Unsheathed

Lady Xiao Luan and her three companions sat down, and sure enough, their seats were located closest to the entrance of the Vast Snow Hall. This was a good spot to enjoy the night scenery outside.

In fact, Lady Xiao Luan’s personal maidservant, someone who was respectfully referred to as Small River Goddess by the mountain and water spirits in the jurisdiction of the White Swan River that stretched for over four hundred kilometers, wasn’t even offered a seat by the Purple Sun Residence.

As such, she had no option but to stand behind Lady Xiao Luan with a frosty expression.

After drowning and becoming a water ghost, she had gradually been promoted by Lady Xiao Luan over a period of two hundred years. She was now responsible for patrolling the White Swan River, and she had the power to execute on the spot any Lower Five Tier cultivator or spirit who was causing trouble in the region. When had she ever suffered such humiliation? This visit to the Purple Sun Residence had completely shattered the mighty image that she had built up over the past two hundred years. At the very least, she wouldn’t be able to rebuild her image in the Purple Sun Residence.

Fortunately, she had learned a lot by accompanying Lady Xiao Luan, and she understood what was important and what was not. There was no need for Lady Xiao Luan to remind her to pay attention to the occasion, and she was already standing there in a docile manner, trying her best to keep her expression natural. She didn’t dare to show any sign of displeasure.

After Lady Xiao Luan and Sect Master Huang Chu finished discussing the proper matters just then, the river goddess still hadn’t appeared at ease and relaxed. Moreover, she had also warned them that the situation might still change, so she kindly asked them to endure things for a little longer.

Lady Xiao Luan had been riddled with guilt when saying this, and her expression had been bitter and there had also been a hint of pleading in her voice. Her maidservant had felt extremely pained upon seeing this, so much so that she almost shed tears.

Right now, there was almost nothing to nitpick about Lady Xiao Luan’s expression, clothing, and posture. However, there was a slight hint of cloudiness in her eyes.

Lady Xiao Luan was able to artfully scheme and maneuver among various forces while ruling over the White Swan River, and this had allowed her to grow the river from an initial three hundred kilometers in length to almost four hundred and fifty kilometers right now. She possessed even more power than the governors of mortal empires, and she also had a close relationship with many official immortals from the mountains of the Yellow Court Nation as well as superior martial arts grandmasters from the cultivation world such as Sun Dengxian. She had naturally achieved this through more than just brute strength alone.

She was the first person from the two groups to walk into the Vast Snow Hall, and the entire banquet hall was filled to the brim with immortals bar for two small areas. She and her companions had already been told that their seats were located near the entrance where they could enjoy the cool night air, so it went without saying whom the most esteemed seat located to the left of the host went to. Lady Xiao Luan understood this straight away.

Sure enough, Wu Yi who was sitting in the host spot in a lazy posture surprisingly smiled and stood up when she saw Chen Ping’an walking into the Vast Snow Hall. This was the founding ancestor of the Purple Sun Residence who was unwilling to even grant an audience to Lady Xiao Luan.

Wu Yi then walked down the steps and over to Chen Ping’an and his companions, grabbing Chen Ping’an’s arm and saying with a hearty smile, “We didn’t dare to commence the banquet and bring in the food before Young Master Chen arrived at the Vast Snow Hall.”

Chen Ping’an’s fist intent had already become a natural part of his aura, but he involuntarily became a little tense after his arm was suddenly grabbed by a woman who could still be regarded as a stranger. However, it wouldn’t be good for him to break free from Wu Yi’s intimate grip in front of so many watchful eyes, so he could endure the discomfort as he walked to his seat with her.

Including Sect Master Huang Chu, all of the powerful cultivators of the sect were astounded by what they saw, becoming increasingly convinced that the young man called Chen Ping’an had an incredible status. Perhaps he was their old ancestor’s lover? However, the likelihood of this was very slim, seeing that their old ancestor had never had a Dao partner from founding the Purple Sun Residence until now. Wu Yi was entirely focused on the Great Dao, and she had no interest in romantic relationships with other people. That being the case, perhaps Chen Ping’an was a relative of the Great Li Empire’s Imperial Song Clan who had traveled to the Yellow Court Nation?

Otherwise, Wu Yi’s attitude and demeanor right now were far too puzzling and abnormal.

Thankfully, Wu Yi smoothly let go of Chen Ping’an’s arm after taking him to his seat. She walked back to her spot and sat down, and she continued to give Chen Ping’an special treatment as she said in a friendly and familiar manner, “Young Master Chen, ignoring everything else about the Purple Sun Residence, our Old Flood Dragon Yearning Wine is renowned throughout the lands. I’m not trying to boast or anything, but even a former emperor from the Great Sui Nation’s Geyang Gao Clan once privately asked the Yellow Court Nation’s Imperial Hong Clan to obtain sixty pots of Old Flood Dragon Yearning Wine from us each year.

“This wine has already been placed on each person’s table, and there’ll naturally be someone to refill your cups once you finish drinking. We definitely won’t leave your cups empty, so feel free to drink to your heart’s content. We won’t conclude this banquet until we’re thoroughly drunk!”

Dozens of young and beautiful female cultivators from the Purple Sun Residence were working as maidservants and bringing food and wine to the tables of the guests. They were wearing brand-new and colorful clothes, and they were like graceful butterflies as they rushed out from the two sides of the banquet hall.

Wu Yi stood up and raised her wine cup, saying, “I offer this first toast to Young Master Chen. It’s my great honor to have Young Master Chen visit my Purple Sun Residence!”

Hearing this, everyone in the room could only stand up and raise a toast to Chen Ping’an.

This was a huge honor in the Yellow Court Nation.

In fact, even the emperor of the Yellow Court Nation might not have enjoyed such privileged treatment from Wu Yi if he personally visited the Purple Qi Palace.

After Chen Ping’an and his companions sat down, Sun Dengxian was still yet to come back to his senses. He was dazedly sitting on his chair, and it was only when his friend kicked him in warning that he hurriedly stood up.

Chen Ping’an could only say thanks and down his wine in a single gulp.

There were also two pots of Old Flood Dragon Yearning Wine placed on the small and exquisite table in front of Pei Qian. However, the Purple Sun Residence was extremely thoughtful, and they had also prepared a pot of sweet and refreshing fruit juice for the little girl, causing her to feel extremely happy as she stood up and raised her cup.

The Purple Sun Residence was truly a great place!

Pei Qian decided that she would definitely mention this to her master again and again, making sure that he always heard about it day and night. She would suggest to her master that they visit the Purple Sun Residence more often in the future. Even though Wu Yi couldn’t be regarded as very beautiful — her looks were far inferior to Huang Ting and Yao Jinzhi — she was a good person who was very hospitable to her guests. Indeed, there was absolutely nothing for Pei Qian to nitpick! In any case, she wasn’t asking her master to marry Wu Yi and take her home or anything, so her looks and whatnot weren’t important at all.

Afterward, Wu Yi didn’t put too much focus on Chen Ping’an, and the extravagant banquet proceeded like an ordinary banquet in the mountains.

There were all kinds of delicacies from the mountains and the seas, and the many plates of food were brought to the tables by the slender and graceful female cultivators who were weaving through the clinking wine cups like kaleidoscopes of colorful butterflies.

Huang Chu also lived up to his position as sect master of the Purple Sun Residence, and he spoke with a silver tongue as he stood up and raised a toast to Wu Yi. His words were eloquent, and he won many shouts of approval from around the banquet hall.

Wu Yi didn’t speak much, but she appeared far more approachable and friendly at tonight’s banquet than the previous banquets that she had hosted at the sect. She was like a completely different person, and even went as far as to voluntarily recount a few interesting stories from the mountains. The immortals of the Purple Sun Residence naturally laughed in delight as they listened on.

In reality, Wu Yi was a relatively serious person who didn’t smile much. As such, the stories would have appeared far livelier if they were told by Huang Chu, and he might have done no worse than a legitimate storyteller. Meanwhile, Chen Ping’an genuinely didn’t find the stories very funny now that they were being told by Wu Yi. Even so, the Vast Snow Hall was filled with laughter and happy chatter, with each person appearing more sincere and delighted than the next.

Perhaps this could also be regarded as part of the cultivation world.

The first time that Chen Ping’an had developed such a feeling was actually during his trip to the ethereal Lotus Flower Blessed Land when he had gone to a restaurant and met with the emperor of the Southern Garden Nation following the conclusion of the great battle.

Lady Xiao Luan slowly stood up with a wine cup in her hand.

As if in tacit understanding, everyone stopped talking, causing the boisterous banquet hall to instantly fall silent.

Lady Xiao Luan smiled faintly and said, “Xiao Luan represents the river goddess residence of the White Swan River and raises a toast to the esteemed Cave Spirit True Lord.”

Wu Yi ignored Lady Xiao Luan’s words, yet her gaze was fixed on the river goddess’ face.

Judging by her reaction, it was clear that Wu Yi didn’t want to give the White Swan River an opportunity to offer her a toast. In fact, she wasn’t willing to give Xiao Luan any face at all.

Sun Dengxian almost exploded in anger, clenching his hands into fists and placing them on the table as his entire body shook with rage.

Whether intentionally or not, Wu Yi glanced at Chen Ping’an out of the corners of her eyes. Chen Ping’an was facing Pei Qian and quietly saying something to her, seemingly warning her to sit straight and show proper table manners when she was a guest at someone else’s place. She shouldn’t get carried away, and she was drinking juice instead of wine so she didn’t have any excuse to act drunk and irresponsibly either.

Pei Qian sat up straight, yet she bobbed her head around and giggled as she replied that she understood. This caused Chen Ping’an to punish her with a knuckle to the forehead.

Seeing that Chen Ping’an was showing no signs of interfering, Wu Yi quickly retracted her gaze before yawning and grabbing a pot of specially made Old Flood Dragon Yearning Wine. She rested her cheek in one hand and gently swayed the pot of wine around, asking in a lazy voice, “White Swan River? Where is that?”

She then looked at Huang Chu and asked, “How far is it from our Purple Sun Residence?”

Huang Chu hurriedly stood up and replied in a respectful voice, “Old Ancestor, the river goddess residence of the White Swan River is only separated from us by the length of the Iron Plate River. In other words, it’s located one hundred and fifty kilometers away.”

Wu Yi feigned an expression of realization and remarked, “Then it’s actually quite close.”

Quite close, meaning that they were essentially neighbors. And as the saying went, better a close neighbor than a distant brother. Anyhow, one hundred and fifty kilometers was indeed an extremely short distance for official immortals and deities of mountains and rivers, a distance that could be covered in the blink of an eye. Covering this distance was equivalent to a mortal taking a stroll after a meal. Since this was the case, then why had the White Swan River stubbornly refused to communicate with the Purple Sun Residence for the past several hundred years? In Wu Yi’s eyes, this was clearly an act of provocation by Lady Xiao Luan.

However, Wu Yi had her own plans regarding this matter, and it was because of this that she had allowed the river goddess to flagrantly expand her territory, not ordering the disciples of the Purple Sun Residence or the Iron Plate River and incense temple to stop her actions.

Initially filled with laughter and chatter, the Vast Snow Hall instantly became filled with ice-cold killing intent at this moment.

Lady Xiao Luan remained standing with the wine cup in her hands, and the gentle smile on her flawlessly beautiful face remained unchanged as she said, “Please forgive me, Cave Spirit True Lord. Then I’ll drink this cup of wine as punishment.”

Just as Lady Xiao Luan raised her arms and was about to down the cup of wine, Wu Yi suddenly raised a hand and gestured for her to stop, saying, “Xiao Luan, how can the measly Purple Sun Residence possibly be worthy of having a formal river goddess drink a cup of wine as punishment? Huang Chu, just how have you been fulfilling your duty as sect master? If Xiao Luan doesn’t come to visit, then do you not know to take the initiative and visit the river goddess residence first? Why do you insist on having the river goddess visit you first?

“By the looks of it, your ego is comparable to that of the emperor. Go on, hurry up, what are you standing there for? Go and raise a toast to the river goddess. Actually, forget about it. Huang Chu, why don’t you drink three cups of wine as punishment.”

Huang Chu didn’t say a word, and he turned around to face Lady Xiao Luan before downing three cups of wine in a row.