Chapter 816: Gift

Pang Huanyin’s visit to the Sumeru Mountain secret realm was not solely to fulfill her second promise to Lu Ye. She also intended to discuss a potential alliance and cooperation with the Sumeru Mountain faction.

Despite the low chances, she believed that things could still be achieved through human effort; without trying, many endeavors would never succeed.

By the portal, Pang Huanyin stood quietly, Elder Xiao silently recovered, and Lu Ye changed into fresh clothes.

From a distance, several figures rapidly approached from the direction of the Sumeru Mountain range. Leading them was a burly man with broad shoulders, a thick beard, and an inherently heroic bearing.

This man was Liu Zhenguan, the contemporary master of the Sumeru Mountain secret realm.

At this moment, his face was ashen, clearly indicating he was not in a good mood.

This was understandable; it would be strange if he *were* in a good mood after someone had uninvitedly forced their way into his territory.

It turned out the warnings left by their ancestors were true!

The Violet Palace Dao Sect truly possessed methods to divine the locations of the other two secret realms’ portals, and even means to forcibly open them.

He used to think it was impossible, but now that it had happened, he had no choice but to believe it, no matter how unbelievable it seemed.

What did that woman want?

More than anger, he felt a profound sense of bewilderment.

That woman must have known that such a method was a grave transgression against another faction. Yet, despite this, she didn't hesitate to expose it. What was her objective?

Was she preparing for an all-out confrontation with Sumeru Mountain?

No, that couldn't be it. Although he had only interacted with Pang Huanyin once, she was not someone who would resort to unscrupulous tactics. Relatively speaking, despite her youth, she was far more rational than most elders.

“Mountain Lord, should we bring more people?” a Sumeru Mountain cultivator following closely behind him asked.

“What’s the point of bringing so many?” Liu Zhenguan snorted coldly.

Meanwhile, in a quiet, secluded valley somewhere in the Sumeru Mountain range, a shadowy figure materialized like a ghost. It was Shadow Wuji, who had disappeared immediately after entering the secret realm.

With his ghost cultivation abilities and Pang Huanyin providing cover, the cultivators guarding the portal had no chance of detecting his presence.

For him, once inside this secret realm, it was like a tiger entering the mountains or a dragon diving into the sea. Unless he willingly revealed himself, the people of Sumeru Mountain would never find him.

Confirming he was alone, he took a wooden box from his懷.

Lu Ye had given him this item, and he didn't know what was inside. On their way here, Lu Ye had simply instructed him to open the box once they were inside Sumeru Mountain, take out its contents, and then discreetly discard them in a hidden location.

“What strange thing is Lu Yiye up to?” Shadow Wuji wondered, full of doubt.

He gently opened the wooden box, and its contents came into view.

It was a crystal-like object, and something appeared to be sealed within it.

Shadow Wuji stared intently, his eyes narrowing sharply: “This is…”

He looked as if he had seen something incredibly unbelievable, his eyes and face filled with astonishment.

Soon, he realized something.

So, what Lü Qing said was true! This Lu Yiye truly possessed information that others were unaware of, and he must have received special guidance from the Heavenly Dao. Otherwise, how could he possibly have such an absurd item in his possession?

This time, if it weren't inconvenient for him to act personally, he probably wouldn’t have entrusted this item to Shadow Wuji to handle!

Thinking about how he had served Lu Yiye diligently these past few days, yet still hadn’t gained much trust, Shadow Wuji felt a pang of bitterness.

“Yiye.” A knock on the door accompanied Pang Huanyin’s voice.

Lu Ye, seated in his room, opened his eyes and calmly replied, “Come in.”

Pang Huanyin then pushed the door open and entered.

“Is something wrong?” Lu Ye asked.

“Our timing for this trip isn’t ideal. It’s Liu Zhenguan’s day of great joy, so we should really offer some gifts. But as you know, Elder Xiao and I didn’t bring anything presentable with us. So, I was wondering if you might have something to lend me?”

Lu Ye pondered for a moment, then casually took out a bottle of high-quality healing pills.

Pang Huanyin quickly raised her hand to stop him: “Please don’t bring out spiritual pills. Your alchemy skills far surpass ours. If you were to offer something like that, Liu Zhenguan might get some improper ideas.”

Lu Ye then took out some spiritual artifacts.

“These won’t do either…”

“Then what do you want?” Lu Ye looked up at her.

Pang Huanyin seemed troubled: “I don’t know.”

She had never given a congratulatory gift before and had no experience. She felt it was a truly profound matter; giving something too valuable would pain her, while giving something too cheap would make her seem stingy. How to weigh the pros and cons was proving even harder than cultivation.

“Do you have anything that could be given to a woman?” she suddenly had an idea.

The fact that someone like Liu Zhenguan had considered marriage indicated that the woman held significant importance in his heart. Therefore, a gift aimed at the woman might be more effective than one given directly to Liu Zhenguan.

If she could dispel Liu Zhenguan’s resentment, she would then have a better chance to discuss the alliance with him.

Lu Ye casually produced a small handkerchief.

This item was, naturally, part of his spoils of war. Its quality wasn’t exceptional; it was merely a mid-grade spiritual artifact used for flight, acquired from an unknown source.

He had plenty of similar unused items in his storage space.

“What if a fight breaks out…?” The speaker’s expression was anxious. “I heard that woman is very strong. Bringing more people would make things easier.”

Liu Zhenguan’s voice boomed like thunder as he cursed: “Damn it, this is Sumeru Mountain! I am the Mountain Master of Sumeru Mountain! Since she’s already inside, she can’t stir up any trouble. If I bring so many people, wouldn’t that weaken my own prestige?!”

“Does Mountain Lord mean… to seize her while we have the chance?”

Liu Zhenguan turned his head, looking at the speaker as if he were an idiot: “And then what? Wait for retaliation from the Violet Palace Dao Sect? You’ve been with me for so many years, how can you still be so stupid?”

Despite his outwardly rough and heroic appearance, he was actually quite shrewd. He knew that even if the Violet Palace Dao Sect had transgressed against them this time, Sumeru Mountain couldn’t do anything to them unless they were willing to completely sever ties.

This was likely the very reason Pang Huanyin dared to put herself at risk.

If anything were to happen to Pang Huanyin, and the Violet Palace Dao Sect were to come seeking revenge, Sumeru Mountain might not be able to withstand them.

Yet, despite knowing this, the pent-up frustration in his heart was difficult to dispel.

From afar, he saw the group of tense, battle-ready guards and the quietly standing figure.

Liu Zhenguan’s displeasure and anger instantly vanished, replaced by a cheerful smile. Before even reaching them, he burst into hearty laughter: “This morning, I had a sudden hunch that something good was about to happen. It turns out it’s the esteemed Palace Master Pang gracing us with your presence! Liu was remiss in not greeting you properly!”

As he spoke, he arrived a short distance in front of Pang Huanyin, his smile hearty, as if genuinely delighted by her arrival.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Elder Xiao and Lu Ye.

Liu Zhenguan recognized Elder Xiao, knowing he was Pang Huanyin’s protector, having seen him on their previous encounter.

However, Lu Ye was unfamiliar to him. He paid a bit more attention, reasoning that anyone Pang Huanyin brought with her at a time like this must be someone of importance.

“Mountain Master Liu, it’s been a long time. Please forgive our unannounced visit,” Pang Huanyin said with a slight nod and a gentle smile.

“Not at all, not at all! An esteemed guest like Palace Master Pang is someone Liu struggles to even invite. Your presence today is a blessing for Sumeru Mountain! If Palace Master is willing, why not stay for a few more days and join Liu for a celebratory drink?”

Pang Huanyin was taken aback: “Mountain Master Liu… are you getting married?”

This fellow had previously boasted that among all women in the world, only she could capture his attention, and if he were to marry, it would only be if she willingly humbled herself to marry him.

This showed how lofty his standards were. And Liu Zhenguan had never seemed to lack female companions, nor had he shown any intention of marrying all these years. Why was he suddenly getting married?

This was truly an oddity.

Pang Huanyin couldn't help but feel a little curious about what kind of woman had managed to make Liu Zhenguan consider such a thing.

However, it was merely a fleeting curiosity. Whether Liu Zhenguan got married or not, or to whom, had no bearing on her. She had come here with her own objective.

Liu Zhenguan rubbed his head, laughing heartily: “You jest, Palace Master.”

The group of guards nearby watched in amazement. They had expected their Mountain Master, upon learning of the forced entry, to fly into a rage and perhaps lead a group of powerful cultivators, leading to a fierce battle. Yet, their Mountain Master didn't even mention the forced entry and instead chatted amiably with Pang Huanyin, as if they were long-lost friends.

“Then this wedding feast is certainly one I must attend.”

“This is not the place for talk, Palace Master Pang. Please enter the mountain first.” Liu Zhenguan said, extending his hand in invitation, a smile in his eyes.

Pang Huanyin nodded, “Then it would be disrespectful not to comply.”

Liu Zhenguan’s expression remained unchanged, but his eyes narrowed slightly. Pang Huanyin’s calm acceptance of his invitation, displaying an attitude of complete indifference even if danger lay ahead, clearly indicated her certainty that Sumeru Mountain wouldn’t harm her.

This woman… she truly possessed extraordinary courage!

Pang Huanyin and Liu Zhenguan led the way, with Lu Ye and the others following behind. As they flew, the two in front chatted jovially, while those behind remained silent and secretly wary of each other, creating a peculiar atmosphere.

Upon entering the Sumeru Mountain range, Liu Zhenguan said, “Palace Master has traveled a long way. Please rest for half a day. I will arrange a banquet, and we can enjoy drinks together this evening.”

“Excellent,” Pang Huanyin naturally replied, deferring to her host.

Immediately, Liu Zhenguan ordered his people to lead Pang Huanyin, Lu Ye, and the others to a nearby spiritual peak for accommodation.

The spiritual peak was not large, with only three to five halls, and it appeared to be uninhabited on normal days. Lu Ye and the others entered the spiritual peak and settled down to rest, as arranged by the Sumeru Mountain cultivators.

In his room, Lu Ye sat calmly. Although his injuries were not fully healed, they were not serious. To him, they were merely superficial wounds, and with the surging vitality within his body, such injuries didn't require much attention and would heal completely within two or three days.

He extended his senses and could perceive the hidden presence of cultivators nearby, clearly Sumeru Mountain’s people stationed there to monitor them.

It was to be expected, and Lu Ye paid little mind to it.