"Remember, their presence here must be kept absolutely secret. No one else can know about it." Ye Lanshan repeated gravely once more.
"Alright." Seeing Ye Lanshan's solemn and mysterious expression, Qingdai naturally took the matter very seriously.
"Oh, right, how are those children doing now?" She suddenly remembered the kids who had been brought here earlier.
"They're still very timid, but they've carried out the tasks I gave them quite well." Qingdai couldn't figure out what her boss's purpose was in keeping these children here.
Ye Lanshan curled her lips slightly, then glanced around and asked, "It looks like this place is almost finished being renovated."
"Ah, yes, it's almost done—just the inscription is missing." Qingdai paused briefly before quickly replying.
"Mm, hang some lanterns above the stage, and in the center, suspend a ribbon sturdy enough for someone to sit on." Ye Lanshan looked at the overly bare platform.
"Understood, I'll get that done as soon as possible."
"Mm." Ye Lanshan nodded and walked out of the brothel.
Just as she returned to the Ye residence, the communication talisman on her chest began to glow.
She quickly took out the talisman, infused it with mystic energy, and asked, "What happened?"
In the cultivation world, communication talismans typically used spiritual energy as a medium, but since this world lacked spiritual energy, Ye Lanshan had modified the talisman. After countless failed attempts, she had finally succeeded in crafting these talismans using her own blood and mystic energy.
"I've found Sikong Kuang, but he's in a dangerous situation right now. Can we come to your place to lie low?" Yun Di's voice sounded a bit weak, and through the talisman, she could faintly hear others coughing.
"Of course, bring him to the Ye family in the Yue Kingdom." Ye Lanshan was indifferent to it—as long as Sikong Kuang could still refine pills, she didn't care about anything else.
"Alright, I understand." Yun Di quickly destroyed the communication talisman and stood up.
"Do you really think you can escape?" A man in luxurious robes waved his fan arrogantly from side to side.
"Heh, just you? Looks like that old fool Sikong Cheng has no one left." Though Sikong Kuang was severely injured, he had plenty of pills on hand, and in no time, he had fully recovered.
The young master in fine robes watched his wounds heal one by one and smiled dismissively. "Dealing with you all, I alone am enough."
"Quite confident. Let's see if you have the skill to back it up." Yun Di picked up the thread, using his Dust-Avoidance Technique to create an illusion.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you—I'm not afraid of your so-called Dust-Avoidance Technique at all." The young master completely ignored Yun Di's eyes.
By now, Yun Di was drenched in sweat from the pressure.
Sikong Kuang stared darkly at the young master, abandoning all pretense of honor and striking directly.
...
No sooner had Ye Lanshan returned to the Ye residence than she was summoned to the palace by the emperor.
As soon as she saw the emperor, he said, "Ye Lanshan, I heard you were studying at the Mystic Spirit Academy before, but you came back because your grandfather was gravely ill. Now that he's recovered and the Yue Kingdom is peaceful, you can return to the academy with peace of mind."
"Your Majesty, my family affairs are not something you need to worry about." Though her tone was respectful, Ye Lanshan's stance was firm—there was no way she was going back to the Mystic Spirit Academy now.
"Is there something else you need to take care of? Let me handle it, and then you can go back to the academy without any concerns." The emperor didn't give up trying to persuade her.
"May I ask why Your Majesty is so insistent on me returning to the Mystic Spirit Academy?" Ye Lanshan sensed something off about the emperor's attitude; perhaps she could learn from him the secret her grandfather refused to reveal.
"The Mystic Spirit Academy has abundant resources and a wide network. You can learn a great deal there and return better equipped to protect our Yue Kingdom." The emperor, a seasoned politician, smoothly fabricated a reason without changing his expression.
"Is that so? Then, Your Majesty, why didn't you urge me to leave when my grandfather had been well for days, but now, right after he pushed me, you come to hurry me along?" Ye Lanshan naturally didn't believe it was for the sake of protecting the Yue Kingdom.
"Alas!" The emperor let out a deep sigh and finally confessed the truth: "Recently, people from the Holy Land have appeared in the capital."
"What does the Holy Land have to do with me? I don't recall ever provoking them." Ye Lanshan's gaze turned icy as she looked at the emperor, unable to understand why he was still lying at this point.
"Child, you're smart. I truly don't want you to follow in your father's footsteps." The emperor's voice suddenly sounded much older.
"My father?" Ye Lanshan had a vague inkling. "You mean my father was killed by people from the Holy Land?"
A flicker of pain passed through the emperor's eyes as he nodded. "Yes, back then, he was captured by the Holy Land. They coveted his talent and wanted to recruit him, but he refused, so they took him by force."
"What does that have to do with me? My aptitude is mediocre. Even if I wanted to join the Holy Land, they probably wouldn't want me." Though her words were harsh, given her previous lackluster talent, the Holy Land likely wouldn't have been interested.
"Alas! It's a long story. After the Holy Land took your father, we thought things had settled down. But the next year, they pressured the Ye family to hand you over. Fortunately, they didn't know who Ye Lanshan was at the time. Old Master Ye selected one of the talented children from the clan and gave them to the Holy Land. We thought we'd fooled them, but two years ago, they came searching for you again. Only after failing to find you did they truly give up and leave. For a long time afterward, there was no activity, but now they've shown up in the capital again." The emperor's voice was laced with gritted teeth.
Ye Lanshan sighed after hearing this. "It seems the Holy Land is quite persistent. But why are you so sure they're here for me? Maybe they have other business."
The emperor rubbed his temples in frustration. "Are you even listening to me? If you don't leave now, it'll be too late. I couldn't save your father back then, but I don't want them to catch you either."
Ye Lanshan was silent for a moment before saying, "I understand. I won't be caught. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave." With that, she turned and walked out of the palace.
The emperor didn't scold her for her rudeness in leaving so abruptly. Instead, he pondered how to stall the Holy Land and keep them from discovering Ye Lanshan's existence.
As she walked back toward the Ye residence, Ye Lanshan mulled over the emperor's words. She looked up at the sky. *Grandfather, is this the secret you wanted to hide?*