The Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Senior's Super High Emotional Intelligence

What kind of insane order is this?

He wants me to convince one of them to change their application preferences!

You're the biological father and pseudo-father-in-law, yet you won't go convince your own daughter and the future son-in-law who might just have a spark of a chance—you want me to do it?

"Pfft... pffft."

Seeing Xu Yan's face look as ghastly as if he'd been stuffed into a wicker basket and submerged in water for three days, Wu Ergui suppressed his laughter, nudged Xu Yan's side with his elbow, and said:

"Marquis of Xiyang, don't just stand there like a fool. Hurry up and accept the order with gratitude! I still have to go back and report."

"Uncle Wu, this job is... it's just too much. Can't you..."

Before Xu Yan could finish, the master of changing faces, Wu Ergui, instantly switched to his combat persona.

He looked at Xu Yan coldly and began to spout nonsense:

"Marquis of Xiyang, His Majesty also said: Princess Yiyang is getting on in years. If she finds out that you, kid, are slacking off at work, arriving late and leaving early, and occasionally skimming off the top from the Imperial Palace..."

"No, that's cheating! How can His Majesty stoop to tattling to the parents?" Xu Yan wailed, then muttered, "If my... finds out, she'll drag the family law all the way from the fiefdom to beat me."

"But, Uncle Wu—no, Envoy Wu! This job is impossible, it just is! Tattling to the parents won't help! Why don't you beg His Majesty to send someone else..."

"His Majesty also said, if the Duke of Xiyang knew that the coral tree he sent to Me on My birthday last year never reached My hands, but was instead..." Before Wu Ergui could finish, Xu Yan had already reached out and gripped his hand tightly, his eyes filled with resolve:

"It is this subject's honor to share the burden for His Majesty. Please tell His Majesty not to worry after you return. This subject will surely die for the cause, even if it means shattering his liver and brains! I will get this done properly."

"That's good." Wu Ergui yanked his hand, which was being squeezed painfully, out of Xu Yan's grip and offered a stiff, insincere smile. "The Marquis of Xiyang is loyal and patriotic; truly a pillar of our Sun Moon Empire! I shall return now to report the Marquis's red-hearted loyalty to His Majesty."

"Go ahead, no need to see me off."

As soon as the words left his lips, Wu Ergui merged into a passing breeze and vanished into the shadows as silently as if he had never been there, leaving only a mentally shattered Xu Yan standing in place, banging his head against the wall: "I give up, what kind of mess is this!"

After bullying the wall with his head for ten minutes and finally accepting the grim reality, Xu Yan started walking back with a heavy heart, though this time, the laughter and chatter on the street and the delicacies in the stalls seemed incredibly bleak to his eyes.

The joys and sorrows of people are not shared; right now, he only felt that everything around him was unbearably noisy.

Old Qian, what's wrong with him? Why is his face so pale after just going to take a leak?

Possessing Qian Yuhan, the Rakshasa Phantom, who was currently gorging on Ke Family Cuisine, had a thought and asked Qian Yuhan.

Uh...

Regarding such private matters, Qian Yuhan wasn't entirely sure, but looking at Xu Yan's ugly expression, he figured... the problem must be quite serious. He pondered for a moment, his tone revealing... pity:

Maybe... maybe he discovered he has some sort of special problem?!

Special problem? Oh! I get it. The Rakshasa Phantom scratched his head, half-understanding, put down the half-eaten Ke Family Meal, and began rummaging through his storage Soul Tool.

Xu Yan: "?!", Huh? What is he doing?

After much digging, the "Rakshasa-version Qian Yuhan" pulled a box from his storage Soul Tool and solemnly shoved it into Xu Yan's hands: "A meal's kindness cannot be repaid. There are some herbs in here; I think they might be of help to you."

Help me?

(⊙o⊙) What?!

What kind of herb could make an emperor change his mind? Is it the legendary elixir of immortality?

What use is such a good thing to that senile, brainless old geezer? You should keep it for yourself and eat it!

Completely bewildered, Xu Yan looked at "Qian Yuhan," then back at the box in his hand.

In the end, his overwhelming curiosity crushed his frustration and humiliation. He decided, under the confused gazes of passersby, to see what kind of "good stuff" was actually inside this box.

Click—

As the lid was gently opened by Xu Yan, the moment he saw the herbs inside, his face turned "red" at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Bang—

He slammed the lid shut, his molars grinding together with a creak.

What does this kid mean? Is he mocking him?

Damn it, is there even a single herb in that box that is used for normal purposes?

So infuriating!

Xu Yan wanted to throw the box back and righteously tell Qian Yuhan that he was in his prime, strong and healthy, and had absolutely no need for these things, but...

But then again, the age and quality of the herbs in the box were indeed excellent. Keeping them to brew tea or soak in wine didn't seem like a bad idea.

And so, with an incredibly awkward mindset, Xu Yan silently accepted the items while still blushing.

And this, coincidentally, confirmed Qian Yuhan's experienced hypothesis as a veteran—

In Qian Yuhan's view, a normal person without any issues like himself would definitely be amused by the contents of the box, then righteously declare that they were perfectly fine and had no problems at all.

Finally, they would say with a "tsundere" attitude: "Well, since you've already given it, I can't refuse, so I'll reluctantly accept it."

Xu Yan's reaction was clearly wrong!

This poor kid, he's so young, yet he's already reached such a severe stage!

At this moment, the look Qian Yuhan gave Xu Yan was no longer one of pity, but of visible, profound sympathy!

"?"

Noticing the pity in Qian Yuhan's gaze, the red flush that Xu Yan had finally managed to suppress flared up once again.

No, what is with the pity in your eyes, kid? You actually believed it! Oh no! This is truly a case of mud landing in one's trousers—even if it isn't excrement, it's still treated as such!

"I am not sick!"

With people coming and going all around, Xu Yan forced back the urge to curse, fearing the gossip of the crowd, and could only transmit his voice to Qian Yuhan in a low tone.

"Mm, yes, yes, yes, I know," Qian Yuhan, having regained control of his body, nodded with extreme sincerity, as if he had truly taken Xu Yan's words to heart—if one ignored the gaze still brimming with pity.

"!!!" You know absolutely nothing!

Xu Yan was infuriated, several times wanting to stake his dignity as a man and challenge Qian Yuhan to a duel.

But the moment he stood up in indignation.

His brain, having reclaimed the high ground of logic, presented him with a grim reality.

This was the Bright Capital; he could not use large-scale destructive Soul Tools.

Under the premise of essentially cutting off one of his own arms, he would likely be pinned to the ground and ruthlessly rubbed into the dirt by this kid who, while theoretically only a Soul Ancestor, was capable of hacking three Evil Soul Master Soul Douluos to death.