Silence fell over the room.
Hearing the news, Ran Qingmo merely parted her lips and let out a soft "Oh."
Beside her, Xu Yuan subconsciously frowned.
Ran Jianli.
Sect Master of the Sword Sect, Imperial Preceptor of the dynasty, and nominal leader of the Alliance of Sects. For him to summon Ran Qingmo back to the sect at this precise juncture—and to have Lou Ji deliver the message—was deeply thought-provoking.
As he pondered, Lou Ji's soft voice drifted over:
"What's the matter? Can our Changtian not bear to part with our Momo?"
Xu Yuan returned to his senses and met Lou Ji's gaze, a flicker of seriousness in his eyes. "It's not about that."
Seeing his expression, Lou Ji understood, her voice carrying a teasing note. "Don't overthink it."
Pausing, she shifted her gaze toward the young woman clad in black and offered a playful smile. "The old man is calling Ran Qingmo back now mostly because he doesn't want his precious disciple ruined by you."
Ran Qingmo blinked her lovely eyes, only half-comprehending.
Xu Yuan froze upon hearing that, quickly realizing that word of the arranged marriage had likely reached the old man's ears.
Recalling Ran Jianli's character art in *Cangyuan*—bulging muscles and scruffy stubble—it truly was not impossible.
Xu Yuan went silent for a moment before coughing lightly. "If that's the case..."
"It's already too late."
"......" Xu Yuan.
"......" Lou Ji.
Silence descended once more.
Xu Yuan's eye twitched as he glanced back at Ran Qingmo.
Ran Qingmo's expression remained perfectly calm as she looked at Lou Ji and stated with utter seriousness:
"Xu Yuan and I have already done what only a husband and wife can do."
"......"
A distinct look of astonishment crossed Lou Ji's glamorous face before she glanced sideways at Xu Yuan.
Xu Yuan parted his lips, entirely at a loss for words.
Ran Qingmo's expression was composed as ever, her eyes clear as spring water, her voice completely devoid of fluctuations:
"Xu Yuan, when I return this time, I will explain it clearly to Master."
"......"
Lou Ji seemed to understand. A hint of approval shone in her lovely eyes, and she secretly gave Xu Yuan a thumbs-up.
Shortly after, Lou Ji stood up sensuously, strolled over to Ran Qingmo, raised the girl's chin, and said with a beaming smile:
"You can't let your master know about this just yet~"
Ran Qingmo paused for a beat and asked, "Why?"
Hearing the question, Lou Ji straightened up, crossed her arms, tapped her chin with her forefinger, and narrowed her eyes with a smile:
"Qingmo, you wouldn't want our Changtian to be cleaved in two by your master's sword, would you?"
"......"
The image of Ran Jianli's two-meter-long greatsword surfaced in Xu Yuan's mind, sending a shiver through him.
Ran Qingmo's delicate brows knit together slightly in thought. "Sister, do you mean Master will try to kill Changtian? Why?"
Lou Ji fell quiet for a moment, then massaged her brow. "He probably won't go so far as to kill him, but several severe beatings are definitely unavoidable."
Ran Qingmo's brows furrowed further. "I will stop Master..."
"Ahem."
Xu Yuan cleared his throat, drawing Ran Qingmo's attention before offering a gentle smile. "Ran Qingmo, I think a matter like this ought to be discussed by me in person. What do you think?"
"......"
Ran Qingmo considered this, then replied in a quiet voice, "Mm, I'll listen to you."
Ran Qingmo left and settled into the guest room next door to Xu Yuan's.
As a meeting gift before she departed, Lou Ji mysteriously handed Ran Qingmo a packet of medicinal powder, along with two Source Crystals.
It paled in comparison to Xu Changge. Though his elder brother was a bit too fond of throwing hands, he was always generous with gifts, unlike this auntie who pinched every copper.
Once again, only the two of them remained in the room.
Xu Yuan rubbed his brow and looked at Lou Ji, who was seeing Ran Qingmo out at the doorway. "What did you give her?"
"Hehuan Powder. It was sent back a month ago by that other lover of yours."
"......" Xu Yuan was speechless.
Noticing his stunned look, Lou Ji waved a hand with a coy laugh. "Just a joke. If she wanted to take you by force, you wouldn't be able to resist anyway. Besides, this big sister isn't so generous."
"You must be quite proud." Xu Yuan gave this stingy auntie a thumbs-up.
Lou Ji gave a soft snort. "Hehuan Powder has already gone extinct. Its main ingredient, the Meishen flower, simply cannot... What is that?"
Her voice cut off abruptly.
In the very next instant, Lou Ji appeared before Xu Yuan as if teleporting from the doorway, snatching the Meishen flower from his hand and inspecting it with extreme scrutiny.
Seeing this glamorous auntie's flustered state, Xu Yuan leaned slowly against the back of his chair and chuckled. "A Meishen flower. Haven't you ever seen one? Ah, right—it went extinct, so it's only natural you haven't."
Lou Ji casually slipped the Meishen flower into her Sumeru ring. "Changtian..."
As she spoke, she swayed gracefully behind Xu Yuan and gently massaged his shoulders. "Big Sister is best at handling poisons. With a Meishen flower, if all goes well, I could even silently eliminate a cultivator of the Transcendent Realm. Don't you think..."
Xu Yuan tilted his head back, resting against her soft abdomen. Enjoying the massage, he said wearily, "Sister, look at these official files first..."
Lou Ji's eye twitched, though her laughter remained intact. "Big Sister will help you."
"Wait, aren't you an examiner, Sister?" Xu Yuan smiled.
Lou Ji applied a little more force with her hands. "Doesn't matter. If you don't tell and I don't tell, how would that old man Xu Yinhe ever find out?"
Knowing when to stop, Xu Yuan stood up, stretched lazily, and patted the terrifying Black-Scaled Poisoness on the shoulder twice.
"Then I'll go sleep first. Watch over things for me, Sister."
With that, Xu Yuan dove headfirst onto the plush daybed and waved at Lou Ji, who was still standing in place.
"I leave it to you, Sister~"
Having said that, he shut his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
"......"
Lou Ji stood frozen in place, feeling both exasperated and amused. Finally, she let out a helpless sigh and rubbed her brow.
"What a little nuisance..."
Xu Yuan slept like a log. By the time he woke, night had already fallen.
No lamps were lit in the room, yet by the moonlight filtering in from outside, Xu Yuan could still make out a figure seated at the desk.
Circulating his technique slightly, he confirmed it was Lou Ji.
Fearing she might disturb his rest, she had not lit any lamps. Draped in a brocade fur cloak, she sat before the desk in the dark, diligently reviewing the documents.
To someone of her cultivation, light or dark made no difference.
Xu Yuan was about to get up and share a few jests when his peripheral vision caught sight of a figure hanging outside the open doorway.
Focusing his gaze, he saw it was a woman—one he recognized as a shopkeeper sent by Hua Hong.
"Awake?"
Lou Ji's airy voice drifted over, followed by the soft glow of a bright-pattern lamp illuminating the chamber.
Rising gracefully, Lou Ji thoughtfully brought a cup of tea over to Xu Yuan. "Here, drink some water."
Xu Yuan rubbed his brow, took the cup, and took a sip. "Waking up to that is a bit startling."
Lou Ji smiled faintly. "It's supposed to be startling. If even you're startled, imagine the effect on the others coming to report."
Xu Yuan glanced at the corpse hanging from the eaves outside the doorway. "Killing the chicken to scare the monkeys?"
Lou Ji sat down on the edge of the bed, holding a cup of hot tea of her own. Taking a sip, she said, "You could say that. The second and third batches of shopkeepers sent by Hua Hong have arrived as well. The more people there are, the harder it is to keep them in line. She took a few bribes and allowed the Wanxiang Sect to secretly transport some goods out of the eastern warehouses."
With that, Lou Ji glanced at Xu Yuan. "If it were you, Changtian, what would you have done?"
Xu Yuan fell silent for a moment before answering truthfully, "I probably would have just given her a warning."
With the teacup hovering before her, Lou Ji braced her hands behind her on the bed and smiled softly. "Changtian, warnings that never draw blood aren't warnings at all. Only by letting blood once in a while do your warnings hold weight."
Xu Yuan drank his tea without responding.
Lou Ji gave a soft sigh, her tone turning slightly playful. "Big Sister doesn't actually mind them taking benefits. After all, I've accepted benefits from you as well, Changtian. But before taking benefits, they had better know their place."
Her tone suddenly shifted, like an actor changing masks, laced with a touch of grievance. "Changtian, look at how hard Big Sister has worked, toiling for you from morning till night..."
"Sister, that was a Meishen flower."
"......"
With a cold snort, Lou Ji rose to her feet. "Not cute at all."
Yet after taking two steps, she switched expressions again, turning back to ask in a gentle murmur, "Changtian, I examined the condition of that Meishen flower. Was it harvested recently?"
Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow, leaning against the headboard, and asked with a grin, "You can tell even that?"
"Big Sister specializes in poisons, after all~" Lou Ji narrowed her eyes in a smile. "No matter how well preserved, it couldn't possibly retain such vitality."
Xu Yuan did not hide it and nodded. "It was indeed harvested recently."
Lou Ji's breath caught, turning slightly hurried. "Then what about the Meishen cherry tree?"
She knew the value of a Meishen cherry tree all too well. If they had it...
Just as the thought crossed her mind, she noticed Xu Yuan instinctively averting his gaze, and her heart sank.
"Don't tell me you destroyed the Meishen cherry tree?"
Xu Yuan cleared his throat lightly. "Ahem, it's a bit complicated."
Unless he revealed the secret realm of the Qionghua Sect, there was no hiding the sword marks left by Ran Qingmo on the trunk of the Meishen cherry tree.
Hearing his response, Lou Ji clenched her fists, and Source Qi began to leak from her body.
This prodigal brat!
Xu Yuan sat on the bed, inching backward bit by bit. "Wait, Sister, wait, hear me out first."
"Very well~"
Lou Ji was not Xu Changge, so she was still willing to listen to explanations. Smiling with stiff lips, she said, "Go on with your excuses, Changtian. I'm listening."
"......"
Xu Yuan promptly spilled the legitimate reasons he had long prepared, picking and choosing his words carefully: "...That's essentially what happened. If we hadn't severed the Meishen cherry tree, we never would have gotten out."
Lou Ji listened intently beside him until her aura finally settled, though her heart still ached over the loss. "Honestly... you act just like a fool."
Seeing this, Xu Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. But just as a grin broke across his face, his vision blurred.
A voluptuous, graceful figure materialized beside him as if by teleportation.
Then—
*Thud!*
Lou Ji drove a firm fist onto his crown, her voice chilling: "Xu Changtian, what is your current cultivation level?! There are secret realms in this world that even I wouldn't dare enter lightly! You like taking risks? If you dare step into another secret realm next time, Big Sister has prepared quite a few new concoctions that need testing. Care to give them a try?"
With that, Lou Ji snorted, turned away, and walked back to the desk, reviewing the files with an icy, silent glare.
Xu Yuan sat on the bed holding his aching head for a while. Eventually, he sheepishly rose, walked up behind Lou Ji, and began massaging her shoulders.
"Sister, I understand. But could you please not..."
*Slap!*
Lou Ji tossed the document in her hand onto the desk and shot him a sideways glance. "I can keep this from your father."
Xu Yuan sighed in relief.
"But I will tell that boy Xu Changge."
"......" Xu Yuan was speechless.
Having failed to negotiate peace with Lou Ji, Xu Yuan simply slacked off entirely, taking charge only of the highest decisions while dumping every other matter onto her.
If you want the Meishen flower, you can work like an honest laborer.
The price of Lou Ji handling the tedious administrative affairs was several more corpses hanging from the eaves outside Xu Yuan's guest room. Likely because of this, the subordinates below became far more obedient.
Moreover, with Auntie Lou Ji acting as a high-level laborer, Xu Yuan enjoyed plenty of leisure, only occasionally stepping in to wrangle with the higher-ups of the Wanxiang Sect.
Days passed by one after another, though progress remained modest.
Yet after holding a hardline stance for more than ten days, tasting the immense friction of taking over the businesses, Xu Yuan abruptly altered his attitude toward the Wanxiang Sect.
The Chancellor's Manor made a concession.
He promised to leave them a certain amount of silent shares in the businesses ceded to the Chancellor's Manor as compensation.
Most ranged from ten to thirty percent.
Naturally, these silent shares were allocated to specific aristocratic clans within the Wanxiang Sect, rather than the Wanxiang Sect as a whole.
Furthermore, these ceded shares were certainly not given away for free; they were offset by a reduced sum in exchange for profit-sharing silent equity in other businesses within the Wanxiang Sect.
Xu Yuan was attempting to forge a simple coalition of shared interests with the Wanxiang Sect.
The signal was unmistakable.
Though the Chancellor's Manor had seized a share of the Wanxiang Sect's pie, the Manor's backing could make that pie far larger.
While the Chancellor's Manor ate the meat, the Wanxiang Sect could drink the broth—and in the future, the meat inside their broth would not be less than what they had eaten before.
The cost of doing this was that the Chancellor's Manor took a substantial hit in negotiations, with the total compensation dropping from an initial ninety million taels to around eighty million taels.
However, once Xu Yuan's vision materialized, the businesses of the Wanxiang Sect would be thoroughly penetrated by the Chancellor's Manor over the coming years, or even within a few short years, turning it into a veritable sieve.
If time permitted, they could eventually orchestrate an internal revolution within the sect merely by deploying money.
Returning from a stroll through Wanxiang City, Xu Yuan brushed the dust from his clothes.
Presently, aside from the eastern part of the city, which remained firmly controlled by the Black Scale Army, the common folk had largely returned to their pre-war lives. After all, the war had lasted only a brief time, and the destruction had mostly been confined near the city walls.
The brothels, theaters, and taverns along the Liuchuan River remained as lively with song and dance as ever.
Stepping into his guest room, the laborer working for the Meishen flower was still conscientiously handling official business.
Seeing this, Xu Yuan walked over, sat down across from Lou Ji, poured himself a cup of tea, and asked, "How do things look today?"
Lou Ji shot Xu Yuan an exasperated, tired glare. "Your father was quite satisfied with the proposal you submitted earlier. However, things aren't going so smoothly on the Wanxiang Sect's side."
"Oh?"
Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow, took a sip of tea, and said unhurriedly, "Is it that Xia Wenlin again?"
Lou Ji nodded. "Yes, him again. He's obstructing the plan's execution."
Xu Yuan tapped the table and chuckled. "It seems the Wanxiang Sect has smart people after all."
Handing a document to Xu Yuan, Lou Ji curved her eyes into a smile and asked casually:
"Would you like Big Sister to get rid of him for you?"
Chapter 188