Under the Red Palace’s hospitality, Anji and her siblings received nothing short of a warm welcome. Hong Nian Niang had to leave briefly to welcome her special dinner guest. Hence, the siblings chatted over the table and appetisers to catch up. Mingshen looked slightly tired, and Anji wondered if her second brother was pushing himself too hard. On the other hand, her third brother would not stop singing praises about the chefs while stuffing his mouth constantly.

It felt almost like home until Hong Nian Niang reappeared again to join them with another lady dressed in red and yellow. She had half her face shrouded in a translucent veil, but Anji swore she had seen those eyes somewhere before, even if they had never met in person. Even without revealing her full face, everyone could tell she was a great beauty behind that fabric.

"Have you been enjoying yourselves so far?" Sect Leader Hong chuckled as Yihao continued chewing. "I made sure that only the best was served. Now that we are all here, shall we start the dinner officially?"

It was a rhetorical question. Yihao’s eyes lit up when the ghost servants entered swiftly and replaced all the appetisers with real food. Whole roasted pigs and ducks sat in front of him, and there was more meat than vegetables.

"Now this is what I call real food!" he rubbed his hands eagerly until Anji pinched his thigh lightly under the table to remind him they were no longer in the presence of just family members.

Fortunately, the mysterious guest did not seem to mind. Her eyes transformed into two crescent moons as she smiled and encouraged the children to eat without standing on ceremony. Even if Anji already knew her identity beforehand, it still felt surreal to know the Noble Consort was here with them.

After filling the table with delicacies, the ghost servants exited the room swiftly and closed the door behind them. With only five of them present, Gu Ying and Lizi were in Yihao’s room dining separately tonight, Anji wondered what Noble Consort Liu had to say. Surely there was a better method to communicate without having to come all the way here in person, right?

Sensing that it was now safe without prying eyes, the lady in red and yellow removed her veil and smirked in light amusement when none of the three Celestial Dragon Sect children reacted in the normal way. Ordinarily, commonfolk would swoon or praise her beauty. Many even recognised her as the prolific Noble Consort. There was no way they did not know she was joining them for dinner beforehand. She made sure to have her sworn sister relay the message just to see their reactions. Mingshen was already well acquainted with her from their numerous contacts in the past few years, thanks to the war. However, even the second son of the Celestial Dragon Sect reacted differently from others. If anything, he greeted her with the same respect as Hong Nian Niang, seeing past her royal status and treating her as a fellow cultivator with the seniority of a retired Sect Leader. His attitude remained vague, as if he did not truly believe she was retired from the murim world. Liu Guiya had to admit, the kid had sharp instincts.

Zhao Yihao was similar to Zhao Wanting. Like mother, like son, they both had straightforward personalities that left no room for second guesses. His attention was more drawn towards the food on the table, and although he was a hot-blooded youth, he did not seem to harbour other desires. Her beauty had no effect on him, and his heart was as pure as his personality.

Funnily enough, the men in the Celestial Dragon Sect do not seem particularly attracted to beauties. When Liu Guiya met Mingshen for the first time, he studied her like an insect with that brazen calculating gaze. He was mostly definitely suited for the intelligence trade, and Hong Nian Niang had a good eye for spotting his talent. On the other hand, Bai Dajin found a good student in Zhao Yihao, whose personality was a split image of the White Tiger Sect Leader.

Then, there was Anji. Unlike Zhao Ruiting, who took after her mother’s straightforward personality more, the young child resembled her teacher from the Mystical Qilin Sect. Even many years out of active cultivation, Liu Guiya could still tell that something about this young child was off. Age was just a number for those in the Mystical Qilin Sect, and it truly reflected in the unnaturally wise and empty gaze of such a young child.

Compared to her crafty oldest brother, Liu Guiya was more cautious of Anji. Having dealt with her fair share of complex politics in the palace, she thought she had seen it all. People were generally easy to read, even the twisted ones like Hong Nian Niang and Zhao Mingshen. However, she had never come across a second individual with a depth so deep she could never comprehend. Yan Ping must have truly imparted everything to her named successor. When Liu Guiya first heard the news from Mingshen, she thought it was just an excuse. Who would have thought such a young child would be able to truly inherit the will of the ancient sect?

"Zhao Anji greets the Noble Consort Liu," Anji stood up and bowed with her hands clasped before her, snapping Liu Guiya out of her thoughts.

Mingshen still had a roasted duck thigh in his mouth and glanced at his sister for a few seconds before his brain kicked back online. Following her example, he stood up and knocked over his stool with the sudden force as he bowed in greeting with the duck thigh in his mouth and chopsticks in his hand. It was barely appropriate, and Mingshen looked away in embarrassment before apologising on behalf of his younger brother to the imperial consort.

Hong Nian Niang barely held back her amusement when that happened. It was rare to see Mingshen so ruffled when nothing could truly faze him. The seventeen-year-old was too capable and mature for his age, but he was still a teenager at heart after all, especially when facing his siblings. The change was very refreshing, and she had Liu Guiya to thank for this small entertainment.

"It’s alright," Liu Guiya chuckled. "I did not come here as the Noble Consort. Today, I’m just an aunt coming to see my sworn sister’s children. We can talk about work later. Let’s eat before the food gets cold."

Sensing it was alright to break all rules, Zhao Yihao cheered and agreed readily, picking the other duck thigh with his chopsticks and offering it to the new guest. Anji wondered how much patience Noble Consort Liu must have to put up with Yihao’s brazen behaviour. She did not seem to dislike his brutish manners, but Anji wondered how long that kindness would last, unaware of the slowly piling food mountain in her bowl thanks to Hong Nian Niang.