"Oh dear, Princess, Liu Yue, my two dear young ladies, I am truly so sorry."
At that moment, a voice came from outside.
Responding to the call, a woman appeared, dressed in a flamboyant and rather enchanting, alluring manner. It was none other than Mei Miao, the chief manager of Yunchuan Garden Pavilion.
"It's all my fault, sister. There's just been too much going on today. I got so busy that I actually forgot to instruct Elder Jin to reserve this Qinggui Garden for you."
As Mei Miao walked over, she apologized. Noticing the atmosphere in the garden was a bit off, she felt quite puzzled. She looked at Tang Manqing and Liu Yue, only to find their expressions were also somewhat complex, and they were staring intently at the person in the pavilion.
Mei Miao looked over. When she saw Fei Kui, her willow-like eyebrows slightly furrowed. "Fei Kui, what are you doing here?"
Then, as if realizing something, she asked, "Elder Jin, was the person who reserved this garden Fei Kui?"
Elder Jin wore a look of utter bewilderment. Even now, he had no idea what was really going on. Seeing Mei Miao's inquiry, he quickly nodded in affirmation.
"Since it's one of our own, that makes things much easier."
Mei Miao smiled. "Fei Kui, this garden was prepared by me for the Princess and Yue'er. I just forgot for a moment. Later, sister will arrange another garden for you."
"Sister Miao, you can't put it that way," Fei Kui said. "Our Young Master has already taken his seat. How can we change to another garden?"
"Oh ho."
Mei Miao seemed not to have expected Fei Kui to speak like this and was momentarily taken aback. In her impression, this Fei Kui had always been obedient to her, never daring to defy her. Today, had the sun risen from the west? Not only did he dare to contradict her, but he also looked quite defiant.
Wait a minute?
Young Master?
Since when did this fellow have a Young Master?
Thinking of this, Mei Miao's gaze finally settled on Gu Qingfeng, scrutinizing him carefully.
Actually, the moment she entered, she had already probed Gu Qingfeng. She just found that this fellow had neither cultivation nor destiny, looked unfamiliar, and there was nothing remarkable about him from head to toe. Mei Miao hadn't paid him any mind. But now, hearing Fei Kui actually address him as 'Young Master,' Mei Miao became extremely curious.
One must know that usually only household servants respectfully address their young master as 'Young Master.'
And Mei Miao knew Fei Kui's background fairly well. She knew this guy came from a minor sect in the Great Northwest and hadn't heard he was anyone's servant.
"Sister Miao, he's the person we told you about," Tang Manqing said, seeing the doubt in Mei Miao's heart.
"Which person?"
"The swindler who impersonated the Monarch in our Yanluo a few days ago."
Hearing this, Mei Miao immediately remembered. Just now, when she saw Fei Kui, she had been wondering, feeling like there was something she needed to discuss with Fei Kui, but she couldn't recall what it was. Only upon hearing Tang Manqing and Liu Yue say that the man in white was the swindler impersonating the Monarch did Mei Miao realize.
Recently, a new swindler claiming to be Lord Chixiao had emerged in Yanluo Kingdom. The matter had caused quite a stir, and Mei Miao had heard about it.
Not only did she know that swindler had crippled an Immortal Dynasty noble scion at Linglong Villa, but she also knew that swindler had, at the Shanhe Branch, effortlessly extracted the Bloodfiend Dragon-Elephant powers from over ten Chixiao members.
Moreover.
She had heard from Tang Manqing and the other two this morning that the swindler's true identity was the Chiyan Young Master Gu Qingfeng, who had killed dozens of Immortal Dynasty noble scions in the Great Northwest nine years ago. And by some unknown means, he had even made the reclusive Tang Laoguai in the royal mausoleum deeply believe in his identity.
"So it's the illustrious Young Master Gu. My apologies, my apologies."
Mei Miao waved her hand, signaling Elder Jin to take his people and leave.
Her beautiful eyes swept over Gu Qingfeng back and forth. She was quite certain this fellow had no cultivation and no destiny, truly looking as weak and frail as the rumors said. Even as a reincarnated expert herself, she couldn't figure out for the moment how Gu Qingfeng had managed to cripple an Immortal Dynasty noble scion at Linglong Villa, nor how he had, with a flick of his finger, extracted the Bloodfiend Dragon-Elephant powers from over ten Chixiao members at the Shanhe Branch.
Could it be simply because he had fused with a remnant wisp of the Monarch's consciousness?
Mei Miao didn't know the true Lord Chixiao, but she had heard many legends about him. In her opinion, even if this Gu Qingfeng had truly fused with a remnant wisp of the Monarch's consciousness, it shouldn't make him this bizarrely powerful.
"Might I ask what brings Young Master Gu to our garden pavilion?"
Mei Miao walked over, picked up the wine pot, and personally poured wine for Gu Qingfeng.
"To listen to the music."
Gu Qingfeng still sat casually in his chair, eating spirit fruits and drinking wine. He glanced at Mei Miao, but it was just a glance, nothing more.
"Just to listen to the music?"
"What else would I do?"
"Young Master Gu, don't misunderstand. I don't mean anything else, it's just..." Mei Miao gave a faint smile. "It's just that both the Yanluo Immortal Court and the Chizitou Sect's people are here. If they find out you're here..."
"If they find out, they find out. What of it?"
"Oh? It seems Young Master Gu is very confident in his own strength?"
"Of course."
"Forgive my bluntness, but today, the Yanluo Immortal Court, the Chizitou Sect, and even the Four Great Families and Seven Great Sects are all here listening to the music. Among them are no shortage of Spirit-Origin Earth Immortals, even Ascendant-Origin Earth Immortals. And... there's also someone like Feiyu Immortal Noble who possesses a genuine Edict of Humanity. Besides that, the Little Destiny bearer Zhou Ting from the Chizitou Sect's Juexin Branch is also here..."
"I've heard of Little Destiny, but an Edict of Humanity has appeared too?"
Gu Qingfeng rubbed his chin, feeling somewhat puzzled.
There are Three Thousand Great Daos. Although any Dao might bestow an edict, most are from the Immortal Dao, Demonic Dao, Buddhist Dao, Demonic Beast Dao, or even the Heavenly Dao. An Edict of Humanity... he truly hadn't encountered one before. He'd only heard that if the Human Dao bestowed an edict, then that person must be a dragon among men.
"If Young Master Gu leaves now, there's still time. I won't tell anyone you came to our Yunchuan Garden Pavilion."
"Why should I leave?"
"Oh?"
Mei Miao sat down, poured herself a cup of wine, and looked at Gu Qingfeng. "Young Master Gu isn't afraid at all?"
"Of course not."
"Heh, really?"
Mei Miao tried to see some clue in Gu Qingfeng's eyes, but look as she might, she couldn't discern anything. She couldn't even tell if he was speaking truth or falsehood. And for some reason, when her gaze met Gu Qingfeng's eyes, it felt as if she were sinking into an endless darkness, a feeling of being lost.
How truly bizarre!
Mei Miao had never encountered someone so inscrutable.
Not even a tiny bit could she see through him.
No!
It wasn't that she couldn't see through him.
On the contrary, she saw him clearly.
No cultivation, no destiny, nothing at all.
But that was too simple, too ordinary!
This feeling was like knowing full well this person was extraordinary, not as simple as he appeared on the surface, yet having no idea why he was extraordinary or to what degree he wasn't simple.
After pondering for a moment, Mei Miao focused her mind. A flash of crimson suddenly appeared in her beautiful eyes. Across from her, Gu Qingfeng picked up his wine cup, looked at her, shook his head, and smiled. "Alright, save your strength. No need to glare at me with those bewitching eyes of yours. Even if you stare until you go blind, it'll be useless."