Translator: CinderTL
The Princess Consort's gaze shifted unnaturally to the side, her eyes darting around, as Xu Sanyan's nakedness made it too embarrassing for her to look directly, yet deep down, she was eager to see.
Ever since giving birth to Yang Qiyuan, Prince Rui had rarely shared a bed with her. Heaven knows how she had endured these past dozen years.
Thankfully, she had the company of Mr. Jiao.
"You... I'll have someone bring you a robe," the Princess Consort said, standing up and quickly walking to the side.
Xu Sanyan didn't stop her. Soon, the Princess Consort returned with a light purple robe in hand, her eyes downcast. "Go to the guest room and change into this."
Seeing her like this, Xu Sanyan found it somewhat amusing. At her age, she was still so shy, nowhere near as bold as Madam Wu.
He reached out to take the robe, immediately discarding the cloth strip around his waist and slipping into the robe. It fit quite well, though it felt a bit drafty down below.
The Princess Consort seemed torn between wanting to look and feeling too embarrassed, her gaze wandering aimlessly. By chance, their eyes met, and her face instantly flushed with embarrassment.
Xu Sanyan had no intention of teasing her now. "I'll take my leave. If there's any news, you can send someone to my residence."
"Mm," the Princess Consort responded with a barely audible hum.
Xu Sanyan turned and left.
The Royal Treasury needed to be investigated, but not now. It would be better to return late at night when all was quiet.
It was better to be stealthy than to act openly, especially since Prince Rui was still alive. One had to be cautious.
Lost in thought, Xu Sanyan found himself at the Cui residence without realizing it. He raised an eyebrow and muttered to himself, "Huh, how did I end up here?"
Then he thought, since he was already here, he might as well go in. The Cui family would surely know about the situation on the front lines.
With that, he slowly approached the gate of the Cui residence. The two guards standing there were familiar faces—they had welcomed him in last time.
The two young men's faces fell the moment they saw Xu Sanyan, their legs trembling. The memory of Cui Jie's tragic state was still vivid, and every time they passed by the inner residence, they could hear Cui Jie's agonized curses.
"Xu... Lord Xu, you've come," one of the young men forced a smile, summoning his courage.
"Hehe... No need to be afraid. I'm here to catch up with Senior Cui," Xu Sanyan chuckled.
It had been a while, and he missed the old man.
The young man scurried inside, saying, "I'll inform him right away. Please, come in and have a seat."
Xu Sanyan tilted his head slightly. He considered himself quite friendly, so he didn't understand why they were so afraid of him.
The other guard, seeing Xu Sanyan staring at him, felt a pang of bitterness but had no choice but to lead him to the main hall and obediently serve tea.
Soon, the head of the Cui family strode in with a grim expression, his tone icy. "What brings Lord Xu here today?"
It was clear he was not welcoming Xu Sanyan, but he lacked the power to drive him away, so he could only maintain a cold demeanor, hoping Xu Sanyan would take the hint.
Xu Sanyan felt a surge of disdain. If it weren't for the fact that he had to consider Cui Yousheng behind the Cui family, this old man would already be on his knees singing submission.
Though he might not actually know how to sing.
"I came to visit Senior Cui," Xu Sanyan said, unfazed by the man's attitude, and sat down comfortably.
The head of the Cui family sneered, "Hehe, I'm doing just fine. If Lord Xu has something to say, you might as well speak directly."
"Alright, then I'll be direct," Xu Sanyan slowly stood up, waving his sleeve. A withered tree in the distant courtyard snapped in half with a loud crash.
Boom!
The sound of trees falling echoed with a dull thud, and in an instant, the air grew still. The head of the Cui Family abruptly stood up, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"You... you've broken through?"
At such a distance and with such force, this was definitely not something a Celestial Realm Warrior could achieve!
The Cui Family head didn't know how to describe his feelings at this moment. All he wanted was to go back and beat Cui Jie to death.
If it weren't for his wretched son instructing Cui Wanying to poison, the situation wouldn't have escalated to this point.
A Foundation Establishment cultivator at the age of twenty!
Even in the upper sects, he would be considered a genius.
Xu Sanyan glanced at him sideways, "Just luck."
The Cui Family head seemed to have all his energy drained in an instant, slumping into his chair with a sigh, "Ah, Young Master Xu, I presume you're not here to show off, are you?"
"Of course not. I have two matters to discuss," Xu Sanyan extended two fingers.
"Please speak. As long as I can manage it, I will spare no effort," the Cui Family head no longer had the attitude he had just moments ago.
Although the Cui Family had Cui Yousheng standing behind them, he knew his own family's affairs. Cui Yousheng was no longer considered a member of the Cui Family; they were merely using his name.
The gap between immortals and mortals was like a chasm, separating the two sides far apart. To Cui Yousheng, the Cui Family was just a burden.
Xu Sanyan was quite satisfied with his understanding and said, "The first matter, I want to know the current state of the war."
The Cui Family head thought for a moment and replied, "After the battle at Silver Mountain Pass, the imperial court was defeated, suffering heavy losses. Even the immortals supported by the royal family were lost. It's a devastating blow, and I'm afraid there's no way to recover. At most, they can hold on for a few more months."
Xu Sanyan nodded, "The second matter, I want precious medicine, the more the better. Once the matter is settled, I can ensure your Cui Family takes a step further."
What Xu Sanyan meant by taking a step further was becoming a major family in the capital, no longer confined to Xiang City.
The Cui Family head naturally understood his meaning, but there was no excitement in his eyes. Instead, he shook his head, "No need. I can collect precious medicine for Young Master Xu, only asking that you let bygones be bygones."
Although Xu Sanyan didn't suffer any losses last time, and it was the Cui Family that suffered heavily, the current situation forced him to lower his head.
Xu Sanyan smiled. This old man was indeed sensible, worthy of controlling the vast Cui Family.
"Good," Xu Sanyan nodded.
Although the Cui Family head was humiliated in front of him, he was still a Celestial Realm Warrior, one of the top figures in Xiang City. Having him help collect precious medicine would be twice as effective.
Xu Sanyan stood up, about to leave, when he suddenly thought of something and turned to ask, "I heard that your family still has a token from the upper sect?"
The Cui Family head's heart trembled, and he couldn't help but feel a surge of hatred. He knew who had leaked the information.
Yang Qizhu!
Only three people knew about that token: him, Yang Qizhu, and the Cui Family's eldest son, Cui Sheng.
The token was prepared for Cui Sheng. He would never speak of it, and he hadn't leaked it either. That left only Yang Qizhu.
What a ruthless woman!
The Cui Family head secretly hated her. Yang Qizhu's move had completely shattered the Cui Family's hope of becoming a cultivation family.
Over the years, the Cui Family had invested countless efforts into Cui Sheng, hoping he could join the upper sect and bring prosperity to the family.
Unfortunately, all these hopes were mercilessly torn apart by Yang Qizhu.
But he completely forgot that when Cui Yousheng had sent those items, it was out of respect for Yang Qizhu's mother, to support her in the struggle for the throne.
(End of the Chapter)
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