"His name is Xiang Wenting. He is quite upright, but lacks the talents of his father. He practiced in the Spirit Treasure Sect up to the Condensed Water Realm and left due to his age. Returning to the family, he helped his father with City Lord affairs while cultivating, hoping to pass the Spirit Treasure Sect’s assessment for the City Lord position and inherit his father’s title in the future."
You Su nodded in agreement, then turned to the timid girl following behind and said:
"Xiuyun, remember what I told you. To investigate whether your sister is in the City Lord’s mansion, you need to be firm. Just treat us as knights fighting for your justice. With us here, they won’t dare to drive you away again."
Faced with this handsome and unparalleled face, Qiao Xiuyun was first taken aback, then vigorously nodded.
The three continued on, and the closer they got to the City Lord’s mansion, the more luxurious the pedestrians’ attire became.
However, You Su’s group of three still attracted a lot of attention due to their remarkable presence, which made the little girl a bit fearful, akin to when she walked among the wealthy in her tattered clothes.
Even though she had changed into new attire, she still felt out of place in the bustling city center. But seeing the determined and composed demeanor of the three ahead, she couldn’t help but straighten her back a bit.
They were here to find her sister, so she certainly couldn’t let down these kind-hearted people.
...
"Who are you?"
The guards stopped the trio, each wearing helmets and armor, indicating the strict security of the City Lord’s mansion.
You Su slightly furrowed his sword-like brows. Compared to Chuyun City, this City Lord’s mansion indeed seemed more unattainable.
As the political center of a city, the City Lord’s mansion would definitely have many people coming here for business. Although a bit of authority is needed for stability, the City Lord’s mansion in Mo Ye City completely lacked that down-to-earth human touch.
"Does the Xiang family really think they are the petty emperors of Mo Ye City?"
Ji Lingruo muttered quietly. The emperor was a distant existence recorded in history books. Before the advent of the five Immortal Ancestors, the Human Race was governed by various emperors, causing endless chaos. But since the immortals from the Divine Mountain took charge of the mortal world, such dominance has never occurred again.
"Hello, we have matters to discuss with Mr. Xiang Wenting."
"I asked you who you are!"
The guard snorted coldly once more.
"We are this young lady’s protectors." You Su humbly stepped back, letting the refreshed Qiao Xiuyun come forward.
The guard frowned, thinking this pretty girl seemed somewhat familiar, "What is your lady’s identity?"
"My lady is named Qiao Xiuyun, the younger sister of the previous courtesan Qiao Xiuying of Xiao Xiang Pavilion. Her sister went missing, and hearing about her sister’s close relations with Mr. Xiang Wenting, she wishes to seek him for information."
"What do you mean? How could our young master have close relations with a brothel girl? If you keep slandering, don’t blame us for not warning you!"
The guards glared angrily, adopting a posture demanding respect.
Unexpectedly, You Su stood even more upright, subtly emitting an intimidating aura, slightly diminishing the guards’ arrogant demeanor.
"These are letters written by your young master to Qiao Xiuying, hidden under the bed boards in the Elegant Bamboo Pavilion. Because they were so well concealed, I suppose you haven’t been able to find them after much search? With this evidence, is it still considered slander?" You Su swiftly retrieved two letters from his sleeve, threatening, "If you don’t wish for these letters to be made public, lead us to him. We just want to inquire about Qiao Xiuying’s whereabouts, nothing else."
The guard paused, looking at the yellow-stained letters in You Su’s hand with a face full of suspicion:
"Just normal correspondence letters. Don’t be anxious. I’ll first inquire with our young master."
You Su waved indifferently, "We won’t wait too long."
The guard glared angrily at You Su, then hurriedly rushed into the mansion.
Soon, the guard returned, his expression unpleasant, signaling his companions to step aside.
"Follow me, the young master is willing to see you."
Qiao Xiuyun looked incredulously at the letters in You Su’s sleeve. She hadn’t expected those two pieces of blank paper, fabricated spontaneously by her older brother, to achieve such an effect.
...
Xiang Wenting wore a tooth-white scholarly robe, his features precise and sharp, presenting a handsome young man. His lowered eyes added a touch of melancholic air, and coupled with his prominent family and status, it’s no wonder a courtesan would be so enamored with him.
At this moment, he sat at the desk, bent over, sketching something.
You Su and the others were arranged around the tea table, quietly waiting for him to finish his drawing.
The three were bored, only Qiao Xiuyun carefully observed Xiang Wenting’s face, wondering if this would be her future brother-in-law.
After some time, Xiang Wenting finally took a deep breath and put down the brush.
He looked up, his eyes slightly reddened:
"The correspondence letters between Ying’Er and me, she kept them in the interlayer of her jewelry box as if they were treasures. I’ve checked thoroughly; there’s no way she could hide any letters under the bed boards. So those letters are fake. Who are you?"
"Wandering cultivators. Seeing this young girl struggling on the path to find her sister, we lent a hand."
Xiang Wenting nodded, though his gaze inevitably lingered on Ji Lingruo. He’s different from the guards outside; given his Condensed Water Realm cultivation, detecting Ji Lingruo’s demonic aura wasn’t difficult.
Ji Lingruo seemed aware of his thoughts and retrieved a token from her sleeve. Since she hadn’t completed the public period, all she possessed was the ordinary emblem of the Profound Sky Sect.