Chapter 145: Young Master of the Xiao Family
Yuan Tiancheng agreed at once. "Alright, please wait a moment, Mr. Xiao."
He waited until the afternoon before the news finally arrived.
"Mr. Xiao, there are currently a total of four Hidden Clans in the Dragon Country."
"They are, respectively, the Ouyang Family, the Diwu Family, the Xiao Family, and the Zhu Family!"
Hidden Clans, as the name implies, were hidden in the shadows.
These were families with legacies spanning hundreds of years—truly ancient houses.
No one knew what sort of legacies these families had inherited.
Xiao Ye's brow twitched. 'The Xiao Family?'
'The same surname as me. A coincidence?'
'Or is this Xiao Family the one that's after me?'
Yuan Tiancheng continued, "There isn't much information available on the Hidden Clans, but I had someone pull some strings and managed to find a few things."
"Among these four families, the most powerful is the Zhu Family. Their ancestor was a National Preceptor of an ancient dynasty, highly skilled in divination and astrology."
"As for the other three families, there isn't much information, but it's certain that they have the capability to deploy Death Warriors, especially the Diwu Family."
"It's said their ancestor was part of the Emperor's Imperial Guard, and a leader at that."
Xiao Ye hadn't expected this matter to actually involve the Hidden Clans.
They represented the Dragon Country's hidden strength—true behemoths within the nation.
"Alright, I understand. Make sure you stay safe."
After hanging up, Xiao Ye dialed another number. "Investigate the Hidden Clans, especially that Xiao Family!"
Unfortunately, the second person he contacted didn't find many clues either.
Since that was the case, Xiao Ye made a decision: he would wait it out!
The other party had already sent so many people; they definitely wouldn't stop there.
So the mastermind would surely make another move.
The more they did, the more clues they would inevitably expose!
Sooner or later, Xiao Ye would find out exactly who was trying to get rid of him!
In the following days, to give the other party ample opportunity, Xiao Ye was inseparable from Lin Chuyue.
They went to the company together and returned to Jiangpan Villa together.
But by December, there was still no movement from them.
'With the new year just around the corner, are they planning a temporary truce, only to strike later?'
December 15th.
Only sixteen days remained until the new year.
The entire city of Jiangcheng had also grown more lively.
Although the temperature was very low, the streets were more crowded with cars and people than before.
Xiao Ye and Lin Chuyue returned to the villa.
The blast of warm air that greeted them made Lin Chuyue let out a comfortable sigh. "The temperature dropped again recently..."
Before the words were even out of her mouth, she saw a stranger sitting on the sofa.
He looked to be about fifty years old, with slightly graying hair and quite a few wrinkles on his face.
The two vertical lines between his brows were especially prominent.
Lin Aoshan was sitting to the side, a smile on his face. "Chuyue, Xiaoye, you're back!"
"Grandpa, who is this?" Lin Chuyue asked curiously.
The old man ignored her, his eyes fixed squarely on Xiao Ye.
His face lit up with joy, and he shot to his feet. "Young Master! It really is you!"
Lin Chuyue was stunned and looked at Xiao Ye. "Young Master? What's going on?"
The old man strode quickly to Xiao Ye, grabbing his hand excitedly. "You truly look exactly like our Old Master!"
Xiao Ye frowned slightly and pulled his hand away. "Who are you?"
"I am from the Xiao Family of the Imperial City. Young Master, you were only one year old when you went missing, so you certainly wouldn't remember me."
"But that's alright, Young Master. As long as you come back with me, you will learn of your true identity!"
"The Xiao Family is a noble family in the Imperial City. As long as you return, you will have the right of inheritance!"
Lin Chuyue stared blankly at the scene.
'Who knew Xiao Ye had a secret identity?'
'A noble family in the Imperial City.'
'Regardless of its size, it would definitely be more powerful than the Lin Family of Jiangcheng.'
'Any family that can establish itself in the capital is not to be underestimated!'
Xiao Ye looked him up and down, then chuckled lightly. "I'm not going. You can leave."
The old man froze, not expecting him to say that. It took him a good while to react.
"Young Master, you... what do you mean by that? You're not coming back with me? That's the Xiao Family we're talking about!"
"You can look it up! While our Xiao Family may only be a third-rate family in the Imperial City, we're still leagues better than this backwater place!"
"As long as you're willing to return, regardless of whether you end up inheriting the Patriarch's position, you'll still own three percent of the company's shares. The dividends alone will be over ten million a year!"
Xiao Ye looked at him with a half-smile. "So, did you do a DNA test? And you're just certain that I'm your Xiao Family's Young Master?"
"For all I know, you could be a scammer."
He had always been meticulous about handling anything related to himself, not even leaving behind a single strand of hair.
As a member of the Taoist School, he paid extra attention to these things, absolutely refusing to give anyone a chance to plot against him.
The old man gave a dry laugh. "What are you saying? We're such a large family; of course we investigated everything thoroughly before coming to find you."
With that, he took out a file. "Why don't you take a look?"
Inside, the investigation process was written out in clear detail.
It included when Xiao Ye went missing, how they found his photo online, and the information they obtained by tracking down and questioning the people involved from that time.
Although Xiao Ye was adopted by the Lingxiao Daoist, his master had generously told him everything about his own past.
The date his master found him.
It was exactly two days off from the date of disappearance listed in the file.
This meant that, regardless of whether he was from this Xiao Family or not, someone out there truly knew something about his past.
Seeing the flicker of interest in Xiao Ye's eyes, the old man pressed his advantage. "Young Master, are you really content to see what is rightfully yours just disappear?"
"Besides, I've heard that you are to be engaged to this Miss Lin."
"But you have no status whatsoever. Who knows how many people are cursing you behind your back."
"As long as you return to the Xiao Family, you will be the Young Master of the Xiao Family. At that time, forget Jiangcheng—not even in the Provincial City would anyone dare to disrespect you!"
Xiao Ye looked at Lin Chuyue with a grin. "If you put it that way... then perhaps I really should make a trip."
"Chuyue, do you think I should go back and take a look?"
The tips of Lin Chuyue's ears immediately turned red. "This is your own business, but... I think it's probably real."
Great families had many capabilities, and plenty of ways to determine if someone was their biological child.
"You should go back and see. Maybe you can find your parents. Whether or not you decide to stay with the Xiao Family later, at least you shouldn't leave yourself with any regrets."
Xiao Ye stood up and handed the file back to the old man. "Alright. Since you've said so, Chuyue."
"Then I'll go check out this Xiao Family and see for myself if I really am this 'Young Master'!"
Lin Aoshan, however, felt a little troubled. 'If Xiao Ye's identity really is that extraordinary...'
'Once he returns, he'll definitely be exposed to many more young ladies from even better families.'
'At that point... Lin Chuyue's relationship with him would be in jeopardy!'