Zhao Shuning had a very long dream.
She saw herself in the blazing flames. She saw herself in a red dress, leaping into the endless darkness.
She felt her heart was clogged and extremely sad.
That black hole seemed to have some kind of magic, constantly attracting her closer.
She leaped down, but a fiery red lotus bloomed beneath her. From the center of the red lotus, Yan Ruyu slowly walked out.
Zhao Shuning was overjoyed.
She wanted to call out "Master".
But when she opened her mouth, she couldn't make a sound.
Master smiled and walked towards her. She stretched out her hand, eager to touch him quickly.
Then, another person appeared in the center of the red lotus.
When getting closer, Zhao Shuning found that the person was actually Zhao Huai.
He said, "Little Ning'er, I haven't seen you for so long. Do you miss your brother?"
Zhao Shuning nodded.
Looking at the two of them, she felt happy.
Zhao Huai also walked towards Zhao Shuning. But when he walked behind Yan Ruyu, the Soul - Condensing Pearl on Zhao Shuning's wrist suddenly broke with a snap.
A powerful aura spread out.
Zhao Shuning looked up and saw that Zhao Huai's eyes had turned red at some point.
There was also a sharp thing like a black ruler in Zhao Huai's hand.
And the direction the black ruler was pointing at was Yan Ruyu.
Zhao Shuning instinctively wanted to shout, but she couldn't. She wanted to walk over, but her feet wouldn't move.
Then, Zhao Shuning watched helplessly as Zhao Huai stabbed the black ruler into Yan Ruyu's body. Blood trickled down along the black ruler.
Zhao Shuning was extremely grief - stricken and let out a scream.
She woke up from the dream. Zhao Shuning touched her head and found it was all sweaty.
She threw off the quilt.
Looking at the intact Soul - Condensing Pearl on her wrist, she smiled.
Fortunately, it was just a dream.
Zhao Huai was her elder brother, and Yan Ruyu was her kin. There was absolutely no way such a scene could happen between them.
After getting up and washing up,
Zhao Shuning went to the courtyard where her master lived.
When she entered, only Feng Zhan was there. Seeing Zhao Shuning looking around, he said, "Don't look for him. He was called away by your father."
Zhao Shuning was completely confused.
"What did my father call Master for?"
Feng Zhan spread his hands.
"Maybe last night, when you were asleep, Buran carried you back and made them misunderstand."
Zhao Shuning was embarrassed.
She hadn't thought about this problem.
"Did my father see it too?"
Feng Zhan nodded.
Zhao Shuning thought it was over. You know, Zhao Zheng only had this precious daughter. Usually, he was reluctant to let other men touch her.
Since Zhao Shuning came back, she was only fifteen years old at that time. But because of her beautiful appearance and fair skin, there were many people coming to propose marriage.
Some even boasted that as long as Zhao Zheng married Zhao Shuning to him, he would give all his family property to the Zhao family.
At that time, the usually good - tempered Zhao Zheng turned livid. Then he silently went out. When he came back, he was holding a broom in his hand.
It was said that those people were beaten out by Zhao Zheng.
Moreover, Zhao Zheng declared that before Zhao Shuning was eighteen years old, if anyone dared to come to propose marriage, he would break that person's legs.
After all, a daughter is a father's little cotton - padded jacket.
Zhao Shuning usually didn't get too close to anyone. Even Xie An, the "Poisonous Snake", only came to visit four or five times a year.
Even when Xie An came, he basically kept a distance of one meter from Zhao Shuning. He never dared to overstep the boundary, let alone have any physical contact with Zhao Shuning.
So in the past year or so, Zhao Shuning had lived a very peaceful and quiet life.
Master had only come yesterday, and last night she had slept in his arms. It would be strange if her father could swallow this anger.
"It's over."
Zhao Shuning started running towards Zhao Zheng's courtyard.
It was all her fault. She had thought too much last night and gone to bed a bit late. This morning, she had just overslept naturally.
While Zhao Shuning was running, Feng Zhan kindly reminded her from behind, "Slow down. Buran has been there for an hour. They should have finished talking."
An hour?
So long?
She wondered if her father had made things difficult for Master.
A person like Master was a superior being. No one had ever dared to show him a bad face or throw a tantrum at him.
Thinking of her father's character, Zhao Shuning could only quicken her pace.
Zhao Zheng was a very straightforward person. He didn't care who the other person was. Even if it was the Son of Heaven, if he dared to touch his daughter, Zhao Zheng would pounce on him.
So even if Master came from Chang'an, the capital city, and had a noble status, if he didn't touch Zhao Shuning, everything would be fine. But if he did, Zhao Zheng would never sit back and do nothing.
Yan Ruyu went to Zhao Zheng's courtyard early in the morning.
Then, he was taken by Zhao Zheng to the main courtyard.
In the main courtyard lived Old Man Zhao.
When Yan Ruyu saw Old Man Zhao, he nodded politely.
It seemed that the fact that Zhao Shuning had slept in a man's arms last night had even caught the attention of the head of the Zhao family.
When Yan Ruyu entered the inner hall, he sat down.
Zhao Zheng still looked livid.
Lin Miner was patting Zhao Zheng on the back to calm him down.
Old Man Zhao said, "Sir is a noble guest from Chang'an, the capital city. In principle, I shouldn't be so rude to you. But today there is a reason, so I hope you can forgive me."
Yan Ruyu's appearance was such that there was absolutely no one else like him in the entire Kyushu Continent.
That young master named Feng Zhan by his side could only barely compare with him.
Zhao Xiangxiang looked at Yan Ruyu and thought that there couldn't be such an other - worldly and peerless person in the world. But Zhao Xiangxiang only admired him and had no evil thoughts about him at all.
"It doesn't matter. If you have something to say, Old Man Zhao, just speak directly."
"Then, I won't stand on ceremony."
Yan Ruyu sat upright. His green robe made his face look even paler.
"What's your relationship with my little Ning'er?"
Yan Ruyu thought for a while and then said seriously, "I regard her as my closest person."
The closest person? Hearing this, Zhao Zheng almost crushed the cup in his hand.
"Looking at your good looks, what kind of thoughts are hidden in your heart? Tell me, what have you done to Shuning!"
Yan Ruyu wasn't angry.
"I haven't done anything."
"Brother Zheng, don't get angry. We haven't figured everything out yet. You'll lose your dignity like this."
"Miner, you go and ask."
Lin Miner nodded, stepped forward and bowed, and then said, "I've never seen you before, sir. I wonder if you have any reputation in Chang'an, the capital city?"
"Grand Master of the Sect Association. Does this count?"
Everyone gasped.
The Sect Association? A Grand Master!
My goodness! How could a person of such a high rank appear in the Zhao family?
How did Shuning get to know a Grand Master? Could it be that they met during the Sect Association and developed feelings for each other?
As soon as the title of Grand Master came out, the people of the Zhao family looked at each other in dismay and fell into a dead silence.