Chapter 20

Upon returning home, Guan Haoran hastily handed the medicine package to the waiting maid. “Fang’er, please hurry and prepare the medicine.”

“Young master, who is this pharmacist, and what’s the prescription?” Fang’er asked hesitantly as she received the medicine package.

“Why so many questions? Just go quickly,” Guan Haoran scolded with a guilty conscience. What if his parents discovered that this recipe came from Li Tianyan?

“Yes, young master,” Fang’er agreed and swiftly exited.

However, shortly after, Guan Haoran noticed his mother rushing into the courtyard, prompting him to rub his forehead in frustration. These girls were indeed unreliable.

“Ran’er, I heard you went to Pharmacist Sun today. Did you meet him? The servants mentioned you brought back medicine. Was it prescribed by Pharmacist Sun?” Madam Guan eagerly inquired.

“Mother…” Guan Haoran, feeling overwhelmed by the questions, responded helplessly.

“What’s wrong?” Madam Guan, seeing her son’s expression of embarrassment, tightened her eyebrows in worry. “But what did Pharmacist Sun say?”

Guan Haoran took a deep breath, looking at the concerned mother before him. Finally lacking the courage to tell the truth, he admitted, “No.”

“That’s good; these pharmacists are all ineffective, and my son hasn’t recovered despite numerous medicines. If Pharmacist Sun’s remedies don’t show improvement, mark my words, I’ll confront them at Sunhe Medicine Hall,” Madam Guan declared, angrily rolling up one sleeve, shedding the demeanor of a lady in an instant.

Guan Haoran, accustomed to his mother’s fickleness, could only stand aside and laugh. He had long forgotten the advice from shopkeeper Sunhe Medicine Hall.

But, thinking of Li Tianyan, Guan Haoran couldn’t help but inquire, “Mom, where did those pills that you gave me came from?”

His mother, unsure of their origin three years ago, had bought several boxes of elixirs, claiming they might help him develop fire spiritual roots. Initially skeptical, Guan Haoran gradually believed it as he felt invigorated when he took the elixirs.

However, during the Tianfan Immortal Sect election a few months ago, he still failed to test his spiritual roots. While this incident left Guan Haoran feeling lost for a while, he soon discovered an issue with his body, and he no longer cared about the loss.

He hadn’t asked this before, but the cultivators from the Tianfan Immortal Sect rarely travel here, so encountering them was unlikely.

“Your mother was lucky enough to meet a cultivator, the cultivator at the time mentioned, it was a little too late. If you had started taking the medicinal pills before you were ten years old, your chances of success would be greater.” She still felt a twinge of pity when discussing this.

The Guan family only had one heir, Guan Haoran. However, as Haoran wasn’t suitable to be a warrior, his mother tried every meant to obtain medicinal pills, but her hopes were met with failure.

Guan Haoran, hearing his mother repeat these words, didn’t think much of it before. However, today, he suddenly felt a bit confused.

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Upon Li Tianyan’s return to Li Mansion, he sensed an unusual atmosphere, marked by unfamiliar smells. Though they had been away for only half a day, it appeared that a significant event had occurred in Li Mansion.

Entering the Qingzhu Courtyard, they encountered Xiao Liu, anxiously waiting at the courtyard entrance. Xiao Liu visibly sighed in relief, seeing the return of his young master and young madam.

“Young master, the old madam has returned. Quickly change your clothes and join the young madam to greet her. All the young masters and ladies in the mansion are already in there,” Xiao Liu explained urgently to Li Tianyan.

“Old Madam?” Li Tianyan pondered for a moment before realizing that the old madam referred to the original owner’s grandmother. Since Li Pei officially assumed control of the Li family, the elderly couple had moved to Bieyuan. The last time they came back was due to Tianfan Immortal Sect election. This time…

“Isn’t the old madam’s birthday still a few days away? Why did she return today?” In Li Tianyan’s recollection, this old madam was not easy to get along with. In the past, when held in her arms, she never gave him a warm look.

“I heard the old madam is personally arranging the birthday banquet this time, so she returned early,” Xiao Liu explained, urging, “Young master, you better hurry. It’s not good to be late.”

“Li Wu, prepare some suitable clothes for a change.” Li Tianyan glanced at his casual attire and instructed Li Wu.

“Yes, the little one will do it right away.” Li Wu responded, swiftly entering the room to select an appropriate outfit from the young master’s wardrobe.

“Does the young madam have anything suitable to wear?” Li Tianyan glanced at Cheng Qi beside him. The little shuanger seemed to be in coarse attire, an oversight that Li Tianyan hadn’t paid much attention to before.

“When we got married, a set of custom brocade uniforms was prepared for the young madam. I’ve found it. Young master, I’ll take the young madam to change clothes first.” After Xiao Liu finished speaking, Li Tianyan nodded, and they quickly headed inside to their room.

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Li Tianyan stood in the courtyard for a moment, and the chatter of the nearby servants reached his ears. In a short time, he gathered the latest news from Li Mansion.

This birthday banquet for the old madam marked Li Mansion’s first grand event since Li Tiancheng entered Tianfan Immortal Sect. It wouldn’t be attended only by individuals from major families in Jincheng; even aristocratic families from Yuncheng and Guancheng were expected to send congratulatory gifts. No wonder the old madam attached such importance, mobilizing everyone to return and organize it herself.

Not only did the old madam return, but Li Pei’s younger brothers, who had been separated, also moved back temporarily under the guise of the birthday banquet, including the second master, Li Kun.

Li Tianyan’s gaze fell on a courtyard not far away, a slight smile playing on his lips. He had worried about not having the opportunity to settle accounts with Li Kun, but fate seemed to bring him to Li Tianyan’s doorstep.

“Young master, the clothes have been prepared for you.”

Li Wu, who had readied a change of clothes for Li Tianyan, caught sight of the sly smile on his young master’s face and felt a foreboding sense of trouble. He wondered which unfortunate soul would be on the receiving end this time.

“Yeah.” Li Tianyan looked away and casually strolled back to the room, hands behind his back. They were already running late, so a slight delay wouldn’t matter much.

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“Xiao Liu, do I really have to go?” Cheng Qi raised his arms as Xiao Liu attended to him, expressing concern about the impending meeting with the old madam of Li Mansion.

“When I was in Cheng Mansion, it felt like I was forgotten. No one remembered me on any important day. But now, facing Li Tianyan’s elders, I can’t help but feel scared,” Cheng Qi admitted.

“You are the young master’s wife. Of course, you must accompany him to pay respects to the old madam,” Xiao Liu affirmed. Reflecting on the past, the young master might not have been willing to bring his wife along, but the relationship between them had improved. Xiao Liu couldn’t bear to let Cheng Qi be subject to ridicule.

“But what if they don’t like me?” Cheng Qi expressed his worries, thinking of Li Wan.

“Don’t worry, young madam. As long as the young master is present, he will protect you,” Xiao Liu assured, adjusting Cheng Qi’s belt. He noticed that in the past month, the young madam seemed to have gained a little weight, looking healthier than before.

Cheng Qi eventually abandoned the idea of struggling after hearing Xiao Liu’s reassurance.

When Cheng Qi emerged from the room after changing clothes, he saw Li Tianyan already waiting outside. He wore a white long-sleeved robe, exuding an otherworldly aura. Li Tianyan seemed to have descended from the realm of immortality, intimidating yet captivating everyone’s attention.

Hearing the movement, Li Tianyan turned his gaze toward Cheng Qi, wearing a smile. “Are you ready?”

“Yeah.” Cheng Qi’s worries melted away at the sight of his smile, and he simply nodded in response.

Xiao Liu, who had been focused on the young madam, finally diverted his attention when he noticed Cheng Qi’s enchanted expression. Secretly amused, he offered a gentle reminder, “Young madam, please be mindful not to lose yourself in front of the old madam.”@@novelbin@@

“Yes, I understand.” Cheng Qi snapped back to reality at Xiao Liu’s words, his face reddening. He lowered his head and swiftly walked to stand beside Li Tianyan.

Li Tianyan inspected Cheng Qi’s attire. The blue outfit looked quite respectable, and the eye patch had been removed. Xiao Liu had arranged some bangs to cover Cheng Qi’s left eye, making the facial birthmarks less noticeable unless examined closely.

Satisfied that Cheng Qi was ready, Li Tianyan led him out of Qingzhu Couryard towards Taiqing Courtyard, where the old madam of Li Mansion resided.