“Your Majesty, the Flower King.” Xiao Yao entered from outside and bowed respectfully to Yun Qingxue, who was already dressed. “Your Majesty, the Supreme Lord has sent gifts for you.”
Gifts? Yun Qingxue raised an eyebrow. What trick was Cang Yan trying to play now?
“Bring them in,” Yun Qingxue ordered.
Xiao Yao bowed and exited the inner chamber. Soon, she returned leading a team of guards.
The guards were divided into six pairs, each pair carrying a large chest big enough to hold a person. After entering, they gently placed the chests before Yun Qingxue and, in unison, opened the lids in front of her.
As the lids of the six chests were lifted, the elegantly decorated inner chamber was instantly bathed in a dazzling display of jewels and treasures.
One of the guards stepped forward and bowed to Yun Qingxue. “Your Majesty, these are all gifts the Supreme Lord has ordered us to present to you. Please take your time to examine them. We shall take our leave now.”
With that, the guard led the others out in an orderly manner.
Xiao Ling, standing behind Yun Qingxue, had been staring at the chests since they were opened, unable to tear her eyes away. Xiao Yao also gasped in awe—each chest was filled with priceless treasures that were nearly impossible to obtain!
“The Supreme Lord treats Your Majesty so well, it’s beyond words!” After a moment, Xiao Ling was the first to regain her composure and speak. She felt immensely grateful for having pledged her loyalty to Yun Qingxue. Seeing the treasures sent by the Supreme Lord, it was clear how much favor the Flower King held in his heart. Following her, Xiao Ling was certain that her own rise to prominence among the beast clans was only a matter of time!
“Indeed, the Supreme Lord treats Your Majesty exceptionally well. So many rare treasures—I’ve never seen anything like them before,” Xiao Yao chimed in. Noticing Yun Qingxue lost in thought as she gazed at the chests, Xiao Yao smiled and pointed to the nearest one. “They say the Seven-Colored Fire-Soul Ice Silkworm Silk is nearly impossible to find in this world, yet the Supreme Lord has sent you an entire chest of it! Garments made from this fabric are warm in winter and cool in summer, can withstand attacks from spirits under a thousand years of cultivation, and are incredibly light and elegant—perfectly beautiful! Shall I summon the finest tailors in the beast clans to craft two dresses for you with this material?”
“And these!” Xiao Ling, not to be outdone, rushed to the chests and retrieved a pair of fiery red jade bracelets. She proudly presented them to Yun Qingxue. “Your Majesty, these—these are truly the legendary ‘Lantian Blood-Warm Jade’! If you hold them up to the light, you can see what looks like flowing blood inside. Touch them—they’re warm to the touch. In all my years, I’ve only heard of such treasures. To see them with my own eyes today is all thanks to Your Majesty’s grace!”
“Put them back. Both of you, leave now,” Yun Qingxue said without much emotion.
Xiao Ling was stunned. Any other woman would have been overjoyed to receive such lavish gifts from the Supreme Lord. Why wasn’t the Flower King reacting as expected? Shouldn’t she be ecstatic?
“Your servant takes her leave,” Xiao Yao curtsied and, noticing Xiao Ling still standing there foolishly holding the blood-jade bracelets, frowned and shot her a sharp look.
Seeing Xiao Yao’s signal, Xiao Ling reluctantly placed the treasures back into the chest and bowed before following Xiao Yao out of the inner chamber.
Yun Qingxue gazed thoughtfully at the six chests filled with treasures before her. Was Cang Yan the type to offer gifts without reason? What was his true motive for sending so many priceless items so suddenly?
“Xiao Yao, don’t you think the Flower King’s reaction was strange?” Once outside, Xiao Ling couldn’t help but ask.
Xiao Yao sighed. “Our duty is to follow orders, not to speculate about our master’s thoughts. That’s the only way to avoid trouble.”
Xiao Ling pouted in dissatisfaction and muttered, “But her reaction really was unusual…”
Xiao Yao’s eyes turned cold, and she snapped in a low voice, “Xiao Ling!”
Startled by Xiao Yao’s sudden harshness, Xiao Ling felt a surge of resentment. She believed herself to be the Flower King’s trusted confidante now, and Xiao Yao’s scolding made her feel belittled. She thought Xiao Yao must look down on her, seeing her as inferior and dependent.
Though Xiao Ling stayed silent, a rift began to form in her heart.
Xiao Yao, having reprimanded her, was about to offer some advice to her seemingly oblivious friend when she spotted clusters of flowers moving toward them from a distance.
Xiao Ling’s attention was also drawn to the approaching floral display.
Soon, the flowers reached them, and a delicate face peeked out from behind the blossoms. “Sisters, I’ve been sent by the Supreme Lord to deliver these flowers to Her Majesty, the Flower King.”
“Please wait a moment, sister. I’ll inform Her Majesty,” Xiao Yao replied with a polite smile.
“I’ll go,” Xiao Ling suddenly interjected, turning and striding into the inner chamber without even glancing at Xiao Yao. The Supreme Lord had sent so many flowers to please the Flower King—did Xiao Yao think she could steal the opportunity to curry favor by delivering the message herself? Not a chance!
Xiao Yao frowned as she watched Xiao Ling’s retreating figure, sensing that something about her had changed.
Meanwhile, Yun Qingxue was still pondering Cang Yan’s intentions when Xiao Ling’s excited voice echoed from outside. “Your Majesty, the Supreme Lord has sent you so many beautiful flowers! You must come and see them!”
Before she even entered, her voice had already filled the chamber.
Xiao Ling stepped inside and bowed eagerly. “Your Majesty, please come out quickly! The flowers are countless and absolutely stunning!”
Yun Qingxue walked toward the exit. First gifts, now flowers—what exactly was Cang Yan planning?
Stepping into the outer courtyard, she saw it filled with meticulously arranged blossoms. A maidservant approached and bowed. “Your Majesty, I’ve been sent by the Supreme Lord to present these flowers to you.”
A gentle breeze carried the fragrance of the flowers through the air.
Another cluster of flowers, slightly smaller but more exquisitely decorated than the others, slowly made its way toward Yun Qingxue.
“All hail the Supreme Lord!” The maidservants in the courtyard bowed deeply toward the approaching floral display.
Cang Yan, holding the bouquet, walked through the sea of flowers with a smile in his eyes as he approached Yun Qingxue.
When he reached her, he extended the flowers and said warmly, “For you, Qingxue. Do you like these gifts?”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage