Chapter 118: The Master’s Wife

Lu An was somewhat surprised. As a member of the Talisman Hall, did this mean he was also considered a part of the Wuwei Holy Land?

Realizing this, he couldn't help but shake his head and smile.

The Wuwei Holy Land was such a vast force that he was barely an extra member.

However, hearing the name Yuqing Sect caught his attention.

Zhao Wenyang was taken away by a female cultivator, who mentioned that she was from the Yuqing Sect.

Nanyu Qing, the southernmost part of Qi Kingdom, bordered a vast ocean, but its position on the Mangcang Continent was only in the southeast corner.

To the south of the continent was the Chu Kingdom, a major cultivation nation on par with the Xia Kingdom, far beyond what Qi Kingdom could compare to.

It seemed that the Yuqing Palace was likely located within the Chu Kingdom.

Thinking of Zhao Wenyang, Lu An's lips curled into a slight smile. It had been a long time since he had seen the little girl. He missed her a bit.

Now that he knew the general direction of the Yuqing Palace, he would definitely visit her if he had the chance.

The others present were still immersed in the shock of the demon race, and the room fell silent for a moment.

It was not until the food and drinks were served that everyone returned to their senses.

Gui Jing pondered for a moment and said with a serious expression, "Regarding the demon race, my elder brother has only discovered some clues, so he hasn't mentioned it to others."

"Don't spread the word after you leave, so as not to reveal any information and alert the enemy."

Everyone understood the gravity of the situation and nodded in agreement.

Ji Xidong thought for a moment and then asked with a hint of anticipation, "Gui Brother, if it's not too inconvenient, may I ask whether the late emperor has broken through to late stage Nascent Soul Realm after so many years of seclusion?"

The others also straightened up, listening intently.

After the late emperor faked his death, he had been in seclusion, aiming to become a great cultivator.

If successful, Qi Kingdom would no longer fear the threats from Han and Zhao, and its national strength would immediately be elevated.

At that point, any threat from the demon race or beast tide could be dealt with, at least ensuring self-preservation.

Gui Jing considered the question for a while and then shook his head.

"I don't mind telling you. Up to now, the late emperor has not yet broken through to the Nascent Soul late stage."

Upon hearing this, everyone showed expressions of disappointment.

In this case, dealing with the beast tide and demon race would be quite difficult.

No wonder the emperor agreed to the marriage proposal. He probably didn't want to immediately tear ties with Zhao Kingdom and wanted to see what measures they had.

As the group chatted, the door to the private room was suddenly opened from the outside.

A woman in a yellow dress walked in slowly, with the cultivation of Core Formation late stage, and an age similar to the others.

She glanced around and finally focused her attention on Lu An, scrutinizing him.

The others, interrupted during their meal, were about to get angry but became awkward upon seeing the woman in yellow.

Situ Shang was the first to stand up from his seat and slapped his forehead, saying, "Ah, I just remembered that I forgot to water a spirit plant at home. If it dies, it would be a shame. Gentlemen, I must take my leave first."

Having said that, he directly walked out of the room without even turning his head.

"My uncle asked me to collect some herbs and almost forgot. I also have to take my leave."

...

One by one, the others started finding excuses and left, with Gui Jing being no exception.

Lu An's forehead twitched with a few black lines. The excuses of these people were getting worse and worse, proving their close friendship.

After a moment, only Ji Xidong and Lu An were left in the private room.

The woman in the yellow dress saw that everyone had left and then snorted coldly, addressing Ji Xidong:

"All day long, you and your friends are drinking and having fun. Are you discussing which girl from which family is attractive again?"

Ji Xidong sat in his chair, silently clasping his hands and keeping his head lowered, not daring to make eye contact.

Lu An observed silently, surprised that Ji Xidong seemed so intimidated by this woman.

Seeing that he wasn't speaking, the woman continued:

"Although we were betrothed as children, if you have other ideas, I can report to the Master's Wife and ask her to dissolve the engagement."

Hearing this, Ji Xidong could no longer sit still and hurriedly explained:

"Qingqing, I truly haven't. We were just discussing state affairs. If you don't believe me, you can ask Junior Brother; he can vouch for me."

The woman in yellow glanced at Lu An and said coldly:

"Junior Brother, I haven't acknowledged him as my junior brother."

Then, she pondered for a moment, turned to Lu An, and asked:

"Are you Lu An?"

Lu An was taken aback. Does this person know him? Could it be...

Before he could think further, the woman continued:

"Come with me. The Master's Wife wants to see you."

Her tone was emotionless and calm.

But Lu An's spiritual sense, more perceptive than most, could clearly sense that her inner feelings were not as calm as she appeared.

Ji Xidong, seeing this, transmitted a message to Lu An:

"Her name is Fu Qingqing, the second disciple of Master Uncle Yue, making her your senior sister."

Lu An understood. He had heard about his master having two disciples back in Gugu County, and now he encountered one of them just after arriving in the capital.

He stood up and bowed respectfully:

"Greetings, Senior Sister."

Fu Qingqing, however, did not seem impressed and said coldly:

"It's too early to call me Senior Sister. Let's see the Master's Wife first."

She then looked at Ji Xidong and added:

"You come too."

With that, she turned and left, no longer paying attention to the two.

Lu An knew there were significant conflicts between his master and them, so he remained silent and followed her.

Ji Xidong also dared not refuse, though he looked quite aggrieved.

After leaving the restaurant, Fu Qingqing suddenly turned to Lu An.

Her lips moved a few times as if she wanted to say something but didn't. After a long while, she finally asked softly:

"How is he? Is he alright?"

Lu An knew who she was referring to and nodded:

"Master has been regretting his sudden departure for years and has always missed you all."

Fu Qingqing's lips moved but she didn't speak further. With a flash, she turned into a streak of light and flew away.

They flew for quite a while before arriving at a huge pavilion.

Lu An looked up and saw the sign reading "Talisman Hall."

At this moment, he was certain that the person who had given him the exam that day was indeed his Master's Wife, the head of the Talisman Hall in the capital.

They proceeded to the top floor of the pavilion and entered a secret room.

Fu Qingqing knocked on the door, and after a while, a gentle voice came from inside.

"Come in."

Fu Qingqing opened the door, and Lu An and Ji Xidong followed her in.

As soon as they entered, they saw a middle-aged woman drawing talismans.

This must be his Master's Wife, An Su.

She had just finished her drawing, and the talisman floated up on its own, emitting a faint purple glow around it.

An Su examined the completed talisman, then showed a satisfied expression.

Lu An glanced at it and saw that he didn't recognize the talisman.

However, judging by its spiritual fluctuations, it was undoubtedly a fourth-tier talisman.

He felt a slight chill in his heart. Although he had known that his Master's Wife was a fourth-tier talisman master, he hadn't expected her to be able to draw a top-quality fourth-tier talisman. If the purple aura had been a bit stronger, it might have reached the perfect level.

An Su put away the talisman and then turned to Lu An.

"There's no need to be formal; just sit comfortably."

Then she took a deep breath, her eyes reflecting a nostalgic look as if she were talking to herself.

"People who know us well think that I hate him, but that's not the case. They don't understand the feelings between us."

"I won't comment on that."

"I know how important the Great Dao was to him, so I understand, or rather, I support his departure."

"I only hope that whether he succeeds or fails, one day he can return to my side."

"But what I didn't expect was that he didn't understand my feelings either."

"You tell me, should I forgive him?"

An Su looked at Lu An calmly, as if she sought an answer from him.

Lu An was surprised that she would ask him this question. At this moment, he could only explain for the old beggar:

"Master also deeply regrets his decision back then."

An Su seemed to doubt this and smiled self-deprecatingly.

"Regret why he didn't come back? What if he lost all his cultivation? Does he think I would care?"

Lu An remained silent.

He didn't know what had happened between Master and Master's Wife back then, and he couldn't defend Master. This emotional knot might only be unraveled by him alone.

The room fell into silence. After a long while, An Su sighed deeply.

"Since you are his disciple, it is reasonable for you to call me Master's Wife in name."

"Whatever happened between us won't be blamed on you. Don't worry."

Lu An nodded. Before coming to the capital, Master had said that Master's Wife was a person who could distinguish between grievances and kindness, and it seemed that was indeed the case.

"Have you solved the test questions I set earlier?"

The test had been changed by her on the spot, while the questions in other counties remained unchanged. This meant that she had personally altered the test for Lu An, which carried a teaching purpose.

Lu An respectfully answered, presenting his solutions one by one and also explaining some talismans he didn't recognize.

An Su looked at him with surprise.

The purpose of setting the test was to show Lu An the direction of the third realm of talisman path. She hadn't expected him to solve it completely.

"Seems like this disciple of his is already on the path of the third realm of talisman path and has quite a profound understanding."

She thought to herself.

He felt a slight shiver. Although he already knew that his Master's Wife was a fourth-tier Talisman Master, he was still surprised that she could draw fourth-tier top-grade talismans. If the purple aura were any stronger, it would likely reach perfection.

An Su put away the talisman and then turned to Lu An.

"There's no need to be formal; just sit comfortably."

Then, she sighed and looked nostalgic, as if speaking to herself.

"People who know me well think I hate him, but that's not the case. They don't understand the feelings between us."

"I won't comment on that."

"I know how important the Great Dao is to him, so I understand, or rather support, his sudden departure."

"I only hope that whether he succeeds or fails, he will one day return to my side."

"But what I didn't expect is that he still doesn't understand my feelings."

"Tell me, should I forgive him?"

An Su looked at Lu An calmly, as if hoping to find an answer from him.