Chapter 420: Probing
Chapter 420: Chapter 420: Probing
Ying Yaoshi had been struggling for a long time. Seeing Ning Xuan and Yu Mingche hold their Contract ceremony was still difficult for him to accept.
Just then, a communication request marked with the Star Sky Council’s insignia rang out. At the same time, calls from the Starry Sky Academy, the Myriad Phenomena Star River, and the Abyss Ancient Domain also came in. It was obvious that they had coordinated to call him at the exact same moment.
Ying Yaoshi’s face, twisted with anger, instantly became calm. The last time he had been on a conference call with these factions was right after he learned that Ning Xuan had awakened a Mythical Level Companion Spirit.
In order to protect Ning Xuan, Ying Yaoshi had dispatched numerous agents to erase all traces and had warned them to abide by the Guardian Covenant.
Thinking back on it now, that was only two years ago.
In just two years, Ning Xuan had grown to her current level. But, her strength was still no match for the Extraordinary Influences.
Ying Yaoshi didn’t want to face the smirks of Mo Changsheng, Ji Wuque, and the others, but the communication alerts were relentless. He had no choice but to face them.
Ying Yaoshi pressed the accept button. Four holographic screens immediately appeared before him. In the very center was the chairman of the Star Sky Council, Mo Changsheng.
"Marshal Ying, I received news today that Ning Xuan and Yu Mingche held a Contract ceremony, with Yu Mingche taking the role of a husband. Are you aware of this, Marshal Ying?" Mo Changsheng asked, getting straight to the point.
"Brother Mo, aren’t you asking the obvious? The Ten Thousand Meteor Star Domain Battlefield has been relatively stable recently. How could General Ying possibly not pay attention to the news on the Central Star?" Gu Qingkong, the dean of the Starry Sky Academy, spoke up.
"We contacted you this time to ask if you still have a relationship with Ning Xuan," the Astrologer from the Myriad Phenomena Star River asked in a heavy voice.
"As the Federation’s Supreme Commander, how could General Ying possibly subordinate himself to another? Ning Xuan is so ungrateful. General Ying must be furious with her, right? Even if you don’t sever all ties immediately, you should be gradually cutting her off." Ji Que from the Abyss Ancient Domain said, his eyes flickering as he watched Ying Yaoshi.
"You don’t need to fish for information. As for what my relationship with her is, or whether my attitude has changed, you’re welcome to test it and find out. In any case, you wouldn’t believe anything I say right now anyway," Ying Yaoshi replied with a look of resignation.
In reality, even with Ying Yaoshi keeping them in check, the Extraordinary Influences had never stopped their clandestine schemes. Over the past two years, Ying Yaoshi had spent considerable effort dealing with them.
"Haha, we just feel it’s a pity for you. Ning Xuan’s talent truly is one of a kind." Mo Changsheng laughed with unconcealed glee. He had already sent Mo Yu out, accompanied by numerous experts. He had given explicit orders to capture Ning Xuan and bring her back at all costs.
Of course, the other factions had made their own arrangements as well. It was just a matter of who would succeed first.
Ying Yaoshi ended the call and sat in a daze for a moment. He then sent a message to both Ning Xuan and Yu Mingche, telling them to be careful and avoid going out alone as much as possible.
After a moment’s thought, he sent another message, this one just to Yu Mingche, instructing him to bring more people with him when he went out. Yu Mingche specialized in the use of spiritual power; his Comprehensive Combat Power wasn’t very high. Those people had no bottom line and were utterly unscrupulous. If they targeted Yu Mingche and captured him to blackmail Ning Xuan, she would be put in a very passive position.
Ying Yaoshi didn’t understand why he was worrying about Yu Mingche. ’It’s probably because I’m worried that if something happens to him, it will affect Ning Xuan, right?’
Meanwhile, on Ning Xuan’s side, after a lively day, the guests had finally dispersed. Although there had been a disturbance during the ceremony, it had been smooth overall. Ning Xuan had used a family crest with the character for "Ning" engraved on it. From now on, all properties and businesses under Ning Xuan’s name would use this emblem as their mark, thus announcing the existence of the Ning Family to all the other families and all walks of life.
Ning Xuan had a few extra drinks with important guests like Chairman Wang, the old dean whose health had clearly improved, Chen Nan’s mother Chen Jingyu, and Lin Mo’s mother Lin Yuzhi, leaving her cheeks flushed crimson.
Once the guests had left, Yan Fuzhen and Feng Linran led the attendants and guards, bustling about to clean up the courtyard and various banquet halls. The afterglow of the setting sun slanted across the spacious and somewhat messy courtyard.
Ning Xuan stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows of the main hall, a translucent white porcelain cup in her hand holding clear tea. With a gentle swirl, a few tea leaves floated up and down in the water.
Ning Xuan sipped her tea leisurely, her gaze sweeping over the people cleaning up the aftermath.
"Family Head, the guest list has been cross-checked, and all the gifts have been registered and cataloged. The inventory list was made in triplicate; I have already sent copies to your and Lord Yu’s inboxes. The remaining copy is with me," Yan Fuzhen reported, walking over quickly to Ning Xuan.
Ning Xuan nodded slightly. "Separate the particularly valuable items for individual storage. Also, mark down those with whom we have no significant relationship but who sent expensive gifts." She paused. "Flag anything that seems unusual."
"Yes." Yan Fuzhen agreed. In fact, he had already been doing so; he just hadn’t finished organizing everything yet.
In the courtyard, Feng Linran was directing attendants as they moved tables, chairs, and various decorative pieces from the yard.
Today, in a departure from his usual flamboyant style, he had changed into an outfit similar to Yan Fuzhen’s—a white shirt and black trousers, looking very much the part of a butler.
"Family Head, Lord Yu says the young masters are all waiting to pay their respects to you. He asks for your preference on where to receive them," an attendant who served in Yu Mingche’s courtyard came to ask her.
This was, in fact, an indirect way of asking whom she would summon to attend to her that night.
Ning Xuan placed her teacup on a nearby table. "Have Yun Han wait for me in my courtyard. The others can be dismissed."
During the ceremony today, Yun Han had received the most attention out of all the Contractors. However, this was not a good thing. For someone like Yun Han, who was used to commanding armies, being subjected to so many gazes of pity, sympathy, contempt, and disdain must have been incredibly difficult for him to bear.
"Yes." Having received his orders, the attendant immediately returned to Yu Mingche’s courtyard to relay the message.
Ning Xuan drank two more cups of clear tea to sober up, but her legs still felt a little weak. She swayed back to her own courtyard, and the moment she entered, she saw a large, square box placed in the center. The box was decorated with the character for "joy," and a red silk ribbon was tied in a bow on top, making the whole thing look like a gift box.
Needless to say, Yun Han was definitely inside the box.
Although Ning Xuan didn’t know whose idea it was to stuff a person into a box, it didn’t stop her from feeling a new flicker of interest in unwrapping her present.
The moment Ning Xuan untied the bow, the four sides of the box unfolded and fell away like flower petals. Kneeling in the center of the box was a person—it was Yun Han, dressed in crimson and with a strip of red cloth tied over his eyes.
Yun Han was already exceptionally handsome, and today he had been specially dressed up. The first sight of him was breathtaking.