Under the guidance of the Fan Residence's steward, Xiao Feng soon arrived at Fan Jian's study, where he and Chen Pingping were waiting.
Fan Jian was a middle-aged man with a dignified and solemn appearance, well-defined features, and a refined four-inch beard.
Chen Pingping, seated in a wheelchair, had a gaunt face and a sinister expression, giving off the impression of a smiling tiger—grinning on the outside but hiding daggers within.
"Your humble official pays respects to Your Highness!"
Seeing Xiao Feng, the man they had been waiting for, Fan Jian and Chen Pingping first bowed respectfully before eagerly inquiring about the resurrection of Ye Qingmei.
"This King can help you revive Ye Qingmei, but you must fulfill two conditions for me."
"Your Highness, please speak!"
"As long as it is within our power, we will not refuse."
Fan Jian and Chen Pingping wore expressions of unwavering determination.
"First, you must pledge your undying loyalty to This King from now on. Even if I order you to assassinate the Emperor of Qing, you must not hesitate in the slightest."
Pausing briefly, Xiao Feng raised a second finger. "Second, I want that girl Fan Ruoruo to serve as my personal maidservant."
"..."
Fan Jian's expression flickered slightly, but under Chen Pingping's expectant gaze, he gritted his teeth and nodded. "Fine! I accept both conditions."
Back then, to save Fan Xian, Fan Jian had been willing to sacrifice his own legitimate eldest son. Now, to resurrect Ye Qingmei, sacrificing Fan Ruoruo's happiness was nothing in comparison.
"Excellent. This King has sensed your resolve. Then, as you wish!"
With a wave of his hand, Xiao Feng summoned two beams of white light that enveloped Fan Jian and Chen Pingping. With a solemn expression, he began his grand deception:
"Because Ye Qingmei's body has long decayed and her soul has mostly dissipated, reviving her requires drawing upon your memories. Now, you must carefully recall every detail of your past interactions with her. Only then can the resurrected Ye Qingmei retain more of her former memories."
Hearing this, Fan Jian and Chen Pingping immediately began recalling their memories of Ye Qingmei.
Using the power of the [God's Lobby], Xiao Feng replicated their memories, creating an artificial human version of Ye Qingmei based on their recollections—while also mixing in some fabricated memories of his own.
Under the awestruck gazes of Fan Jian and Chen Pingping, the peerless "white moonlight" from their memories slowly materialized in midair.
"Huh?"
The artificial human possessing Ye Qingmei's memories stared at her intact hands in confusion.
"Didn't I die?"
"You did, but this Holy Son has brought you back to life."
Just as Ye Qingmei was puzzling over her situation, a familiar voice suddenly rang out behind her.
"Gah!"
Startled, Ye Qingmei whipped her head around. When she saw Xiao Feng's face, she nearly jumped out of her skin, clutching her chest. "Holy Son! Don't you know that scaring people like that can kill them?!"
"Relax. Even if you die of fright, this Holy Son can always resurrect you again."
Delivering this morbid joke with a straight face, Xiao Feng then pinched Ye Qingmei's ear. "I warned you long ago—you should have trained properly until you at least reached Grandmaster-level strength before venturing into the mortal world. But no, you refused to listen! You stole my treasures, sneaked off to the mortal realm with Wu Zhu, and ended up getting yourself killed. Serves you right!"
???
Chen Pingping and Fan Jian watched this exchange in utter bewilderment.
They had assumed Xiao Feng would harbor deep hatred for Ye Qingmei because of her betrayal.
Yet now, it seemed their relationship was far more amicable—Xiao Feng didn't appear truly angry, just exasperated, like an elder frustrated with a wayward junior.
"Holy Son, I was wrong, I admit it! Please spare me! If you keep pulling like this, my ear's going to fall off! And besides, there are other people here—can't you save me some face?"
"Tch. For an airheaded fool like you, pain is the only teacher."
Xiao Feng snorted in feigned displeasure before finally releasing her ear.
Ye Qingmei rubbed her sore ear, then turned her attention to Chen Pingping and Fan Jian.
"You two are…"
After scrutinizing them for a moment, her expression turned incredulous. "Pingping? Little Jianjian? Why do you look so old? How long have I been dead?"
(￣ー￣)
Watching Ye Qingmei's unrestrained antics, Chen Pingping and Fan Jian's lips twitched—before breaking into genuine smiles.
This lively, irreverent personality was unmistakably the Ye Qingmei they remembered.
Once they recovered from the shock of her resurrection, Chen Pingping and Fan Jian began recounting everything that had happened in the years since her death.
When Ye Qingmei learned that Fan Jian had sacrificed his own son to save Fan Xian, she was deeply moved—and guilt-ridden. Only after Fan Jian's reassurances did she finally compose herself.
After the three finished reminiscing, Fan Jian took Ye Qingmei to meet Fan Xian, and through him, they located Wu Zhu.
To prevent Wu Zhu from exposing his fabricated backstory, Xiao Feng secretly refined the mute guardian using [Divine Craftsmanship], turning him into his personal puppet.
With Wu Zhu and Ye Qingmei's testimonies, everyone—including Fan Xian—fully accepted Xiao Feng's lies.
After all, Fan Xian had always believed himself to be a transmigrator. If transmigrators could exist, why not cultivators?
Moreover, in the fantasy novels of his past life, plots where protagonists initially thought they'd traveled to an ancient world—only to discover it was actually a cultivation realm—were common tropes.
Thus, Fan Xian easily accepted this setting, not only believing Xiao Feng's tale without question but even shamelessly begging for cultivation techniques—only to be flatly refused.
With Wu Zhu, the biggest potential threat, now neutralized, Xiao Feng saw no reason to linger at the Fan Residence. He promptly took Fan Ruoruo and returned to the Prince's manor.
Truth be told, given Fan Ruoruo's personality, she would never have willingly agreed to become Xiao Feng's personal maidservant.
But she also knew that Xiao Feng wielded immense power—even the Emperor of Qing treated him with deference. If she angered him, the entire Fan family might suffer. So, for their sake, she resigned herself to this fate.
Seeing Fan Ruoruo's delicate, pitiable demeanor, Xiao Feng made no pretense of being a gentleman. Taking her jade-like hand, he led her straight to his bedchambers for a thorough "blessing."
Only when night fully descended, and Fan Ruoruo had been completely remolded into his shape, did Xiao Feng finally wrap his arms around her slender waist, breathing in her delicate fragrance as they drifted off to sleep like conjoined twins.
(End of Chapter)