Chapter 244: Yan Ying’s Situation at the Celestial Dao Palace

Chapter 244: Chapter 244: Yan Ying’s Situation at the Celestial Dao Palace

On Laojun Mountain, within the Celestial Dao Palace, stood a row of buildings atop Taihua Peak, a summit shaped like a dragon’s back.

This was the resting place of the Celestial Dao Palace’s Palace Master.

As the Palace Master’s only Direct Disciple, Yan Ying naturally resided in one of the courtyards on this peak as well.

The luxury of Yan Ying’s residence could likely only be rivaled by the Hua Xu Empire’s Imperial Palace in all the world.

The courtyard estate was not large, but every material used in its construction was a priceless treasure. The bricks for the buildings and walls were all cut from Spirit Stones, indispensable to Cultivators, while the roof tiles were carved from Mo Jade.

The wooden pillars and beams were all fashioned from Iron Dragon Locust Trees harvested in the Southern Domain.

Each one was worth a fortune.

As for the plants and flowers in the courtyard, each was a Heavenly and Earthly Treasure. Forget about the cost of acquiring them; their routine maintenance alone consumed a fortune.

Furthermore, every piece of calligraphy and every painting in the courtyard was the work of a famous master. The art in the main reception hall, in particular, was from two of the Four Saints—the Calligraphy Saint and the Painting Saint.

At this moment, Yan Ying was lying in bed, her face a little pale. She held a cloth doll, her left fingers scraping at it forcefully.

She muttered angrily, her cheeks puffed out, "Stupid Chu Fan, damned Chu Fan, you worthless dog who can’t keep his word! You disappeared for three years without a single word, you didn’t give me the Scroll you promised, and you came to the Central Domain without even looking for me! Hmph, just wait until I’m better. I’ll settle this score with you, and we’ll see if I don’t kick your ass with all my might."

Still not satisfied after her tirade, she forcefully pinched the doll’s cheeks.

"You... ditching your friends the second you get a wife! You’re making me furious!"

If Chu Fan were here to witness such a petulant display, his jaw would surely drop.

After cursing for a long time, perhaps tired from the effort, she tossed the doll aside.

She fell back onto the bed, sighing deeply, and muttered to herself, ’I know you and your wife are happy together, and as your friend, I should be happy for you. But there’s just this ache in my heart... If only I had met you sooner! Or if I hadn’t been born into a family like this, I wouldn’t have to be so guarded about everything.’

’It’s a shame... not even the Hundred Flowers Wanderer can cure my illness. I don’t know if I’ll ever see you again in this lifetime.’

"Princess, it’s time for your medicine," a handmaiden’s voice called from outside the door.

Yan Ying grunted in acknowledgment, and a petite young girl who looked to be only sixteen or seventeen pushed the door open, a tray in her hands.

"Your Highness, Divine Doctor Lao said that after you drink this medicine, you can go out for a walk. As it happens, today is the disciples’ biannual assessment. Why don’t I accompany you to watch the festivities?"

"How is that so-called brother of mine?" Yan Ying asked.

"Without the Spirit Fox Blood, he will be dead in a month and a half, no question."

Yan Ying picked up the medicine bowl and downed it in one gulp, then let out a long sigh.

It was hard to tell if the sigh was from the medicine’s bitterness or from the sorrow in her heart.

"Forget it. I won’t dwell on it. Father has treated him fairly enough. Otherwise, he would have died twenty years ago."

"Help me get ready."

Yan Ying got out of bed and sat at the nearby dressing table. The mirror reflected her exquisite, stunningly beautiful face.

The handmaiden gently combed her hair, finally coiling it up and securing it with a silver headdress.

Though she was a woman of celestial beauty, under the handmaiden’s nimble hands, she transformed into a handsome young master with a face as fair as jade.

Yan Ying stood up, and the handmaiden helped her into her robes.

She wore a white longshirt underneath, cinched at the waist by a silver belt from which a verdant Jade Pendant hung.

Over it all, she wore a long robe of black gauze.

"How do I look?" Yan Ying asked.

"If I weren’t of such a humble station, upon seeing a young master as handsome as you, I would want to offer myself in marriage!"

"You silly girl, you have such a silver tongue. But don’t you dare speak of your ’humble station’ again. In a few months, before I leave, I will certainly arrange a good marriage for you. His family will have to have an official of at least the Third Grade to be worthy of my Xiaoya!"

Hearing this, the handmaiden’s eyes immediately welled with tears.

"Alright, none of that. Come with me to the Martial Arts Arena to see what’s going on."

"Okay!"

Just as the mistress and servant pair left the residence, a figure hurried toward them.

"Senior Brother Yan."

"Xiaohan, isn’t today the biannual assessment? What are you doing here?" Yan Ying asked, a little curious to see him.

The person was none other than Ye Xiaohan. Now seventeen years old, he had grown to be about five feet and ten inches tall.

He no longer had the delicate features of three years ago. His face was now square-jawed and, though still youthful, looked resolute and firm.

"Senior Brother, I heard you were sick. I took Qi Wei and Wang Xing to Shaohua Mountain these past few days to find some reishi and Purple Ginseng. I wanted to bring them to you as soon as we returned."

Ye Xiaohan smiled, revealing a row of pearly white teeth, and presented the stalks of reishi and Purple Ginseng as if they were priceless treasures.

Yan Ying’s expression turned cold, however. "You’re only at the Golden Core Realm, and you dared to take Qi Wei and Wang Xing to Shaohua Mountain? If you ever do something like that again, I will no longer acknowledge you as my junior brother."

Ye Xiaohan gave a sheepish smile and scratched his head. "Don’t worry, Senior Brother," he said. "I won’t be so reckless again."

"Senior Brother, I’ve been at the Celestial Dao Palace for over three years now. After this assessment, I’d like to make a trip back to the Eastern Domain."

Hearing this, Yan Ying said, "I’m afraid you don’t know yet, but the Eastern Domain has been unified by the Great Xia Kingdom. The Da Zhao Kingdom is no more. However, your Brother Chu left your enemies alive for you."

"The Great Xia Kingdom? Why haven’t I heard of it?" Ye Xiaohan was confused.

"Jin Chuhong, the former Empress of the Shuoyue Kingdom, established the Great Xia Kingdom. And when it came to Great Xia unifying the Eastern Domain, your Brother Chu was the one pulling many of the strings from behind the scenes."

"Really?" Ye Xiaohan was excited at first, but then his voice grew dejected. "It seems Brother Chu has left me even further behind."

"Do you want to see your Brother Chu?"

"Of course I do!"

"Your Brother Chu has already arrived in the Central Domain. I imagine it won’t be long before he comes to the Celestial Dao Palace."

"Really? That’s wonderful! I haven’t seen Brother Chu in three years," Ye Xiaohan said, overjoyed.

"Alright, the assessment is about to begin. You should hurry and prepare. This is very important for you; it will determine your allocation of Cultivation resources for the coming year."

"Okay, I’ll head down the mountain then. Senior Brother, if Brother Chu comes, please tell him he must come find me!"

Yan Ying smiled and nodded.

"Yo... Young Master," Xiaoya began, "that Ye Xiaohan seems to be of good character. He knows how to repay a kindness."

"What? Have you taken a fancy to him?" Yan Ying teased.

"You’re teasing again!" Xiaoya’s face flushed with embarrassment.

"Still denying it? Look at you, you’re blushing."

The master and servant descended Taihua Peak, joking with each other. Just as they reached Shaoxing Peak, they met another group coming from a side path.

Judging by the direction they came from, they must have descended from Vermilion Peak.

Who resided there? Aside from a few of the Celestial Dao Palace’s Elders, there was also the "Imperial Grandson."

And leading this group was none other than the Celestial Dao Palace’s Saint Heir, Su Yuanju.

"Well, if it isn’t Senior Brother Yan. I heard you were ill. All better today?" The speaker was, of course, Su Yuanju.

Among the entire younger generation of the Celestial Dao Palace, he was the only one who dared to speak to Yan Ying, the Palace Master’s sole Direct Disciple, in such a manner.

The reason was simple: if not for Yan Ying, he, Su Yuanju, would have become the Palace Master’s Direct Disciple years ago.

Naturally, Yan Ying couldn’t be bothered to respond.

"Senior Brother Yan," a young disciple beside Su Yuanju sneered, "Senior Brother Su is a close friend of the Imperial Grandson. So what if you become the Palace Master of the Celestial Dao Palace in the future? The Palace will still have to take its orders from the Royal Family, won’t it?"

Yan Ying let out a cold laugh. In the next instant, his figure blurred, and he slapped the disciple across the face.

"You..."