Chapter 178: Chapter 178: You Look a Lot Like an Old Friend of Mine

"Fugitives?"

Ao Er pointed at himself. "Me?"

Feng Xuan put down his chopsticks. "And me, I’d guess."

"Definitely," Ao Wu nodded from the side. "An’an, quickly pull Second Brother and Feng Xuan into your space."

"Alright," Yu An said, glancing at the courtyard gate. "Mo Yan, go open the door."

Mo Yan immediately got up. When he opened the door, he found guards from the City Lord Mansion.

Having set up a stall with Yu An for the past few days, Mo Yan had become quite well-known. Seeing it was him, the Guard Captain’s expression relaxed slightly.

"So this is the Envoy’s home. Sir, we are under orders to track down fugitives. We would appreciate your cooperation."

Mo Yan replied politely, "Of course. However, I need my Female Master’s permission. If you would please wait a moment, I’ll go inform her."

Seeing the Guard Captain nod, Mo Yan was about to turn back when Yu An’s voice came from behind him.

"Mo Yan, please invite the officers in."

The courtyard wasn’t large, with only a few rooms. Upon hearing her, the Guard Captain waved his hand, and the guards behind him filed in immediately.

They searched every nook and cranny of the courtyard and went through every room. They even peeked into any corner that could possibly hide a person, but in the end, they found nothing.

Ao Er, Feng Xuan, and the Zaizai had long since been pulled into Yu An’s space. Only Mo Yan, Ao Wu, and Han Li remained in the courtyard. All three had shown their faces in public before, and they now sat calmly at the dining table, showing no signs of anything amiss.

The Guard Captain’s brow was furrowed. He cupped his fist toward Yu An and said, "Envoy, there are no fugitives here. My apologies for the disturbance."

Yu An smiled. "Not at all. I was also worried a fugitive might be hiding in my home. Take care, Captain."

The Guard Captain nodded. Just as he was about to lead his subordinates away, the sound of steady footsteps came from outside the gate.

Immediately after, an authoritative voice called out, "Hold on."

Yu An turned to look and saw a group of people approaching, flanking two men.

The man in the lead was middle-aged, with an imposing face. Yu An had seen him before; he was the City Lord of Sand City. And the one standing beside him was also a familiar face—Alliance Hierarch of the Invincible Alliance, Ao Yin.

He had a tall, straight posture and a cold, sharp aura, looking every bit the proper gentleman. But when Yu An thought about the things he had done, she couldn’t help but despise him.

Upon seeing the two men, the Guard Captain hastily bowed. "Greetings, City Lord. Greetings, Alliance Hierarch."

The City Lord waved his hand, his gaze sweeping over the courtyard before finally landing on Yu An.

Before he could speak, Ao Yin, who was beside him, suddenly moved.

Ao Yin slowly walked forward, his gaze fixed on Yu An’s face. A flicker of imperceptible shock flashed through his eyes, which still held a hint of suppressed anger. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

His steps faltered slightly, and his voice was tinged with a hoarseness he himself didn’t notice. "You... look very much like an old acquaintance of mine."

The City Lord was surprised. "Alliance Leader Ao, is the Envoy an old friend of yours?"

"I have never met Alliance Leader Ao," Yu An said, speaking before Ao Yin could. "City Lord, my home has already been searched. There are no fugitives. Is there something else?"

"It’s like this," the City Lord said immediately. "This is Alliance Leader Ao of the Invincible Alliance. He claimed the fugitives were here. For the peace of mind of the city’s residents, this City Lord came along to investigate."

The City Lord couldn’t afford to offend the Invincible Alliance, nor did he want to offend Yu An, the "Beast God Envoy." In fact, regardless of whether she was a Beast God Envoy or not, her ability to perform Ice Making alone was enough for the City Lord to treat her with courtesy.

The Guard Captain quickly added, "City Lord, we have already searched. There is no trace of any fugitives."

The City Lord looked at Ao Yin. "Alliance Leader Ao, you see..."

"I’ll have to trouble the City Lord to take his men and search elsewhere. This young lady resembles an old friend of mine. Coincidentally, my friend lost a daughter many years ago."

Ao Yin’s gaze never left Yu An’s face, but after only a few moments, his view was blocked by Mo Yan and the other two as they stood up.

Ao Wu offered a humorless smile. "Old man, has no one ever told you not to stare at a young woman like that?"

Han Li sneered. "Have some respect for your age. Get out of our house now!"

Mo Yan’s tone was calmer, but his intention to drive them away was just as clear. "My Female Master has a mother and a father. Her elders do not know the Alliance Hierarch. The Alliance Hierarch must have mistaken her for someone else."

Ao Yin’s eyes darkened. "This Alliance Hierarch does not make mistakes. As it happens, my old friend has just returned to the Alliance. Come with me, and you’ll know once you meet her."

The old friend he spoke of was not just Yu Huang, but also the Poisonous Insect Granny.

The Poisonous Insect Granny hadn’t died. She had held on with her last breath to return to the Invincible Alliance, where she told Ao Yin what had happened on her journey and everything about Yu An before finally passing out.

Later, someone else reported that they had found Ao Yun’s skeletal remains and scraps of her clothing in the Mist Forest.

Only then did Ao Yin realize that his plan, which he had been plotting for years, had been ruined!

Yu Yun and Ao Yun were both dead—the two he had selected, the ones most likely to be able to fuse with Yu An’s Phoenix Blood and become a child for him and Yu Huang.

Now, they were both dead!

Fortunately, nothing had gone wrong on Yu Huang’s end. After she brought her people back to the Invincible Alliance, everything proceeded as normal.

But his plan... was ultimately ruined.

Fortunately, after the Poisonous Insect Granny awoke, she mentioned that the Phoenix Blood could also fuse with males. Ao Yin had two daughters and four sons, but back then, he had only considered daughters useful, so his sons were strangled or thrown to their deaths right after birth.

However, the five non-biological children of the Dragon Clan’s Clan Leader, Ao Jin, could also be put to use.

To prevent his subordinates from failing, he had personally come to capture Ao Yi and his two brothers and bring them back to the Invincible Alliance. He had also sent people to the distant Dragon Clan to capture Ao Si.

As for Ao Wu, who had been lost many years ago, he paid him no mind.

Unfortunately, something had gone wrong at the Death Abyss. The Beastmen beneath the abyss had all vanished, and Ao Yi, naturally, was also gone.

Ao Yin ordered his subordinates to investigate, then rushed over to the Underground Mine without stopping.

"No," Yu An refused flatly. "We’re strangers. What if Alliance Leader Ao decides to harm me? I’m not willing to take that risk."

Ao Yin chuckled lightly. "You certainly dare to say anything. You say we’re strangers, so why does this Alliance Hierarch feel like you hold some resentment toward me?"

Yu An feigned surprise. "Can Alliance Leader Ao read faces? But we’ve never met, so where would this resentment come from? Or is there something wrong with Alliance Leader Ao’s eyes? You should hurry and see a witch doctor. Don’t hide your illness for fear of treatment!"

Listening from the side, the City Lord of Sand City also felt that Yu An’s tone wasn’t quite right. Why did it sound like she had a grudge against Ao Yin?

His heart hammered in his chest, terrified they would actually start fighting.

Fortunately, Ao Yin said nothing more. He turned to leave, but just as he reached the courtyard exit, he turned his head back again.

"It’s fine if you won’t return to the Invincible Alliance with me. It’s just that my old friend contracted a terrible illness after her recent return and probably doesn’t have long to live. Her life’s greatest regret is not being able to see her child."

"I asked you to come back with me to fulfill that wish for her."

"Since you are unwilling," Ao Yin smiled, "I will not insist. I only hope that when you one day learn that your current parents are not your birth parents, you won’t have any regrets."

Hearing this, Yu An subconsciously clenched her fist. Ao Yin had been watching her the whole time and naturally took in the sight.