Bai Suzhen, I really need to punish you properly.

Leng Bingxin feigned calmness as she looked at Wang Xuan, whose expression was gentle. Maintaining the noble and aloof demeanor of the Xuan Nu Palace Master, she spoke lightly to conceal her true feelings, saying, "I opened the envelope because I sensed something was amiss with your identity, and as I expected."

Wang Xuan wanted to laugh to himself, guessing that the palace master must be feeling romantic.

If there were truly a Blood Demon causing chaos, Leng Bingxin would definitely go to suppress it, so why would she have time to travel thousands of miles to find me?

Without hesitation, he praised her gently, "The Palace Master truly lives up to her name; she is incredibly intelligent and insightful."

Leng Bingxin frowned slightly, her cherry lips pressed tightly together, her eyes filled with sorrow and anger, and said in a deep voice, "I want an explanation."

Wang Xuan nodded slightly and then invited, "Palace Master, why don't you come in and talk?"

Leng Bingxin did not refuse. With her slender, white fingers, she gently lifted the gauze curtain and slowly stepped out of the sedan chair.

Wearing a blue dress, she was elegant and ethereal, breathtakingly beautiful.

She looked at the woman beside her, her voice cool and calm: "Wait for me here."

"Palace Master, let me accompany you." Protector Leng Huazhi stepped forward, somewhat worried.

Firstly, they were worried that the Palace Master might be in danger; secondly, they were worried that the Palace Master might continue to be deceived.

Leng Bingxin simply shook her head and said nothing more.

"Palace Master, this way please." Wang Xuan led Leng Bingxin into the room.

As soon as the two entered the house, Leng Bingxin stopped and said calmly, "This matter concerns only you and me; I don't want anyone else present."

"Alright." Wang Xuan was taken aback at first, but then readily agreed. He turned to the others and instructed, "I'll have a chat with the Palace Master. You all go about your business. My wife, please entertain the guests from Xuan Nu Palace."

The group of women slowly left, and he casually closed the door behind him. Turning around, he smiled and said, "It's been a long time. The Palace Master has become even more beautiful."

Leng Bingxin glanced at him lightly, the curve of her lips barely perceptible, and said calmly, "I thought you weren't the type to talk a good game."

Wang Xuan chuckled and said, "I'm telling the truth."

What woman doesn't like to be praised?

Leng Bingxin looked at her coldly and snorted, "You came to my Xuan Nu Palace, did you speak a single word of truth?"

As soon as she finished speaking, the long pink silk ribbon that Leng Bingxin had been wearing behind her back and wrapped around her arms suddenly flew out. She held one end of the ribbon in one hand, and the supple gauze instantly wrapped tightly around Wang Xuan's waist and arms.

Wang Xuan struggled slightly, but to no avail. Helplessly, she asked, "Palace Master, what is this?"

Why did you suddenly get so angry?

He wasn't afraid, because Leng Bingxin had no intention of harming him; otherwise, the jade pendant wouldn't have remained unresponsive.

He was just worried that Leng Bingxin might get carried away and use the other end of the long silk to whip him.

Leng Bingxin gently tugged at her fingertips.

Caught off guard, Wang Xuan stumbled forward.

Leng Bingxin quickly reached out and placed her hand on Wang Xuan's shoulder, her cheeks slightly flushed, narrowly avoiding close physical contact.

Wang Xuan watched Leng Bingxin quietly from close range, panting heavily.

Leng Bingxin slightly raised her eyes, a hint of confusion in them.

"Palace Master, it's so tight."

Leng Bingxin slightly eased her grip, suppressed her emotions, and coldly questioned, "I ask you, since you are not a successor of the Tianshan Sect, why do you slander my past life connection with the successor of the Tianshan Sect?"

"I just don't want the Palace Master to fall deeply in love with me because of this. Besides, this is not slander; it is my true feeling."

"When did I ever fall deeply in love with you?" Leng Bingxin rolled her eyes at him, her tone icy. "What if we had a predestined connection from a past life? Would you still say that?"

Wang Xuan, with an upright and fearless expression, said, "Of course. I hope the Palace Master likes me because of my unique personal charm, my talent, my appearance, or even because of a smile or a word I say, not because of some so-called predestined relationship. You are just you. The grudges and entanglements of your past life have long been settled. Why should they affect your life now?"

Leng Bingxin fell silent for a moment, seemingly lost in thought.

A moment later, she slowly withdrew the long silk ribbon wrapped around Wang Xuan.

Wang Xuan said solemnly, "Palace Master, I know that Dragon's Saliva is extremely precious, but I keep my word. In the future, I will accompany you to eliminate the Blood Demon, and I will also make up for it with treasures of equal value. Please believe me, if I were an ungrateful person, I would not have left this letter."

Leng Bingxin looked at him and asked softly, "You said earlier that you were going to the Tianshan Sect to become an apprentice, is that true?"

"Huh? Yes, that's right!"

"You'll come with me now."

"Huh?" Wang Xuan was taken aback again. "Why?"

Leng Bingxin's pretty face turned cold, and she glared at him with embarrassment and anger: "There's no reason. I just want to see you join the Tianshan Sect now, so that you won't be lying to me, and I can believe what you said."

Wang Xuan's mind went on high alert.

Could it be that Leng Bingxin is trying to use this as an excuse to secretly meet with the successor of the Tianshan Sect?

If that's really the reason, then things are really in trouble.

The thought of this caused Wang Xuan's possessiveness to surge within him.

What about predestined fate, three lifetimes of love, or fateful marriage, or trials and tribulations of love...?

I don't care about this or that.

If you're on [BaiMeiLu], then we're destined to meet.

Let alone the Queen Mother of the West or the Queen Mother of the Jade Pool.

He even dared to say those words to the goddesses Nuwa and Houtu in his mind.

Wang Xuan looked troubled and advised with "good intentions," "Palace Master, I think it's best if you don't go. You already have a grudge against the Tianshan Sect, and what if another misunderstanding arises? Besides, you may not know my identity. I am the magistrate of Qiantang County, in charge of the people's livelihood of the county. I can't just leave like that."

Leng Bingxin immediately retorted, "Then why were you able to go to my Xuan Nu Palace before? You could go last time, but not this time? Or are you just lying to me?"

Wang Xuan frowned slightly: "Even if I go, you don't need to come along."

Leng Bingxin replied firmly, "How will I know if you're lying to me if I don't go?"

Wang Xuan was speechless for a moment: "Why do you keep using the word 'liar'?"

With annoyance in her eyes, Leng Bingxin snapped, "Are you going or not?"

"I didn't say I wouldn't go."

Wang Xuan had already made up his mind that if Leng Bingxin was really after the successor of the Tianshan Sect, he would definitely try to stir things up.

He changed the subject abruptly, "Can I tell you a story?"

"Go ahead and say it."

Leng Bingxin only slowly sat down at this moment.

Wang Xuan sat down beside her and slowly began to speak: "Once upon a time, there was a girl named Nalan Yanran. Her grandfather had arranged a marriage between her and another man without her consent in her early years. However, after she joined a sect to cultivate, she was unwilling to be bound by the fate of that early marriage agreement, so she went to the sect alone and took the initiative to break off the engagement."

Leng Bingxin listened attentively, and seeing that he didn't continue, she couldn't help but ask, "That's all?"

"That's all."

What are you trying to say?

"What I mean is, we don't necessarily have to blindly obey our elders, don't you think?"