After the spiritual energy was restored: Goddess girlfriends came knocking.

In the days that followed, Jiang Yan became a "key protected individual".

Every morning, Cangyao would bring in medicine, followed by Ruoshui carrying porridge, Xiaoxiao carrying pastries, and Jianli standing at the door with her sword sheath, keeping watch.

The medicine was brewed by Cang Yao herself, the porridge was stewed under Ruo Shui's supervision in the kitchen, and the pastries were bought by Xiao Xiao. Jian Li was responsible for supervising her master to finish all of them and not leave any.

Jiang Yan sat on the bed, looking at the row of bowls and plates in front of her, feeling both amused and exasperated.

"My cultivation level has dropped, I'm not paralyzed."

"That won't do either." Cang Yao shoved the medicine bowl into his hands, her eyes crinkling, but her tone leaving no room for negotiation.

Ruoshui stood next to Cangyao and nodded repeatedly, unusually not contradicting her: "White Hair has no right to speak, you drink when we tell you to."

Xiao Xiao pushed the plate of pastries towards him, her mouth still full of half a piece of osmanthus cake, and said indistinctly, "Brother Lin Chu, eat more. I specially went to the market to buy these. This place is super delicious."

Jiang Yan reluctantly took the medicine bowl and drank it all in one gulp.

After finishing Cangyao's drink, Ruoshui's was handed over.

After finishing the small portion, Jian Li quietly pushed more over.

He strongly suspected that these women were secretly competing against him.

But he had no evidence.

Just then, Yu Qian walked in, carrying a stack of official documents.

As soon as I stepped across the threshold, several pairs of eyes turned to me at the same time.

Cang Yao looked at him with a smile.

Ruoshui leaned back in her chair with her arms crossed, her fox tail swaying slowly behind her.

Yu Qian paused for a moment.

This young man, who used to run errands for him in the Shigou County government office, is now a powerful Confucian cultivator capable of handling things on his own. He has never backed down even when facing a Mahayana-level enemy general, but at this moment he feels unprecedented pressure.

He coughed twice, walked up to Jiang Yan, placed the official document on the table, and tried to make his voice sound calm: "Sir, these are the military matters that need to be reviewed recently. Most of them have been reviewed, and you only need to take a look at the last few."

Jiang Yan took the official document and flipped through it; it was indeed handled in an orderly manner.

He looked up at Yu Qian's face, which was trying hard to maintain its composure, and found it somewhat amusing.

"Thank you for your hard work, is that all?"

That's all.

Yu Qian bowed, turned around, and quickly walked out of the palace gate.

The moment I stepped out the door, I breathed a sigh of relief.

Jiang Yan leaned back in her chair, watching his retreating figure, a slight smile playing on her lips.

Although I was treated like a patient, it actually felt pretty good.

The people of Chang'an soon learned of the city lord's serious injury.

Many people have set up prayer tablets for Jiang Yan in their homes, with incense burning day and night. Merit and good fortune are slowly returning to Jiang Yan's body.

His spirits improved day by day, and the color in his face gradually returned.

A few days later, news came from the Vast Domain.

Su Lian went into seclusion and voluntarily stepped down, and the new domain lord is Su Zhengxing.

Jiang Yan frowned when she saw the message. Whether Su Lian's seclusion was forced or voluntary, only the person involved knew.

He didn't have a bad impression of Su Lian.

In the valley, Su Lian took the initiative to heal his injuries, and later even stood in front of him and Ruoshui.

However, Su Zhengxing despises the demon race, so making him the domain lord is not a good thing.

He sighed.

But this is an internal affair of the Vast Domain, and I have no say in it for the time being.

I haven't even had time to process this news yet.

Another piece of news that shocked the entire Xuantian Realm arrived.

Ao Tianxin fought her way up the Suspended Mountain all by herself.

The two great demon kings, Shan Kui and Chi Tong, were slain.

Even the primordial spirit couldn't escape.

Yu Sheng unleashed his full power and clashed with her for dozens of rounds, shattering most of the suspended mountain.

Ultimately, Yu Sheng was severely injured and forced to flee after having his right half severed by a single strike.

This event was so shocking that the entire Xuan Tian Realm turned its attention to it.

All parties are discussing it.

With two true dragons at its disposal, the Dragon Court's resurgence after ten thousand years of silence is unstoppable.

Those sea race forces that were originally observing expressed their willingness to submit to the Dragon Court, and even several demon dynasties in the Myriad Demon Realm that had always been hostile to the Dragon Court began to send envoys to the East Sea to show goodwill.

At the same time, everyone also realized something else again.

Chang'an City and Longting are one entity, and the city lord Jiang Yan is Longting's son-in-law, a fact known throughout the entire Xuantian Realm.

Moreover, some busybodies have privately speculated that Ao Tianxin's attitude towards Jiang Yan is somewhat different from what has been rumored.

Of course, people only dared to discuss it privately; no one dared to say it publicly.

These private discussions spread far and wide, and many people felt both envious and jealous of Jiang Yan.

Half a month later, a figure landed outside the Chang'an City Lord's Mansion.

Ao Tianxin walked into the main hall and piled a bunch of rare and precious materials in front of Jiang Yan.

Ten-thousand-year stalactite, nine-turn golden fungus, dragon blood grass, and ice soul lotus—each of these items would be enough to make cultivators fight tooth and nail for them.

Jiang Yan shook his head helplessly at her nonchalant attitude.

He knew he could hide his injuries from others, but not from her.

Ao Tianxin had lived for a long time and had seen many people burn out their lifespan and die. She was simply trying her best to seize every possible opportunity by bringing these rare and precious materials over.

A moment later, inside the sleeping quarters.

The two sat facing each other, with a cup of hot tea between them. The steam from the tea rose slowly, blurring their faces.

Ao Tianxin didn't drink the tea. Her fingers were clenched tightly on her knees. After a long silence, she spoke: "How much longer can your injuries hold out?"

Jiang Yan lowered her eyes and looked at her hands: "I should be able to hold on."

"to be honest."

"It's been a long time."

"You're lying to me." Ao Tianxin's voice turned cold.

Jiang Yan was silent for a moment, then put down her teacup and looked serious: "Tianxin, do you remember what I wanted to tell you but couldn't?"

Ao Tian thought for a moment and nodded.

He was about to speak when the will of heaven and earth suppressed him.

"I've recorded everything in the memory stone I gave you." Jiang Yan smiled. "I won't die, don't worry."

Looking at his smile, Ao Tianxin slowly loosened her clenched fingers.

She still had many questions to ask, but in the end she just sighed softly, shook her head helplessly, picked up her teacup, and took a sip.

She didn't want to admit how nervous she had been.

Having lived this long, I've witnessed far too many partings and deaths.

She thought her heart would never flutter because of someone's life or death, but the moment she asked the question, that long-lost, unfamiliar panic made her feel somewhat dazed.

She didn't know what her feelings for Jiang Yan were right now.

Friend, junior, one's own disciple's husband, or something else entirely.

Although she had lived for so long, she had never experienced this feeling before, which left her somewhat at a loss.

Ao Tianxin gently shook her head, temporarily suppressing those thoughts.

……

a few days later.

Jiang Yan's spirits have improved significantly.

On this day, in the main hall of the city lord's mansion, he sat drinking tea with a smile on his face, watching Xiao Xiao and Jian Li chattering away.

Xiao Xiao was munching on sunflower seeds, while Jian Li was clutching her sword sheath. The two of them huddled together, seemingly gossiping about someone.

Ruoshui was competing with Cangyao on the side.

Then he got so angry that his cheeks puffed out.

Zhou Caiwei leaned against a pillar, holding her sword, her gaze falling on Ruoshui's puffed-up cheeks, and the corners of her mouth curved slightly imperceptibly.

Jiang Yan sat in the center of the hall, holding a cup of tea and watching this scene, the corners of her mouth turned up so wide she couldn't suppress it.

Just then, a guard rushed in to report: "Lord, an old man who claims to be surnamed Chen is requesting an audience."

Jiang Yan paused for a moment, then exchanged a glance with Cang Yao.

The two of them got up at the same time and walked out of the hall.

Chen Jingyuan was standing outside the hall.

As the guard led him in, Cang Xiaoxiao's eyes widened, and she jumped up and shouted, "Mr. Chen—" before running towards Chen Jingyuan.

Chen Jingyuan looked at the little girl who rushed in front of him, his eyes showing a hint of helplessness, but more so a gentle look of an elder looking at a younger generation.

Jiang Yan stepped forward and gave a brief introduction, then said softly to Xiao Xiao, "This is not Mr. Chen, he just looks like Mr. Chen."

Xiao Xiao tilted her head and looked at Chen Jingyuan, her eyes dimming slightly, but she still politely bowed to him.

Chen Jingyuan followed Jiang Yan into the main hall, glanced around at the large group of beautiful women, then looked at Jiang Yan with a strange expression: "You kid?"

Jiang Yan covered her face.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Chen Jingyuan picked up his teacup and took a sip.

He smacked his lips, put down his teacup, and looked at Jiang Yan.

I know you have a lot of questions.

"The Mr. Chen you're talking about is indeed not me," he said slowly, "but you could also say it is me."

Jiang Yan was completely confused upon hearing this.

"Your Mr. Chen's memories suddenly appeared in my mind hundreds of years ago. Those scenes of Qinghe Village, the courtyard under the locust tree, and..." He glanced at Cang Yao, "...a little girl who ran home all the time appeared in my memory."

"This disorientation in my memory also confirms some of my long-held beliefs." He paused, then sighed. "Perhaps, I am not myself."

Jiang Yan and Cang Yao exchanged a glance but remained silent.

Upon hearing this, Ao Tianxin put down her wine glass and listened quietly.

"Based on my investigations over the years, both your Mr. Chen and I may be the divided souls of some powerful being in the spirit world."

Chen Jingyuan's voice was somewhat low, "And that person is very likely the one who ascended ten thousand years ago—the Dao Ancestor."

Jiang Yan's pupils suddenly contracted.

Dao Ancestor.

Ao Tianxin, who had been silent all along, was also deeply shaken.

Even to her, the name Daozu was a legendary figure.

"I was able to ascend to heaven five thousand years ago."

A hint of confusion crept into Chen Jingyuan's voice, "But I dare not. I don't know what will happen after ascension, whether I will still exist?"

"Like now, sometimes I feel like I am Mr. Chen of Qinghe, as you all say, and sometimes I feel like I am Chen Jingyuan of Shangqing."

"If things go as I suspect after his ascension, Chen Jingyuan will be like a drop of water flowing into a river, and no one will know if that drop of water will even remember that it ever existed."

He looked up at the vast blue sky outside the hall, his gaze somewhat unfocused.