Yang Qingyuan looked the little girl up and down. Judging by her attire and bearing, she was undoubtedly a young miss from some prominent Taoist family.
"I suddenly remembered something sad. Is that not allowed?"
The little girl frowned and continued, "You're a disciple of the Yang family, aren't you? Judging by your age, you should be around the same age as Brother Yitan, but why have I never seen you before?"
"Little sister, there are plenty of people in this world you haven't seen. It's just that being confined to this courtyard, you can't see the people outside it."
Hearing this, the little girl's frown deepened.
What courtyard inside, courtyard outside? Why does this little brat, despite looking so young, speak in the exact same tone as Uncle Fei?
No, I'll have to go ask Brother Yitan to clear this up later.
"Hey, what's your name?"
"Yang Qingyuan. And you?"
"Wangquan Zui."
Upon hearing this name, Yang Qingyuan cast a rather surprised glance at the little girl before him.
Wangquan Zui, the young miss of the Wangquan family, Wangquan Baoye's younger sister, and a future member of the Mask organization.
He truly hadn't expected to meet her in such a manner.
As Yang Qingyuan was deep in thought, a graceful and noble-looking young boy slowly approached from behind Wangquan Zui.
"Little sister, the wedding is about to start. What are you doing running off here?"
"Brother, I just saw a butterfly fly this way, and as I chased after it, I accidentally ended up here."
With that, Wangquan Zui showed the young boy the pretty flower butterfly she was holding.
"Look, isn't it pretty?"
At the sight of this, a fond and indulgent smile immediately appeared in the young boy's eyes.
He gently patted Wangquan Zui's head and said softly, "It's pretty. Our little sister is the best. Let's go, Mr. Fei is calling us."
"Okay, bye-bye, Yang Qingyuan."
After offering a polite farewell to Yang Qingyuan, Wangquan Zui skipped off happily alongside the young boy.
Watching the young boy's retreating figure, Yang Qingyuan propped his chin in his hand, a thoughtful look in his eyes.
The person just now must be the current young master of the Wangquan family and the future leader of the Mask—Wangquan Baoye.
Judging by the faint sword intent emanating from him, this Wangquan Baoye truly lived up to his reputation as the Alliance of Taoism's supreme prodigy.
To possess such strength at such a young age—no wonder he would eventually surpass his peers and become the leader of the Mask group.
Elsewhere at the banquet, the guests seated in this area were without exception senior figures from the major clans and masters of the Taoist Alliance.
Even the head of the host family, Yang Yifang, was seated here as well.
Aside from these adults, the children of the major clans of the One Qi Taoist Alliance were also seated in this section.
Adults had their topics of conversation, and naturally, children had theirs.
"Brother Yitan, let me ask you something."
No sooner had she returned than Wangquan Zui ran up to a young boy.
The young boy had a handsome face; despite his young age, his hair was completely white, yet this unusual hair color added a unique charm to him.
Especially the eerie third eye on his forehead, which seemed to give the illusion of being able to see through all the illusions of the mortal world.
This young boy was none other than the current young master of the Yang family—Yang Yitan.
"Mm, go ahead."
"In your family, is there a kid named Yang Qingyuan?"
Upon hearing the name Yang Qingyuan, Yang Yitan's expression darkened slightly.
"Little Sister Zui, how do you know Qingyuan?"
"I ran into him over there just now. The little brat isn't old, but he talks like an old man."
"Is that the kid you were talking to just now?" Wangquan Baoye interjected.
"Mm-hmm, that's him." Wangquan Zui nodded.
"Is he a member of your Yang family?"
"Yes..." Yang Yitan slowly nodded.
"Then why is he sitting over there? Isn't that seating for outside guests?"
"This..."
Yang Yitan was momentarily at a loss for words. After a brief silence, he let out a slow sigh.
"Qingyuan, he's... rather special..."
Noticing that Yang Yitan's complexion had soured somewhat, Wangquan Baoye immediately realized there must be some unspeakable difficulty behind this. He therefore pulled back Wangquan Zui, who was still intent on getting to the bottom of it.
"Alright, little sister, the wedding is about to begin. Look over there."
Wangquan Zui followed Wangquan Baoye's pointing finger and saw Yang Yan, dressed in a vibrant red bridal gown, slowly making her way through the crowd toward the elevated platform ahead.
"Wow, Aunt Yang Yan looks so pretty today!"
A child was a child after all, and their attention was easily diverted.
Upon seeing Yang Yan in her wedding attire, Wangquan Zui instantly cast her recent curiosity about Yang Qingyuan to the winds.
Seeing this, Yang Yitan felt a slight inward sense of relief, and then cast a grateful look toward Wangquan Baoye.
Wangquan Baoye smiled faintly and said nothing more.
The wedding continued, and everything seemed so wonderful. Today should have been the happiest day of Yang Yan's life.
Until the appearance of a few uninvited guests.
At the entrance of the Yang residence, led by a middle-aged man, several figures in purple-and-black robes holding golden swords slowly walked in.
"So they've come after all..."
At the sight of these people, Yang Qingyuan's gaze flickered intensely.
The middle-aged man in the lead was Xiao Wancheng, the head of the Xiao family of the One Qi Taoist Alliance, and the men in black following behind him were the so-called Black Obsidian Inspectors of the One Qi Taoist Alliance.
The Black Obsidian Inspectors of the One Qi Taoist Alliance were specifically responsible for investigating whether anyone within the alliance was colluding with demons and committing acts of betrayal against the Taoist forces.
The original intent behind establishing this position was good; after all, in the current world, humanity and demons had been at war for generations.
The deep-seated hatred accumulated over the years had long since turned the conflict between humans and demons into an irreconcilable one.
However, this position was ultimately seized by the Xiao family through every possible means, and they regarded it as a tool to contend for power and profit with the other clans of the Taoist Alliance.
To achieve their own ends, they even went so far as to frame numerous Taoist families under the pretext of colluding with demons.
Consequently, the Xiao family's reputation among the major clans of the One Qi Taoist Alliance was akin to that of a rat scurrying across the street—which was precisely why the Xiao family had not been invited to the Yang family wedding.
Today, with Xiao Wancheng making such a grand entrance accompanied by the Black Obsidian Inspectors, brazenly barging into the Yang residence with swords drawn, any discerning person could see right through it.
This Xiao Wancheng had clearly come to cause trouble!
"Clan Head Xiao, today is the wedding day of my daughter. What is the meaning of you leading people into my Yang family with swords drawn?"
Yang Yifang, the head of the Yang family, rose and demanded sternly.
"Clan Head Yang, don't misunderstand. Xiao's visit today is by no means intended to stir up trouble; rather, it is to safeguard Clan Head Yang's lifelong reputation."
Xiao Wancheng smiled sinisterly, his cold gaze sweeping across the prospective son-in-law of the Yang family on the stage.
"What do you mean?" Yang Yifang frowned.
"The Heavenly Eye Yang family stands upright and honorable, and Clan Head Yang's entire life has been above board—something Xiao deeply admires.
Yet precisely because of this, there is someone who has colluded with demons, betrayed the Taoist Alliance, and is now even attempting to climb high into the Yang family to perch on the branches and become a phoenix.
Clan Head Yang, tell me, if such a person were to become the son-in-law of the Yang family, wouldn't it ruin your lifelong reputation, Clan Head Yang?"