My Twin Sugar Mommies and Two Systems are 100 Years Late! Chapter 24.
Although he had never explicitly inquired about the Master of Bliss Sanctuary, just from knowing the cultivation bases of the Three-Crowned Courtesans, it was easy for him to make confident guesses about hers.
'At least Late-stage Core Formation, with the possibility of being Early-stage Nascent Soul not being small either!'
As for the Mid-stage and Late-stage Nascent Soul Realm, that was doubtful. The Great Yan Clan probably won't allow such figures to roam freely within their territory without reason.
Fu Tan gestured for him to enter, "Mr. Yan, please. After you."
Yan Anle, having reached this point, only hesitated for two seconds before wordlessly pushing the door and stepping in. What came into his view was a room about twenty square meters in size, considerably larger than what he expected. Then, he remembered that this person received special treatment from the Sanctuary Master herself. Less favored sisters probably resided in ten-square-meter rooms or smaller.
Just then, he heard Fu Tan say behind him, "Please, halt. Only Mr. Yan was invited here."
"I am the Young Master's confidant. There are no secrets between us." Dou E, as expected, argued, "Escorting him out this time, I need to remain by his side at all times, ensuring his safety, or I won't feel at ease."
Before the exchange could get heated, Yan Anle took the initiative to put down his little tiger—eh, tigress. "Dou E, do as she says."
Dou E began, "Eh, but Young Master…"
Yan Anle addressed her in a tone of finality, "Dou E."
Dou E frowned a bit, looking wronged as she reluctantly uttered, "Yes, Young Master."
Then, Yan Anle glanced leftward, "Pan Ting, you too."
Pan Ting's gaze shifted toward the bedroom, as though she was trying to get a sneak peek at her potential rival. "...Yes, Young Master."
As both ladies retreated and Fu Tan shut the door, his attention returned to the room. There was a dark rosewood bed with intricate carvings, a dressing table with a mirror mounted onto it, a tea table equipped with some red stools, and a wooden cabinet with a zither placed atop it. A translucent red curtain obscured the sun's radiance, giving the room somewhat red lighting. Seeing this, the words 'Red Light District' came to mind. Nicknames were never given without reason.
His nostrils were quickly assaulted by a floral scent he could not clearly identify. 'It seems to be incense made with multiple flowers,' he guessed.
Moving on from the inanimate things, his gaze rested upon the only two people whose presence he could perceive in the room. One of them, seated on a stool, had the appearance of a well-maintained woman in her thirties. Her dark blue dress covered her up completely, but it hugged her so snugly it emphasized all her womanly features. Exuding a mature charm, she held a fan in one hand, and the corners of her eyes were accented by subtle pink makeup. Yan Anle boldly guessed that she must be the Sanctuary Master.
The seemingly younger lady, in contrast, came off as a wild and untamed beauty to Yan Anle. She appeared to be in her mid-twenties with hair so dark and silky it was difficult to imagine it was natural. She wore a black qipao, the left side accented by simple purple embroidery that trailed down to the slit. On her forehead, three flower petals were neatly drawn with black powder, and her lips had a faint gloss to them. Standing beside the Sanctuary Master, she was barefoot, save for a string of white beads encircling her left ankle and wrist. Her hair was done in a Flying Tian Ji hairstyle, purple and gray hairpins crowning it.
Yan Anle's gaze rested on her almost thrice as long as it did the former. He could not help but have some unspeakable thoughts about her. Still, he was not one to think with his little brother. He gave himself a few mental slaps.
'Yan Anle, oh Yan Anle. Any one of these two can slap you to death effortlessly.'
Naturally, how could his mood swings escape the keen perceptions of the two ladies? Pei Wuxin's grasp on her hand fan tightened a bit, but otherwise nothing showed on her face. She thought, 'Ignorance is indeed bliss!'
In her understanding, this lady was a princess of some dynasty. Of which dynasty exactly, she was not sure. It is worth mentioning that she was also curious what kind of game the lady was playing by disguising herself. Before he even entered, she had already used her Divine Sense to check repeatedly but found nothing special about the targeted old man.
'Forget it.' She shook her head mentally. 'These things are not my place to ask. Getting to keep the little lives of mine and the girls under me is already worth kowtowing to my ancestors for seventy-two days straight.'
Already so frightened, if she knew the entire truth, it is difficult to say if she would still be there, not having fainted from sheer fright. Sun Ziyun, on the other side of the table, flashed a smile, seemingly not averse to his wandering gaze.
Having calmed himself, he snapped his gaze onto the blue-clad lady. There were some words at the tip of his tongue but they remained there. He was not sure if, and how, to initiate the conversation. Eventually, he decided to take the plunge, but just as his lips parted, Pei Wuxin beat him to it.
She said, gesturing at the stool on the other side of the table, "Mr. Yan, please take a seat."
"Thank you, Sanctuary Master." Yan Anle obliged and approached the table.
Just as he was about to bend and pull a stool back, the "Two-Crowned Courtesan" helped him do it. Being so close to her, his gaze fell on her face. Unlike some people who had pores or minor blemishes that slightly diminished their beauty up close as compared to mid-range distance, she was the opposite. Two seconds later, he sat down and thanked her.
The purple-clad lady nodded, still all smiles, as she followed up by placing a teacup before Yan Anle. As she maintained eye contact with him, he failed to notice a slight change in Pei Wuxin's expression. Well, she had not expected a princess to really go so far!
By the time the purple-clad lady turned to place a teacup before the Sanctuary Master, the latter's face had been forcefully restored to normal. No choice; she had been warned via Divine Sense. Shortly, the young lady poured tea for them, her serving skills so flawless both seated people were moved.
Of course, while Yan Anle was merely impressed by her skill, Sanctuary Master Pei also felt like the proverbial blade hanging over her neck was now lightly pressed upon it. Once through with serving, Sun Ziyun gave her a look and, after a subtle tremor of her body, Sanctuary Master Pei's lips parted.
"Mr. Yan, this is Straight River Tea, imported directly from East Stone Province a few days ago. It is still fresh," she urged him. "It has various benefits for the body and has a rare aftertaste. Please, try some."
Yan Anle picked up the cup of tea and said, "Since the Sanctuary Master says so, then, I will not be polite."
Seeing him show no hesitation before taking a sip and savoring the tea, both women were a bit stunned. Did he not fear being harmed? Surely, at such an advanced age, he would not be a truly naive person, right?
What they did not know was that Yan Anle had already consulted the two cheats in his head even before touching the cup. Given the green light, how could he not dare to drink up? After a brief moment, he took a second sip and nodded, satisfied. "The Sanctuary Master's taste is indeed good. This tea is a treasure."
The two women could not come up with words for a few seconds, staring at him intently. Only when Yan Anle raised a brow, confused, and asked jokingly, "Sanctuary Master, why look at me like that? Don't tell me you have taken a liking to me as well?" did they snap out of it.
Pei Wuxin coughed lightly and said, "Mr. Yan knows how to make jokes. I was just a bit overwhelmed by Mr. Yan's trust."
Following her line of sight, it was not hard for him to figure out what it was exactly that she was referring to.
"Haha. Sanctuary Master, you are the one who is quite adept at making jokes." He chuckled, turning and caressing the teacup as he told her, "What cultivation base do I have? What cultivation base does my little maid have? If you wanted to harm a small character like me, using underhanded tricks would be a bit funny, don't you think?"
Both ladies' eyes glinted with realization. This gray-haired fellow saw things all too clearly. They silently updated their evaluation of him. While the Burning Mountain Demon Princess nodded lightly to herself, the Bliss Sanctuary Master said:
"Mr. Yan is half right."
The black-clad aged man clasped his hands, "Oh? How so?"