548: Chapter 548 Courtyard and Hairpin

Several days later, the spirit boat of Golden Crow Holy Son Yang Ritian arrived at Fusang Main City.

The crimson-gold hull slowly descended from the horizon, the pattern of the Three-Legged Golden Crow shimmering with dazzling luster in the twilight.

The gazes of the entire main city were attracted to that spirit boat, and the discussions among the market streets spread like a tide.

"The Golden Crow Holy Son has also arrived. Young Master Liu has long since moved into the Four Seasons Heaven and Earth Courtyard, and the Saintess has been here for several days—it's going to be lively now."

"Do you think the Saint will really bring the Saintess to pay a visit?"

"Why is everyone talking about visiting? Since that Young Master Liu likes the Golden Crow Saintess so much, shouldn't he go to the Jinwu Tower instead?"

"Everyone come look, there's a fool here! Making the dignified Young Master of the Dongming Liu Family pay a visit is probably having a death wish."

"Even if the Liu Family's Young Master is willing, the Family's face will not allow it."

"Right, that Young Master Liu also said that he wants a Daoist nun by the Golden Crow Saintess's side to also come over... Have you ever seen a Daoist nun by the Golden Crow Saintess's side?"

"I haven't seen one anyway."

On the spirit boat, Saint Son Yang Ritian stood at the bow, his gorgeous crimson and gold intertwined robe fluttering loudly in the high-altitude wind, his face as gloomy as water.

Behind him, Zhu Xuanni wore a plain Daoist robe, wrapping around her slender and graceful figure, with only a silver hairpin in her hair, her face mature and bright.

Those discussions drifted up intermittently, and Zhu Xuanni heard them as well. She slightly furrowed her brows:

"You promised that Young Master Liu that I would pay a visit?"

Saint Son Yang Ritian quickly turned around:

"Aunt Ni, rest assured, I won't let you go. When the time comes, I'll just say you have other important matters to attend to and cannot get away."

Zhu Xuanni looked at him with a cold gaze:

"I have already arrived in Fusang Main City, do you think you can hide this from him?"

Saint Son Yang Ritian opened his mouth: "Aunt Ni..."

"I'm going too."

Zhu Xuanni interrupted him.

"Aunt Ni, you don't need to go..."

Saint Son Yang Ritian thought she was doing it for his sake, and a trace of warmth welled up in the bottom of his heart,

"I will say you were injured and it is inconvenient to go out—"

"Stop talking nonsense."

Zhu Xuanni interrupted him, her voice icy,

"Do you think everyone is like you, only wanting my body?"

Saint Son Yang Ritian's face stiffened.

Zhu Xuanni didn't look at him again, dropping a sentence,

"Even if you don't let me go, I will go myself,"

and then turned and left.

Saint Son Yang Ritian was silent for a moment, clenched his teeth, and squeezed out a word from between his teeth:

"Fine."

He stood there, watching Zhu Xuanni's back, dark and unclear emotions surging in the depths of his eyes.

No matter what, he must make that Young Master Liu lose interest in Aunt Ni—even if... even if it ruins Aunt Ni's reputation, he would stop at nothing.

The spirit boat slowly landed.

Zhu Rongyang had long led a group of people waiting on the platform, and Saintess Yan Xueyuan stood slightly behind him, her fiery red and snow-white intertwined long skirt gently fluttering in the twilight wind. Her expression was calm, and no particular emotion could be seen.

When Saint Son Yang Ritian walked down the spirit boat, his gaze crossed Zhu Rongyang for the first time and fell upon Saintess Yan Xueyuan.

He narrowed his eyes.

Her aura—was already at the Body Integration Stage.

Body Integration Stage. Having waited for so many years, he finally waited for this day!

Hahaha...

Saint Son Yang Ritian laughed heartily in his heart, but on the surface he maintained his usual composure and said indifferently:

"Let's go in."

After speaking, he took the lead and stepped into the Jinwu Tower.

The group stepped into the Jinwu Tower's main hall. Saint Son Yang Ritian sat upright at the upper seat, and his male concubine Mu Yunqing stood behind him with hands down.

Saint Son Yang Ritian was toying with three ancient round beads in his hand, turning them unhurriedly like playing with walnuts. One of the beads had a fine line on its surface, faintly revealing a scorching temperature, but he didn't care at all, and instead a trace of uncontainable smile hung at the corners of his mouth.

He looked at Saintess Yan Xueyuan below:

"Xueyuan, your cultivation has reached the Body Integration Stage, which saves me some trouble, very good. After the Dingding Ceremony, this seat has an important matter to discuss with you, concerning your future."

"Over the years, this seat has not treated you poorly, and I hope you will not live up to this seat's expectations when the time comes."

As he spoke, Saint Son Yang Ritian took out a Storage Pouch and sent it toward her,

"These are your Cultivation resources, take them."

An Elder took a low breath.

Zhu Rongyang stood in the queue, shaking his head inwardly.

The Saint's generous treatment of this vase Saintess was truly incomprehensible to people.

Mediocre talent, unversed in Spells, besides that face, what else was worth paying such attention to?

Saintess Yan Xueyuan took the Storage Pouch, lowered her eyes and restrained her gaze:

"Xueyuan will always remember Your Highness the Saint's kindness."

Saint Son Yang Ritian encouraged her a few more words, instructed some trivial matters, and then waved for everyone to withdraw.

Saintess Yan Xueyuan withdrew from the main hall with the crowd, parted ways with Zhu Xuanni at the corner of the corridor, and returned to her own courtyard.

She closed the door and sat quietly by the couch for a while.

Not long after, Gan Yiyi, dressed in a light green dress, excitedly pushed the door open and entered:

"Master, I'm back!"

Saintess Yan Xueyuan raised her eyes: "Where is the thing I asked you to find?"

"It's right here!"

Gan Yiyi took out a scroll album from her sleeve and handed it over,

"This is the promotional catalog of auction items distributed before the Fire Turtle Kingdom auction, which this maid managed to acquire with great difficulty."

Seeing Saintess Yan Xueyuan take the album, she continued,

"As for the place with the rotation of the four seasons in the courtyard that Master asked about, this maid has also inquired about it. There is only one such place in the entire Fusang Main City—that is the Four Seasons Heaven and Earth Courtyard of the East Sea Chamber of Commerce. That is the best courtyard in Fusang Main City, ten miles across, with spring peaches, summer lotuses, autumn maples, and winter plums each occupying a corner, changing scenery with every step..."

The four seasons coexist. Spring peaches, summer lotuses, autumn maples, winter plums, can all be seen within a single courtyard.

Saintess Yan Xueyuan remembered when she stepped out of the guest room that day, the slightly cool spring breeze brushing her face, turning past the rockery into the mild early summer, where the cluster of flowering trees was in full bloom all over the branches.

She muttered to herself,

"The rotation of the four seasons, the only one, the best..."

After Gan Yiyi finished collecting her information, she found that her Master's gaze was distracted and not listening at all,

"Master? Master? Are you listening?"

Saintess Yan Xueyuan came back to her senses,

"Mhm, I am listening. Who is living inside now?"

Gan Yiyi curled her lips:

"It's that annoying Young Master Liu! I heard he is also entangled with the Young Master of the East Sea Chamber of Commerce and the daughter of the former Qingmu Cliff Sect Master, probably drinking and making merry in the courtyard every day, probably having his body hollowed out by beauty long ago..."

"Young Master Liu..."

Saintess Yan Xueyuan was dazed again.

"Master?! Master?!"

Saintess Yan Xueyuan came back to her senses and casually replied:

"Alright, I know. Go out and play."

Gan Yiyi curled her lips; she didn't know what was wrong with the Master today.

She walked a couple of steps toward the door and turned back,

"Master, you don't need to worry. The Lord said that if that Young Master Liu dares to make any physical moves when the time comes, we will just teleport away. Anyway, this maid's body belongs to the Lord alone!"

Saintess Yan Xueyuan's expression was as calm as usual:

"I am not worried. Stop chattering away, it seems I've been too good to you recently."

After saying this, her face faded a bit.

Gan Yiyi immediately shrank her neck upon seeing that expression:

"This maid will leave right now!"

She slipped away and vanished in a flash.

Saintess Yan Xueyuan withdrew her gaze and opened the album in her hand. She turned the pages quickly, her fingertips skimming page after page, until she suddenly stopped somewhere.

Painted on the album was a fiery red hairpin, the shaft forged from Scarlet Flame Fine Gold, and the head carved into the shape of a Phoenix with folded wings perching on the branch of an old plum tree, its tail feathers hanging down, the plumage thin and transparent like cicada wings, and the branch dotted with two cinnabar beads.

Next to it were inscribed four characters: Phoenix Perching Scarlet Flame Hairpin.

She slowly raised her hand, removed the hairpin from her hair, and placed it beside the album.

Identical.

Saintess Yan Xueyuan stared at it for a long time, the corners of her mouth slowly curving up, and then gradually flattening again.

Then a tear slid down, hitting the pages of the album, blurring the pattern with a small circle of water stains.

She cried again.

Saintess Yan Xueyuan wiped away her tears, yet couldn't help wanting to laugh, wanting to smash that hairpin on the ground and trample on it a couple of times.

But in the end, she only clenched her palm tight, holding that slightly warm piece of Scarlet Flame Fine Gold in her hand.

"Xueyuan."

A voice came from outside the courtyard door.

Saintess Yan Xueyuan hurriedly turned her head, quickly wiped her face, and when she turned back, her expression had already returned to calm.

She raised her head and looked towards the courtyard entrance.

Zhu Xuanni was standing at the threshold, her plain Daoist robe blown at the corner by the evening wind.

She walked over slowly, glanced at the unfolded album on the table, and then averted her gaze:

"Since I left, before and after you came to Fusang Main City, have you encountered any danger?"

That man asked her to watch over this Golden Crow Saintess; if any mistakes happened, she probably wouldn't be able to escape punishment.