Chapter 1223: Entangled and Unresolvable

Yan Xuehen instinctively reached out to grab the red threads, but her hand passed directly through them; the threads had no physical form.

“What are these?” she asked, puzzled.

Zu An was also quite shocked: “Could these be the legendary red threads of fate from the Old Man Under the Moon?”

Yan Xuehen’s face instantly flushed. The legend of the Old Man Under the Moon also existed in this world, but he usually tied only one red thread between two people in love. Why were there so many?

Wait, we clearly don't... we're not in love!

As she thought this, she wasn't entirely firm in her conviction.

It was all because of that ‘Love as Strong as Gold’ skill!

Rage from Yan Xuehen +100 +100 +100…

“Quickly, cut these red threads!” She was flustered and agitated, urging him repeatedly.

Zu An gestured to Meixi, who was also there, trying to cut them with the golden scissors. However, they both immediately noticed that the golden scissors also passed directly through the red threads, merely clanking together ineffectively.

“What’s going on?” A sudden sense of unease rose in Yan Xuehen's heart.

Zu An looked at Meixi, who tilted her head, clearly also confused.

Due to the contract, Zu An gradually understood Meixi's meaning, and his expression instantly became quite interesting.

“What exactly is going on? Tell me quickly!” Seeing Zu An’s expression, Yan Xuehen grew even more anxious.

Zu An had no choice but to explain: “Because I just summoned her, her current ability isn't strong enough to sever such a high-level contract.”

Yan Xuehen: “???”

She took a deep breath, and it was a long while before she calmed down: “Then how can her ability be improved?”

Zu An once again sensed the information in his mind and explained: “For the ‘Farewell at Nanchao’ skill to work, there are two scenarios. First, if both parties are willing, then as long as neither party’s cultivation surpasses hers by more than one major realm, it will work. Second, if both parties are unwilling, then her realm must be at least as high as the more powerful of the two parties.”

Additionally, similar to Daji, this requirement can be lowered by increasing the level of the ‘Farewell at Nanchao’ skill. When the skill reaches its highest level, the requirement can be relaxed by two major realms.

Yan Xuehen stared into his eyes: “Our current situation counts as willing, right?”

Could this guy be intentionally unwilling, causing the scissors to fail?

Zu An replied: “Of course, it counts as willing. I genuinely want to help you undo this ‘Love as Strong as Gold’ bond. I only used it before out of desperation to save my life, and I’ve felt very apologetic about it ever since. That’s why I came to find you as soon as I obtained Meixi. If I didn’t want to undo it, I wouldn’t have said anything at all.”

Sensing the sincerity in his eyes, Yan Xuehen was eighty percent convinced. Furthermore, a summoned being like Meixi was likely one of his biggest trump cards, and he had revealed it to her without reservation. She naturally felt his goodwill.

Indeed, she had misunderstood him before. Although he appeared somewhat cynical and lecherous, at heart, he was truly a gentleman.

Yet, the most private parts of her body had been seen by him!

If he had truly been a scoundrel, she would have simply killed him with a sword.

But now, feeling his uprightness, and knowing he had saved her multiple times, how could she bring herself to do it?

She sighed softly, casting aside her distracting thoughts: “Then what is this young lady’s current cultivation level? We have many cultivation resources in White Jade Capital. If possible, I can also personally instruct her to help her quickly raise her level.”

This young lady named Meixi felt very strange; even Yan Xuehen couldn't quite see through her.

Zu An’s expression was a little awkward: “She hasn’t even reached the second rank yet.”

Yan Xuehen: “...”

She had initially thought that given this young lady’s extraordinary nature, she would at least be at the sixth or seventh rank. Zu An was currently only at the ninth rank, so with the resources of White Jade Capital, it wouldn’t be impossible to help Meixi reach around the eighth rank. Then, according to the requirements of ‘Farewell at Nanchao,’ it should be enough to sever the red threads between them.

But now, she hadn’t even reached the second rank. Reaching the eighth rank in a short time would be absolutely impossible!

What’s more, Zu An’s cultivation speed was monstrous; by then, his own cultivation would have improved by an unknown amount.

Seeing her troubled expression, Zu An comforted her: “Sister Yan, don’t worry. Her cultivation method is different from ordinary cultivators; it’s relatively easier.”

An ordinary cultivator couldn’t possibly advance so much in just a few years, but these Valkyries were different.

“Is it through those strange fruits you just fed her?” Yan Xuehen’s heart stirred as she recalled what Zu An had given Meixi.

“Precisely,” Zu An nodded. “These fruits are relatively easy to acquire. The key is that later in her cultivation, each time she breaks through a realm, she’ll need special materials, such as the teeth or scales of fierce beasts, or rare flowers and so on.”

Daji, for instance, still hadn’t broken through to the seventh rank because he was missing the Azure Phoenix Flower.

“That’s not a problem,” Yan Xuehen said. “While White Jade Capital might not be the wealthiest place on earth, it possesses many rare treasures and valuable resources. Just let me know what you need when the time comes.”

Zu An paused, thinking to himself, *Is this the joy of being taken care of by a rich woman?*

However, the breakthrough materials and skill upgrade materials for these Valkyries were often extremely obscure and rare items; White Jade Capital might not necessarily have them.

Of course, there was no need to mention this now and add to her worries: “Alright, if there’s anything I can’t find, I’ll ask you.”

Yan Xuehen nodded: “Although we didn’t succeed in severing the ‘Love as Strong as Gold’ today, at least there’s hope now. I still want to thank you.”

Zu An was a little surprised. These were the words he had prepared to comfort her, but she had spoken them first. It truly showed that her mindset, having cultivated to the Grandmaster realm, far surpassed that of ordinary people.

“Then, Sister, please rest well. I’ll be going now,” Zu An said, rising.

“Mm, you’re injured too. Go back and recover properly,” Yan Xuehen said, offering him a slight smile.

Zu An nodded and quickly left the room, making sure to close the door properly behind him.

As Zu An’s figure disappeared, Yan Xuehen could no longer maintain her calm facade. She buried herself in the covers, rolling around within them: “Ahhh, how embarrassing!”

After venting her frustration under the covers for a long time, she gradually calmed down. She sat up again, hugging her knees at the head of the bed, her slender fingers gently stroking her smooth ankle. A hint of shyness appeared between her brows: “Why are there so many red threads connected to him…?”

Just then, a knock sounded at the door again. Her heart skipped a beat, and a faint hint of expectation appeared in her gaze as she looked towards the entrance: “Why are you back again?”

“To see if you’re dead or not,” Yun Jianyue’s cold voice replied. She had stormed off earlier, angered, and had wandered outside for a long time. Ultimately, she had returned, worried about Yan Xuehen’s injuries, though she would never admit it aloud.

Yan Xuehen’s gentle gaze instantly turned cold: “Get out!”

“Not bad, not bad, still plenty of spirit in your insults,” Yun Jianyue said, not angered but rather brightening. “I must admit, your White Jade Capital does have some capabilities, managing to stabilize your injuries in such a short time.”

After confirming that the other party was unharmed, she relaxed, then casually dropped a few more harsh words before leaving in a cheerful mood.

Inside the room, Yan Xuehen’s expression was complex. How could White Jade Capital be so powerful? If it hadn’t been for Zu An just now, she would probably have been finished.

How many times had he saved her now?

Thinking of everything that had happened between them, and how he had seen every inch of her body, a faint blush spread across Yan Xuehen’s icy skin.

Sigh, how would she face Chu Yan in the future?

Over the next few days, Yu Yanluo led her clansmen to her mother’s statue to hold a grand memorial ceremony. While honoring her mother, she also used the occasion to formally announce her return to all serpent tribe subjects.

Zu An and the others took the opportunity to recover from their injuries. The serpent tribe provided them with many elixirs and spirit herbs, which, though not miraculous, were very helpful for healing. Everyone recovered to a certain extent.

After finishing matters related to her return, the group set off on their journey to the Demon Royal Court.