She knew well that Yan Aohan was worried she might be influenced by her past lives. However, keeping it from her was not an option. Even if she remained ignorant now, upon ascending, she would inevitably recall her ten previous lives. By then, unexpected complications might arise. It was better for her to know the truth now.
Seeing that Zhu Yanyi was truly unaffected, Yan Aohan felt relieved. He took her hand and said, "Let’s go. I’ll take you around the Underworld. Where would you like to visit first?"
"Let’s just look around casually," Zhu Yanyi smiled lightly. "By the way, where do you live in the Underworld?"
Yan Aohan smiled faintly. He pulled Zhu Yanyi, and in an instant, they arrived at a new location. "I live here. This is my Palace of Yanluo. In the future, you will live here with me."
"The colors are not vibrant enough," Zhu Yanyi noted. "It is all black. It feels too monotonous."
"You are the mistress of this house. From now on, you decide how to decorate it. Arrange it however you wish," Yan Aohan agreed readily.
Zhu Yanyi nodded. "I’ll think about it. I’ll decorate it properly later. It’s all black. You are not an evil demon, yet you manage to live in such a dark place. It must be hard on you."
"Without you, my world has no color. I never thought that was just an empty phrase. I truly believe it," Yan Aohan said seriously.
Hearing her words, Zhu Yanyi felt a pang of sadness in her heart. She stepped into her embrace, wrapping her arms around her broad waist and listening to her heartbeat. "You have worked hard these years."
"It is not hard. As long as I can wait for your return, I do not feel it is hard," Yan Aohan smiled. "Besides, you saved me back then. So, naturally, I must offer myself to you in return."
"I don’t care about the past. That was Su Wen’s story. Didn’t I save you in this life too? So, I can accept your offer to give yourself to me," Zhu Yanyi said with a grin.
Yan Aohan laughed heartily. "Exactly. You saved me in this life too. So, of course, I must give myself to you."
After speaking, they looked at each other and smiled, feeling a deeper warmth between them.
After touring the Palace of Yanluo, Yan Aohan took Zhu Yanyi to the Underworld Herb Garden. "This is the Underworld Herb Garden. Su Wen cultivated it back then. Later, I had people tend to it, so it remains in good condition. However, because it grows in the Underworld, it is infused with the Underworld’s earth qi. Many herbs for Meng Po’s Soup are harvested from here."
Zhu Yanyi looked at the garden. Indeed, there were many herbs. They looked identical to ordinary ones—Sanqi was Sanqi, Ginseng was Ginseng. However, Zhu Yanyi clearly saw a faint silver-gray aura surrounding them. This must be the aura of the earth qi.
"The earth qi is cold and yin, so these herbs carry more of that cold energy," Zhu Yanyi said. She squatted down, picked some herbs, and also planted some seeds.
Yan Aohan watched her. "Why are you digging up these herbs?"
Zhu Yanyi explained, "Each herb has its own characteristics. These herbs infused with earth qi seem usable only by Underworld souls on the surface. But I want to test if they can be used in other medicines. Regardless, I must try first. So, I’ll pick some to store. When I have time, I can study them properly."
Yan Aohan knew Zhu Yanyi was always dedicated to medicine, so he found this behavior unsurprising. "Just pick a little of each for now. If you need more later, I will help you get them."
Zhu Yanyi nodded. She indeed picked only a small amount of each. Satisfied, she said, "Alright. We’ve finished here. Where should we go next?"
Only Zhu Yanyi could roam the Underworld so freely.
Yan Aohan smiled lightly. "Let’s go to Meng Po Village. Didn’t you want to see the production line there first?"
Zhu Yanyi nodded. She was indeed very curious about Meng Po’s Soup.
Yan Aohan did not hesitate. He took Zhu Yanyi to Meng Po Village.
Meng Po Village was called a village, but it was actually a fortress-like building shaped like a donut. It was completely enclosed. Although it was a house, it resembled a city wall, with an empty center.
There were no doors. One entered by flying directly from the outside. The buildings formed a complete circle with no main entrance. Yan Aohan and Zhu Yanyi flew in directly.
In the courtyard, a middle-aged beautiful woman was pouring tea. Seeing Yan Aohan, she stood up and bowed slightly. "Greetings, Venerable One."
Yan Aohan nodded and introduced the person beside him. "This is my fiancée, Zhu Yanyi."
"So you are the future Queen of Yanluo. Meng Po greets the Queen," Meng Po said.
"I thought Meng Po was the name of the village. Why is it the name of such a beautiful sister?" Zhu Yanyi asked curiously.
Meng Po laughed at Zhu Yanyi’s words. "Your Majesty does not know. I am the current village head of Meng Po Village, so I am called Meng Po. Only the village head can be called Meng Po. When I step down, I will no longer be called Meng Po. In fact, Meng Po is essentially a job title." Meng Po explained carefully.
Zhu Yanyi nodded in understanding. "I see."
Yan Aohan smiled gently at Zhu Yanyi. "Many titles in legends are just positions, not fixed to one immortal. The position of Meng Po is the same," Yan Aohan said seriously.
Zhu Yanyi stuck out her tongue shyly. "Sorry, I didn’t know."
"It doesn’t matter," Meng Po said, not minding. She turned to Yan Aohan. "Venerable One, what are your instructions for bringing the Queen here?"
"It’s not really an instruction. Your Majesty is interested in medicine, so she is curious about all kinds of soups and medicines. She heard about Meng Po’s Soup and wanted to see it," Yan Aohan said, his eyes full of tenderness as he looked at Zhu Yanyi.
Meng Po hurriedly said, "In that case, please follow me, Venerable One and Queen."
Meng Po led the way. She pointed her finger slightly, and a door appeared in the center of the courtyard. Meng Po opened it, and Yan Aohan and Zhu Yanyi followed her inside.
"Production of Meng Po’s Soup has been normal recently," Meng Po said as they walked to a production line.
Zhu Yanyi noticed that the workers making Meng Po’s Soup were all yin souls, and specifically female yin souls. Each soul simply repeated their tasks.
She looked at the Meng Po’s Soup on the line, which was bottled. "I thought you packaged Meng Po’s Soup in paper boxes?"