555: Chapter 555 My Backyard Has Some Pretty Things

"Aunt Ni, I will apologize to you when we get back. You will surely understand me. I am doing this for your own good."

He knew that the words he had just spoken were shattering the last remaining scrap of illusion between himself and Zhu Xuanni.

Yet he knew even better what the outcome would be if she were left here, left in front of Young Master Liu, who hadn't even bothered to give her a direct look.

He would rather destroy her than let anyone else lay a finger on her.

The hall was so quiet that the sound of the heat dissipating from the surface of the tea could be heard.

Zhu Xuanni sat in the guest seat, her expression as cold and fierce as frost, the light in those eyes as cold as if steeped in ice.

Ling Hao held a teacup, having listened to the long-winded speech just now, and spoke unhurriedly:

"Have you finished speaking?"

Saint Son Yang Ritian's heart skipped a beat, but he still put up a bold front:

"Young Master Liu, I have finished, and every word is true."

Ling Hao smiled.

"Is that so? But I don't believe it."

Right, how could Ling Hao possibly believe it?

That night, he had seen everything and touched everything, almost stopping just short of the very last step.

Those two lips were soft and warm, the body beneath the Dao robe was flushed under the moonlight. From head to toe, pure and clean above, tender and pink below—she was truly a beauty as flawless as jade, so where could there be anything unseemly?

Oh, no—her body naturally could not be seen by outsiders.

Of course, only he could see it, only he could touch it.

This Golden Crow Holy Son had gone to such painstaking lengths just to keep others from touching his aunt.

What a pity, he had already touched her...

Ling Hao stood up, walked over to Zhu Xuanni, and looked down at her:

"Miss Zhu, your nephew has quite an interesting way of speaking."

"From what I can see, Miss Zhu's Qi is pure and her Yin essence is stable. No matter how I look at it, she doesn't look like she has been practicing any malevolent arts of dual cultivation by draining Yang to supplement Yin."

He turned back around, looked at Saint Son Yang Ritian, and after sizing him up, sneered,

"On the contrary, Saint—you look sallow and wan, your Qi is unsteady, and your eyes are bloodshot with an abnormal redness. You look much more like the one who has been overindulging in dual cultivation."

The Loose Cultivator from earlier hadn't been wrong after all; the Golden Crow Holy Son did practice dual cultivation, except that the ones he drained were men.

Gan Yiyi stood in the corner, covering her mouth so she wouldn't laugh out loud. Saintess Yan Xueyuan lowered her gaze, took a sip from her teacup, and the corners of her lips curved up slightly.

Saint Son Yang Ritian's Face turned from pale to red, and then from red to purple.

Why wouldn't he believe it? How could he not believe it?

He was the one who understood Aunt Ni best! He was the one! What right did this guy have to put on an expression of 'I understand her better than you do'?!

Yet, being the Golden Crow Holy Son, he had some poise after all, and he forcefully suppressed the anger that was almost bursting through the crown of his head:

"Young Master Liu—"

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something more. Ling Hao had already raised a hand:

"Show them out. I won't say it a third time."

Baili Rou walked out slowly from the side of the hall, a gentle and proper smile on her Face. She turned slightly and made a 'please' gesture toward Saint Son Yang Ritian. The moment she lowered her gaze, a flash of vindictive glee crossed her eyes.

More than ten years ago, when the Linglong Blessed Land was destroyed, the Golden Crow Holy Son was the mastermind behind the scenes.

More than ten years later, she stood here, watching this overbearing Saint being stripped of his Face again and again, unable even to drink a good cup of tea or receive a polite send-off.

Baili Rou felt that the Sect Master's plan was actually quite good.

To kill him instantly would be letting him off too easily. He needed to be made to feel humiliation continuously—tearing away his dignity piece by piece, crushing his pride, and just when he thought he could still hold on, dealing the final, sharp blow.

"Your Highness the Saint, please."

Saint Son Yang Ritian's chest heaved violently a few times.

He stood in place, his gaze lingering for a moment on Zhu Xuanni's frost-covered Face, as if trying to find something on it—a trace of hesitation, a trace of reluctance, a trace of the possibility of turning back.

There was nothing.

He abruptly turned around and strode toward the door.

Outside the courtyard, the gates of the Four Seasons Heaven and Earth Courtyard slowly closed behind Saint Son Yang Ritian.

On both sides of the long street, the Cultivators who had been waiting for a long time craned their necks. Seeing only Saint Son Yang Ritian emerge alone, a low commotion rippled through the crowd.

Someone lowered their voice and said, "Only the Saint is out? The Golden Crow Saintess and Senior Zhu didn't come out?"

Someone replied, "It seems Young Master Liu has kept them here."

"The Golden Crow Holy Land has really latched onto the Dongming Liu Family now."

Someone else chuckled softly:

"Tsk tsk, the dignified Golden Crow Holy Son delivered himself right to their doorstep, only to come out so quickly. He really just went to drop someone off."

That voice carried a malicious schadenfreude.

Saint Son Yang Ritian's footsteps stopped.

Dropping someone off, dropping someone off, he really just went to drop someone off... These words lingered in his ears like a curse.

He, the dignified Golden Crow Holy Son, had prepared lavish gifts, lowered his posture, swallowed bitter tea, and suffered humiliation,

And what did he get in return at the end? He was as humble as a dog!

A beam of crimson spiritual light suddenly shot out from his body, sweeping through the crowd like a fiery snake and piercing the throats of several Cultivators who had been laughing the loudest.

The laughter stopped abruptly. Dust kicked up as the bodies collapsed to the ground.

A brief scream erupted from the crowd, only to be instantly suppressed. Everyone lowered their heads, and no one dared to utter another word.

Saint Son Yang Ritian withdrew his hand, took a step forward, and his figure disappeared at the end of the long street.

Inside the courtyard, the main hall fell quiet again.

Ling Hao sat back in the master's seat, took a sip from his teacup, and his gaze slowly swept over the three women before him.

Zhu Xuanni sat upright and motionless, her expression still cold, but her knuckles turned slightly white within her sleeves.

Saintess Yan Xueyuan lowered her head to drink her tea, her expression unreadable. Gan Yiyi stood in the corner, her gaze fixed on him vigilantly, like a kitten ready to protect its master at any moment.

Ling Hao put down his teacup:

"Since everyone has arrived, there's no need to rush off. The scenery of the Four Seasons Heaven and Earth Courtyard is quite decent; it won't hurt to stay for a few days."

Zhu Xuanni sat quietly in the guest seat, calm on the surface, but her heart was churning like a stormy sea.

It had finally come to this. She wanted to escape, but could she escape this courtyard, could she escape Fusang Main City?

Her Tribulation Transcendence Stage cultivation might be considered lofty in front of ordinary Cultivators, but what was it worth in front of this Young Master Liu?

She neither moved nor spoke until Ling Hao tilted his head and signaled to Baili Rou:

"Take Miss Zhu to the back courtyard to rest. Pick a quiet courtyard and make sure no one disturbs her."

Baili Rou acknowledged the order, walked up to Zhu Xuanni, and slightly bowed.

"Miss Zhu."

Zhu Xuanni followed Baili Rou away.

Ling Hao watched the two figures disappear down the end of the corridor, withdrew his gaze, turned to Saintess Yan Xueyuan, and smiled warmly:

"Saintess Yan, there are some nice views behind my courtyard, why don't we go take a look together?"

Back courtyard.

Baili Rou led Zhu Xuanni through the covered walkway all the way deep into the back courtyard. A few clumps of green bamboo were planted in the courtyard, rustling as the wind blew through.

She stopped under the corridor and pushed open a door to the side:

"Miss Zhu, this will be your residence. If you need anything, just ring the bell."

Zhu Xuanni walked in and looked up at the towering courtyard walls all around. Dense formation runes crawled across the dark gray wall bricks, and spiritual light flowed slowly like water, completely enveloping the entire courtyard.

Was she being imprisoned?

First she was arranged to wait here, and that Young Master Liu probably went to enjoy the Golden Crow Saintess first.

Her spine rested against the door frame, her gaze staring blankly at the old osmanthus tree in the courtyard as a thought suddenly popped into her head—

What about that man?

The man who stole her first kiss last night, the man who lifted her chin with his finger under the moonlight.

Didn't he say he had his own plans? Last night his tone was so confident, so composed, as if everything was under control.

But right now, he probably couldn't even enter the Four Seasons Heaven and Earth Courtyard.

She wanted him to come.

Yet she didn't want him to come.

Even if he really did get in, he would definitely go find the Golden Crow Saintess first.

After all, the two of them had a connection long ago, but would he take the risk to come and take her away?

She was nothing more than a captive whose weakness he had caught.

Last night's punishment was a punishment; those touches and warmth were just a form of punishment.

What made her think he would take such a risk for a captive?

Zhu Xuanni stood there for a long time, until the autumn wind blew a few leaves off the old osmanthus tree, spinning as they landed at her feet. Only then did she slowly walk into the room, sit down by the couch, and rest her hands on her knees like a dust-covered jade statue.