Chapter 2677: Chapter 2677
"Oh right! I completely forgot about the formalities!" Ye Liuyun chuckled. "Forget it then, consider it your lucky day! Coming across such a rare red serpent means we’re fated to meet!"
"In that case, I’ll treat you to a meal another time to properly thank Master Ye!" Liu Yuanfeng quickly chimed in.
"Haha, sounds good!" Ye Liuyun pretended to be magnanimous as he agreed.
Soon after, Lin Fengzhi had the tables rearranged, and everyone put away their beasts. The clear winner of this hunt was Liu Yuanfeng. However, since Ye Liuyun had already helped him tame the red serpent, he couldn’t very well ask for more assistance.
Lin Fengzhi then brought up having Ye Liuyun help the Sixth Prince and the Princess tame their beasts as well.
But the Sixth Prince insisted that Ye Liuyun wait until they returned to tame his beast, claiming he hadn’t brought it along.
This took both Lin Fengzhi and Ye Liuyun by surprise.
Lin Fengzhi wasn’t particularly bothered—he’d already paid Ye Liuyun, so the timing of the taming wasn’t his concern. But Ye Liuyun was troubled. He couldn’t just wait around indefinitely!
"I was actually planning to travel right after this hunt. Now I’ll have to make a trip back to the royal capital?" Ye Liuyun wasn’t keen on the idea.
"Master Ye, don’t worry. I’ll compensate you for any time lost—you won’t be shortchanged," the Sixth Prince assured him.
"Very well, once everything here is settled, I’ll return with the Sixth Prince," Ye Liuyun reluctantly agreed. He’d already taken the payment; it wouldn’t do to refund Lin Fengzhi over this. That would only embarrass both Lin Fengzhi and the Sixth Prince.
Hearing that Ye Liuyun would accompany him back visibly lifted the Sixth Prince’s spirits. At least it meant Ye Liuyun hadn’t sided with the Princess—otherwise, he wouldn’t have offered so readily.
"Excellent. I’ll wait for Master Ye to finish up, and we’ll leave together," the Prince agreed at once.
Truth be told, Ye Liuyun was eager to leave. Traveling with the Prince would be quicker, sparing him another stop at the Commandant’s residence.
"And what about the Princess?" Lin Fengzhi turned to ask her.
The princess immediately raised her arm, the little red snake still coiled around it, clearly wanting Ye Liuyun to help tame the creature.
Hong Ling spoke up on her behalf, "Her Highness would like to invite Mr. Ye aboard the warship to assist in taming this red serpent. Would Master Ye be willing to come along?"
"Of course!" Ye Liuyun agreed without hesitation.
Afterward, several others also requested his help with their beasts. Ye Liuyun sent a mental message to Lin Fengzhi, instructing him to handle the negotiations and have them wait while he first attended to the princess’s request.
The princess promptly returned to the warship, and Ye Liuyun followed closely behind.
Once inside, he was led to the princess’s private quarters.
After dismissing her attendants, the princess removed her veil without preamble and asked, "How did you know it was me?"
Ye Liuyun smiled. "Look into my eyes. Don’t you find them... unusual?"
"Your eyes can see through the veil?" Realization finally dawned on her.
"Mhm." He nodded in confirmation.
Then, glancing at her attire, he added, "You should change into something more comfortable. That outfit looks exhausting just to look at."
"Fine, wait for me." Liu Yunyao agreed.
But a moment later, she froze, her eyes widening. "If your eyes can see through the veil... does that mean they can see through clothes too?"
"Uh... I’ve never looked at you like that!" Ye Liuyun quickly defended himself. "I don’t use my golden pupils on people normally!"
An awkward silence settled between them. Liu Yunyao didn’t know what else to say.
"You... you... don’t tell me you can see through walls too?" she ventured hesitantly, her voice trembling slightly.
"Go change quickly, I won’t peek!" Ye Liuyun replied hastily, waving his hands dismissively.
Liu Yunyao finally understood—Ye Liuyun truly could see through solid walls.
Blushing furiously, she retreated to the inner chamber and summoned Hongling to help her change out of her princess attire.
"Huh? Why is your face so red?" Hongling asked innocently as she entered, completely unaware of what had transpired.
"It’s nothing! Just help me into casual clothes!" Liu Yunyao avoided the question. But as she changed, her mind kept circling back to whether Ye Liuyun might be secretly watching. The flush on her cheeks refused to fade, and she dressed faster than usual, her fingers fumbling slightly in her haste.
Hongling watched her with puzzled eyes, wondering what could possibly be troubling her mistress.
Liu Yunyao offered no explanation. Once changed, she grabbed the red serpent and stepped out.
Meanwhile, Ye Liuyun, anxious to dispel any suspicion, had kept his eyes firmly shut the entire time. Only when he heard her return did he finally open them.
Yet Liu Yunyao instinctively raised a hand to shield herself the moment she saw him.
"You don’t have to do that. I don’t just go around peeping at people!" Ye Liuyun sighed, feeling the need to clarify once more.
"Oh!" Realizing how tense she had been, Liu Yunyao lowered her hand, though her cheeks remained crimson. She sat down awkwardly, her fingers twisting in her lap.
"Aren’t you going to make me some tea?" Ye Liuyun asked, grasping at the first thing that came to mind to break the stifling silence.
"Fine," Liu Yunyao murmured, rising obediently to prepare the tea.
Just then, Hongling emerged and froze at the sight—her proud princess actually serving tea to this man. A thought flickered through her mind: *For her to listen to him like this... he must mean a great deal to Her Highness.*
She wanted to help but felt like she was just getting in the way, leaving her momentarily unsure of what to do.
It was Liu Yunyao who noticed her first and told her to take a break, freeing her from the awkwardness. Once Hongling left, Liu Yunyao struck up a conversation with Ye Liuyun.
"Is this red serpent really worth five Origin Essences?" Liu Yunyao asked.
"Absolutely!" Ye Liuyun explained. "The serpent’s crimson pupils don’t just devour souls—they can replenish your own spiritual power, cast illusions to control enemies, and even let you gauge an opponent’s soul strength before battle. A treasure like this is practically priceless."
"Then why didn’t you mention all this earlier?" Liu Yunyao countered.
Ye Liuyun chuckled. "I’m not a fool. If I’d spilled all the details, more people would’ve fought you for it."
"In that case, I can’t take it," Liu Yunyao insisted. "You were the one who secured the bid, and you contributed most of the Origin Essences anyway." Though she desperately needed the crimson pupils, she wasn’t selfish—she knew she’d never have obtained such a treasure without Ye Liuyun.
"I let you win the auction because I intended it for you," Ye Liuyun replied. "I don’t need its abilities. No one can possess every advantage. If I refined those pupils, they’d only interfere with the power of my golden eyes."
Truthfully, Ye Liuyun wasn’t greedy. He saw this as Liu Yunyao’s opportunity and never considered keeping the serpent for his own circle. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have revealed its secrets—he could’ve found another way to claim it for himself.
