[You merely smiled and said, "Madam Gongsun, what's wrong with being on your own?"]
[Madam Gongsun's eyes flickered. "I simply haven't met a man who stirred my heart in years."]
["What woman doesn't dream of love and admire a handsome young man?"]
[As you parted, her expression suddenly turned solemn. "The Prince of Yan is not one to trifle with. Young Master, you are a gentleman... please take great care."]
[When she was at Purple Xiao Pavilion, the Prince of Yan had been her greatest patron. She knew his nature well.]
[You watched her crimson figure recede. Once she left Bianjing, the world would stretch wide before her. With high mountains and long roads between you, you might never meet again.]
[Life remained as peaceful as ever!]
[Yet Parasol Tree always felt that an oppressive stillness hung over Xie Manor, like the hush before a storm.]
[You told Parasol Tree not to go out unless she had to, and to have Madam Ruan accompany her if she did.]
[Parasol Tree dressed Madam Ruan and put a bamboo hat on her, making her look like a little girl.]
[Madam Ruan's abilities lay chiefly with water beasts, but she was also a cultivator who had kindled Divine Fire. Though timid by nature, her Water Control had reached perfection. In her hands, the water in an ordinary bowl could become arrows sharp enough to pierce stone and split walls, far surpassing the power of an ordinary Middle Three Realms cultivator.]
[Most valuable of all was her formidable Water Escape. If danger arose, escaping with Parasol Tree through Bianjing's waterways would be no trouble at all.]
[A month passed in the blink of an eye, and Bianjing City appeared as bustling and prosperous as ever.]
[But whenever Parasol Tree returned from the market, she