Chapter 664: Xia Lan, the Actor

Clearly, Xiao Nanfeng was now possessing Long Si. He asked, "Are you in dire straits?"

"My reputation's ruined because of my involvement in your kidnapping!" Sage Green Lotus gritted out.

"But it was all worth it in the end, wasn't it?" Xiao Nanfeng said.

Sage Green Lotus blew up. "Worth it? What's worth it to me? You benefited, but everyone's cursing my name now!"

"But now I have Xia Yu'er in my grasp, don't I? Why else would I have wanted her?" Xiao Nanfeng probed.

Sage Green Lotus frowned. In the end, he huffed again. "Your Southeastern Aquatic Palace has ruined me. At the very least, you managed to acquire Yu'er. Have her interact with what lies beneath the Eye of the Sea so I didn't do all this in vain."

"I'll let my eldest brother know once I return," Xiao Nanfeng replied.

"Hurry back, then! You're cleared of all suspicion now, aren't you? Xia Xingchen doesn't doubt you either. Bring Yu'er back to the Southeastern Aquatic Palace!" Sage Green Lotus urged.

"But to have her interact with what lies beneath the Eye of the Sea directly is a little..." Xiao Nanfeng trailed off, trying to get more information from Sage Green Lotus.

"What? Are you intending to go back on your word now? You won't be able to pay the price of betrayal. If I hadn't defended you to the Yuqing holy land, it would long since have exterminated your lair!" Sage Green Lotus spat out.

"Don't try to threaten me. You can't, at any rate. I understand the situation better than you do. I'm simply sharing my thoughts. Believe me or not, I don't care."

Sage Green Lotus narrowed his eyes at Xiao Nanfeng. He scoffed. "What do you want, then?"

Xiao Nanfeng's heart thumped anxiously. He felt that Sage Green Lotus had gotten suspicious of him, and chose to drop his inquiries.

"My subordinates have gone missing."

Sage Green Lotus seemed taken aback. He frowned again. "That's the reason you beat around the bush?"

"Well? Is there a problem?"

Sage Green Lotus shook his head. "All your subordinates have been released."

"Where are they? Could the Yuqing disciples have caught them again?"

"Impossible. They've already questioned them. There's no way they'd capture them again."

"I haven't seen hide nor hair of them at all. I can't trust you."

Green Lotus sighed in annoyance. "I'll help you investigate. Bring Xia Yu'er back to the Southeastern Aquatic Palace as soon as possible. Don't forget what you came to do here. If you're late, your eldest brother won't spare you, either. Don't forget how you became a Golden Immortal. Your eldest brother can cripple you as easily as he helped you advance."

"You don't have to worry about my affairs. Get me my subordinates," Xiao Nanfeng demanded.

"Oh? Do they have some secrets I should be privy to?"

"Don't worry about that."

"I'll keep an eye out," Sage Green Lotus said.

The two cultivators talked for a little while longer before they terminated the meeting.

After returning, Xiao Nanfeng reunited with Yu'er and the others.

"Nanfeng, what did he say?" Yu'er asked.

"Green Lotus was on high alert, so I didn't dare to press him too much. That said, I can tell that he's part of some conspiracy, and that there's some major secret behind the premier lord of the Southeastern Aquatic Palace. He has a means of advancing a cultivator into a Golden Immortal..." Xiao Nanfeng murmured.

"What? How can that be?" Yu'er exclaimed.

Xiao Nanfeng repeated his conversation with Sage Green Lotus.

"Helping someone become a Golden Immortal should be impossible, but my body is allegedly living proof..." Xiao Nanfeng murmured.

From beside them, Xia Lan asked, "What next?"

"Considering how important Yu'er is to their plans, I can't allow them to scheme about her any longer. I'll have to uproot the Southeastern Aquatic Palace as quickly as I can," Xiao Nanfeng replied.

"Taking on Long Si alone was difficult for you. How do you intend to deal with the Southeastern Aquatic Palace? If it were that easy to handle, why would the Yuqing holy land bother with all these marriage shenanigans?"

"I'll use all the forces at my disposal," Xiao Nanfeng promised.

"And what forces are those?"

"Your father, of course. Go home and talk to your father. We'll have to work together."

Xia Lan stiffened. He thundered, "I knew you were up to no good! You're even planning to manipulate my father now. What if your plan fails?"

"Don't worry about it. All you need to do is send word on my behalf. Your father knows far more than you do, and I'm sure he has a clear grasp of the situation."

"What do you mean? Aren't we all eloping together? Why are you sending me to report back to my father now?" Xia Lan exclaimed.

"That was because you were the scapegoat. Sage Green Lotus has taken responsibility on your behalf, so you're safe. You can easily return now."

"Liar! My father's going to beat me to death if I do!"

"He won't. Relax. Just hand him my letter."

"I won't!"

Xia Lan was particularly fearful of his father. He had just disobeyed his father's orders in helping Yu'er escape; how could he return now? He would surely be punished, be subject to the brunt of his father's anger! Unfortunately, Xiao Nanfeng didn't seem to care about his objections. He had already retired to a room to write his letter.

"Xiao Nanfeng, I didn't say I was going to help you! You'd better not make a fuss!" Xia Lan cried out.

"Third Brother, how could you be so timid? It's hardly as though we're trying to get you to do something bad. Aren't you even willing to deliver a letter on my behalf?" Yu'er demanded.

Xia Lan: ...

Indeed, his sister did care for Xiao Nanfeng more than she did her very own brother!

"Yu'er, don't you know how difficult it was for me to escape? If I return now, Father will beat me to death. Don't you pity me? Can't you get another messenger?"

"It's least suspicious if you're the one who returns, and this has to be kept a secret," Yu'er argued.

"That's right," Zhao Yuanjiao added, nodding. "You're the only candidate."

Xia Lan stiffened.

Before long, Xiao Nanfeng had returned. He passed a letter to Xia Lan. "After you return, make sure you hand this to your father, and your father only. What's more, when you do it, make sure you're in your father's private chambers in Chiyang Peak. Do it in front of your mother lest someone's impersonating your father."

"You must be overthinking things. Who would do something like that? Don't you think I'd be able to tell?" Xia Lan grumbled.

"It's a matter of utmost importance. Follow my instructions," Xiao Nanfeng emphasized.

Xia Lan frowned. "Why does it feel like you're trying to trick me again?"

"Don't worry. You're Yu'er's third brother. I would never hurt you."

"I feel like you feel like you can do it precisely because I'm Yu'er's third brother!"

"Don't worry, Third Brother," Yu'er said. "Just go!"

Xia Lan huffed.

"Time is of the essence, Xia Lan. Go!" Xiao Nanfeng urged.

Xia Lan kept the letter in his robes. He glanced at the others in worry, but he eventually nodded. "If I learn that you've tricked me, all of you are done for!"

Then, he flew off toward the Yuqing holy land.

Xia Lan hung his head all the way back.

When he reached the mountain pass, some of the Yuqing disciples on guard stepped forward to console him. "Don't worry, Senior Brother Xia Lan. All twelve peaks have sent out search parties for Holy Maiden Yu'er. I'm sure she'll be found in no time."

Xia Lan's haggard and forlorn expression looked exactly like that of a brother who had just lost his sister. All the disciples familiar with him stepped forward in consolation.

"I—" Xia Lan found himself at a loss for words.

The excuses he had thought up along the way were all unnecessary—his fellow disciples had already fallen for it just from his expression.

Xia Lan returned to Chiyang Peak, his heart pounding. He couldn't help but fear that Xiao Nanfeng was mistaken, that he would receive the beating of his life once he returned to his family manor.

The thoughts that preoccupied him were apparent in his expression, leaving no doubts as to his authenticity in the eyes of the Yuqing disciples he met along the way. They too all stepped forward to console him.

"Am I such a good actor?" Xia Lan murmured to himself.

By the time he made it back to Chiyang Peak, many of its disciples had already left in search of Yu'er, and the mountain was largely unoccupied. However, Xia Xingchen and his three wives were all present in the manor as they awaited news of Yu'er.

They were all shocked by Xia Lan's sudden return.

"What are you doing back here, Xia Lan?" Xia Xingchen demanded.

He seemed anxious; he thought that something had happened to Yu'er.

"Father!" Xia Lan exclaimed, shuddering.

Despite his fears, he stepped into the manor before its doors swung shut.

The three women set up barrier after barrier to isolate all sound from within. One of them was even stationed outside the manor to stand guard.

"What are you doing back here? Has something happened to Yu'er?" Xia Xingchen demanded again.

"Father, it's none of my business! Xiao Nanfeng eloped with Yu'er. I advised him many times not to do so, but he refused to listen to me. I was coerced into it!" Xia Lan exclaimed, babbling in fear.

Han Bingdie sighed in relief. Conjecture was one thing, and proof from her son another entirely. She smiled. "That wasn't what your father asked about. He wants to know if Yu'er is alright. Why did you suddenly return?"

Xia Lan's eyes widened in surprise.

Xia Xingchen frowned. He shook his head. "Look at that expression of yours! Do you want others to know that we have something to hide?"

"Was Xiao Nanfeng really telling the truth? You knew all about me helping Yu'er elope?" Xia Lan exclaimed.

"What do you think?!"

"Alright, alright, that's enough," Han Bingdie jumped in. "Don't frighten Xia Lan anymore. Xia Lan, why are you back here? Did something happen?"

"Xiao Nanfeng had me bring a letter back. He wants to destroy the Southeastern Aquatic Palace and free Yu'er from any threat permanently."

"Destroy the Southeastern Aquatic Palace?" the three women exclaimed.

"Where's the letter?" Xia Xingchen asked.

"Right here!"

Xia Xingchen tore the seal and unfolded it immediately.

Han Bingdie pulled Xia Lan to one side. "How did you manage to sneak Yu'er out? You even fooled us all!"

Xia Lan didn't dare hide anything. He recounted what had happened in full.