"Alright, I'll go arrange things for later, and coincidentally fetch the Flowing Light Stone for the young miss."
Huaran nodded slightly at Lin Qianxue and turned to leave the corridor.
"Xiao Yue'er, what do you want with the Flowing Light Stone?"
Liu Mingshuang looked at Luo Yue, who was snuggled in Lin Qianxue's arms, and asked with curiosity.
Naturally, Luo Yue was still young and wouldn't even know the use of a Flowing Light Stone. Why would she ask for such a stone? Could it be simply because it looked pretty?
"Didn't Senior Sister say it could be made into a hairpin? Yue'er wants to take it back and have Uncle Qiūqiān teach me how to make hairpins."
"Usually, all of Yue'er's clothes and such are made by Master's own hands, so Yue'er wants to make something to give to Master as well."
"Besides, the color of this stone is the same as the color Master usually wears, so Yue'er thinks Master will like it."
Lin Qianxue wore a look of astonishment and casually stroked the tip of Luo Yue's dainty nose.
"I never expected our little Yue'er to be so sensible. But don't you worry, I'm sure that as long as it's a gift from you, Emperor Venerable Shen Shuanghan will definitely love it."
As time passed, the four of them quietly watched one lot after another being auctioned off.
Aside from the Flowing Light Stone, which had been won earlier with the intention of turning it into a hairpin for Shen Shuanghan, the subsequent lots were completely perfunctory. Luo Yue also began to doze off in Lin Qianxue's arms.
"We sincerely apologize to everyone, but due to an accident with the final lot, our auction house has decided to offer a thirty percent discount on all items purchased at today's auction as compensation to you all."
"Let's go. It looks like it's over."
Seeing the auction house manager come out, Lin Qianxue scooped up Luo Yue and rose to leave. The other two quickly followed, and not far behind them, a figure vanished into thin air.
***
Outside Taolin City
"Senior Sister, aren't we going to wait for City Lord Huaran?"
On the road, Liu Mingshuang asked Su Wanyi in puzzlement.
"City Lord Huaran is a proper city lord in her own right. Naturally, her departure isn't as free and easy as ours."
"Once City Lord Huaran finishes handling matters at hand, she will naturally return to the Yaoguang Sect. At that time, we can escort her back to the Yaoguang Holy Land."
"Keep your voice down. Xiao Yue'er is asleep."
Hearing Lin Qianxue speak up, the others looked over and saw Luo Yue with her eyes tightly shut, resting soundly in Lin Qianxue's arms.
"This little rascal, we've barely gone anywhere yet, how can she already be asleep?"
Liu Mingshuang reached out to poke Luo Yue's chubby little cheek and pouted.
"Is it because I was too busy looking after Xiao Yue'er that I forgot to keep an eye on you?"
Liu Mingshuang's careless gesture displeased Lin Qianxue, who glared fiercely at her.
The reason Luo Yue had fallen asleep so quickly was probably because of her own negligence in letting the child run so far and get tired out.
"How old is Xiao Yue'er now? It's completely normal for her to fall asleep after going through so much."
"So, are we heading straight back now?"
Seeing Liu Mingshuang starting to court death again, Su Wanyi hurriedly stepped in to smooth things over.
"Let's head back first. There will be plenty of opportunities to take Xiao Yue'er out to play in the future anyway."
Hearing Lin Qianxue's words, Su Wanyi quickly released the shuttle boat from her storage space.
"Alright then. It's just that who knows when we'll be able to sneak out again next time."
"Then you might as well stay right here."
An eerie voice came from behind, and Su Wanyi hastily summoned her longsword, shielding Lin Qianxue behind her.
"Who goes there?"
"Little dolls, hand over the heavenly spiritual treasure, and I can give you a quick and painless death."
An old man was dressed in a black robe, his hair a mixture of black and white. Together with his wrinkled face, it gave off an indescribably gloomy and wretched vibe.
"Mingshuang, this person's cultivation is likely above the Divine King realm. Take Xiao Yue'er and use the opportunity to find City Lord Huaran."
Lin Qianxue handed the child in her arms to Liu Mingshuang, a grave expression on her face as she looked at the newcomer. With a grasp of her slender hand, she summoned a purple longsword and stepped in front of Su Wanyi.
"May I ask the honorable elder's great name? And why block our path?"
"Don't play the fool, child. This old man has come today precisely for that heavenly spiritual treasure belonging to Huaran."
"And the moment you lot appeared, the heavenly spiritual treasure vanished, and Huaran recovered as well. What, you're not going to tell this old man that the disappearance of the heavenly spiritual treasure has nothing to do with you?"
"Back at the auction, this old man saw with his own eyes that Huaran was standing right beside you, and her expression and posture looked nothing like someone suffering from a backlash."
"Enough idle chatter. If you want to fight, then let's fight."
Su Wanyi tapped her toes lightly on the ground, shooting forward like an arrow released from a bowstring.
"Three little dolls in the Divine Palace Realm, you certainly have some nerve."
The old man's wrinkled hand flicked casually at his side, and with a sudden strike of empty space, Su Wanyi was sent flying back more than a dozen meters. A mouthful of fresh blood burst out of her, instantly vaporizing into a bloody mist in the air.
The tremendous noise jolted Luo Yue awake from her slumber.
"What's happening?"
Luo Yue rubbed her eyes in a daze, but before she could even open them, Liu Mingshuang pressed her head firmly against her chest.
Clutching Luo Yue tightly, Liu Mingshuang didn't dare delay for a single second, sprinting off in the opposite direction.
"You lot actually thought you could escape from my grasp?"
With a momentary flash, the black-robed elder appeared directly behind Liu Mingshuang.
A flash of purple sword light cut through the air, forcing the elder—who was on the verge of succeeding—to hastily pull his hand back.
"Mingshuang, take Luo Yue into the city and stir up chaos. Wenyi and I will hold him off here for you."
"Seeking death."
A ball of black mist gradually solidified in the old man's hand, and a black dragon claw materialized before everyone's eyes.
"Old ghost Xuanyin, ever since you plotted against this Sovereign back in the Qizang Secret Realm, you vanished without a trace in the Tianji God Domain. Never figured you'd run all the way to the Yaoguang God Domain to throw your weight around."
A striking red, wide-sleeved gown embroidered all over with golden patterns fluttered with flamboyant arrogance.
"The witch Su Wanyue."
"It's a wonder you still remember this Sovereign."
Su Wanyue walked slowly toward Xuanyin, then curiously glanced over at the three youngsters who had dared to use the Divine Palace Realm to forcefully clash with the Divine Venerable Realm, only to catch sight of that pair of beautiful eyes in Liu Mingshuang's embrace.
"Ayue."
With a flash, Su Wanyi—wait, Su Wanyue—appeared right in front of Liu Mingshuang and snatched Luo Yue away, moving so fast that even Liu Mingshuang didn't have time to react.
"Little Ayue, what are you doing here?"
"Who are you?"
Hearing Luo Yue's questioning, the corners of Su Wanyue's upturned lips twitched and froze slightly.
"That accursed Shen Shuanghan."
Su Wanyue gripped her hand tightly while maintaining a smile on her face.
"I am your master as well. Remember to call me Master from now on."
Su Wanyue gently flicked the tip of Luo Yue's nose, then turned her head to look ahead.
"You dared to scheme against this Sovereign back then, and now you dare to scheme against my disciple. Tell me, how do you want to die?"
As she spoke, a transparent beam of light flew from Su Wanyue's fingertip, shooting straight up into the sky without anyone noticing.
Hearing Su Wanyue's words, Liu Mingshuang stood frozen in place, utterly dumbfounded. Lin Qianxue couldn't care about that right now; knowing they were safe, she hurried to the side to check on the heavily injured Su Wanyi.
"Heh, I admit you're a genius—even among the absolute peak geniuses of the God Domain, you're one of the most monstrous. In just a mere thousand-odd years, you've cultivated all the way to the Divine Venerable Realm. But surely you don't think you can keep me here with just your current level of cultivation?"
"Do you really take this old man's tens of thousands of years of life as having been lived in vain?"
As for Su Wanyue, Xuanyin neither wanted to provoke her nor feared her. He knew Su Wanyue extremely well and was confident he could escape from her hands, though the price would likely be quite heavy.
"You injured my sect's disciple and attempted to lay a hand on this Emperor's apprentice. What makes you think you're walking away?"
A freezing voice rang out, causing the surrounding temperature to drop noticeably.
"Greetings, Emperor Venerable Shen Shuanghan."
Seeing Shen Shuanghan arrive, Lin Qianxue cradled Su Wanyi and hurried to her side.
Liu Mingshuang, standing nearby, was frightened into hastily offering a bow as well. They had secretly taken Luo Yue out to play, only to run into danger, and now they had been caught red-handed by Luo Yue's master. She hadn't been scared a moment ago, but now she shrank back.
"Xuanyin, I forgot to tell you—this little one in my arms is indeed my disciple, but he has another master as well, whose name is Shen—Shuang—han."
"If my Divine Venerable Realm cultivation isn't enough to handle you, I wonder if his Shisun—no, his Shuanghan Master, who stands as number one beneath the God Lord, is capable of handling you?"
Seeing Shen Shuanghan's arrival, Su Wanyue looked at Xuanyin with mockery.
"You certainly talk a lot of nonsense."
As her voice fell, a blue barrier isolated Shen Shuanghan and Xuanyin within, and before long, it dissipated into nothingness.
Looking back, there wasn't a single drop of red to be seen.
"We agreed on eighteen years. What is the meaning of this?"
"I want my disciple, is there a problem with that? Didn't you say I could come secretly to take a look? But who could have guessed we'd run right into each other like this?"
Su Wanyue looked a bit guilty as she faced Shen Shuanghan, but suddenly, as if remembering something, she straightened her back.
"Besides, Ayue almost faced mortal danger right here under your watch. Is that how you act as a master? If you can't handle it, hand him over to me, and I'll take him back to my Moyue Sect to raise him."
"This matter was my oversight. Let's return to the Holy Land first. Yue'er, come to Master."
"No way. Ayue, come with Master; Master has brought you some great things."
Facing her two masters, Luo Yue's confused little head was somewhat bewildered, but she still instinctively leaned into Shen Shuanghan's embrace.
"Alright, let's head back to the Holy Land first."
Cradling Luo Yue, Shen Shuanghan rose directly into the air. A layer of pale blue light enveloped Luo Yue, and then she sped swiftly toward the Yaoguang Holy Land.