Chapter 1233: Little Aunt

Zu'an shivered at the sound, then a look of pleasant surprise appeared on his face. He looked around, then, holding Chiwen who looked like a wriggling earthworm, he flew directly towards the source of the sound.

The remaining people exchanged glances. Tu Shan-yu instinctively looked towards Yan Xuehen and the other two women. Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue were equally bewildered and instinctively looked at Yu Yanluo, as she had a closer relationship with Zu'an. Yu Yanluo was also confused; she had no idea either.

"Who was that?" someone wondered."It was a woman's voice," another observed."Judging by Zu'an's joyful expression, their relationship seems extraordinary," a third added.The group instinctively discussed the matter for a few moments, then simultaneously fell silent.

Rage points from Yu Yanluo: +233, +233, +233...Rage points from Yan Xuehen: +233, +233, +233...Rage points from Yun Jianyue: +233, +233, +233...

They wanted to follow and see what was happening, but as people of stature, they couldn't bring themselves to do so and could only stay put, sulking. Seeing the women's expressions, Tu Shan-yu was momentarily perplexed, unsure if he should also be angry.

Meanwhile, Zu'an flew several miles to a lakeside, where his attention was quickly drawn to a graceful figure. A woman in a plain dress sat languidly on a tree branch, leaning against the trunk, her head tilted back as she gazed idly at the distant horizon. With the index finger of her other hand, she gently hooked a teal wine gourd.

Zu'an couldn't help but smile. Every time he saw her, the wine gourd swayed gently with her finger, appearing as if it would drop to the ground with the slightest breeze, yet it always remained securely hooked to her fingertip, never falling.

"Sister Shang, what are you doing here?" he asked in surprise, tossing Chiwen aside. With a thud, Chiwen landed on the ground and twitched but ultimately did not wake up, clearly due to the severe beating he had just received.

The woman on the branch was, of course, Shang Liuyu. She didn't even glance at Chiwen. Instead, a hint of softness entered her eyes as she looked at Zu'an. "Long time no see. Don't you even call me 'teacher' anymore?"

Zu'an showed no timidity, smiling as he replied, "Actually, I'm also a teacher at Brightmoon Academy now. Besides, I've been calling you 'Sister' for a long time."

"Is that so? Drinking too much makes one forgetful," Shang Liuyu said, a hint of a smile appearing between her brows, clearly indicating she hadn't truly forgotten.

Zu'an looked at her wine gourd. "It's been a long time since I've had your 'Sky-Illuminating Burn.' I really miss it."

"Want some? Come on up," Shang Liuyu beckoned to him. Zu'an merely touched his toes to the ground, and he was already flying onto the tree. Shang Liuyu's legs were naturally bent on the branch, but seeing this, she deliberately pulled them back to make space for him. Her skirt billowed, subtly revealing a pair of pristine, slender feet that were indeed smoother than silk and more lustrous than jade.

Zu'an couldn't help but sigh, "Sister Shang still dislikes wearing shoes so much." It must be said that among his many female confidantes, Shang Liuyu's feet were unrivaled in their perfection and delicacy. He specifically glanced down and was surprised to find no shoes.

Shang Liuyu handed him the wine gourd she was holding. "I'm not used to wearing shoes. Back in Brightmoon City, I had no choice; wearing them was to avoid being seen as an anomaly. Here among the demon tribes, I naturally don't have those concerns... Ah, what are you doing?"

At that moment, Zu'an had gently lifted a part of her skirt and raised her foot to examine it.

"Oh?" Zu'an exclaimed. "I'm very curious. You're barefoot daily, so why are your feet completely spotless?"

Shang Liuyu slapped his hand away and quickly pulled her foot back. A faint blush appeared on her usually calm and elegant face. "You're too reckless! Is a girl's foot something you can just casually touch?"

Watching her shy demeanor, Zu'an found it particularly novel. "I thought you wouldn't get embarrassed, Sister. It's rare to see you like this."

"No wonder you have so many female confidantes around you; you certainly have a way with women," Shang Liuyu scoffed, though she wasn't truly angry.

Zu'an protested loudly, "I was genuinely just curious, purely academic. I had no other intentions."

"If you had any ill intentions, I would have disciplined you already," Shang Liuyu said, finally regaining her usual composure. "Keeping my feet clean isn't difficult. I just use water elemental energy to create a barrier between my feet and the ground." Although she spoke lightly, the level of control required over water elemental energy was far beyond what an ordinary person could achieve.

Zu'an raised the gourd and took a sip. The strong liquor flowed down his throat like a ball of fire, instantly invigorating him. "Still tastes just like I remember." He returned the wine gourd to her and asked, "Is it because you're from the mermaid tribe that you can do that?"

Shang Liuyu took the wine gourd. Instead of guzzling it like Zu'an, she took a delicate sip before replying, "So you already knew."

Zu'an nodded, seemingly lost in thought or sighing with emotion. "That strange jade pendant you gave me back then, I later learned it was a heart scale from the mermaid tribe, and only royalty possesses them."

Shang Liuyu was somewhat surprised. "Since you know, it seems you've already used it. Was it that dangerous back then?"

"Yes, it was a near-death experience. So, Sister, you saved my life, and I don't know how I can ever repay you," Zu'an said solemnly.

Shang Liuyu pursed her lips and smiled. "I've heard in plays that in situations like this, you're supposed to say 'there's no way to repay a life-saving kindness but to offer myself,' aren't you?"

Zu'an replied, "If Sister doesn't mind, I would, of course, be willing to serve you wholeheartedly."

Shang Liuyu scoffed, "Pfft, who'd want that?" After a moment, she sighed. "You're truly a good man, and I quite like your personality. It's just a shame you're too much of a philanderer, with too many female confidantes around you. Our mermaid tribe, however, pursues devoted and singular love."

Zu'an was taken aback. He had just made a casual joke, yet she seemed to be analyzing it seriously. Shang Liuyu also snapped back to reality and quickly changed the subject. "No wonder you've grown to this extent; facing life-or-death situations is the best way to temper a person."

The two reminisced about various events since their separation, and Zu'an asked again, "Why are you here?"

Shang Liuyu replied, "Isn't the Demon Emperor summoning all tribes to the royal court? Our people are rather lazy and don't want to leave the ocean, so they sent me."

Zu'an was secretly astonished. The Demon Emperor was no fool; he summoned the kings of each tribe. For her to represent the mermaid tribe, her status was clearly not low, though he wasn't one to probe for details.

At this point, Shang Liuyu finally glanced at Chiwen, who lay on the ground like a dead pig. "I happened to be passing by and sensed the power of the trident, so I came to investigate. I didn't expect it to be this scoundrel."

Zu'an suddenly recalled Chiwen's background—rumored to be the offspring of a Dragon King and a fish. Could it be...

Shang Liuyu nodded. "He's my sister's child. Since I was passing by, I couldn't just stand by and watch him die, so I asked you to be lenient."

Zu'an sighed. "Since he's your relative, I naturally won't trouble him further. However, with his scoundrel nature, he's bound to cause trouble again someday, and you can't always save him."

"I know that perfectly well," Shang Liuyu said, her delicate brows furrowing, a rare sight for her. "If something truly happens in the future, he'll only have himself to blame." She was clearly quite displeased with her nephew.

As she spoke, she jumped down from the tree. With a wave of her hand, a stream of clear water poured directly onto Chiwen's head. "Are you dead? If not, get up quickly."

Zu'an also jumped down, specifically glancing at the soles of Shang Liuyu's feet. He noticed a faint blue glow of water flowing, indicating her feet weren't actually touching the ground. As if sensing his gaze, a slight flush appeared on Shang Liuyu's neck, and she instinctively pulled her feet further under her skirt.

At that moment, Chiwen finally stirred awake. Seeing Shang Liuyu, he was both surprised and delighted, reaching out to hug her leg. "Auntie, you must do something for me!"

Thud! He crashed directly into a water barrier, falling flat on his back.

Shang Liuyu's face was cold. "Stop whining. Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough already?"