117: Chapter 117 Tantai Jin

[Over the next month, you watched the entire Prodigy Tournament hosted jointly by the two great Immortal Dynasties.]

[It attracted nearly half of the cultivators on Xuanhuang Prefecture's prodigy ranking, speaking volumes about the tournament's caliber. However, that mysterious number one failed to show up, so you missed out on seeing them.]

[Moreover, Lin Bufan somehow didn't make it either. Knowing the typical pattern of a Child of Fortune, he must have stumbled upon an even greater opportunity!]

[You nearly gritted your teeth to dust once again.]

[In the final battle, Dantai Yanya's older brother, Tantai Jin, defeated the second-ranked contender from a weaker position to claim the crown.]

[This youth is certainly no ordinary dragon bound to a pond!]

[Not only was his cultivation speed extraordinarily fast, but his combat strength was supreme among those of the same realm.]

[Regrettably, over the course of the month, you found no opportunity to get close to him. Dantai Yanya didn't seem to be much help either, failing to persuade him to come find you.]

[Otherwise, you might have even been able to snag a share of the rewards from the Luan-Phoenix Blood Pool...]

[Seven days after the tournament concluded.]

[Inside a luxurious guest room of a tavern in the Tianfeng Imperial Capital, the morning light slowly crept onto the edge of the bed, illuminating the floating dust in the room like shimmering gold.]

[Reclining half on the couch with your outer robe loosely draped over your shoulders, a few strands of dark hair clung untidily to your cheek, exuding an undeniable trace of exhaustion.]

[Chi Chuan stood before the window with his hands behind his back, his eyes filled with a deep, lingering melancholy.]

[You raised an eyebrow and chuckled softly:]

["It's fine, husband. You're still young. Even if you got eliminated in the very first round, I won't laugh at you."]

["Are you really returning to the Hehuan Sect?"]

[He suddenly turned around, ignoring your teasing.]

[Naturally not. If you went back, Master Huoyan would probably skin you alive—you had thoroughly shattered her favorite top disciple's Dao heart, after all.]

["Mhm. After all, I haven't returned in twenty years, and there are many old friends in the sect. It's time I go back and visit."]

[You slowly stood up, fully dressed with a simple wave of your hand.]

["Then I'll go with you!"]

[Looking at the man who had suddenly become somewhat emotional, you sighed helplessly in your heart.]

[Good friends ought to part on good terms when the time comes. Why does everyone get so sentimental whenever it's time to say goodbye?]

[You stepped forward slowly and gently pressed your cheek against his chest.]

["You should also shoulder some of the responsibilities of the Yucha Sect. Don't always make your mother worry about these things."]

[After all, there was no profit left to gain from the Yucha Sect in the short term. These sects weren't as stupid as one might think to dump all their resources into a vault.]

[Then again, it made sense. In a world of cultivation, storage magic treasures were countless. Why put all the treasures in an obvious vault? Wouldn't that be practically inviting people to raid it?]

[Even back in the vault of the City Lord's Mansion in Duanlong City, you sensed no fewer than seven or eight presences guarding it. With such tight defenses, there was simply no chance to "borrow" a few resources.]

[Hearing this, Chi Chuan opened his mouth, but in the end, he couldn't utter any retort. He simply held you tightly in his arms without a word.]

[...]

[Half a day later, at another exit of the Imperial Capital.]

[Dantai Yanya was anxiously looking around. After a long while, she finally spotted a familiar beautiful figure in red among the crowd.]

["Sister Lianhuan!"]

[Your relationship with Dantai Yanya was growing closer, and she had dropped her disguise, currently addressing you as sisters.]

[At the same time, you discovered more suspicious clues—such as her frequent sudden departures, or the unfamiliar demeanor she exhibited during a chance encounter.]

[All of these undoubtedly pointed to an absurd yet completely logical explanation.]

[To use a term from your past life, it was multiple personalities, or in the cultivation world—one body, two souls.]

[Then the identity of the other soul inside her body was practically obvious: the Moon Goddess!]

[Things were indeed not as simple as you had imagined.]

[You stepped forward with a smile and held her hand, your expectant expression touched with a hint of bashfulness.]

["Where... where is your brother?"]

["Oh~ So Sister didn't come to see me after all?"]

[Dantai Yanya feigned displeasure.]

[Zhou Xiaonuan, on the other hand, had been genuinely unhappy during this period. She stood behind you with her lips pouted, as you temporarily had no time to build affection with this little kitten.]

["Let's go, I'll take you to see him."]

[Seeing you lower your head with blushing cheeks, Dantai Yanya pulled you toward the city gates, thoroughly satisfied.]

[She loved seeing beauties acting bashful, and sometimes even regretted not being born a man—how many wonderful sights was she missing out on!]

[Outside the city gates, a magnificent flying vessel had long been waiting.]

[After the three of you boarded the flying vessel, Dantai Yanya dragged you all the way to the top-floor pavilion.]

[Inside the pavilion, a person sat upright by a wooden table, dressed in robes as white as snow, with a face as refined as jade.]

[He exuded an aloof arrogance that kept people at a distance, his slender fingers gently caressing a jade cup.]

[He paid no attention to the arrival of the three of you, instead unhurriedly pouring another cup of wine and slowly draining it.]

[Dantai Yanya puffed out her cheeks, but just as she was about to burst into scolding, you pressed down on the back of her hand. You gently shook your head at her and signaled with a glance for Zhou Xiaonuan to go play on her own.]

[Zhou Xiaonuan: !!!???]

[You stepped forward slowly and sat down elegantly opposite the man.]

["Young master, drinking alone..."]

[Tantai Jin's brows furrowed slightly. Just as he was about to drive you away, your next words successfully caught his attention.]

["Could it be that you have a low alcohol tolerance and are afraid of being laughed at?"]

[You didn't maintain a dignified or charming demeanor as you usually did.]

[You simply looked at him with bright, burning eyes, the corners of your lips curved in a subtle, precise touch of mockery.]

["Heh~"]

[Tantai Jin let out a light laugh without uttering a word. With a flick of his fingertip, a cup of strong, fragrant liquor slowly levitated in front of you.]

[On the side, Dantai Yanya was anxious as could be. These two didn't look like they were flirting; why did it feel like they were about to fight the next second?!]

[You pressed down the cup without drinking, looking at him with a provocative expression instead.]

["Young Master Tantai, drinking like this is truly dull."]

[Before he could speak, you continued:]

["This humble woman may lack talent, but my alcohol tolerance is decent. Do you dare to strip away your spiritual power protection and compete with me?"]

[With that, you withdrew all your spiritual power into your inner world, picked up the spiritual wine on the table, and drank it in one gulp.]

[Just as Tantai Jin was waiting to see you make a fool of yourself, he saw only a blush rise on your pretty face before you looked back at him with provocative eyes once again.]

[The hand holding his wine cup shook imperceptibly before he finally raised his head to observe you seriously.]

[The woman was exquisitely beautiful, with picturesque features and skin like creamy jade. Her cherry-red lips appeared even more radiant and captivating after drinking.]

[Yet what attracted him most was the unique aura she radiated at this moment—bold, yet with a perfect sense of propriety.]

[Like an underwater lotus, unsullied by the mud, striking without being vulgar.]

[Tantai Jin lowered his eyes, suppressed the spiritual energy in his body, drank the cup of wine in one gulp, and then slowly spoke:]

["What is your name?"]

[You smiled freely and poured yourself another cup, looking back at him with a look of just the right amount of appreciation in your eyes.]

["Shen Lianhuan."]

...