Chapter 423: A Sense of Familiarity

Su Yan and Zhou Li arrived at the outskirts of the manor.

Even back when they were on the mountain peak, they had already known how vast the Kong family's manor was.

Now, seeing the endless rows of buildings stretching as far as the eye could see, they found it truly breathtaking.

Rather than a secluded village, this place felt more like a hidden sect.

All the buildings even maintained the appearance they had held hundreds of years ago.

Zhou Li couldn't help but sigh in admiration. "No wonder the Kong family lives in seclusion; this truly is a paradise away from the world."

A trace of disdain surfaced in Su Yan's heart.

A paradise?

To her, it looked more like a living hell.

"Stop! Who goes there?"

Just as the two were about to continue forward, their path was blocked by several men.

They were all wearing the uniform attire of the Kong family disciples, so Su Yan and Zhou Li didn't even need to ask for their identities.

Zhou Li immediately offered a polite cupped-fist salute. "Greetings, Senior Brothers. I am Zhou Li of the Zhou family, and this is Su Yan."

When the Kong family disciples heard the name Su Yan, their expressions changed simultaneously, and pairs of scrutinizing gazes converged entirely upon her.

"You are Su Yan?"

The leading man confirmed once more.

Su Yan was not surprised by their reaction; Kong Shan Kui and Kong Xiang must have already given these people instructions.

She was equally prepared to clash with them.

"Yes, I am Su Yan."

"Miss Su, greetings. Please, come in."

The leading man suddenly changed his attitude, gesturing for them to enter with great enthusiasm and respect.

Su Yan narrowed her eyes.

Zhou Li also hadn't expected such a good attitude, but this would save them a lot of trouble.

Under the guidance of the Kong family disciples, the two walked toward the heart of the manor.

"Miss Su, Young Master Zhou, there are many formations here. You must follow closely behind us; please be careful not to trigger any by mistake," the leading man instructed as they walked.

Looking at the lush, verdant scenery around them, Zhou Li couldn't see a single trace of a formation.

"How should I address you, Brother?"

Since there was still some distance to the manor, he took the initiative to exchange pleasantries with the Kong family member.

"I wouldn't dare. You can just call me Kong Feng."

"Senior Brother Kong Feng, do you all know Senior Sister Su?" Zhou Li tested the waters.

Kong Feng nodded directly. "The Clan Leader gave orders that if Miss Su were to arrive, she must be welcomed with great ceremony."

Zhou Li instinctively glanced at Su Yan.

Su Yan's expression was calm; she was clearly not surprised.

Zhou Li continued, "I see. By the way, are Senior Sister Kong Nian and the others doing well? Ever since we parted in the Capital, I have been very concerned about Senior Sister Kong's health."

"They are all very well."

"If I may ask a bold question, just how large is this place? When Senior Sister Su and I were coming, we saw that this manor could probably rival two or three ordinary villages." This question was born purely out of Zhou Li's curiosity.

"We are indeed not small, but the Kong family disciples are all gathered within the manor. As for those living in the surrounding areas, they are ordinary Kong family members without spiritual power."

Zhou Li was somewhat shocked. Had the Kong family been continuously expanding its population?

As if reading Zhou Li's thoughts, Kong Feng immediately explained, "Besides the main house, our Kong family also has many branch families. Furthermore, not everyone is suited for cultivation, so we are divided into two parts."

Only then did Zhou Li realize the truth, though his peripheral vision remained fixed on Su Yan's every reaction.

If Su Yan truly was a member of the Kong family, was she perhaps from one of the branch families?

After all, if she were a direct descendant like Kong Nian, she should have been treated with importance from the moment she was born.

The group continued to chat as they walked, and after about half an hour, they finally entered the manor.

Kong family disciples were patrolling everywhere around the manor.

Su Yan's gaze swept over every corner, feeling a faint, vague sense of familiarity in her mind.

As they passed the training grounds, they saw it filled with disciples of the Kong family's younger generation.

Su Yan quickly spotted the figures of Gan Hua and Kong Yueling among the crowd.

The status of these two was clearly quite high among the disciples, as even their disciple robes were more intricate than those of the others.

If the Zhou family gave Su Yan a feeling of being wealthy and unconventional, the Kong family felt more like an ancient, reclusive sect.

Everything was an inheritance of the customs left behind by their ancestors.

Gan Hua was originally instructing his junior brothers and sisters, but he soon noticed that many people were looking distractedly toward the path leading to the main hall, so he followed their gaze.

It wasn't surprising that they reacted this way; no outsiders had entered the Kong family in over a decade. The sudden appearance of new faces naturally piqued everyone's curiosity.

When Gan Hua saw the figures of Su Yan and Zhou Li, his breath hitched.

"Continue your training."

He gave a quick instruction and then strode toward Su Yan.

"Master Su, Young Master Zhou, why have you come?"

Gan Hua was quite surprised to see Su Yan and Zhou Li together.

However, what concerned him more was that Su Yan had actually come here.

"Long time no see, Senior Brother Gan. I am accompanying Senior Sister Su; she has come at the invitation of Martial Uncle Kong Xiang." Zhou Li had become Su Yan's spokesperson, answering any questions she did not wish to address.

Gan Hua wanted to give them a smile, but he found he couldn't manage one.

"I will escort you inside."

Having said that, he gave Kong Feng a look that signaled him to withdraw.

Compared to Kong Feng, he was more of an acquaintance to Su Yan and Zhou Li, making him more suitable to host them.

The three arrived at the main hall and took their seats.

Gan Hua immediately sent a disciple to notify Kong Xiang.

However, he also knew what the Clan Leader and Kong Xiang were currently doing, so they might not be able to come immediately.

Just as he expected, the ones who arrived were not Kong Shan Kui and Kong Xiang, but the other two elders of the Kong family, the Second Elder and the Third Elder.

"Has Kong Xiangrou's daughter arrived?"

Before the people had even fully entered, their voices reached them first.

Hearing her mother's name from these people, Su Yan's expression darkened slightly.

Zhou Li was completely unfamiliar with the name Kong Xiangrou; not only him, but even Gan Hua did not know it.

A moment later, two men in their forties or fifties appeared in Su Yan's line of sight.

One was tall and the other short; one was fat and the other thin.

The tall one was burly, with a sharp, fierce aura naturally radiating from his face.

The short one was no taller than 1.7 meters, sporting two tufts of goatee, with squinted eyes that gave him a natural look of smiling.

If such a pair walked down the street, their head-turn rate would undoubtedly be one hundred percent.

Although Su Yan did not recognize them, Zhou Li immediately guessed their identities.

He had heard his father mention before that there were two extremely powerful elders in the Kong family.

These two almost always went in and out together, and their appearances were very easy to recognize.