Chapter 1225

Wu Liao bows deeply to the shut door. He shouts that he wishes to report Wu An’s ill intentions. Wu An freezes, dreading that the door will open and throw Lady White Rabbit out in tears, ending him along with her. The door stays shut as though Fang Yuan hears nothing, but this is impossible, since he controls two of the formation’s crucial Immortal Gu and is aware of everything happening across Wu clan’s territory. ^{ch. 1225}

Seeing himself ignored, the normally extremely confident Wu Liao is stunned. He had let Wu An’s scheming pass, knowing people are greedy, even Wu clan’s previous rank seven Gu Immortal among them. Fang Yuan has not once met Wu An during his seclusion. Wu Liao reads that silence as meaning Fang Yuan wants nothing to do with the immortal opportunity business, and is extremely happy. Wu An reaches the opposite conclusion, certain no man could resist Lady White Rabbit’s beauty, confident his gamble has paid off. ^{ch. 1225}

The doors open on Lady White Rabbit, changed out of the fur coat and wearing thick jade ball earrings, the Southern Border custom marking a woman who has given herself to her man. Wu An is overjoyed. Wu Liao, disgusted moments before and hopeful that his report has been heeded, cannot help admitting her beauty, then pales at the earrings. Asked whether she succeeded, she only nods, an odd look on her face. Wu An, relieved almost to collapse, wonders privately why it went so quickly. ^{ch. 1225}

She tells him the earrings were Lord Wu Yi Hai’s gift, and that he means to focus on cultivating, so Wu An should carry on with his duties and not disturb him. Wu An looks at Wu Liao in triumph, and Wu Liao leaves angered. Her status has changed: taking her virginity and giving this gift, in Wu An’s eyes, means Wu Yi Hai has acknowledged her as his concubine. She now addresses Wu An as lord, and he, humbled, tells her to use his name instead. Then she tells him a shocking thing: Wu Yi Hai did not touch her. ^{ch. 1225}

She recalls it: flustered as she stepped forward to embrace him, strong hands seized her shoulders and pushed her away. Her expression turned pale, and for an instant she believed she had failed. Fang Yuan told her his years as an Eastern Sea lone cultivator taught him the price paid for sweet things, and that he would not take advantage of someone in her position. He handed her a clothing Gu to cover herself, and said that though he had joined Wu clan he remained a lone cultivator at heart, and she should take the Gu as a gift between fellow lone cultivators. ^{ch. 1225}

Through her blurred vision his smile felt warm and gentle, like the rays of the morning sun. Moved to tears, she heard him add that leaving as she came would leave her unable to answer for the consequences with Wu An. Understanding both their intentions, he conjured the jade earrings for her on the spot and named her his attendant and mistress, telling her to continue the immortal opportunity business. He would help in secret but never take it over openly, since it works against the other righteous path clans, the whole formation having been built with everyone’s effort. Newly arrived in Southern Border, he had no need of such meager gains. ^{ch. 1225}

He told her to report this to Wu An, that his own share of the profits would go to her, and sent her off. She left in tears, Wu Yi Hai’s name engraved in the deepest part of her soul. Hearing her account, Wu An breaks into a sweat, his smugness gone. He looks toward Fang Yuan’s residence with wariness now outweighed by admiration and respect. ^{ch. 1225}