Footsteps sounded outside the hall. Yan Lin and Nalan Yanran both looked toward the entrance as the maid Nalan Yanran had summoned returned.
Two men had come with her.
One of them looked younger—a middle-aged man. His tiger-like eyes carried an air of authority even when he was not angry.
The other was an elderly man dressed in fine robes. The middle-aged man bore some resemblance to him, but the old man was clearly more imposing, with the bearing of one long accustomed to authority.
However, as Yan Lin observed the old man, he noticed a faint grayish-black hue on his face—a clear sign of poisoning.
[With the cultivation of a Dou Wang, he must be Nalan Jie.]
Based on the elderly man's characteristics and cultivation, Yan Lin had little trouble identifying him. As for the middle-aged man beside him, Yan Lin could not be entirely certain of his identity.
Still, the man resembled Nalan Jie somewhat and possessed the cultivation of a Dou Ling. Yan Lin guessed that he was probably Nalan Jie's son, Nalan Su.
That guess was quickly confirmed.
Upon seeing the two approaching men, Nalan Yanran immediately rose and went out to greet them, affectionately calling one "Grandfather" and the other "Father."
When Nalan Jie and his son saw Nalan Yanran, their eyes filled with affection. Yet Nalan Jie still harbored resentment over her breaking off the engagement, so his tone remained unfriendly.
But when they heard that Lin Yan had come, both father and son immediately turned solemn. Their gazes swept toward Yan Lin, who was calmly drinking tea in the hall. Once they confirmed that he was indeed Lin Yan, the mysterious expert who had severely wounded Jia Shentian and shaken the Imperial Capital, their expressions became markedly grave.
[*Could Lin Yan have come