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Ordinary voice transmission methods mostly involved wrapping sound in Source Qi or intent-soul and sending it into the other person's ears. In contrast, the voice transmission between the Saint's remnant soul and Xu Yuan was of a higher caliber: it used an intent-soul link, allowing their voices to ring directly in each other's minds. Unless an outsider probed deeply with their own intent-soul, at most they could only sense an unusual fluctuation in intent-soul. Could this Heaven-Deducing Art truly bypass that and directly overhear their conversation? Xu Yuan's gaze immediately swept toward Tianyan, behind him and to the side. The empty bamboo skewer lay beside her bare feet, and she had resumed her original posture of hugging her knees, revealing only a pair of golden eyes staring at Xu Yuan. Even after discovering the Saint's remnant soul, even after hearing the conversation between Xu Yuan and the Saint's remnant soul, she showed no intention whatsoever of intervening. Like a bystander, she quietly observed his every move. Xu Yuan did not think this was a good thing. This kind of observation was more like an evaluation—weighing the risks and rewards of killing him, a butterfly that introduced variables into the future. What was more crucial, Tianyan had shown herself voluntarily. With her strength, she could easily have remained hidden, watching from the shadows the entire time. Showing herself without communicating—did that mean her observation was nearing its end? At this thought, Xu Yuan looked down at the soul ring on his index finger. This riddler truly deserved to die. After stepping outside the future she had deduced, what would she actually do to him now that she had tracked him down? He took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly, only to hear Zhou Xiaohe's airy voice drift over: "Ah, that was so delicious! Thank you, Young Master Zhou! The last time I had white blaze bird meat, it was thanks to the Fourth Miss of the Chancellor's Manor." "..." Xu Yuan glanced at her. Must be nice to be so carefree. He had completely lost his appetite for the late-night snack he had taken such pains to prepare just a moment ago. But then Xu Yuan's gaze sharpened. Wait. Zhou Xiaohe had just said the Fourth Miss of the Chancellor's Manor, right? Wasn't that his younger sister? Glancing at Zhou Xiaohe as she dabbed the grease from the corners of her mouth with a silk handkerchief, Xu Yuan focused his attention slightly on her and said: "Xu Xinyao?" Seeing that this mysterious and handsome Young Master Zhou was finally no longer brushing her off with "oh," "ah," or "interesting," Zhou Xiaohe's pretty eyes instantly lit up. "Young Master Zhou knows Sister Xinyao?" Xu Yuan's eyes flickered, and he shook his head. "I've heard of the Fourth Miss's reputation and was a bit curious. Is she in Wanxiang City right now as well?" Zhou Xiaohe shook her head with a hint of regret. "No, Sister Xinyao set off for Jingjiang Prefecture City a month and a half ago." "Jingjiang Prefecture City?" Xu Yuan's brow lifted slightly. Zhou Xiaohe hesitated a moment before saying, "It seems something happened to Sister Xinyao's third brother. The day she received word, she took her leave and departed." Calculating the timeline, that was shortly after the incident in Jingjiang Prefecture City. Had his fourth sister gone to Jingjiang Prefecture to look for him? Xu Yuan shook his head and said softly, "That is truly a shame. Had she not left, I would have liked to meet this Fourth Miss whose benevolence is so well known." Zhou Xiaohe also showed regret in her eyes as she said, "Sister Xinyao is truly wonderful. If you met her, Young Master Zhou, you would definitely like her. A while ago, she even helped Shengshan County set up an illusion array." Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow. He was well aware that his fourth sister specialized in arrays. Pausing for a moment, he asked with apparent curiosity, "Shengshan County? An illusion array?" "Young Master Zhou, since you're from out of town, you might not know. Shengshan County borders the Wanxing Mountain Range, and large hordes of demonic beasts often assault the city. The city defense array laid down by the imperial court had fallen into disrepair over the years and was practically ruined; so many people died fighting every year." At this point, a touch of admiration entered Zhou Xiaohe's eyes. "Sister Xinyao approached our Wanxiang Sect over this matter. She provided the array diagrams and the corresponding operational pathways, while our Wanxiang Sect provided the materials. Together, we set up a massive illusion array near Shengshan County. "Sister Xinyao is really amazing! Once the grand array activates, the entire county town is veiled in thick fog, and all the attacking demonic beasts are kept out completely!" Xu Yuan had not expected to hear news about his fourth sister here of all places. After a brief pause, he let out a soft laugh and nodded. "She is indeed quite something." Her actions and her methods were both impressive. Setting up an array to protect the local populace was an action. Getting a sect to foot the bill on behalf of the imperial court was a method. Unlike the two-dimensional character crafted from a few snippets of lore back in Cangyuan, this fourth sister had become a living, breathing person. Benefiting the world—his fourth sister had always been pursuing her ideals in her own way. Naturally, he still would never condone her stabbing her family in the back. If there was any sign of that, even if Xu Changge couldn't bring himself to do it, Xu Yuan would let her experience what a brother's slap of love felt like. Well, provided he could beat her. Zhou Xiaohe looked every bit the devoted fan of Xu Xinyao. Her ample chest bobbed slightly as she chuckled softly. "Hehe, Shengshan County is even preparing to build a living shrine for Sister Xinyao." Xu Yuan shook his head at her words. Just as he was about to speak, the crunching sound of footsteps on snow suddenly came from outside the door: crunch, crunch. This time, it should be the big block of ice. Much later than usual. Xu Yuan was not the only one who heard the footsteps. Zhou Xiaohe reflexively looked toward the outside, her eyes puzzled as she murmured, "Why are so many people coming to Li Family Village tonight?" No sooner had the words left her mouth than a stunning woman clad in black walked slowly into the relatively warm ruined house. Seeing her, Xu Yuan immediately waved. "Ying'er, come here." "..." Hearing that name, Ran Qingmo glanced at Xu Yuan with mild confusion, and then her gaze locked onto Tianyan behind him. Her black dress fluttered without wind, and a black sword quietly appeared in her palm. In an instant, time in the room seemed to freeze. Zhou Xiaohe stared blankly at Ran Qingmo's beauty. Seated in the corner, Li Erzhu stiffened as if facing a mortal enemy, gripping the scabbard he had unstrapped from his back. Xu Yuan opened his mouth to speak. Tianyan remained in her earlier posture. She merely cast a glance at Ran Qingmo, then returned her gaze to Xu Yuan. Time resumed. Ran Qingmo put away her sword, walked up to Xu Yuan, and said succinctly, "Let's go." Xu Yuan's eyes snapped up at her words. If Ran Qingmo said she found it, she must have found the entrance to the secret realm. He confirmed, "You found it?" "Mm." Ran Qingmo nodded. Xu Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly, glancing back at Tianyan. Could Tianyan's appearance tonight have something to do with Ran Qingmo finding the entrance to the secret realm? "..." Sitting in the corner, Zhou Xiaohe looked back and forth between Xu Yuan and Ran Qingmo. Disappointment showed in her eyes, but she was equally astonished. Sumeru rings... Both this Young Master Zhou and this Ying'er each had a Sumeru ring... In the next moment, she saw Young Master Zhou wave a hand casually. Aside from the portable inscription lamp on the wall, the grill on the floor, and the heating brazier, everything else was swept into his Sumeru ring. Then, in a voice as gentle and smooth as jade, he said to her: "Zhou has business to attend to and will take his leave. Please take the white blaze bird meat as an apology for my discourtesy." With that, the handsome Young Master Zhou led the woman in black and the lovely little girl out of the ruined house, gradually vanishing into the dark, snowy night.