Seeing the camo-clad girl looking so embarrassed, Ian Song smiled and asked, "What's your name?"
"Maya Han." The camo-clad girl hesitated, then softly spoke her name.
Hearing this, Ian Song waved her away. "Go on, the bet just now was only a joke."
Hearing Ian Song say this, Maya Han couldn't help feeling delighted, and grew more grateful toward him. She said, "Thank you. I'll have my grandpa look after you more."
"Well, thanks for that." Ian Song smiled indifferently. With his current cultivation, he hardly needed General Harold Han's protection.
"So, I'll go now?" Maya Han looked at Ian Song.
Ian Song waved again. "Go ahead, unless you want to stay here and be my little wife."
Maya Han's cheeks flushed. She whispered, "Actually, I don't have a boyfriend yet. If you chase after me, I might consider it."
Hearing this, Ian Song couldn't help but give her a few hard looks, his gaze finally landing on her flat chest. He laughed, "No need for that, since I don't like airfields."
"...You...!"
Maya Han stomped her foot in embarrassment and anger, shot Ian Song a fierce glare, then leapt over the wall and left.
Ian Song chuckled to himself, sat back down, and leisurely flipped through his novel.
But less than half an hour later, a figure vaulted over the wall again. Ian Song looked up—it was Maya Han. This time, though, she wasn't wearing camo; she'd changed into a white knit top that puffed up high at the chest, deep blue denim hot pants on her lower half, showing off long, fair legs. Her black hair was tied in a ponytail with a rubber band, neat and tidy, and she'd put on light makeup. Her already delicate face looked even prettier, and at just seventeen or eighteen, she radiated youthful energy. For a moment, seeing her, Ian Song was actually a little dazed.
Sensing Ian Song's gaze, Maya Han couldn't help but reveal a smug smile at the corner of her mouth. She even purposely straightened her chest, as if to say, "I'm not flat-chested at all."
"Why are you back again?" Ian Song asked the next moment.
Maya Han was stunned. She'd thought that changing her outfit would make Ian Song shower her with attention, but instead he asked this. Huffing, she said, "I come and go as I please!"
"Suit yourself, as long as you don't bother me."
Ian Song smiled and once again turned his attention to his book.
Seeing Ian Song ignore her again, Maya Han grew angry and stormed over. "Hey, what are you reading? Is it better-looking than me?"
"In books you'll find a golden house; in books you'll find beauties like jade." Ian Song replied with a grin.
"You're just full of nonsense, I don't believe you! Let me see." Maya Han quickly snatched the novel from Ian Song's hands. One look—and her pretty face turned pink. Annoyed, she tossed the book back at him. "Ugh, so this is the kind of thing you read? Shameless!"
Hearing this, Ian Song couldn't help but laugh awkwardly. He'd happened to be reading a steamy scene between the male and female leads.
Seeing Ian Song still have the nerve to smile, Maya Han put one hand on her hip and pointed at him with the other, scolding, "What are you laughing at, you shameless guy!"
"Not at all!" Ian Song shook his head. "Heaven and earth have yin and yang, and their union is natural law. I'm reading this kind of book to comprehend yin and yang—how is that shameless?"
"Tch, shameless is shameless. Don't drag heaven and earth into it." Maya Han retorted, unconvinced.
Ian Song's mind stirred. He asked, "How did you come to be here?"
"Duh, my mom gave birth to me, obviously!" Maya Han snapped.
"And why was your mom able to give birth to you?" Ian Song pressed on.
"Because..."
At that, Maya Han couldn't finish her sentence, glaring furiously at Ian Song. "Jerk! You're shameless and dirty!"
"If you insult me like that, aren't you insulting your own parents too?" Ian Song teased.
"You—I'm done talking to you!" With a flash, Maya Han landed on top of the wall. But as she left, she couldn't help but turn back and call Ian Song a jerk before finally disappearing.
For the next two days, Maya Han kept coming to find Ian Song.
But every time she came in high spirits, she left fuming. By now, she had cursed Ian Song countless times in her heart.
Inner Palace.
The Head of State and Elder Quinn, who also serves as Premier, had cleared their schedules and waited quietly in the office.
Today, security at the Inner Palace was tighter than ever. All visible guards had been replaced by Special Operations troops and experts from the Yanhuang Bureau, while dozens of Innate Ninth Layer experts were stationed in secret. Satellites hovered overhead, watching closely—if even a fly entered the Inner Palace, it wouldn't escape notice.
At noon, a gentle voice suddenly sounded in the office, right by the Head of State and Elder Quinn's ears: "Young friends, I, Wu Yangzi, and my fellow Daoists have come to visit!"
At this, the Head of State and Elder Quinn both turned pale. Security at the Inner Palace was ten times tighter than usual, yet that group had still slipped in without anyone noticing.
Fortunately, both men were seasoned veterans. They exchanged a glance, then smiled and stepped out of the office to greet their guests.
Outside the office, nine men and women in traditional robes stood waiting. The nearby guards looked like wax statues, frozen in place—clearly suppressed by some mystical power from the nine visitors.
The Head of State and Elder Quinn had only heard rumors of these people's abilities. Seeing it firsthand, they were shocked—all the guards around the office were top experts, with eight Innate Ninth Layer cultivators secretly stationed nearby.
Yet even those eight Innate Ninth Layer experts couldn't move an inch.
This proved that the visitors' abilities were even more formidable than expected.
Even with their strong nerves, the Head of State and Elder Quinn couldn't help but feel uneasy, suddenly less certain about the negotiations to come.
Taking a deep breath, the Head of State stepped forward with a smile. "Chen Qian greets the esteemed seniors."
Of the nine, four wore Daoist robes, two wore monk's robes—one a monk, one a nun—and the remaining three wore long gowns.
"No need for such formalities, young friend!"
Wu Yangzi, wearing a Seven Stars Daoist robe, smiled as he spoke.
After that, Head of State Chen Qian and Premier Elder Quinn led the nine into the office.
Once the secretary served tea, they quietly withdrew.
"May I ask what advice the esteemed seniors have for us, coming so suddenly?" the Head of State asked gravely.
Wu Yangzi smiled. "We have learned that you and your colleagues have discovered a secret realm."
At this, the Head of State and Elder Quinn thought to themselves: just as expected. Since they had already guessed the visitors' purpose, they remained calm, nodding. "That's correct."
The middle-aged nun gave the Head of State and Elder Quinn a contemptuous glance. "The secret realm belongs to the Immortal Dao. You mortals have no right to meddle. Withdraw your people from the area at once and hand it over to our disciples to guard, lest you invite disaster from meddling with fate!" she said coldly.