Chapter 201: Stunning

Based on the information Wu Jinliang gathered, Lan Qiaoyan's family lived in this mountain. They were not the only residents in the area; it was rumored that only the wealthy and influential resided here, a fact immediately confirmed by the protective array they saw.

Believing that with multiple families living there, people would surely come and go, they figured waiting would eventually yield someone. They believed that as long as they encountered someone, they would find a way, just as snakes find their paths and rats find theirs. To their surprise, it seemed no one in this area ever returned home. Despite a large road winding through the mountain, not a single soul was visible, unlike the bustling traffic on other roads in the capital.

This wait lasted until mid-afternoon. The long wait made Shi Chun grow suspicious. "Jinliang," he asked, "are you certain this place is inhabited?"

"Absolutely," Wu Jinliang replied. "I wouldn't trust it lightly; I had it confirmed. People definitely live here, and they are either wealthy or influential."

Seeing Wu Jinliang's certainty, Shi Chun paused momentarily before activating the ability in his right eye to scan the area. He found nothing remarkable within the protective array, but he did detect some anomalies in the forest behind it. A comparison between the vision from both his eyes confirmed that a small group of people was hidden among the tree canopies on a nearby hilltop in the forest they had just traversed. He didn't know their purpose, but the fact that his left eye could pinpoint their hiding place meant they could also see his and Wu Jinliang's position.

Shi Chun immediately whispered his findings to Wu Jinliang. Wu Jinliang, now privy to the information, cast two quick glances in that direction, careful not to stare lest they be detected. He whispered, "Damn, we didn't bring any weapons. How many of them are there?"

Shi Chun counted carefully. "Not too many, not too few," he replied. "Looks like eleven."

"Are they friends or foes?" Wu Jinliang questioned.

"I don't know," Shi Chun replied. "Hiding in a cluster in tree canopies doesn't suggest they're local guards. I can't tell if they were here before we arrived or if they followed us."

"Even if they followed us," Wu Jinliang reasoned, "waiting this long without making a move means they either don't dare to act, or they aren't here to cause trouble. It doesn't seem like we need to worry too much."

Shi Chun nodded subtly. As they continued their wait, they also increased their vigilance regarding their surroundings.

The afternoon gave way to night, and still, no one passed by on the road. The two wondered if the residents of this area were odd, or if they themselves were the strange ones. Fortunately, the plants lining both sides of the road emitted a phosphorescent glow at night, illuminating the path sufficiently. In the deep darkness, it resembled a glowing ribbon.

About an hour after nightfall, the sound of a vehicle finally echoed through the wilderness. The two, one inside the carriage and the other on its roof, immediately dismounted and stood in front of their own carriage, waiting. Not long after, a vehicle rumbled to a stop in front of them, completely blocking the road and leaving it no choice but to halt.

A woman's face emerged from behind the carriage curtain, and it was none other than Lan Qiaoyan. Upon seeing Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang blocking the road, she asked in surprise, "What are you two doing here?"

Miao Yilan's head immediately appeared from the other side, and she asked in astonished recognition, "Shi Chun? Big Guy?"

Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang felt a slight trickle of sweat. They hadn't anticipated such a coincidence: the first people they stopped were this mother and daughter. They quickly instructed their spirit beast to adjust the carriage's direction, clearing the road.

The mother and daughter had already alighted. "What is the meaning of this?" Lan Qiaoyan asked.

In front of them, Shi Chun instinctively resumed his polite and refined demeanor. "Madam, Yilan," he began, "we heard you'd arrived in the capital and specifically came to visit. We couldn't get inside and didn't know how to contact you, so we decided to wait for someone to pass by and inquire."

Lan Qiaoyan raised an eyebrow slightly. "Blocking the road just to inquire?" she said. "That looks less like inquiring and more like robbery. The 'Big Boss' certainly did a fair bit of that in the past, didn't he?"

Shi Chun quickly explained, "Madam, you jest. How would we dare cause trouble in the capital? You know where we hail from; we're unsophisticated and didn't know whether to block the road horizontally or vertically. Please forgive our awkwardness, Madam."

Wu Jinliang, normally a straightforward person, now appeared hesitant and meek, seemingly shrinking a few inches in front of Lan Qiaoyan. Lan Qiaoyan felt an urge to roll her eyes every time she saw him. She couldn't forget how he had once called her "Mother" upon meeting; with his big mouth and loud voice, she almost believed that absurdity last time, had she not known the truth. She had also witnessed his wild swagger while wielding a large saber in the mirror, a stark contrast to his current demeanor. She wondered if he was merely putting on an act, a thought that simultaneously annoyed and amused her.

Miao Yilan, observing their reactions from the side, subtly smiled, her eyes twinkling as she sized them both up. It was almost as if she were seeing them in a new light; after all, they were the first and second-place winners of the recently concluded Heavenly Rain Meteor Grand Assembly. She had witnessed their impressive display in the mirror, and now felt a slight inclination to get to know them anew.

Lan Qiaoyan wasn't easily fooled; she only played a little naive in front of her husband. Her tone turned slightly displeased: "You knew my daughter and I were coming, and you even knew where we lived. Do you genuinely not know how to contact us?"

Her words were a bit cutting. Shi Chun thought for a moment before replying, "My brother and I nearly starved when we were scrounging for food, and we grew accustomed to snatching meals, which often led to trouble. We are very grateful to Madam and didn't want to bring any trouble to you, nor did we want you to misunderstand. Knowing you were here, we simply came to visit discreetly, not wishing to make our presence widely known."

Originally, influenced by her husband's words, she had considered maintaining some distance. But after Shi Chun's explanation, Lan Qiaoyan found herself unable to simply dismiss them. After all, she had observed him for a long time in the Land of Exile and knew his character well enough to find aspects she admired; otherwise, she wouldn't have helped him in the first place.

She then changed her tone. "You've been waiting here for quite a while, haven't you?"

"Not long at all," Shi Chun replied. "We came after dinner; our stomachs are still full." He puffed out his rounded belly and patted it.

Wu Jinliang likewise puffed out his rounded belly and patted it, looking as if he had just overeaten.

Lan Qiaoyan didn't give it much thought. "Since you're already here," she said, "come inside and sit for a while." She turned and gestured for her daughter to get into the carriage.

Unexpectedly, Shi Chun called out softly, "Madam, I have a question."

Lan Qiaoyan stopped and turned to face him. Shi Chun leaned in closer, subtly pointing in a certain direction with his hand. He whispered, "On that hilltop over there, I inadvertently discovered a group of people hiding. We're unfamiliar with the situation here, and it's not appropriate for us to investigate. Are they guards for this place, or something else entirely?"

Upon hearing this, Lan Qiaoyan didn't even turn to look, only her eyebrows twitching slightly. "This place is protected by a grand array; no outer guards are needed. If the grand array fails, mere guards would be useless. Alright, don't you worry about it. I'll contact someone to handle it. Get in the carriage, and follow closely." She turned and led her daughter into the carriage.

Soon, a streak of light shot out from Lan Qiaoyan's carriage, striking the obstructing illusory ripples and swiftly melting an opening. Both carriages passed through one after another. The melted opening in the illusory ripples swiftly closed again, vanishing into nothingness.

After driving deeper into the mountain for a while, they began to see vividly colored courtyards appear, scattered haphazardly across the landscape. Finally, both carriages stopped outside a courtyard. After the guests and hosts alighted, servants led the carriages aside.

Watching the servants depart, Shi Chun remarked in surprise, "So there *are* people here after all. I didn't see a single soul on the road earlier and thought it was deserted."

Lan Qiaoyan smiled without speaking. Some matters were difficult to explain to him. Not everyone who owned a house here necessarily resided in it; like her own family, if it hadn't been for the Heavenly Rain Meteor Grand Assembly, they wouldn't have visited this place in ages, and "going home" didn't necessarily mean returning here. Furthermore, some residents here were engaged in secluded cultivation, so it was perfectly normal not to see people on the roads for extended periods in this area, which was never intended as a bustling residential district.

The understated luxury of the Miao family residence was obvious, more than enough to make the newly arrived Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang understand the "gap" between their worlds. They couldn't stop looking around. Shi Chun himself felt a touch of admiration for his own audacity, wondering how he had ever found the courage to pursue Miao Yilan. It was likely a case of "ignorance is bliss." He had heard Miao Dingyi was also present but hadn't seen him. Shi Chun felt curious but refrained from mentioning Miao Dingyi, knowing he was a very important person.

With servants present, Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang's conversation was somewhat ambiguous, filled with polite pleasantries. So, after the servants served tea, Lan Qiaoyan waved them away.

With no one else present, Shi Chun finally took a folded black cloth pouch from his bosom and handed it to Miao Yilan. "Yilan," he said, "I brought this back from the Western Extremity. See if you like it." He kept it hidden from others because he wasn't sure if it was against regulations to privately bring back insect-extremity crystals.

Not only Miao Yilan but even Lan Qiaoyan had grown accustomed to this. She knew he always presented her daughter with gifts whenever they met. She had seen almost every one of these gifts, and though they were often inexpensive trinkets, she had to admit that, considering his circumstances, he had put genuine thought into each one. "Didn't he say he had given up pursuing my daughter after leaving that place?" she mused, recalling Miao Yilan's words. Why was he still giving gifts? She was somewhat relieved that Gong Shaoci hadn't returned with them this time, as witnessing this scene might have been awkward.

Miao Yilan, too, was accustomed to receiving gifts from Shi Chun and to being unable to refuse, so she accepted it without ceremony. The gifts were always different, which made her curious each time and gave her a sense of anticipation when opening them. She squeezed it in her hand; it felt like something very small this time. What could it be? With a smile playing on her lips, she opened the black cloth pouch for all to see.

Upon seeing the familiar black cloth pouch, Lan Qiaoyan's eyebrow twitched; she likely already knew what it was. Although insect-extremity crystals were uncommon, Bowang Tower was a place where all sorts of rare items converged. From her perspective, it wasn't a truly rare item. What she hadn't expected was that the moment the pouch opened, a cluster of red light materialized. Immediately afterward, a streak of red light flashed out, almost startling Miao Yilan and catching her completely off guard. Instead of catching it, she recoiled and dodged.

Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang had been anticipating her "surprise." Of course, they couldn't allow the red light to escape. Shi Chun was already prepared and was just about to move to seize it, but then he saw Lan Qiaoyan flip her sleeve, making an ethereal grab that instantly froze the escaping red light, then pulled it back through the air.

Finally, a multi-faceted, brilliant red crystal floated and spun gracefully in Lan Qiaoyan's palm. Coupled with its delicate yet not overly seductive reddish glow, it was extraordinarily beautiful, resembling a dazzling ruby, breathtaking and utterly stunning. It was truly much more beautiful than the blue insect-extremity crystal, possessing a strange, astonishing quality—or, perhaps, a distinct charm. This was a gift with true character.

It was unclear if women had a natural fondness for gems, but both the mother and daughter's eyes instantly lit up. They were both visibly amazed, staring at it with astonishment and wonder. Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang instinctively exchanged glances, giving each other knowing winks. They had finally given a gift that was genuinely appreciated.

After a long moment, Lan Qiaoyan finally looked up and asked them, "What is this?"

Shi Chun smiled. "It's from the Western Extremity. What else could it be but an insect-extremity crystal?"

Lan Qiaoyan asked in surprise, "How can an insect-extremity crystal be red? And I can sense it's different from ordinary ones; it seems to possess a distinctly noble quality."

Shi Chun shook his head. "I don't know either. I accidentally found it when I was forced into the Moon Sea. I thought it was special because its color was different from other insect-extremity crystals, so I brought it back as a gift for Yilan. Anyway, I collected tens of thousands of insect-extremity crystals for my mission this time, so one less won't make a difference."

Lan Qiaoyan looked at the object in her palm, shaking her head in amazement. "The world is truly vast and full of wonders. To think there's a red one! This is the first time I've ever heard of or seen one. Shi Chun, scarcity makes things valuable. If you sent this to an auction house, it could probably fetch a high price. Are you truly giving it to Lanlan as a gift?"

Shi Chun smiled. "It was specifically brought for Yilan as a gift. Now that it's given to Yilan, it's hers."

Lan Qiaoyan considered it for a moment and didn't press the issue, knowing she couldn't refuse it at this point. She decided to wait for her husband to return, then have her well-informed husband examine it and appraise its value. If it turned out to be too valuable, she couldn't accept it. These two were still in a phase where they were struggling desperately for money; she couldn't possibly take advantage of them. Even if she accepted it, she would have to find a way to secretly return the money to them later. She made a quick estimate, guessing it might be worth around ten million sandalwood gold. Her family could certainly afford that much.

With that thought, she accepted the gift. It was indeed very appealing; even she liked it. She also didn't want this gem to fall into another woman's hands. Holding it in her palm, she presented it to her wide-eyed daughter.