Chapter 1641: The Matchmaker

"Sister Linger, please transcribe these two letters for me, following the notes on them," Zu An said, standing up and pulling out a chair, motioning for her to come over.

Xie Daoyun was a rune expert, and writing was her specialty. While it was difficult for others to imitate handwriting, it was effortless for her.

"Okay," Xie Daoyun obediently sat down, picked up the letters, and began to read them. The smile on her face gradually froze.

Noticing her unusual reaction, Zu An quickly asked, "What's wrong? Is the handwriting difficult to imitate?"

"Not exactly," Xie Daoyun replied, a hesitant expression on her face. After a long pause, she finally spoke softly, "Brother Zu, which young lady are you planning to meet at midnight?"

Zu An chuckled wryly. "You've misunderstood. It's not for me; it's... for a mission. If it were for me, why would I need to imitate handwriting?" He felt awkward explaining it was for the senior brother and sister from the Azure Palace, fearing she might be startled and reluctant to transcribe the letters due to potential negative implications.

"You're right!" Xie Daoyun's eyes lit up, and her face immediately broke into a joyful smile. She slightly rolled up her sleeves, revealing her fair wrists, and began to transcribe, comparing the texts.

"Will it be a bit difficult?" Zu An asked with some concern. Both Wan Tongtian's and Grandmaster Huoling's handwriting had distinct personal styles, which was why he had found it challenging before.

"It might be hard for others, but Brother Zu, don't forget what I do," Xie Daoyun said, her face glowing with confidence.

Soon, both letters were complete. Zu An examined them and found that the handwriting was indistinguishable from Wan Tongtian's and Grandmaster Huoling's. He couldn't help but marvel, "I never imagined such delicate hands could produce such powerful calligraphy."

Xie Daoyun blushed slightly. "I'm glad I could help, Brother Zu."

"Go to bed early. I need to step out for a bit," Zu An said, tucking the letters into his pocket and heading for the door.

"Brother Zu!" Xie Daoyun called out to him. "Will you be back tonight?"

Zu An paused. "I might be back very late." Helping Da Manman heal would take up most of the night. Of course, he couldn't stay the night, or it would be troublesome if the Azure Palace members found out.

Hearing he would return, Xie Daoyun quietly breathed a sigh of relief. "I wish you success with your mission, Brother Zu!"

Zu An gave her a strange look, waved his hand, and disappeared into the night sky.

Meanwhile, in the Azure Palace villa, Grandmaster Huoling and Pei Mianman were chatting about the upcoming days of the competition. Pei Mianman responded distractedly, her mind occupied with trying to understand what A'Zu had meant earlier.

Just then, Grandmaster Huoling's expression suddenly turned cold. She flicked her sleeve, and an object that had shot in through the window was caught by her. In that instant, she had already rushed to the door, her sharp gaze sweeping the surroundings. Unfortunately, there was only the sparse chirping of insects, and no one in sight.

"Master, what's wrong?" Pei Mianman also ran out.

"A master just arrived," Grandmaster Huoling said, her face solemn. "Only a handful of people in the entire Purple Mountain can deliver a letter without me noticing." However, those individuals wouldn't act so stealthily. Could other masters have infiltrated?

Pondering, she picked up the letter, used her spiritual sense to confirm there were no traps inside, and then opened it. The handwriting instantly made her heart skip a beat. After she finished reading the contents, her face alternated between red and white, a myriad of emotions surging forth, making her expression truly captivating.

"Master, what does it say?" Pei Mianman had never seen such an expression on her master's face and couldn't help but stand on her tiptoes to peek.

"Nothing important, just some nonsense written by a bored person. Don't mind it," Grandmaster Huoling quickly tucked the letter into her robes. "Let's continue discussing what we were talking about."

Pei Mianman simply said "Oh" and didn't press further. A moment ago, Pei Mianman had been distracted; now, it was Grandmaster Huoling's turn. She appeared calm and unbothered, but inwardly, a storm raged.

Why would that scoundrel write such a letter to me? But if not him, then who? How could I not recognize his handwriting? Who else in the entire villa could have delivered a letter so silently besides him? Did fighting alongside him earlier make him remember our younger days? But he's married with children now. What's the point of writing such things to me? Hmph, who does he think he is? Does he expect me to meet him just because he wants to? And he wants to meet at the secluded Heavenly Lake Peak? What exactly is he planning?

After a while, Pei Mianman also noticed her master's unusual state and cautiously said, "Master, you've been too tired helping me recover these past few days. Why don't you go back and rest?"

"This master isn't tired," Grandmaster Huoling instinctively replied. However, after a moment of hesitation, she stood up and said, "Alright, you should rest and regulate your qi well."

After speaking, she returned to her room, her hands trembling slightly as she took out the letter. She read its contents again and again, her expression shifting between tears and laughter. After a long moment, she suddenly stood up and muttered to herself, "Hmph, I'd like to see what you intend to tell me!"

She started to leave but quickly returned to her room. A struggling expression appeared on her face, but she still pulled out a mirror and a set of rouge and powder from her storage bag. Looking at the familiar yet strange cosmetics, a hint of sadness appeared on her face. This set had been a gift from Wan Tongtian all those years ago. How many years had passed since she last used them? Thirty years? Or fifty? Fortunately, storing them in a spatial bag prevented them from spoiling.

She sat back down at the vanity. As she applied the powder, it was as if she recalled past times. The harshness and severity in her eyes slowly softened, replaced by a hint of youthful shyness.

Meanwhile, Pei Mianman was feeling restless in her room when the window creaked open. She turned abruptly and saw a familiar figure.

"A'Zu!" Pei Mianman exclaimed, surprised and delighted. She rushed over to help him inside. "What are you doing here? Master is still next door!"

Zu An jumped in and gave her a big hug. Feeling the familiar pressure against his chest, he grinned and said, "Don't worry, she won't be back anytime soon." His initial plan was to impersonate Wan Tongtian and only write a letter to Grandmaster Huoling. However, he later thought that would be too cruel. If Grandmaster Huoling waited all night in the cold wind, her resentment would likely be enough to tear Wan Tongtian apart. So, he decided to write letters to both of them. He had created the opportunity; whether they seized it depended on their fate.

"You wrote that letter?" Pei Mianman wasn't foolish; she quickly caught on.

"Otherwise, how would I get rid of the third wheel?" Zu An said, a bit smug, patting himself on the back for his cleverness.

"What on earth did you write to distract my master?" Pei Mianman's large eyes were full of curiosity.

"Ahem, it's a good thing, that's all." Zu An felt awkward telling her the truth. If she knew he'd used such a trick on her master, she might get angry. Seeing that she wanted to press further, Zu An quickly changed the subject. "You deliberately left the door open for me, Manman. You truly are in sync with me." In this world, cultivators' residences usually had defensive arrays. Without the owner's permission, it was quite difficult to enter unnoticed.

Pei Mianman blushed. "Pfft, I just forgot to close the window. I didn't deliberately leave the door open for you."

"Come on, let Big Brother check your body and see how well you've recovered," Zu An said with a smile, extending his playful hands towards her.

"Naughty!" Pei Mianman said with her lips, but her tone betrayed no genuine annoyance. The two naturally cuddled together, speaking of their longing during separation and the joy of their unexpected reunion.

After a while, Zu An said, "Your injuries are healing too slowly. The upcoming competitions will be dangerous. I'll help you heal with Primordial Qi."

"No!" Pei Mianman exclaimed, her face red, as she ran away. After being together for so long, how could she not know what kind of "healing" he was referring to?

Zu An chuckled. "What do you mean, 'No,' while you're running towards the bed?"

Pei Mianman was greatly embarrassed. She grabbed a pillow and chased him around the room, hitting him. However, their playful chase soon led them to tumble into the covers.

"You... you said you were going to heal me, so why are you... kissing me?" Pei Mianman's voice trembled slightly.

Zu An lifted his head from her embrace, smiling. "This is just preparation for the healing."

"You really are an annoying yet lovable scoundrel," Pei Mianman said, her peach-blossom eyes almost watering. Her jade-like arms gently wrapped around him, and she naturally began to cooperate with him. Their long-awaited reunion was like dry tinder meeting a blazing fire, or accumulated moisture finally erupting with a slight trigger.

"Mmm," a sweet, languid moan escaped Pei Mianman's lips, and her skin flushed a captivating peach-pink. Zu An didn't forget to circulate the Primordial Chaos Sutra to help her recover from her internal injuries. However, this type of healing made the recipient's body infinitely more sensitive than usual. Soon, Pei Mianman was utterly overwhelmed, begging for mercy with repeated calls of "Good big brother." But she didn't realize that the more she pleaded, the more it sounded like the sweetest battle cry in a man's ears.

Just as their "healing" reached its peak, Zu An's expression suddenly changed. "Are you kidding me? Is it always this coincidental? God, are you playing with me?"

"What's wrong?" Pei Mianman asked languidly, sensing his hesitation.

But she soon found out. Light footsteps approached from outside, followed by a clear, cold voice: "Manman, it's Chuyan."