No maiden can resist the bloom of spring!
With a superior living environment and good looks to match, Nan Baixuan's standards for choosing a partner were naturally exceptionally high.
Even though her idol was the Central War Emperor, she had always longed for his attention.
However, Nan Baixuan was self-aware and understood the vast chasm between herself and the Central War Emperor.
There was simply no possibility between them.
Then, one night several years ago, she overheard a rumor that according to Guan Hongyun, only the King of the Sea could qualify to reside in the Sea Pavilion.
In a moment of excitement, she declared, "I've made up my mind. Before I get married, if the King of the Sea, who qualifies to reside in the Sea Pavilion, appears and is still unmarried, I will pursue him relentlessly and make him my husband."
Zhao Jiayu, aware of this vow, immediately notified Nan Baixuan upon seeing the trending news about the appearance of the King of the Sea.
Nan Baixuan also never expected that the King of the Sea would actually appear.
And it happened while she was still unattached.
Wasn't this perfect?
"Jiayu, do you know who the King of the Sea is?"
"Do you have his photo?"
"Is he handsome?"
"Please tell me he's not some old man!"
...
After regaining her senses, Nan Baixuan, like a child, was flooded with a million questions.
If it weren't for the late hour, she would have rushed to the Sea Pavilion immediately to see for herself who the King of the Sea was.
"Xuanxuan, no one in the entire Sea City knows who the King of the Sea is."
"But the lights in the Sea Pavilion have indeed lit up."
"Many people are trying to find out who has qualified to reside in the Sea Pavilion, so let's just wait for the news with peace of mind!"
The appearance of the King of the Sea blew away Nan Baixuan's gloom.
The two immediately planned to stay up all night waiting for news.
If there was no news by morning, they would rush to the Sea Pavilion and try to sneak in to determine the person's appearance and age.
Anticipation always brought excitement and nervousness.
Nan Baixuan prayed all night that the King of the Sea wouldn't be an old man. As long as he was under thirty-five, she would accept him.
Little did she know that the person she longed for was none other than Chu Fan.
And between them, there was also no possibility, ever.
Early morning.
Outside the perimeter of the Sea Pavilion, it was completely packed with curious onlookers.
Nan Baixuan and Zhao Jiayu also rushed over. After waiting for a while and seeing no sign of the King of the Sea, Zhao Jiayu immediately contacted her friend Xu Gensheng.
Xu Gensheng was a high school classmate of Zhao Jiayu. Coincidentally, his father had been a member of the War Emperor's Hall. After retiring, he was recruited by Guan Hongyun and assigned to guard this area.
Since his father was stationed here for a long time, Xu Gensheng would often visit.
On one occasion, he discovered a secret passage in the woods that led directly to the Sea Pavilion.
He didn't tell anyone about this.
Moreover, Xu Gensheng had always been a devoted admirer of Zhao Jiayu, hoping to win her over.
During a casual conversation, to show off, he once told Zhao Jiayu that if she wished, he could take her inside the Sea Pavilion for a look.
At the time, Zhao Jiayu dismissed it as bragging, and not having a good impression of him, she paid no attention.
Last night, when they discussed the possibility of sneaking in, Zhao Jiayu suddenly remembered Xu Gensheng's words. She immediately inquired if he could indeed bypass security and enter the Sea Pavilion.
Overjoyed that the person he admired contacted him, Xu Gensheng promised that he absolutely could.
As soon as Nan Baixuan and the two arrived at the agreed meeting spot, Xu Gensheng emerged from the bushes.
"Jiayu!"
Xu Gensheng stared at Zhao Jiayu with eyes full of longing.
"What were you doing? Making us wait here for you!"
Zhao Jiayu glared at him with a stern expression.
Xu Gensheng, looking aggrieved, explained in a low voice, "I was worried the passage might be blocked, so I went to check first."
"Well, can we go in?" Nan Baixuan asked excitedly.
"Yes!"
"Then let's hurry, before we're discovered!"
The three immediately plunged into the woods and soon found the entrance.
The conditions within the passage were harsh, but Zhao Jiayu and Nan Baixuan, being young ladies of status, showed no complaints. All they felt was the thrill of getting closer to the Sea Pavilion.
As long as they could see the King of the Sea and find out who he was, they felt the environment, no matter how difficult, was worth it.
Beneath the Sea Pavilion, an underground palace had been constructed.
Chu Fan was seated within the underground palace, absorbing the power of the dragon脉 to suppress the exotic poison.
When Nan Baixuan and the other two appeared inside the Sea Pavilion, he sensed it immediately.
"Why is she here?"
Chu Fan frowned, somewhat surprised.
After a moment of thought, he rose and left the underground palace.
Having absorbed for an entire night, the power suppressing the exotic poison had increased significantly. Continuing to absorb would be a waste.
Moreover, Chu Fan had seen many missed calls on his phone and planned to go back to check, lest his aunt worry.
Secondly, regarding the mysterious family, he also wanted to ask his aunt if their mother had ever mentioned them.
Nan Baixuan and Zhao Jiayu, both young ladies from prominent families, were not particularly interested in the opulent decorations within the Sea Pavilion. Their sole focus was on finding the King of the Sea.
However, after searching every corner, they didn't encounter a single person.
"Jiayu, could it be that we were mistaken? Did the King of the Sea not actually appear?"
Nan Baixuan's face was filled with disappointment.
Zhao Jiayu's expression was also grim.
"Jiayu, the King of the Sea really did appear!"
To ingratiate himself with his goddess, Xu Gensheng continued, "I heard my dad say that yesterday, a young man came here with their boss. Afterward, the boss told them that the young man would be the master of the Sea Pavilion from then on, and everyone had to obey his orders."
"Really?"
The eyes of the two women lit up.
"Yes, my dad told me when he came home!"
"What did that young man look like?"
Nan Baixuan's body trembled with excitement.
Xu Gensheng shook his head, "I don't know either. My dad did say that his age is about the same as ours."
Although she didn't know what the King of the Sea looked like, knowing his age was similar to theirs made Nan Baixuan even more excited.
Having confirmed that the Sea Pavilion did indeed have a master, the three continued their search.
Along the way, they heard movements and saw servants coming to clean. To avoid the secret passage being discovered, the three had to retreat.
"What are you doing?"
Just as the three were about to enter the secret passage, Chu Fan's voice suddenly rang out.
The three were so startled that their faces instantly turned pale.
But in the next second, upon seeing that it was Chu Fan who had spoken, Zhao Jiayu and Nan Baixuan's beautiful eyes widened.
It was too unexpected.
The two women truly hadn't anticipated encountering Chu Fan in this place.
Nan Baixuan's emotions immediately erupted.
"You lunatic, what are you doing here?"
"Do you know what kind of place this is?"
"Tell me, are you tracking us?"
"What are your intentions?"
Because Chu Fan also appeared near the entrance of the secret passage, Nan Baixuan instinctively assumed he had been hiding and tracking them, entering through the secret passage.
"Xuanxuan, keep your voice down. If people find out there's a secret passage here, we won't be able to get in next time!"
Zhao Jiayu and Xu Gensheng nervously scanned their surroundings, worried about security showing up.
Nan Baixuan also realized that she couldn't speak loudly in this place and, lowering her voice, angrily said, "Let's go, I'll talk to you outside."
Chu Fan hesitated for a second and then followed.
As the master of the Sea Pavilion, he naturally didn't need to leave through the secret passage.
However, Chu Fan had already heard the commotion and knew that many people were guarding the outside. He wanted to confirm who was leaving the Sea Pavilion.
The secret passage was perfect for this purpose.
As soon as they emerged from the woods, Nan Baixuan rushed up to Chu Fan and grabbed his collar.
"You lunatic, tell me, are you tracking me?"
"Are you trying to harm me?"
Chu Fan sneered dismissively, "Why would I track you?"
"You are my cousin. If I wanted to harm you, you wouldn't be alive now!"
"If you weren't tracking us, how would you be inside the Sea Pavilion?" Xu Gensheng interjected.
Chu Fan smiled calmly.
"This is my territory, and I make the rules. Why wouldn't I be inside?"