The Cold and Aloof Palace Master's Daily Demon-Slaying Life

"Spring and Autumn." An aged voice pulled Zuo Chunqiu back from his chaotic thoughts.

He came to his senses and found that the three elders had opened their eyes at some point and were looking at him. The one speaking was the eldest elder in the middle, Zuo Xiuxian.

"The ancient ancestor is approaching, so be alert." Zuo Xiuxian's voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable authority. "You are the only remaining male descendant of the 'Qiu' generation in my Zuo family, and you are also at the mid-stage of the Purple Mansion realm. In the future, most of the heavy responsibilities of the family will fall on your shoulders. This time, the ancient ancestor's return to his hometown is your opportunity to prove yourself, so don't lose your composure."

"Yes, Elder." Zuo Chunqiu quickly bowed and replied, suppressing all distracting thoughts and regaining his respectful demeanor.

Zuo Xiuxian nodded, said no more, and closed his eyes again, but his withered fingers unconsciously tapped the armrest of the rattan chair, revealing that his heart was not as calm as it appeared.

Another elder, Zuo Zhaocheng, whispered to a middle-aged deacon standing beside him, "Check the welcoming ceremony again. There must be no mistakes. The offerings, the music, and the positions of the personnel must all conform to ancient customs. This is an unprecedented event for the Zuo family, and it is also a test of our family's heritage. We must not lose face in front of outsiders... or our ancestors."

"Yes!" The middle-aged deacon accepted the order and hurriedly withdrew.

Time passed second by second in the solemn and anxious wait.

Perhaps the wait had been too long, for one of the young Purple Mansion cultivators from the Zuo family grew impatient and couldn't help but ask Elder Zuo Xiuxian, "Elder, will our Ancient Ancestor really return? Or perhaps... she has already made up her mind to sever ties with our Zuo family and has no intention of returning at all?"

Zuo Xiuxian snorted coldly, "Who gives you the right to speak here? I said the Ancient Ancestor would return, and I will. What? Now even this old man's words don't carry any weight?"

The young man from the Purple Mansion was startled and quickly said, "No, no, I know I was wrong."

Zuo Xiuxian closed his eyes again.

The reason he was so certain that the girl Zuo Qingqiu would return was because the Grand Elder of Taihua Sect had previously sent a teleportation talisman to the Zuo family.

A figure as important as the Grand Elder of Taihua Sect is a man of his word and would never play tricks on them.

-

The night grew deeper, and the fog thickened.

The mountain chill seeped into their bones, and some of the younger clansmen with lower cultivation levels began to tremble slightly, yet no one dared to move or speak.

Suddenly, the three clan elders, Zuo Xiuxian, Zuo Zhaocheng, and Zuo Yuxuan, who had been resting with their eyes closed, opened their eyes at the same time!

In an instant, a terrifying glint flashed in their cloudy old eyes as they all looked southeast, towards the location of Taihua Gate.

Their divine senses far surpassed those of everyone present, and they had already sensed a vast and unfathomable aura that was slowly entering Cui Weishan's area!

coming!

Zuo Xiuxian suddenly stood up!

He was thin and even slightly hunched when he stood, but at that moment, an aura of authority emanated from him, instantly enveloping the entire square. The previously somewhat relaxed ranks suddenly tensed, everyone straightening their backs and adopting extremely solemn expressions.

"Everyone—" Zuo Xiuxian's aged voice, infused with spiritual power, clearly reached everyone's ears, "Prepare—"

"Welcome back, Ancient Ancestor!!!"

"boom!"

Thousands of people, regardless of their cultivation level or seniority, bowed, clasped their hands, and lowered their heads.

Their movements were perfectly synchronized, their voices echoing through the night sky.

"Welcome back, Ancient Ancestor!!!"

The sound waves rolled and echoed among the mountains.

Amidst the thunderous cheers and applause, in the southeastern sky, beneath the clear, cold moon, a figure seemed to appear out of thin air.

There was no earth-shattering momentum, no streaks of light tearing through the void.

She descended step by step from the deep blue night sky, bathed in the bright moonlight.

Like a fairy from the heavens, descended to the mortal world.

The moonlight, like water, poured over her. She wore an extremely simple white palace dress, its style ancient and unadorned, with only a few faint cloud patterns outlined in silver thread at the hem and cuffs. Her long hair cascaded down her back, loosely tied into a topknot with a single white jade hairpin, the rest of her dark hair falling to her waist and swaying gently in the wind.

Her stunning beauty seemed almost unreal under the moonlight.

Her eyebrows were like distant mountains shrouded in mist, her eyes like autumn waters rippling across the surface, her nose was straight and elegant, and her lips were pale cherry-colored.

Her skin was radiant, as if shrouded in a hazy, luminous glow, so perfect it seemed otherworldly.

What's even more breathtaking is the aloof, detached, and indifferent aura surrounding her, as if separated from this noisy world by an invisible barrier, making her seem unattainable.

She floated through the air, her steps like lotus blossoms, and slowly descended to the specially reserved open space in the center of Xiaoxian Square.

The moonlight shone from behind her, gilding her slender figure with a silver edge and casting a solitary shadow on the white marble floor.

The entire square was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The only sounds were the crackling of burning torches and the whistling of the night wind as it passed through the lampposts at the edge of the square.

Thousands of gazes, some filled with awe, some with excitement, some with curiosity, and some with mixed feelings, were all focused on that white figure.

Many people didn't even dare to look directly at it; after just a quick glance, they felt dizzy and their hearts pounded, and they hurriedly lowered their heads.

Zuo Qingqiu's gaze calmly swept over the dark crowd, over the three white-bearded and excited elders, over the Zuo family members behind them, and finally, it paused for a moment on Zuo Chunqiu's face.

Zuo Chunqiu's heart skipped a beat when he met her gaze.

That gaze was so clear and so profound, as if it could pierce through all pretense and see into the deepest, most hidden thoughts in people's hearts. There was no joy of a long-awaited reunion, no condescending arrogance, not even any emotional fluctuation, as if looking at a... stranger who I vaguely remember.

He instinctively wanted to avoid eye contact, but forced himself to remain calm and nodded slightly as a greeting.

Zuo Qingqiu withdrew her gaze, as if it were just a casual glance.

At this moment, the three elders stepped forward and stopped three zhang away from Zuo Qingqiu, bowing deeply once more, their voices trembling slightly with excitement:

"The unworthy descendants of the Zuo family, Xiu Xian (Zhao Cheng/Yu Xuan), leading the entire clan, respectfully welcome our ancestor back to his hometown!"

"The presence of our revered ancestor has brought great honor to our humble abode. The entire Zuo family is filled with both trepidation and immense joy!"

Behind them, thousands of clansmen once again shouted in unison, "Welcome back our ancient ancestor!!!"

The sound waves shook the snow off the pine trees at the edge of the square, causing it to fall in a soft rustling sound.

Zuo Qingqiu quietly accepted this extremely solemn ceremony, her expression unchanged. She neither declined nor accepted it with pleasure, as if all of this had little to do with her.

Only when the commotion subsided did she speak softly:

"Get up, everyone."

The sound was clear and melodious, like jade striking each other. It wasn't loud, but it clearly drowned out all other noises and reached everyone's ears.

"Thank you, Gu Zu!"