Chapter 1595: 成双成对

The last time Yan Xuehen left the Demon Clan Imperial Court without a word, Zu An had been worried about her. Although he later learned from Chu Chuyan that she had returned to White Jade Capital, which somewhat relieved him, he still felt an emptiness inside. There were too many things they needed to discuss properly.

Seeing Zu An seemingly dumbfounded, Sun Xun smirked triumphantly. “This kid is really asking for trouble, thinking he’s hot stuff just because he’s a marquis and an imperial envoy. Grandmasters like View Master Yan and Abbot Guan are top figures across the land. How could he possibly compare to them?”

The officials from Yi Commandery had initially been hoping to see a spectacle, but now they felt Prince Yan had acted appropriately. After all, View Master Yan and Abbot Guan were too renowned. View Master Yan, in particular, was not only highly skilled but also rumored to be exceptionally beautiful, possessing an otherworldly aura, so much so that even the Emperor treated her as a distinguished guest.

Many Yi Commandery officials had initially been reluctant to attend Prince Yan’s banquet, but now they suddenly became full of anticipation, eager to see if the legendary View Master Yan was truly as ethereal as a celestial being.

Zhang Zijian’s mouth fell open. “My goodness, two Grandmasters! You certainly can’t offend them.”

Although Zu An had displayed impressive power before, in most people’s minds, Grandmasters were the most formidable figures in the world, second only to Earth Immortals. Compared to them, Zu An certainly had a significant gap.

Only Xie Daoyun worried that Zu An might feel uncomfortable. To ease his embarrassment, she began to explain to him: “Guan Chouhai, the Abbot of Lihentian, has been a Grandmaster who shook the world for many years. However, after the founding of this dynasty, major sects retreated into the mountains and forests, causing ordinary people to gradually forget his name.”

She did not introduce Yan Xuehen, as it was clear to her that a figure as widely known as Yan Xuehen needed no introduction.

Zu An asked curiously, “What rank among Grandmasters is Guan Chouhai?”

Xie Daoyun paused. “Are there ranks among Grandmasters? I wouldn’t know about that. But given his reputation back then, he should be considered a powerful figure even among Grandmasters.”

Zu An then realized that the higher the cultivation level, the fewer practitioners there were. Even the divisions of subsequent realms were secrets to most cultivators. If not for personal explanations from two Grandmasters, Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue, he probably wouldn’t have known the specific ranks of Grandmasters.

Full of anticipation, they finally arrived at Prince Yan’s Residence.

Zu An surveyed the magnificent princely residence before him. The last time he passed through Yi Commandery with Sang Hong, Prince Yan had also extended an invitation, but to avoid trouble, they hadn’t come.

Even outside the gate, they could smell a delicate fragrance and faintly see clusters of blooming plum blossoms in red, pink, and white. It almost made one wonder if every variety of plum blossom in the world was gathered here.

In this bleak winter, these vibrant plum blossoms truly added much spring color to the entire garden.

“So beautiful!” Xie Daoyun’s eyes sparkled with delight; no woman could resist such a sight.

A hint of pride flashed across Sun Xun’s face. “Our prince is a lover of flowers and admires the proud spirit of plum blossoms. All the plum trees in this garden are rare varieties, almost every single one personally planted by the prince in his early years. It took decades to achieve this scale.”

Even local officials like Zhang Jie, who were at odds with Prince Yan’s Residence, had to admire the plum blossoms at this moment.

Only Xie Daoyun subtly frowned. Zu An, with his keen senses, asked with concern, “What’s wrong?”

Xie Daoyun glanced at Sun Xun and whispered, “Prince Yan claims to love plum blossoms, but this entire garden is planted only with rare varieties, not common ones. This shows he isn’t truly a flower lover; it’s merely for show.”

Because the people from Prince Yan’s Residence had embarrassed Zu An, she instinctively felt no goodwill towards them.

“Sister Ling’er is truly perceptive, haha!” Zu An, naturally, had no favorable impression of Prince Yan either. Whether it was the prince’s capture of Qiu Honglei and his great battle with Yun Jianyue, or his recent suspected involvement in the murder of Gold Plaque Number Seven, it was hard to feel any liking for him.

The group proceeded inward under Sun Xun’s guidance. Before long, a middle-aged man in a python robe emerged with a group of people to greet them.

An accompanying official introduced them, and only then did Zu An learn that the man was Zhao Huang, Prince Yan’s heir apparent. Although he was the heir, because Prince Yan was an elder of the Emperor’s uncle’s generation, Zhao Huang was actually of the same generation as the Emperor. He had been the heir apparent for decades and still saw no hope of inheriting the throne.

“Please come in, everyone. My father is already waiting inside,” Zhao Huang said, appearing quite composed and dignified.

Zu An and his party followed him into a courtyard, where the faces of the Yi Commandery officials immediately turned awkward.

Even someone with Xie Daoyun’s temperament subtly frowned. This spacious courtyard was quite beautiful and more than adequate for entertaining guests, but it was a bit much if the banquet had already begun.

Prince Yan was seen seated at the head of the table, with several tables of distinguished guests on both his left and right. Prince Yan was conversing happily with them.

Xie Daoyun felt a surge of indignation. Prince Yan was being utterly disrespectful. How could one invite guests to a banquet and then start serving others before they even arrived? Wasn’t this clearly a sign of contempt for those arriving later?

“Please come in, everyone,” Zhao Huang invited, his face showing no sign of abnormality, remaining perfectly polite.

The group, suppressing their anger, had no choice but to follow him inside.

However, everyone’s gaze was soon drawn to the table on Prince Yan’s left. There sat a woman in a white Daoist robe, with phoenix-like brows, delicate eyes, fair skin, and dark hair. Even with a layer of white veil covering her face, her peerless beauty and otherworldly elegance were evident.

Yet, her deep, serene eyes subtly revealed an awe-inspiring power that commanded respect without needing anger, reminding everyone that she was a world-renowned Grandmaster.

“Is this the legendary View Master Yan? She truly is a fairy descended to the mortal world.”

The anger that had been simmering in everyone’s hearts vanished without a trace the moment they saw her.

Even more striking, however, was the woman in a blue dress seated beside her. Her figure was slender and captivating. She wore a similar veil, and her eyes, as beautiful as the starry sky, possessed a touch less sternness than her companion’s. A fiery red belt around her slender waist added a vibrant splash of color.

With the two women seated there, the entire garden of blooming plum blossoms instantly seemed to fade into obscurity.

“Who is that woman? She doesn’t seem to be inferior to Fairy Yan in the slightest,” a hint of astonishment flashed in the eyes of many Yi Commandery officials.

Only Xie Daoyun recognized her and couldn’t help but glance back at Zu An.

She saw Zu An staring blankly in that direction, his eyes filled with excitement and joy. A pang of bitterness immediately struck her heart.

Zu An had never expected to see not only Yan Xuehen but also Chu Chuyan here. For a moment, he was so thrilled he didn’t know what to say.

The two women, originally cool and aloof, had been responding indifferently to the greetings of those around them. When they saw more people entering, they both frowned. They were by nature fond of quiet and disliked such crowded occasions.

As they were about to rise and excuse themselves, they suddenly spotted Zu An at the very front and froze.

Yan Xuehen trembled, a wave of panic washing over her. She instinctively wanted to turn and leave.

Chu Chuyan, however, was both surprised and delighted, having never expected to see Zu An here.