Seeing her expression, Xu Changge let out a gentle breath and looked away, his tone softening slightly.
"The reason Changtian sent you away was so you wouldn't be caught in the middle."
Tianyan suddenly raised her eyes. A flicker of hope shone within them, and she said quickly in a hushed voice, "I—I can help. Eldest Young Master, please tell me, where is he right now?"
Xu Changge looked deeply at her. As if reminded of a certain woman who also possessed golden eyes, he shook his head and said with a complex cadence, "There is no need. Even though you were the one who handed them the blade, I believe you truly were kept in the dark. I only hope, Your Eminence, that you will not let Changtian's good intentions go to waste."
With those words, the qi dynamic around Xu Changge surged once more, and he prepared to transform into a streak of light and take flight again.
Sensing this qi dynamic, the young girl did not hesitate for a second. Her Source Qi immediately surged around her as well, intending to follow him.
Seeing this, Xu Changge's brow furrowed slightly. "Saintess, what is the meaning of this? Could it be that you truly wish to defect to our Prime Minister's Manor?"
Tianyan bit her lip and whispered, "Within our Overseeing Heaven Pavilion, opinions regarding Xu Yuan are far from unified. This was very likely the private doing of the radical faction. Helping Xu Yuan does not count as betraying my sect."
"Oh?"
Xu Changge raised an eyebrow. A hint of surprise surfaced on his handsome, dashing face, but he soon shook his head. "Saintess, as his elder brother, I appreciate the thought on Changtian's behalf, but you will not be of any help even if you go."
Tianyan clenched her fists. "I... I at least want to go see."
A flash of impatience crossed Xu Changge's eyes, and he spoke plainly and directly: "My maternal uncle has already gone ahead. His temper is far worse than mine. If he arrives too late and something has happened to Changtian, he might just cut you down with a single stroke of his sword."
Tianyan stared at Xu Changge with stubborn persistence in her eyes, saying nothing.
Seeing the girl's insistence, Xu Changge felt a rare headache coming on.
On his journey, he had noticed someone spying on him, and upon investigating, he discovered it was the Saintess of the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion.
In his anger, he had dragged her out, intending to teach her a lesson, but the way things had developed was somewhat beyond his expectations.
This Saintess of the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion seemed even harder to deal with than that Young Celestial Master.
Sighing inwardly, Xu Changge said in a low voice, "It is useless for you to follow me, because my destination is not where Changtian is."
A glint of suspicion flashed through Tianyan's eyes.
Seeing her expression, Xu Changge's irritation flared, and his brow furrowed tightly. "I, Xu Changge, have never deigned to lie."
Tianyan continued to stare at him, seemingly not believing his words in the slightest.
A vein twitched on Xu Changge's forehead.
If the person before him were his third brother, he would already be reaching for his whip.
Even if it were that troublesome Young Celestial Master, he would probably flick his sleeves and walk away.
Yet unfortunately, the person before him was neither of the two, but rather a confidante who was quite close to his third brother.
For the sake of that foolish third brother, Xu Changge forced himself to be patient and explained, "My maternal uncle has already gone ahead. At his full traveling speed, even I cannot keep up with him. You know full well what realm of cultivation he possesses. Since he has gone there, there is naturally no need for me to go as well.
"As for where I am going now, that is the business of our Prime Minister's Manor.
"I have said all I will say. I hope the Saintess conducts herself with dignity."
With those words, Xu Changge transformed directly into a streak of azure light and sped off toward the northern horizon.
This time, Tianyan did not pursue him.
Silently dispersing the surging qi around her, she landed on the summit of Mount Tailan. She looked in the northern direction, then lowered her gaze. Her delicate, fragile frame trembled faintly, leaving no telling what thoughts ran through her mind.
***
Di'an City.
The continuous natural disasters and war in the Northern Border had not affected the prosperity within Di'an City in the slightest. Flying demonic beasts occasionally swept across the distant horizon, while all manner of luxurious carriages traveled along the wide thoroughfares. Finely dressed young masters, saber-bearing martial artists wandering the Jianghu—the myriad forms of human life filled the bustling marketplace.
On a street within the inner city near the Imperial City, two figures walking side by side quietly arrived in front of a magnificent, massive compound and came to a halt.
Before the courtyard gate sat two gigantic, ferocious stone Pixiu. Upon the heavy black gate, an eight-by-eight grid of silver door studs was embedded, completely isolating the bustle outside from the interior.
Carved upon the horizontal plaque above the main gate were two large, gilded characters:
Xu Manor.
Because the space before this residence was the unavoidable path to entering the Imperial City, the flow of beast carriages and pedestrians was ceaseless. At this moment, passersby walking past the Xu Manor could not help but cast a glance at the two figures standing side by side.
Some did so because of the Chancellor's Manor's reputation, wanting to see which dignitary had come calling.
Others were simply drawn by the two figures themselves.
One was an old man nearly seven chi tall, dressed in a scholar's robe, though clothing that was meant to evoke an aura of elegant refinement looked entirely out of place on him.
His build was simply too burly and robust, and the loose scholar's robe was stretched taut by his bulging muscles.
Beside the old man stood a woman clad in ink-black robes, standing quietly.
She wore a muli veil whose draping black gauze concealed her face, but judging by her figure beneath the black garments, she had to be a peerless beauty of the mortal world.
This somewhat mismatched pair did not merely draw the gazes of passersby; they also attracted the attention of the manor guards before the Chancellor's Manor.
Several guards, all at least at the Body Integration Realm, stared with unfriendly eyes at the two individuals loitering before the entrance.
It was not that the gatekeepers of a prime minister looked down on people, but rather that these two had already been lingering at the gate for half an hour.
They did not step forward to announce themselves, nor did they leave. When the guards took the initiative to approach and question them, they received no response; the two simply stood there at the entrance.
That these guards had endured until now without resorting to force to drive them away could already be considered showing immense restraint.
Under the guards' hostile gazes, the woman wearing the muli veil suddenly turned her eyes to the burly old man beside her and said in a low, gentle, cool voice, "Master... are we not going to announce ourselves?"
Hearing his disciple's question, Ran Jianli smacked his lips and stroked the white beard on his chin.
"We can... we can wait a bit longer. With that fellow Xu Yinhe's cultivation, he definitely knows—definitely knows I've arrived. Even if he doesn't know, that fellow Feng Jiuxuan can sense it too."
"But if we announce ourselves, won't we be able to go in?"
"......."
Ran Jianli fell silent for a moment. Clearing his throat, he said solemnly, "Since that Xu Yinhe intends to play the shrinking turtle, we master and disciple will just blockade the gate right here. Qingmo, do you see those guards? If they try to drive us away in a moment, hit them back. Once we make a big enough scene, let's see if he comes out or not."
"Oh... kill them?"
"Er, no need to be that ruthless."
"Oh, okay."
With those words, time slipped quietly by.
Fifteen minutes later, the veiled woman looked at the closed courtyard gate, then glanced at her master. Silently taking a Source Crystal from her Sumeru ring, she began cultivating right where she stood.
Half an hour later, the veiled woman had already entered deep meditation.
Two hours later, Ran Jianli's gaze gradually began to turn sour.
Coming to the capital this time, he had not even seen the old emperor before heading straight to Xu Yinhe's Chancellor's Manor, all to seek an explanation on behalf of his disciple.
He had not expected this fellow Xu Yinhe to truly play the shrinking turtle.
Just as he was thinking this, the bustling street around them suddenly quieted at a bizarre pace. Among the pedestrians on both sides, some even bowed directly toward the direction of the Imperial City.
Ran Jianli's brow twitched slightly. He instinctively looked back, and the corners of his eyes jumped.
A black dragon carriage was slowly driving out from the Imperial City's gates.
Beneath his gaze, the carriage rolled quietly up to him and came to a stop.
Then, the curtain was drawn back.
The face of a middle-aged man with a profound, imposing bearing appeared within.
Their eyes met for a moment.
Xu Yinhe asked with a hint of puzzlement, "Imperial Preceptor Ran?"
"Yeah," Ran Jianli replied.
"Here to reminisce about old times?"
"Yeah."
"Since you came to reminisce, why not enter the manor instead of waiting here at the entrance?"
"......." Ran Jianli said nothing.
"My master said that if Uncle Xu doesn't come out, we will blockade the gate," the veiled woman said suddenly, ceasing her cultivation.
"......." Ran Jianli was speechless.
Chapter 439