“…?”
Seeing Gelan’s stance waver, Yan Bingling grew anxious, her fingers turning white from the pressure.
Hadn’t they agreed before coming here to put some pressure on Jing Tan’er?
One would play the bad cop and the other the good cop to make her back off.
The Aunt Master did not recognize this daughter-in-law!
The Minghuang Divine Art guests slipped away immediately after finishing their meal, not daring to disturb the family’s private business.
The last one to linger, Zhou Yan, was eventually dragged away by her Senior Brother.
In the evening, an urgent report arrived from Sighing Peak.
Jing Tan’er frowned and left ahead of the others to handle the official documents.
Only Lin Shu remained in the room, sighing as she cleared the table.
In her heart, she had always been more partial to Miss Xiao.
It wasn’t just because the girl had saved her life; as a soldier-turned-deadpool, she liked Xiao Xinran’s straightforward personality—a woman who dared to love and hate.
Unfortunately, her opponents were becoming more powerful by the day.
‘Now it seems the hope is very slim.’
Gelan pulled Qin Xing out for a lecture, instructing the silly girl to keep a close eye on things.
She shouldn’t let anyone sneak into Liu’er’s room tonight — and if anyone was going to sneak in, it had to be her.
The Vermilion Saint Princess arrived with such momentum; she was not an easy opponent.
After all, she was an honorary board member of the Sword Sect Academy, young, beautiful, and wealthy, with such long legs.
How could a red-blooded young man resist her?
It seemed the outcome of the Great Path Struggle would be decided by whoever claimed Yun Liu’s first night; that person would have the absolute final say.
If luck was on their side and they hit the mark in one try, the match would be secured!
“Alright, alright, I get it already!”
Qin Yao covered her face, unable to look at her Master’s bold words.
She pushed Gelan’s back and sent her away.
‘The First Wife isn’t anxious, but the nanny is. If they stayed any longer, I fear the Lan Seat wouldn’t be able to resist sneaking into the room first.’
In contrast, another pair of former Master and apprentice were divided in spirit.
Yan Bingling’s Spirit Breath was a bit abnormal.
Even though she had just finished cultivating not long ago, a trace of Demonic Energy was still leaking from her body.
The Minghuang Divine Art was sensitive, and Yun Liu, the primary Alchemist, rolled up his sleeves and followed her, ready to feed the demon with his own body at any moment!
Yan Bingling gazed alone at the crescent moon in the sky.
The sword mark on her forehead flickered in and out of sight, appearing and disappearing with the phases of the moon.
Sensing the youth approaching from behind, she opened her mouth slightly and murmured to herself.
“Your Junior Sister’s sword talent is something I have rarely seen in my life. In just one year, she cultivated the Sword Canon to the three realms. That is the true posture of a Sword Immortal. However, her constitution is very special. She is more like a scabbard, devoid of any sharpness.”
‘A scabbard to nurture the Fortune Fruit…’
Hearing Yan Bingling’s cold tone, Yun Liu realized she wasn’t having an episode, and he felt a little disappointed.
“I thought you were going to say something else.”
“Heh, what did you expect to hear from me? An entreaty for you to return to the Master’s Sect, or a plea for you not to go with those wild women at the foot of the mountain? Don’t imagine yourself to be too important. Even without you, I will find Ah Lian to inherit the Tianxiang lineage. She is more suited for it than you!”
Yan Bingling lightly shook her sleeves, and the surrounding grass and trees froze.
To put it simply, she was jealous, and extremely bitter at that.
“You’re overthinking it. I thought your face looked so pale because you were feeling unwell, so I specifically came to check on you. I’ve been holding back until now.”
“I… This seat has always been this way!”
“That’s good. I’m still a bit busy on my end, so I won’t see you out, Aunt Master. I’ll send you an invitation when I have my wedding wine another day.”
The white-robed youth walked away with a cheerful gait.
The “son” she had worked so hard to raise was now busy throwing himself into the arms of other women—any woman but his foster mother.
He had even added a parting sting for good measure.
Yan Bingling’s eyelashes trembled with rage.
She almost couldn’t resist opening her eyes, and the Dark Side of Sword Heart shifted another fraction.
‘That rebellious disciple!’
‘Is he really just leaving? This seat is angry, can’t he tell? Would it kill him to coax me a little more? You weren’t like this before. You were never this impatient when speaking to Qin Xing!’
As he passed by the Shanhai Pavilion, Jing Tan’er, who had been hiding behind the Mist Tower to eavesdrop, stepped out.
She had slipped back at some point, having left her female officials behind.
She had changed into casual clothes, and her approachable long legs in black stockings were exceptionally pleasing to the eye.
It was as if she had suddenly transformed from an overbearing Empress back into a proud little Princess, closing the distance between them once again.
“Um, the Aunt Master… she doesn’t still hate me, does she?”
Jing Tan’er held her hands behind her back and called out to Yun Liu, her heart filled with anxiety.
This meeting with the “parents” had made her exceptionally nervous.
After all, her previous decision to move the temporary palace had already made the elder angry.
Even the gift she had meticulously selected for the foster mother—the most precious Sword-Nurturing Essence Gold in the national treasury—had been refused.
Yan Bingling was the elder who had been with Yun Liu the longest, acting as both Master and mother.
Therefore, she cared deeply about her mother-in-law’s opinion of her!
“Does it matter if she likes you? Isn’t it enough that you like me?”
Yun Liu leaned close to Jing Tan’er’s cheek.
The young girl’s face suddenly flushed red, and she stomped her foot hard.
“Huh? W-W-W-What do I like about you? Don’t be so full of yourself, okay! Last time, I was just afraid you’d be blind and recognize the wrong person, so I showed a little… ugh, I mean, I was helping you distinguish the truth from the false.”
“Is that so? Then why were you in such a hurry to announce it to the world and rush to give me such a big surprise?”
“It’s laughable. It was nothing more than my King’s dying wish. Who knows what he saw in you? He might have been senile for all I know. It’s hard to disobey a royal decree, so I had no choice but to reluctantly accept.”
Jing Tan’er turned her head and shrugged, but she couldn’t hide her triumphant smile, and her toes were practically digging into the dirt from embarrassment.
“Since it’s such a burden, I’ll just cancel the engagement and return your freedom. I’m familiar with the procedure.”
“You dare!”
Yun Liu patted his chest, promising to handle it cleanly, but Jing Tan’er grabbed him by the collar.
It wasn’t just a slip of the tongue—the moment some people spoke, they were full of openings!
“You’re so much cuter like this. Acting all mature doesn’t suit you. You never need to wear a mask in front of me.”
Yun Liu rubbed the young girl’s head, his smile doting.
Steam practically rose from Jing Tan’er’s head, and her eyes grew misty.
After she had taken it upon herself to “force the marriage,” he wasn’t even angry. He even called her cute…
“Hmph, don’t think you can be so insolent just because you’ve done this King a favor. I’m not a big idiot like Ji Shiyu, who doesn’t even know how to walk without her Sworn Father… Mmm!”
Before she could finish, the heart of the Golden Crow Empress was thrown into chaos as she was pressed against a tree and kissed by the “Sea of Clouds Bandit.”
She let out a soft moan as her body softened and trembled uncontrollably.
Jing Tan’er’s hands rested weakly against Yun Liu’s solid chest.
She was completely defenseless, her face flushed the color of blood.
“You… Why aren’t you following the script?!”
“And how should I be? Should I kneel in terror and thank you for your royal grace?”
“That… that’s not necessary. I owe you, and the Royal Family owes you, too much. If it weren’t for you, I really don’t know what things would have become.”
The young girl gazed at the youth, her eyes filled with deep attachment.
It wasn’t just gratitude; she wasn’t necessarily any better off than the “Golden-Haired one.”
“Then how does the King wish to repay this commoner?”
“Hmm… Then I shall sentence you to a lifetime of marriage, effective immediately!”
“By your command.”
Yun Liu supported Jing Tan’er’s slender waist with one hand and lifted one of her long legs with the other.
The texture of this vast royal grace was excellent.
“Ahem.”
An ill-timed sound came from the shadows.
A certain burly man stepped out, intentionally making his presence known.
Jing Tan’er hurriedly straightened her clothes, her face red as she shouted irritably, “Geng! Zhi! When did you follow us?!”
“Uh, I’ve been here the whole time. Even in the Sea of Clouds, I wouldn’t feel at ease with Your Majesty traveling alone. We can’t have you being swapped out like last time.”