and resources.
"Mr. Yang Xiao, please!" Jiusan Moyu politely walked forward to lead Yang Xiao and his party.
Yang Xiao observed that besides the main gate, the Ju Mountain Family’s residence had side gates on either side, and now to welcome him, the Ju Mountain Family had opened the main gate, which was a very high honor.
Given the Ju Mountain Family’s status and power, even if Provincial Bureau Chief Hong Anguo came, he might not receive such treatment; it was the title of Special Envoy to the Patrol General Bureau that made the Ju Mountain Family regard him highly.
Passing through two courtyard gates in succession, Yang Xiao arrived at a more spacious courtyard. Here, cherry trees were planted, meticulously arranged with rock landscapes, and in front stood a grand and majestic building.
Its large, robust brackets thrust out extensively, the roof with gentle eaves spread out magnificently; the building’s colors mainly featured vermilion, white walls, and black tiles, accented with yellow and green glassware, presenting a strong contrast and vivid colors. The decorative patterns were simple and grand, characterizing the prominent Sheng Tang style.
Standing before the building were several people, in the center stood a sturdy old man, tall in stature, wearing traditional kimono with a smiling face, giving off the impression of an ordinary elderly Japanese gentleman from the street.
But Yang Xiao dared not relax, quickly stepping forward, arriving before the old man. He respectfully said, "Jiu Mountain Clan Leader, I am Yang Xiao, entrusted by Chief Yue to come and pay my respects to you."
"Hahaha, is Chief Yue well? Ever since we parted in Lincheng, ten years have gone by, we’ve all aged." Jiushan Cangxuan took Yang Xiao’s hand, turned, and led him inside the room. Soon, they settled into their respective seats, and meanwhile, tea was immediately served.
Jiushan Cangxuan, as the Family Head of the Jiu Mountain Clan, naturally sat in the host seat, while Yang Xiao took the guest seat. The Mu Girl and others Yang Xiao brought sat alongside, while Jiusan Moyu and other members of the Ju Mountain Family sat opposite them, making the atmosphere quite formal.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Yang Xiao proactively turned to the main topic, taking a wooden box from the Mu Girl deputy’s hand. He opened it and presented the piece of the seal, "Senior Jiu Mountain, I happened to acquire this item domestically by chance; now I return it to you, so it can be restored to its rightful owner."
Jiushan Cangxuan held the seal piece in his hand, examined it carefully twice, then slowly put it down. He looked at Yang Xiao with appreciation in his eyes, nodding as he said, "This item is very important to my Ju Mountain Family; it was robbed by bandits a year ago during transportation, and for Mr. Yang Xiao to return it after obtaining it, we are deeply grateful!"
"Jiu Mountain Clan Leader, you are too kind. I’ve long heard of your heroic reputation, and after meeting you today, it proves to be well-deserved. Before I came, Chief Yue repeatedly instructed me to convey his greetings to you."
This was what Mu Girl, the Supervisor, advised Yang Xiao to say; Yang Xiao had never met such a big figure as the Headquarters Director. He had just managed to get into the Jiangbei Province Office circle, and in terms of qualifications and status, he was undoubtedly the top in the core circle of Jiangbei Province Office.
"Mr. Yang Xiao, if you don’t mind, could you please tell me in detail about the process of recovering this item? Please be thorough, my apologies for the trouble!" Jiu Mountain Clan Leader slightly nodded, his expression very serious.
Yang Xiao had thought about how to say it a long time ago and had reached an agreement with the Mu Girl deputy en route, obtaining approval from the General Bureau.
Yang Xiao recounted the situation of entering the Secret Realm and killing an East Japan Ninja woman from Japan’s Iga Sect, particularly emphasizing the crimes she committed domestically, which caused a tragedy, stressing the justification for his actions.
Generally speaking, Yang Xiao didn’t lie; he merely concealed details related to the Yi Sect and Nalan Shuo, as it was also the Yi Sect’s requirement.
Besides, Yang Xiao’s narration was very logical, and he answered some detailed questions very well, since most of the content was indeed true.
Upon Jiushan Cangxuan’s request, Yang Xiao provided a detailed introduction of the personnel forming the East Japan Ninja team and mentioned each of their Magic Artifact abilities. These details almost completely matched the information the Ju Mountain Family received, sufficiently proving the authenticity of Yang Xiao’s account.
After chatting for a while, Jiushan Cangxuan handed the box containing the incomplete seal to his son, Jiusan Moyu, for safekeeping. He then stood up, inviting Yang Xiao and his party to a dinner banquet to welcome them.
It goes without saying that the host and guests enjoyed a wonderful time at the table. Yang Xiao met other prominent figures of the Ju Mountain Family; excluding Clan Leader Jiushan Cangxuan, there were four elders, three men, and one woman. Yang Xiao had roughly understood the identities of these individuals beforehand, knowing they were all core members of the Ju Mountain Family.
