At this moment, two figures stood behind the lattice windows of the vermilion tower, looking down at the arrivals below.
One wore a gauze veil that partially concealed her features, yet her beauty could not be hidden. Her skin was whiter than snow, and merely standing there, she resembled a mountain fairy who dined on wind and drank dew, untouched by mortal smoke and fire.
The other was a plump, mature noblewoman, her bearing graceful and luxurious. Her collar hung slightly open, revealing a patch of soft, pale flesh, lending her an elegant charm.
The noblewoman studied Fang Shu and Wu Tong, then frowned. "Lian'er, although this boy has some connection to your Third Sister, he is merely a guest from outside the city. He is only cousins with that bargain husband of your Third Sister.
"Do you truly intend to look at even this sort of goods?"
Anger still lingered on the noblewoman's face. "If you are worried about refusing Third Sister, Mother will speak with her on your behalf. That girl may be a little prosperous now, but she has not become the clan head yet!"
Hearing this, the veiled woman's gaze remained calm. She raised a hand to stop the noblewoman. "It is no matter. Choosing a husband is something I do in accordance with my sect's orders. Master instructed us that those who cultivate our path must sever their mortal ties completely.
"This time, I am taking in a husband at home. Though it is nominally a matter of choosing a spouse, in truth, I am seeking someone who can bear my mortal ties for me. For such a role, someone with shallower roots is preferable.
"If I chose one of those sons of great clans, leaving aside the elders behind them, any who could catch