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It was not surprising that Wang Julong was avoiding him, considering how awkward she must have felt after the embrace and tears. Yan Xiaobao hoped that she just needed so ti to move past the embarrassnt and pretend it had never happened. However, what worried him profoundly was that Sha Yun had also vanished. She was a magical beast, and though she had a beast contract, she was still a beast. Yan Xiaobao couldn’t help but be concerned about what she was doing, where she had gone, and why she seed to distance herself from him. In the end, he understood—she had been hurt when he chose Wang Julong over her. Yet all he wanted was to maintain the friendship with Snake Woman, even if romance was not in the cards for them.
"I really should go back to my family and travel to the magical forest," he muttered, his voice so soft that no one could hear it, except for the low rumble of his thoughts. Perhaps Sha Yun wished to return to her roots. Perhaps she longed to reunite with her sisters and revisit the simpler world she once knew. While letting her return to the magical forest, Yan Xiaobao also felt an urge to visit his own family. He couldn’t help but worry about them—what had they been doing all this ti? It had been years since he last saw his younger brother or his parents.
As he stepped into the grand entrance hall of Rong Twin Towers, a whirlwind of thoughts occupied his mind. However, as he entered the hall, the crisp air seed to cleanse his ntal fog. His swirling reflections on his friends, his family, and their circumstances coalesced into clarity, and his thoughts zeroed in on the task at hand. He had to make an impression on the city’s elite and demonstrate that they should not overlook him lightly. Nobles, as a rule, never walked the streets but always traveled by carriage. Yet Yan Xiaobao didn’t care about such conventions. Walking alongside him, Deng Wu’s hair was as blue as the sumr sky, partnered with a matching robe. His robe bore a splendid silver dragon curling up from the lower back to the top of one shoulder. On the other side was Cai Jie, whose hair glead like the purest gold and whose skin had the porcelain perfection of alabaster. He wore a gold robe adorned with pearls and intricate designs of suns and stars. Flanked by both sides walked Yan Xiaobao in robes white as the purest snow, adorned with gold and silver inlays and embroidered phoenixes.
Behind the trio of astonishingly handso young n were Gao Yan and Ma Kong. Both were dressed in the finest black robes, emblazoned with family crests across their chests. A short distance away stood Xu Biao, a robust middle-aged man. Gazing at these striking individuals, everyone thought of them as celestial beings, descending angels. Even those who usually looked down on them for their mixed heritage now gazed in awe, as their radiance overwheld every prejudice. All eyes fixated on them, stunned and starstruck.
The two mansions were located in the sa district of the city. Despite the notable differences between the two estates, Yan Xiaobao’s residence catered to a small family or individual, while the Rong twins’ mansion housed an entire clan. If the Rong Family decided to enter the city, their grand estate could comfortably accommodate them all.
Nurous hos and apartnts had been designed to host over a thousand family mbers. Although the mansions of the Rong twins and Yan Xiaobao were both within the sa district, the sheer scale of the estates ant that walking distances were longer than expected. The vastness of these properties was precisely why most people traveled by carriage. Even moving between locations within the sa district covered considerable distances. Yan Xiaobao, lacking a carriage and with no intention of visiting his friends’ hos at the mont, opted to walk instead. This gave him the ti to focus on his thoughts while leaving the noble circle to sweat in anticipation. Once again, he felt like the Great Marshall of the Spanish Empire preparing to address the masses. Reflecting on the faces of the many magical beasts that followed him, he felt calm and composed.
As the group traversed the small town, excitent filled the air among them. They couldn’t wait to reach the grand mansion and announce the formation of their new alliance. This revelation was certain to astonish all the nobles and rchants. How the new faction would reshape perceptions remained a matter for ti to unveil.
After crossing the town, they finally arrived at the mansion. As Yan Xiaobao gazed upon it, a sense of familiarity washed over him. In front lay a magnificent staircase leading from the gilded gates to a pavilion-like mansion. Light stread in through the open doors, pure radiant windows resonated with applause, and the clinking of glasses floated into the cool night. Clearly, the banquet had already begun, and the guests were enjoying their ti imnsely. Ma Kong had spent an entire day—with the help of his family—preparing the banquet. At present, his father stood at the castle’s entrance, welcoming attendees. As their host, he ensured all glasses were filled, trays always abundant, and that nurous families were thoroughly enjoying themselves. As the mansion’s owner appeared before the crowd, curiosity filled the air. Guests chatted amongst themselves, their spirits buoyant as they waited.
Arriving at the mansion gates, Yan Xiaobao nodded politely to the many guards outside. The guards, in return, bowed deeply to him with utmost respect. Though Yan Xiaobao had acquired the mansion only recently, he had beco indelibly etched in the mories of every servant in the household. This was thanks to the mory Stones they carried, detailing everything about their new master. Upon seeing this silver-haired young man in person, they imdiately recognized him as their employer and accorded him the fitting respect.
As Yan Xiaobao advanced closer to his new mansion, the sounds grew louder—clinking glasses, murmurs, laughter—all intensifying with his approach. Alongside the rising cacophony, a tide of confidence surged within Yan Xiaobao. A subtle smile unfurled on his lips, untying a knot of tension in his stomach. "Just how many people were invited?" he wondered as he ntally counted the faint voices. As he neared the open doors, the din beca unmistakably clear.
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