As Su Yi entered the courtyard, Qian Wan, dressed in a blood-red gown, drifted out from the room and said, "Master, when you were away tonight, many people hid outside our courtyard. They were all dressed in fierce armor and exuded a strong murderous aura. It was quite frightening."
A lingering fear still remained on her fair and delicate face, and she appeared nervous and anxious, clearly shaken by what had just happened.
"Where are they now?" Su Yi's pupils narrowed slightly.
"Um... I don't know what happened, but they've left," Qian Wan said, sticking out her tongue in relief.
Su Yi furrowed his brow and said, "Go into the room and tell me carefully." He strode forward.
"Oh, okay," Qian Wan hurriedly followed.
For some reason, when Su Yi returned to the courtyard, she felt as if she had found a reliance, and her heart felt comforted and secure.
Although she still felt fear and awe when facing Su Yi, this feeling was better than being scared and anxious on her own.
A lamp lit up in the room, dispelling the darkness and providing warmth.
Qian Wan stood timidly in the empty space not far from Su Yi, her slender and crystal-clear toes occasionally curling tightly.
"Why are you so nervous?"
As soon as he saw her like this, Su Yi couldn't help but frown.
Qian Wan shook her head and said, "Master, Wan'er is not..."
"You're lying."
Su Yi sat in the chair, his gaze shifting from Qian Wan's white jade-like feet to her beautiful face, and said, "When you're nervous, your toes fidget, your eyelashes tremble, your earlobes turn red, and your hands subconsciously twist your clothes."
Qian Wan was stunned for a moment, her cheeks flushed, feeling as if her entire body, inside and out, had been seen through without any secrets.
She became even more nervous, and her tiny, glistening ears turned red.
"Timid, shy, nervous... Where did Wu Ruoqiu find this girl's lingering soul?"
Su Yi couldn't help but rub his temples.
Immediately, he decisively changed the subject and said, "Tell me about those hidden individuals from earlier."
Qian Wan instantly breathed a sigh of relief and pondered before saying, "At that time, Wan'er was hiding in the old locust tree and overheard some of their conversations."
Her voice was gentle and soft as she narrated the events of the night.
After listening, Su Yi couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. He tapped his fingers lightly on the tabletop, his gaze fixed on the candlelight, lost in thought.
According to Qian Wan's account, those hidden individuals were actually from the Li clan!
Moreover, they were acting under the orders of Li Moyun, intending to ambush Su Yi and kill him when he returned from the Dragon Gate banquet tonight.
However, something unexpected happened during the operation.
An old servant hurriedly arrived and informed the hidden individuals that the plan had changed, causing them to withdraw.
What puzzled Su Yi was that he had no grievances or enmity with Li Moyun. Why would he want to harm him?
"Could it be related to Wen Lingzhao?"
Su Yi recalled what had happened at the birthday banquet of the Wen family's old lady.
At that time, Li Moyun had spoken up, hoping that the Wen family would annul the marriage between Su Yi and Wen Lingzhao.
"It must be so. According to Huang Qianjun's words back then, Li Moyun had long been infatuated with Wen Lingzhao and repeatedly declared that he would not marry anyone but her."
"Based on this inference, he intended to eliminate me to seize the opportunity."
Thinking of this, Su Yi couldn't help but let out a soft sigh.
His nominal wife was really troublesome.
First, there was Wei Zhengyang, and now Li Moyun.
Now, as a Grand Disciple in Tianyuan Academy, she was bound to attract countless suitors.
"Master, what... what do you plan to do?" Qian Wan asked timidly.
Su Yi casually replied, "Even if I were to kill them all, it would only be treating the symptoms and not the root cause. After this incident, I am even more determined to dissolve this marriage. Only then can I resolve it once and for all."
Qian Wan asked in a daze, "Master, are you planning to divorce your wife?"
"Why not? Or do you think I am being too heartless?" Su Yi retorted.
"No," Qian Wan quickly shook her head.
Su Yi lazily leaned back in his chair and suddenly smiled. He said, "Forget it, today is my birthday. Let's not talk about these unpleasant matters."
He picked up the wine jug on the table and poured himself a drink.
Qian Wan hesitated and asked, "Master, is there no one celebrating your birthday today?"
Su Yi shook his head. "I've never liked these things."
Qian Wan seemed to have gained a little more courage and said, "Then... can I know how old you are today, Master?"
Su Yi casually replied, "If you add it all up, I'm a hundred and eight thousand and seventeen years old. Well, you can consider me seventeen now."
Qian Wan was momentarily stunned and a bit confused.
But she didn't ask further and instead remained silent for a while. Then, as if gathering her courage, she said, "Master, may I sing a song for you?"
Su Yi, absent-mindedly, said, "As you wish."
In the glow of the lamp, Qian Wan took a deep breath, gently adjusted her red dress, and parted her rosy lips. A melodious and ethereal voice, like the sound of a clear spring flowing through a tranquil valley, resonated in the room.
"Master's birthday, like the constant moon, like the rising sun, like the majestic southern mountains, unwavering and unyielding, like the lush pine and cypress trees, you bear it all..."
With a soft hum and a gentle melody, it was as if the tinkling sound of water was flowing in a serene gorge.
Su Yi was first startled, then a smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
This was an ancient birthday song, and the little girl had put a lot of effort into it.
He listened attentively while drinking his wine, feeling at ease.
Outside the window, the night was deep, and stars were scattered sparsely.
On this kind of night, with Qian Wan's beautiful and ethereal singing, it carried a special flavor.
...
On the same night.
The Li family.
Li Moyun clenched the hilt of his sword tightly, his once handsome face becoming twisted and gloomy.
He forcefully controlled his anger and unwillingness, his teeth almost grinding to dust.
Tonight was supposed to be the perfect opportunity for his hunt. He had already made all the arrangements, planning to kill Su Yi and then immediately leave the city to find Wen Lingzhao at Tianyuan Academy.
He had even carefully prepared a gift to give to Wen Lingzhao.
But who would have thought that all his plans would fail at the last moment, ending in vain!
Next to him, the old servant whispered, "Young master, the patriarch said for you to leave tonight. Without his orders, you must not return to Guangling City in the near future."
Li Moyun couldn't control his anger any longer and growled in a low voice, "Even if that waste Su Yi has recovered his cultivation and defeated Mo Tianling, so what? Does that mean Father will drive me away because of these things?"
His chest heaved rapidly.
He was already aware of what had happened tonight at the Longmen Banquet, and it was precisely because of this that his plans had been foiled.
The old servant explained in a low voice, "Young master, the patriarch's concern is not with Su Yi or Fu Shan, Huang Yunchong, Nie Beihu, and the others. He is worried that in your rage, you might make some wrong moves."
Pausing for a moment, he continued, "As for killing Su Yi, it can wait. The patriarch says there is another secret about Su Yi, and it is this secret that makes Fu Shan and the others highly value him."
"If we act without fully uncovering this secret, it could bring unforeseen risks to our Li family."
Li Moyun was stunned for a moment, and it took him a while to take a deep breath and say, "I understand. Tell Father that I will return to Yunhe County immediately!"
After speaking, he turned and walked towards the exit.
"You escort the young master and make sure you don't delay. You must reach Yunhe County as quickly as possible. Understood?"
The old servant followed, instructing the guards who were waiting outside.
"Yes!"
The guards responded with a resounding affirmation.
Witnessing this scene, Li Moyun sighed inwardly. He knew that his father still didn't trust him completely, fearing that he would turn back and secretly enter the city to deal with Su Yi.
As he rode his horse to the outskirts of Guangling City, Li Moyun glanced back at the towering city gate, his eyes filled with icy killing intent.
"Su Yi, just you wait!"
In the dark night, he and his guards rode swiftly away.
...
Tianyuan Academy.
On the peak of a verdant mountain, there was a natural hot spring pool.
The night was deep, and the stars sparsely dotted the sky.
Two graceful figures soaked in the steaming pool, their slender necks and exquisite faces visible above the water.
Mist curled around them, and the water gently rippled.
Wen Lingxue sat on a stone in the pool, comfortably extending her slender, snow-white legs beneath the water's surface. Her delicate and crystal-clear feet playfully tapped the warm water, and a relaxed expression appeared on her beautiful and enchanting face.
Beneath the misty ripples, her graceful and symmetrical figure seemed to be partially concealed.
"Sister, what did my husband write in the letter he gave you?" asked Wen Lingxue, raising her fair wrist to wipe away the fine beads of water on her forehead, her voice crisp.
Beside her, Wen Lingzhao had her hair piled high, her skin as smooth as jade, and her cool countenance carried a sense of aloofness, even in the mist.
"What's the point of mentioning him?" She furrowed her eyebrows slightly, still carrying an air of coldness in her expression, appearance, and temperament, even when she was with her younger sister.
Although she said it like that, Wen Lingzhao couldn't help but remember the letter her sister had specifically handed to her a few days ago.
There was only one sentence written on it:
"I hope you can dissolve the marriage between us as soon as possible, so that everyone can be happy."
When she first saw it, Wen Lingzhao couldn't help but pause, unable to figure out if Su Yi's words were sincere or if he was ironically mocking her.
Because, as Su Yi stated in the letter, she worked hard in her cultivation to vent her frustrations, attempting to gain stronger power to truly control her own destiny and no longer be bound by this marriage!
But Wen Lingzhao hadn't expected that Su Yi, whom she had ignored and treated as a stranger all along, seemed to have guessed some of her thoughts.
If that's the case, it would be fine, but his tone in the letter was unusually strange.
What does it mean by "everyone can be happy"?
It seemed like a kind of mockery no matter how she looked at it!
As a result, every time Wen Lingzhao thought of this letter in recent days, she felt an indescribable discomfort in her heart.
Calming her mind, Wen Lingzhao's clear gaze fell upon her sister as she said, "I have already told our parents that you don't need to accompany them back to Guangling City this time. You should stay in Qinghe Sword Mansion in Yunhe County to cultivate. Once I become an official disciple of the Master, I will find a way to arrange for you to enter Tianyuan Academy. That way, we can be together for a long time, and I can take care of you at all times."
Towards the end, her voice carried a subtle hint of tenderness that was not easy to detect.
"Sister, can I... not agree?"
Wen Lingxue blinked her watery eyes and pleaded pitifully, "Sister, can't I?"
She didn't want to stay behind like this.
"No," Wen Lingzhao replied, raising her clear gaze to the night sky. "Back then, I was unfortunate enough to be forced into a marriage with a stranger who had nothing to do with me. Lingxue, I will never let you repeat my mistakes!"
A hint of bitterness and resentment seeped into her cold tone.