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As Shu Yun's figure disappeared into the golden light of Penglai, a woman in a red dress appeared in a dimly lit alley in the royal city of a kingdom called Xiliang.

Leaving Penglai, where the temperature was isolated by a barrier, Shu Yun felt the cold winter wind as soon as she stepped onto the bluestone ground.

For her, those few days when she was forcibly taken back to Penglai were as if they never existed; it was as if she had never left Xiliang.

But the identical alley, the uneven ground underfoot, the tightly closed clinic door, and the cobweb-covered eaves told her that she had indeed left this place.

Shu Yun walked quickly toward the Xie residence, and just as she was about to circle around to the gate, she suddenly stopped.

She disappeared for three years and then suddenly reappeared today. How can this be explained in a reasonable way?

Something suddenly happened at home that required her to go back? What could have taken three years? Was she kidnapped, and the journey was so long that she was only just able to escape and return?

One reason after another flashed through her mind, but none of them could justify her sudden disappearance over the past three years.

At this moment, Shu Yun wanted to grab Feng Xian, Zi E, and Feng Ziyi, those two scoundrels who were in cahoots, and make them stand in front of her by the ears, and give them a good talking-to.

She and Jiang Yan were doing well in the mortal realm, and they were about to get married when this sudden turn of events was created. Was it just to make things more difficult for her?

Shu Yun concealed himself and paced back and forth at the entrance of the Xie residence, racking his brains for a reason. He thought that he should just go in undetected and find Xie Fu first.

But then I thought about it again. I was already unable to shake off the suspicion of the Xie family patriarch because of my registered residence. If I kept stammering and couldn't explain myself clearly, wouldn't that make things even worse?

Just as Shu Yun was circling around the Xie residence, the tightly closed vermilion gate of the Xie residence was pushed open from the inside.

Some unfamiliar faces emerged from inside.

These people were all dressed in iron armor, with red fabric peeking out from beneath the gleaming steel.

The leader, who looked to be over forty, had eagle-like eyes and his hand was always on the hilt of his sword at his waist, as if he were ready to draw his sword at any moment in case of crisis.

Shu Yun silently observed the person.

She had never seen this person before at the Xie residence, but from the patterns on the armor he wore, she knew that he was a member of the Xie family.

Behind a group of armored soldiers, an old man wearing a brocade hat trotted out. He still had his signature small mustache, but the lines at the corners of his eyes had become deeper, though this did not diminish his shrewd appearance in the slightest.

He is the steward of the Xie family, and one of the most loyal people under Old Master Xie.

"General Ma." The steward trotted up to General Ma, spread his arms to block his path, and pleaded anxiously, "General Ma, please don't act rashly."

The burly soldier, whom the butler referred to as General Ma, impatiently tried to walk around the butler.

The steward ran ahead of General Ma, keeping an eye on the road behind him while facing away from him. He spoke quickly, "Before he left, the young master instructed that no matter what happens, you must stay in the capital of Xiliang. Only with you here will those with ulterior motives not dare to act rashly."

General Ma stopped, and the soldiers behind him also stopped in unison, making a series of crisp metallic clanging sounds.

"The young master's fate is currently unknown, and you want me to stay here?"

General Ma shoved the short butler aside, saying, "Get out of the way. As a soldier, there's no such thing as hiding in a safe place."

The steward was extremely anxious, and his voice, which was usually kept at a moderate volume, suddenly became sharp, "If you leave, who will guard the capital of Xiliang?"

"Should we rely on me, the steward? Or on those servants in the Xie household who are not even used to swords?"

General Ma turned around angrily, his voice deep and resonant, exuding authority, "So you want me to sit here and wait? You want me to stand idly by and do nothing about the young master's situation?"

The steward trotted up and grabbed General Ma's arm, pulling hard on his scabbard. "The young master just hasn't sent any messages yet. Even if the young master is really in danger, what good will it do you to rescue him? The Qin family is eyeing the capital city covetously. Do you expect the young master to return with his troops only to find that the Xie family of Xiliang has been usurped?!"

General Ma's eyes widened. "The Qin family dares!"

The steward could no longer hide the truth. He feared that General Ma might act impulsively and actually leave the Xie residence. Without the Xie family's army guarding the Western Liang capital, those petty people who had long been unable to restrain themselves would probably be unable to resist making their move.

He lowered his voice, "The Qin family started recruiting soldiers years ago and has colluded with both the Central Plains and the Southern Barbarians. Otherwise, how do you think the Qin family, with its limited power, would dare to openly challenge our Xie family?"

"them……"

The butler stopped mid-sentence, his eyes wide with surprise as he stared straight ahead.

Now it was General Ma's turn to be anxious. "Tell me quickly, what happened to the Qin family?!"

The butler murmured a few times, "You..."

Then the voice suddenly rose, "What are you doing here?!"

General Ma followed the steward's gaze.

A stunningly beautiful woman in a red dress with snow-white skin stood not far from the two of them, looking at them with a cold expression.

The butler involuntarily released General Ma's arm. "Miss Shuyun, what's wrong with you..."

Where is he?

Shu Yun interrupted him coldly.

General Ma silently tightened his grip on the long sword at his waist, completely unaware of when the woman had arrived so close to them.

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