Chapter 396: Jealousy, Jealousy

When Yuan Yao arrived at the Fuman Tea House, she reunited with her own third senior brother.

"Where have you been? Why did it take you so long?" Cang Li looked up at her.

Yuan Yao said, "I was delayed by something just now."

Cang Li said plaintively, "The tea I poured for you has gone cold."

He gave Yuan Yao a new teacup, poured hot tea for her, and then pushed the delicate pastries on the table toward her.

"Try it."

Yuan Yao nodded, took a sip of the tea, and found it extremely bitter; she couldn't help but frown.

"Third senior brother, this tea is way too bitter."

"Then have some of the sweet pastries."

Yuan Yao heard that and complied.

The pastries were very sweet, the sweetness spreading through her mouth and balancing the tea's bitterness.

"Tomorrow the Heavenly Fire Secret Realm will manifest," Cang Li said gravely to her, "If we get separated during tomorrow's transmission, you must take good care of yourself and never trust strangers. Unless absolutely necessary, never remove your mask and reveal your identity."

Yuan Yao swallowed the pastry, and with a serious look, nodded.

"Third senior brother, you also must take good care of yourself."

Cang Li said, "Do I still need you to worry about me? My experience traveling the world as Cangaotian is abundant, and out there I'm the only one who can deceive others; no one can deceive me."

Yuan Yao heard that and couldn't help laughing.

"I believe you, third senior brother."

At that moment, a few people at the neighboring table were talking about the Heavenly Fire Secret Realm, and as they spoke, they turned the conversation to the people who had recently appeared in Red Mist City.

"I heard the first Heavenly Pride Thousand Cloud Vessel from Feiyun Island has arrived!"

"Moreover, it's said that two days ago someone saw a few peerless heavenly talents of the Peerless Sect on the First Continent, and we don't know whether Xie Zixu will come."

"Do you think they came to vie for the Heavenly Pride Token?"

"Isn't that obvious?"

"The Heaven One Sect of the First Continent also sent people, and it's said the leader is Lu Xiang, a newly accepted disciple of the Formless Immortal Venerable!"

"I saw Lu Xiang yesterday! He's really beautiful!"

"Really?"

"He's simply a celestial beauty!"

At this moment, Yuan Yao and her third senior brother exchanged a glance and continued drinking tea without showing any emotion.

The people at the next table kept talking and then brought up another person.

One person lowered his voice and said, "You know the famous You Family of the Second Continent, right?"

The others replied, "Who doesn't know the You Family! They're a puppet lineage."

He tapped the table with his finger and said meaningfully, "Two months ago the You Family suddenly had an illegitimate son named Jiang Xiao. Later the You Family had Jiang Xiao acknowledge his lineage, renamed him You Xiao, and now he's also come to Red Mist City."

The few were rather shocked upon hearing that.

He continued, "There's another matter; don't let it leak out."

The others curiously asked, "What matter?"

He lowered his voice, "A cousin of mine once told me that the senior Yue Liu, who made a name for himself over five hundred years ago in the cultivation world, left a treasure in the Heavenly Snow Mountain Range, and it was all taken by the Qianshan Six."

"Qianshan Six?" The few showed a puzzled look; they hadn't heard of that title.

"The Qianshan Six are the six disciples of the Thousand Mountain Immortal Lord!" he explained, and then couldn't help adding, "You on the Sixth Continent may not have heard that a few months ago the Thousand Mountain Immortal Lord stormed the Heaven One Sect and clashed heavily with the Formless Immortal Venerable; can you guess why?"

The few showed shock and curiosity at this.

Without waiting for their follow‑up, he said, "It was because a fragment of the Formless Immortal Venerable injured the Qianshan Six, enraging the Thousand Mountain Immortal Lord! After that battle, I heard the Formless Immortal Venerable went into seclusion!"

The few were shocked: "Seclusion? Could the Formless Immortal Venerable have been seriously injured? What about the Thousand Mountain Immortal Lord?"

"I don't know."

"It's said that among the treasure left by Senior Yue Liu are three Heavenly Pride Tokens, and those three tokens are now in…"

"the hands of the Qianshan Six!" the person said.

Those who heard these words were not only Yuan Yao and Cang Li; the people at several nearby tables also changed their expressions upon hearing them.

"Did the Qianshan Six come to Red Mist City?"

"Probably not."

At this moment, Yuan Yao took another sip of tea, looked up, and exchanged a glance with her third senior brother.

Neither said a word.

They sat like that until night fell.

During that time, they heard a lot of information.

They left the tea house and exited Red Mist City.

At this time, the people staying on the Red Mist Plain were even more than the night before.

The night grew thick, and someone lit a bonfire.

In the dim light, Yuan Yao saw two familiar silhouettes.

She turned her head to Cang Li and said, "It's Xiao Zhufeng and Dongfangxiu."

Cang Li: "Do you think they came to vie for the Heavenly Pride Token, or to find the true fire to forge their destined sword?"

Yuan Yao: "I think both are possible."

Cang Li glanced toward the direction of Xiao Zhufeng and Dongfangxiu, sighed lightly, and said, "We should conceal our identities now."

Yuan Yao had no objection to that.

The next morning at dawn.

More and more people gathered on the Redmist Plain.

Many of them had just driven in from outside the Redmist Plain.

Yuan Yao suddenly sensed someone watching her; she turned her head and saw a youth dressed in white.

The youth was exceptionally tall, broad‑shouldered and narrow‑waisted, his features exquisitely beautiful like a spirit; his phoenix eyes were slightly lifted, and his brows and eyes bore a hint of cool laziness.

He was strikingly handsome, and merely standing there drew many eyes.

Yuan Yao saw a trace of color return to his face.

The two stared at each other from a distance for a few seconds.

Yuan Yao calmly withdrew her gaze.

At that moment, Feng Xuanji seemed to sense something, turned her head toward the youth, and found that he was staring fixedly in a certain direction.

Curious, she followed his line of sight.

But she saw nothing.

Bian Chen was also scanning the crowd at that moment; after failing to spot the white figure, a hint of disappointment rose in his heart.

He had intended to use this opportunity to apologize to her.

The blue‑clothed youth beside him raised an eyebrow, his delicate doll‑like face full of curiosity: "Senior Brother Bian, why are you sighing?"

Bian Chen pressed his lips together slightly, unwilling to answer.

The blue‑clothed youth had never seen Senior Brother Bian wear such a sorrowful expression, and his curiosity deepened; he couldn't help but ask: "Senior Brother Bian, have you run into a problem? Speak up, and perhaps we can offer you some advice."

Hearing this, Bian Chen's heart stirred a little; he turned his head toward the blue‑clothed youth and asked, "Zhou Xing, if you feel apologetic toward a young lady, what would you do?"

Bai Zhuxing heard this and instantly showed a shocked expression.

"Senior Brother Bian, you have a girl you like?!"

Bian Chen tried to reach out to cover his mouth, but it was already too late.

The remark instantly attracted the attention of several people nearby.

Bian Chen sensed the gazes of those around him, covered his mouth with a light cough, his cheeks flushing pink, and said, "Zhou Xing is just talking nonsense."

Xie Yan saw him in that state and suddenly recalled the line he had once messaged her: "Zixu, do you believe in love at first sight?"

Xie Yan's complexion grew a few shades colder.