As everyone followed Gu Qianying and Nangong Mo into the palace, they saw from afar a line of people in strange attire standing within the grand hall.
These individuals were not guarding the entrance outside but were all positioned inside the palace.
They stood side by side, neither human nor beast nor ghost.
Each of them had a different appearance. Some were shorter, some had a pair of deer ears, and a few had only one hand or one leg.
The robes they wore varied in color: white, blue, cyan, or pale blue.
Each person held a long spear, standing firm within the great hall.
Upon entering, Gu Qianying and the others were somewhat surprised by what they saw.
They had never encountered such strangely formed beings before.
"They are the Water Spirit Charms, creatures raised by the Blue Spirit Maiden. They are neither human, beast, nor ghost. They subsist on spiritual energy but cannot achieve immortality, become human, or transform into ghosts," Nangong Mo explained to Gu Qianying and the group.
As he finished speaking, everyone turned to look at him. Even Gu Qianying looked at him, asking, "You've seen these before? And you know the Blue Spirit Maiden?"
Otherwise, how could he be so knowledgeable?
Little Yi Hao, in Nangong Mo's arms, was restless.
Bored of being held, Little Yi Hao turned and reached out his hands towards Duan Xifeng.
It had been some time since Duan Xifeng had held Little Yi Hao, and he was overjoyed.
With Little Yi Hao no longer causing him trouble, Nangong Mo moved closer to Gu Qianying. He raised his hand and gently tickled her nose.
"What? Is my wife jealous?"
Gu Qianying lightly hit Nangong Mo's chest twice. "Dream on. I'm not jealous of you. I'm just curious."
Nangong Mo immediately grasped Gu Qianying's hand, their fingers intertwining.
He brought her face close and gently kissed her forehead.
"My dear, in this life, my eyes are only for you."
The couple was once again displaying their affection publicly.
This sight, which felt like being force-fed dog food, was witnessed by Du Chun and the others.
They all expressed envy and a slight sourness.
Ouyang Qinglin also looked towards Nangong Mo and Gu Qianying.
His gaze was cold, and his fists clenched as he stood rooted to the spot.
The aura around him was as frigid as ice.
Du Chun and Meng Qinghua noticed the change in Ouyang Qinglin.
They exchanged glances and immediately stepped forward, one blocking Ouyang Qinglin's path and the other placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Brother Ouyang, look at how ugly those Water Spirit Charms are. Dealing with these non-human, non-beast creatures should be relatively easy, right?" Meng Qinghua said, making conversation to divert Ouyang Qinglin's attention.
"Yes, Brother Ouyang. Why don't we deal with these Water Spirit Charms first? I believe the Blue Spirit Maiden will only appear after we've handled them," Du Chun added, voicing his thoughts.
"Only when the Water Spirit Array set up by the Water Spirit Charms is broken will the Blue Spirit Maiden appear," Nangong Mo stated.
Just as he was about to make a move, Ouyang Qinglin suddenly pushed Meng Qinghua and Du Chun aside.
With a flick of his sleeve, his long sword was drawn.
He lunged with his sword towards the Water Spirit Charms.
His speed was so great that it startled both Du Chun and Meng Qinghua.
The others watching were all astonished.
"I observe that Brother Ouyang's cultivation has become even higher than before," Nangong Li remarked, playing with his fan as he watched Ouyang Qinglin battle the Water Spirit Charms.
"Why is Brother Ouyang so excited today? Could he have been provoked?" Duan Xifeng teased, holding Little Yi Hao.
Gu Yefeng, standing nearby, walked over and offered the snacks he had hidden to Little Yi Hao. He then turned and glanced towards Ouyang Qinglin.
However, he remained silent.
He wasn't exactly friends with Ouyang Qinglin.
It was merely because Ouyang Qinglin was his younger sister Gu Qianying's friend that he had some dealings with him.
Otherwise, he would never have paid attention to someone who once stirred up conflict between the royal family and his Gu family for his own selfish desires.
Even though such a person later abandoned his position as Imperial Advisor due to his sister's influence and willingly sided with them, Gu Yefeng would not change his opinion of him because of it.
Duan Xifeng's words were heard by Du Chun and Meng Qinghua.
They exchanged glances, both frowning deeply.
It was clear that they had taken Duan Xifeng's words to heart and believed them.
Gu Qianying and Nangong Mo looked towards Ouyang Qinglin.
Gu Qianying showed no particular expression.
However, Nangong Mo, being a man himself, frowned at Ouyang Qinglin's decisive and murderous demeanor.
He could perceive certain things.
Within the blink of an eye, Ouyang Qinglin had nearly annihilated several Water Spirit Charms.
Some fell to the ground, some escaped as jellyfish-like entities, and some simply vanished into nothingness.
Others, after having their heads severed, would遁走 (escape), instantly taking their own heads with them.
Fleeing!
Soon, all the Water Spirit Charms were dealt with by Ouyang Qinglin alone.
The long spears they held were all snapped in half within moments.
Ouyang Qinglin looked down at the green blood flowing at his feet. He turned, sword in hand, and walked towards Gu Qianying.
As Nangong Mo saw Ouyang Qinglin approaching, he stepped forward, shielding Gu Qianying behind him.
Ouyang Qinglin stopped about ten feet away from Gu Qianying.
His demonic gaze shifted from Gu Qianying to Nangong Mo's face.
He merely glanced at Nangong Mo before looking back at Gu Qianying. "Qianying, they are all dead now. Are you happy?"
Ouyang Qinglin asked this with a smile.
He smiled only at Gu Qianying.
Gu Qianying blinked, instinctively looking at Nangong Mo. However, due to their proximity, she could only see Nangong Mo's perfect profile.
She didn't know Nangong Mo's expression at that moment, or if he was displeased.
But in terms of interacting with a friend, Gu Qianying naturally replied, "Very good."
A smile appeared on Ouyang Qinglin's face.
Nangong Mo's gaze grew colder.
"Haha, Brother Ouyang is truly amazing."
"Yes, Brother Ouyang, you are simply too powerful."
Du Chun and Meng Qinghua quickly walked over, standing before Ouyang Qinglin and showering him with praise.
However, they were subtly pulling Ouyang Qinglin backward.
Nangong Li, standing nearby, couldn't understand the actions of Du Chun, Meng Qinghua, and Ouyang Qinglin.
Gu Yefeng, on the other hand, understood.
But he remained silent, glancing again towards Nangong Mo and Gu Qianying.
Noticing the displeased expression on Nangong Mo's face, and then looking at Ouyang Qinglin, he tightened his grip on his sword.
Nangong Mo was his brother-in-law, and thus, family.
If his brother-in-law was unhappy, he would naturally stand by his side.
"Why is everyone so serious? Since the Water Spirit Charms are dead, we should be happy. What's wrong with all of you?" Duan Xifeng said, walking over with Little Yi Hao. When he reached Ouyang Qinglin, he stopped.
At his uncle Duan Xifeng's signal, Little Yi Hao placed a whole piece of the small pastry he was holding into Ouyang Qinglin's mouth.
"Brother Ouyang, you've worked hard. This is a reward from my nephew for you. Thank you for dealing with these incredibly ugly creatures for all of us."
Ouyang Qinglin glanced at Little Yi Hao and then at Duan Xifeng. He said nothing.
Following this, Duan Xifeng, carrying Little Yi Hao, approached Nangong Mo. Little Yi Hao proactively reached out his small hands towards Nangong Mo.
Nangong Mo smoothly picked him up.
"Little Yi Hao misses his father. Please comfort him," Duan Xifeng said.
After handing Little Yi Hao to Nangong Mo, Duan Xifeng went to Gu Qianying.
Gu Qianying's hair was slightly disheveled on both sides of her face.
Duan Xifeng helped tidy it, tucking it behind her ears.
He looked at Gu Qianying and asked with a smile, "Sister, your husband is back. Are you happy?"
As he asked this, Duan Xifeng deliberately raised his voice.