Chapter 36: Like an Immortal

He Ying forced a smile and said, "That guy is probably just putting on a show again! Right, honey?"

But this time, there was no response.

He Ying turned her head and noticed that Dong Tiancheng’s expression was incredibly grave. As a billionaire with a net worth in the hundreds of millions, Dong Tiancheng naturally had access to many secrets. He knew very well that there were truly formidable individuals in this world. However, he never imagined that the man with the two children would be one of those legendary, reclusive masters. Thinking of how he had just mocked the man, cold sweat began to pour down Dong Tiancheng’s face.

"Hu... honey?" He Ying asked, her voice trembling.

Dong Tiancheng shot her a cold, icy glare. It was all because of this stupid woman! If not for her, he would never have offended Xue An. Yes, it was all her fault! As this thought crossed his mind, his eyes filled with disgust. As a wealthy man, he was never short of beautiful women. He Ying was merely a minor celebrity who had fulfilled his desire to date a star, which was why he had indulged her so much. But now, Dong Tiancheng felt he should stay far away from this foolish woman.

He Ying sensed the change in Dong Tiancheng and felt a surge of panic. "Honey... what’s wrong?"

"I just remembered I have some business at the company. You should take a taxi back on your own." With that, Dong Tiancheng turned and walked away.

He Ying stood there, stunned. After a long while, she looked at Xue An with a venomous glare. "It’s all your fault! If it weren't for you, that role in Steven’s film would have been mine! I curse your two daughters to die a miserable death! You..."

Her voice came to an abrupt halt. A ball of white light suddenly rose beneath her feet. In an instant, the light completely engulfed her. He Ying didn’t even have time to scream before she vanished entirely.

At that moment, Xue Xiang noticed the anomaly on the distant shore and asked, "Daddy, what happened over there?"

Xue An smiled faintly. "It's nothing. Someone is probably just burning trash."

Although Xue An’s current strength was not even one-billionth of his peak, he had done his best to bestow the highest level of protective spells upon Xue Xiang and Xue Nian for the sake of his two precious daughters. This spell was something Xue An had created when he first became an Immortal Venerable. It was so overbearing that it could kill someone who harbored ill intentions against him from across billions of light-years. Even though his power hadn't recovered, the protective spell remained exceptionally formidable.

Thus, because He Ying had spoken ill of them behind their backs, she was struck down by the spell from afar. Of course, the two little girls were unaware of this; they were happily walking back and forth on the bridge of fish. Xue An stood with his hands behind his back in the middle of the river, smiling as he watched his daughters’ joy.

Just then, the dark clouds parted, and a ray of sunlight shone down, making Xue An and the two little girls appear almost like immortals. This scene was witnessed by Fan Mengxue, Han Yao, Wei Ruyan, and the others who had just come out.

Han Yao was so stunned she went completely rigid, then groaned, "Mengxue, what kind of man have you found?"

Fan Mengxue remained much calmer, whispering, "I don't know, but I know one thing: it doesn't matter who he is, as long as his name is Xue An."

By this point, Han Yao had completely let go of her scorn and finally believed that when Xue An had spoken of "following his heart" the other day, he wasn't just bragging. He truly possessed that kind of power. When a person’s strength reaches a height unreachable by others, worldly power and wealth become quite laughable.

Wei Ruyan, however, noticed the lush greenery of the trees surrounding the Yulong River. It was as if the river had suddenly returned to summer. The vibrant green trees stood in stark contrast to the surrounding world of ice and snow. "Who... exactly is this person?" Wei Ruyan was full of shock.

Just then, a Maybach pulled slowly into the garden. Qin Yu stepped out, also shocked by the sight, but having developed some immunity to such things, she quickly regained her composure and walked to the riverbank.

"Mr. Xue!"

Xue An turned, saw it was Qin Yu, and led Xue Xiang and Xue Nian back to the shore. He snapped his fingers. "Disperse!"

With a splash, the bridge of fish vanished with a roar. Xue An smiled slightly at Qin Yu. "Is something the matter?"

Qin Yu felt her heart race from that smile; she lowered her head and said, "Mr. Xue, I have finished looking into the matter you asked about. The divine herb at the auction came from... Qingmang Mountain!"

Qingmang Mountain! Upon hearing this name, a brilliant light flared in Xue An’s eyes. His hometown was Qingmang Town, located at the foot of Qingmang Mountain. However, he had left after his parents passed away and had rarely returned since.

"Very well! I understand. Thank you!"

Qin Yu felt a bit nervous. She had never seen such an expression on Xue An’s face before. "Mr. Xue, are you planning to go to Qingmang Mountain? Is there anything our Qin family can do?"

Xue An smiled faintly. "No need."

Then, Xue An said to Xue Xiang and Xue Nian, "Daddy is going to take you on a trip, how does that sound?"

"Yay!" For the two little girls, as long as they could be with their daddy, everything was perfect.

Xue An looked into the distance. Qingmang Mountain! There were some old debts there that needed to be collected.

With matters settled, Fan Mengxue had to leave with Han Yao due to her schedule. As they parted, Fan Mengxue couldn't help but start crying again. Han Yao tactfully led Xue Xiang and Xue Nian away.

Xue An looked at the red-eyed Fan Mengxue and smiled. "Alright, you won't look pretty if you keep crying."

Fan Mengxue lowered her head, sobbing softly like a kitten. Xue An patted her head. "I told you when we were in school that if anyone dared to bully you, I would beat them up for you! Now you see, most people are no match for me. So go on without worry. As for that guy Steven, I doubt he would dare do anything to you."

It was more than just not daring—Steven now viewed Xue An as a deity and was nearly ready to kneel and burn incense for him.

Fan Mengxue suddenly hugged Xue An. "Do you know? I’m actually very jealous of that An Yan, but I don't know if I'll ever have another chance."

Xue An sighed softly. Even an Immortal Venerable had things that were hard to resolve. Matters of the heart, for instance, were never simple.

"Alright, alright. I didn't say you couldn't come back!"

"Really?" Fan Mengxue lifted her beautiful face to look at him. "Do you mean I can come back in the future?"

Xue An gave a wry smile. "Yes, would I really drive you away?"

Joy lit up Fan Mengxue’s eyes.

After Fan Mengxue left, Xue An stood by the roadside, suddenly feeling a sense of desolation. There was only one person he loved, and that was An Yan. That was beyond doubt. But for Fan Mengxue, and even Tang Xuanyue, he held complex feelings.

Xue An let out a long sigh. Well, let it be. One step at a time. Matters of the heart are hard to say, but votes are real! Come on, vote for me! Hehe!