"Master! Master!"
Just as the crowd was speculating, the spirit bird let out a delighted cry: "I'm over here!"
Hmm?
Everyone looked over to see four figures riding the wind towards them.
One was a mature, enchantingly beautiful woman whom many recognized—Ouyang Feiyue, the Manor Lord of Crimson-Letter Manor.
Beside her was a girl who appeared to be seventeen or eighteen, with exquisite features and strikingly eye-catching crimson hair.
Another was a woman standing three meters tall, imposing as a mountain peak, her face solemn and stern.
Leading them was a woman of breathtaking, peerless beauty, dressed in a thin white robe that seemed to drift amidst clouds and mist, transcending the mundane world, like a celestial immortal descending from the Nine Heavens into the mortal realm.
Riding the wind, she wandered barefoot, her long, ink-black hair fluttering slightly, truly captivating and intoxicating.
"Fairy Su Hua!"
"Heavens! It really is Fairy Su Hua!"
Su Hua had lectured on the Dao multiple times in the Four Great Regions over the years and had even resided there for a period a few years ago, so many recognized her.
Her peerless beauty, celestial appearance, and gentle, moonlit-like temperament were unforgettable at a single glance.
When she appeared, everyone present was stunned. Even Xu Jintong and the three Huage Young Masters—Chang Tianrui and the others—revealed expressions of pleasant surprise, their eyes shimmering with unconcealed infatuation.
Even old-timers like Huode and Master Wenzhu couldn't help but steal a few extra glances at Su Hua.
It wasn't that their willpower was lacking; it was simply that Su Hua was too beautiful, too moving. Her beauty was neither ostentatious nor seductive, but rather like the radiant full moon—something to yearn for, to be intoxicated by, and utterly captivating.
If not for this, Su Hua wouldn't be revered by men across the world as a celestial goddess.
"Master! Master!"
The spirit bird flapped its wings as it flew towards Su Hua, crying out, "My dear Fairy Su, why did you take so long? Do you know I was almost caught and fed to the fish by them?"
"I told you not to run off, but you wouldn't listen," Su Hua said helplessly, looking at the spirit bird that had landed on her arm, teasing it. "See if you dare be so mischievous next time."
"Sister Su Hua!"
Xiao Jinr practically sprinted over. Seeing her, a flash of delight crossed Su Hua's beautiful eyes, and she immediately picked her up, smiling. "Xiao Jinr, what are you doing here?"
"Sister Su Hua, I heard you were paying respects at the Mausoleum of Lord Chixiao, so I came looking for you first thing in the morning. I'm so happy to see you!"
Back when Su Hua had resided in the Four Great Regions, Xiao Jinr had stayed by her side for a long time, and the two were very close.
"Fairy Su Hua, we meet again."
Soon, Xu Jintong and the three Huage Young Masters—Chang Tianrui and the others—flashed over, each cupping their hands in salute.
"Young Lord Chang, Young Lord Xu, Young Lord Bai, Young Lord Situ, it's been a while."
Su Hua nodded, responding with a smile.
Hearing that Fairy Su Hua still remembered their names, Xu Jintong, Chang Tianrui, and the other two were genuinely thrilled and overjoyed, quickly saying, "We never imagined Fairy Su Hua would still remember us. We are truly honored..."
"You're too kind. During the last lecture, the talents of you young masters left a deep impression."
The reason Su Hua was revered as a goddess by so many men was precisely because she was neither aloof nor arrogant, but approachable and amiable. As soon as she appeared, the crowd gathered in the Spirit Seclusion Garden surged towards her like a swarm, the scene as lively as a pilgrimage, each person looking as excited as could be.
Only Gu Qingfeng remained lazily slumped in his chair, tilting his head as he observed Su Hua not far away. The more he looked, the more pronounced the smile at the corner of his mouth became. He asked, "So that's Su Hua?"
"That's right," Huode said, stroking the sparse beard on his chin and nodding emphatically. "This lass makes you feel comfortable from the bottom of your heart. Easy on the eyes. Haven't seen such an easy-on-the-eyes girl in a long time."
"She does have some charm," Gu Qingfeng remarked, watching Su Hua with a note of approval. He had seen countless women in his life, all sorts of beauties. To be honest, if judged solely on appearance, Su Hua wouldn't rank high among the beauties he'd encountered. But she won out with her excellent temperament.
Among the many women Gu Qingfeng had interacted with, some were imposing and heroic, others coldly elegant and severe, some sacred and inviolable, some radiating overwhelming killing intent, and some enchantingly seductive. In short, they were all roses with thorns, keeping others at a distance—at least that was the impression they gave.
Su Hua, however, was different. Although her temperament transcended the mundane, it was just that—it didn't give a sense of sacred inviolability. Instead, she was gentle, soft, and charming, like moonlight.
Just as Huode had said, she gave a very comfortable feeling.
"Fairy Su Hua has been traveling the world, lecturing and teaching, guiding the lost, and enlightening immortal fates. She's a rare, good girl," Huode said, noticing something off about the way Gu Qingfeng was looking at Su Hua. He advised from the side, "You brat, don't you go ruining her."
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Gu Qingfeng picked up his wine cup, shooting Huode a displeased glance. "Why would I go ruin her for no reason? Besides, what do you mean by 'ruin'? Am I that despicable in your eyes?"
"You think you're some good guy?" Huode glared at Gu Qingfeng and sneered. "Others might not know you, but don't I? Haven't you ruined enough girls? Which of the famous great beauties from our world back in the day didn't get ruined by you? They were all dignified, moving beauties before, but after you got your hands on them, they all turned into gloomy, resentful women..." Before Huode could finish, Gu Qingfeng cut him off with a single word: "Scram."
"Kid Gu, I'm not joking with you. Our world is already a mess. Now that we finally have a pure girl like Su Hua, don't ruin her too... Don't make it so even I have nowhere to go to listen to a Dao lecture."
"Are you done yet?"
Huode wisely shut his mouth, but he still noticed that Gu Qingfeng's gaze towards Su Hua was genuinely off. He couldn't help but nag again, "Kid Gu, just let her be."
"I find it strange. I just looked at her a couple of times. What kind of person do you take me for?"
"A couple of times? That look in your eyes is definitely off. You've clearly taken a fancy to the girl."
"What fancy? I think she looks familiar, like I've seen her somewhere before."
"Damn it, there isn't a single beauty you don't find familiar!"
"Get lost!"
Gu Qingfeng couldn't be bothered with Huode. He did feel Su Hua looked familiar, and he really felt he'd seen her somewhere before, though the memory was hazy. Thinking carefully, gradually, an image surfaced in his mind—a woman, naked, soaking in an emerald-green pool...