Chapter 161: The Flushing Lady Lan [2]

Shen Yu chuckled softly, a low, magnetic sound that sent a shiver straight down her spine.

"You praise me too much, Lady He. I merely did what any loyal disciple would do. The world is full of arrogance, sometimes, a gentle reminder is necessary to keep the peace."

"You are far too humble," He Lan murmured, finally gathering the courage to look up into his mesmerizing golden eyes.

Her cheeks burned hotter, but she forced herself to speak her mind. "Most men of your talent would be insufferable, but you... you care about righteousness. My father always talks about business and power, but seeing you tonight... I realized what a true cultivator should look like."

Shen Yu’s smile widened slightly, a dark, hidden amusement rippling beneath his saintly facade. ’How delightfully naive,’ the ancient demonic cultivator thought, watching the young girl practically offer her heart on a silver platter just because he had wrapped his venom in a white robe.

"The path of cultivation is long and fraught with deception, Lady He," Shen Yu said smoothly, leaning down just enough to bring his face closer to hers, his voice dropping to a private, conspiratorial murmur.

"It is rare to find someone who looks beyond raw power and sees the intent behind it. Your insight is quite refreshing."

He Lan felt the sudden proximity of his towering form like a wave of pure heat. A heavy, wet ache throbbed deep between her thighs at his velvety words, her mind spinning with a desperate, consuming desire to be noticed by him, to be sheltered under his protection, to be entirely his.

"If... if it isn’t too troublesome," she whispered, her voice trembling slightly as she clutched her silken sash tight, "I am arranging a private gathering for a few select young noble ladies in a few days. They are all your... your big fans. Would you honor us with your presence?"

Realizing how forward she might sound, she frantically added, "I mean, it is totally okay if you don’t want to! I know you are incredibly busy..."

Shen Yu stepped a fraction closer, invading her personal space just enough to let his masculine scent overwhelm her senses.

Looking down at her flushed face, his demonic perception easily picked up the sudden spike of heat in her body and the subtle, telltale leakage of her pristine Yin energy.

He knew exactly what was running through her naive, innocent mind.

Reaching down, he gently wrapped his fingers around her trembling hand, drawing her slightly closer as he leaned in to murmur directly against her ear.

"Obviously, I would love to come if the other ladies are even half as beautiful as you, Lady He. I truly have a weakness for stunning women. Perhaps, away from the prying eyes of the elders, we can indulge in some... far more interesting things together."

Hearing his deep, suggestive voice vibrate against her skin, He Lan’s breath completely hitched. She looked up, catching a rare, fleeting glimpse of unvarnished lust burning in the depths of the Golden Paragon’s eyes.

’Oh...’ her mind reeled, her heart hammering against her ribs. ’So the holy Paragon still has his primal needs... I—I would gladly give myself to him to satisfy them. But wait... he told me to bring more girls? Why did I mention those other bitches? I should have kept him all to myself...’

Swallowing the sudden spike of jealousy, she forced a submissive, eager nod. "O-Of course, Young Master Tang. When... when will you be available?"

"Hmm, what about in three days’ time?" he said, pulling back to offer her a dazzling, saintly smile.

Completely lost in the hypnotic warmth of his gaze, her knees practically melting from the heavy throb between her legs, she could only breathlessly whisper, "Yes... three days. I will make sure everything is perfectly prepared for you."

Seeing He Lan lingering so closely in Shen Yu’s shadow, the dam broke. The other female guests, who had been watching from the sidelines with baited breath, could no longer contain their envy.

A small herd of young noble scions, alongside several older, seductive matriarchs, smoothly advanced upon his position.

They swarmed him, their fans fluttering like butterflies as they showered him with a cascade of sweet praises, playful teasing, and laced invitations.

Yet, unlike his private, sinful whisper to He Lan, Shen Yu seamlessly pulled his saintly mask back over his face. He navigated the sea of eager women with a perfectly balanced, untouchable grace, offering nothing but pristine, righteous courtesy to their subtle hints.

From across the pavilion, his women watched the spectacle unfold.

A sharp, collective spike of irritation rippled through them. Lixue’s fingers tightened around her jade cup, her dark eyes flashing with a cold light as she watched those desperate women cluster around her man.

Beside her, Yilan’s jaw clenched slightly, her merchant-honed gaze assessing the rivals with deep disdain.

’Look at those fucking bitches,’ Meng Yan thought, her hazel eyes narrowing as a predatory sneer threatened to crack her beautiful face. ’Gathering around him like starveling hounds catching the scent of meat.’

Despite the burning urge to walk over and mark their territory, they remained impeccably disciplined. As high-ranking figures of the Tang alliance, they refused to display primitive jealousy in front of the city’s elites.

They smoothly maintained their composure and continued their respective political conversations as if nothing were amiss.

After a few more hours of drinking, laughing, and superficial flattery, the grand banquet finally drew to its natural conclusion. The guests began to filter out of the City Lord’s estate, their carriages lining the grand courtyards under the moonlit sky.

Shen Yu’s group made their way toward the exit, their long robes sweeping against the stone steps. As they reached the courtyard where the luxurious carriages were stationed, Meng Yan halted her steps. She turned her voluptuous frame toward Shen Yu, her eyes shimmering with a deliberate, business-like focus that completely contradicted the dark heat pooling in her lower abdomen.

"Young Master Tang," Meng Yan spoke up, her voice clear enough to be carried by the night wind.

"If it isn’t too much trouble, would you mind riding in my carriage tonight? There are a few urgent matters regarding our clan alliance and trade security that I believe we must discuss immediately."

A silent, knowing look passed between Yilan, Lixue, and Xu Yi. They knew exactly what kind of "alliance matters" the seductive Matriarch was desperate to negotiate.

Her core had been throbbing for his touch since the moment he step into the martial ring. Yet, not a single one of them stepped forward to intercept or complain.

Within the hierarchy of Shen Yu’s inner circle, Meng Yan was a sister.

They shared the same sovereign, bound by the same dark devotion to the man who ruled them. To feel petty jealousy toward their own sister was beneath them.

Instead, Yilan merely offered a subtle, graceful nod of approval, while Lixue gave him a parting, heavy look that promised her own turn would come soon enough.

With a faint, amused smile playing on his lips, Shen Yu stepped away from the main group.

He followed Meng Yan toward her private carriage, a large, opulent vehicle draped in heavy purple silks and insulated with profound sound-dampening arrays.

The heavy wooden doors shut tight behind them, cutting off the noise of the outside world entirely, leaving the ancient demonic grandmaster and the beautiful, aching Matriarch alone in the dim, luxurious interior.