Listening to Shou Nan Shan and Yu Su Huan laugh in alternating high and low voices, Fu Xi Yan wanted nothing more than to dig three chi into the earth, then three zhang, then three li… and bury himself very, very deeply.
Once the laughter subsided slightly, he cleared his throat. “It was a homophone joke. You understand?”
No.
They did not.
So Shou Nan Shan and Yu Su Huan burst into a second round of laughter.
Fu Xi Yan: “…”
When Pei Xiong Ji emerged from the room, he found Yu Su Huan and Shou Nan Shan standing opposite Fu Xi Yan and whispering to each other. Fu Xi Yan, meanwhile, the eldest daughter-in-law who had left such a profound impression on him during their first meeting, was squatting dejectedly in the corridor with his head lowered, drawing circles on the floor.
Yu Su Huan and Shou Nan Shan immediately felt their superior’s knife-like gaze scrape across them.
Shou Nan Shan looked at him, then at the crouching Fu Xi Yan. “Should I bring him a chair?”
His voice pulled Fu Xi Yan out of his contemplation. Seeing Pei Xiong Ji standing nearby, Fu Xi Yan hurriedly rose. “Greetings, Palace Master.”
Pei Xiong Ji waved his hand. “You aren’t an Immortal Treasury Palace subordinate. Why call me Palace Master? Just call me gonggong.”
Fu Xi Yan thought, Gonggong has more than one meaning, you know.
Seeing him hesitate, Pei Xiong Ji added, “Or just call me Dad?”
Fu Xi Yan: “…”
He looked at Pei Xiong Ji, whose appearance was somehow far younger than Fu Fu’s, and found the word lodged firmly in his throat. He could not say it.
Pei Xiong Ji looked disappointed.
Pei Yuan Jin leaned half his body out of the room. “Call him whatever you want.”
Fu Xi Yan looked at his face. His head heated up, and somehow the words that emerged were, “Yuefu?”
Pei Yuan Jin: “…”
Pei Xiong Ji froze, then smiled and nodded. “Back then, I wanted a daughter, but I ended up with a son. Hearing you call me yuefu makes up for that regret.” He turned and glanced at his own son’s darkening expression, then added, “Fortunately, he’s a son. I won’t feel heartbroken marrying him off.”
Elio’s Notes: 岳父 (yuèfù) specifically means the father of one’s wife. By calling Pei Xiong Ji this, Fu Xi Yan accidentally casts Pei Yuan Jin in the role of the bride. Pei Xiong Ji enthusiastically accepts the joke.
Pei Yuan Jin’s face immediately became even darker.
Pei Xiong Ji chuckled and reached out to pat Fu Xi Yan’s head. Only then did the youthful feeling created by his young appearance recede slightly, revealing the warmth of an elder.
Fu Xi Yan obediently stood still and allowed himself to be patted. Pei Yuan Jin, however, frowned unhappily and stared at that hand so intensely that it looked as though he might rush over if it lingered one instant longer.
Pei Xiong Ji clearly understood the principle of stopping while ahead. Before Pei Yuan Jin’s patience ran out, he tactfully departed with Yu Su Huan and Shou Nan Shan. Shou Nan Shan seemed to have something else to say, but after glancing at his leader’s retreating back, he swallowed it.
Fu Xi Yan shuffled over to Pei Yuan Jin in tiny steps and whispered, “Was I terribly embarrassing just now?”
Pei Yuan Jin looked at the jade pendant in his hand. “My father has worn that since he was young.”
Had he taken away someone’s treasured possession?
Every hair on Fu Xi Yan’s body stood up. “Then I’ll… return it immediately?”
Pei Yuan Jin said, “No need. He gave it to you, so keep it. He gave it because he likes you.” It was also an indirect answer to Fu Xi Yan’s question about whether he had been embarrassing.
…
Fu Xi Yan explained, “Would you believe me if I said I was only stuttering when I tried to call him Palace Master?”
Pei Yuan Jin smiled and reached out to pat his head. Fu Xi Yan had no idea whether it was coincidence, but he could have sworn Pei Yuan Jin touched exactly the same place Pei Xiong Ji had touched earlier. Apparently head-patting was also an inheritance passed from father to son.
The two entered Pei Yuan Jin’s room.
Fu Xi Yan looked around curiously. Although he and Pei Yuan Jin had shared beds for months, they had always stayed in guest rooms or inns. This was his first time seeing the Immortal Treasury Palace Young Master’s actual bedroom… and it was enormous.
Training room, study, meditation room, bath, reception room… Put everything together and it was basically a giant open-plan luxury apartment.
Fu Xi Yan nodded repeatedly while looking around, obviously very satisfied.
Pei Yuan Jin followed behind him. “Anything you dislike can be changed.”
Fu Xi Yan said, “The bath is too dark.” This came entirely from experience in his previous life. Ideally, a bathroom should have a ventilating window to prevent dampness. But most of Pei Yuan Jin’s quarters were buried inside the mountain. The bath especially relied entirely on lamps and luminous pearls for light. It did not even have a ventilation opening, much less sunlight.
Pei Yuan Jin was slightly puzzled. Why did a bath need better lighting? Was Fu Xi Yan afraid he would not be able to see clearly? But what exactly about him was there to see… Then Pei Yuan Jin suddenly realized that in the future, he would no longer be the only person living in this room.
At that thought, faint embarrassment appeared on his face while sweetness filled his heart.
He had always disliked other people entering his personal territory, including his parents. But when it came to Fu Xi Yan, he was perfectly willing to share. He was even impatient to display every treasure he possessed so he could make the other man stay.
After walking through everything once, Fu Xi Yan finally satisfied his curiosity. Thinking that he might live here in the future gave him an unexpected sense of anticipation.
Holding Pei Yuan Jin’s hand, he asked, “What did your father say to you just now? Did he mention me?”
Pei Yuan Jin said, “Elder Yu and Elder Tan are in poor condition. Father has already sent for the Little Divine Doctor. If he doesn’t arrive in time…” The unspoken meaning was obvious.
Fu Xi Yan’s mood immediately sank.
Pei Yuan Jin said, “I’ll have Apothecary Jiang sound out your mother’s whereabouts.”
Fu Xi Yan shook his head. “There’s no hurry. Treating their injuries comes first.”
Pei Yuan Jin fell silent. Jiang Xiu was already one of the finest experts in medicine alive. If even he had no solution, the two elders’ injuries were obviously extremely severe. Even if the Little Divine Doctor arrived, he might not be able to help. Worse, the Little Divine Doctor was currently in the Northern Lands. Nobody knew whether he could arrive in time.
Pei Yuan Jin changed the subject. “Father wants me to succeed him as Palace Master.”
Fu Xi Yan froze, then asked uneasily, “Why?”
Could Palace Master Pei have been injured too? Fu Xi Yan had already admired the man who had protected the last patch of clean ground within the righteous martial world. After meeting him and discovering that he was even kinder and more approachable than imagined, how could Fu Xi Yan not worry?
Fortunately, Pei Yuan Jin’s explanation allowed him to relax somewhat.
“He has gained new insight into his cultivation and needs to enter seclusion. He doesn’t want to occupy the title while doing none of the work.”
In truth, Pei Xiong Ji had wanted to throw away the burden on his shoulders for years. At one point, he had even considered appointing Jing Luo as Vice Palace Master and allowing him to handle all Palace affairs. Jing Luo had firmly refused, forcing Pei Xiong Ji to grit his teeth and carry on for several more years. Now his son had finally grown up and could stand on his own. Naturally, Pei Xiong Ji could hardly wait to toss the burning potato away.
Fu Xi Yan quietly asked, “Could the Thunder Division chiefs returning from everywhere to report their duties have something to do with this?”
Pei Yuan Jin said, “I asked Father. He gave no such order. Whatever the Thunder Division branches are doing has nothing to do with him.”
If it was not Pei Xiong Ji, then nine times out of ten, it had to be Zhao Tong Qu.
Fu Xi Yan frowned slightly. Deep down, he disliked the idea of internal conflict consuming the Immortal Treasury Palace. Yet he also understood that neither he nor Pei Yuan Jin could completely stop events from developing now. Pei Xiong Ji probably could, but for reasons nobody understood, he had not acted.
That left Fu Xi Yan genuinely confused. “With your father’s prestige, dealing with Zhao Tong Qu should be effortless, shouldn’t it?”
Some people were less impressive in person than in legend. Others were more impressive than every story told about them. To Fu Xi Yan, Pei Xiong Ji unquestionably belonged to the latter category, so his expectations had risen infinitely. In Fu Xi Yan’s imagination, the man could summon wind and rain inside the Immortal Treasury Palace and accomplish practically anything.
“But I’m the one who will inherit.”
A single sentence from Pei Yuan Jin pulled him out of his confusion.
Right. Such an enormous inheritance was being handed to the next successor. Naturally, that successor needed to undergo certain tests. Had Pei Yuan Jin traveling around with Yu Su Huan auditing accounts not been one of them?
Since the investigation of the accounts had eventually gone nowhere, Pei Xiong Ji naturally needed to arrange another trial. Perhaps Zhao Tong Qu himself was the final obstacle. The only question was whether Zhao Tong Qu would obediently serve as the gatekeeper and whetstone, or borrow the opportunity to fight with everything he had.
Fu Xi Yan had never met Zhao Tong Qu before today, yet for some inexplicable reason, he was convinced the man would choose the latter.
Anyone who had spent half a lifetime working toward something could not simply release it. The larger the investment, the harder it became to abandon. If anyone doubted that, just count how many heroic men throughout history had lost their heads compared with how many willingly cut off their own arms.
If even an outsider like Fu Xi Yan understood that logic, there was no reason the Immortal Treasury Palace Young Master could not. Yet Pei Yuan Jin still frowned, clearly not pleased by the outcome.
Fu Xi Yan was puzzled. Taking over the family enterprise early under his father’s protection was something countless people would beg for and never receive. If Pei Yuan Jin doubted it, he could interview Yinreng and ask how it felt to spend thirty-seven years as crown prince only to fail at the final hurdle.
Elio’s Notes: Yinreng was the Kangxi Emperor’s crown prince. He held the position for decades before being deposed, making him a particularly pointed example for Fu Xi Yan’s joke about an heir who waited too long and still failed to inherit.
Pei Yuan Jin finally voiced the doubt he had hidden for a long time. “Perhaps I’m not suited to being Palace Master.”
The idea had not appeared from nowhere. It first surfaced when Pei Yuan Jin saw the chaos among the Southern Yu branches, then gradually took shape as people such as Ying He and Wang Fa Cai demonstrated their individual abilities.
Pei Yuan Jin’s martial path meant moving forward without hesitation. Immortal Treasury Palace affairs, however, were complicated and tangled. Clearly, they could not all be resolved by cutting straight through them. If he inherited the position, perhaps he too would end up like his father, throwing everything to other people while doing as little administration as possible.
But Pei Yuan Jin did not have a Jing Luo beside him.
As he thought, his gaze involuntarily drifted toward Fu Xi Yan. Ever since gaining someone who could speak on his behalf, Pei Yuan Jin felt that both his work and his quality of life had improved dramatically. All those irritating matters finally had somewhere trustworthy to go.
Fu Xi Yan: “…” Pei Yuan Jin is the one saying he isn’t suited to being Palace Master, so why is the back of my neck suddenly cold?
Across both his lives, Fu Xi Yan had never possessed any ambition along the lines of “waking to command all beneath Heaven.” Yet when Pei Yuan Jin looked at him with complete trust, he suddenly wanted to roar, No problem! You inherit the family business in peace. I’ll hold the Son of Heaven hostage and command the feudal lords for you!
Elio’s Notes: “Hold the Son of Heaven and command the feudal lords” is a famous historical formulation for controlling political power through possession of the emperor. Fu Xi Yan is joking that Pei Yuan Jin can inherit the title while he becomes the power behind the throne.
…
Fu Xi Yan felt that Pei Yuan Jin succeeding as Palace Master might not merely be a test of Pei Yuan Jin’s abilities.
It might also be a test of Fu Xi Yan’s humanity.
No. He had to remain true to his original aspiration and remember his mission…
But wasn’t his original aspiration to become a Long Aotian?!
He silently looked at Pei Yuan Jin, remembered a comedy program from his previous life, and immediately clamped his mouth shut. He was terrified that if he opened it, what came out would not be “Young Master” in the dignified Immortal Treasury Palace sense, but “Young Master” in the servant-calling-for-his-master sense.
Elio’s Notes: “Long Aotian” is Chinese internet shorthand for an absurdly overpowered protagonist. The surrounding joke also alludes to the comedy sketch The Young Master and Me, whose character Long Aotian serves a “young master.” Fu Xi Yan realizes his dream of becoming the mighty Long Aotian could take a disastrously literal turn.
＊
During the day, the lights throughout the Immortal Treasury Palace resembled fireflies, beautiful but not particularly bright. Once night fell, however, those “fireflies” transformed into stars fallen into the mortal world. The darkness of the Palace became a brilliant river of stars.
To celebrate his son bringing his future wife home, Pei Xiong Ji held a welcome banquet.
Yu Su Huan brought Fu Xi Yan a formal banquet outfit in the distinctive style of the Immortal Treasury Palace. It fitted perfectly, so clearly it had been prepared beforehand.
The banquet robes had layer after layer. Once Pei Xiong Ji’s jade pendant was added, Fu Xi Yan looked considerably more dignified and spirited. The only problem was… Fu Xi Yan fanned himself with his sleeve. “Isn’t this too hot for summer?”
Yu Su Huan adjusted his collar and then his headdress. “The mountain gets cold. If Young Master weren’t beside you, you’d need a cloak outside too.”
Fu Xi Yan turned left and right before the mirror. The headdress visually lengthened both his height and his face, making him look slightly less round. Satisfied, he tolerated the heat. Then he glanced at Shou Nan Shan, who was whispering with Pei Yuan Jin, and quietly asked, “Is there anything I need to pay attention to during the banquet?”
Yu Su Huan glanced down at the jade pendant hanging from his waist and smiled. “There used to be. Not anymore.” Someone personally recognized by the Palace Master as his daughter-in-law was practically holding an imperial sword of authority.
The banquet was held in an open area within the mountain.
A small table stood before each person, arranged in a circle around a bonfire. Firelight scattered in every direction, illuminating everyone’s faces so clearly that whether they were human or ghost could be seen at a glance.
Although the banquet had been arranged at short notice, participation among the Immortal Treasury Palace leadership was extremely high. Of the six elders, Elder Yu and Elder Tan were absent because of their injuries. Yi Jue, Ying Zhu Cui, Bai Li Shen, and Ji Mo were all present.
Of the four Chief Stewards, three were present and one absent. Chief Steward Jing was still nowhere to be seen. Shou Nan Shan and Yu Su Huan were naturally there, while Zhao Tong Qu, who was rumored to be completely incompatible with Pei Yuan Jin, had arrived early out of respect. He sat below Ying Zhu Cui and chatted warmly with her.
Fu Xi Yan followed Pei Yuan Jin and greeted the elders one after another. Bai Li Shen reacted indifferently. Ji Mo smiled warmly. Only Ying Zhu Cui, who had still been smiling while speaking with Zhao Tong Qu, immediately darkened when she turned around. Yet when her gaze landed on the jade pendant at Fu Xi Yan’s waist, the corner of her mouth twitched violently and she ultimately nodded to him.
Zhao Tong Qu smiled. “During the battle in Southern Yu’s imperial palace, Young Master and Young Madam worked in perfect harmony and shook the world with their fame. Looking across all beneath Heaven, one could hardly find another pair so perfectly matched.”
The words sounded complimentary, but coming from an opponent, they inevitably invited suspicion. Seeing Ying Zhu Cui’s expression shift repeatedly, Fu Xi Yan hurriedly said, “Judging by Your Excellency’s magnificent bearing and distinguished appearance, you must be the only Thunder Division Chief Steward among the four Chief Stewards?”
…
The four Chief Stewards oversaw the Wind, Rain, Thunder, and Lightning Divisions. Naturally there could only be one Chief Steward of the Thunder Division. At first glance, Fu Xi Yan’s statement seemed perfectly normal. The longer one considered it, however, the stranger it sounded.
Zhao Tong Qu’s expression did not change at all. He accepted the compliment in full. “Young Madam has excellent eyes. This subordinate is Zhao Tong Qu.” His attitude was so proper that not the slightest fault could be found.
Fu Xi Yan had thrown a punch only to hit cotton. He could do nothing except answer with an equally sincere “hehe.”
As host of the banquet and highest leader of the Immortal Treasury Palace, Pei Xiong Ji naturally appeared only after everyone else had arrived. The instant he sat down, the banquet officially began.
Food streamed in.
The very first dish was something as substantial as a whole roasted lamb.
Fu Xi Yan took one bite of the roasted meat, mentally swore in amazement, then immediately entered hurricane mode. The whole roasted lamb might not possess the perfect balance of fat and lean found in Auspicious Snow Divine Beef, but its crisp exterior and tender interior possessed an entirely different charm.
He ate so enthusiastically that Yi Jue, Bai Li Shen, and the others sitting across from him unconsciously increased their own appetites. Pei Xiong Ji had originally intended to say a few ceremonial words, but seeing everyone eating so happily, he could only silently join them.
Only small pockets of conversation sounded throughout the banquet, making the atmosphere rather quiet.
Pei Xiong Ji ate while observing his future daughter-in-law. Once Fu Xi Yan reached ninety percent full and set down his chopsticks, Pei Xiong Ji began formally introducing everyone present.
Being personally introduced by the Palace Master was naturally different from Fu Xi Yan simply trailing behind Pei Yuan Jin earlier and greeting people one by one.
Bai Li Shen, whose expression had previously been indifferent, personally raised his cup and toasted Fu Xi Yan from across the distance.
Ji Mo proved not silent in the least. Before everyone, he smiled and praised Fu Xi Yan as “a formidable member of the younger generation.”
Ying Zhu Cui, who had restrained herself earlier because of the jade pendant, hesitated before finally saying, “Having the Harmonized Yang Pill consumed by a man is ultimately inappropriate.”
The lively atmosphere froze instantly.
Shou Nan Shan unconsciously frowned. The chopsticks in his hand had already pierced a piece of lamb, but he did not bring it to his mouth.
Yu Su Huan instinctively looked toward Pei Yuan Jin. Pei Yuan Jin’s expression remained as cold as ever, but the Crimson Dragon King in his hair seemed to sense its master’s displeasure and began glowing faintly.
Fu Xi Yan, however, did not lower the smile permanently hanging at the corners of his mouth. His dark, grape-like eyes looked openly and calmly at Ying Zhu Cui, as though the man she had accused of consuming the Harmonized Yang Pill had nothing whatsoever to do with him.
If nothing else, that composure alone caused several elders meeting him for the first time to reassess him.
It was not that Fu Xi Yan genuinely possessed nerves of steel. He had simply anticipated a situation like this before coming to the Immortal Treasury Palace and prepared himself mentally.
A hundred kinds of rice raised a hundred kinds of people. Yu Su Huan and Shou Nan Shan treating him warmly did not mean the entire Immortal Treasury Palace would welcome him, particularly when the Palace contained an opponent like Zhao Tong Qu.
Seeing the atmosphere deadlock, Ji Mo hurriedly smoothed things over. “Ha ha. This was all Heaven’s will.”
Ying Zhu Cui stiffened her neck. “Whether it was Heaven’s will or human interference has never been established.”
Yu Su Huan’s gaze turned toward Zhao Tong Qu.
The importance of the Harmonized Yang Pill to Pei Yuan Jin, and even to the entire Immortal Treasury Palace, needed no explanation. After it was successfully refined, it had been stored inside the Secret Pavilion beneath layer after layer of protection. On the surface, its theft had supposedly been committed by the Thief King. Yet the Thief King came and went without leaving traces, and countless rumors surrounded him, while nobody had ever seen his real face. He increasingly resembled a lie deliberately created to conceal the truth.
Yu Su Huan and Pei Yuan Jin were more inclined to believe there was an internal traitor within the Palace. Anyone capable of passing through all the mechanisms protecting the Secret Pavilion had to be among the Palace leadership. Of everyone present tonight, Zhao Tong Qu was the most suspicious.
But Ying Zhu Cui and Zhao Tong Qu had always possessed a relationship resembling mother and son. If Zhao Tong Qu truly was the person behind the theft, why would he allow her to raise the old issue again? Or perhaps Ying Zhu Cui had not coordinated with him before speaking? Yet judging by Zhao Tong Qu’s perfectly calm expression, her comments did not seem to surprise him.
That alone demanded caution.
Pei Xiong Ji was extremely tolerant toward the elders. He said gently, “There is no need to rush. Jing Luo is already handling the matter.” In Palace Master Pei’s eyes, apparently the correct solution to every troublesome matter was simply to throw it toward the Lightning Division.
Ying Zhu Cui said, “We don’t even know where Old Jing is right now. If this drags on any longer, whatever clues remain will be erased. The matter concerns Young Master. Why not allow Young Master to investigate it himself?”
Pei Xiong Ji instinctively objected. He was obsessed with martial arts and disliked administrative affairs. Although he wanted to hand the position of Palace Master to his son, he did not want his son trapped beneath endless trivial matters either.
Ying Zhu Cui looked around the gathering before her gaze settled on Zhao Tong Qu. “Then among everyone in the Palace, only Tong Qu is suitable.”
Zhao Tong Qu merely returned her gaze calmly. He neither accepted nor refused, appearing perfectly willing to obey whatever was decided.
Yu Su Huan frowned slightly and looked at Shou Nan Shan.
In her mind, handing the investigation to Zhao Tong Qu was no different from asking the thief to catch himself. Yet if Pei Yuan Jin did not intervene, only Shou Nan Shan among the remaining people possessed enough standing to counter Zhao Tong Qu. Yu Su Huan might be one of the four Chief Stewards herself, but because she knew no martial arts, her prestige within the Palace was limited.
Shou Nan Shan hesitated.
Ever since returning from Southern Yu, his body had been spontaneously absorbing spiritual energy and converting it into true qi, constantly straining toward advancement into the Martial God Stage. He had already requested leave from Pei Xiong Ji and intended to enter seclusion. If he accepted this investigation, naturally the seclusion would have to be delayed, and the consequences to his body might be irreversible.
Seeing him remain silent, Yu Su Huan understood his answer. She sighed faintly and prepared to volunteer herself. “In that case…”
“I’ll investigate!” Fu Xi Yan raised his hand high.
Ying Zhu Cui frowned. “This is an internal Palace matter…”
“That’s precisely why you need an outsider to investigate.” Fu Xi Yan spoke with perfect righteousness. “Among everyone here, the most innocent person is obviously the person directly involved. I’m innocent, and I’m an outsider. I’m unfamiliar with everyone in the Palace and have no interests that would make me shield anyone. Doesn’t that make me the most suitable investigator?”
Ying Zhu Cui was so angered by his shamelessness that her lips turned pale. She stared coldly into his eyes. “The person involved may not necessarily be innocent.”
Fu Xi Yan said, “Elder Ying suspects Young Master stole the thing he was guarding himself? Then why would he do that? Surely he didn’t fall in love with me at first sight, develop improper intentions, and arrange everything in advance?” As he spoke, he smiled toward the “suspect.”
Ever since Fu Xi Yan began speaking, the Crimson Dragon King had returned to silence. Pei Yuan Jin tilted his head slightly when he heard this. He neither admitted nor denied anything, but no matter how one looked at him, the corners of his eyes and brows seemed filled with laughter and affection, almost as though he were agreeing.
Ying Zhu Cui was so furious at having her meaning twisted that the small table and bowls beneath her hands turned instantly into powder. The food itself somehow remained intact and fell directly into the dust.
Fu Xi Yan genuinely could not decide whether to praise her for cherishing food or condemn her for wasting it.
“In that case, before Chief Steward Jing returns, let Xi Yan investigate.” Pei Xiong Ji delivered the final decision before Ying Zhu Cui could explode.
In truth, he had left his future daughter-in-law an enormous escape route. If Fu Xi Yan failed to discover anything, Jing Luo could simply return and clean up the aftermath.
Ying Zhu Cui naturally understood the implication. She rose furiously, yet still suppressed her anger long enough to bow to Pei Xiong Ji before leaving without looking back.
Zhao Tong Qu sat nearby with a faintly bitter smile, as though distancing himself from the entire dispute. Not only that, he actively offered Fu Xi Yan his assistance. “If Young Madam needs my help during the investigation, simply ask.”
Fu Xi Yan immediately climbed the pole handed to him. “Brother Zhao, how much do you know about the entire sequence of events?”
Zhao Tong Qu answered openly. “I was not at headquarters when the Harmonized Yang Pill disappeared. Afterward, Chief Steward Jing took over the investigation, so I did not interfere. The Thunder Division is not responsible for guarding the Secret Pavilion, but it does oversee the outer security of the Immortal Treasury Palace. If Young Madam needs it, I can give you the guard roster from that day.”
The man was so cooperative that he was practically flawless.
Fu Xi Yan could only smile. “Thank you.”