“Eh?” Tang Yan, who had only intended to scare Purple Yun, was taken aback when his grandfather suddenly barged in. With a splash, he poured the water over himself, hastily rinsing off his body before grabbing his clothes and rushing to his room.

“Ha ha...” Xiao Cui, who had been watching from the side, couldn’t hold back a laugh, then quickly realized it wasn’t the best time and hurriedly gave a respectful bow. “Greetings, Old Master.”

“No need for formalities. Who is this young lady?” Tang Laozi asked curiously as he sized up Purple Yun. With his vast life experience, he could tell that Purple Yun’s aura was far from ordinary.

Purple Yun smiled faintly, and without any visible motion, she produced a jade token out of thin air.

The jade was pure and translucent, almost like cream, with the characters "Purple Bamboo" etched in the center and a single character “Yun” carved at the bottom right corner.

Tang Laozi’s pupils shrank, his astonishment evident as he asked, “Could it be that you’re Miss Purple Yun from Purple Bamboo City?”

“Didn’t expect Old Master Tang to know me. I’m honored!” Purple Yun responded with a graceful bow.

Upon hearing Purple Yun’s confirmation, Tang Laozi couldn’t help but inhale sharply. Aside from the royal family, there were three major forces in the Listening Fragrance Kingdom: Purple Bamboo City, the Rakshasa Sect, and the Gathering Immortals Palace. Among these, Purple Bamboo City was the most powerful.

Purple Bamboo City had produced many talented individuals, many of whom were renowned throughout the kingdom. One of these was Purple Yun herself.

At only thirty years old, it was said that she had already reached the Heavenly Realm, a prodigy who had astonished everyone.

Suppressing his surprise, Tang Laozi responded politely, “Miss Yun, your name is well-known. How could I not have heard of you? You should have informed me before entering my Tang family. Otherwise, people might think that I’ve neglected such an esteemed guest.”

Purple Yun's mind spun, and a thought formed. She smiled gently, saying, “I happened to have some business in Cloud City and intended to stay low, not disturbing anyone. It’s a fortunate encounter that I met Young Master Tang.”

Tang Laozi, recalling that Tang Yan had walked out in nothing but his undergarments in front of Purple Yun, felt a cold sweat forming on his forehead. “That boy... his behavior is rather... rebellious. If he offended you, please forgive him.”

“Sometimes, it's not bad for the young to be a bit bold,” Purple Yun said with a light chuckle.

“I’m curious, how did you come to meet Yan’er?” Tang Laozi asked, still intrigued.

Purple Yun didn’t directly explain but instead smiled, “I happened upon him by chance and noticed that he has some potential. In a small place like Cloud City, I feared he might be overlooked, so I wanted to take him back to Purple Bamboo City for proper training.”

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Upon hearing this, Tang Laozi’s heart raced. Purple Bamboo City—one of the kingdom's top forces, and its resources were vast. If Tang Yan could be trained there, reaching the Heavenly Realm would not be impossible.

However, Tang Laozi only had one grandson—Tang Yan. Letting him go would be a difficult decision. He hesitated for a while before sighing and saying, “Miss Yun, you may not know, but Tang Yan already has a teacher. We can’t allow him to join another force just yet. Perhaps we should ask him for his opinion later.”

“May I ask who his teacher is?” Purple Yun inquired, now understanding why Tang Yan had appeared so extraordinary—there must be a powerful figure guiding him.

“I’m not sure. All I know is that his teacher lives an untroubled life, detached from the mundane world, rarely making an appearance,” Tang Laozi replied, shaking his head. “That senior has helped our Tang family tremendously, but we’ve never had the chance to thank them properly.”

“I see,” Purple Yun nodded, and then smiled, “In that case, I won’t press the matter. However, Tang Yan is indeed a talent. He has unique insights into martial arts. If I were to leave now, I would feel regret. I’ll stay for a while and offer him some guidance. What do you think, Old Master?”

Tang Laozi’s heart soared with excitement. He had no objections at all. “Please, Miss Yun. Stay as long as you need. The Tang family will gladly welcome you.”

Purple Yun refused with a smile, saying, “There’s no need for such formalities. This small courtyard is quite nice, and there are empty rooms. I’ll stay here.”

Tang Laozi had no issue with that and, after waiting a bit, frowned, muttering, “Where is that boy? He’s been gone for so long. Xiao Cui, go call him out!”

Soon, Tang Yan emerged, his head hanging low.

He had expected an awkward conversation with his grandfather and Purple Yun, but what he didn’t expect was his grandfather’s smiling face, bright as day.

“Yan’er, Miss Purple Yun is a renowned Heavenly Realm expert from the Listening Fragrance Kingdom. She sees potential in you and wants to offer you some guidance. From now on, you must show her respect, listen carefully, and learn from her. Do you understand?” Tang Laozi said sternly.

“What? A renowned Heavenly Realm expert? I’ve never heard of her,” Tang Yan exclaimed, looking at Purple Yun with surprise. Renowned? Was she more famous than the top courtesan by Mingyue River?

“Have you heard of Purple Bamboo City?” Tang Laozi asked.

“I think I’ve heard of it,” Tang Yan replied.

“Miss Yun is the Third Miss of Purple Bamboo City. To receive her guidance is a great opportunity. If you upset her, don’t let anyone else handle it—I’ll deal with you myself!” Tang Laozi warned.

Seeing his grandfather so serious, Tang Yan felt helpless. What on earth had happened in such a short time? He was only gone to change clothes, and all this had unfolded.

He took another look at Purple Yun, who playfully winked at him, and he knew she had probably spun some story to his grandfather.

Realizing how stubborn his grandfather could be, Tang Yan sighed and quickly agreed, “I understand, I will follow her guidance!”

“That’s more like it. You two catch up, I have some matters to attend to,” Tang Laozi said, eager not to waste time and let Purple Yun guide Tang Yan.

As soon as his grandfather left, Tang Yan jumped up and asked, “What did you tell my grandfather?”

“Huh? How are you speaking to me like that? Do you want me to tell your grandfather and have him beat you?” Purple Yun gave him an icy glare, warning him coldly.

Tang Yan couldn’t help but roll his eyes and sighed, “I was planning on helping you with some pills to recover your strength, but now it seems I should focus on my own training and ignore the rest.”

Hearing about recovery, Purple Yun immediately perked up and asked, “Tang Yan, how long will it take for me to recover my strength?”

“Considering your current recovery rate, about half a year,” Tang Yan added, “Of course, that’s just when you’ll start recovering. How many years it’ll take to fully restore, I don’t know. It could be three to five years, or even twenty or thirty years.”

“What?” Upon hearing that, Purple Yun’s face turned pale.

Seeing her reaction, Tang Yan chuckled inwardly, “But with my pills, you might be able to recover in just three months and even improve further.”