Accompanied by the three, Xu Wanyun led the uneasy Aqing back into the courtyard.

At the same time, several old men on the verge of the grave came pacing slowly over from the distance. At their head was precisely that Zheng family Second Granduncle from a few days ago.

"Don't fault us, Dao Friend Shen — my Zheng family's hospitality must have been wanting, and that's what angered Madam Shen."

Second Granduncle's smile was gentle, but on that withered face it took on an inexplicable air of the ghastly.

"Someone — prepare a banquet."

He walked into the courtyard and sat down across from Shen Yi. "Let this old man convey a small apology."

Besides this Second Granduncle, on the pretext of seeing Xu Wanyun back, seven or eight more figures had gathered outside the courtyard, the auras faintly leaking from them all extraordinary.

"..."

Shen Yi looked silently at the "Madam" not far off, his expression growing ever calmer.

Xu Wanyun knit her fine brows, spirit-light at last returning to her eyes, and then she looked around with a measure of daze. As she gradually came to herself, a thread of killing intent slowly rose in those pitch-black eyes. As an extreme-peak Mixed Origin Grandmaster, however inexperienced in worldly ways, how could she fail to see she'd fallen for a covert scheme? She gripped Aqing's delicate hand tight, until the other nearly cried out in pain. Only then did she temporarily suppress the turmoil of her emotions. Without a word she returned to sit beside Shen Yi, the angle just right for each to guard one side.

Such an obvious air of vigilance, yet it didn't move the Zheng family in the least. As though they hadn't seen through Xu Wanyun's deeper meaning, they still wore their smiles.

Soon a Zheng family disciple came bearing the fine dishes prepared long before, then respectfully poured several cups of spirit-tea. The Zheng family's Second Granduncle idly distributed the cups among them, this time no longer looking at Xu Wanyun and Aqing, his pair of murky eyes fixed quietly on Shen Yi.