Wang Nan didn't stand on ceremony. He had been traveling non-stop and was quite exhausted, so he followed the old man into the Duke's Mansion.
Lights illuminated the courtyard, and some servants scurried around.
"I'm making the guest laugh," the old man said as he led the way. "To be honest, after the news of the Young Lord's disappearance arrived, the madam also sent some people out to search, but there has been no news yet."
"Please come this way." The old man led Wang Nan around several corners to a guest room. "Thanks to you for bringing the Young Lord back, some clothes have already been prepared in the room. If the guest doesn't mind, please change into them."
Wang Nan had flown all the way carrying Dai Yueheng, and his clothes were thoroughly stained with blood, so he nodded and entered the guest room.
Two maids were already waiting in the guest room, holding several white clothes on trays. They were exquisitely made, and in the lamplight, subtle tiger-shaped patterns could be vaguely seen.
"This..." Wang Nan looked back at the old man.
The old man understood and beckoned toward the room. The two maids placed the clothes on the bed, then bowed and left, closing the door for Wang Nan.
There was no scene of maids helping him change. Wang Nan quickly changed his clothes, put away the ones he had taken off, and sat in the room for a moment. Soon after, a knock on the door came from outside again.
It was still the old man outside the door. Seeing Wang Nan open the door, he said, "Please come to the front hall, the madam wishes to see you."
Wang Nan had never met the Duchess before. The last time he visited the Duke's Mansion with Dai Yueheng, the Duchess was away, and there had been no other opportunities to meet her. He was somewhat curious about this famous Duchess whose name he didn't know.
Wang Nan's curiosity was quickly satisfied. Upon arriving at the front hall, a woman was sitting in the main seat. She was probably in her thirties, wearing a dark long robe, looking elegant and noble. Her appearance was naturally outstanding, but her eyebrows were somewhat narrow, lacking a bit of grandeur.
There was an aura of spirit power flowing around her, indicating she was a Spirit Master, but her cultivation was not profound. Two maids stood behind her, one of whom had impressive strength, making Wang Nan take a second look.
"You must be Wang Nan, please sit." The Duchess pointed to the seat in front. "Yao'er often mentioned you, saying he learned a lot from you. Now that I see you, you are indeed extraordinary."
"Alas, although I live in the Duke's Mansion, I am also a parent, with my heart entirely on my two children. After hearing the news of Yao'er's disappearance, I have been unable to eat or sleep peacefully. It's all thanks to you for bringing Yao'er back."
As the Duchess spoke, her eyes changed slightly. "Could you tell me in detail what you and Yao'er experienced?"
Wang Nan would not truly believe that the Duchess in front of him was just an ordinary mother devoted to her children. Although her strength was not obvious, her shrewdness was beyond Wang Nan's. One must know that the White Tiger Duke had been away on military campaigns for several years, and this madam had managed the Duke's Mansion meticulously.
Now, she appeared to be asking Wang Nan out of concern for Dai Yueheng, but there might be other intentions involved.
However, Wang Nan had nothing to hide and truthfully recounted what he had seen and experienced in the Star Dou Great Forest.
"Alas, thank you for risking your life to bring Yao'er back." After listening to Wang Nan's account, the Duchess sighed again, her brows furrowed. "I know you are a Disciple of Shrek Academy and naturally righteous, but as a mother, I still have a thank-you gift for you to accept."
As she spoke, a maid stepped forward and presented a ring. Judging by its craftsmanship, it was clearly a storage spirit tool. Wang Nan's mental force swept over it, and he "saw" a dazzling array of items.
"It's just a small token of my appreciation, not worth mentioning compared to Yao'er." Before Wang Nan could politely decline, the Duchess had already spoken, cutting him off.
Wang Nan took the storage spirit tool but did not wear it on his hand, instead putting it into his arms. He usually needed his Coiling Dragon Staff during combat, so he rarely wore storage spirit tools on his hands.
"It's getting late, you should rest early. After Yao'er wakes up, I'll have him thank you personally." After Wang Nan accepted the gift, he exchanged a few more pleasantries with the Duchess before returning to his guest room.
...
Early the next morning, before the sky had fully brightened, Wang Nan heard a knock on the door.
"Junior Brother, it's me."
Opening the door, Dai Yueheng stood before him. After a night, he had fully awakened. His left arm was tightly bandaged, and his face was still pale, but he could move normally.
Seeing Wang Nan, Dai Yueheng bowed deeply to him. "Thank you, Junior Brother, for saving my life."
"Are you alright?" Wang Nan helped Dai Yueheng up.
"Thanks to Junior Brother's rescue, I'm fine now." Dai Yueheng said with some apology, "This matter was my fault for implicating Junior Brother."
Dai Yueheng did not return home alone like Wang Nan; he had several guards with him.
However, on their way home yesterday, Dai Yueheng and his party were suddenly ambushed. Several guards were killed or injured, and Dai Yueheng was able to escape only because that Spirit Saint protected him.
Later, the Spirit Douluo who was pursuing Dai Yueheng, seeing Wang Nan, thought he was not strong and decided to silence him.
Speaking of that guard, Dai Yueheng's expression also turned a bit ugly, but he quickly composed himself and took Wang Nan's wrist. "Junior Brother, please come with me, I have a gift for you."
Dai Yueheng led Wang Nan through the Duke's Mansion until they reached a spacious courtyard. Tall trees were planted in the courtyard; at first glance, it seemed as if they had entered a forest.
As soon as he entered the courtyard, Wang Nan felt a strong aura of Spirit Beasts. This should be where the White Tiger Duke's Mansion raised Spirit Beasts, and there were quite a few of them.
"This is the Tiger Rearing Garden of the mansion."
"Tiger Rearing Garden?"
"Mm." Dai Yueheng nodded. "Junior Brother doesn't know, but our White Tiger Spirit Bloodline is powerful, and most of our descendants are tiger-type Spirits, so the demand for spirit rings is relatively singular. The White Tiger Duke's Mansion owns a White Tiger Forest specifically for raising tiger-type Spirit Beasts to provide spirit rings for the Disciple of the mansion."
"Of course, if a Spirit Beast with a special bloodline appears among them, it will be brought back to the mansion and raised here. For us Spirit Masters, the most important things are spirit rings and Spirit Bones. And this gift I want to give to Junior Brother, although not a Spirit Bone, is superior to ordinary Spirit Bones."
As he spoke, several guards led a Spirit Beast in front of Wang Nan and Dai Yueheng.
It looked like a white tiger, with a thick body and a dignified posture, but its head and tail were different, resembling other Spirit Beasts.
"This is the gift I spoke of, the Divine Beast 'Bi'an.'"