Chapter 185 - 161: Letter and Object

Chapter 185: Chapter 161: Letter and Object

"Aunt Rong, try this. Cui’Er brought it, and it’s delicious."

Li Pan’Er picked up a piece of candied fruit and held it to Rong Ying’s lips, chuckling.

"Thank you, Miss."

A stiff smile appeared on Rong Ying’s face. After chewing and swallowing it in a few bites, she asked softly, "Is that the Cui’Er who serves Ma Zhenyi?"

"Yes."

Li Pan’Er nodded and pulled her down to sit. She then picked up a book, held it out, and asked, "Aunt Rong, there’s so much in the Thick Earth Technique that I don’t understand. Can you help me take a look?"

Rong Ying also cultivated the Thick Earth Technique herself. She glanced at the book, thought for a moment, and began to explain it to her.

Li Pan’Er listened very intently, and whenever Rong Ying paused, she made sure to offer her a piece of candied fruit.

One asked questions while the other explained, and time quickly passed until Noon.

Just then, on the mountain path leading to the mid-slope.

A young man and two girls were walking together.

One of the girls, with a lovely face and a gentle disposition, was whispering with the other, whose features were somewhat foxy and whose brows were slightly raised. They would let out a giggle from time to time.

The young man would occasionally chime in, and each time he did, both girls would listen attentively.

Soon, the group of three arrived at the mountain’s mid-slope.

Pavilions, waterside terraces, and towering lofts—all sorts of beautiful scenery filled their vision.

The three didn’t dare to look for too long. Lowering their heads slightly, they passed through several pavilions, and a lush green bamboo forest appeared before them.

The young man scanned his surroundings, quickly found a small path, and led the two girls onto it.

After following the bamboo path for a short while, the view suddenly opened up.

Not far ahead, a pavilion built entirely of green bamboo came into view.

When they reached the front of the courtyard.

Before they could knock, a middle-aged woman in a green dress walked out of the gate, glanced at the three of them, and said flatly, "What business do the three of you have at the Bamboo Pavilion?"

The young man cupped his hands and said, "Is Miss Pan’Er here? I am Ma An, and I have come to see her on the orders of Lord Tan."

"Wait here."

Hearing this, the middle-aged woman’s tone softened slightly. She gave a small nod, turned, and walked back into the courtyard.

Ma An looked up at the courtyard before him, sensing the dense Spiritual Qi in the surroundings, and couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy.

’An Inner Sect Cave Mansion,’ he thought. ’I wonder if I’ll ever have the chance to live in one.’

The two girls behind him gazed at the exquisite pavilion and the faintly visible waterside terraces. Comparing it to their own residences, the envy in their eyes was unmistakable.

The three of them didn’t have to wait for long.

The middle-aged woman in the green robe returned, and a girl with a slightly round face, dressed in a Daoist Robe, walked out from behind her.

When Ma An saw her, he quickly cupped his hands and said, "Greetings, Miss Pan’Er."

The two girls behind him also bowed in greeting.

Li Pan’Er waved her hands repeatedly. "No, no, it should be me greeting Senior Brother Ma and Senior Sister Lou." Then she smiled at the girl with the foxy features. "Junior Sister Ma, you’re here too."

She then gestured with her hand. "Senior Brother, Senior Sister, please come inside the hall to talk."

She and the middle-aged woman moved aside, revealing Rong Ying standing behind them.

Ma An’s expression stiffened when he saw her. He gave an awkward laugh. "Thank you, Miss Pan’Er."

Lou Anjin and Ma Lianxue stared at Rong Ying’s exaggerated physique, inwardly shocked.

As they passed by her, her massive figure cast a shadow over them, and a chill involuntarily rose in their hearts, causing them to falter in their steps.

Rong Ying glanced at them and silently followed Li Pan’Er into the pavilion.

After taking their seats, the three guests seemed a bit reserved.

After a servant finished pouring tea and withdrew.

Li Pan’Er looked at Ma An and asked in confusion, "Senior Brother Ma, what did you need to see me about?"

Ma An took a storage pouch from his robes, handed it to a nearby servant, who then passed it to Li Pan’Er.

Seeing her confused expression, he explained, "The storage pouch contains things Lord Li sent for you. Lord Tan was supposed to bring it, but something came up, so he had me deliver it instead."

"Things from my brother?"

Li Pan’Er’s expression lit up with pleasant surprise. She immediately handed the storage pouch to Rong Ying beside her and said urgently, "Aunt Rong, could you please open it for me?"

Rong Ying nodded, took the storage pouch, and channeled her Spiritual Power into it.

Ma An and the other two also showed curiosity in their eyes.

In the next moment, a small pile of Spirit Stones, a few pill bottles, two jade tokens—one red and one black—a Daoist Robe shimmering with spiritual light, and a letter appeared on the table.

"A Top-Grade Daoist Robe?"

As soon as the items appeared, the three visitors’ gazes were drawn to the shimmering Daoist Robe, and their eyes widened in a stare.

Although a Daoist Robe’s grade still put it in the class of Talisman-grade implements, its complex crafting process made it much more expensive.

A Top-Grade Daoist Robe was often worth as much as two top-grade Talisman-grade implements.

Of course, once you reached the level of Magical Artifacts, the price difference was not nearly as exaggerated.

Li Pan’Er’s gaze swept past the robe and other items. She quickly picked up the letter, carefully broke the seal, and began to read.

But the very first sentence made her face flush red, and she nearly slammed the letter down on the table!

It read:

"It’s been a few years. Has my little snot-nose gotten bold? Daring to leave home all by yourself..."

The next part was filled with more teasing remarks, until she reached the middle section, which was full of reminders and reassurances.

He told her to just focus on her cultivation and not get involved in outside affairs.

If she ran into any trouble, she could temporarily seek shelter with Steward Wu Yong, or send him a letter.

Until she read the very end.

The line "Are you still fat?" almost made her lose her composure.

"Hmph, stupid brother."

Li Pan’Er huffed and muttered to herself, then carefully folded the letter back into its envelope and tucked it into a hidden pocket in her sleeve.

Then, her gaze turned to the other items on the table.

But aside from the Spirit Stones, she didn’t recognize any of them...

Li Pan’Er looked to Rong Ying for help.

Rong Ying snapped out of her daze, suppressed her astonishment, and began to explain the medicinal pills and the robe to her.

Afterwards, she picked up the jade tokens. After inspecting them one by one, a look of shock appeared in her eyes.

This time, however, she didn’t explain to the group. She whispered a few words to Li Pan’Er and said no more.

Rong Ying gathered the items, put them back into the storage pouch, and handed it to her.

Li Pan’Er put it away safely. Seeing that it was getting late, she invited the three of them to stay for a meal.

Ma An and the others gladly accepted.

And while they were making small talk.

Not far from the courtyard was another residence, several times larger than the quiet Bamboo Pavilion, filled with pavilions and galleries—a magnificent and opulent estate.

In a gazebo in its rear courtyard.

A refined-looking young man was half-reclined on a couch. He held a fist-sized, dark-red skull that glowed with a bloody light, examining it from all angles, his brow furrowing from time to time.

Just then, a streak of pale green light flew in from the horizon and landed right outside the gazebo.

The light dissipated.

Revealing a large, burly man with a full beard, dressed in a black robe.

Looking somewhat exhausted, he strode into the gazebo and cupped his hands toward the refined young man. "Senior Brother Lan."

Lan Cai Shen withdrew his gaze, sat up straight, and waved his hand. "Junior Brother Tan, sit down and talk."

He reached for the teapot, poured him a cup of emerald-green tea, and asked, "Of the locations you found, how many are usable?"

Tan Hu picked up the teacup and drained it in one gulp. A cool stream of energy flowed from his abdomen to his mind, slightly easing his exhausted expression.