435: I'd rather do nothing

“Young Master Liang?”

The vermillion gate swung open, and Jiang Yun'er looked at Xu Sanyan with a delighted expression, surprised to see him right at her doorstep. It was truly a pleasant surprise.

“Miss Jiang, where are you off to?” Xu Sanyan asked casually, looking at Jiang Yun'er, who was dressed in her finest.

Jiang Yun'er had originally planned to attend a gathering, but at this moment, she didn't care about anything else. She quickly replied, “Nowhere at all. I just thought of coming out for some fresh air. Young Master Liang, please come in quickly.”

Jiang Yun'er enthusiastically invited them in, then suddenly noticed another person beside Xu Sanyan. She quickly bowed and said, “Greetings, He Shubie.”

“Young Miss, there’s no need for such courtesy.”

Jiang Yun'er led them into the manor and personally served tea. Her demeanor was dignified and graceful, unlike Qin Shutong's wildness, truly a feast for the eyes.

Xu Sanyan held the teacup, only feeling the fragrant aroma, momentarily unable to distinguish if it was the scent from Jiang Yun'er or the tea.

On the other hand, Jiang Yun'er's cup of tea seemed inexhaustible. She remained standing in front of Xu Sanyan, their eyes meeting, as if seeing through each other's thoughts.

He Shubie secretly shook his head. As someone who had been through similar experiences, he could tell at a glance that Jiang Yun'er had developed a fondness for 'Liang Yongzhuo.' But what about Qin Shutong?

The hero saving the beauty in plain sight yesterday had already bound the two of them together. If Liang brother abandoned Qin Shutong and married Jiang Yun'er instead, where would Prefect Qin put his face?

Yet, today they had a favor to ask of Prefect Jiang, so it was not easy to keep Jiang Yun'er at arm's length.

It was normal for a man to have three wives and four concubines, but the key was that both these women had extraordinary statuses and would never be willing to humble themselves. Therefore, only one could be chosen.

He Shubie felt troubled just thinking about it and wondered what Liang brother would do.

“Haha, no wonder the magpies on the branches have been chirping today. So it was Nephew and Sir He who came together.”

Xu Sanyan secretly curled his lips. Your Qian Province City certainly has a lot of magpies, and they’re quite talkative, always chirping.

Although he grumbled inwardly, he still rose and bowed, “Greetings, Prefect.”

“Haha, no need for formalities, please sit. Yun'er, go call Long'er. He should interact more with talented young men like Nephew. Staying cooped up cultivating all day is not a good thing.”

“Yes, Father.”

Jiang Yun'er stole a glance at Xu Sanyan, seemingly shyly turning to leave. The meaning contained in her eyes was hard to describe, joy mixed with shyness, and shyness intertwined with desire, making one's heart pound and unable to stop.

Just that one glance, if it were a pure young man like Lin Fan, he would probably have already fallen.

This woman's level was so high, she left Qin Shutong far, far behind.

If she were compared to the blazing sun in the sky, illuminating the world, Qin Shutong would be a firefly wandering in the long night, only able to emit a tiny bit of light by straining her backside.

The two were incomparable.

The three of them drank tea and chatted. After a while, Jiang Longchang and his sister also arrived. With Jiang Yun'er's addition, the atmosphere immediately became lively. The Prefect chuckled, watching his daughter slowly move closer to Xu Sanyan, not stopping her, but rather pleased to see it happen.

In Prefect Jiang's opinion, a talented young man like Xu Sanyan was more than enough for his daughter. In fact, it could even be considered Jiang Yun'er marrying up.

Don't look at him, a Prefect with considerable power. But in this world where the great power of heaven and earth is concentrated in one person, personal strength is king. Without cultivation as a backing, even the greatest power is like a reflection in a mirror, easily shattered in an instant.

Jiang Longchang was more curious about Xu Sanyan. He wanted to know how this person cultivated to reach such a Realm at such a young age, leaving his peers far behind.

He Shubie chatted with the Prefect while looking for an opportunity to speak. He hadn't forgotten the purpose of their visit. After all, he had accepted something from them, so the matter still needed to be handled.

Just as the conversation turned to Xu Sanyan setting up a Formation in Zhangzhi City, He Shubie followed up, “To be honest, Sir, our visit this time is indeed related to this matter.”

“Oh? Please elaborate.”

The Prefect straightened his expression, understanding that it was time to discuss serious matters.

In fact, when Xu Sanyan and the other arrived, he knew there was something. Otherwise, the two of them wouldn't have come together.

Moreover, he could also guess that He Shubie must have accepted something from them, or he wouldn't be so eager to speak.

He knew He Shubie's character too well. On the surface, he looked bold and uninhibited, but in reality, he was rough on the outside but meticulous on the inside, with no shortage of cunning.

So He Shubie explained the situation, finally adding, “Liang brother said that he will bear all the costs for setting up the Formation and will absolutely not use a single Spirit Stone from the provincial treasury.”

Xu Sanyan stood up and bowed deeply, “For the Prefect to allow this Junior to practice his Formation is already a great grace. How could I dare to be so presumptuous as to ask for more?”

Prefect Jiang did not rush to answer. Instead, he frowned deeply, his black and white eyebrows tightly furrowed as he fell into thought.

This matter sounded like it had no harm to Qian Province City, but only benefits. Not only did they not need to contribute a single Spirit Stone, but they would also gain a Grand Formation for free. If one thought about it normally, everyone would want to take advantage of such a bargain.

But what kind of person was he? He had been immersed in officialdom for thousands of years, with more cunning than hairs on his body. Even if he sensed a slight irregularity, he wouldn't do it.

And in this matter, he vaguely felt something was amiss. He couldn't pinpoint where the problem was, but he just had that feeling in his heart.

At his age, he no longer sought to climb higher, but simply to remain safe and sound was the best outcome.

To quote a 'famous saying,'

—I would rather do nothing than make a mistake.

Xu Sanyan remained bowed for a long time without rising. Prefect Jiang lowered his gaze in contemplation, saying nothing. The atmosphere in the room instantly grew heavy.

Jiang Yun'er saw that the atmosphere was off and wanted to speak but dared not say much. She knew that this kind of matter was not for her to interject.

Don't look at how her father usually doted on her in every way, but once a major decision was involved, he would never allow her to say even half a word more.

This was the difference between her and Qin Shutong; she was better at understanding her place.

After a long while, Prefect Jiang slowly spoke, “This matter is not impossible, but I have three conditions.”

Xu Sanyan was overjoyed. Let alone three conditions, he would agree to thirty. Anyway, as long as the Grand Formation was completed, everything would vanish into thin air.

“Please speak, Sir. This Junior will not refuse anything!”

Prefect Jiang stroked his beard and said, “Coincidentally, there are a few Formation Masters residing in the Prefectural Office. It would be a good opportunity to ask Nephew to teach them, and they can also help Nephew with some miscellaneous tasks. How does that sound?”

Xu Sanyan narrowed his eyes slightly. This was not asking him to teach at all; this was clearly sending people to watch him, to prevent him from causing trouble.

However, Xu Sanyan was not afraid. The “Soul-Gathering Life-Preserving Grand Formation” was complex and ever-changing, so he wasn't worried about people noticing anything unusual. Thus, he nodded and agreed, “No problem.”

“Hmm, as for the second matter, please do not disturb the common people when Nephew is setting up the Formation. Otherwise, even if this old man agrees, I'm afraid the Governor will not.”

“Please rest assured, Sir. This Junior knows what he is doing and will absolutely not disturb the common people.”

“Good, then there's only one last matter. This also contains some of this old man's personal desires, and it's fine if Nephew doesn't agree.”

As he spoke, Prefect Jiang casually glanced at Jiang Yun'er….