Chapter 666: Yan Cangtian's First Love

"Is this... a maid?"

The little eunuch was clearly surprised when Tuoba Yan suddenly appeared before him. He looked at her in disbelief.

"

Tch

, it's fine for a normal person to be surprised, but what's there for you, a little eunuch, to be surprised about?" Stepping forward, Yu Sixian raised his eyebrows towards Xiao Anzi while chuckling.

"No, no." Xiao Anzi quickly waved his hand. "This servant doesn't know much about beauty. But this young lady has a noble aura. She shouldn't be just a maid... But I was merely commenting casually."

Ling Feng had to admit this little eunuch had some insight. Tuoba Yan was, after all, the Sacred Master of the Tiance Clan. How could her status not be high?

"Well, I'm heading into the palace now." Ling Feng cupped his fists and bowed to his brothers before walking up to Mu Qianxue. He waved at her asking softly, "Miss Mu, what's on your mind?"

"N-Nothing." Mu Qianxue snapped out of her thoughts, blinked her eyes and smiled. "Big Brother Ling, c-congratulations."

Ling Feng rolled his eyes.

This girl is clearly lost in thought about something else.

Shaking his head with a smile, Ling Feng patted her shoulder gently and gave her a comforting look. Then, he followed Xiao Anzi into the palace to meet Elder Yan's first love, the empress dowager of the empire!

...

Once they entered the imperial city, Ling Feng and Tuoba Yan made their way deeper into the palace under Xiao Anzi's guidance.

One had to admit, the luxury of the imperial city was incomparable to the outside world. Poverty certainly limited one's imagination of extravagance.

The grand halls, the endless pavilions, and the countless palaces...

Strolling through the royal gardens, with flowers and a variety of herbs filling the air with rich and fragrant scents, one felt as if they had stepped into a fairyland.

Finally, Xiao Anzi stopped in front of a majestic palace.

Countless maids stood by, each beautiful and graceful, fitting all kinds of ideals. It felt like stepping into a kingdom of women.

Of course, having seen many beauties, especially after experiencing the "breeding trials" of the Lin Demon Clan, Ling Feng had built up quite the resistance to beautiful women.

"Your Majesty, I have brought General Ling."

Xiao Anzi knelt at the door announcing respectfully.

The palace doors opened soon after and an older palace maid emerged. She glanced at Ling Feng and said calmly, "The empress dowager has summoned General Ling for an audience."

Ling Feng sized up the maid and his face twitched slightly.

Even as a palace maid, her strength had actually surpassed the Transformation Realm and reached the level of the Spiritual Element Realm!

This empress dowager of the empire was certainly no ordinary person.

Ling Feng raised his eyebrow and gave Tuoba Yan a look, signaling for her to wait outside.

But Tuoba Yan averted her gaze, showing no interest in him.

Ling Feng could only shake his head and smile. As he was about to enter the palace, he was stopped by the maid. "Wait, General Ling. To meet the Empress Dowager, you must first disarm."

"Disarm?"Ling Feng shook his head. "My sword never leaves my side."

"You..."The maid frowned. "That is the rule."

"That's your rule, not mine!" Ling Feng scoffed. "It seems the Empress Dowager invited me. If I'm not allowed in, I simply won't go."

"You..."

The maid was at a loss for words, stunned by Ling Feng's response.

"Shuying, step back."

At that moment, a soft voice came from within the palace. Judging from the voice alone, one could tell that the owner of this beautiful voice must have been a stunning woman.

"

Hmph

!" The maid, Shuying, snorted, glaring at Ling Feng before stepping aside and allowing him to enter.

Ling Feng shrugged and strode through the doors.

Before long, he entered the main hall where he saw a woman dressed in luxurious attire sitting at a round table.

The empress dowager had even prepared a banquet for him.

Ling Feng raised his eyes and looked at the woman. Although she was of the same generation as Yan Cangtian, time had not left any marks on her stunningly beautiful face.

However, her dignified posture and deep, contemplative gaze revealed traces of the hardships she had endured.

"Please, sit."

The empress dowager raised her hand, gesturing for Ling Feng to take a seat.

Ling Feng was momentarily stunned. This woman, who was of his grandmother's generation, was unbelievably beautiful. It was hard for him to reconcile that with her age.

It was unimaginable to think that her son, the current emperor of the Tianbai Empire, was already a middle-aged man, yet the empress dowager...

Looked so young!

Of course, for martial practitioners, the higher the realm they reached, the longer their lifespan became. Most would remain as they appeared when they first broke through the life essence limit.

This empress dowager was either a peerless monster or someone with extraordinary beauty techniques.

Either way, Ling Feng had to admit that Yan Cangtian had good taste. The empress dowager was indeed a beauty!

"You really look similar to him." The empress dowager spoke seemingly out of nowhere after Ling Feng sat down.

Ling Feng raised his head, asking lightly, "Are you referring to Elder Yan?"

"You call him Elder Yan?" The empress dowager smiled faintly. "It seems you are not his disciple."

"Though we do not share the title of master and disciple, Elder Yan is a master to me in my heart."

The empress dowager nodded slightly, as if speaking to herself. "Indeed, he always disdained worldly formalities."

Watching her nostalgic expression, it was clear that she deeply missed Elder Yan.

Could it be that the empress dowager and Elder Yan had once shared something? No wonder General Deng Xian is always so secretive about this.

After all, if such a thing were to become public, it would be a scandal for the royal family!

"Did he ever mention anything about me?"The Empress Dowager's gaze fell on Ling Feng.

"Well..." Ling Feng felt sweat drip down on his forehead. The truth was, the only reason he knew of Yan Cangtian's past love life was because Deng Xian had let it slip. Yan Cangtian himself had never said a word.

"He occasionally mentioned it." As soon as the words left his mouth, Ling Feng regretted it.

Am I not risking rekindling old feelings between the Empress Dowager and Elder Yan?

If they reignited their past feelings..

.

To Imagine Elder Yan eloping with the empress dowager would be a bit too thrilling!

Of course, if Yan Cangtian reached the Great Emperor Realm in the future, even if he took the empress dowager away, no one would dare say a word.

The empress dowager shook her head, sighing gently. "Mentioning it changes nothing. In the end... It was I who wronged him."

Ling Feng scratched his nose.

This is definitely not the time for me to speak. It's best to leave the affairs of the older generation to themselves. It won't be right for me as a junior to comment.

An awkward silence filled the room.

After a while, the empress dowager pulled herself out of her memories. She muttered to herself, "I never thought... remembering Big Brother Yan would make me realize how hard it is to let go of some things."

"

Hehe...

"

Ling Feng could only give a foolish laugh staying silent.

For someone inexperienced like him in love affairs, he really had nothing to comment.

The next moment, the empress dowager's demeanor shifted, becoming less wistful and more resolute. Her gaze turned sharp as she looked at Ling Feng. She then softly asked, "General Ling, I've heard that you are the heir of the Medical Saint, Ling Hanyang!"

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Ling Feng's pupils slightly contracted as he realized that the Empress Dowager had summoned him not just to reminisce about Yan Cangtian, but also to confirm his identity as the heir to the Medical Saint!