Chapter 472: Lady Xiangg
"We’re finally home!"
The group of women and children stood before the gates of King Xiangg City, weeping with joy. Since being abducted by the Beastmen, they had been forced to serve them every day, performing the filthiest tasks. The slightest disagreement could get them killed. The constant fear had nearly driven them to the point of collapse.
Now that they were saved, how could they not be ecstatic?
Gazing at Ye Wushuang as he descended from the sky, the group of women and children immediately knelt on the ground, kowtowing endlessly in gratitude. If not for Ye Wushuang, they would have been brutally slaughtered by the Beastmen today.
"Thank you for saving us, Young Master!" Guo Yurong cupped her fist in her palm and bowed. She carried herself with a forthright and heroic air, exuding the spirit of a woman who was a man’s equal in every way.
"It was nothing, no thanks are necessary." Ye Wushuang smiled faintly. ’Besides,’ he thought, ’if it weren’t for this group, I wouldn’t have been able to get into the city.’
Previously, the Xiaoo Yue Celestial Roc had flown relentlessly without any sense of direction, ending up outside the Grand Emperor Country. To re-enter the Grand Emperor Country now, they had to pass through King Xiangg City first. Otherwise, there was no way to reach the Holy City.
"May I ask for the Young Master’s esteemed name?" Guo Yurong inquired.
"Ye Wushuang," he replied, not bothering to hide his identity.
"Young Master Ye, it seems the three of you are new to King Xiangg City and have no place to stay. If you don’t mind, why not come stay at King Xiangg’s Mansion for a while?" Guo Yurong offered.
Hearing this, Ye Wushuang considered it for a moment. He hadn’t originally planned on stopping, but since it was already getting late, staying for a while seemed acceptable.
Moreover, he still hadn’t had time to digest the power he had devoured and needed a quiet place for Refinement. Suppressing it for too long wasn’t a good thing.
"In that case, I’ll impose on you." Ye Wushuang nodded, and then followed Guo Yurong into King Xiangg City.
Upon entering King Xiangg City, Ye Wushuang discovered that the people within showed no signs of crisis, despite facing an enemy. They went about their business as usual, presenting a scene of bustling prosperity.
This left Ye Wushuang somewhat puzzled.
However, after listening to Guo Yurong’s explanation, he understood why.
There were frequent skirmishes between the Beastman Empire and the Grand Emperor Country, with Beastmen often abducting and killing the country’s citizens. In response, the Grand Emperor Country built the thirteen cities of the Celestial Pass along the border and dispatched the powerful Celestial Wolf Legion to garrison them and resist the Beastman Empire.
Ten years ago, the Celestial Pass Thirteen Cities were unified under the command of King Xiangg, Guo Jing, who had been personally ennobled by the Great Emperor. However, King Xiangg fell in a major battle against the Beastman Army, and ever since, Lady Xiangg has shouldered the responsibility of guarding the Celestial Pass.
Lady Xiangg was a remarkable woman with formidable methods. After taking over the defense of the Celestial Pass, she governed the thirteen cities so well that the Beastman Army dared not set foot inside them.
For ten straight years, aside from some minor skirmishes, the Beastman Empire did not dare to launch a major invasion. Even the Great Emperor praised her, bestowing upon her the official title of Lady Xiangg.
With Lady Xiangg personally overseeing King Xiangg City, it was natural that no one worried about the Beastman Army breaking through the walls.
Lady Xiangg!
Ye Wushuang found himself curious. ’What kind of woman could possess such incredible ability, holding back the entire Beastman Empire with just thirteen cities?’
Following Guo Yurong, Ye Wushuang arrived at King Xiangg’s Mansion.
What Ye Wushuang hadn’t expected was that Guo Yurong was actually King Xiangg’s younger sister—and thus Lady Xiangg’s sister-in-law.
"Greetings, Second Miss!"
As soon as they entered King Xiangg’s Mansion, a group of maids greeted Guo Yurong. They also secretly sized up Ye Wushuang, their pretty faces flashing with peculiar expressions.
This caught Ye Wushuang off guard. ’Why are these maids looking at me like that?’
King Xiangg’s Mansion was vast. As they walked, Ye Wushuang noticed a strange phenomenon: there wasn’t a single male servant, only maids.
Noticing Ye Wushuang’s expression, Guo Yurong immediately explained, "There’s no need to be surprised, Young Master Ye. Ever since my brother died in battle, only my sister-in-law and I have remained in King Xiangg’s Mansion. So, she dismissed all the male staff."
"I see."
Ye Wushuang now understood why the maids had been giving him strange looks.
"Young Master Ye, you can all stay in the West Wing Room for now. If you need anything, just let us know. I’m going to report to my sister-in-law." After leading Ye Wushuang into a room, Guo Yurong said this and then departed.
Ye Wushuang scanned King Xiangg’s Mansion with his Divine Sense and discovered that the sky above was filled with powerful Restrictions. He could also sense fluctuations of True Essence in many places.
"Don’t wander off. We’ll rest and reorganize here," Ye Wushuang reminded the other two. Lan Xinyu and the Xiaoo Yue Celestial Roc nodded and entered their rooms.
Ye Wushuang retracted his Divine Sense and entered his own room as well.
In a distant pavilion, a languid figure was reclining on a long bench, her eyes half-closed, looking like a sleeping beauty.
"Sister-in-law, I’m back!"
Guo Yurong called out as she walked into the pavilion.
"You brought someone back," the languid figure asked.
"Sister-in-law, Young Master Ye saved me. They had nowhere to stay, so I took the liberty of bringing them to the mansion," Guo Yurong said, stepping forward.
Hearing this, the languid figure’s eyes opened. She pushed herself up and asked, "Have you found out about that item?"
Guo Yurong replied, "I’ve found out about the Pregnant Sun Grass. It’s in the Beastman Empire’s Demon Nether Mountain."
The languid figure nodded, her gaze fixed on Guo Yurong. She suddenly asked, "Yurong, will you blame me?"
"Sister-in-law, it’s been ten years since Big Brother died in battle. For his sake, you’ve guarded the Celestial Pass Thirteen Cities all by yourself, bearing such a heavy burden with no one to share it. You live such a tiring life every day. I’m sure Big Brother wouldn’t want to see this. Now, you want a child... how could I possibly blame you?"
Guo Yurong gave a faint smile, then added playfully, "But Sister-in-law, just taking the Pregnant Sun Grass alone won’t be enough to get pregnant, right? Don’t you think you’ll need to find a husband, too?"
"You little rascal, teasing your sister-in-law again." The languid figure stood up and gently tapped Guo Yurong’s forehead with her slender fingers.
"I’m going to go see this person you brought back."
With that, the languid figure left the pavilion.
’Sigh... if only I could share some of her burden,’ Guo Yurong thought, shaking her head as she watched the figure depart.
Night had fallen. After returning to his room and tidying up a bit, Ye Wushuang prepared to sit cross-legged on the bed and begin the Refinement of the power he had devoured.
But just then, his gaze shifted. He turned and saw a figure had appeared in his room, sitting by the table.
This figure belonged to a devastatingly beautiful woman. Ye Wushuang’s first impression of her was one of maturity—a woman in her prime, ripened to perfection.
Her figure was slender and graceful, her brows held a hint of coquettish charm, and her skin was as white as jade. She was impeccably well-preserved, more like a young wife at the peak of her allure, exuding an aura of mature captivation.
Even Ye Wushuang couldn’t help but feel his heart stir at the first glance. A woman of such ripe maturity was surely the ultimate temptation for any man!
However, Ye Wushuang quickly steadied his mind, because he could sense an utterly terrifying aura fluctuating from this beautiful woman.
’She’s at least a powerhouse at the Yin Yang Realm Profound Level, if not higher!’
Ye Wushuang’s eyes narrowed. As he stared at the woman, a name surfaced in his mind: Lady Xiangg!
This woman before him, who looked like a beautiful young wife, was almost certainly the one and only Lady Xiangg, the sole guardian of the Celestial Pass Thirteen Cities.
’But what is she doing in my room so late at night?’