Yuan Muyu was silent for a very long time before slowly saying, “It has to be me? If I weren’t in Jing, would you have someone look for me?”

The implication was, are you deliberately humiliating me?

Lu Xingzhou said, “Miaoyin Shan is so far away, I wouldn’t have originally considered it… I’ve already asked the director and a dean of the Alchemy Institute, and an unregistered master from Tianyao Holy Land. Unfortunately, they were either busy or unwilling. If Eldest Sister hadn’t come to Jingshi, I truly might have tried sending a message to Miaoyin Shan for help… after all, I should inform Eldest Sister about my marriage regardless.”

Yuan Muyu knew what he was talking about; she had been there through the whole process.

But she never in a million years imagined that among the “finding elders” theatrical process she was watching, one of the choices would eventually be her.

Yet, it was indeed so reasonable and logical.

She took a deep breath and still asked, “If you truly consider me your elder sister, shouldn’t you have informed me about your marriage immediately?”

Lu Xingzhou replied, “Because of my past delusions, I was afraid it would be seen as showing off, which wouldn’t be very appropriate. The Yanluo Hall’s Jingshi branch is always there, so someone would eventually tell you.”

“Lu Xingzhou…” Yuan Muyu smiled, but there was no actual amusement in her voice: “You really are thorough. Even if you actually didn’t want to contact me, you can still craft your words so perfectly that I might even think you’re being considerate, right?”

Lu Xingzhou also smiled, “Eldest Sister is overthinking.”

Yuan Muyu looked into his eyes. Back when Lu Xingzhou helped her clean up her messes, Yuan Muyu knew this boy’s emotional intelligence and his ability to smooth things over. Even when you knew he was arguing defensively, it rarely felt like an annoying forced argument. It always felt like it was genuinely so, and he could often resolve her troubles perfectly.

Other people would always be smoothly placated, but she never expected that when this ability was used against her, it would be so upsetting.

Perhaps because she understood him too well.

Or perhaps because she stood on the opposite side.

“Alright,” Yuan Muyu suddenly said.

Lu Xingzhou, for a moment, didn’t react, “Huh?”

“I said ‘alright’,” Yuan Muyu seemed to have come to a realization, looking relaxed, “Since you still need Eldest Sister’s help with something, Eldest Sister will naturally help. There’s no need for so many reasons.”

Lu Xingzhou said, “Then I thank Eldest Sister.”

Yuan Muyu suddenly asked, “Anything else?”

“Hmm?” Lu Xingzhou replied, “Does Eldest Sister wish to meet them? Then please follow me to the Main Guest Bureau; I will properly introduce you…”

“No,” Yuan Muyu said coldly, “Since I’ve come to Jingshi to busy myself with my younger brother’s marriage, you never even thought of inviting Eldest Sister to stay at your home? Isn’t A’nuo someone I raised from a young age? Shouldn’t I see her?”

Lu Xingzhou nodded, “You’re right. Then Eldest Sister, please follow me.”

The two walked one after another through the streets and alleys of Jingshi. Yuan Muyu watched Lu Xingzhou’s striding back, no longer knowing what she was thinking.

He really had moved on. Judging by his complete indifference to where she was staying, he probably never thought of Yuan Muyu in any aspect of his daily life. Just like his pale face and the blood on his lips, he didn’t even ask about them, completely unconcerned.

Even a request to stay at home was met with indifference, as if it didn’t matter—stay if you want to, like any ordinary guest, without causing any ripples.

If one were to speak of broken affections, it felt like he was the one who had truly broken them.

On the contrary, she was the one who kept him in her heart, never letting go.

How ironic.

“Master, who is this…” The butler vigilantly stared at the young girl Lu Xingzhou brought back, secretly wondering whether to inform Miss Pei.

“My Eldest Sister,” Lu Xingzhou casually instructed, “Prepare the best guest room, and also call A’nuo out.”

Actually, there was no need to call. Yuan Muyu had already seen A’nuo cautiously peeking out from behind a nearby corridor, with a pig’s head sticking out from her arms.

Yuan Muyu expressionlessly waved her hand, “Why are you hiding there? Am I going to eat you?”

A’nuo offered a forced smile and shuffled forward cautiously, arriving in front of her, “Sister Yu.”

Yuan Muyu pinched A’nuo’s face, “Little ingrate.”

The tone, it was unclear whether she was referring to A’nuo or indirectly scolding someone else.

Lu Xingzhou simply smiled, “A’nuo, please entertain Sister Yu well. I’m going back to work. Butler Pei, please tell the kitchen to prepare more home-style dishes today.”

Watching Lu Xingzhou leave with a carefree air, Yuan Muyu’s hand, still pinching A’nuo, went limp, and she soon dropped it, silent.

Was there really nothing to say?

A’nuo cautiously observed her expression, “Sister Yu, are you hurt? I have some medicine…”

See, even A’nuo was concerned.

Yuan Muyu felt slightly better. After all, A’nuo was indeed someone she had raised from infancy. The process of raising A’nuo with Lu Xingzhou was just like a young couple: changing diapers, feeding rice paste. At that time, she was still young herself, and Lu Xingzhou was disabled and inconvenient, so it was often a chaotic mess, but it was usually Yuan Muyu who did most of it.

Back then, Situ Yue wanted to help with the baby, but she wasn’t very enthusiastic.

This little ingrate was closer to Lu Xingzhou. Divorce… or rather, separation, she only wanted to follow her father, which was understandable. Lu Xingzhou, with his broken leg, spent most of his time in Yanluo Hall, so he had a lot of time with the child. She often went out to work, so their time together was relatively less… but no matter what, she was truly in the position of a mother.

“I don’t need your medicine,” Yuan Muyu stopped A’nuo from fumbling for a pill, her gaze falling on the little pig. “This spirit beast is interesting… what’s its name?”

A’nuo’s eyes darted around, “Its name is Zhouzhou.”

“…Your master doesn’t scold you for that?”

“Master doesn’t care.”

Yuan Muyu liked the name very much. Even though she was injured, she didn’t take her own medicine. Instead, she knelt down and pulled out a pill to feed the pig, “Zhouzhou, eat.”

Watching the little pig gobble down the medicine, Yuan Muyu’s eyes held a somewhat dazed expression.

It was just like when Lu Xingzhou was small, sitting in a wheelchair, being fed a pill by her.

For some reason, her nose suddenly felt a little sore.

She hadn’t even felt this way when she saw Lu Xingzhou kissing other women.

“Sister Yu,” A’nuo still offered a pill, “Your cultivation has gone a bit awry; your Qi and blood are chaotic. This pill works very well, please try it.”

Yuan Muyu took a few deep breaths, trying to keep her voice calm, “What, your alchemy skills are better than Sister Yu’s now, are they?”

A’nuo tilted her head and thought for a moment, “Possibly, Sister Yu usually doesn’t pay much attention to alchemy.”

The Ye family sisters learned the same things when they were young, but then gradually branched off into different paths. Ye Tinglan typically pursued Daoist cultivation, dabbling in alchemy, talismans, stargazing, and observing Qi. Yuan Muyu, however, turned to more direct and fierce combat techniques. Her foundational skills in alchemy and artifact refining were still strong, but compared to those who specialized in these fields, she might not necessarily surpass them.

Seeing that even A’nuo dared to say her alchemy was stronger than her own, Yuan Muyu felt an even greater sigh of things changing beyond recognition.

As for whether she had truly surpassed her mentor, that wasn’t important. Yuan Muyu indeed took the pill A’nuo gave her, rubbed her head, “Your master actually doesn’t particularly like the alchemy profession himself. He studied it before just to… well, everything’s fine now. Has this profession completely been handed over to you?”

A’nuo thought for a moment, “Earlier, Master had that intention, but later, for some reason, he didn’t mention it again. When we were with the demon race, even though I could refine all those elixirs, Master still refined many himself, and he personally researched the formulations.”

Yuan Muyu said with a stern face, “Is it because of the Demon Emperor?”

A’nuo shook her head, “That shouldn’t be it. I feel Master still wants to continue honing his alchemy skills himself, perhaps not wanting to abandon something he’s studied for so long.”

Yuan Muyu stared blankly, lost in thought.

A’nuo cautiously retreated with the pig in her arms. She felt that Sister Yu might have misunderstood something again.

Could it be that she thinks he doesn’t want to abandon what she taught him? No, Master has abandoned many things you taught him. As for why he didn’t abandon alchemy, it might have more to do with Mr. Ye…

A’nuo herself didn’t know that Lu Xingzhou was still pondering alchemy mainly for her sake.

If A’nuo were a pill, the disharmony in her blood might still need to find a solution through alchemy.

In any case, Yuan Muyu had never wronged A’nuo, and A’nuo ultimately couldn’t say anything harsh. She sighed and said, “Sister, are you not feeling well? Shall I take you to rest?”

“No need,” Yuan Muyu smiled, “Since I promised Xingzhou I’d act as an elder, I’ll do an elder’s duty.”

She rubbed the little pig “Zhouzhou”‘s head and stood up, “I’m going to the Pei family. Do you want to come along?”

Of course A’nuo wanted to go. Not eating this gossip? Then she would have been wasting her time with Sister Yao all this while.

Yuan Muyu took a deep breath and put on her Yan Jun mask.

“Miss! Miss!” Before long, a Pei family servant breathlessly ran into the Main Guest Bureau’s records office, “The Yan Jun of Yanluo Hall has gone to your home to propose marriage on behalf of Langzhong Lu!”

Pei Chuyun was writing documents. Hearing this, her hand trembled, and a blob of ink spread out.

The officials of the Main Guest Bureau heard it, and all had strange expressions, whispering amongst themselves.

The lord of the Great Qian’s first demonic sect openly entering the Great Qian’s prime minister’s mansion, and the two sides discussing marriage…

This matter itself was extremely absurd… even more absurd was that Yan Jun would then have to go to the Chief of the Demon Suppression Division’s home, right?

How could this country…

And, how would the Imperial Preceptor react?

On the other hand, putting aside the absurdity of this rivalry, solely from the perspective of status, it was very impressive, much more impressive than Meng Li or anyone else. After all, Yan Jun was a rare transcendent grade in this world, and Yanluo Hall was the Great Qian’s foremost demonic power.

Pei Chuyun also felt an extremely strange emotion rising within her. Just now, Lu Xingzhou said he was going to find the Minister of Personnel, but why was it Yan Jun who came?

She quickly left her office and went to Lu Xingzhou’s adjacent office to ask, “Yan Jun went to propose marriage, do you know about it?”

Lu Xingzhou looked up from a stack of documents and smiled, “She’s not representing Yanluo Hall; she’s an elder who raised me… It’s only natural; tell everyone not to overthink it.”

“No, I don’t care who overthinks it, as long as someone proposes!” Pei Chuyun said anxiously, “Can Yan Jun properly discuss the marriage? Won’t she cause trouble?”

Lu Xingzhou said calmly, “She won’t.”