Taking a sip of tea, Jason Song couldn't help but praise, "Miss Lynn Ning's tea just keeps getting better and better."
"Thank you for your kind words, Mr. Song."
Lynn Ning smiled modestly and quietly withdrew.
After that, Jason Song and his three companions chatted idly with Ian Song, intentionally avoiding mention of their real purpose for coming.
Suddenly, a thought struck Ian: Jason Song and the others were now free men, no longer bound by the Military Council, and they had chosen this moment to visit him. Could it be that they wanted...
Realizing this, Ian couldn't help but feel excited. He instantly understood why the four kept making small talk instead of getting to the point: they wanted to join him. But Martial Saints have their pride—if they were to propose joining him themselves, it would hurt their dignity. So they were waiting for him to speak first.
Having figured it out, Ian wasn't interested in small talk anymore. He changed the subject: "Old Song, I heard you four are free men now?"
"Haha, that's right! After being stuck in Blood River City for years, we've had enough. Now that we're finally free, who wants to keep working for the military?" Jason Song laughed heartily.
"So what are your plans for the future?" Ian asked again.
"What else? Just wandering the world!" Jason replied, though his eyes stayed fixed on Ian.
Hearing Jason Song's words, Ian couldn't help but roll his eyes. This old fox sure knew how to play it—wandering the world, my foot! Still, being able to recruit four Martial Saints was worth swallowing a bit of pride. So Ian said, "Since you four are free now, why not come visit the Pristine Way Sect? The scenery there is quite nice."
Although Ian had made up his mind to recruit them, he still kept his words indirect.
"If there's good wine and beautiful women, I'm in," Jason Song said.
"Wine is unlimited, but you'll have to find the beauties yourself," Ian replied with a smile.
"Alright, I'll give Commander some face and go be a guest at Pristine Way for a while!" Jason declared.
One down.
Ian turned his gaze to Hannah Han, Shawn Tu, and Tyson Xiong.
"What about you three?"
Shawn Tu spoke first: "Old Song and I have been friends for years. If he's going, I can't be left out."
Hannah Han said, "I have no objection."
Three down, only Tyson Xiong was left.
Tyson Xiong laughed, "Haha, I really miss the days when I could raise a flag on a mountain and be my own king. I think I'll go find a place, seize a stronghold, and live a simple life!"
As soon as he said this, the faces of Jason Song and the other two changed drastically.
"Tyson, what do you mean by that? Didn't we have a deal? Why are you suddenly backing out?" Shawn Tu, the most hot-tempered, demanded loudly.
"Yeah, Tyson, that's not cool!" Jason Song chimed in, his face also darkening.
Just then, Ian spoke up: "Everyone has their own aspirations. Since Tyson doesn't want to visit Pristine Way, we can't force him, right? But Tyson, even if you don't come, you're still my friend. If you ever change your mind, Pristine Way's doors will always be open to you!"
"Thank you, Commander! Farewell!"
Tyson Xiong stood up, cupped his fists to Ian, and strode out of the courtyard.
Seeing this, the faces of Jason Song and the other two grew even gloomier.
"That Tyson really is something else!" Jason couldn't help but curse.
Ian smiled meaningfully. "Tyson's ambitions are big—it's no surprise he doesn't like serving under others!"
Originally, this should've been a happy occasion for everyone, but Tyson Xiong's decision put a damper on things. After sitting with Ian for a while, Jason Song and the others took their leave.
Now that the Blood River Battlefield business was settled, Ian had no reason to stay. The next day, he said goodbye to Raymond Lei and the others, preparing to return to Pristine Way Sect.
As for Jason Song and his companions, after being stuck in Blood River City for so long, they planned to travel at a leisurely pace to Pristine Way, enjoying the scenery along the way instead of traveling with Ian.
With three late-stage Martial Saints together, and all of them so strong, Ian wasn't worried about their safety.
Snow Yue's situation, though, was much trickier.
Elder Nian had already formally proposed marriage to her master, and her master had agreed. Unless William Nangong himself backed out, Snow Yue was stuck with the engagement and would eventually have to marry him.
Since William Nangong was clearly not going to give up, Ian simply suggested that Snow Yue stay at Pristine Way for a while.
But Snow Yue refused. Running away wasn't a real solution, so she decided to return to Heavenly Melody Sect and explain things to her master, hoping she could persuade her master to call off the marriage.
Ian was worried—what if Heavenly Melody Sect detained her?
But Snow Yue was determined to go back, so Ian couldn't say anything more. Instead, he gave her a token, telling her that if she ran into anything she couldn't resolve, she should have someone bring the token to Pristine Way.
After saying goodbye to Fiona Li, Marcus Meng, and the others, Ian took Lynn Ning and, in a flash, disappeared from sight.
The Art of Great Teleportation could cover five or six thousand li at a time, so even though Pristine Way Sect was tens of thousands of li from the Blood River Battlefield, it didn't take long for Ian to return.
He'd been gone from Pristine Way for less than a month.
So the sect hadn't changed much, but the Alliance Chamber of Commerce had opened several new branches, and resources and spirit medicines were flowing steadily back into Pristine Way's warehouses.
Meanwhile, word of Ian's feat—trapping and killing over two hundred thousand Strongarm Bull Devils and ten Devil Saints with his formation—had reached Pristine Way, so his return sparked a wave of excitement throughout the sect.
Even though Ian had left the Blood River Battlefield, his influence kept growing—not just among Humans, but also among Devils and Demons. Of course, the Devils didn't admire him, they hated him, especially the Strongarm Bull Devil clan, who gritted their teeth at the mention of his name.
As for the Demons, since it didn't concern them, most just felt a bit of schadenfreude.
Of the three races—Humans, Devils, and Demons—the Devils were the strongest. So the more losses the Devils suffered, the more it benefited the Demons.
Whatever was happening outside, right now Ian was busy getting cozy with Harriet Gu.
For lovers, even a short separation can feel like an eternity.
"Harriet, let's get married!"
Holding Harriet Gu close, Ian suddenly spoke up.
"Mm."
Harriet nodded. She'd long since accepted Ian as her destined partner, so marriage felt natural to her. She wasn't surprised at all by his proposal.
For the Pristine Way Sect, the sect master's marriage was a major event.
The wedding was set for one month later.
A Supreme Elder was assigned to personally oversee all the arrangements.
Heavenly Melody Sect, Sect Master's Hall.
A dignified, noble-looking middle-aged woman stared coldly at the kneeling Snow Yue below, scolding, "So you do remember to come back?"
Standing beside the middle-aged woman was Faye Mei, the elder Ian once tormented with his formation. Now, as she looked at Snow Yue, her eyes held a mix of resentment and satisfaction, and her lips curled into a faintly sinister smile.