When Zhu Yanyi and the others entered the Great Universe Realm, Yan Aohan felt it immediately. "My wife is back."
The two men playing chess opposite him looked up at Yan Aohan together. "I’ve noticed that aside from your wife and matters concerning her, you haven’t been this happy in days," one remarked.
"Even when you took the Emperor on an incognito tour recently, you weren’t this excited," the Ruthless Gentleman added.
Yan Aohan glanced at them and spoke slowly. "It’s not my fault. I’ve spent considerable time in the mortal realm, so I know it well. Taking an Emperor to wander the mortal world isn’t a big deal to me."
The Ruthless Gentleman looked surprised. "I think you’re starting to look like someone who cultivates our Ruthless Dao."
Yan Aohan smiled faintly but remained silent for a moment before saying, "They say all myriad paths eventually converge into one path to the Dao. So, it’s normal that you see similarities between my path and yours. Given enough time, you might see similarities between all paths and your Ruthless Dao."
Zhu Yanyi brought Dan Sheng and the other two to the capital. She hovered above the city without descending immediately. "This is the capital. Thanks to our recent efforts, the resentment has been purified. Your task from now on is to protect the current Emperor and help her reactivate the new national fortune. This mission is crucial. Although I’ve already assigned some elite guards to protect her openly, they are mortals. If they encounter supernatural beings, they won’t be able to handle it."
"So, our current task is to protect the Emperor in secret," Mo Changhen said seriously.
Zhu Yanyi nodded. "Exactly. You three can arrange your own schedules. You can rest in a residence during off-hours. It was originally meant for me, but I rarely stay there. You can live there temporarily. There is only one requirement: no matter when you are on a mission, just do your duty well."
Zhu Yanyi led them slowly to the former Imperial Preceptor’s Mansion, which now belonged to her, and then descended with them.
"Few people come here. It’s not that there are no servants, but I didn’t assign any. So, don’t worry about being disturbed. I usually protect this place with formations."
She threw a spirit stone to each of them. "I’ve infused my aura into these stones. With them, you can enter and exit freely. Without them, you might get trapped in the formation. Don’t blame me if something happens."
They were aware of Zhu Yanyi’s formation skills. Seeing what happened to Chen Zhen previously, they knew she was a master of formations. Naturally, they wouldn’t provoke the formation.
Seeing they had no objections, Zhu Yanyi nodded in satisfaction and led them to their courtyard.
After settling them, she prepared to leave. "I’ll be gone for a bit. I need to see my husband. Rest here for two days. The day after tomorrow, I’ll take you to the palace to meet the Emperor. This will help you execute your secret missions later."
"Understood." The three had no objections. They needed time to familiarize themselves with the place, so two days was sufficient.
Zhu Yanyi went to Ouyang Mingyue’s teahouse to find Yan Aohan.
"You’re really not polite," Ouyang Mingyue said as Zhu Yanyi walked in without hesitation.
"I’ve been here before. Besides, would being polite help? You act as the waiter, manager, and owner all at once. If I’m polite, will someone else serve me?" Zhu Yanyi sat down next to Yan Aohan.
Yan Aohan smiled and poured her a cup of tea. "Tieguanyin. Your favorite."
Zhu Yanyi didn’t hesitate. She sniffed it and said, "It smells wonderful. This Tieguanyin seems more fragrant than the Tieguanyin from our realm. Is it from here?"
Yan Aohan nodded. "A few days ago, Yu Hua and I went on an incognito tour and dealt with some corrupt officials in the tea gardens. We confiscated some items, including this Tieguanyin. I took it directly. I sensed your return, so I brewed it for you. It’s perfect to drink now." He then took out a storage bag. "Here are the tea leaves. Besides Tieguanyin, there are other types. You can keep some for yourself and give the rest to others."
Zhu Yanyi nodded, put away the storage bag, and took another sip. "Environment determines plant growth. That’s absolutely true. The fragrance of this Tieguanyin is largely due to the spiritual energy here. Although it’s thin, it’s still present. It’s much better than where we came from."
Thinking that Huoye also liked tea, she released her and gave her a cup as well.
Little Huoye sat obediently on the table, holding the teacup with her front paws like a human. She took a sip, then lay back on the table in ecstasy, which made Zhu Yanyi want to laugh.
Yan Aohan looked at Huoye and said, "This fox is a bit spoiled."
"Not really. Recently, I left her to supervise Wu Xiong, so I didn’t bring her here. When I returned, I found my medicinal fields were well-tended. That was all her doing. So, I brought her out this time," Zhu Yanyi said with a smile. She really liked Huoye.
"That’s a Heavenly Fox," the Ruthless Gentleman identified immediately.
Zhu Yanyi nodded. "Yes. Did you create her too?"
The Ruthless Gentleman looked at Zhu Yanyi and shook her head slightly. "I capture souls and create new life journeys for them, but I don’t create souls."
The Ruthless Gentleman was direct, as always, hiding nothing.
Zhu Yanyi raised an eyebrow, feeling that the Ruthless Gentleman seemed different. She looked at Yan Aohan. "How is he? He seems to have gained some human warmth lately."
Yan Aohan shook his head slightly. "During this time, I took Yu Hua around to handle some matters. He was being taught by the Immortal Emperor." The implication was that it had nothing to do with him.
Zhu Yanyi said "Oh." Since it wasn’t Yan Aohan’s doing, her curiosity faded. "This time, besides Senior Sister Yuan Yanqiu, I brought five people back. Two went to the border with Senior Sister Yanqiu. They need war to boost their combat spirit and find their own Dao. The other three came to the capital with me. I plan to have them secretly protect Yu Hua."