Protect Our Patriarch

……

But then again, the father and son of the Monan Commandery Prince's household are two of a kind, neither better than the other.

When His Highness was young, he was also a romantic, infatuated with a genius senior from the academy. However, due to "status reasons," they couldn't be together. As a result, he refused to marry or have children, almost driving the Ancestor to his grave!

It wasn't until he was over two hundred years old, on the verge of advancing to the Purple Mansion Realm, that he was forcibly married off by an imperial decree. Afterward, due to his high cultivation level, he had difficulty having offspring. It took another sixty or seventy years before the Commandery Princess finally gave birth to Wu Jinghao.

Such a hard-won offspring was naturally doted on endlessly.

Wu Jinghao was no easy character either. From a young age, he was an arrogant and domineering second-generation heir, causing trouble everywhere under the protection of the Commandery Prince's household.

Later, he found a kindred spirit in Wang Shihai of the Monan Wang's Clan, a fifth-rank family. They became known as the "Twin Little Devils of Monan," causing headaches wherever they went.

However, they didn't see themselves as little devils but rather called themselves "Little Overlords"!

With a series of maneuvers, Wang Shihai quickly activated the "Heavenly Recording Disk."

Finally, Wu Jinghao put down his telescope, stroking its barrel as he said, "Shihai, this telescope you brought is indeed a treasure. Even from such a distance, we can admire Celestial Maiden Tianyan's ethereal beauty. The only flaw is that we can't get closer to savor her fragrance."

The other three friends from various clans nodded in agreement.

Although their family backgrounds weren't as prestigious as Wang Shihai's or the Commandery Prince's household, they were still from strong sixth-rank families in Dongchacha City, each a little devil in their own right.

"…?"

Wang Shihai's face flushed slightly.

How did he end up with such a group of friends? If not for helping Fourth Uncle with a task, he would have kicked them away long ago.

"Ahem~ Don't worry, everyone, I came prepared." Wang Shihai said, taking out an array disk from his storage ring. The disk was dark in color, inscribed with numerous intricate runes.

"Shihai, isn't this one of your clan's treasured items—the 'Heavenly Star Concealment Array'? It's said that once activated, even Celestial Realm cultivators can't detect the hidden aura." Wu Jinghao looked at Wang Shihai with "admiration," clicking his tongue, "I didn't expect you to steal a family treasure just to get closer to Celestial Maiden Tianyan. They say I'm bold, but your courage is something else! Truly worthy of being my brother!"

"Shihai, you're awesome!"

"The Little Overlord title is well-deserved."

The other friends chimed in, one even urging, "Young Master Shihai, quickly activate the array. I can't wait to get closer to Celestial Maiden Tianyan~~"

"Don't rush, let me figure it out."

It was Wang Shihai's first time using this item, and he wasn't very skilled.

After fumbling for a while, he finally figured it out and injected profound energy into the designated spot on the "Heavenly Star Concealment Array."

Soon, the embedded spiritual stones activated, and the intricate runes on the array disk rose like living creatures, enveloping Wang Shihai and the other four.

A peculiar thing happened.

It was as if an invisible hand wiped them from existence. From the outside, it seemed as if they didn't exist at all, their auras completely concealed.

Such was the power of the "Heavenly Star Concealment Array."

With this tool in hand, one could evade danger in critical moments, gaining a chance to escape, or use it as a base for organizing small-scale surprise attacks. Its functions were highly versatile.

Moreover, it was an extremely rare and valuable portable array disk!

Its only flaw was that its effectiveness was greatly reduced during the day. Only at night, when it blended with the starry sky, could it achieve its full potential.

Just as Wu Jinghao and the others were getting ready, excitement bubbling in their hearts.

Suddenly.

A cheerful male voice came from afar: "Qingyun is late, I hope the Celestial Maiden can forgive me."

As the voice fell, a figure appeared in their sight.

The man wore a white robe, his movements agile, flitting through the trees and flowers like a butterfly, exuding a graceful demeanor.

In just a few breaths, he had crossed dozens of feet, gracefully landing in the pavilion. He raised his hands and bowed elegantly to Celestial Maiden Tianyan.

"Thud~~"

As the last note of the zither faded, Celestial Maiden Tianyan pressed the strings, rose, and returned the bow with a graceful wave of her sleeve: "Young Master Zuoqiu, your timely arrival is enough to satisfy me."

As she spoke, her enchanting eyes glanced at Zuoqiu Qingyun, a look that was both flirtatious and meaningful.

Before he could respond, she moved gracefully to the stone table in the pavilion.

With a wave of her jade-like hand, some prepared dishes and wine flew out from her storage ring. With another flick of her sleeve, the dishes and wine seemed to be held by an invisible hand, gently landing on the stone table.

"I've prepared some simple dishes and wine. Though they may not be as exquisite as those from noble families, they are unique in their own way. I hope Young Master Zuoqiu won't mind." Celestial Maiden Tianyan's voice was soft and gentle, like a spring breeze, as she gestured forward, "Please, take a seat."

Zuoqiu Qingyun thanked her and sat down, praising, "Celestial Maiden, your control over profound energy has reached a subtle level. Unfortunately, my cultivation is still far from the Celestial Realm, so I can't spar with you on the wonders of profound energy."

As he spoke, he sniffed the dishes, poured himself a cup of wine, and praised again, "The dishes are perfect in color, aroma, and taste. Celestial Maiden, you have excellent culinary skills. Especially this pot of wine, its color like honey, its fragrance intoxicating. I won't refuse."

With that, he tilted his head back and drank the wine in one gulp, smacking his lips and praising, "Good wine, indeed good wine~~ Just like the Celestial Maiden, it has a lingering aftertaste and is full of charm."

"Speaking of which, I've tried to meet you several times recently, but you always avoided me." Playing with the wine cup, Zuoqiu Qingyun glanced at Celestial Maiden Tianyan, a playful smile on his lips, "I wonder why the Celestial Maiden was so distant before but now invites me to a moonlit meeting with such fine wine and dishes. Could it be…"

"Young Master Zuoqiu, don't misunderstand."

Celestial Maiden Tianyan sat down gracefully, pouring herself a cup of wine.

After drinking a cup, her eyes seemed to carry a hint of spring, looking at Zuoqiu Qingyun with a subtle and gentle gaze: "I've prepared this wine and these dishes for you today, merely to send you off."

"Send me off?" Zuoqiu Qingyun was slightly taken aback, "I have no plans to leave Monan for now."

Celestial Maiden Tianyan raised her jade-like arm, pouring another cup of wine for Zuoqiu Qingyun, a captivating smile under her veil: "This send-off is not what you think. Young Master, on the road to the underworld, don't blame me."

Upon hearing this, Zuoqiu Qingyun's face stiffened, his smile freezing.

Suddenly, his face turned cold, his expression pained and twisted: "Tianyan, what do you mean? Did you poison the wine? Do we have any enmity?"

"Sigh~"

Celestial Maiden Tianyan sighed softly: "We have no enmity. It's just that I have someone I want to entrust my heart to. And coincidentally, Young Master Zuoqiu has some grudges with him."

"You… you venomous woman!" Zuoqiu Qingyun's face turned pale with shock and anger, "Tianyan, how dare you plot against a noble scion of a fourth-rank family, a direct disciple of the academy!"

"Sigh~ He was just too stubborn~~ So, I have to wrong you, Young Master Zuoqiu, and use your head as an offering." Celestial Maiden Tianyan sighed softly, "To show my apology, I personally cooked these dishes. It's my heartfelt gesture, don't waste it~~ Eat well, so you won't be hungry on the road to the underworld."

"You… that person, could it be Wang Shouzhe!? Tianyan, you wretch." Zuoqiu Qingyun's face turned ugly, a fire of rage burning in his chest. He had calculated before coming, wondering why Celestial Maiden Tianyan would meet him privately, but none of his guesses matched this!

In that moment, Zuoqiu Qingyun felt his male pride being trampled by Tianyan.

"Why bother?" Celestial Maiden Tianyan's eyes turned cold, "Zuoqiu Qingyun, you're just at the seventh level of the Lingtai Realm. Killing you is like crushing an ant."

"Letting you die from 'Drunken Red Dust' is just to avoid dirtying my hands."

"Fine, fine." Zuoqiu Qingyun was furious, laughing coldly, "Tianyan, since you've made the first move, don't blame me for retaliating. Truly, I offered my heart to the bright moon, but the moon shines on the ditch."

This time.

It was Celestial Maiden Tianyan's turn to show a slight change in expression, her eyebrows raised: "Zuoqiu Qingyun, don't try to scare me. I don't believe you can do anything after being poisoned by 'Drunken Red Dust.'"

As they exchanged words.

Wang Shihai and the others, using the concealment effect of the 'Heavenly Star Concealment Array,' slowly approached the pavilion. Wang Shihai was already struggling to use his divine sense to drive the array, sweat faintly appearing on his forehead.

And the Little Commandery Prince, Wu Jinghao, had a dark and grim expression. If not for Wang Shihai's constant signals to be patient and wait for the right moment, he would have already jumped up and torn Zuoqiu Qingyun to pieces.

……

"Tianyan, your 'Drunken Red Dust' is indeed cleverly made." Zuoqiu Qingyun sneered, continuing to drink his wine, "But unfortunately, you met me."

"You're not afraid of Drunken Red Dust? Impossible…" Tianyan's eyes behind her veil showed a hint of shock and disbelief. Drunken Red Dust was a precious ancient formula from Tianque, colorless and tasteless, enhancing the wine's freshness. Even Celestial Realm cultivators couldn't detoxify it immediately.

"Ancient formula? Heh." Zuoqiu Qingyun's expression was strange and mocking, "Just some minor tricks. Hasn't the Celestial Maiden noticed anything amiss?"

"?"

Celestial Maiden Tianyan was slightly stunned, then checked herself internally. Her eyes immediately turned cold, feeling a strange sensation in her organs, her body slightly numb and hot.

This symptom, though not yet obvious, was enough to prove she had been poisoned.

"You poisoned me?…" Tianyan's face changed drastically, hurriedly mobilizing her profound energy to capture Zuoqiu Qingyun for the antidote. Unexpectedly, a strong numbness surged through her body, making her fall back onto the stone seat with a soft moan.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. This poison is 'Golden Cicada Numbing Powder,' also from an ancient formula, colorless and tasteless. The poisoned person will feel numb and weak, with uncontrollable primal emotions, eventually going mad. Using profound energy will only accelerate the poison's effect. I'm sure the Celestial Maiden has already felt its wonders." Zuoqiu Qingyun leisurely poured himself another cup of wine, tasting it with a wicked smile, "Tsk tsk, the wine mixed with Drunken Red Dust is indeed delicious."

Celestial Maiden Tianyan's gaze turned icy: "Zuoqiu Qingyun, I seem to have underestimated you. Is there an antidote?"

"Antidote? Heh heh heh, of course there is." Zuoqiu Qingyun stared greedily at Celestial Maiden Tianyan, grinning wickedly, "I just need to enjoy the Celestial Maiden, and the poison will naturally be cured."

"Hmph, shameless scoundrel. How incompetent must you be to resort to such means against a woman? Trash!" Celestial Maiden Tianyan felt the heat in her heart growing stronger, realizing the poison was indeed formidable.

"Well said, well said. In fact, when you think about it, we are quite a match." Zuoqiu Qingyun laughed heartily, his expression confident and sinister, "But don't worry, once I enjoy you, you'll never leave me. By then, Wang Shouzhe or anyone else will be nothing to you, and you'll live only for me."

A chill enveloped Celestial Maiden Tianyan. Whether Zuoqiu Qingyun was bluffing or not, she couldn't let him succeed.

"Enough." Despite her reluctance, Celestial Maiden Tianyan made a decisive decision. Using that treasure here was a waste, but she had no choice.

"Celestial Maiden, you must have ensured no one is around to kill me. Why don't you call for help? See if anyone comes." Zuoqiu Qingyun laughed heartily.

Suddenly!

A righteous shout rang out: "Scoundrel, release Celestial Maiden Tianyan, let me… no, Celestial Maiden Tianyan, I'm here to save you."

As the voice fell.

Several figures leaped from the shadows, surrounding Zuoqiu Qingyun. Leading them was the upright and handsome Little Commandery Prince, Wu Jinghao.

Though his words were righteous, his eyes couldn't leave Celestial Maiden Tianyan.

……