The driver with the missing tooth had been keeping a vigilant watch. When he heard the woman cry out in alarm, his expression flickered, and he was instantly beside the carriage. “Madam, what happened?”

He didn’t dare go inside, since he knew she was rather reclusive, and he wasn’t allowed inside her private space unless given explicit permission.

Chu Youzhao and Murong Qinghe rushed over as well, but there was no way they could keep up with the driver, and arrived slightly behind him.

Murong Qinghe tugged on Chu Youzhao’s sleeves, looking at her with a strange expression. “Big brother Chu, your brother-in-law really is…”

Her face turned red, and she couldn’t bring herself to continue.

Chu Youzhao also stomped her feet in annoyance. “Who are you calling my brother-in-law? I don’t have such a perverted brother-in-law!”

You have successfully trolled Chu Youzhao for 223… 223… 223…

Murong Qinghe wrinkled her nose. Who was the one who had kept saying ‘brother-in-law’ earlier?

The Madam’s voice came once again from within the carriage. “Nothing… It’s nothing. Uncle Fu, please stand guard. Do not let anyone approach.”

The driver with the missing tooth was still uncertain. “Madam, are you sure there’s nothing wrong?”

He was afraid that she was only saying this because she was being threatened.

The Madam’s voice sounded again. “Don’t worry, I’m fine. I have some things I wish to talk to him about. Please stand guard outside.”

A layer of blue light appeared around the carriage. The driver knew that a restriction that cut off all sound was activated.

Madam was the only one who knew about this. This wouldn’t have been possible unless she was the one who activated it.

This thought made him sigh in relief. “This old servant will wait outside.”

He shooed Chu Youzhao and Murong Qinghe away as he said this.

He couldn’t help but feel a sense of shock that this Madam of his had actually activated this restriction. Apparently, she really did trust this brat. If anything dangerous occurred within, no one would be able to save her even if she screamed her lungs out.

Chu Youzhao was pushed a great distance away by an invisible force, and was visibly upset. “What is your Madam doing, locking away my brother-in-law? Are you plotting against him?”

“Madam? Plotting against your brother-in-law?” The driver was so irate that he almost laughed. If he lined up all the men who were willing to scheme against Madam in the capital, the line might be able to go around the capital three times, starting from the palace gates. Who’s scared of who?

As they bickered with each other, a stunning, mature woman was reclining on a soft seat within, her enchanting, star-filled eyes looking upon the man lying on her. She wore an ambiguous smile. “How much longer are you planning to lie there for?”

Zu An was extremely distressed. Am I the type of shameless bastard to take advantage of a woman? I’ve already completely distinguished myself from such lowly people. I relied on my own charm to attract beauties, who come to me of their own accord!

What the heck is this, pushing her down as soon as I enter? She’s going to think that I’m a pervert! I still have some dignity, you know?

Despite all this, he never expected the rebound of ‘Keyboard, Come!’ to be so great.

It was different from before. Previously, he had used ‘Keyboard, Come!’ to create a new set of golden token envoy uniforms, so he had expected the rebound.

This time, though, he’d only made that old man’s pants drop. Why was the rebound still so great?

However, he had miscalculated. The pants of a powerful ninth rank expert would never drop for no reason. Any expert of a similar level would be able to use that momentary distraction to take Han Fengqiu’s life. Despite the seemingly-minute action of causing his pants to fall, in reality, it was related to the very survival of a cultivator at the peak of the ninth rank. How could the rebound from affecting such a thing be small?

Fortunately, this was only an indirect effect. If not, Zu An’s life might have been in danger.

Zu An forced a smile. “Would you believe me if I said that my strength gave out because I just fought a great battle, and that I wasn’t trying to take advantage of you?”

He thought that he was done for, but the response he received was unexpected. “I do. Despite your youth, you were able to fight an eighth rank cultivator, and someone at the peak of ninth rank. It’s impressive you survived this long.”

Zu An: couldn’t believe what he’d heard.

Even I wouldn’t believe what I said if I was on the receiving end. Is this woman dumb?

Huh? Wait, why does she look familiar?

A hint of impatience finally crept into the beautiful woman’s voice. “Are you still not going to get up?”

“My bad, my bad.” Zu An laughed awkwardly and quickly sat up.

He wasn’t a naive or innocent kid anymore, but the astonishingly soft feeling even caused his heart to start pounding.

The beautiful woman straightened as well, and sorted out her clothes and hair.

Zu An finally got a chance to get a good look at her. Her skin was fair and smooth, and her face was flawless. Her hair was coiled above her head in an elegant fashion, making her neck appear graceful and slender.

A luminescent pearl was embedded at the top of the carriage. The soft radiance illuminated her cheeks, causing her gentle features to seem to have been painted by a master’s brush. It was difficult to say who was brighter and more beautiful, the luminescent pearl, or this woman..

“It’s you!” Zu An finally recognized who this was, and was both startled and happy. The woman in front of him was precisely the one he and Ji Xiaoxi had shared back then, the capital’s number one beauty: Yu Yanluo!

“So, we meet again.” Yu Yanluo smiled her beautiful smile, blossoming like a brilliant flower in bloom.

She showed no anger at being offended, nor was there any trace of a young lady’s shyness. Her demeanor was natural and calm, as though she was the main character in this world.

“It’s been a long time, Madam, yet you are as stunning as the last time I saw you, if not more so.” Zu An sighed. “I was wondering why King Qi’s heir suddenly turned into such an obsequious flatterer. Now that I’ve met you again, Madam, I finally understand.”

Yu Yanluo showed little reaction to his praise. After all, she’d been subjected to much more than that over the years. “Your growth is quite surprising. The last time I met you, those Blackwing Stockade scoundrels were giving you a hard time, yet now, a few months later, you’re already going toe-to-toe with experts at the peak of the ninth rank.”

Zu An chuckled. “I remember you telling me the last time that I still had a few years to go before I was worthy of being your man. Now that you’ve seen how much I’ve grown, has that changed your mind?”

Yu Yanluo finally lost some of her composure, a faint blush appearing on her gorgeous face. She gave him a rebuking look. “What am I going to do with you…”

Zu An had to admit that someone so beautiful was lovely to look at, even when she was angry. However, for better or for worse, his tolerance towards beauty had been raised after all the girls he had met. He quickly recovered his own composure and said in an upset manner, “It’s your fault for forgetting your past promise!”

“Me, forget my promise?” Yu Yanluo stretched her palm out. Her fingers were fine and slender, and seemed as though they had been sculpted from fine jade. “Return it to me.”

“Return what?” Zu An was stunned.

“My jade pendant.” Yu Yanluo snorted. “I don’t want you to use it to spread rumors everywhere, especially not that it’s some token of love given to you because I’d fallen for you.”

No matter how thick Zu An’s skin was, he was still extremely ashamed that his empty boasting had been exposed.

However, he reacted quickly as well, and went on the offensive. “You really do forget the debts you owe! I saved your life previously, and you gave me this pendant, promising that you were going to repay me. However, when I visited the Yu Estate in Brightmoon City, you were nowhere to be seen! Now that I’ve finally met you again, you’re demanding the pendant back?”

Yu Yanluo explained herself. “Too much was happening in Brightmoon City back then, so I had no choice but to leave. That’s why I didn’t have a chance to thank you properly. However, I found a way to compensate you later on.”

Zu An was confused. “You’ve compensated me?”

A faint smile shone in Yu Yanluo’s eyes. “Why else do you think His Majesty let you live?

…

Meanwhile, in King Qi’s Estate, King Qi stood over his lightning-scorched son, his expression as dark as a thundercloud. “Who the hell did this?!”