552: Chapter 552 As long as you like it

The next day, the Golden Crow Holy Son brought Saintess Yan Xueyuan and Zhu Xuanni to the airspace above the plaza in front of the Four Seasons Heaven and Earth Courtyard.

The courtyard walls made of blue-white jade emitted a warm gloss in the morning light, with wisteria vines hanging down from the wall tops, where the tender green of spring and the golden yellow of autumn intertwined on the same vine.

Outside the courtyard gates, it was bustling with activity.

The bluestone-paved plaza in front of the gates was crowded with people from various Sects and factions who had come to submit visiting cards, forming a dense, dark crowd as noisy as a marketplace.

Elders of minor Sects, Disciples of major Sects, and even a Grand Elder of a certain seventh-grade Sect had come personally, each clutching a vermilion visiting card in hand, craning their necks to peer through the crack in the door as if they wished they could squeeze right through that crack.

Among the large and small Sects gathered in groups of three or five, there were bound to be one or more gorgeously dressed female Cultivators.

Ranging from Golden Core to Body Integration, their attire consisted either of lightly draped translucent gauze or brocade skirts trailing on the ground, with exquisite makeup, hairpins adorning their temples, and varying degrees of spiritual fragrance lingering on their bodies.

The gazes of the surrounding Cultivators were as if glued by honey, almost unable to pull away.

"Look, isn't that Fairy Lanyuan, the True Disciple of the fifth-grade Sect Qingyin Pavilion? She truly is as ethereal and dust-free as the rumors say..."

"What does Qingyin Pavilion count for? Look to your left—that is Grand Elder Lengyue Xuannv of the sixth-grade Sect Xuanshuang Sect. I heard she Cultivates the Ice Heart Formula and usually keeps people thousands of miles away, but today she has actually changed into a translucent wide-sleeved gauze dress."

"Even characters of this stature have come to submit visiting cards, yet Young Master Liu actually refuses to accept them?"

"Tch, for these fifth and sixth-grade Sects, just being able to submit one is already good fortune. Look over there, the Grand Elder of the seventh-grade Sect Nixia Palace has also come. I heard she has been in seclusion for a hundred years and never descended the mountain; coming personally this time, I see her appearance is also well-maintained... still retaining her charm."

"Alas, I heard that Young Master Liu is a direct descendant of the Dongming Liu Family, a person with connections reaching up to heaven. These women naturally went for that. How dare people like us think too much? Just catching a glimpse can be considered touching Immortal Qi."

"Stop talking, stop talking. The more we talk, the angrier we get. This truly is comparing people to people makes one want to die, comparing goods to goods makes one want to throw them away..."

As they spoke, someone else poked out half their body, glanced at that door across the crowd, then shrank back and lowered their voice to add:

"Strange, why aren't the young master of the East Sea Chamber of Commerce and that Fairy An seen coming today?"

"Yeah, it really is strange."

A wave of discussion surged within the crowd, but quickly subsided again.

Saint Son Yang Ritian's gaze swept over those gorgeously dressed women.

Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Soul Transformation, Body Integration—each dressed scantier than the last, their fragrant scents mingling together and causing him to slightly frown.

He had never been interested in female Cultivators, except for...

Saint Son Yang Ritian looked towards his maternal aunt.

Zhu Xuanni was still wearing a plain Dao robe today, her dark hair coiled with a silver hairpin, her appearance cold, beautiful, and composed, standing out like night and day from those meticulously dressed women around her.

Just looking at her Face made Saint Son Yang Ritian feel as if someone had clenched his heart.

Saint Son Yang Ritian withdrew his gaze, his eyes churning for a moment, then forcing himself to regain calm.

Aunt Ni could not stay here. He had to bring Aunt Ni back!

He took a breath and turned his head to glance at Zhu Xuanni again.

The indifference on her Face when leaving this morning was even greater than usual, and there was even a cold glint in her eyes.

Saint Son Yang Ritian felt a faint sinking in his heart—did Aunt Ni perceive what happened last night?

As he was thinking this, the crowd suddenly became restless.

"The Golden Crow Holy Son is here! Make way—"

It was someone in the crowd below who noticed Saint Son Yang Ritian and the others.

Hearing the sound, the crowd looked over, and upon seeing the three-legged Golden Crow pattern embroidered on the scarlet-gold robe, they hurriedly retreated into the distance, clearing a large open space.

Those Cultivators who had been gossiping just now fell silent, their gazes falling uniformly on Saint Son Yang Ritian, carrying awe, dread, and undisguised curiosity.

Someone wanted to step forward to salute, but Saint Son Yang Ritian, having landed, directly raised his right hand.

"Today, no one is to disturb me."

The Cultivators of the large and small Sects then stopped.

Looking up at the courtyard gates, Saint Son Yang Ritian put his folding fan away into his sleeve and stepped forward. Standing firm in front of the door, he took out a gold-stamped visiting card from his sleeve, held it in both hands, and said in a clear voice:

"Golden Crow Holy Land Saint Son Yang Ritian, along with Saintess Yan Xueyuan and Grand Elder Zhu Xuanni, have come to visit Young Master Liu."

After finishing, he bowed slightly and held the visiting card in front of him.

It was quiet inside the door for a moment. That tightly closed gate slowly pushed open from the inside.

Emerging was a young woman with a gentle Face, a slender figure, and a light green long skirt, her expression indifferent.

Her gaze swept a circle over the Faces of the waiting people outside, and when it landed on Saint Son Yang Ritian, her eyes paused for a moment, her eyelids lowering slightly to conceal what churned up in that instant.

Soon, the woman looked towards Saintess Yan Xueyuan and Zhu Xuanni:

"Please follow me inside."

Baili Rou stepped aside to make way, leading the three of them through the gates.

That heavy door closed again behind them, neatly cutting off the hundreds of gazes outside the door.

Passing through the corridors and stone paths, Baili Rou led the three to the main hall. The hall was furnished simply and elegantly, with celadon tea sets placed on the tables and chairs, and the shadows of bamboo swaying outside the window.

Baili Rou served tea in turn. She first placed a white jade porcelain cup in front of Saintess Yan Xueyuan, the tea soup clear and green, with fragments of spiritual light floating on the water's surface.

This was spiritual tea concocted from top-grade Heaven And Earth Treasures. Then she placed another cup in front of Zhu Xuanni, the tea color equally clear.

Finally, she brought a celadon cup and placed it in front of Saint Son Yang Ritian. The tea soup inside was murky and dark, faintly emanating a burnt smell.

Saint Son Yang Ritian's expression stiffened for an instant, but he did not make a sound.

He picked up the celadon cup, brought it to his lips, and took a sip.

He almost threw it up.

The tea soup entering his mouth was both bitter and astringent, like dried tree bark boiled for three days, mixed with an indescribable moldy smell.

Was this tea? Was she sure it wasn't hotpot washing water?!

Saint Son Yang Ritian's brows were almost knitted together, forcing himself to swallow it down, the veins on the back of his hand twitching slightly.

Then he saw Zhu Xuanni opposite him drinking tea with lowered eyes, her expression as usual; and he glanced at Saintess Yan Xueyuan beside him, the tea soup in her hand clear and translucent like jade, and just smelling it could make one feel Spiritual Qi rising.

Baili Rou stood to the side, her voice warm and calm:

"What is it, Your Highness Saint Son, is the tea not good?"

Holding that celadon cup, Saint Son Yang Ritian's knuckles turned white, a tumultuous surge of anger churning in his chest.

When had he ever been treated so neglectfully? A mere little maid dared to fob him off with such things?

He was almost about to slam the table and stand up.

But... he could not flare up. To flare up would be to reject Young Master Liu's Face!

Even if the cup of tea before him was muddy water, Saint Son Yang Ritian had to drink it down.

Saint Son Yang Ritian put on a smiling Face:

"No... it is too delicious. This tea has a mellow entry and a lingering aftertaste, truly a rare treasure..."

As he spoke, he picked up the celadon cup again and drank a second sip without changing his expression.

"That is good then. As long as Your Highness Saint Son likes it."

Baili Rou looked at him, curving the corners of her mouth, sneering inwardly in her heart.

You destroyed my Linglong Blessed Land; although because of the Sect Master's plan, I cannot kill you temporarily, the Sect Master said we can disgust you a bit.