Nalan Yiren fell silent. Although she didn’t want to admit it, that beast’s talent back then was unrivaled among his peers, with no one in the Poison King Valley able to compare.

Now, more than a decade later, how much has he grown? It’s really hard to say.

"Rest assured, Great Elder. I am confident," Nalan Yiren said confidently after pondering for a while.

The Great Elder stroked his beard, turned his head to Chen Mo, and said softly, "I must apologize to King Wei for letting you witness this spectacle."

"Not at all."

"Please have a seat." The Great Elder gestured to the stone bench in the courtyard, then turned to Nalan Yiren and said, "Yiren, wait inside. I have something to discuss with King Wei."

Nalan Yiren actually wanted to hear what the Great Elder and Chen Mo would talk about, but since the Great Elder wouldn’t let her listen and she respected him greatly, she obediently went inside to wait.

Although Chen Mo didn’t know what the Great Elder wanted to say to him, he was used to being in big situations and wasn’t fazed. He approached the stone bench under the camphor tree in the courtyard with a gentle and courteous expression.

The Great Elder sat opposite Chen Mo. On the table were a teapot and teacups. The Great Elder picked up the teapot and poured a cup for Chen Mo, who accepted it with both hands.

The Great Elder glanced up, smiling slightly. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Si, with the single character name Song, the Great Elder of Poison King Valley."

"Mr. Si." Chen Mo raised his teacup. "Chen Mo."

"The name of King Wei is thunderous to my ears. Even back in Baiyue, I had heard of King Wei’s great name. Now that I’ve seen it with my own eyes, you are indeed a young talent, living up to your reputation," said the Great Elder Si Song.

"Mr. Si is too kind, just trifles." Chen Mo looked at the window of the distant house. Although it was closed, he could feel a pair of eyes watching him from there.

Si Song gazed outside the courtyard, smiling. "During the Xuanhe period, the Great Song faced numerous disasters and frequent wars, and the people suffered greatly. But now, the world is stable, and the people live in peace. Yong’an, Yong’an, this is no trifling matter."

"I didn’t expect Mr. Si to have such understanding of our Great Song."

"Slight understanding is all. Finding the whereabouts of that beast is thanks to King Wei. If this great vendetta can be avenged, King Wei would be a great benefactor to Poison King Valley." Si Song raised a cup of tea instead of wine and toasted Chen Mo.

Chen Mo withdrew his gaze from the house. "It’s mutual benefit."

Si Song shook his head. "A few Youthful Appearance Pills can hardly be called mutual benefit."

"A few?" Chen Mo was taken aback.

"?"

Si Song was puzzled, then immediately took out a palm-sized exquisite small wooden box from his sleeve, placed it on the stone table, and pushed it in front of Chen Mo. "This is the Evergreen Pill, which can prolong life. Even a seriously ill elderly person can hold on for up to two years."

Chen Mo was stunned. An elixir that extends life, considering that the Youthful Appearance Pill given by Nalan Yiren only delayed aging and improved appearance but did not increase lifespan.

After pondering for a moment, Chen Mo pushed the wooden box back. "Mr. Si, this gift is too precious for me to accept. Regarding the matter of Tang Yichen, I’ve already received fifty Youthful Appearance Pills from Miss Nalan as payment. The Evergreen Pill is not included in the reward."

"Fifty?" Si Song was startled, instinctively saying, "But Yiren said she only gave three..."

As the words reached his lips, Si Song seemed to realize something. The quantity of fifty Youthful Appearance Pills was quite substantial, but there was no need to hide it. However, Yiren said she only gave three. Being an experienced person, he couldn’t help but glance towards the house and then carefully scrutinized Chen Mo again.

A moment later, Si Song stroked his beard, a kindly smile appearing on his face like that of an elder. He started to chat casually with Chen Mo.

Especially about things from when Nalan Yiren was a child.

Chen Mo also learned why Nalan Yiren’s skin was so fair.

This had to do with the poison technique Nalan Yiren practiced.

Strictly speaking, the poison technique of the Poison King Valley should be practiced after the age of ten to minimize its impact on the body. However, Nalan Yiren, to avenge her grandfather and quickly increase her power, started practicing at eight.

The method of this poison cultivation was to eat poison, let poisonous creatures bite her, bathe in poison, and train her body to become toxic. Starting too early in cultivation caused changes in Nalan Yiren’s body.

Before reaching the Divine Power Realm, her skin couldn’t even withstand sunlight. After breaking through to the Divine Power Realm, she was no longer affected, but having been long used to avoiding sunlight, her body adapted to it. Even though it no longer affected her, standing in sunlight still brought an uncomfortable sensation physically.

"No wonder."

Chen Mo nodded, then curiously asked, "So is the reason Miss Nalan always wears a mask related to this?"

"Not at all."

Si Song had a sip of tea, chuckling slightly. "She started wearing it after she became of age. Once of age, regardless of gender, marriage discussions begin. Yiren was no exception. The elders in the valley, including myself, would recommend some young talents every now and then. Perhaps she grew tired of it, or maybe the departure of the Valley Master made her realize the importance of strength. Since then, she put on the mask and vowed that only someone who could defeat her and remove her mask could become her husband."

Chen Mo: "..."

Seeing Chen Mo’s face suddenly turn dazed, Si Song raised an eyebrow and asked, "What, did King Wei ever unmask Yiren?" 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

"No." Chen Mo quickly waved his hands. He didn’t unmask her; Nalan Yiren removed it herself.

But since she took it off herself, it seemed not to violate the vow she made then.