Blue Card Starry Sky

Chapter 48 Reencounter with Uncle Lei
Lan Tian and his two companions headed back to Xiangyang City. At the outer city gate, Lan Tian spotted a very familiar figure. Two years had passed since Lan Tian left Penglai Island. He hadn't returned even once, nor had he sent a single message to his family. He always felt deeply guilty for leaving without saying goodbye, especially towards his parents and Uncle Lei. Uncle Lei had been kind to him, being his mentor and his first teacher. The figure Lan Tian saw now was Uncle Lei. He was drinking tea at an inn near the city gate, his eyes constantly scanning the people entering and leaving. Who was he searching for?

Lan Tian got off the bus and went over to greet him.

"Uncle Lei, what are you doing here?"

"Ah!...Young Master, is it really you?"

"It's me, Uncle Lei. What brings you to Xiaoyao City?"

"Young Master, I've finally found you! I've come here to find you!" Qin Lei was overjoyed. His two years of hard work had finally paid off; he had found his young master, and he was alright.

"I'm sorry, Uncle Lei, for leaving without saying goodbye and making everyone worry. Are my parents alright?" Lan Tian said to Qin Lei. He still cared a lot about his parents. Although they weren't his biological parents, Lan Tian had long regarded them as even closer than his own.

"They're all fine, but they keep asking about your whereabouts. I thought you'd definitely come to Xiaoyao City, so I've been keeping watch here every day. I was sure I'd see you eventually, and here you are today! Everyone hopes you can come back. They're willing to help you out if you need anything!"

“I know, I understand. I’m going out to make my way in the world and make something of myself before I go back. Don’t worry, Uncle Lei, I’m doing very well.”

As they were talking, Yingying and Xiao Weiqing came over to greet Uncle Lei, and everyone sat down to chat.

"Young master, where are you staying now?"

“We have a residence in Xiangyang City and are preparing to return there. We only came to Xiaoyao City to take a look around, stayed at a hotel, and toured the city for a few days before heading back. I just saw you and came over to say hello.”

"The clan leader gave instructions when he came out. He told me to find you. If you don't want to return to Penglai Island, then you will be in charge of the affairs of Xiaoyao City and move into the Xiaoyao Mansion. Here, our Lan family has family trade dealings and its own Lan family residence." Qin Lei said. He understood that Lan Tian didn't want to go back, so he handed over the affairs of Xiaoyao City to Lan Tian as the clan leader had instructed, and let him return to the Lan Mansion.

"Since you don't want to go back, then you can take over the affairs here and move into the Lan residence."

"We Lan family also have dealings here, and there's even the Lan family's official residence." Lan Tian was very surprised, truly astonished. The Lan family's power used to be immense! He also needed a place to stay here, and now that the Lan family's official residence was here, it couldn't be better.

"Alright, Uncle Lei. I'll go back to the official residence in Xiaoyao City with you." After saying that, Qin Lei led the three of them towards the inner city. Qin Lei was very excited; he wanted to bring the news of finding the young master back to the Lan family mansion as soon as possible. So everyone got into the carriage and rode at full speed back to the Lan family mansion.

Lan Tian was unaware that the Lan family's influence in Xiaoyao City was among the top ten families. The carriage sped through the outer city, heading straight for the inner city. Qin Lei wanted to return quickly to report that the young master had been found. After so long, they had finally brought him back, putting the family head and the others at ease, and allowing Lan Tian's parents to finally rest easy. Soon after, the carriage stopped in front of the largest and oldest mansion in the inner city. The two large characters "Lan Residence" on the gate were magnificent, clearly indicating an ancient mansion. Little did anyone know that this was the Lan Mansion, the largest, oldest, and best-located residence of the ten major families in Xiaoyao City. This was the mansion built by Lan Di himself, containing his life's wealth, his cultivation experiences, and his status in Xiaoyao City.

The four alighted from the carriage, and two servants emerged from the mansion, bowing respectfully to Qin Lei. They then settled the carriage in, while another servant busied himself welcoming them into the mansion. Qin Lei led the way, and the group arrived at the reception hall, where a maidservant promptly brought tea and poured it for everyone.

"Go quickly and gather everyone in the hall. Don't miss a single one. Go now."

"Yes, Butler Qin."

In a short while, all the servants and guards of the Lan family had gathered in the main hall, numbering over five hundred. The hall was overflowing with people, each one serious and attentive, awaiting Steward Qin's instructions. Qin Lei brought Lan Tian before the crowd and said:

"From now on, the Lan family mansion in Xiaoyao City will be under the jurisdiction of our young master, Lan Tian. All matters will be decided by the young master, and everyone must obey his orders. Anyone who disobeys will be punished according to family rules. Do you understand?"

"Understood, greetings to the young master." Everyone replied in unison, bowing respectfully to Lan Tian.

"Alright! Everyone go back to your business!" Lan Tian, ​​not knowing what to say, quickly dismissed everyone to get back to work. He had been quite surprised since entering the house. The Lan family had a mansion here, and such a large one at that, with so many servants. Lan Tian was completely bewildered and hadn't yet come to his senses. The other two were even more dumbfounded, standing there clueless. Their lord was now such a powerful figure; they were utterly bewildered!

Qin Lei entrusted everything here to Lan Tian, ​​explaining everything to Lan Tian in detail, including the number of rooms, shops, and wealth.

……

Originally, they were supposed to return to Xiangyang City, but now, due to a sudden change of events, they have become the masters of the Lan family in Xiaoyao City. Therefore, Lan Tian and his two companions will temporarily postpone their return to Xiangyang City. Lan Tian needs to take charge of the area, reorganize things, and properly handle the matters ahead. Qin Lei reported to Lan Tian on the events of the past two years. The Lan family is relatively stable; they were not harmed by the demonic invasion, trade is proceeding smoothly, and shops in various locations have not suffered significant losses, with stable profits. Qin Lei relayed this information back to Penglai Island as quickly as possible, reassuring the clan leader and Lan Tian's parents. Now, the Lan family is ready to start anew, welcoming a new day and beginning a new chapter.

The official residence here is many times larger and far more luxurious than the one in Xiangyang City. After learning about the situation here, Lan Tian and Qin Lei decided not to merge the Xiangyang City residence yet; the Xiangyang City residence would continue to develop there. However, this place needed to be reorganized. He instructed Qin Lei to bring Lan Tian's brothers and sisters over so that they could work together to revitalize the Lan family. They needed to recruit a large number of high-level experts to build their own strength; this was urgent, and they needed to quickly establish a fighting force.

The Lan family's influence in Xiaoyao City is currently not as strong as the other nine families, but they possess Lan Zun, also known as Lan Di. This is the Lan family's foundation and trump card in Xiaoyao City. However, they are unaware that Lan Di has been missing for some time and has not yet returned. If the other families were to learn of Lan Di's disappearance and inability to return, the Lan family's situation in Xiaoyao City would become precarious. Therefore, the Lan family needs to rebuild its prestige and dominance; this is an urgent matter that must be addressed immediately.

(End of this chapter)