Published: March 8, 2025
Lan Ruo pondered for a moment and frowned slightly, "Indeed, it's not bad... But why is there a tunnel below? Moreover, the tunnel is not interconnected; it’s all dead ends, and there are even beds inside... It seems to be just a temporary refuge? From this, it appears that the Chu King of Hell and Young Master Gu from the Middle Three Heavens aren't that impressive after all."
He shook his head and smiled, "And there are even latrines inside the tunnel? When that Chu King of Hell stays here, does he have to go underground just to use the toilet?"
Behind him, two elderly men in blue robes followed closely, chuckling at his words without saying anything. The eldest young master was probably just casually speaking, using it as a conversation starter, so whether to engage or not was unimportant.
Sure enough, the next moment, Lan Ruo changed the topic, "The passage hasn't opened yet?"
"No. We can't connect with the family at all right now." The two elderly men nodded solemnly.
To be honest, it was unfortunate. They had sneaked down in a hurry, and after only a month here, the Nine Heavens passage was completely sealed off.
As a result, everyone was somewhat anxious.
With the passage closed, all actions had to be self-directed. However, this matter related to the Lan family's millennia of glory and disgrace, life and death! Even though Lan Ruo was the family head's heir and the eldest young master, he dared not make excessive decisions on some major issues.
Lan Ruo smiled slightly and said, "The Lower Three Heavens are not too bad... At least, they are much cleaner than the Upper Three Heavens; they are also much quieter. Even if we can't find the sword master, staying here in the Lower Three Heavens for a while may not be a bad thing."
He chuckled, "Anyway, we have plenty of Amethyst, so we need not worry about spiritual energy and cultivation issues."
The other two chuckled as well.
Lan Ruo gazed into the distance, murmuring, "My grandma said that her disciple has an ice heart through jade bones; even in the Upper Three Heavens, she is a top exquisite beauty. I really want to see what this exquisite beauty looks like."
As he spoke, he seemed to be somewhat enchanted.
The old man was startled. He hurriedly advised, "Eldest Young Master, it’s better not to have such thoughts. Our purpose in coming down this time is to get on good terms with the Nine Calamity Sword Master; and this emperor might very well be the sword master's woman. If... it could lead to enmity rather than friendship… that would be disastrous."
Lan Ruo smiled nonchalantly, "I was just saying… Moreover, whether she is the sword master's woman is still uncertain; if one day it proves she isn’t… then I must see her."
The two elderly men behind him were somewhat speechless.
But after a moment’s thought: If Tie Butian really isn’t the sword master’s woman, then… it seems there would be no harm in the eldest young master seeing her or possibly taking her into the fold.
"After all, for an emperor to become my concubine, allowing me to do as I please... Such a thing would make any man’s blood boil with excitement."
Lan Ruo joked.
The two elders smiled wryly; although they could tell Lan Ruo was joking, from the flicker in his gaze… this statement wasn't just idle banter.
Just then, a figure flashed, and a blue-clad person appeared before them.
Lan Ruo slowly turned around, looking at the newcomer with a smile, remaining silent.
This was the demeanor of a noble family’s eldest young master! He would never speak first. He would only wait for others to finish speaking before making a conclusion. "Eldest Young Master, there’s new information." The blue-clad person said eagerly as his feet just touched the ground.
Lan Ruo smiled faintly, tilted his head, and still didn’t speak.
"Today, the emperor didn’t attend the morning court... Moreover, three of the four people in the palace have mysteriously disappeared. Now, only the Seventh Lady is left..." the blue-clad person said hurriedly.