Not far away, Yuan Chengye was about to turn to stone.
What did he see?
He saw with his own eyes that Pei Muwan went to welcome that Jinyiwei General Banner Commander. Was she going to invite a Jinyiwei General Banner Commander to dinner?!
He saw with his own eyes that when Pei Muwan spoke to that Banner Commander, she even... even smiled. So, she knew how to smile?!
Yuan Chengye stared intently at Lu Zhenghai.
The rage, sorrow, and jealousy in his eyes... were practically materializing.
Lu Zhenghai seemed to sense something and looked up at the other party.
Then, Lu Zhenghai felt a bit depressed: "Miss Pei, inviting me to Luoshui Tower for dinner so publicly is putting me on a spit to roast!"
He retracted his gaze, looked up again, and saw the pairs of shocked and trembling eyes watching from the windows of every floor of Luoshui Tower, doubling his frustration.
"It's fine. If anyone dares to target you, the Grand Tutors Residence will fight them relentlessly, even if it is Duke Nings Residence!"
Pei Muwan said softly. Her voice was quiet but very firm.
Duke Nings Residence is impressive, but the Grand Tutors Residence is not bad either.
The Grand Tutor is not only the head of all civil officials but also has disciples everywhere.
Furthermore, the Grand Tutors Residence has an excellent relationship with Wenhua Academy, one of the two great Confucian schools.
Therefore, while others might fear Duke Nings Residence, the Grand Tutors Residence does not.
"The other party is someone from Duke Nings Residence?" Lu Zhenghai's mouth twitched.
"That is the Young Master of the Heir of Duke Nings Residence, named Yuan Chengye," Zi Ling whispered.
Lu Zhenghai was silenced, his Face full of wry smiles: "Miss Pei, do I have a grudge against you?"
"After dinner tonight, when I return to the Grand Tutors Residence, I will have my grandfather spread the word that you are someone he favors!" Pei Muwan said seriously.
If the Grand Tutor speaks, then none of the big shots on the surface will target Lu Zhenghai.
Otherwise, it would be disrespecting the Grand Tutor's Face.
Even Duke Ning Yuan Heng would not rashly confront the Grand Tutor for the sake of a small Jinyiwei General Banner Commander.
Pei Muwan continued: "As for covert targeting, don't worry. I always have a Guardian Wet Nurse by my side. After tonight, she will follow you..."
Lu Zhenghai turned his head, looking at Pei Muwan with extreme shock: "It won't come to that, will it?"
"Young Master Lu, since inviting you to dinner tonight brought you trouble, then the trouble should be solved by me!" There was dominance in Pei Muwan's cool and faint voice.
Lu Zhenghai could only say, "My Sister Pei is ruthless and a woman of few words."
He thought for a moment, still curious: "What is the strength of the Guardian Wet Nurse beside you?"
"Grandmaster Realm, Sixth Layer. In desperate situations, she has a method to briefly surge to the Grandmaster Realm, Ninth Layer," Pei Muwan said faintly. "Unless a Heavenly Human Realm enemy descends, she can guarantee your safety."
"Awesome!" Lu Zhenghai was silenced, finally spitting out those two words.
If the Grand Tutor speaks, it's impossible for true big shots to personally move against Lu Zhenghai.
And if those big shots don't personally step in, Pei Muwan's Guardian Wet Nurse is enough to sweep aside everything.
Lu Zhenghai was truly protected perfectly by Pei Muwan, three hundred and sixty degrees.
Does this count as living off a woman?
"Young Master Lu, please do not casually use vulgar language like 'Awesome...' It damages your Literary Dao Qi."
Pei Muwan turned her head, her beautiful Face filled with seriousness.
Lu Zhenghai was speechless, only sighing internally that "immortal by the river" was so heaven-defying!
Even after Pei Muwan led Lu Zhenghai into Luoshui Tower, Yuan Chengye remained silent.
Even though Commander Lin and the two others were already standing in front of him, he didn't speak.
Finally, Zhang Yan nudged Yuan Chengye's arm.
Yuan Chengye came back to his senses, but his expression was clearly and undeniably gloomy.
Yuan Chengye was exploding with jealousy. He looked at Commander Lin and said coldly: "The Embroidered Uniform Guard is impressive!"
"Young Master of the Heir, please don't misunderstand. Miss Pei is only inviting him to dinner because she is grateful to Lu Zhenghai for solving the case of her Nanny's death," Centurion Song quickly said, trying to smooth things over for Lu Zhenghai, afraid that Yuan Chengye would hate him.
"Heh... Everyone in the Imperial City knows what Mu Wan's personality is like. Even if she were grateful, she would only give a lot of compensation, not invite him to dinner alone," Yuan Chengye said flatly.
Centurion Song was already sweating. He was helpless; this kid Lu Zhenghai really knew how to stir up trouble.
This is bad. He is probably hated by Yuan Chengye and even Duke Nings Residence.
Even with towering rage and jealousy in his heart, Yuan Chengye was still Yuan Chengye.
He hadn't forgotten about tonight's business. He took a deep breath and made an inviting gesture: "Commander Lin, please."
"Young Master of the Heir, please go first," Commander Lin said quickly, smiling broadly.
He felt a bit speechless inside.
Sure enough, Lu Zhenghai had become the object of Yuan Chengye's hatred.
Therefore, he had to quickly introduce Lu Zhenghai to the Deputy Commanders and the Commander.
No matter how impressive Duke Nings Residence was, they wouldn't dare clash head-on with the Embroidered Uniform Guard, right? That would be equivalent to clashing head-on with the Great Yu Imperial Family.
The Embroidered Uniform Guard must protect Lu Zhenghai. Otherwise, where would they put their Face? Duke Nings Residence wasn't so scary that it could terrify people to death!
Moreover, Commander Lin did not feel that he had harmed Lu Zhenghai.
After all, the matter of Pei Muwan personally welcoming Lu Zhenghai at Luoshui Tower tonight... would spread throughout the entire Imperial City by tomorrow at the latest.
Even if he hadn't dined with Yuan Chengye tonight, and even if Yuan Chengye hadn't been at Luoshui Tower tonight, he would receive the news tomorrow.
Yuan Chengye would hate Lu Zhenghai regardless.
Luoshui Tower.
Ninth floor, first-class private room.
Luoshui Tower is impressive, and the ninth-floor first-class private room is even more so. It basically only hosts the most top-tier second and third generations.
Pei Muwan, the Grand Tutor's legitimate granddaughter, had worth comparable to an ordinary Imperial Prince.
After Lu Zhenghai took his seat, Pei Muwan also sat down, taking the seat opposite him.
"What a great environment," Lu Zhenghai sighed.
Sitting on the ninth floor, one could overlook the entire Luoshui River and most of the Imperial City; the view was unbeatable.
The decoration inside this ninth-floor private room was also shockingly luxurious.
The table was made of thousand-year-old Phoebe wood.
The calligraphy and paintings hung in the private room were all of the highest standard, and the artwork even contained Martial Dao Concept.
And when the servers brought the dishes, the word "luxury" was materialized to the extreme.
Good heavens, the servers bringing the dishes were all good-looking young women, and every single one of them was actually a Martial Artist cultivating at the Houtian Realm, Seventh or Eighth Layer.
These servers, if placed outside, would be goddesses pursued by others, right? Here, they were just servers bringing dishes.
The dishes served were also astonishing. The ingredients for every dish were a combination of Spirit Beast meat and Heaven And Earth Treasure.
A Spirit Beast is a wild beast that has learned to absorb Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.
However, the Spirit Beast has not yet formed a demon core inside its body, nor has it developed spiritual intelligence, so it cannot be called a demon.
If a Spirit Beast does not encounter an accident or die, and continues to grow, it will generally become a demon.
In other words, a Spirit Beast is the transition between a wild beast and a demon.
The Spirit Beast meat was so delicious that it made people want to bite off their tongues, and its flesh contained rich Spiritual Qi.
Lu Zhenghai felt that after this meal, he would be able to Breakthrough a minor Realm tonight.
"Spirit Beasts are quite rare, aren't they? And they can be used for cooking?"
Lu Zhenghai completely disregarded his image, asking curiously while eating the meat heartily.
"They are very rare, but the backer of Luoshui Tower has the ability to raise Spirit Beasts in captivity."
As she spoke, she was also dining, but very elegantly.
She truly was a peerless beauty capable of toppling cities, and the scene of her eating was like a painting.
"Young Master Lu, you possess monstrous Genius Qi. In Mu Wan's view, you deserve any woman in the world, and you don't need to love so humbly," Pei Muwan suddenly said.
As she spoke, her beautiful eyes stared intently at Lu Zhenghai, and there was even a hint of heartache in them.
She greatly admired and appreciated a devoted person like Lu Zhenghai.
But she also felt sorry for Lu Zhenghai, thinking that his love was too humble and exhausting.
That Jiang Chiyao, she doesn't deserve him!!!
Lu Zhenghai was a little confused.
He didn't understand!
"Young Master Lu, you don't need to pretend to be foolish. Your regret and melancholy are all expressed in 'immortal by the river.' The world doesn't understand you, but I do," Pei Muwan continued. She even proactively placed food onto Lu Zhenghai's plate.
Let's put it this way: when eating at home with her Grand Tutor grandfather, she had never served him food.
"Miss Pei, 'immortal by the river' was just written casually; it has no special meaning. You misunderstood."
"Young Master Lu, you don't need to cover it up. You can regard me as a confidante. If you have any distress in your heart, find me often in the future. I can accompany you for a drink anytime."
Pei Muwan bit her red lip, gathering immense courage, and said.
As she spoke, her earlobes were visibly red, and she quickly poured wine for Lu Zhenghai.
Lu Zhenghai's mouth twitched.
The rumors circulating about Pei Muwan—that she was extremely aloof and cold—were surely baseless, right?
The Pei Muwan in front of him was clearly... quite nice, and she even poured wine.
After pouring wine for Lu Zhenghai, Pei Muwan also poured a cup of Spirit Wine for herself.
She took a sip, and her Face immediately turned crimson. She quickly turned her head and covered her small mouth with a silk handkerchief.
"Cough, cough..."
She choked.
This was the first time she had drunk alcohol in her life.
"If you can't drink, you don't have to," Lu Zhenghai reminded her.
"You are distressed inside, and I want to drink with you," Pei Muwan said firmly and seriously.
"No, I'm not distressed inside."
"You are distressed."
"Alright, even if I am distressed, I don't like women who drink."
"Then I won't drink. I'll pour the wine for you, and you drink."
... Lu Zhenghai was speechless.
However, this Spirit Wine did taste good, and he drank several cups in succession.
Then, he put down his wine cup: "I wonder, what is the reason for Miss Pei inviting me to dinner?"
"You can just call me Mu Wan."
"Alright, Mu Wan."
Pei Muwan looked somewhat pleadingly, somewhat admiringly, her beautiful eyes carrying a hint of tearfulness.
She just stared at Lu Zhenghai like this: "You... you mean you can still write another poem or lyric comparable to 'immortal by the river'?"
Lu Zhenghai nodded without hesitation.
Let alone one, he could write hundreds!
This was another world. If he wanted, he could plagiarize five thousand years of Earth's literature.
"Can you... can you now..."
Pei Muwan's voice became a little quieter. She seemed to feel that her request was a bit excessive.
After all, how could a poem or lyric of the level of "immortal by the river" be recited in such an informal setting?
Lu Zhenghai: "Well, about the Grand Tutors Residence's pond of fish..."
"Tonight, you will come with me to the Grand Tutors Residence and take away all the fish in the pond."
Lu Zhenghai was satisfied, and he raised his voice a few degrees: "Bring paper and brush!"
Soon, Zi Ling brought the paper and brush.
Pei Muwan stood up and personally ground the ink for Lu Zhenghai.
Because she was close, Lu Zhenghai smelled a faint fragrance on her body.
Truly intoxicating!
He wished he could take a deep breath of it!
Lu Zhenghai suppressed the impulse in his heart and began to write vigorously.
He didn't even think, immediately writing a poem titled "butterfly loves flowers."
"Standing by the high tower, the wind is subtle; looking far upon spring melancholy, gloomily rising to the edge of the sky. In the lingering light over the grassy smoke, who understands my silent railing gaze?"
"I intend to use my recklessness to seek a drunken stupor; facing the wine and singing, forced joy is still tasteless. My clothes grow loose, yet I have no regrets; I waste away for her."
After the poem was finished, Pei Muwan was lost in thought.
She muttered to herself, reading it over and over.
Especially the line: "My clothes grow loose, yet I have no regrets; I waste away for her."
Gradually, tears appeared in her beautiful eyes.
This poem further reinforced Lu Zhenghai's persona as a devoted lover. She truly felt too much heartache for this man who was devoted to the extreme... and she was too angry!
Jiang Chiyao, if you don't love him, please leave. Why must you hurt Young Master Lu?
"Mu Wan..."
Lu Zhenghai was startled.
Holy cow, is the power of poetry and lyrics this fierce?
Why did he feel like Pei Muwan seemed unable to emerge from her immersion in "butterfly loves flowers"?
Tears dotted her Face, her delicate body slightly trembling—a truly pitiful sight... The next moment.
"Boom!"
An aura of the Grandmaster Realm rippled out from Pei Muwan's body.
She Breakthrough.
Lu Zhenghai quickly stood up and retreated. Zi Ling and Bai Zhi did the same.
The three stood not far away, tightly staring at Pei Muwan.
After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Pei Muwan woke up from her Breakthrough.
Grandmaster Realm, Fourth Layer!
Perhaps it was because she had only broken through two minor Realms this afternoon.
Therefore, even though the quality of "butterfly loves flowers" was extremely high, comparable to "immortal by the river."
She only broke through one minor Realm.
Lu Zhenghai watched the miraculous scene before him with burning eyes, finally understanding why Pei Muwan's attitude toward him was so worshipful and grateful.
It turned out that impressive poetry and lyrics had such a huge effect on her.
Lu Zhenghai suddenly thought, he held hundreds of incredibly impressive poems and lyrics in his hands.
If he wanted to, could he feed Pei Muwan until she reached the Human Immortal Realm?
He had thought that plagiarizing poems and lyrics could only be used to show off, but he never expected that it could also be used to Breakthrough Martial Dao Realms.
It could only be said that the Martial Cultivation of the Great Yu Dynasty was somewhat special.
The Literary Dao is impressive.
"Young Master Lu, please accept my bow!"
The next moment, Pei Muwan walked up to Lu Zhenghai, looking as if she was about to kneel down.
Lu Zhenghai quickly helped Pei Muwan up, and naturally, he held her small hand.
The first feeling upon touching it was delicacy, as delicate as an infant's skin.
Also, it felt slightly cool.
And then it was soft, so soft it felt boneless.
"Young Master Lu..." Pei Muwan's heart trembled, and she quickly withdrew her hand.
But... she didn't know why her heartbeat was accelerating. She didn't dare look at Lu Zhenghai anymore, and her earlobes turned even redder.
She had never experienced this kind of emotion before.
"Cough, cough, cough. Mu Wan, you don't need to thank me. We are just getting what we need. The Grand Tutors Residence's pond of fish is very important to me," Lu Zhenghai sat down again and continued drinking.
Pei Muwan also sat down, obediently pouring wine for Lu Zhenghai: "Young Master Lu, I... I have something I don't know if I should say."
"Say it."
"She doesn't deserve your love. Divorce her!" Pei Muwan said seriously.