When they were about to arrive at Danxia Mountain, Ye Tinglan remembered something she had done.

She put away her Luannian and switched to a small boat.

That was a ride she had extorted from Shen Tang before, and after using it once when she first extorted it, she never used it again, finding it cumbersome.

Now, she returned with her small boat, and her small boat.

Then, she directly charged into Lingquan Mountain, defying the mountain-protecting sword array.

A’nuo, with a bun stuffed in her mouth, watched in terror as the small boat swayed down, almost choking.

“A’nuo!” Lu Xingzhou jumped straight from the boat, scooped up A’nuo, and planted several kisses on her face: “Did you miss Shifu?”

A’nuo desperately swallowed the bun and reached out to pinch Lu Xingzhou’s face: “Let me see if this Shifu is a fake.”

Lu Xingzhou chuckled: “Why would I be a fake?”

“My Shifu is so lustful, shouldn’t the first thing he does when he comes back be to find Shiniang, why would he miss me?”

“Hey, you little thing, is your conscience fed to dogs?”

“I won’t listen, Shifu is chanting scriptures. I wonder who prioritizes romance over disciples, throwing his disciple to Uncle Ji to take care of just to spend time with xiansheng.”

“Uh… that’s because the place where we broke free was far away, and things were urgent, so it wasn’t convenient to go back for you…” Lu Xingzhou’s explanation trailed off a bit. In truth, he could have gone back for A’nuo then, but he mainly trusted Ji Wenchuan. It was common for him to entrust A’nuo to Ji Wenchuan when he was busy.

It really wasn’t just to be alone with xiansheng; A’nuo was always the queen of assists.

“I don’t care.” A’nuo extended her small, chubby hand: “Where’s my compensation?”

Lu Xingzhou immediately pulled out a bottle of Xuan She blood: “You used to get sick when exposed to demon blood. We’ll use this to experiment and research, to see if we can completely cure this illness.”

Ye Tinglan was startled. When Lu Xingzhou collected the Xuan She blood, she thought it was for researching aphrodisiacs, but it turned out to be for A’nuo.

She didn’t know A’nuo had this illness… Given this, the exotic beast blood from earlier should also be significant for A’nuo’s condition, though that one was too high-grade. Starting with Xuan She blood and gradually researching upwards was a good choice.

A’nuo carefully put away the bottle, then asked again for confirmation: “Shifu, did you really collect this just for me, and not for researching aphrodisiacs?”

Lu Xingzhou’s face was taut: “Of course not.”

A’nuo said: “Then you must only have this one bottle, right?”

Lu Xingzhou: “…”

Ye Tinglan turned her head.

Of course, there was more than one bottle; he had kept several.

A’nuo’s gaze turned disdainful: “So Shifu will definitely help me research it himself, right?”

Lu Xingzhou immediately patted his chest to guarantee: “Naturally.”

“So why give this to me? Shifu should keep it and help me research.” A’nuo directly stuffed the bottle back: “Now, where’s my present?”

Lu Xingzhou was dumbfounded.

There really wasn’t anything else.

With a flash of thought, he pulled out another jade talisman, secretly imprinting his divine consciousness on it as he did: “This is a communication jade talisman. Shifu can use this to call you… Hmm, you’ve seen this kind of thing in Yanluo Hall before.”

A’nuo’s taut little face finally broke into a smile: “This is more like it.”

Ye Tinglan tilted her head even further. That jade talisman was clearly meant for Lu Xingzhou himself. This fellow knew he would be imprinting a grand array at Tianyao Sacred Land later, and would naturally have a new communication jade talisman… so he just gave his old one to his disciple, like borrowing flowers to offer to the Buddha.

Shameless. How could I have fallen for this man?

Lu Xingzhou finally appeased the little rascal. Shen Tang rolled over in her wheelchair, saying from afar: “I knew it was you who came back.”

Lu Xingzhou chuckled: “We flew our airship through the array, and the sect had no reaction. The defenses are inadequate.”

“Because everyone recognizes it as my airship!” Shen Tang seemingly unintentionally glanced at Ye Tinglan: “Just like everyone knows, you are my ship.”

Ye Tinglan: “…”

How am I your ship? Is your name written on me?

Yet, the dignified Sacred Master didn’t have the confidence to directly refute this statement. As she was brewing a response in her heart, she saw Lu Xingzhou step forward, lean down, and kiss Shen Tang’s forehead, gently saying: “I’m back.”

Ye Tinglan felt a rush of blood to her head, flushing her face red.

She had never felt such a sensation before. Even when she saw the two of them secretly fooling around in a room in Danxia Mountain before their departure, it didn’t compare to the feeling of this light kiss right in front of her.

It was like swallowing a bomb directly.

“Lu Xingzhou!” Ye Tinglan gritted her teeth: “You… a disciple of the Dan Academy, no early romantic relationships! What are you doing!”

Lu Xingzhou: “…”

Shen Tang almost laughed aloud: “When did the Dan Academy have such a rule?”

Ye Tinglan forcefully said: “I am xiansheng, you are xiansheng, if I say it exists, it exists! Also, Sect Master Shen, meeting an outsider privately, do your family members know about this?”

Shen Tang’s smile stiffened a bit. You’re not serious, are you? If you want to compete with me, do it with your own skills. You’re not going to go complain to my Imperial Father, are you? That’s too much of a foul!

Lu Xingzhou knew Ye Tinglan wouldn’t do that and quickly smoothed things over: “Uh, that’s just our sect etiquette, etiquette. Xiansheng must be tired from the journey back, Tangtang, please arrange a guest room for xiansheng…”

Ye Tinglan gave him a resentful look.

And you said changing from Furen to Xiansheng wasn’t because you were going to see Shen Tang? Look how smoothly you say Xiansheng now. Can you say Furen?

Shameless scumbag.

She forgot that Lu Xingzhou usually mixed calling her Xiansheng and Furen, and he actually called her Xiansheng far more often than Furen. But normally, hearing Xiansheng didn’t evoke this kind of anger, in fact, she was even more used to hearing Xiansheng…

Shen Tang gave Ye Tinglan a half-smile, then turned her wheelchair and headed towards a guest room nearby: “This guest room has been kept ready ever since it was last tidied, specifically for Xiansheng. Xiansheng, please follow me.”

The old guest room was right there; there was no need for “follow me.” Ye Tinglan tacitly understood that Shen Tang wanted to speak privately, so she put on a stern face and followed.

A’nuo looked at Shifu, and Lu Xingzhou, feigning ignorance, was also playing with A’nuo: “Come on, Shifu will tell you a different story.”

A’nuo leaned on his shoulder, watching the two women’s backs as they entered the room, and quietly sighed: “Shifu, you’re something else.”

Over there, Shen Tang led Ye Tinglan into the room, her shoulders slumping slightly: “Guoshi, you can’t be like this…”

“What am I doing?” Ye Tinglan said coldly: “Did I go to your Imperial Father to complain, or did I support other princes to kill you?”

Shen Tang: “…If Guoshi would choose a side in the succession struggle over something like this, that would be too…”

“Too what? Search through history, has anyone ever supported a love rival?”

“Guoshi truly admits to liking Xingzhou?”

Ye Tinglan pursed her lips: “So what?”

Shen Tang felt utterly frustrated… She had initially thought that a player of this caliber entering the game was unfair, but she also felt that for a short period, these two wouldn’t be able to develop anything, so she had somewhat put her mind at ease. Unexpectedly, in just two months, this one was already openly trying to snatch her man, and saying it so loudly.

You, the dignified Sacred Master of Tianyao, a monastic, have you no shame?

She was silent for a long while, then whispered: “If Guoshi truly wants to snatch him, I won’t give in, even if it means losing Guoshi’s support or being targeted.”

Ye Tinglan was stunned for a moment. Her words didn’t convey a sense of snatching, but rather the reaction of being caught as a third party by the rightful owner.

But she also didn’t expect Shen Tang to be so resolute. Throughout history, many men would sacrifice their entire families for glory, yet Shen Tang was willing to forgo the clear support of the Guoshi, just to secure her official status with the man. This was choosing a man over her kingdom.

Ye Tinglan couldn’t help but feel a touch of admiration. No wonder Lu Xingzhou, upon his return, didn’t even bother to pretend in front of her, and went straight to kiss Shen Tang. That was truly an uncontainable emotion.

But since the words had been said, she couldn’t show weakness and say she didn’t intend to snatch him, thereby placing herself in the position of an outsider. So she said coldly: “This one would never resort to underhanded tactics. Am I that kind of person?”

Shen Tang showed a relieved smile: “Guoshi is naturally fair in public and private matters. Hmm… Has Guoshi revealed her identity in front of him? How should I address her in front of him?”

Revealed and yet not revealed.

Ye Tinglan deliberated for a long while, then could only say: “Not revealed. You should still treat me as if you don’t know my identity. I am merely a xiansheng of the Dan Academy.”

Shen Tang smiled politely: “I understand.”

She thought to herself, “What a game they play. If I had known, I would have also adopted another identity. Do men like this kind of thing… Oh right, originally claiming to be the young master of Shen’s Commercial Bank was also playing with a dual identity.”

Speaking of which, if you don’t reveal your identity, it means you don’t have firm ideas about a future with him. So why are you competing with me? Are you relying on your super-grade strength to snatch a man?

Your threat might not even be as good as Pei Chuyun’s… Hmph.

The two women, wearing polite, yet insincere smiles, left the guest room.

Lu Xingzhou was still holding A’nuo, standing there somewhat cautiously, clearly worried that the two might quarrel. Seeing them emerge so quickly without any sounds of argument, he couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief: “Tangtang, do you have nothing to do with the sect today? Hmm, how are things with the Dongjiang Gang now?”

Shen Tang rolled her wheelchair to the stone table, remained silent for a moment, and then gracefully began to brew tea.

The fragrant tea diffused, and the trickling water softly calmed their various troubled minds.

Shen Tang politely offered a cup, holding it with both hands to Ye Tinglan, her eyes downcast: “Xingzhou’s xiansheng is my, Shen Tang’s, xiansheng… Please have some tea, xiansheng.”

Ye Tinglan looked at the respectfully presented tea, unsure whether to accept it.

This was not a concubine offering tea to the principal wife.

Rather, it was acting as the wife, offering tea to her husband’s elder.

If she accepted this tea, Shen Tang’s status would be confirmed, and she herself would be out of the game.

This kind of gentle but sharp palace intrigue was not taught at Tianyao Sacred Land. In this regard alone, super-grade experts would only arise in the imperial palace and in the Chanü Huanzong.

But Ye Tinglan’s mind raced, and in the end, she still accepted it. Holding the cup lid, she gently brushed away the tea foam, blew lightly on it with her red lips, and leisurely said: “Sect Master Shen is too kind. This disciple of mine is always disrespectful, disrespecting the sect master in the sect, and disrespecting xiansheng in the master’s lineage. Instead, he particularly likes to defy heaven… Sect Master, please bear with him.”

A’nuo blinked, amazed.

Xiansheng has evolved too…

This statement simultaneously emphasized that Shen Tang also had a subordinate relationship with him, and that the Xiansheng’s identity here was not an obstacle but rather an allure to him. The last sentence, “please bear with him,” expressed an apology to a superior in the capacity of a family member. This acceptance of the tea projected the stance of a principal wife, and also sounded a horn of attack.

Indeed, she was the leading figure of Tianyao Sacred Land. Petty palace intrigues were no match for political machinations, and she learned them incredibly quickly.

Even Shen Tang was momentarily stunned by these words. After a long while, she finally sighed: “Since you want me to bear with him, where’s my tea?”