Chapter 426: Date with the Queen

After the auction ended, Ye Liuyun didn't hurry to leave.

He waited a while in Booth No. 3, when Steward Mao came to find him and handed over the portion of Spirit Stones belonging to Ye Liuyun. After deducting the reserve price, half of the excess proceeds also went to Ye Liuyun. With that, Ye Liuyun gained nearly thirty million Spirit Stones.

Of course, Tian Yu Lou also made a huge profit. Although Steward Mao didn't understand why Ye Liuyun wanted to auction the Phoenix Crown again, he didn't ask. He still knew the rules and wouldn't pry into clients' privacy.

"Young Master Ye, if you have anything else in the future, feel free to bring it for auction," Steward Mao said with a forced smile before leaving.

He knew that Du Long's tomb must contain far more than just this. What Ye Liuyun had taken out was certainly only a small portion. As for whether Ye Liuyun could get out, handling the Phoenix Crown issue was beyond his concern.

"Alright, I might come back later. Then I'll trouble Steward Mao again!" Ye Liuyun replied politely.

"No trouble, it's what we should do!"

Steward Mao also returned the courtesy; hearing Ye Liuyun's tone, as if he had more confidence to get out alive, he felt at ease. After that, he left Booth No. 3 directly. As for when Ye Liuyun would depart, he didn't ask.

Ye Liuyun's Divine Sense had already detected the situation outside. Waiting for him were not only the queen's people but also many members of other Sects and lone cultivators. They all suspected that the tomb relics of Du Long came from Ye Liuyun's hand, so they came to try their luck.

The Iron Eagle Sect and Dark Night Demon Hall dared not provoke them; even if they suspected, they had no choice but to test Ye Liuyun's mettle. If Ye Liuyun proved not easy to bully, they would have to back off.

Ye Liuyun gave a slight smile and stepped out of the booth directly.

Those waiting outside, upon seeing that Ye Liuyun was only at the Yuan Dan Realm, were stunned for a moment, and no one dared to call him out. They all thought Ye Liuyun must have backing; otherwise, how could a Yuan Dan Realm Martial Cultivator be so bold?

Some tried to use Divine Sense to probe Ye Liuyun's true appearance, but he absorbed them outright, even the Divine Sense of a Tian Gang Liu Chong Martial Cultivator couldn't escape his devouring. In an instant, many expert cultivators' souls were struck back.

These people thus became even less daring to provoke Ye Liuyun. Even those by the queen's side suffered backlash as their souls were devoured. Many shook their heads helplessly and withdrew quietly.

The queen's guard who had just tested Ye Liuyun walked to his side and then led the way ahead. Ye Liuyun understood and followed closely.

The others, seeing Ye Liuyun being taken by the queen's people, gave up any intention of tracking him.

After following him for a while, Ye Liuyun saw that they were not heading toward the Royal Palace, and his lingering anxiety eased.

The person wound through twists and turns, bringing Ye Liuyun to a Side Courtyard. Inside, mountains, water, towers, and pavilions were all present. The Royal Palace's guards were scattered throughout the courtyard, inside and out.

"It seems this place, though not the Royal Palace, must be palace property," Ye Liuyun thought. Still, meeting here was better than inside the Royal Palace.

His Divine Sense also didn't detect any overly strong True Essence fluctuations nearby. The strongest were still the queen's two Tian Gang Liu Chong guards.

The person led Ye Liuyun straight through layers of guard checkpoints. No guard spoke to block them, and the person said nothing. The whole process was silent, only the footfalls of the two.

Ye Liuyun thought to himself, "Why does this feel like a secret meeting with the queen!"

The person led Ye Liuyun to a lake pavilion, where a beautiful woman in splendid attire was playing the zither. The guard outside the pavilion made a beckoning gesture toward Ye Liuyun and stepped back.

Ye Liuyun walked over, took a seat without ceremony. His Divine Sense discovered that the woman's realm had only just broken through to Yuan Dan Sixfold, inconsistent with Du Long's description. According to Du Long's speculation, the queen's realm should be around Tian Gang First Layer. So it was obvious the woman before him was an impostor.

After finishing a piece, the woman asked Ye Liuyun, "How was the performance?"

"Not bad!" Ye Liuyun thought and gave a fair appraisal.

The woman smiled coquettishly and asked, "I heard you wanted to see me? Do you have something to say to me?"

"Miss, you've misunderstood; I want to see the queen, not you!" Ye Liuyun said directly.

Hearing that, the woman's expression changed. She immediately dropped the act and asked seriously, "How do you know I'm not the queen?"

Ye Liuyun smiled, "Your looks are fine, but unfortunately you lack the queen's aura!"

The woman nodded, then rose and said earnestly, "Hand over the Phoenix Crown first, and I can take you to see the queen."

"This is my appointment with the queen; I must see her to present the gift, there's no reason to have someone else deliver it," Ye Liuyun retorted.

"What nonsense are you spouting? Who's dating you? Stop babbling, or I'll cut off your tongue!" the woman threatened.

Ye Liuyun's expression hardened instantly. He unleashed the power of his Soul, turning the woman's face ashen. "Do you think you can insult me? You're just a maid and you dare speak to me like that? Say another useless word and I'll annihilate you!"

From the woman's restrained stance, Ye Liuyun immediately deduced she was a maid beside the queen.

"Young Master Ye, why bother confronting a mere maid? It's my oversight that I've neglected you!" At that moment, a voice sounded from afar. Then the sound of jade bracelets rang, and a white‑clad woman with a veil, followed by several maids, slowly approached the lake pavilion.

Ye Liuyun activated his Golden Pupil, seeing the woman's true visage; her realm was also Tian Gang First Layer, and her looks matched Du Long's description. Her voice was the same as heard at the auction. Coupled with her graceful gait, it was clear she was the queen.

As Ye Liuyun's Golden Pupil scanned her, the queen felt as if she were being seen through. She was about to rage, but upon seeing his Golden Pupil, she held back.

"So Young Master Ye possesses a special eye technique lineage!" She thus concluded that Ye Liuyun was not intentionally being lewd toward her.

"Exactly! I was only confirming whether you are the queen herself. If I have offended, I hope the queen will forgive me!"

She merely smiled and did not continue to press the matter.

After she took her seat in the pavilion, she voluntarily removed her veil. The veil she wore this time was just an ordinary one; since Ye Liuyun had already seen through it, there was no point in keeping it on. Then she waved her hand, signaling the nearby maids to step back.

"Young sir, you spent a fortune to help me seize the Phoenix Crown; I must thank you!"

"Truly worthy of being queen; not only is her beauty nation‑shaking, every smile and frown is perfectly appropriate, exuding elegance and nobility." Ye Liuyun silently praised her.

Ye Liuyun immediately produced the Phoenix Crown and placed it on the table.