Chapter 1602: Reconciliation

Zhao Xiaodie was filled with both shock and anger. She had never imagined that her good intentions would be met with such a fierce roar.

Zhi Yin, being handsome and the most talented disciple of Lihentian, was indeed very popular among the sect's female disciples. Furthermore, when she first joined the sect years ago, he had looked after her, which led Zhao Xiaodie to develop a considerable liking for him. Though it didn't escalate to love, she valued him far more than other men. She had just perceived Zhi Yin's pain and indignation. Recalling how Chu Chuyan had been distant despite Zhi Yin's devoted efforts when she first arrived at Lihentian, Zhao Xiaodie couldn't help but intercede on his behalf.

"You yelled at me?" Zhao Xiaodie's expression darkened. As the daughter of Prince Qi, with a noble status, she could hardly tolerate such an affront.

After his outburst, Zhi Yin felt the eyes of everyone on him. Startled, he quickly regained his composure and apologized profusely, "I'm sorry, Junior Sister. I didn't mean it; I didn't intend that. I was just a bit dazed at the moment..."

Seeing his flustered explanation, Zhao Xiaodie's expression softened slightly.

Guan Chouhai observed all this, sighing inwardly. It seemed his disciple was destined to repeat his master's mistakes.

What is love in this world...

He couldn't help but gaze at Yan Xuehen across from him. With her ice-like skin, jade-like bones, and exceptional grace, she seemed to have acquired a touch of mature and captivating femininity after this encounter, perfectly blending with her unique ethereal quality. How could such a perfect woman exist?

Noticing his fervent gaze, Yan Xuehen felt displeased and seized the opportunity to excuse herself from Prince Yan. By nature, she disliked such gatherings; had Zu An not been present, she would have departed much earlier.

Prince Yan, of course, cordially urged her to stay, but seeing her unmoved, he sighed, "In that case, I shall escort Fairy Yan."

Xie Daoyun leaned closer to Zu An and whispered, "Grand Master Yan truly stands apart among the previous generation. My father seemed to have been infatuated with her back then, which often made my mother quite jealous."

Zu An was somewhat surprised. "Huh, I thought City Lord Xie was fond of Yu Yanluo back then?"

Come to think of it, among that generation, there were probably very few who didn't admire Yu Yanluo.

"Aren't all men like that, falling for every beautiful woman they see?" Xie Daoyun's face reddened as she said, a little self-consciously, "Brother Zu, I'm not talking about you. I know you're not that kind of person."

Zu An was speechless.

Honestly, Yan Xuehen and Yu Yanluo were truly the dream figures for men of the previous generation. If they ever found out about my relationships with both of them, I'd probably be hunted down by every powerful figure in the world.

Yan Xuehen, still unmoved by Prince Yan's entreaties, gracefully departed.

Chu Chuyan was somewhat reluctant to leave, but dared not defy her master, so she could only offer Zu An an apologetic glance.

Zu An, however, was not in a hurry. Meeting them here was already a delightful surprise; as long as they remained in Yi Commandery, there would be plenty of opportunities to see each other.

Upon seeing Yan Xuehen depart, Guan Chouhai also rose to take his leave.

As soon as Zhi Yin and his companions saw Chu Chuyan depart, they immediately found the lively banquet dull and naturally followed suit.

Zu An naturally took the opportunity to bid farewell as well. With both Yan Xuehen and Chu Chuyan gone, staying to contend with a group of old foxes was simply too exhausting.

Prince Yan and Zu An were fundamentally displeased with each other. While Prince Yan nominally urged him to stay, anyone with a keen eye could discern that his sincerity was vastly different from when he had tried to keep Yan Xuehen.

After leaving Prince Yan's residence, Zu An had initially intended to find the two women, but to his surprise, officials from Yi Commandery, like Zhang Jie, approached him, eager to curry favor. Previously, they had been somewhat disappointed in him, having witnessed Sun Xun mock him throughout the journey without a single retaliation. Now, seeing his resolute stance at the prince's mansion, they immediately changed their tune. Local officials represented the imperial court's interests and were tools used by the emperor to counterbalance regional princes or dukes, creating an inherent conflict between the two. While dealing with weaker princes or dukes was manageable, confronting powerful ones, such as Prince Yan, made the local officials' work considerably difficult. Having finally welcomed an emissary from the imperial court, they naturally sought to leverage his influence.

Zu An felt quite helpless. Unable to dismiss these people, he could only humor them, while Yan Xuehen and Chu Chuyan had long since vanished.

Midway, Zhang Jie invited them to stay at one of his vacant villas, which offered significantly better conditions than the imperial inn. Zu An politely declined. Firstly, he was unsure of Zhang Jie's true intentions and didn't want to rashly align himself; secondly, he harbored many secrets, and staying in someone else's villa meant he couldn't guarantee how many eyes and ears the maids and servants might be.

Zhang Jie didn't insist, personally escorting him to the Yi Commandery post station and ensuring he received the best room.

After finally seeing off the last of them, Zu An collapsed onto a chair, letting out a long sigh.

"The constant official socializing must be exhausting, isn't it?" Xie Daoyun smiled, took a small porcelain bottle from her waist, and dissolved a small blue pill into a cup of water. "This is a hangover and fatigue-relief tea, Brother Zu. Please try it."

"It truly feels more exhausting than a major battle," Zu An admitted, taking the tea cup. He inhaled the refreshing aroma, feeling his spirits lift. "Sister Ling'er, to have ingeniously crafted this hangover tea into a portable pill, you truly are resourceful."

"There's no help for it," Xie Daoyun said, sitting beside him, her posture impeccably straight, truly embodying the demeanor of a refined young lady. "My father often has official engagements and drinks himself into a stupor. And my younger brother is no less troublesome, frequently returning from brothels completely intoxicated after seeking pleasure. As the saying goes, 'long illness makes a good doctor,' so I developed this hangover and fatigue-relief pill. I'm quite grateful to little Sister Xi; if not for her help back then, I wouldn't have had the skill to create it."

"Ji Xiaoxi?" Zu An paused, and the image of that pure, innocent girl appeared in his mind, stirring a warmth in his heart.

"Yes, her father is a renowned physician, though he has a peculiar temperament. Fortunately, Xiaoxi isn't like him; her nature is very kind, and she specifically guided me in creating this." A smile also touched Xie Daoyun's lips as she thought of the young girl who was like a little sister.

Zu An recalled the time he had faced great peril, captured and taken away by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and how Ji Xiaoxi had even pretended to kiss him just to deliver medicine. He wondered how she was doing now, and also about the lovely Huan Zhao—was she fretting about her cultivation in the academy every day? What a pity he hadn't had the chance to return to Brightmoon City!

"Brother Zu? Brother Zu?" Xie Daoyun's questioning voice reached his ears; she had evidently called his name several times.

"What were you just asking?" Zu An said apologetically, realizing his mind had drifted when she had spoken to him.

Xie Daoyun's face flushed slightly. After a moment of hesitation, she finally said, "I saw Miss Chu today, and it seems your relationship is still quite strong. Why don't you... remarry?"

***

He took deep breaths of fresh air, his chest heaving. Confusion, bewilderment, and various other emotions flooded his mind.

Where was this?

Shi Yu then instinctively surveyed his surroundings, growing even more perplexed. A single dormitory room? Even if he had been successfully rescued, he should be in a hospital room. And his body... how could it be completely unscathed?

Puzzled, Shi Yu's gaze quickly swept across the room, finally settling on a mirror positioned at the head of the bed. The mirror reflected his current appearance: a handsome young man, approximately seventeen or eighteen years old. But the problem was, this wasn't him! His previous self had been a striking young man in his twenties with a distinguished aura, who had been working for some time. Yet now, this face looked undeniably like that of a high school student...

This transformation left Shi Yu stunned for a long time. Please don't tell him the surgery was successful... Both his body and his appearance had changed; this was no mere surgery, but divine magic. He had completely transformed into someone else! Could it be... that he had transmigrated?

Besides the mirror at the head of the bed, whose placement clearly suggested poor feng shui, Shi Yu also discovered three books nearby. Shi Yu picked them up, and the titles instantly left him speechless.

*Essential Handbook for Novice Beast Keepers**Post-Natal Care for Companion Beasts**Guide to Appreciating Heterogeneous Beast-Eared Girls*

Shi Yu: ???

The first two book titles seemed normal enough, but what was going on with the last one?

"Ahem."

Shi Yu's gaze sharpened, and he reached out, though his arm quickly stiffened. Just as he was about to open the third book to examine its contents, a sharp pain suddenly pierced his brain, and a torrent of memories surged forth like a tide.

Icefield City.Companion Beast Breeding Base.Intern Companion Beast Keeper.Beast Tamer?