I am an incredibly handsome man, and my fiancée refuses to call off the engagement even at the cost

After Gu Yan and Tan Yue arrived, they bowed to Chen Quan and said, "Greetings, Your Majesty!"

Chen Quan laughed heartily and said, "No need for formalities, please take your seats!"

Gu Yan and Tan Yue took their seats, drawing all eyes to them. Knowing they were now master and disciple, they sat together. Beside them sat Mu Qinghe, their closest friend. After Gu Yan sat down, Mu Qinghe smiled at her and asked telepathically:

"Why are you so late?"

"I lost track of time while refining the elixir," Gu Yan explained.

The moment Gu Yan stepped into the hall, Chen Yujing saw him. Her heart pounded wildly. Was it him? Chen Yujing wasn't sure.

She hadn't seen Gu Yan for over a year, and Gu Yan had changed a lot in that time.

The most obvious thing is that he has grown taller.

He was only 180cm a little over a year ago, but now he's already over 185cm. His demeanor is also noticeably different from before; even though he still gives off a gentle vibe, there's a hidden sharpness about him.

Chen Yujing wasn't sure if this was the person she had been longing for. He was only eighteen, no, nineteen now, while Li Bai was already at the peak of the late Spirit King realm.

How... how is this possible?

But... but it really does look like it!

She asked her brother telepathically, "Brother, this Li Bai, is he... is he...?"

Chen Yuxuan looked at his sister; she was gripping his hand so tightly that her fingernails dug into his flesh. Enduring the pain, Chen Yuxuan gently moved his sister's hand away and said, "It does look alike, but it's impossible, isn't it?"

A nineteen-year-old at the peak of the late stage of the Spirit King realm—either he's insane, or the world has gone mad.

Chen Yujing showed a disappointed expression, but still couldn't help looking at Li Bai. Gu Yan had noticed Chen Yujing long ago, but deliberately avoided looking at her.

"Mr. Li Bai, I toast you. If it weren't for you, I'm afraid I would already be in the underworld by now." Empress Shen Lihua raised her cup and said with a smile. Everyone said that Li Bai was a lecherous demon, but he didn't seem like that at all. On the contrary, she felt that he had a noble and pure temperament, like a banished immortal. The more she looked at him, the more she liked him.

After Gu Yan sat down, everyone's eyes were on him and lingered there, especially the women.

Gu Yan picked up her wine cup, politely offered a toast to her from afar, and after drinking the cup, said, "Your Majesty is too kind."

Hearing Gu Yan's voice, Chen Yujing became even more excited. How could his voice sound so similar? She grabbed her brother's hand again, her fingernails digging into his flesh.

Chen Yuxuan quickly pried his sister's hand away.

Why do you pinch yourself when you get excited?

"Mr. Li Bai saved the Empress's life and is a great benefactor to both of us. I must thank him properly," Chen Quan said with a smile.

Gu Yan smiled slightly: "Your Majesty, rest assured I will not be polite. However, everything I need has already been engraved on this jade slip. If Your Majesty can help me collect it all, that would be a great help."

A jade slip appeared in front of Gu Yan. With a wave of his hand, the jade slip flew towards Chen Quan and Shen Lihua at the head of the table, hovering in front of the emperor and empress.

Shen Lihua: "..."

Chen Quan: "..."

Everyone: "..."

You really have no manners at all!

Chen Quan smiled and said, "Sir, you are truly a straightforward person."

He took the jade slip, scanned the list inside with his divine sense, and his eye twitched. These materials were not only numerous, but also all priceless or unavailable on the market; some he had never even heard of. This kid wanted way too much, didn't he?

However, since the other party had indeed saved the life of his beloved empress, he could only force a smile and say, "I will definitely collect all these things for you, sir."

Gu Yan smiled and said, "Thank you."

Chen Quan's smile was forced. Shen Lihua took the jade slip from his hand, scanned it with her divine sense, and almost lost her composure. This Li Bai, he really went all out!

But she had survived, so it was all worth the money. And so, she quickly regained her dignified and beautiful smile.

The banquet continued, and the dancers, their hands draped in light veils, performed graceful dances on the jade platform.

During the banquet, the Left Prime Minister said with a smile, "The Empress has recovered from her illness, and Marquis Tan has advanced to the Spirit Emperor realm. Our country has gained another powerful Spirit Emperor. This is truly a double celebration."

Everyone agreed.

"Why is he still called Lord Tan? He should be called Grand Master," Chen Quan said.

"Yes, Your Majesty is right. I would like to offer a toast to Grand Master Tan!" said the Left Chancellor, raising his cup.

Tan Yue also raised her glass.

Chen Quan smiled and raised his cup, saying, "I also toast to Grand Master Tan. Come, let's all toast to Grand Master Tan."

Upon hearing this, everyone raised their glasses in unison and said, "To Grand Master Tan!"

Everyone drank.

Tan Yue numbly raised his glass and drank it all, his face cold and stern, showing no joy whatsoever. If it weren't for that bastard Li Bai, he might be happy right now.

But the thought that even if he became the Spirit Emperor, he would still be nothing more than a plaything in someone else's hands, to be killed or humiliated at will filled him with resentment and anger.

"I have long heard of Mr. Li Bai's great name. Everyone says that he is a master alchemist. I didn't really believe it before, but now I do. I wonder if it is because Mr. Li Bai has refined some kind of miraculous elixir that Grand Master Tan has reached the Spirit Emperor Realm at such a young age?" The one who spoke was the Grand Master surnamed Cai.

These words stirred something in everyone's hearts, especially those at the Spirit King realm.

Seeing everyone looking at her, Gu Yan smiled and said, "It's mainly because Yi Fu is so capable."

Yi Fu is Tan Yue's courtesy name.

Tan Yue looked at Gu Yan in surprise. How did he know her courtesy name? Not many people knew it.

For some reason, her emotions were stirred, but the thought that it might have been Xiao Wanmei who said it made her jealous. But then she thought again, Xiao Wanmei wouldn't have told him about her courtesy name for no reason. Could it be that he asked her about it? Was he interested in her affairs?

Wait, what am I thinking about?

The others' expressions shifted constantly. Their attention wasn't on Tan Yue's courtesy name; they were thinking about the meaning of the words he had just said. Was this an admission that he had indeed provided Tan Yue with medicinal pills? The emotions of those at the Spirit King realm, especially those in the late Spirit King realm, were stirred.

Spirit Emperor, if only I could...

"Mr. Li Bai is truly astonishing. His alchemy skills must have reached a state of perfection. I admire him greatly! It's just a pity that I haven't been able to see his face. I've heard that he's an unparalleled handsome man. Why does he always wear a mask, even at this palace banquet, refusing to show his true face?" It was Consort Yang who spoke.

Gu Yan didn't recognize the woman dressed as a concubine, so Mu Qinghe transmitted his voice, "That's His Majesty's Consort Yang."

Yang Guifei?

Gu Yan immediately thought of the peerless beauty who died tragically at Mawei Slope. He looked at this Yang Guifei. Although she was slightly inferior in beauty compared to Chen Yujing and Empress Shen Lihua, she was still a peerless beauty.

With silver hair and purple eyes, skin as white as snow, red lips and white teeth, and delicate, arched eyebrows, she was strikingly beautiful, with a single cinnabar mole between her brows. She wore a purple palace dress, the gauze skirt embroidered with butterflies and peonies. She smiled at Gu Yan, her gaze seemingly trying to see right through him.

"I'm curious too, why doesn't Mr. Li Bai show his true face to the world?" Chen Quan said with a smile.

Gu Yan sighed: "There's no particular reason, I just don't want the hassle."