Master Jingse heard the voice, and some of the gravity left his face. Raising his voice, he said, "Lord Lihua, please come in."
As soon as he spoke, the courtyard gate was gently pushed open, and a figure slowly walked in.
She was a woman dressed in Western Region attire, around thirty years old—the very prime of a mature woman's life.
She wore a crimson gold-woven robe, with a jade belt inlaid with pigeon-blood rubies around her waist. It outlined her slender, willow-like waist and made her tall, naturally voluptuous figure all the more striking.
She was exceedingly beautiful—not with the innocent sweetness of a young girl, but with the mature allure tempered by the passage of years.
The corners of her peach-blossom eyes tilted slightly upward. As her gaze shifted, she carried the noble bearing of one who commanded respect without anger, yet concealed the clarity of someone who had seen through the affairs of the world.
A vermilion lotus mark adorned the space between her brows, adding an even richer touch of exotic charm.
Her aura was perfectly rounded and restrained, and her cultivation had already reached the Fifth-Turn Grandmaster Realm. Even within these ruins, she counted among the foremost experts.
As the woman entered the courtyard, her gaze fell on Chen Qing at once. Her beautiful peach-blossom eyes narrowed slightly, and her willow brows furrowed before she turned to Master Jingse and asked, "Master Jingse, who is this?"
"Lord Lihua, there is no need for concern."
Master Jingse smiled as he introduced him. "This is Chen Qing, a Guardian Vajra personally appointed by our Buddhist Kingdom. He is no outsider."
He then cupped his hands toward Chen Qing. "Protector Chen, this is Lord Lihua, ruler of Yueli Kingdom in the Western Region."
Chen Qing's heart stirred slightly.