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

Various thoughts flashed through everyone's minds. For Ye Zhixin and the others, they had only helped Pang Tong by taking benefits. Offending the direct descendants of those ancient forces would be a huge loss.

Gu Yan remained completely unmoved. It was just a Heaven-Reaching Spiritual Treasure, wasn't it? He had a whole bunch of them in his Purple Mansion.

Mu Qinghe, Huang Yinghan, and the old man in the bamboo hat all flew towards Gu Yan, while Pang Tong, Ye Zhixin, the man in black, and others stood opposite them, the two groups confronting each other in the air.

"Who exactly are you?" Pang Tong asked Gu Yan coldly.

Gu Yan answered casually, "Li Bai."

Pang Tong thought to himself: His surname is Li?

None of those ancient families have the surname Li. Could they be disciples of those reclusive sects?

Wait, he's Li Bai!

Indeed, he is a Spirit King Realm expert and is on good terms with Mu Qinghe, so it's not surprising that Mu Qinghe would bring him along as an ally.

Upon hearing the name, Ye Zhixin and the others were once again surprised. So this was the legendary near-sixth-grade alchemist who had been the subject of much discussion.

"Li Bai, I'll remember you. We'll settle this score another time. You've won today, so let's go!" After uttering these meaningless threats, Pang Tong turned and transformed into black mist, flying away.

Pang Tong, wary of Gu Yan's powerful backing and seeing that his own men had lost their fighting spirit and will to fight, could only leave unwillingly. If he was gone, what was the point of the others staying?

The others also gave Gu Yan and the others a cold look before turning into rainbows and leaving with cold faces.

As soon as Pang Tong and the others left, Mu Qinghe burst into laughter: "Hahahahahahahaha..."

"Brother Taibai, you are truly amazing!" Mu Qinghe patted Gu Yan on the shoulder.

"Brother Li is so capable, and you even possess a treasure like the Lord of War. Please tell me about it, so I didn't worry for nothing," the old man in the bamboo hat said with a smile.

"Brother Li's swordsmanship is superb, truly an eye-opener!" said the man in yellow.

The three men surrounded Gu Yan, each word they uttered intended to curry favor. In the Yunlan Realm, strength reigned supreme, and Gu Yan was stronger than them, her identity shrouded in mystery, seemingly backed by the shadows of several ancient forces. Such a person was someone one could only befriend, not offend.

Gu Yan smiled and gave Mu Qinghe a Golden Spirit Grass, after which the three of them left together. The man in yellow and the old man in the bamboo hat had other matters to attend to, so they parted ways after leaving the mountain range. Gu Yan and Mu Qinghe then returned to Changyang City together.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Mu House.

As soon as Gu Yan and Mu Qinghe returned to the Mu residence, they noticed that the atmosphere was somewhat unusual. Liu Feiyan, having received news of their return, rushed over and said:

"Master, Senior Li Bai, Lady Tan, Lady Tan has arrived."

Lady Tanhou? Who is that? Gu Yan looked at Mu Qinghe beside her with a puzzled expression.

Mu Qinghe explained, "Tan Shuo's mother."

Tan Shuo's father, Tan Yue, was the governor of Baima County and the general of Annan. His title was Marquis of Pingyuan. Many people called Tan Yue "Lord Tan," so his wife was also called Lady Tan.

Oh, Gu Yan understands.

What is Tan Shuo's mother doing here?

"What brings Lady Tanhou to my residence?" Mu Qinghe asked.

"Lady Tan, she wants to see Senior Li Bai." Liu Feiyan glanced at Gu Yan, her expression somewhat complicated.

"Where is Lady Tan now?" Mu Qinghe asked.

"Lady Tan was in the living room yesterday, with my senior sister keeping her company. She came yesterday, and even though I told her that Master and Senior Li Bai weren't there, she refused to leave, saying she absolutely had to see Senior Li Bai," Liu Feiyan said.

Mu Qinghe looked at Gu Yan: "Brother Taibai, this..."

He looked at him with an expression that seemed to say, "What do you think we should do?"

"Let's go take a look!" Gu Yan said.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Inside the living room, Xu Ruolan sat on a chair, barely managing to maintain a polite smile.

Sitting opposite Xu Ruolan was a beautiful woman dressed in a light blue palace dress. She looked to be around thirty years old. She had fair skin, a slightly plump figure, and her long black hair was styled into an exquisite bun adorned with a phoenix. She was stunningly beautiful, with upturned phoenix eyes and purple eyeliner. Her expression was haughty and aloof.

This is Lady Tanhou.

This Lady Tan, whose maiden name was Xiao Wanmei, was born into a powerful family in the Ruohe Empire. She was at the mid-stage of the Heavenly Spirit Realm and was the first wife of Tan Yue, the governor of Baima County.

Behind Xiao Wanmei stood a girl of about thirteen or fourteen years old. The girl was dressed in gorgeous clothes and looked somewhat similar to Xiao Wanmei in terms of her features.

The girl's name was Tan Xing'er, Xiao Wanmei's granddaughter, and Tan Shuo's daughter. Tan Xing'er kept her head down, seemingly lost in thought. Every now and then, she would look up at the outside world, and then at her grandmother.

Gu Yan and Mu Qinghe came in together, and Xu Ruolan immediately stood up when she saw them.

"Master, Senior Li Bai."

Xiao Wanmei and Tan Xing'er both turned their gazes to Gu Yan. They had been wondering for a long time what kind of handsome man could bewitch both her son and father.

To their slight disappointment, Gu Yan was wearing a mask, so they couldn't see her true face.

Although they didn't see Gu Yan's true face, the two women were momentarily stunned upon seeing him. The man, dressed in snow-white robes, had jet-black hair, and his skin, visible beneath the mask, was as smooth as jade. His figure was as elegant and refined as a jade tree, and even without seeing his face, one could believe that he was an exceptionally handsome man.

"Fellow Daoist Tan, what a rare guest!" Mu Qinghe said with a smile.

Although Xiao Wanmei harbored resentment, she did not want to be impolite, so she stood up and said, "Elder Mu, how have you been?" After saying this, she looked at Gu Yan and said, "This must be Mr. Li Bai. I am Tan Shuo's mother, Xiao Wanmei."

"Greetings, Lady Tan," Gu Yan said. His gentle voice made Tan Xing'er's heart tremble, and her gaze was fixed on Gu Yan, as if she could no longer look away.

Even Xiao Wanmei, who had lived for hundreds of years, felt a ripple in her heart upon hearing this voice. She wondered what kind of evil technique Li Bai had practiced, no wonder even her son, who had never been interested in men, had been bewitched by him.

The two sat down again, and Xu Ruolan asked a maid to bring tea.

"I heard that Madam wants to see me. May I ask what it is about?" Gu Yan asked.

"I don't like beating around the bush, so I'll be frank. My good-for-nothing son, ever since he saw you, sir, has... he's..."

As she spoke, Xiao Wanmei felt a little embarrassed to say, "I admire him very much. He is seriously ill now, and his condition is getting worse every day. He only hopes to see you before he dies. As a mother, I cannot bear to see him like this, so I have taken the liberty of coming here to beg you to see my son."

She simply couldn't understand why her son could be so infatuated with a man. Since his teenage years, although he was lustful, it was only towards women; she had never seen him interested in men.

How did I become infatuated with a man?