Xuan Ye was not only unannoyed but let out a low laugh. Before the laughter faded, he had already flashed behind her. His warm breath suddenly brushed past her earlobe: "Spirit Meridian reconnected, realm ascending..."
His deliberately softened voice felt like a feather brushing against her heartstrings, "This King is very interested in Pian'er's secret."
Yun Pianpian turned and pinched his chin, but recoiled as if shocked by electricity upon touching his skin. She tilted her chin up, like a proud phoenix, "Haven't you heard that there is such a thing as a genius in this world?"
"Indeed, I haven't," Xuan Ye's eyes deepened.
"Coincidentally, I am one."
Before Yun Pianpian spoke those words, the term "genius" had always been used to describe Xuan Ye. The dream lover of countless young women in Shangjing City, he once fought alongside the founding Emperor of Dong Xuan, being as close as brothers. When the young ruler ascended the throne, it was he who used iron-fisted means to suppress various factions, stabilizing the tottering imperial power. His strength was unfathomable, and he had previously been guarding the borderlands of Dong Lin.
"Then you know now," Yun Pianpian lifted her chin.
"Coincidentally." Xuan Ye lightly waved his wide sleeve, and a Gold-gilded Talisman shot out, "This King knew we were the same kind of people." The Talisman ignited with a faint blue flame in the air.
"Since that is the case, I won't hide it from Pian'er anymore."
"Boom!"
At this moment, a ray of light passed through Yun Pianpian and Xuan Ye. She caught the cunning look in his eyes, and her pupils constricted sharply, "What are you trying to do?"
Before the words fell, a column of azure light soared into the sky like a giant dragon, instantly tearing open the firmament. All the common people in Shangjing City saw a brilliant pillar of light shooting straight up to the Ninth Heaven from the direction of the Duke's Residence, dyeing the Cloud Layer the color of glazed tile. Vendors in the night market stood frozen, and the Bronze Bells hanging from the eaves of the Imperial Palace chimed without wind.
By the lotus pond, two maids were leaning against the White Marble railing. Liu Ying lightly tapped the water surface with her fingertip, startling a circle of ripples: "Miss rested quite..."
The blinding blue light suddenly erupted, making the water droplets on her fingertips turn into sapphires. The two maids exchanged a look and rushed toward the Sleeping Chamber simultaneously—only to be bounced back by a transparent Barrier. Liu Yun drew the short sword at her waist, "Break it!"
When they finally rushed into the inner room, what greeted their eyes was a sky full of falling wood shavings. A large hole, about ten feet wide, was clearly ripped open in the roof, and the cool moonlight poured down, illuminating Yun Pianpian's face, which was red with anger. A snow-white figure was stepping on the scattering roof tiles, moving away, her Sleeves Fluttering like crane wings.
When they rushed into the inner room, wood shavings fell like snow all over the place. A large hole, about ten feet wide, was ripped open in the roof, and the cool moonlight poured down, illuminating Yun Pianpian's face, which was red with anger. Xuan Ye stepped on the scattering roof tiles and soared away, his snow-white sleeves fluttering like crane wings, vanishing a hundred feet away in an instant.
"Chase!" Just as Liu Ying's toes touched the ground, Yun Pianpian yanked her back.
"Come back, you can't stop him." Liu Ying was about to give chase when Yun Pianpian stopped her.
Yun Pianpian raised her hand to stop her, glaring at the dashing retreating figure through gritted teeth, "Xuan Ye! You bastard!"
A charred roof beam fell to her feet with a *thud*. Yun Pianpian mechanically looked up at the large hole that was still shedding dust, and suddenly clutched her chest: "My rosewood beam... My beloved bed... My newly repaired roof!"
Liu Yun cautiously presented an abacus: "Miss, this..."
"Put it on the Prince Regent's Mansion's tab!" Yun Pianpian suddenly clenched her fist, her eyes blazing with fierce anger, "If I don't make Xuan Ye bankrupt, I'll take his surname!"
Far away in the Dong Xuan Imperial Palace, at the Star-Plucking Tower, the note in the black-robed man's hand spontaneously combusted, the flame being a strange shade of blue. Before it completely turned to ash, the distorted characters "Yun Clan girl... Heaven-reaching... Suspected..." could vaguely be seen vanishing. The night wind swept the ashes toward the depths of the Imperial City, startling a tree full of roosting crows.
Simultaneously, in the Third Branch courtyard, a blinding blue light streaked across the sky, illuminating the entire courtyard as if it were a ghost realm.
"Mother!" Yun Sheng tightly clutched Madam Su's sleeve, her fingernails almost digging into the fabric. Her delicate face was now twisted beyond recognition, resentment and fear intertwined in her eyes, "That slut... she actually recovered her cultivation!"
Her voice was so sharp it almost cracked, "She will definitely come looking for me to settle the score!"
Madam Su's expression was as gloomy as iron. This was the second time today Yun Pianpian had shut the door on her; the closed Vermilion Lacquered Gate seemed to mock her disgrace. Even more infuriating was Yun Qingsong's disheveled appearance just now—the dignified head of the Third Branch had been thrown out by a junior!
"What are you panicking about!" Yun Qingsong slammed the table and stood up abruptly, making the teacups rattle loudly. His sinister gaze swept over his wife and daughter, veins bulging on his forehead: "She's just a little girl who hasn't even lost her milk teeth, is she worth you two losing composure like this?"
Yet, even he didn't believe his own words.
Outside the window, the blue light piercing the heavens had not yet dissipated, casting alternating shadows on Yun Qingsong's ashen face. The hand inside his sleeve had long been clenched so tightly his knuckles were white—everything the Third Branch had done to the First Branch over the years could not withstand scrutiny. Now, the niece whose Spirit Meridian he had personally crippled not only had her cultivation fully restored but had also triggered such a celestial phenomenon...
"Master," Madam Su said, her voice trembling, "If that girl truly found some opportunity..."
"Shut up!" Yun Qingsong sharply cut her off, but the tremor in his voice could not be concealed. He stared fixedly at the blue light, as if seeing all his years of plotting slowly dissipating with the radiance.
The old tree in the courtyard moved without wind, and a withered leaf drifted down onto the window lattice. Yun Sheng suddenly shrieked and swept all the tea sets off the table. Amidst the crisp sound of shattering porcelain, the three fell into a tacit silence—they all knew that starting tonight, the balance of power in the Duke's Residence was likely to shift.
At that moment, Yun Pianpian was walking under the moonlight toward her Grandfather's courtyard. Liu Yun carried a glazed lamp, lighting the way ahead, the warm yellow glow illuminating the young lady's beautiful face.
"The Duke and the Young Master are both well," Liu Yun reported softly. "The Duke specifically instructed the kitchen to prepare the Miss's favorite Shrimp Dumplings; they are waiting for you to arrive."
Yun Pianpian smiled upon hearing this, and a soft rumble came from her stomach at the appropriate moment. Breaking through consecutively today had indeed consumed a lot of Spiritual Power. She looked up; the Duke's courtyard not far away was brightly lit, and the wind chimes at the eaves tinkled in the night breeze, resembling the warmest pearl in the dark night.
This sight warmed her heart. Once upon a time, that iron-blooded Duke who made enemies tremble at the border now always left a lamp lit for her when she returned. Just like when she was little, no matter how late she practiced cultivation, she could always see the warm light shining from her Grandfather's Study Room.
"Sister!"
As soon as she pushed open the Carved Wooden Door, Xiao Wu pounced over like a cheerful little sparrow. The Old Duke leaned on the rosewood couch, his silver hair emitting a soft luster under the candlelight, his stern brows filled with an unyielding tenderness.
"Pian'er has arrived." The old man's voice was deep like a bell, yet his gaze was gentle enough to melt ice. He subtly probed with his Divine Sense, and when he perceived that his granddaughter had reached the Fifth Rank of Spirit Gathering, a glint of gratified starlight flashed in his eyes.