noffsinger Chapter 44 Staying Out All Night to Relieve Worries
Chapter 44 Staying Out All Night to Relieve Worries
As Han Li was lost in thought with his eyes lowered, a clear female voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts.
"Junior Brother Han looks unfamiliar. I wonder which senior master of Yellow Maple Valley has recently taken in a esteemed disciple?"
The one who spoke was a female cultivator surnamed Fang from Tianque Fortress. Her tone was somewhat curious, but her demeanor was poised and elegant.
The treasure hunt at Yanling Fortress was originally set up by the Yan family to make friends with and win over Core Formation cultivators from all sides of the Yue Kingdom. Invitations were sent to all Core Formation cultivators, so all the Foundation Establishment cultivators who came were elites from sects with Core Formation backers.
"My master is Li Huayuan. He was formally accepted into my sect after I reached the Foundation Establishment stage, but it has only been a few years! I hope my senior brothers and sisters can give me some guidance!" Han Li raised his eyes, his face showing just the right amount of sincerity, and bowed slightly in response.
"How could we possibly offer any guidance? We're just exchanging ideas. Since Junior Brother Han was accepted into Uncle Li's sect and was sent out to take charge at such a young age, you must have some extraordinary abilities. There's no need to be so self-deprecating!"
The middle-aged man from the Giant Sword Sect smiled and replied, his tone perfectly composed.
Han Li made a few modest remarks, then put aside his distracting thoughts and joined in the casual conversation at the table.
As they talked, the topic turned to the Ghost Spirit Sect cultivators who had arrived that day.
Wu Youzi of Qingxu Sect happened to know this, and he popularized the relevant common knowledge about Guiling Sect, which was the last of the six demonic sects in Tianluo Kingdom, to the people present.
Those who were hearing this for the first time among the group all had slight changes in expression, their faces filled with surprise and doubt. Even Han Li was facing the names of these major demonic sects and their brief introductions of strength for the first time, and his heart was also quietly chilled.
As dusk settled, the lights in the teahouse gradually came on, and before we knew it, it was time to say goodbye.
The group was still eager for more, and the middle-aged man surnamed Wu suggested that they hold another small trade fair the next day to exchange goods and services. Everyone agreed.
Only Su Mixin shook her head, making an excuse: "I need to accompany Junior Sister Yan to handle clan affairs tomorrow, so I'm afraid I won't be able to keep our appointment."
Upon hearing this, no one tried to dissuade him further, assuming that he had indeed made arrangements, and they all expressed their understanding.
In reality, Su Mixin had no interest in this kind of trading fair for Foundation Establishment cultivators.
The combined wealth of these people probably doesn't even amount to a fraction of what's in his world ring.
The only thing that piqued his curiosity was the spiritual herbs and pills that Han Li had stockpiled with the little green bottle. It was a pity that the other party had not yet refined the Youth Preservation Pill, otherwise he could have taken the opportunity to sound him out and make a deal.
The other five people left one after another, with Su Mixin and Han Li being the last to leave.
Once everyone was completely alone, Su Mixin stopped and turned to look at Han Li. Her tone was calm but with a hint of seriousness: "Fellow Daoist Han, during your time at Yanling Fortress, please be extra careful about your safety, especially the cultivators of the Ghost Spirit Sect. Do not let your guard down."
Han Li's heart tightened upon hearing this, his brows furrowed slightly, and he asked in a deep voice, "What is Fellow Daoist Su's background? How do you know these things? Could it be that you are related to the Ghost Spirit Sect?"
Su Mixin gently shook her head, her eyes beneath the mask carrying a hint of coldness: "I am Su Mixin of the Thousand Illusions Sect, also one of the six demonic sects of the Heavenly Luo Kingdom. However, the Ghost Spirit Sect and I have always been on different paths and cannot work together, so Fellow Daoist Han can rest assured."
Having said that, he cupped his hands in a respectful gesture and said in a calm tone, "That's all I have to say. Farewell."
Han Li returned the greeting with a cupped hand, his gaze fixed intently on the departing figure, his expression gradually darkening.
The Thousand Illusions Sect, one of the six demonic sects, is an ally of the Ghost Spirit Sect, yet it happened to appear at Yanling Fortress in Yue Kingdom and even specifically warned me to be wary of the Ghost Spirit Sect...
Han Li's fingers tightened slightly, a sense of foreboding already creeping into his heart.
It seems this treasure hunt is destined to be anything but peaceful, and many unexpected troubles are likely to arise.
……
Su Mixin walked slowly along the bluestone street of Yanling Fortress. The evening breeze carried a hint of the coolness of the night dew. He did not want to return to Qingping Pavilion for the time being.
Tonight, Wang Chan will formally meet with Yan Yan, the patriarch of the Yan family. The game of chess that has been planned for several days will finally reach its climax.
However, Su Mixin was always a little worried. Based on the information from the original work, surely Wang Chan didn't have any other hidden cards he hadn't revealed?
He suppressed his frustration, hesitated for a moment, then turned the corner and headed straight for the core area of Yanling Fortress.
At that moment, he suddenly wanted to see Yan Ruyan, so he immediately sent a telepathic message to Feng Hou, asking her to use the live point map to guide him.
With the pass given to him by Yan Xuanye, he traveled without hindrance and soon arrived at Yan Ruyan's residence.
It was also an elegant little building, with a plaque hanging above the door, inscribed with the three graceful characters "Shuyuxuan".
This place is not far from Yan Xuanye's residence, which I visited last time. It belongs to the core residential area of the Yan family and has a quiet and orderly layout.
Only the Shuyu Pavilion before them was shrouded in layers of subtle yet heavy array restrictions, with hidden spiritual light and currents, clearly a high-level protective array.
Su Mixin understood. When she discussed the plan with the Yan family patriarch, she devised a scheme to have Yan Ruyan hide her whereabouts and stay in seclusion, using this as a pretext to delay Wang Chan's proposal, thus gaining more time to arrange the relocation and evacuation.
This array has extremely strong defensive capabilities and was obviously newly set up for this purpose. Even the two Core Formation stage cultivators surnamed Li accompanying the Ghost Spirit Sect could not see through the restrictions to detect the slightest movement inside the pavilion.
Su Mixin raised her right hand, a wisp of pure magic power condensed at her fingertips, and she flicked it out, accurately landing on the gate of the small building, actively triggering the protective restrictions.
"Buzz!"
After a slight tremor of spiritual energy, the taut barrier slowly dissipated, and a crack quietly appeared in the door of the small building.
A pretty young woman in the Qi Refining stage peeked out, her eyes warily scanning Su Mixin outside the door. She asked softly, "Who are you? What brings you to Shuyu Pavilion?"
Su Mixin glanced at her and immediately guessed that this was the maid who served Yan Ruyan personally.
A gentle smile curved his lips as he calmly cupped his hands and said, "My name is Su Mixin. Please inform Miss Ruyan that her senior brother has come to visit."
The maid paused slightly upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes. She quickly pulled her head back, closed the door, and hurriedly headed towards the inner courtyard with light, hurried footsteps.
A moment later, the tightly closed wooden door was gently pushed open again.
Yan Ruyan, dressed in a pink silk dress, stood gracefully in front of the door.
The night breeze ruffled the strands of hair at her temples, and the girl's cheeks were flushed with a light blush. She was shy and gentle, which was very touching.
She looked up at the young man before her, her eyes gentle, and slowly stepped forward to greet him. Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, and with a hint of shyness, she softly called out, "Senior Brother."
The moonlight gently spilled onto the eaves, its soft glow falling on the girl's pink dress, making Yan Ruyan's gentle features and her blushing cheeks appear charming and captivating.
Looking at the shy and gentle girl in front of her, Su Mixin's gentle and relaxed eyebrows under the mask, her smile deepened, and she deliberately teased with a hint of playfulness: "Junior sister is quite busy. A few days ago, I asked someone to send a message to invite you to meet several times, but I failed each time, which made me quite puzzled."
Upon hearing this, Yan Ruyan's slender shoulders shrank slightly, and she immediately lowered her head, her long eyelashes trembling gently like the fluttering wings of a butterfly.
She gently bit her soft lower lip with her pearly teeth, remaining silent. Her ears, which had been flushed, turned bright red, the color spreading all the way to her neck. She was too shy to look up at Su Mixin.
These days, the clan is busy with relocation plans and preparations for the grand event. There are many internal and external affairs to attend to, and she is entangled in the clan's trivial matters every day. In addition, she has always felt shy about this handsome senior brother and has missed the opportunity to meet him several times. Now that he has been exposed to her face, she feels ashamed and has nowhere to hide.
A gentle evening breeze swept through the courtyard, carrying the delicate fragrance of flowers and softening the chill of the night.
Seeing her awkward and shy appearance, Su Mixin stopped teasing her and softened her tone, asking with a smile, "Junior sister, are you just going to leave your senior brother standing outside like this? Won't you invite me in for a while?"
Upon hearing this, Yan Ruyan suddenly came to her senses, hurriedly raising her bright eyes, which contained a hint of panic and apology. She quickly stepped aside and said in a soft voice, "Senior brother, please forgive me. It was my rudeness. Please, please come in."
After saying that, she bowed slightly and led the way, her figure light and graceful, as she led Su Mixin into the Shuyu Pavilion.
The interior is elegant and unique, with simple and clean furnishings, bright windows and clean tables. The air is filled with the faint fragrance of flowers and trees and the unique gentleness of a woman, exuding tranquility and elegance everywhere.
The lingering warmth of the daytime made the whole building feel tranquil and gentle.
After the two entered, the maidservant tactfully closed the door gently, retreated to the side courtyard to stand guard, and did not approach to disturb them again.
The two sat down facing each other. Yan Ruyan cautiously raised her hand to make tea. Her slender, delicate fingers moved gently and slowly as she pushed a cup of warm spiritual tea in front of Su Mixin. She lowered her head and said softly, "Recently, clan affairs have been complicated, and everyone in the fortress has been busy. I have not been able to get away and have missed your invitations many times. I hope you will not blame me."
She glanced up at Su Mixin, who was wearing a mask, her eyes filled with apology, yet also with barely concealed joy.
Even though she hadn't seen him for several days, whenever she saw this senior brother, the unease and anxiety in her heart would quietly turn into tenderness.
Su Mixin picked up the teacup, her fingertips touching the warm rim. Her eyes were filled with tenderness as she chuckled softly, "I know you're busy, Junior Sister, and I don't blame you. It's just that I haven't seen you in so long, and I really missed you, so I couldn't help but come over."
Upon hearing this, Yan Ruyan felt a surge of warmth in her heart, and while she was shy, she also felt more relaxed.
Her gaze fell upon the mask covering his face. She frowned slightly and asked softly with a hint of doubt, "Senior brother, why are you wearing a mask to conceal your face today?"
Su Mixin chuckled upon hearing this, her fingertips gently caressing the warm teacup. Her tone was calm and composed, revealing nothing: "Having nothing to do today, I strolled around Yanling Fortress. I deliberately wore a mask and assumed the alias Li Feiyu, a disciple of the Yanyue Sect, to chat and make friends with several Foundation Establishment cultivators from the seven sects of Yue Kingdom."
Yan Ruyan nodded in understanding: "I see."
Looking at her innocent and docile appearance, Su Mixin's eyes softened with tenderness, and she smiled faintly, "There's no need to hide anything from my junior sister."
After saying that, he raised his hand to take off the mask, but the mask fit his skin and the corners were slightly stuck to his sideburns, so he couldn't take it off smoothly for a while.
Seeing that his movements were slightly hesitant, Yan Ruyan almost instinctively stood up, leaned forward half a step, and gently raised her slender white hand.
"Senior brother, let me help you."