The inner courtyard of the North Courtyard lay amid a sea of blooming flowers. Ten meters above the red-brick walls hung a faint, thin transparent film of water. Beneath the sunlight, regardless of the temperature or environment outside, the interior remained springlike all year round, with flowering seasons cycling endlessly and blossoms ever in bloom.
Crossing the dazzling sea of flowers and passing through the rich fragrance, one came upon a grand, lavishly built residence. Its gray bricks and tiles appeared solemn and imposing, yet its interior was adorned chiefly with luxurious ornaments in golden hues, revealing, to some extent, the owner's tastes and inclinations.
Xiang Yang concealed himself, trailing behind the young couple like a ghost, neither hurried nor slow. Despite their Celestial level cultivation, they sensed nothing.
Xiang Yang followed the three of them to the outside of the residence. With a tap of his foot, he drifted onto the roof beam like a weightless breeze, without making the slightest sound.
He then lowered his head and pressed his ear against the warm roof tiles. At the same time, he closed his eyes and used immensely profound spiritual power to probe the scene within, and an image gradually formed in his mind.
Inside the inner hall, a short, sturdy man in his thirties with rough, bold features sat upright in the foremost armchair, clad in a silk robe. On his right sat a stern man of roughly the same age. Though they had not reached the point of drawn swords and strung bows, the atmosphere was exceedingly tense, as if they had just had an argument.
When Ruan Hanyun arrived with the young couple, the two men in the hall restrained their displeasure as though nothing had happened. Both rose to greet the couple with smiles, welcoming them