Ein Reisender, der alle Himmel und unzählige Welten durchquert

Kapitel 43

"What's wrong? The Palace Master doesn't seem very happy? Could it be that the Palace Master has changed her mind? That won't do. I mean what I say. Since I'm going to marry you, you're mine now." As Lan Qi spoke, he took out a jade pendant from his sleeve, traced it with his fingertip, and then shoved it into the still-stunned Mei Rudai's hand. "This is a token. The Palace Master must keep it safe and remember it well."

Mei Rudai stared blankly at the piece of jade in her hand. The jade was of excellent quality, a top-grade piece, but that wasn't unusual. What was unusual were the two characters "Seventeen" engraved on it. She looked up, her eyes wide with astonishment, at the person in front of her. Did he really mean it?

If it were before, when she was the palace master, her martial arts were still intact and her beauty had not faded, then what happened today would not be so surprising. But now, she... doesn't need to look in a mirror; she can tell how old, ugly, and dirty she looks just from the way others look at her! Yet this person calls her a beauty, says he wants to marry her, and... judging from his appearance, it's not fake. Is this person... insane, or is she insane?

"Madam, now that this has happened, we should drink to celebrate." Lan Qi waved his jade fan and smiled like spring water. "Why don't we find a place to have a good drink together?" After saying that, he turned and walked away without looking back or stopping, as if he knew that Mei Rudai would follow, or as if it didn't matter whether she followed or not.

Mei Rudai looked at the figure in front of her and followed it in a daze.

Across the street, three people watched this scene unfold, watching the two walk away.

Ning Lang simply watched quietly.

Yuwen Luo's eyes were filled with deep thought.

Yuwen Feng snorted coldly and said, "Even when doing a good deed, you have to do it in such an evil way. No wonder people call you 'Azure Demon'!"

Lan Qi led Mei Rudai through two streets and then arrived at a house. He raised his hand and knocked on the door. Soon, an old man of about fifty years old came to open the door. Upon seeing Lan Qi, he bowed deeply.

Lan Qi stepped inside, with Mei Rudai following behind. They discovered that the interior was extremely deep and spacious, with vermilion railings, green doors, carved railings, and jade steps, a testament to its wealth and grandeur.

"Have someone help the Seventeenth Madam with her washing and meal, and summon Lan Han to see me," Lan Qi instructed the old man following closely behind him.

"Yes, please go to Cui Liang Pavilion to rest for a while, Seventh Young Master," the old man replied respectfully.

"Mm." Lan Qi nodded, then turned to look at Mei Rudai and said, "Madam, please go and freshen up first. I will enjoy some fine wine with you later."

Mei Rudai simply nodded.

Lan Qi turned around and went to the right. A moment later, his figure disappeared into the layers of courtyards.

"Seventeenth Madam, please follow me," the old man said to Mei Rudai with utmost respect.

Her eyebrows, as dark as ink, followed him.

Deep within the gate lies a small courtyard. Through the wall, one can see verdant bamboo reaching for the clouds, phoenix tails rustling, a vermilion building like a painting, and the sound of wooden bells.

Pushing open the gate to the courtyard, a refreshing breeze greeted her, and Lan Qi couldn't help but smile, "Nothing has changed here."

A light footstep sounded, and then a figure flew over quickly, arriving in front of them in the blink of an eye.

"Lan Han greets Seventh Young Master." The newcomer bowed deeply. He was about thirty years old, with calm features and a gentle expression.

"Hmm." Lan Qi responded lightly, then stepped into the courtyard.

Lan Han followed behind.

Beneath the bamboo shade was a bamboo couch. Lan Qi waved his fan and sat down on it. "What did you find out about the matter of those three thousand heroes perishing in the Eastern Sea?"

"Your subordinate is incompetent," Lan Han said, bowing his head. "Since learning of this news, your subordinate has searched everywhere but has found nothing."

"Oh?" Lan Qi responded, his expression neither surprised nor angry. After a long pause, he said, "This matter is not your fault. I know what I'm doing. Inform Lan Kui of Yingzhou that I am going to Dongming Island and have him prepare everything."

"Seventh Young Master!" Lan Han looked up, a hint of anxiety in her expression. "Three thousand people are already missing, which shows that danger lurks in the East Sea. Seventh Young Master, you must not take any risks!"

"Oh?" Lan Qi's eyebrows twitched, and she looked up at him.

Lan Han's heart skipped a beat. Realizing she had misspoke, she lowered her head and said, "This subordinate only..."

"Hehe... I know what you're going to say." Lan Qi raised an eyebrow and smiled, his sharpness like a sword. "However..." His tone suddenly changed again, "I know very well what you're going to say, so there's no need to worry."

"Seventh Young Master, you..." Lan Han raised her head to look at Lan Qi, and in that instant, she saw the fleeting light in his green eyes. She felt a chill run down her spine, and all her words were swallowed back down.

"I am determined to take Dongming Island. Just keep that in mind." Lan Qi looked at him with a smile.

"Yes." Lan Han lowered her head.

Footsteps sounded outside the courtyard again, and several servants filed in. They set up a tea table and chairs under the shade of bamboo, brought water to help Lan Qi wash her face and hands, and then served her tea and snacks before quietly leaving.

Lan Qi picked up her teacup, brought it close to her nose to smell it, and then said, "Old Master Xie has already told you about the Seventeenth Madam, hasn't he?"

"I have already met with him," Lan Han replied.

"Hmm." Lan Qi took a sip of tea, and then said slowly, "Later, pick a few people to accompany Madam Seventeen back to her parents' home."

Her maternal home? Lan Han was taken aback.

"Baiyan Palace." Lan Qi put down her cup, looked up at him, and said, "Do you understand?"

Lan Han stiffened, instantly regaining her composure. "Your subordinate understands, Seventh Young Master, please rest assured."

"That's good, go and get ready." Lan Qi waved his hand.

"Yes, I'll take my leave." Lan Han withdrew.

The courtyard fell silent, save for the soft rustling of the bamboo branches in the wind.

Lan Qi idly waved her jade fan, her emerald eyes gazing quietly into a certain direction, a faint smile always on her face, as if admiring the scenery or lost in thought. After a while, she suddenly raised her head and looked leisurely at the emerald bamboo above. Thousands of sharp leaves were reflected in her emerald eyes, their green as deep as the deepest pool, their brilliance as sharp as the sharpest sword, strangely beautiful yet terrifying to behold.

"How dare they steal what I've set my sights on... The martial world is beneath my feet, yet they managed to make three thousand masters disappear without a sound..." He murmured, his emerald eyes slowly closing.

The bamboo shade fell eerily still, not even a breeze dared to stir. Then, a barely perceptible whisper escaped, "Isn't this tantamount to slapping me in the face...? I shall personally repay you a hundredfold!"

The jade fan slid down gently, revealing lips as red as fire, and a smile that was colder than the deepest abyss of ice.

After Mei Rudai finished washing and dressing and had a meal, someone came to invite her, saying that the Seventh Young Master invited the Seventeenth Madam to the Cui Liang Pavilion to taste wine.

Led by a maid, she walked through the courtyard and arrived at a small courtyard. The maid withdrew, and she went in by herself.

When she entered the courtyard, she felt as if she had stepped into a painting.

A cluster of white chrysanthemums blooms in the courtyard, beside which stands an exquisite vermilion pavilion. Beside the pavilion, a grove of towering green bamboo stretches to the horizon. In this small autumn space, only white, red, and green hues are present, yet they evoke the bright and beautiful colors of spring. The dense bamboo shade blocks the sunlight, and beneath this cool shade lies a bamboo couch. A person reclines on the couch, and beside it sits a small table laden with cucumbers, red fruits, jade dishes, snacks, tea, and wine cups. Everything is so tranquil and serene, like a refined and elegant setting.

But when one's gaze falls upon the person lying on the couch, this elegant setting evokes an indescribable allure.

Her purple robes were slightly disheveled, her hair ornament fell askew to one side, and her long, ink-black hair was scattered across the couch, setting off a snow-white face with features of unparalleled beauty, leaving one both astonished and bewildered. She seemed like a seductive spirit that had stepped out of a grand mansion, alluring yet eerie; she seemed like a demon born from the bamboo grove, cold yet malevolent. One could not help but stare, yet dared not take another step closer, a mixture of infatuation and fear.

Mei Rudai stood a foot away, quietly watching that person.

When those eyes opened, revealing those unique emerald eyes, the sharpness of those eyes made the heavens pale in comparison, and the elegance of that glance made the earth lose its color.

At that moment... she heard her own heart speaking.

Whether human or demon, male or female, from this moment on, she... submitted to and was loyal to this person.

"Madam has arrived." Lan Qi slowly rose, her casual demeanor exuding a captivating charm.

The ink flowed down, staining the purple robe; the ink and purple intermingled, exuding a rich nobility and mysterious solemnity.

But when those icy, captivating blue eyes bloomed amidst the inky black and deep purple, a hint of demonic aura arose within their noble and dignified demeanor.

At this moment, the beauty of this person's face, the allure that penetrates to the bone, the elegance and demeanor that this person exudes... are all displayed to the extreme!

Whether this person is male or female, at this moment, no one in this world can resist her bewitching power!

Mei Rudai gently moved over, took a comb from her head, and naturally combed her hair and tied it up.

Once everything was settled, she knelt at his feet, bowed her head, and said calmly and solemnly, "Landai greets Seventh Young Master. From this day forward, I will obey any command, even at the cost of my life."

Lan Qi gazed at her intently, and after a moment smiled gently, "Having gone through this ordeal, Madam has become even more intelligent and has not disappointed me."

She wasn't stupid; she had once been a powerful figure in the underworld, having shed blood, plotted, and killed for a place among the palace's rulers. Whether Lan Qi's rescue of her was accidental or spontaneous was irrelevant. From the moment she accepted the jade pendant engraved with the number "Seventeen," Mei Rudai's life had already ended; from the moment he called her "Madam," he must have already harbored his schemes.

But so what? She can still get what she wants.

She raised her head, her eyes clear, "Landai thanks Seventh Young Master for the grace of giving me a second life."

“Landai?” Lan Qi murmured the name softly. “‘Eyebrows like dark eyebrows’ sounds charming, while ‘Landai’ has a subtle fragrance. Both are good.”

“‘Eyebrows like dark eyebrows’ was the name my master gave me when he found me and saw that my eyebrows were beautiful. ‘Landai’ is the name I have chosen for myself now.”

"Oh?" Lan Qi raised an eyebrow at her. Although her complexion had faded, her eyebrows were still long and curved like the rising new moon. She couldn't help but praise, "Indeed, you are beautiful. In that case, 'Lan Dai' is a good name. Get up."

“Thank you, Seventh Young Master.” Lan Dai stood up.

"I've said you're the Seventeenth Madam, so the entire Lan family will respectfully call you Madam." Lan Qi stood up, flicked his sleeve, and paced around the courtyard, turning his head to look at her leisurely. "Do you understand your place?"

Lande looked up in astonishment. She thought he only wanted to use her, and she intended to repay him with everything she could, but... was that joke really true? He actually gave her an identity? A legitimate identity? For someone as old and ugly as her?

Lan Qi smiled slightly, a calm and genuine smile. "No matter what you do, no matter where you are, no matter if you live or die, from the moment I gave you the jade pendant, you are the seventeenth wife of the Lan family. You will receive all the titles, status, money, and respect you deserve. I mean what I say."

Lauder was truly stunned.

Lan Qi smiled as she looked at her.

Two lines of tears welled up in Landai's eyes, and then she knelt deeply on the ground again, choking back sobs, "Landai... I will never betray Seventh Young Master in this life!" Even in her prime, as the mistress of the Hundred Beauties Palace, and with the most prominent status in the martial world, no one had ever given her such respect. Yet, at this moment, having lost everything, she had received one completely. Now, even if she were asked to jump into a sea of fire or walk on a mountain of knives, she would gladly go!

"If you do not betray me, then I will never betray you." Lan Qi reached out to help her up, raised his sleeve to wipe away the tears on her face, and smiled, "Madam's eyebrows are so beautiful, although it makes me lose the pleasure of drawing eyebrows, fortunately there is still this romantic affair of wiping away fragrant tears with my sleeve."

"Pfft!" Landai couldn't help but burst into laughter through her tears. In an instant, the withered colors suddenly came alive. Her eyebrows curved like the moon, her eyes were filled with tears, and she was filled with joy and moisture, subtly revealing her charming and delicate beauty.

Lan Qi couldn't help but sigh, "Madam truly lives up to her title as the Palace Mistress of Baiyan Palace. Her smile is captivating, and even I am moved."

Lan Dai smiled gently, her brows and eyes relaxed, her expression serene, as if she had become ten years younger. She raised her hand to touch her face, speaking calmly, yet her voice had regained its charm, "My youth has faded, my beauty has withered, but to have met Seventh Master today, I will regard you as my husband, my master, and my heaven from now on. Though it may be shameless, I will never betray this promise."

"Alright." Lan Qi walked to the table, poured two cups of wine, and handed one to Lan Dai. "This cup of wine is for my wedding with my wife."

Lauder took the glass, the two clinked glasses, and then tilted their heads back and drank it all in one gulp.

"I have already had Lan Han select a few people to accompany Madam back to Baiyan Palace," Lan Qi said, putting down his cup.

“Yes,” Lan Dai replied.

"We'll be setting off tomorrow. Madam, you may rest first to conserve your energy," Lan Qi said with a faint smile, her emerald eyes looking at Lan Dai with a meaningful gaze. "If there's anything you need to discuss, you can directly consult Lan Han."

"I understand." Lan Dai bowed. "I'll take my leave now."

"Mm." Lan Qi nodded, watching Lan Dai leave, a satisfied smile on her face.

In this world, power, money, and status are indeed the most important things, and no one is immune to them!

I poured myself another glass of wine and drank it all with a smile.

What kind of scene will unfold in the East China Sea?

With that person traveling with me, it's something to look forward to.

"Mingxiangfang" is quite famous in Yecheng. It has the most complete selection of the best teas. Almost everyone in Yecheng who knows tea and likes to drink tea comes here. As a result, the tea shop is very popular and there is a constant stream of customers every day.

When the young man in the blue robe stepped into the teahouse, the waiter couldn't help but be taken aback.

Most of the people coming and going in the brothel were wealthy individuals from Ye City, and thus possessed a certain air of refinement, far surpassing that of the poor and lowly. Yet, such a refined and elegant figure was a first for them, far surpassing even the fourth young master of the Lu family, a frequent visitor secretly admired by the ladies of Ye City. The brothel was filled with the aroma of tea and bustling with guests, somewhat noisy and bustling, but the man simply stepped in, and all was quiet. Like a banished immortal descending to earth, he remained untouched by the clamor of the world.

"Sir, are you here to sample or purchase tea?" a waiter approached.

Ming Er glanced around the teahouse and said gently, "I've heard that your establishment has a tea called 'One Tree of Green Heartlessness,' but is that really true?"

The waiter was taken aback, then quickly replied, "This tea is very rare. We'll have to ask the manager. Please wait a moment, sir."