Chapter 1043: White Tiger Life Fate

Apart from the white-robed figure who continued to float in the air, monitoring the entire scene, the other black-robed figures quickly entered the house.

They had barely taken a few steps when a scream of "Ah!" echoed.

At that moment, the yellow-robed figure also saw Tang Tian'er in the bathtub, and was so startled that he quickly closed the door, signaling the others not to enter.

"Who told you to come in!" Tang Tian'er demanded furiously, hugging herself tightly and shrinking beneath the water's surface, only her head visible as she glared at them.

The yellow-robed figure offered a wry smile. "Miss, a thief overheard many secrets today, and we must find him. He ran into this vicinity, and we wouldn't want him to disturb you. We're just checking to ensure your safety."

Tang Tian'er coldly replied, "I haven't seen any thief come in here; I've only seen you few."

The yellow-robed figure replied, "That person is extremely skilled at concealing his tracks; even we didn't detect him at first. So, Miss, please don't be careless."

The others had already disregarded Tang Tian'er and quickly began searching the room.

The room wasn't large, and given their cultivation levels, they quickly checked every corner.

They shook their heads at each other, evidently having found nothing.

Just then, Tang Tian'er suddenly trembled slightly, and her pretty face turned crimson.

The nearby green-robed elder approached and asked gruffly, "Why is your face so red? And why is your heart beating so fast?"

Clearly, with their cultivation levels, it was not difficult to hear Tang Tian'er's heartbeat.

"I'm taking a bath! With all of you grown men barging in, how can I not blush and feel my heart race?" Tang Tian'er retorted, clearly annoyed.

To her surprise, the green-robed elder didn't believe her. Instead, he walked right up to the bathtub and peered inside.

Unfortunately, a layer of flower petals floated on the water's surface, obscuring what was beneath.

Noblewomen often sprinkle petals in their bathwater to enhance their fragrance, but to use so many petals was truly extravagant.

"What are you doing?" Tang Tian'er exclaimed, shrinking even further into the water until it was nearly at her lips.

The green-robed elder wore a mask beneath his cloak, so Tang Tian'er couldn't discern his features.

The green-robed elder didn't reply. Instead, he slowly extended his hand, seemingly to push aside the petals on the water's surface.

Just then, Tang Tian'er said coldly, "Is the thief you're chasing a man or a woman?"

The green-robed elder paused, clearly not expecting such a question, and subconsciously replied, "A man."

Tang Tian'er scoffed, "You couldn't possibly think I'd hide a man under the water, looking like this, could you?"

The green-robed elder immediately hesitated; it was indeed illogical.

Then Tang Tian'er added, "I think you're just trying to take advantage of this situation to peep at me. You're so old and still lecherous, bah!"

The others also cast peculiar glances at the green-robed elder. The young girl was bathing in the tub, and with the petals on the water's surface, her body was not visible.

But without those petals, given their eyesight, they would surely see her entire body.

"You insolent girl!" The green-robed elder immediately grew agitated; he certainly didn't want to be blamed for such a thing.

At that moment, the yellow-robed figure stepped forward, blocking the bathtub. "Everyone, the room has been checked. Our priority is to find that thief; let's not waste any more time here."

This was, after all, the territory of the Zhenyuan Merchant Association, and a certain degree of deference was required. The few men quickly filed out, and even the most disgruntled green-robed elder found himself unable to argue further.

"Apologies for the disturbance." The yellow-robed figure nodded to Tang Tian'er, then deliberately closed the door for her.

Soon, the sounds of people gradually departing could be heard from outside. The maid, Xiao Chan, then rushed in, looking flustered.

"Miss, Miss, are you alright?"

Tang Tian'er shot her a fierce glare. "With so many men barging in, how could I be alright?"

"Huh?" Xiao Chan was stunned, her words coming out awkwardly. "Miss, you were... you were..."

Tang Tian'er said exasperatedly, "What are you thinking? I was simply startled by so many people bursting in while I was bathing."

As she spoke, her face flushed again. "Now go out and stand guard. If anyone else comes in, I'll sell you to Biyu Fang."

"Oh, no, Miss!" Xiao Chan was instantly terrified.

"Then go guard the door quickly!" Tang Tian'er glared at her. If she hadn't heard the girl trying her best to stop them outside earlier, she might have truly punished her severely after what just happened.

Once Xiao Chan was outside the door, Tang Tian'er shifted slightly backward, then lowered her head and said, "You can come out now."

With a splash, Zu An emerged from the water, wiping the droplets from his face as he cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for saving me, young lady."

Tang Tian'er turned her face away, her voice barely a whisper. "If you truly want to thank me, then look at me less."

Zu An then realized, and his old face reddened. He quickly jumped out of the bathtub, turned his back, and said, "My apologies!"

As he spoke, he circulated his cultivation. Thanks to his affinity for water through the Azure Drake, not much water had actually clung to him, and his clothes and hair quickly dried as if they had never been wet.

It was precisely because of the Azure Drake's characteristics that his vision remained completely unaffected while he was hiding underwater. He had seen everything—what he should have seen and what he shouldn't have.

She was truly too fair, so fair that she appeared utterly flawless.

Below her navel, a red pattern was visible, resembling both a flame and a flower, perfectly symmetrical and exquisite. He wondered if it was a birthmark or a tattoo.

That sight was truly impactful. Even though he had repeatedly told himself "see no evil, think no evil," the image remained vividly clear in his mind.

Oh, if she knew, she'd probably kill me, wouldn't she?

Such a thing would only cause embarrassment for everyone if mentioned, so he could only remain silent.

Just then, he heard the splashing of water and rustling sounds from behind him, indicating that Tang Tian'er was dressing.

To alleviate the awkwardness, he took out a pill and offered it to her, still with his back turned. "Here, this is for you."

"What's this? Are you trying to feed me poison again?" Tang Tian'er's resentful voice came, clearly still holding a grudge over being forced to take the "Leopard Fetus Meridian-Changing Pill" earlier.

"Last time was my mistake; I truly shouldn't have forced you to take that 'poison.' This time, I'm grateful for your help despite our past, so I'm specifically giving you the antidote," Zu An said sincerely. The 'poison' was fake, and so was this 'antidote,' which was just an ordinary tonic pill.

However, to put her at ease, he still had to offer the 'antidote.'

"Antidote?" Tang Tian'er murmured, tying the belt of her skirt, eyeing the pill with a half-smile. He still didn't know she had already figured out that the 'Leopard Fetus Meridian-Changing Pill' was fake, did he? He was still trying to trick her!

Nevertheless, she ultimately didn't expose him. She walked over, took the pill, and casually tucked it into her bosom. "At least you have a conscience," she said.

Zu An breathed a sigh of relief. He turned around to see her dressed in a loose white blouse and skirt. Her skin, still fresh from the bath, was fair with a rosy blush, and her wet hair fell casually over her shoulders. She truly looked as pure and charming as a lotus emerging from water.

"Still staring? Haven't you seen enough already?" Tang Tian'er mumbled, subconsciously tightening her collar.

Zu An cleared his throat and quickly changed the subject. "By the way, I noticed the Zhenyuan Merchant Association people seemed to respect you greatly. What exactly is your identity?"

He absolutely refused to believe an auction host from Carefree Pavilion would receive such treatment.

Tang Tian'er replied, "Because the Zhenyuan Merchant Association belongs to my family."

Zu An's eyes widened in surprise.

He had considered many possibilities, but this answer had never even crossed his mind.

"Owned by your family?"

"Yes."

It took Zu An a long moment to process this astonishing news. After all, he had heard people calling her "Young Miss" earlier, and the yellow-robed figure's respect for her was undeniably genuine.

"Then why did you go to Carefree Pavilion to be an auction host?" This was what puzzled Zu An the most.

Tang Tian'er scoffed, then turned, her skirt swirling, and sat gracefully on a chair. "I, this young lady, don't like dealing with family matters. I prefer going to different places to role-play various people and experience all walks of life. Isn't that impressive?"

"Uh, yes, that's quite impressive," Zu An said. In his mind, however, he wondered why anyone would choose not to embrace the life of a young lady, only to go somewhere else and act as a subordinate. Wasn't that just crazy?

"What about you? Why are you here?" Tang Tian'er picked up some prepared fruit and began eating, pushing the fruit plate towards Zu An. "I just heard them talking; it seems you overheard some secret?"

Zu An certainly wasn't in the mood to eat. After a moment of hesitation, he said, "I'm investigating a case. I just received intelligence that the culprit might be at the Zhenyuan Merchant Association, so I came to investigate. I didn't expect to stumble upon their meeting. The culprit was indeed among them, but there were too many masters present, so I had no choice but to temporarily retreat."

Tang Tian'er smiled. "They are indeed very powerful. It's quite remarkable that you managed to escape from them with your life."

Zu An paused, surprised. "You know who they are?"