Chapter 27: Bonds and Boundaries

Chapter 27: Bonds and Boundaries

The trio—Xiao Chen, Xiao Rongyu, and the trembling servant—moved swiftly through the vast courtyard of the Xiao Family Estate. Their footsteps came to a halt before a towering structure that stood apart from the rest. It was the Ancestral Patriarch's Residence, an ancient building adorned with intricate carvings of dragons and phoenixes—timeless symbols of the Xiao Clan’s once-glorious legacy.

Its deep jade-green walls shimmered faintly beneath the sun, veins of gold streaking across the stone like molten lightning. At the center stood massive double doors bearing the Xiao Family crest: a golden dragon coiled around a flowing river. Reverence hung in the air. Few dared approach this place without a summons.

Without a word, Xiao Chen stepped forward, and the group entered.