Supreme Emperor of Mist

"We're here, officer." the village chief pointed his palm at the side where the Luminescent Lotus started to glow brighter as the sun setting.

There were glowing with a different light, but the most common was white, red, green, and blue. As for those like violet, pink, and azure, they're rarer.

"Looks like the flower each has their own glow. Let's make sure we get three specific colors that fit each of milord's women." the officer said. His sentence again stated that Qin Lan not only has one woman but three.

'Already having three women in his life at this young... Would my Lian-Er be happy if she got tangled into his harem?' a question came into the village chief's mind as he smiled at the Crimson Mist Army that came with him.

Please let us know what we have to do here, chief." the officer asked.

"This village chief would like to ask fellow experts to protect the villagers while they row the boat further to the center of the lake. Please ensure that you focus more on protection and not hunting the Yao Beast until they're extinct," said the village chief.

"Oh? So protection is more important than killing the Yao Beast? Is there a reason for doing so? Won't killing all of them make it easier for the villagers when the next season is here?" the officer was puzzled by the village chief's request.

It was like you're trying to hunt a pack of wolves but making sure you leave their cubs alive so they can return to bite you back.

"Officer might have no idea, but the locals believe that it was because of the Yao Beast that the Luminescent Lotus can grow here. We've gone through a few fruitless struggles after trying to cut the number of Yao Beast living in this lake."

"Do you believe in karma, officer?" the village chief suddenly asked the Crimson Mist officer a weird question.

"Karma? I've heard about it, but I am unsure whether to believe it or ignore it." the officer replied.

"Then, perhaps you should keep one of the lotus pods that you've harvest personally later. Our ancestors said that having a pod of the Luminescent Lotus by your side would give you enlightenment when you're in the mids of breaking through."

"They also said that killing or saving was all heaven's will. There was no such thing as good or bad in the eyes of the Luminescent Lotus." the village chief added.

"I'll make sure that my men remember what the chief just said. So, what kind of Yao Beast we'll be facing?" the officer smiled at the village chief that had no more than a fifth-level of Flesh Refining cultivation.

"Nightstalker Three-Eyes Frogs and Verdant Horned Beetle. Both types of Yao Beasts had the strength around a sixth-level Flesh Refining to half-step Bone Reconstruction expert." the village chief replied.

"Boys! You heard the chief! Now get ready and start working! Killing is not a must. Our arrival here is to protect the villagers as they make their living harvesting essential resources for the Shuiyue County!" the officer shouted.

"OH?" suddenly, Jin-Xiong pops out from the water with a fish between its jaw. There was another fish on its paw that was handed over to the officer.

"Yeah... Village chief... Eating the fishes won't count as killing too much, correct?" the officer turned to the village chief and asked.

"Hahaha... That won't be a problem." the village chief laughed.

"You heard that, bear? Go eat and play. We'll call you when we need you." the officer made a hand gesture to Jin-Xiong.

"OH! OOH!" the Martial Beast returned into the water after hearing what the officer said.

...

...

...

"Zhou Mei?" Yan Yi Lian secretly studies Qin Lan's expression after listening to his inquiry regarding the detail of a disciple in their sect. Her quick-witted response immediately allowed her to notice a hint of yearning from Qin Lan's tone. There was some indescribable relationship between him and this Zhou Mei he mentioned.

"Hmm..." Yan Yi Lian pondered. But she soon decided to answer Qin Lan's question because she noticed no evil intention behind Qin Lan's gesture, behavior, and tone.

A clear pair of eyes from Qin Lan was enough to persuade someone like her to provide him with unconditional help. As a maiden that yearns for a man to look for her, wasn't what Qin Lan tried to do was what she's wished for?

"If the person milord is looking for were the same person as I know, then yes, Lian-Er indeed know her personally. She was someone from the noble family of the Royal Capital, am I correct?" Yan Yi Lian asked.

"Yes. One of the four great families of Wu's Royal Capital, the Zhou Family." Qin Lan added.

"She is my senior sister. She indeed just returned to the sect a few months ago. If milord is worried about how my senior sister is doing, you can be at ease because she's living well inside the sect right now." Yan Yi Lian replied.

"Would Beauty Yan willing to..." 

"Milord, please excuse this humble one for a moment."

Qin Lan was interrupted by the chief's wife as he was about to ask for more regarding Zhou Mei's situation inside the Ice Maiden Temple.

"Lian-Er, would you mind walking the Marquis to the Lotus Sighting Manor?" it seems that the arrangement for Qin Lan's accommodation for the night was completed. But there was a hint hidden behind her words.

By asking Yan Yi Lian to walk Qin Lan to the Lotus Sighting Manor, it also meant to give both of them some personal time to bond together. Things might escalate to something else, especially when an unmarried maiden walking with a healthy man back to his accommodation.

"Milord, would you mind that Lian-Er escorts you to the most beautiful manor in the entire Lianshui Village?" Yan Yi Lian held her hands up and politely invites Qin Lan to follow her.

"It would be this Marquis's honor to walk beside Beaty Yan. Show the way, please." Qin Lan said.

The two smiled at each other. As the host of this place, Yan Yi Lian made her way down from the stage first, with Qin Lan following her.

'Daughter - Daughter... This is all mother can do for you. As for the remaining, Everything will be left in your hand. If this Marquis was a suitable partner for you, then go for it and don't let him go.' the chief's wife mumbled to herself.

Although what she did was no different from feeding a piece of fresh meat to a lion, it was the only way the weaklings protect themselves.

...

"Milord, if you don't mind Lian-Er asking, is there an inexplicable relationship between you and my senior sister Zhou?" Yan Yi Lian asked. Although her question doesn't seem to be rude, it was a little direct.

"There's not. If there was something in Beauty Yan's mind, feel free to ask. Just put aside the fact I am a marquis as it would be nice to speak comfortably with a fellow Bone Expert and a beauty like you." Qin Lan said.

"Am I really allowed to do so?" Yan Yi Lian asked again.

"Of course." Qin Lan chuckled.

"Then I'll be straightforward. The sect wanted my senior sister to marry a top outer disciple from a sect in a friendly term with our Ice Maiden Sect. But..." Yan Yi Lian started to speak what was in her mind.

"But what, Beauty Yan?" her word made Qin Lan getting curious.

"But senior sister Zhou said that she will not get married to any other man except Qin Lan from the Qin Family in Yunshan Province. Furthermore, she openly announced that she's already his woman." Yan Yi Lian seems to be excited as she brought up this matter. From the way she talks, this should be how she behaves.

"Oh..." Qin Lan's eyes were glowing as he felt proud deep inside his heart. Listening to what Yan Yi Lian said made his heart firmer as he was here for another reason. After building himself a reputation as a landowner, he will personally go to the Ice Maiden Sect to take Zhou Mei back to his side.

Perhaps this news might be a month old by now, but it still warmed Qin Lan's heart that was devastated by their forceful departure not long ago.

"You don't seem too excited with this. Are you sure you're my senior sister's acquaintance?" Yan Yi Lian said. She thought Qin Lan would be exhilarated by this news, but it seems it was only her getting excited.

"I do. If it wasn't because of my official duty as the landowner of this place, I might be making my way straight to the sect to ask for her hand right now." Qin Lan said.

"Do you think it was this easy?" Yan Yi Lian added.

"Anyway, her reply made all the elders furious. They said that the senior sister was a fool and irresponsible disciple. Although she was not reprimanded, she's not allowed to leave the Ice Maiden Sect's ground until she agreed to get married to the disciple they wanted."

"So, I guess if you're here to chase after senior sister because of some lingering attachment, you can just give it up right now." Yan Yi Lian finished what she wanted to say.

"And why should I give up? She won't get married to him anyway. All I need to do is make sure that I've done my part and then go to the sect to reclaim her." Qin Lan smiled.

"What is that guy's name, and how strong is he?" Qin Lan asked.

"He's the prodigy of Xihou Family of the Country of Shu. His name is Xihou Ren. Eighth-Level Bone Reconstruction Expert. He's also the number one disciple of the Supreme Fist Pavilion."

"Why do you care? You won't be able to fight against him. Just give up." Yan Yi Lian said.

"Because I'm the Qin Lan she's waiting for." Qin Lan smiled.