Let Me Explain, Fairy
Chapter 844 - 529: Just a Door Away

Chapter 844: Chapter 529: Just a Door Away

After hearing Ran Qingmo’s words, Xu Yuan had to admit that he felt a moment of panic, though it wasn’t from fear. It was more like the unease he felt back in his previous life, when he and his ex-girlfriend came out of a hotel and bumped into her parents unexpectedly.

According to experience, the more uneasy you are, the more dissatisfied her parents will feel, and they might even lose control and want to beat you up. Keeping calm and mature might give you the upper hand.

Of course, experiences from his past life shouldn’t be recklessly applied to his current life.

If Ran Jianli, the muscle-bound old man who wielded the Giant Sword, saw his precious disciple spending the night with this debauchee, he would probably chop him to pieces.

Xu Yuan was just a door away from death.

Of course, that was a joke.

After all, this was the Prime Minister’s Mansion, and Ran Jianli couldn’t actually chop him up, but a beating was definitely unavoidable.

However, all of this was predicated on the old man being able to enter the inner courtyard first.

The thick doors of the inner courtyard in the Prime Minister’s Mansion and the protective Formation Patterns etched upon them might seem like mere paper to Ran Jianli, but it was untouchable paper.

The inner courtyard of the Prime Minister’s Mansion was the real hub of secrets. Ran Qingmo could enter because Xu Yinhè had agreed; anyone else, even those using Will-spirit to probe the area, would be crossing a red line.

That much, Ran Jianli would definitely understand.

So, in short, no entry, no problems.

After a brief reflection, Xu Yuan spoke to Ran Qingmo:

"Why does your master know you’re in the inner courtyard?"

As soon as he spoke, Xu Yuan realized how silly his question was.

Last night, Big Ice Lump had hurried back to the Prime Minister’s Mansion non-stop, and Ran Jianli, who was both a father and a master, would naturally want to follow and check on her. Unfortunately, due to his status, he couldn’t come over on New Year’s Eve, so he rushed over early on the first day of the New Year. He went to Qingxin Pavilion only to find no one there. Knowing Ran Qingmo’s character, she wouldn’t have wandered off, so naturally, he went to the inner courtyard to intercept her.

Thinking this, Xu Yuan quickly changed his question before Ran Qingmo could respond:

"Ahem, how did your master communicate with you?"

Engraved in ​​the inner courtyard of the Prime Minister’s Mansion was a top-tier Chaotic Inheritance Formation to avoid Will-spirit probing, and communicating required first locking onto the person with Will-spirit or Origin Qi. Theoretically, with the Formation between them, Ran Jianli shouldn’t be able to lock onto Ran Qingmo with Will-spirit or Origin Qi, let alone communicate.

Upon hearing this, Ran Qingmo honestly reached for her neck, pulling out an object resembling a jade pendant from the collar of her dark clothing:

"Using this..."

".... "

Xu Yuan stared at the jade pendant with suspicion in his eyes.

Xu Xinyao watched for a few moments, then suddenly spoke with a touch of novelty:

"Brother, this looks like a portable communication magic artifact similar to the Tianxun Crystal Orb. It has a limited range, but it can ignore the interference of the Chaotic Inheritance."

Ran Qingmo looked at Xu Xinyao, who was wide-eyed with curiosity, and gently handed over the jade pendant, asking softly:

"... Do you want to take a look?"

"Eh? Can I?"

Xu Xinyao blinked her eyes, stretched out her hand to receive it, and smiling said, "Thank you, Sister Qingmo...."

"Smack."

Before Xu Xinyao’s fair hand could touch the jade pendant, Xu Yuan unceremoniously slapped it away.

Xu Yuan glared at her and said,

"What are you looking at? Want to see everything? Can’t you study on your own?"

The back of her fair hand turned a shade of red. Xu Xinyao, in pain, rubbed her hand, her eyes somewhat resentful, muttering,

"This jade pendant isn’t yours, Third Brother...."

Xu Yuan couldn’t be bothered with her, grabbed Ran Qingmo’s hand holding the jade pendant, and helped her tuck it back into her clothes, advising,

"Don’t just casually take this jade pendant out."

Ran Qingmo looked up,

"Ah? Oh..."

Xu Yuan gently shook his head, sighing inwardly.

Big Ice Lump was truly naive; such a secret gadget, she just casually showed it to him.

If the Tianxun Crystal Orb was compared to a mobile phone, then the jade pendant in Ran Qingmo’s hand could somewhat be considered a short-range radio.

On a strategic level, this device might not be very useful, but tactically, it could catch people by surprise, especially since inside the Prime Minister’s Mansion there were no communication magic artifacts that could ignore "All-Screen Blocking Interference."

This made it clear—never underestimate the people of the world; forces striving to climb up the technology tree of Formation Patterns to prepare for war were not limited to just the Prime Minister’s Mansion.

While he was thinking,

"Knock, knock, knock—"

A heavy knocking sound suddenly came from the door, and Xu Yuan instinctively shivered, stepping back half a step.

Although it seemed unlikely, according to the description of Ran Jianli’s personality in the Cangyuan Chronicles, he really was a little afraid that the muscle-bound old man might break the door down.

But Ran Jianli outside was still rational. After all, in his view, that debauched Third Young Master of the Xu Family had already been assassinated, and even if his own disciple stayed overnight in the inner courtyard of the Prime Minister’s Mansion, at most, she was having a profound secret talk with the foster daughter of the house.

After knocking, Ran Jianli just coaxed with his deep voice:

"Qingmo, your master knows you’re inside. Open the door, I’ve come to fetch you."

Ran Qingmo glanced back at Xu Yuan:

"Hmm... can I help master to open the door?"

Xu Yuan chuckled awkwardly:

"Do you want to go back now?"

Ran Qingmo’s gaze wandered between Xu Yuan and the door, pondered for a moment, and gently shook her head:

"Do you want me to go back?"

Xu Yuan smiled softly, instinctively reaching out to embrace the girl, but she dodged him warily.

She stared at him:

"Xu Yuan... what are you doing?"

Being embraced by Xu Yuan gave her an odd feeling, making it difficult for her to focus on her cultivation, which would affect her efficiency.

Unable to grasp her, Xu Yuan wasn’t embarrassed but softly said,

"Of course, I don’t either. Then, why don’t you tell your master to go back first?"

"Okay."

Ran Qingmo nodded, walked crunchingly on the snow to the door, and through the thick wooden door, softly replied:

"Master... Xu Yuan asked me to tell you to go back first."

".... " Xu Yuan.

".... " Xu Xinyao.

".... " Xu Changge.

Silence fell outside like the dead.

Ran Qingmo looked back, seeing Xu Yuan’s stunned expression, and gently asked:

"Xu Yuan... Master isn’t responding, what should we do?"

"..."

Xu Yuan twitched the corner of his eye and glanced at the dead silence behind the courtyard door, not immediately replying to Ran Qingmo, but quickly whispering to Xu Xinyao,

"Xinyao, Ran Qingmo doesn’t have the soul key for the inner courtyard’s formation, so she shouldn’t be able to hear us speaking from outside, right?"

The Sound Avoidance Formation engraved in the inner courtyard was one-way; sounds from outside could be heard inside, but if one did not wish to transmit sounds outward, they couldn’t be heard outside at all.

Xu Xinyao glanced at Xu Yuan, rubbing her recently slapped wrist and said gloomily,

"They can’t hear."

Xu Yuan immediately sighed in relief, but then Xu Xinyao added,

"They might also be able to hear, after all, the State Preceptor is a Saint."

"..." Xu Yuan.

Just as his heart started racing, Xu Xinyao added leisurely,

"However... since the Reflection Source Formation in the inner courtyard didn’t react just now, the State Preceptor probably isn’t using his cultivation, so he still didn’t hear it."

"..." Xu Yuan.

This younger sister is really learning to play tricks.

"Bang!"

Annoyed, he flicked his sister’s forehead with such force that Xu Xinyao staggered back two steps and crouched down, only her pitifully beautiful eyes visible, staring resentfully at Xu Yuan.

Daring not to speak.

Xu Yuan scoffed,

"Heh, enjoying the trick, aren’t you..."

"Smack."

Before he could finish, a solid slap landed on the back of Xu Yuan’s head, sending him face-first into the snowy ground, stirring up a cloud of snow.

Then,

Xu Changge’s indifferent voice rose behind Xu Yuan,

"Using a bit of cultivation to bully Xinyao, how virtuous."

"Pfft..."

Crouching at one side and holding her head, Xu Xinyao watched her suddenly appearing older brother and Third Young Master embedded in the snow, barely holding back her laughter, "Ku ku ku ku~"

"..."

Hearing the laughter beside him, Xu Yuan lay quietly in the snow, pretending to be dead.

It wasn’t that he dared not speak, but since Ran Qingmo was there, he had to save some face.

"Hmph."

Glancing at his Third Young Brother lying immobile in the snow, Xu Changge restrained the impulse to kick him, turned around, and looked towards the doorway where Ran Qingmo stood.

"..."

The moment their eyes met, Ran Qingmo tensed up, hesitating whether to draw the Ink Sword to help if Xu Yuan and his older brother started fighting, when Xu Changge suddenly tossed her a token:

"This is a temporary soul key for the inner courtyard. It’s best not to mention to your master that Xu Yuan is still alive, or he might actually die."

Ran Qingmo caught it, her expression puzzled, but after glancing at Xu Yuan lying on the ground and then back to Xu Changge, she remained alert.

Xu Changge, seeing her reaction, his eyes involuntarily softened, and he said softly,

"If you want to help him, wait until you’ve reached Primordial before you try."

After saying this, the snow remained undisturbed and his figure disappeared.

"..."

"..."

"Third Brother, Big Brother has already left."

Xu Xinyao tugged at the hem of the ’corpse’ on the ground, smiling as she reminded, "You can get up now, ku ku ku ku~"

"Whoosh—"

The snow slid off, and Xu Yuan fiercely glared at Xu Xinyao but instead of retaliating, he got up, snorted, and ignored her.

Seeing this, Xu Xinyao also tactfully stopped laughing and helped him brush off the snow from his back and long hair, also giving his slapped head a rub.

After a brief cleanup, Xu Yuan turned his gaze towards Ran Qingmo, only to see the Big Ice Lump staring at them with a wistful gaze:

"Xu Yuan... are you alright?"

Xu Yuan shook his head,

"Xu Changge knows his measure, use the soul key to call your master back."

"Okay... alright."

Ran Qingmo lowered her eyelids, turning away and activating the soul key with her will-spirit, whispering at the doorway,

"Master, I don’t want to return yet."

This time, a voice came from outside.

Ran Jianli sounded puzzled,

"Why? That boy isn’t at the mansion."

"Um... um... I..."

Ran Qingmo, not very good at lying, stuttered and then turned her hopeful eyes towards Xu Yuan.

Xu Yuan rolled his eyes, pointing to Xu Xinyao beside him.

Ran Qingmo got the hint and said softly,

"I... I want to accompany Xinyao."

After a brief silence, the muscular old man outside started to act pitiful:

"Qingmo, your master-mother isn’t here, and this old man only has you as family in Di’an. I was still hoping to have a meal with you on New Year’s Day."

Ran Qingmo considered this and seriously replied,

"But, Master, didn’t you say you were going to the New Year’s feast at noon yesterday?"

"..." Ran Jianli.

"Cough, Master meant dinner."

"But, the New Year’s feast has a dinner too."

"Tsk, alright, Qingmo, just open the door first."

"Master, I know what you’ll do," Ran Qingmo’s voice was soft.

"What?" Ran Jianli sounded confused.

"Um... as soon as I open the door, you’ll forcibly take me away."

"..." Ran Jianli.