Chapter 2300 — Old Ancestor Tagan

You have to understand, when the Grand Protector was struck by that move of Wei Zhao's back then, his blood and qi churned and he nearly took injury—let alone Tagan Long!

"Aaaah—" Wei Zhao let out a long cry, warning Lazi, while his own figure fled swiftly into the distance...

Wei Zhao had wanted to add another punch to finish Tagan Long off, but he sensed danger—a danger of incomparable power! His battle with Tagan Long had surely drawn the Tagan clan's experts. Was it Tagan Hao, or that Tagan Old Ancestor in seclusion?

But whoever it was, Wei Zhao was no match. All he could do was flee for his life at top speed. Every moment now was life itself; even a fraction of a second could cost him the chance to escape. So Wei Zhao simply abandoned Tagan Long, turned, and ran!

Events proved Wei Zhao right. The instant his figure vanished, another figure appeared on the very spot where he and Tagan Long had fought! It was the Tagan clan's long-secluded Heaven-Rank Old Ancestor—Tagan Gan!

Tagan Gan was an expert of peak Heaven-Rank mid-stage strength, secluded year-round in the hope of breaking through to Heaven-Rank late-stage. Yet tonight he had sensed battle erupt within the Tagan clan. The spiritual perception of a Heaven-Rank expert was immensely powerful, so he felt that something was wrong and rushed out of seclusion toward the direction of the fighting!

"Long'er, my great-grandson!" Arriving on the scene and seeing Tagan Long lying on the ground, unconscious and covered in blood, Tagan Gan was badly startled! Though he knew the culprit had fled, he dared not give chase; his heart was fixed on Tagan Long's condition, and he bent down at once to his side.

"Long'er, how are you?" Tagan Gan lifted Tagan Long in his arms and, in grief and fury, laid a hand on his meridians. The moment he did, he found them in chaos—clearly Tagan Long had suffered no light internal injury!

But Tagan Long remained unconscious and could not utter a single word.

Lazi had not expected Wei Zhao and Tagan Long to actually come to blows, and cursed his luck inwardly. At this hour the Archive Pavilion was invariably empty—yet today, of all days, two people had come in succession, and even Tagan Long himself had come. This was truly a nuisance!

Of course, what Lazi did not know was that even if Tagan Long had not come, Wei Zhao would have gone looking for trouble with him anyway. Tagan Long's arrival here had merely made it more convenient for Wei Zhao to strike.

At this moment Lazi wanted to flee, yet dared not. To leave now—would that not make Tagan Gan suspicious?

"Who is over there?" What Lazi had not expected was that though he had not fled, Tagan Gan had spotted him all the same! Tagan Gan's gaze, sharp as a torch, turned toward where Lazi stood.

"Old Ancestor, it's me—I'm Lazi. I came to bring Young Master Tagan a message... I never expected to see such a scene, and it frightened me witless..." Lazi was no fool; quick-witted, he thought up a response on the spot and walked over, face pale, as he spoke.

"Lazi?" Tagan Gan pondered a moment, then nodded. "I know you. You are the head of our family's Adventurers' Guild!"

"Ah, the Old Ancestor still remembers me? What an honor..." Lazi hastily put on a delighted expression.

"What message did you come to bring?" Tagan Gan waved a hand and asked. Anxious as he was, he knew he could not save Tagan Long himself, and could only hope the Grand Protector would get word and hurry here as fast as possible.

"What happened? Eh? Father, why are you here? Tagan Long? What's wrong with him?" The newcomer was Tagan Long's grandfather, Tagan Hao. Hearing the commotion, he had run over—only to find Tagan Long cradled in Tagan Gan's arms.

"Tagan Long has been wounded by someone!" Tagan Gan said. "Quickly, summon the Grand Protector to treat him!"

"The Grand Protector?" Tagan Hao was taken aback, then recalled that his father had been in seclusion all this time and knew nothing of what had happened at home—and fearing to disturb his seclusion, Tagan Hao had naturally not told him of the Grand Protector's death either. Now he could only smile bitterly. "The Grand Protector is dead... Father, I will explain this to you in a moment. Tagan Long's injuries admit no delay!"

"Clan Head, Old Ancestor, shall I go and inform Sixth Sir and Twelfth Sir of the Grand Protector's school, and have them come to help?" Lazi had finally found a good excuse to slip away.

"Yes, go quickly!" Tagan Hao knew Lazi as well; he waved a hand, signaling him to hurry and notify Old Twelve and the others.

Tagan Gan had wanted to ask Lazi just what message he had come to deliver, but at the thought of Tagan Long's injuries he let it drop, resolving to question him once he returned.

Lazi felt as though a great pardon had been granted him. He leaped onto the Hummer, floored the accelerator, and careened out of the Tagan clan's estate...

"What on earth happened? While I was in seclusion, how did so many great troubles befall this house? And the enemy could even fight their way into our Tagan clan's estate?" Tagan Gan's tone was less than pleasant. "The Grand Protector—a figure of such prowess—is dead too? His rank may have been below mine, but his strength surpassed my own. And he died?"

"Alas!" Tagan Hao had known his father would ask these things. Anxious as he was about Tagan Long's safety, he knew worrying would do no good—only when Old Twelve and Old Six returned from that place might there be a way. So he said, "This all began when Tagan Long wanted to go up the mountain to capture a little fire lion as his contract spirit beast..."

And with that, Tagan Hao began recounting the earlier events to Tagan Gan...

Meanwhile, once Lazi had driven the car out of the Tagan clan estate, he heaved a great sigh of relief, pulled out his phone, and dialed the Second Protector's number directly! Old Six and Old Twelve had no cell phones and relied on the ancient method of flying spirit beasts to carry messages, but the Second and Third Protectors did have phones!

Of course, Lazi had not mentioned earlier that the Second and Third Protectors had already left the Wulonghaote Mountains with Old Twelve, so calls could get through! But Tagan Gan and Tagan Hao knew none of this; they still assumed Old Twelve and the others were at the foot of the Wulonghaote Mountains, where natural signal shielding made calls impossible. In Ruileida Town, however, there was no such restriction.

"Hello? Lazi? What is it?" The Second Protector answered. He was out searching for traces of Wei Zhao together with the Third Protector and Old Twelve!

"Second Protector, bad news! That Zhang Naipao has actually returned to our Tagan clan estate—he wounded Young Master Tagan! Young Master Tagan is gravely hurt. Hurry back and see to him!" Lazi did not mention that Wei Zhao had already fled, only emphasizing that Tagan Long had been injured.