The meaning was clear. He no longer wanted Lan Yue. Su Mingxuan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"Then who do you want?" he asked calmly, though there was a hint of tension in his voice.

Rong Yanchen did not answer immediately.

Instead, his smile slowly deepened. His gaze turned distant for a moment, as if recalling something.

Then he looked back at them.

"The agreement is still valid," he said slowly. "The marriage... will still happen."

Mo Qingli’s expression became extremely cold.

"If you do not want Lan Yue, then there is no one else to fulfill that agreement," he said firmly.

Rong Yanchen chuckled softly.

"Is that so?" he said.

His eyes flickered with a strange light.

"I think... there is."

The room fell into complete silence. Everyone could feel that something was not right.

The hall fell into a strange silence after Rong Yanchen’s words. Everyone’s expression turned pale, but no one showed panic on the surface.

They had already prepared for the worst. No matter what he said, they had to stay calm.

Mo Qingli’s face remained cold and steady. He did not even blink as he looked straight at Rong Yanchen.

His voice was firm and carried authority as he spoke, "We only have one daughter, Lan Yue. The princess of the Dragon Beast City is only her. There are no other daughters to replace her."

He paused for a moment before continuing, his tone becoming even more serious.

"And more importantly, we cannot force any other female into this marriage. This agreement was made between our two clans, but no female can be forced because of it. If the city lord wishes to marry someone else, then you cannot use this agreement to pressure her. You must win her willingly, just like any beastman finds his mate."

His words were clear and left no room for argument.

Rong Yanchen listened quietly and then suddenly chuckled. The sound was low and slightly mocking.

"Why is the city lord so serious?" he said lazily. "Did I say I would force anyone? I only said the marriage will still happen. The female will just be someone else."

His eyes narrowed slightly as a faint smile appeared on his lips. "As for how I win her... or how I take her... that is my own matter."

His tone was light, but the meaning behind his words made everyone’s heart sink.

Then he leaned back slightly and added with a teasing smile, "Of course, if the city lord is willing to say a few good words for me, that would be even better. After all, young females tend to listen to their elders, right?"

As he spoke, his gaze slowly shifted and landed on Su Mingxuan.

The moment his eyes met Rong Yanchen’s, Su Mingxuan’s body stiffened. Cold sweat instantly formed on his forehead. His heart started pounding heavily in his chest.

Did he know?

That terrifying thought flashed through his mind. They had been extremely careful these past few days. Su Qinglan had stayed hidden, and no one had mentioned her name in front of this man. There should be no way he knew.

But Rong Yanchen’s gaze felt prickling.

Before Su Mingxuan could calm himself, Rong Yanchen suddenly spoke again, his tone casual as if he was just making small talk. "I have never seen this mate of the priestess before. Where did he come from?"

Wang Mulan’s expression stiffened for a brief moment, but she quickly regained her composure.

Her voice was calm but carried a hint of warning. "He is my new mate. And I don’t think I need to explain to the Fox City Lord how many mates I have."

Rong Yanchen chuckled again and waved his hand lightly. "Don’t misunderstand, priestess. I was just curious."

His smile widened slightly, but it did not reach his eyes. "I tend to be curious about many things."

He paused for a moment, and his tone became softer, almost thoughtful. "For example... I recently saw a female. I am very curious about her as well."

The smile on his face became deeper, but it sent a chill down everyone’s spine.

Then, as if nothing had happened, Rong Yanchen stood up slowly. He adjusted his clothes and gave a slight bow, his movements elegant yet casual.

"I will have to trouble the city lord," he said smoothly. "I plan to stay here for a while... until I successfully woo my chosen female."

He lifted his head and looked at Mo Qingli with a faint smile. "I hope the city lord does not mind."

Without waiting for an answer, he turned around and walked out of the hall.

His figure disappeared from sight, but the oppressive feeling he left behind remained.

For a long moment, no one spoke.

Then Lan Shun suddenly clenched his fists tightly. His face was filled with anger as he said through gritted teeth, "That bastard is still going to stay here? As long as he is here, I won’t be able to breathe peacefully."

His voice carried deep frustration and helplessness.

After a moment, he lowered his voice and added, "Just when we thought our daughter had escaped... now another female has caught his eye."

His expression darkened. Even though Lan Yue was no longer his target, that did not bring him any comfort.

Every female in the city was like his own child. Whoever Rong Yanchen set his eyes on would not have a good ending.

Su Mingxuan’s face turned pale as a terrifying thought suddenly appeared in his mind.

His lips trembled slightly as he spoke in a low voice, "Could it be... Qinglan?"

The moment those words left his mouth, the atmosphere froze.

Wang Mulan’s eyes immediately sharpened.

Without hesitation, she raised her hand and pressed her fingers lightly against his lips, stopping him from speaking further.

"Don’t say it," she said in a low but firm voice.

Her gaze was steady, but there was a deep worry hidden in her eyes. "Our Lan Lan will be fine. I will not let anything happen to her."

Her tone carried absolute determination.

Su Mingxuan nodded quickly, but the fear in his heart did not fade. His hands clenched tightly at his sides. He did not even know if his guess was right, but the uneasiness kept growing.

The hall fell silent once again. Everyone knew that the situation had not improved at all. In fact, it had become even worse.