After completing the breakthrough, Chen Yuan didn't linger at the Tangshan Buddha statue and quickly returned to the Yan King's Mansion in Shuzhou City to consolidate his cultivation.

The affairs of Ping'an County were long over. He had just annexed Qingzhou, and his royal carriage needed to make a trip to appease the local forces and the people.

The real focus, for now, remained in Shuzhou.

After all, relatively speaking, Shuzhou was the central hub of his current sphere of influence, allowing him to better control the already vast Yan army.

As for Wang Ping...

Since that drinking session, Wang Ping hadn't visited him at the Yan King's Mansion in Ping'an County. Zhao Nanshan was the same, as if they had forgotten him.

Later, the wisp of his own consciousness took the initiative to find them, hoping they could join the Yan King's Mansion's ranks in the future, ensuring their life without worry.

Offering Zhao Nanshan retirement...

But they refused Chen Yuan's invitation, saying they didn't want to trouble him, one being old and useless, and the other having weak strength.

Staying in Ping'an County to watch over his home was good enough, they didn't desire too much wealth.

In the end, Chen Yuan had to give up, taking the massive royal carriage back to Shuzhou City, but whether it was Wang Ping or Zhao Nanshan, their importance in his heart had increased.

There were many who could recognize themselves, but to still be able to recognize their place in the face of great temptation, unmoved by wealth, was extremely valuable.

He didn't give them high-ranking official positions, nor did he promise them greater wealth. He left as he was before he came.

In this unstable world, finding peace in Ping'an County was actually very good.

......

The turmoil in the world continued, and the Yan army's pace of conquest was proceeding in an orderly manner. After Chen Yuan's breakthrough, they had already occupied most of Yangzhou and were in the process of digesting it.

Yunzhou had fallen into his hands. If Chen Yuan wanted to expand his territory further, he had to take Zhongzhou, so that he could continue north, somewhat aiming to recover Bing, Liang, and You three states.

But these things didn't require him, the king, to charge into battle. Therefore, after returning to Shuzhou City, he directly discarded other mundane matters and wholeheartedly secluded himself to consolidate his cultivation.

This disappointed the Crimson Refining Demon Lord, who had been expecting something, suspecting that her charm was a little low, and hadn't made Chen Yuan impatient.

Or perhaps, she had always misunderstood...

In fact, the Palace Lord sending her to the Yan King's Mansion was just her wishful thinking.

Chen Yuan was unaware of the Crimson Refining Demon Lord's thoughts, and even if he were aware, he wouldn't care too much. For him now, beauty wasn't important.

Or rather, it had never been too important. He always cared most about his own cultivation.

Now that he had just comprehended a rule, how could he have time to flirt with women?

Even if he was relaxing, it should be after he had consolidated his cultivation.

For seven consecutive days, Chen Yuan didn't leave his seclusion, and finally, under Moro's guidance, he completely stabilized his cultivation and transformed it into his own strength.

"Hoo..."

Chen Yuan slowly opened his eyes in the secret chamber, and the entire chamber instantly became as bright as day. The surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi became even more intimate with him.

Constantly merging with him...

"It's time to come out of seclusion!"

Chen Yuan gently twisted his neck, making a crisp cracking sound, and felt refreshed.

He got up and left the secret chamber.

In the backyard, he met with Madam Xu, Shangguan Hong, Zhang Wanshu, and others, shared a moment of intimacy, and spoke some heartfelt words. Yu Qingyan, standing to the side, opened her mouth but ultimately said nothing.

Chen Yuan glanced at her, keenly sensing some of her emotions, and softly asked:

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing..."

Yu Qingyan shook her head and walked to the fish pond without saying a word.

Shen Yanshu and Shangguan Hong winked at Chen Yuan, indicating that he should go and comfort her. Then, the women left quickly, as if they had agreed upon it, and even dismissed the surrounding maids.

Among the women in the King's Mansion, besides the Crimson Refining Demon Lord and Yu Qingyan, most were considered Dao companions with Chen Yuan. The Crimson Refining Demon Lord, being a newcomer and with an uncertain relationship, naturally wouldn't be accepted by them.

But Yu Qingyan was different. Her qualifications were older, having known Chen Yuan for a long time, and with Shen Yanshu's relationship and her relation to Chen Huaiyi, they had already acknowledged her as a sister.

Yu Qingyan seemed to understand this as well and didn't resist. Ever since she went to Tangshan Prefecture, she had been with them, with no intention of leaving.

What she meant was clear to everyone, but Chen Yuan was too busy, and Yu Qingyan had a cold personality, so the two were somewhat estranged. The other sisters were already anxious.

Looking at the graceful figure by the spirit pool, Chen Yuan knew what she was thinking. It was nothing more than because of the Goddess Palace. Since the Goddess Palace Master was suppressed, the Goddess Palace's status had been low.

And many people had been planted with restrictions, as if they were enslaved, and among those people were Yu Qingyan's elders.

Yu Qingyan didn't turn around, but sensed that the figure behind her had stopped moving, assuming that he had left again, and sighed wistfully. Just as she was about to turn around and leave, suddenly, a pair of big hands instantly embraced her from behind, instantly making Yu Qingyan's body stiff, as if a body-fixing spell had been cast on her.

"You..."

Yu Qingyan's face turned red, somewhat ashamed and angry, not expecting Chen Yuan to rely on his high cultivation and play this kind of trick on her, catching her off guard.

"Cousin."

"You... do you still know I'm your cousin?"

Yu Qingyan snorted lightly, seeing that she couldn't struggle free.

"The Goddess Palace's affairs must be handled, otherwise it will be difficult to convince the public. We can't give preferential treatment because of some minor matters, otherwise won't everyone follow suit?

Moreover, there's also Fellow Daoist Su Qing. As long as the Goddess Palace is loyal to me, there will be a day when the restrictions are lifted. Your personality is quiet, you are not suitable for daily lamenting."

Chen Yuan's magnetic voice sounded in Yu Qingyan's ear, coupled with the faint warmth, causing her to break out in goosebumps. After a moment of silence, she said:

"I'm not because of this."

"Not because of this, then what is it?"

Chen Yuan raised an eyebrow, seemingly somewhat surprised.

"Does what you say count..."

Yu Qingyan asked.

"Of course, everyone in the world knows that I, Chen, have always been a man of my word."

Chen is a man of his word, what does it have to do with Chen Yuan?

"Then what you promised my father... why has it been dragging on..." Yu Qingyan's voice suddenly changed to a silk-thin whisper, and if Chen Yuan's cultivation wasn't strong, ordinary people really wouldn't be able to hear it clearly.

"What I promised your father?"

Chen Yuan was stunned for a moment, then immediately remembered what his uncle Chen Huaiyi had entrusted to him, betrothing Yu Qingyan to him, which could be considered fulfilling a wish.

"Aren't you unwilling..."

"Didn't Sister Ziyue tell you that when a woman says no, she means yes?" Yu Qingyan glared at Chen Yuan, thinking that he was an experienced player.

As a result, after she subtly rejected him, he really stopped paying attention to her!

Did he know how she felt when she heard her sisters talking about that kind of thing during this time? At first, she was indeed a little resistant, but not that deep.

If he had been a little more forceful, wouldn't she have yielded?

Chen Yuan smiled and shook his head, realizing why Yu Qingyan was so abnormal today. It turned out that it was because of this kind of thing. He had predicted it was the Goddess Palace's matter.

"Okay, you said it."

After saying that, Chen Yuan directly picked her up and walked towards the room.

"You... don't, put me down!"

Chen Yuan's sudden change instantly caught Yu Qingyan off guard, and she quickly patted Chen Yuan's back.

"When a woman says no, she means yes."

.....

"You, you bastard, how can you eat this thing... I don't want it..."

"When a woman says no, she means yes, you said it."

.....

"Not there, you...."

"No, means yes."

......

......

About two hours later, Chen Yuan and Yu Qingyan could be considered to have understood each other thoroughly. After a period of warmth, Chen Yuan left the room, stretching his waist, as if he had truly come out of seclusion now.

And when he left the King's Mansion, Shen Yanshu, Shangguan Hong, and the other women, who had been prepared for a long time, quickly ran to Yu Qingyan's room and started knocking on the door.

"Senior Sister."

"Sister Yu..."

"I'm not here."

After saying that, Yu Qingyan quickly covered her face, feeling too ashamed to face these sisters. That bastard Chen Yuan had ruined her so much, just thinking about it made her feel uncomfortable.

Shuzhou City was more prosperous than before. With the flames of war spreading to Qing, Yang, Yun, and other states, Shuzhou under Chen Yuan's jurisdiction had become the safest place among the thirteen states in the world.

Many people moved their entire families here, and with the influx of a large population, it naturally became more prosperous.

Without any guards by his side, Chen Yuan was inconspicuous in the vast crowd, and few people would think that the dignified Yan King would go out without attendants.

But honestly, attendants and guards were just for show for him now. If he really encountered danger, those guards wouldn't be of any use.

It was better to be leisurely and carefree on his own.

Of course, he wasn't just aimlessly wandering around. One was to lure out Xiang Qianqiu, and the other was to prepare to take action to deal with Zhou Zhong.

Chen Yuan had suspected this person from their first meeting, but because he had to deal with Xiang Qianqiu with all his heart at the time, he didn't want to start another incident.

After all, a force that dared to plot against him must be very powerful.

So, at that time, he just let the Yu Hai Gang and the Jinyiwei who had caused trouble later carefully monitor his movements. And not long ago, after he came back from the Western Regions.

When Su Ziyue reported things, she mentioned that the Yu Hai Gang leader had mysteriously disappeared, and even the Jinyiwei couldn't find any trace of his disappearance.

This could only prove one thing, that the other party seemed to be losing patience and wanted to force him out.

It was just a pity that Chen Yuan had a lot of things to do later, breaking through and consolidating his cultivation. Now, he finally had some free time to prepare to fight this force.

Let's see who had the guts to mess with him, and who knew his past so well that they had even investigated Zhou Fang and his daughter.

Soon, Chen Yuan arrived at Zhou Ji's steamed bun shop. At this time, due to the influx of a large population, Zhou Ji's steamed bun shop was doing very well, and many people lined up to buy them.

As for those who were jealous and wanted to cause trouble...

Since the last incident, people in this area knew that Zhou Ji's steamed bun shop was backed by officials from above. It was unwise to provoke a powerful enemy for the sake of a small steamed bun shop.

Therefore, this place could be said to be relatively safe.

Chen Yuan's arrival didn't attract anyone's attention, and it was still bustling with activity. He patiently queued up, and it took him half a quarter of an hour before it was his turn.

"Two baskets of meat buns."

"Okay, will you eat here or take away?"

"Huh?"

The shop assistant realized what he had said and slapped himself on the mouth, smiling and saying:

"Please forgive me, customer, the business has been too good lately, and I'm confused."

"Eat here. By the way, tell Uncle Zhou that Yuan kid is here," Chen Yuan said lightly.

The shop assistant carefully looked at the handsome man in front of him, knowing that he wasn't an ordinary person. He quickly nodded and said:

"Okay, please sit down for a while, I'll go get him right away."

"Yeah."

Chen Yuan casually found a small seat by the side and sat down, calmly waiting for Zhou Zhong's arrival. He didn't wait long, only about ten breaths, before the shop assistant came over with two baskets of buns, led Zhou Zhong to him, and pointed him out.

Then Zhou Zhong took the buns, walked over with a smile, placed them on Chen Yuan's table, and said:

"You have free time today?"

"Yeah, I didn't expect Uncle Zhou's steamed bun shop to be doing so well after not seeing you for a while." Chen Yuan took a big bite, the aroma of meat filled his mouth, the juice was rich, very fragrant, but something was wrong.

"It's all thanks to you. If you hadn't helped me drive away the Yu Hai Gang last time, it's hard to say whether this shop could have continued to operate. I knew back then that Yuan Kid was no ordinary person, and it's indeed so now."

"Hehe, I heard that the Yu Hai Gang's leader disappeared?" Chen Yuan casually asked.

"Really? That's really good news." Zhou Zhong seemed to have just found out, looking quite surprised, but Chen Yuan silently looked at him while eating the buns.

The atmosphere between the two became a bit tense. The smile on Zhou Zhong's face gradually stiffened, and he touched his cheek, asking in confusion:

"What's wrong, Yuan Kid? Is there something on Uncle Zhou's face?"

"There's nothing on your face, but there's something in your heart."

"Huh?"

"Uncle Zhou, you came to Shuzhou City..." Chen Yuan was about to reveal his cards when suddenly he saw a faint figure appearing in the sky above Shuzhou City, looking at him with a smile that wasn't a smile.

Xiang Qianqiu, he's here!!!

Chen Yuan's expression instantly changed, becoming extremely solemn.

"What's wrong? What did Yuan Kid mean just now?" Zhou Zhong continued to ask.

Chen Yuan ignored him, stood up, and casually said:

"It's nothing, let's talk about it after I come back, okay, Uncle Zhou?"

"Of course, of course, Yuan Kid, you go ahead with your business, I'm not in a hurry." Zhou Zhong smiled.

Chen Yuan glanced at him, nodded, and the next moment, slowly disappeared into the void, with no one around noticing anything unusual. Zhou Zhong then smiled faintly, grabbed a bun, took a bite, and exclaimed:

"Tsk... human meat bun, it's so fragrant!"

————

Sorry sorry, I was really busy today. Conceptualizing the new book took a lot of energy, and I just couldn't write the evening update, sorry.