Chapter 72: Assistance from the Father-in-Law

Nalan Su and Nalan Yanran stood outside the door for a while longer. Estimating that the time was about right, Nalan Su said, "Let's go, Yanran. Don't keep the old master and Xiao Yan waiting."

It's all a joke, it's all a coincidence, it's all a joke, it's all a coincidence—

During the wait, Nalan Yanran did a lot of mental preparation in her heart. When Nalan Su's voice sounded, Nalan Yanran took a deep breath.

Hoo~ ha~

Her gaze became firm and calm once more, and she nodded in response: "Mm."

The father and daughter re-entered the side room. At this moment, Nalan Jie had already finished dressing neatly and was chatting happily with Xiao Yan.

"Oh, you two have come. Haha, look, how has this old man's body recovered?" Nalan Jie raised his arm, which was once again surging with a sense of power, and swung it fiercely a few times.

"Grandfather, slow down, you've only just recovered!" Although she had long since sensed Nalan Jie's aura, seeing his condition in person still filled Nalan Yanran with happy tears. She trotted to Nalan Jie's side and looked at Xiao Yan, who was standing to the side, with great gratitude.

"Xiao Yan, thank you for curing my grandfather. Our entire Nalan family owes you a favor. From this day forward, if you have any request, I, Nalan Yanran, will not refuse even if it means climbing a mountain of blades or descending into a sea of fire!" Nalan Yanran lowered her head and bowed deeply to Xiao Yan.

"That's right, Xiao Yan, thank you for saving my father. As the current head of the Nalan family, I express my gratitude to you!" Nalan Su also bowed deeply to Xiao Yan.

"The two of you need not be like this. The reason I took action was merely for the Seven-Illusion Green Spirit Saliva. This was just a fair trade; you two owe me nothing," Xiao Yan said, hurriedly waving his hands.

"How can that be? How can the life of me, Nalan Jie, be replaced by a mere small medicinal herb? Xiao Yan, you don't need to be polite with us. If there is anything else you want, just say it!" Nalan Jie said at this time, patting Xiao Yan on the shoulder.

"This—alright. Actually, there is indeed one more thing I need Miss Nalan's help with." As he spoke, Xiao Yan shifted his gaze to Nalan Yanran: "May I ask if Sect Master Yun Yun is currently in the sect?"

"You want to find my teacher? Do you know each other?" Nalan Yanran asked with some surprise.

Xiao Yan shook his head and said, "I have never met her, but the thing I need to do requires Sect Master Yun Yun's approval."

"I see. My teacher is indeed at the Misty Cloud Sect. If you want to see her, I can take you there tomorrow." Nalan Yanran answered casually, but as she turned away, she grew suspicious in her heart: Xiao Yan has never met my teacher, so what could be so important that he must discuss it with her and even require her approval?

"By the way, what exactly is the matter you are looking for my teacher for?" Nalan Yanran asked with some curiosity.

"This, I am very sorry, I cannot say for the time being." Xiao Yan shook his head and did not answer Nalan Yanran's question.

He actually wants to keep it a secret! Nalan Yanran was startled, and the suspicion in her heart deepened. She was her teacher's closing disciple; what was there that she couldn't know?

"Ahem. Alright, Yanran, don't ask anymore." Nalan Su, who had been keeping a low profile, suddenly spoke up. He turned to Xiao Yan and said, "That, Xiao Yan, your uncle suddenly remembered some things he needs to discuss. Could I trouble you to step out for a moment?"

"Uh." Faced with Nalan Su's sudden request, Xiao Yan was stunned for a moment. However, thinking that he himself had just kept a secret, he felt it wouldn't be right to question others, so he nodded and said, "Alright." He then walked out the door.

After Xiao Yan left, Nalan Yanran and Nalan Jie looked at Nalan Su with some strangeness.

"So what exactly do you have to tell us? And you had to specifically send Xiao Yan away first?" Nalan Jie asked first.

"Hmm—" Nalan Su pondered for a moment and said thoughtfully, "What do you think Xiao Yan has that he needs to discuss with Sect Master Yun Yun and also needs to hide from us?"

"So? Do you have a guess?" Nalan Jie ignored Nalan Su's suspense and asked directly.

"Is it possible that he wants to salvage the marriage engagement with Yanran?" Nalan Su suddenly lowered his voice and whispered.

"What?" Upon hearing this, both Nalan Jie and Nalan Yanran were shocked.

"How could that be? Didn't Xiao Yan already agree to break off the engagement?" Nalan Jie countered.

"But this breaking of the engagement was proposed by our Yanran. Perhaps he was just using a delaying tactic?" Nalan Su asked back.

"Besides, our Yanran has grown up to be so beautiful; wouldn't it be normal for him, Xiao Yan, to be unable to let go?"

Once these words were spoken, Nalan Jie still had some doubts, but Nalan Yanran was somewhat convinced, because she remembered the scene where Xiao Yan kept staring at her when they first met.

Could it be that this is truly Xiao Yan's intention? Nalan Yanran thought to herself, if he really is interested in me, then what should I do? Refuse, or agree? No, no, no, how could I agree? I just proposed breaking the engagement! But would that hurt him? After all, he is our family's benefactor. Should I refuse after some time? Nalan Yanran's heart suddenly felt a bit flustered.

Nalan Su glanced at Nalan Yanran's expression and felt the timing was about right, so he said, "But regardless, this is just my guess, so let's leave it at that. Yanran, you go take Xiao Yan to the treasury first. After all, we can't keep him waiting outside forever, right?"

"Ah! Oh! Mm! Alright! I understand." Nalan Yanran, who was still deep in the whirlpool of her own thoughts, was startled by these words. Before she could regain her composure, she nodded and replied, "I'll go now."

Subsequently, under the gazes of Nalan Jie and Nalan Su, Nalan Yanran left the room in a panic.

Watching Nalan Yanran's reaction, Nalan Jie suddenly realized something. He glanced in Nalan Su's direction and said, "So that's it, this is your goal? Are you that worried that your daughter won't be able to get married?"

"Ahem, Father, what kind of talk is that? I didn't force her!" Although his intentions had been exposed by Nalan Jie, Nalan Su didn't feel he was wrong. He thought to himself with some self-satisfaction: Hmph, she won't eat the hard blade, but won't she eat the soft one?

Outside the door, seeing Nalan Yanran run out of the room as if fleeing, Xiao Yan was stunned for a moment and asked with concern, "What happened to you?"

Regarding Xiao Yan's concern, Nalan Yanran suddenly recalled her previous guess. She suddenly didn't dare to look at Xiao Yan's face, her eyes darting around as she said, "Nothing! It's nothing. By the way, didn't you want the Seven-Illusion Green Spirit Saliva? I'll take you to get it now!"

After speaking, without waiting for Xiao Yan's reply, Nalan Yanran walked out first.

"Strange, what's wrong with her?" Xiao Yan frowned, feeling a bit confused, but he still followed her, heading toward the deeper parts of the Nalan residence.

Soon, Nalan Yanran brought Xiao Yan to a place guarded by heavy security.

Nalan Yanran went up to explain the situation to the guarding elder, and with the written document Nalan Su had given her, the guarding elder quickly let them pass.

Turning back to wave at Xiao Yan, the two crossed the guards, entered the treasury, and arrived at the room specifically used to store the Seven-Illusion Green Spirit Saliva.

For some reason, when Xiao Yan passed by the guarding elder, he always felt that this elder was inexplicably looking at the two of them with a teasing gaze. And in front, where Xiao Yan could not see, Nalan Yanran's face had long since turned red with shame.

While it was called a storage room, it was actually a greenhouse located on the top floor of the treasury.

Walking into the greenhouse, the Heaven and Earth energy, which was clearly much denser than outside, rushed toward them.

There were many rare medicinal herbs inside, but Xiao Yan saw at a glance a green plant growing in the very center.

This plant looked as if it were carved from jade, and on its top grew a seven-colored flower that constantly changed colors, emitting a hazy glow.

"This is the Seven-Illusion Green Spirit Saliva." Nalan Yanran pointed to the green plant and said, "I am not very familiar with these medicinal herbs. To avoid damaging it, you should do it yourself."

"Alright." Xiao Yan naturally would not object. For Xiao Yan, harvesting such a precious medicine was also a very enjoyable thing.

One hand gently supported the root of the Seven-Illusion Green Spirit Saliva, while the other slowly brushed away the soil on the root system. Xiao Yan's movements were extremely gentle, as if he were caressing a peerless beauty. To Nalan Yanran, it had a unique aesthetic, but when she remembered that the plant before her was her dowry, she suddenly felt as if she were the one being caressed!

"Ugh!" Nalan Yanran felt that both her spirit and body had been stimulated, and she urged him unnaturally, "Can, can you hurry up!"

"Hm? What's wrong with you?" Xiao Yan felt that Nalan Yanran's state had been a bit strange since just now, but seeing that Nalan Yanran clearly had no intention of explaining it to him, he immediately sped up.

After quickly clearing the soil from the root system, Xiao Yan gently lifted it with his right hand and slowly placed it into a pre-prepared jade box.

"Alright, let's go." Xiao Yan put the jade box into his storage ring and said.

Hoo! Nalan Yanran took a deep breath. In just that short moment, her back was already completely soaked. Now, she just wanted to go back quickly and take a good bath.

As she led Xiao Yan back the way they came, they suddenly encountered a servant sent by Nalan Su, who said that the original banquet had been canceled because too much time had passed and the food had gone cold. He said they would hold another one tomorrow and hoped Xiao Yan could stay at the Nalan residence for one more day and set off for the Misty Cloud Sect the day after tomorrow.

"Since that's the case, I'll take you to the guest room first," Nalan Yanran said.

Xiao Yan nodded to show his agreement.

However, when the two arrived at the guest rooms usually kept prepared for visitors, they discovered that all of them had some issues; some were in disrepair and lacked cleaning, others were leaking, and in short, none were fit for living. Upon inquiring with the person in charge, good heavens, according to him, the only vacant room in the entire Nalan household was actually her own boudoir! How on earth do you know about this kind of thing! Did you investigate it overnight?

Come to think of it, Nalan Yanran was, after all, a young lady from a wealthy family; although it was called a boudoir, it actually consisted of over a dozen rooms, so letting Xiao Yan stay temporarily was naturally not an issue, but the problem was—

Nalan Yanran turned her head to look at Xiao Yan, who had a rather strange expression on his face, and said through gritted teeth: "This must be Father's doing!"

What should be done now? Since Father has already made his move, I fear the only place left in the Nalan household that is still habitable is my own courtyard.

But she couldn't just refuse to let Xiao Yan stay; even if he weren't her fiancé, Xiao Yan was still a guest of the Nalan household—how could she not provide him with a place to stay!

Gritting her teeth, Nalan Yanran finally decided to compromise: "Um, Xiao Yan, you—"

"Is there anyone on that mountain?" Xiao Yan pointed to a small hill not far away that was only a few dozen meters high and asked suddenly.

"Huh?" Nalan Yanran looked in the direction of Xiao Yan's finger and said: "There shouldn't be; although that place is also part of our Nalan household's property, it is mainly used for scenery and as a cultivation base for some low-level medicinal herbs, so there is usually no one there at this time."

"Then that place will do." Xiao Yan said.

"Huh?"

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