173: Lan Fuzi's identity

Shen Guyan looked at Nalali, his heart filled with vigilance, and asked coldly, "Nalali, what are you doing here so late?"

Nalali walked to Shen Guyan's side and sat gently on the edge of his bed. Leaning forward until she was almost pressed against him, she spoke with breath as sweet as orchids, "Brother Yu, I want to discuss something with you. Look, if we can control Sister Shen Yue, we could use her to infiltrate the military's Shen Family. That would be greatly beneficial to our grand cause."

Shen Guyan's heart tightened; Nalali's thoughts were indeed insidious. He looked at her without showing any emotion and said, "Nalali, the Shen Family's influence in the military is vast; it's not something that can be easily infiltrated. Moreover, Major General Shen has been kind to me. How could I allow you to harm her?"

Nalali pouted and said coquettishly, "Brother Yu, why are you so pedantic? We are doing this for a much greater goal. As long as we succeed, what does it matter if we sacrifice one Shen Yue?"

Shen Guyan didn't want to waste any more words with Nalali. To completely dispel her notion, he donned the azure dragon mask and instantly activated the power of the azure dragon imprint. Nalali felt a powerful, invisible force bind her like a rope; her body instantly lost control, and she collapsed limply onto the bed.

"Brother Yu, you... what are you doing?" Nalali's eyes were full of grievance and confusion, with tears welling up. Shen Guyan looked at her with nothing but indifference in his eyes. "Nalali, I'm warning you, don't target Shen Yue again, or else..."

Seeing herself restrained, Nalali was both anxious and angry, yet the eeriness of that azure dragon imprint made it impossible for her to feel any killing intent toward Shen Guyan.

"Brother Yu, let me go, I know I was wrong. I was just momentarily confused when I said those things. Won't you forgive me just this once?" Nalali simply began to act spoiled and throw a tantrum, wriggling her body on the bed like a petulant child, all while looking at Shen Guyan pitifully with her large, watery eyes.

Shen Guyan's face remained cold. Seeing that her acting spoiled had no effect, Nalali had no choice but to continue, "Brother Yu, I really know I was wrong. I promise never to mention this again. Seeing how pitiful I am, please spare me."

Her voice carried a sob, making it hard for anyone hearing it not to feel a sense of pity.

Shen Guyan looked at her with a half-smile for a long while before slowly speaking, "Nalali, I hope you never mention this again, and do not take any harmful actions against Shen Yue or the people in the Separate Courtyard. Otherwise, next time, I won't be so easy to talk to..."

Nalali nodded frantically like a rattle-drum. "Brother Yu, I promise you, I will definitely be obedient and certainly won't make you angry again."

Shen Guyan took off the mask and withdrew the control of the azure dragon imprint.

Nalali immediately sat up from the bed. She rubbed her slightly numb body, a flicker of complex emotion crossing her eyes, but she quickly replaced it with that sweet smile. "Brother Yu, don't worry, I will definitely do as I said."

Shen Guyan didn't even bother to look at her. "I hope you remember what I said. It's late; go back."

Nalali stood up and walked toward the door. As she reached it, she suddenly turned back and gave Shen Guyan a deeply affectionate look. "Brother Yu, remember to tell me if you need someone to warm your bed." With that, she gently closed the door and vanished into the night.

Shen Guyan watched the direction where Nalali had left. This woman ultimately came from the Holy Spirit Cult, and her personality had significant flaws; she was always an unstable factor. Moreover, the fact that the Dark Blood Demon dared to let her and Lan Fozi follow him back meant there must be other plans behind it.

He had to be more cautious and plan ahead to protect the safety of his family and friends.

Shen Guyan sat by the bed, lost in thought. He decided to start with Lan Fozi; this woman seemed to have a simple Heart-Nature, and perhaps he could obtain some information about the Holy Spirit Cult from her. Only by gathering more information could he better use the Holy Spirit Cult's power to develop his own influence.

A night passed, and the morning sun was like golden threads passing through the cracks of the window, spilling onto Shen Guyan's face. He rose early and went to the garden to drink tea.

The garden was filled with the fresh scent of flowers, and dew glistened on the petals like brilliant pearls. Lan Fozi was admiring the flowers in the garden; today she wore a set of light blue martial attire, still looking exceptionally handsome and dashing among the blooms.

Shen Guyan stepped forward and greeted her with a smile, "Good morning, Young Lord. Do you find my garden to your liking?"

Seeing Shen Guyan, Lan Fozi showed a happy smile, like a flower blooming in spring. "The flowers in your garden are so beautiful; I feel like my mood for the whole day has improved."

After chatting with Lan Fozi for a bit about the plants, Shen Guyan asked as if casually, "Young Lord, I've always been curious, what is your Spirit?"

Through her Spirit, Shen Guyan could likely determine her connection to the high-level members of the Holy Spirit Cult.

Lan Fozi was slightly startled, a hint of hesitation flashing in her eyes. She looked at Shen Guyan, and seeing his gentle expression and the sincerity in his eyes, her resolve wavered.

"To tell you the truth, Gongzi Yu, my Spirit is a type of fish," Lan Fozi said softly, her tone carrying a hint of caution.

Shen Guyan's heart stirred, but his expression remained calm. "So the Young Lord has a fish-type Spirit; that makes you like a Sea Soul Master. Such a Spirit would surely display extraordinary power in battles near the sea. In the ancient era, Sea Soul Masters were among the most powerful groups on the continent; even the Spirit Hall of that time could do nothing against them..."

Being praised by Shen Guyan, Lan Fozi felt quite elated. Putting her hands on her hips, she said with an arrogant huff, "Of course! My Spirit can control water currents; when fighting in water, it can unleash immense power. Moreover, near the sea, my Spirit has a special ability to sense the Soul Power fluctuations of surrounding creatures. Especially within a body of water, the sensing range is extremely vast..."

Shen Guyan inwardly mocked Lan Fozi's naivety. Although she hadn't released her Spirit, from the abilities she described and the Soul Power fluctuation characteristics she inadvertently revealed, Shen Guyan had already roughly determined that her Spirit was very likely the legendary Deep Sea Demon Whale.

Among the Sea Soul Masters of the Douluo Continent, whale Spirits rarely appeared, and whenever they did, they were inevitably top-tier Beast Spirits that could rival the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon or the White Tiger.

As the overlord Spirit Beast of the ocean, the Deep Sea Demon Whale Spirit not only possessed powerful water control but also extremely keen sensing abilities, capable of detecting subtle changes in surrounding Soul Power.

"The Young Lord's Spirit is so powerful; your future achievements will be limitless," Shen Guyan continued to flatter her, while his mind quickly considered the connections. Perhaps he really could use Lan Fozi to uncover more secrets of the Holy Spirit Cult's upper echelons... If Lan Fozi truly possessed the Deep Sea Demon Whale Spirit, which member of the Holy Spirit Cult was she related to? Currently, those whose abilities and Spirits remained unclear included the Dark Hummingbird, the Ghost Emperor, and the mysterious and elusive Demon Empress.