Chapter 45: The Great Elder (1) The egg was small, and though tainted by dirt and grime, one could still roughly discern the blue and white crisscrosses on the eggshell. Ye Qingtang’s eyes lit up once she saw that. “Finally!” It was a fertilized egg, laid by a drake! Belonging to a species of lightning drakes, God knows how long the egg had been buried deep within the mountains, but it was finally uncovered after the landslide a few days ago. In the past, Ye Qingtang chanced upon it once, but neglected it due to her dire straits. By the time she returned to look for it, the egg had already perished from being out in the open for too long. Many years passed since then, she laid eyes on a domesticated lightning drake on a certain occasion. Its might and glory were certainly a sight to behold though its owner was no more than a stage two cultivator. But with the drake’s devastating and relentless prowess, it single-handedly broke through and decimated an encircling enemy force of nearly ten thousand. Ye Qingtang deeply regretted then, if she had managed to save that egg during the initial encounter, Ye You and her accomplices could never have driven her into a corner. This time however, she would not let that regret come to pass. Ye Qingtang excavated the egg from the dirt and rubble and carried it carefully in her bosom. As long as she could hatch this egg and raise its hatchling successfully, she would gain a powerful weapon in her arsenal! “Little one, things sure have changed for you and me this time. We will no longer miss our chance for a new life.” A smile played on Ye Qingtang’s lips as she caressed the egg. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶 There was still quite some time before the egg could hatch. Keeping it on her at all times, with the warmth from her body as its incubator, would be necessary to sustain the life within it. After getting the egg, Ye Qingtang returned home promptly, only to find a foreboding atmosphere once she stepped through the main gates. A slight change came over her demeanor as she approached the main hall. Ye Ling sat at the host’s position in the main hall. Seated next to him, was an old man with a cold and menacing countenance. “Tang Tang, you’re back just in time. The Great Elder had just returned.” While Ye Ling turned his attention to her, an inkling of helplessness could be seen from his eyes despite him putting up a front. Ye Qingtang stopped in her tracks for a moment, before she turned her gaze towards the Great Elder. On the day when she was tricked by Ye Xun to leave the residence, it was none other than him who captured her and allowed Ye You, his granddaughter, to gouge out her spirit root. The Great Elder could be considered the perpetrator of all her miseries in the past. Meeting him in the flesh after all this time, though Ye Qingtang was no longer as rash as she used to be, she had to rein herself in discreetly, while greeting him nonchalantly: “Ye Qingtang sends her greetings, Great Elder.” The Great Elder was more than eighty years old. Though all his hair had turned grey, he was still a staunch man who looked more like he was still in his fifties. His piercing gaze prowled over Ye Qingtang briefly. After discovering the blemish was gone from her face, his eyes flashed a glint of bewilderment, but he remained unperturbed and only nodded his head slightly in return. “Your journey, escorting Xiao-You1 all the way to the Cloud-Breakers must be tiring. Better rest early.” Ye Ling suggested calmly, though deep down, he was totally wary of the Great Elder. The Great Elder had an impassive face as he stated: “Thank you Sir, for your concern. Xiao-You earning the favor of the Cloud-Breaker’s sovereign is a great honor for the Ye household, so to me, it was well worth all the trouble.” Ye Ling cracked a smile as he heard that. Translator’s Notes Appending a Xiao before a person’s name is an informal way of addressing a younger person with whom the speaker shared an intimate relationship. In this case, they are referring to Ye You.