The little Fiend Empress was startled. The gossip had already spread to the Fiend races. She had intended to ask Zu An about this matter when the other two stars came knocking. There’s no need to ask anymore. This matter must be real.
Zu An’s heart skipped a beat. Before he could say a word, another chirpy voice echoed from outside.
“Ah Zu, please tell me that the rumors about you, Sect Master Yan, and Sect Master Yun aren’t real...” A woman rushed into the room, only for her voice to abruptly stop when she saw the two women in the room. She froze up out of awkwardness.
Yan Xuehen recognized the woman. The latter had been Chu Chuyan’s personal maid, as well as a spy from the Shi clan—the elven princess Snow. Her appearance made the situation even more awkward.
Trailing behind Snow was a woman who was so beautiful that she mesmerized even Yun Jianyue and Yan Xuehen—the Medusa Queen, the woman who had once been the capital’s number one beauty, Yu Yanluo.
The two women hadn’t expected so many spectators for their confrontation with Zu An. They felt startled and incredibly awkward.
“Ah Zu~” Yu Yanluo’s beautiful face lit up in delight when she saw Zu An, but she quickly realized there were others in the room too. She bowed to the two women and said, “Paying respects to Sect Master Yan and Sect Master Yun.”
Her etiquette was so on point that it could have been a textbook example. No wonder the capital’s men were so enchanted by her back then.
“Madam Yu!” the two women returned the greeting.
The atmosphere became peculiar. They'd come to settle things with Zu An, only to be surrounded by his lovers. Yan Xuehen glared at Yun Jianyue, urging her to move things along.
Yun Jianyue felt vexed. Why do I have to do the talking? Don’t you have a mouth?
That said, she knew the reticent Yan Xuehen wouldn’t even be able to squeeze out a fart in such a setting, and the awkwardness would suffocate them to death before they got anything done. So, she turned around and walked out.
Yan Xuehen followed suit. This is the first time Yun Jianyue hasn’t looked so annoying to me.
Zu An was speechless as the other ladies looked at him with gossipy eyes.
He coughed lightly. “Give me a moment. I’ll be right back.”
After he left, the little Fiend Empress, Snow, and Yu Yanluo gathered to gossip. Despite their different personalities, it was human nature to gossip.
“I didn’t think the rumors were true.”
“I knew it. How could Ah Zu overlook those two gorgeous women around him?”
“But they are Chuyan’s and Honglei’s masters. Isn’t that weird?”
“I remember the two of them are mortal enemies. Ah Zu has quite the problem to settle here.”
The little Fiend Empress animatedly added, “Before you arrived, those two demanded for Ah Zu to choose between them!”
The eyes of the other two women lit up. “Woah! Things are getting heated up!”
Unable to withhold their curiosity, they quietly snuck to the doorway and pricked up their ears.
...
On the other side, Yun Jianyue dismissed the guards outside before taking in a deep breath. “Make your choice.”
Her voice was quivering. As the Devil Sect’s master, she had weathered countless storms, but she had never felt so nervous before. She already had an inkling that Zu An would choose the ice sculpture over her, and that thought pricked her heart.
I've fought with the ice sculpture my entire life. Who could have thought I’d lose to her on this?
She realized that Zu An not choosing her would hurt her far more than losing to the ice sculpture. She fully understood the risks of forcing Zu An with an ultimatum, but her pride wouldn’t allow her to be a coward and continue dragging things out.
Yan Xuehen felt nervous too. She was aware that her cold nature pushed others away from her, and that she was nowhere as passionate as the demoness.
He might be displeased with me for continuously pushing him away... but this works too. This relationship should never have come to be. I’ll find a quiet mountain valley and devote the rest of my life to my cultivation.
That was what she told herself, but there was an inexplicable pain in her heart that made her anxious. The fact that she felt such intense emotions despite having cultivated the Unshakable Daoist Manual spoke volumes.
As they awaited his answer, the two women looked at Zu An nervously.
Zu An felt his throat turning dry, but he answered, “You should also know that I don’t like to choose. If I have to, I’ll choose to take it all.”
Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue were speechless.
You have successfully trolled Yan Xuehen for +666... +666... +666...
You have successfully trolled Yun Jianyue for +666... +666... +666...
This fellow is ridiculous!
Yan Xuehen coldly spat, “Impossible!”
Yun Jianyue scoffed out of sheer anger, “Dream on!”
How can I share a husband with that ice sculpture? And clearly, she feels the same way, too.
The spying crowd inside the main hall also spat in disdain.
“Ah Zu is shameless.”
“That ruffian-like personality is exactly like him.”
...
Zu An sighed. “We don’t have to make things so tense.”
“You knew how things are between us, but you still chose to withhold the truth and play us like fools.” Anger seethed in Yan Xuehen’s eyes.
“I was afraid of hurting you. You're Chuyan’s and Honglei’s masters. Unless the two of you allowed it, I couldn’t reveal our relationship to others.”
“Is it? How do you intend to explain the novels? Are you forcing us to accept this situation?”
“I wasn't the one behind those novels. It was Manman.”
The women in the main hall exchanged looks as if they had just learned something unbelievable. None of them could have guessed that Pei Mianman would be behind those novels!
Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue were shocked too. They hadn't thought it would be her.
“She wouldn’t do something like that without your permission.”
“Actually, she received a request from Chuyan. On top of that, considering her ties with big sister Yun and Honglei, she also wanted to resolve your reservations.”
Yun Jianyue fell into deep thought. Manman was indeed her blood-related cousin, and she was on close terms with Yan Xuehen’s disciple as well. She did have the motive to pull off something like that.
Yan Xuehen was astounded. “It was Chuyan’s request? Why would she... make such a request...” Her voice quivered as she spoke.
Zu An sighed. “You remember the Great Snowy Mountain’s Snow Lady, right? That was Chuyan after being sent through spacetime. She recalled everything afterward...”
Yan Xuehen’s face paled after hearing his explanation. “Chuyan, I have wronged you...”
She turned around and left, not wanting to stay here any longer.
Zu An was startled. He quickly reached out to grab her.
Yun Jianyue’s face crumbled. She understood that Zu An had made his decision, and her heart felt chilled. She turned around and flew off in the opposite direction.