Based on the gathered Information and the words of Empress Luo Ying before him, Shen Yun could roughly imagine what kind of person her mother had been.
If she had lived in ancient China, she would have been akin to Cui Yingying, the prime minister's daughter in The Western Chamber. She possessed ideals that surpassed her era but ultimately suffered a tragic end.
"The imperial palace is indeed a place of endless trouble." Shen Yun continued to tap the armrest lightly. The muffled thuds made Luo Ying increasingly nervous. "You grew up among the commoners. In your eyes, how does the mortal world compare to the palace?"
Luo Ying's mind raced as she compared the two. "Life is impoverished, but... it is more orderly, friendlier, and more... free."
"Heh." Wei Er sneered from the side. "That's not right, Seventeenth Imperial Princess. When I traveled among the commoners a couple of years ago, all I saw were corpses littered everywhere. Are there truly so few people casually slaughtered by Cultivators?"
Luo Ying looked a bit bewildered. During the dozen or so years she had lived among the commoners, she had also killed quite a few ignorant fools who lacked the foresight to avoid crossing her. She wondered, "Can't those who offend a Cultivator be killed?"
Seeing her expression, Shen Yun knew that unless he administered a heavy dose of reality, hoping to gradually change her mindset would be futile. However, she definitely seemed to yearn for a harmonious society.
"Mr. Shen," Wei Er suddenly looked at Shen Yun and spoke in Mandarin. "Why don't you take her as your disciple? You can personally instruct and slowly train her. After all, with your status as a top-tier Grandmaster, it's impossible for her to refuse."
"Did you just say 'train'?" Shen Yun stared speechlessly at the sleazy fat man. Suddenly, he heard Little Nine's voice, and his expression turned solemn. "Someone is approaching. It's a Grandmaster."
"The Cyan Emperor?" Wei Er was startled and immediately sent Information to the personnel at the main base.
This disguised sub-base was equipped with a complete high-frequency radar system. Even without satellites, they could still use missiles for Locking onto targets within a certain range. Shen Yun was also somewhat nervous. Once the approaching figure flew into the Locking range, he and Wei Er soared directly into the sky.
Was the newcomer... a Sword Immortal riding a flying sword?
"Are you two Grandmasters of the Jiuzhou Sect?" The man wore a tattered cyan robe and had a scruffy beard, looking to be in his forties or fifties. Upon seeing them, his face filled with joy. "I am Si Ji's uncle, Mu Hui, the Third Sword Master of the Sword Sect. I have come specifically to help! Is Si Ji safe?"
Shen Yun could mostly understand the sentence, but what the hell was a "Si Ji"? It sounded just like he was asking for a driver. Oh, he meant he was Luo Ying's uncle? Shen Yun couldn't help but look at Wei Er beside him.
"Never heard of him," Wei Er said, looking just as bewildered.
"Little Nine." Shen Yun wasted no more words and called out silently in his mind. In an instant, thunderclouds gathered thickly, and constant rumbles echoed through the sky.
"A t-top-tier Grandmaster!" The man across from them looked horrified and waved his hands repeatedly. "Don't misunderstand, don't misunderstand! I'm truly here to help! I'm truly here to help!"
He had only heard that Si Ji was rescued by a Grandmaster belonging to the Jiuzhou Sect and had fled to these Hundred Thousand Mountains, with the Cyan Cloud Pavilion's Grandmaster in hot pursuit. Thus, he had rushed over in a hurry to lend his aid. He wondered what there was even left to help with now. Who on earth were the people of this previously unheard-of sect, and how did they possess an equally unheard-of top-tier Grandmaster?
"Come down and talk." Shen Yun turned around indifferently and returned to the sub-base residence below.
Mu Hui followed behind obediently. The thunderclouds in the sky had yet to disperse, maintaining their deterrence. Luo Ying was standing on the ground waiting; upon seeing Mu Hui, her expression changed slightly.
"Is he really your uncle?" Shen Yun asked directly.
"To answer the Grandmaster, he is not," Luo Ying took a deep breath and replied truthfully.
"Si Ji, how can you say that?" Seeing Shen Yun's dangerous gaze, Mu Hui stomped his feet in anxiety. "I even held you when you were little! We've met many times since then. I... I even bought a house next door to your family and lived there for years."
Hearing him mention living next door, Shen Yun and Wei Er exchanged a glance. Confirming the look in each other's eyes, they both arrived at the exact same conclusion.
"Shut up," Shen Yun said in a deep voice. "Luo Ying, what exactly is going on?"
If this man had cuckolded the Emperor and was Luo Ying's biological father, wouldn't that be disastrous? Without the royal bloodline, what would she use to compete for the throne?
"Well..." Luo Ying's face turned somewhat pale. "After my mother fled the palace, this man relentlessly pursued her. However, my mother never agreed. Previously... he even threatened several times to take me as his wife... which I also refused."
"What?" Shen Yun and Wei Er exclaimed almost simultaneously.
"Yes, exactly." Mu Hui let out a long sigh of relief, as if he felt he had finally cleared things up. "When I reached the rank of Grandmaster back then, I heard the tragic news of your mother's passing. But over the years, you've grown to look increasingly like her. I—"
BOOM!
A bolt of lightning as thick as a barrel crashed down from the sky, striking the man square in the body.
"I... didn't I just explain everything clearly?" Mu Hui's entire body emitted green smoke. He truly had no idea how he had offended this top-tier Grandmaster.
Even Luo Ying was slightly surprised.
"You failed to woo the mother, so you decided to pursue the daughter?" Shen Yun narrowed his eyes. "How can there be such a shameless person?"
And to think he had the nerve to claim he had held Luo Ying when she was a baby. What was this? Grooming a child bride?
Mu Hui opened his mouth, truly wanting to weep but lacking the tears. Even his master, the Sword Emperor, had praised him for his deep devotion and promised to help him fulfill his wish. Otherwise, he never would have dared to come help, knowing full well that the opponent was the Cyan Cloud Pavilion. How did he suddenly become a shameless person here?
Luo Ying was equally astonished. Even with her status as the Imperial Princess, she was still far inferior compared to a Grandmaster.
"I have decided to take Luo Ying as my disciple." Shen Yun's next sentence made Luo Ying tremble all over. Her face was filled with utter disbelief.
A disciple was completely different from a mere puppet to be supported. To a top-tier Grandmaster, a disciple represented someone close to them, as well as a reflection of their own prestige. Therefore, almost all disciples of top-tier Grandmasters were Grandmasters themselves.
"My Jiuzhou Sect has a long and profound history, and we have our own etiquette for accepting disciples." Shen Yun's expression was serious as he looked at Wei Er. "Can you officiate the ceremony?"
"No problem," Wei Er nodded.
Although the main purpose of accepting Luo Ying was to turn her into one of their own, the master-disciple relationship was indeed exceptionally important in Chinese culture. Shen Yun thought about how he was going to gain a female disciple and admitted to himself that he was a little excited. However, he felt more nervous than anything. After all, he had secrets to hide, and no matter how much he tried to maintain a distance, he would inevitably be taking on more responsibility.
"Congratulations, Master, on acquiring a beautiful female disciple," Little Nine said playfully in his mind, accompanied by the POP POP POP sound of fireworks.
"Stop messing around, Little Nine," Shen Yun said helplessly, though he also felt somewhat emotional. "I'm afraid you're the only one who can truly be close to me."
In order to keep the secret of the Bodhi Branch, it really wasn't good to get too close to others. However, Shen Yun didn't mind too much. After all, he still had Little Nine to warm his bed. Moreover... he felt the cool sensation radiating from the back of his hand. In the future, there would be even more companions brought to Enlightenment.