Chapter 230 - 104: All Was Ready but the East Wind; Finally, No Problems?

She didn’t have to think twice to know that a chaotic battle was sure to break out tomorrow.

"You don’t need to worry. No expert above the Sixth Realm will make a move," Jiang Lan said.

Although this was an overt scheme, if a Seventh-Realm expert were to get involved, it would be a blatant provocation against the Observatory and the Royal Family.

"I understand," Song Youwei replied with a nod.

Jiang Lan gave a slight nod. With a casual wave of his hand, a spherical bead appeared on the tea table. It flickered with a blood-red light, and a crimson mist seemed to swirl within it.

The moment it appeared, the ambient temperature plummeted, and the air turned bone-chillingly cold.

Song Youwei could even smell a thick, metallic scent, as if countless lost souls were wailing from within.

Her expression shifted slightly as she recognized the object’s origin.

Even the most powerful Elders of the Blood Immortal Sect would find it difficult to refine a Blood Puppet Treasure Pearl of such purity.

"Take this with you," Jiang Lan said. "If anything unexpected happens, use it immediately. It contains ten Blood Puppets, fused into one, capable of fighting a Sixth-Realm expert..."

’He was quite confident in Song Youwei’s strength. After all, she was a formidable character in the original story.’

’But just in case, he wanted to have another ace up his sleeve.’

’The Blood Puppet Treasure Pearl was something he had refined and separated from his Ten Thousand Spirits Blood Puppet. While not as powerful as the original, it retained some of its might. An ordinary Fifth-Realm cultivator would be no match for it.’

’Of course, if he were to control it himself, that would be another story entirely.’

Song Youwei did as she was told and accepted the Blood Puppet Treasure Pearl.

The moment she saw the Blood Puppet Treasure Pearl, she instantly guessed the identity of the mysterious senior whose name had been causing such a stir within the Blood Immortal Sect lately...

’The secret of the Purple Mist True Monarch’s Cave Mansion emerging in the Purple Mist Mountain Range, luring Celestial Prides from every faction... and then using the Array inside to trap and slaughter the younger generation of the great Immortal Sects.’

’Even now, more than half a month later, the incident was still causing massive waves and uproars everywhere.’

’The Immortal Sects were enraged, their fury unabated, and they were still investigating, seeking revenge.’

’And who would have ever guessed that the mastermind behind it all was the young lord of the Prime Minister’s Mansion...?’

"Serve me well, and you will be handsomely rewarded."

"As for the Blood Immortal Curse you suffer from, I will help you dissolve it when the time is right."

"If you want to kill your master, Blood Evil Granny, I can help you with that as well."

"Furthermore, I know that your younger sister is, in fact, still alive. Blood Evil Granny has kept her hidden all this time as a trump card to use against you..."

Ignoring the storm of complex emotions raging within Song Youwei, Jiang Lan drained his wine cup and prepared to leave.

But before he departed, he paused to think, then glanced back at Song Youwei. A smile of keen interest touched his lips as he left her with those parting words.

"What...?"

Song Youwei, however, was completely stunned, her beautiful eyes flying wide open.

By the time she processed Jiang Lan’s words and scrambled to her feet to follow, she saw he was already surrounded by his guards and Knights, heading for a painted boat filled with music and dancing.

’My sister... she’s still alive...’

Song Youwei stared blankly in the direction Jiang Lan had gone, his figure long vanished. His words echoed in her mind, a constant, buzzing drone.

After a long while, she finally came to her senses and sat down numbly back in the Shuiyue Pavilion.

Gazing at the empty wine cup before her, she became lost in her memories.

Unlike many others of her generation in the Blood Immortal Sect, she hadn’t joined willingly. Her master, Blood Evil Granny, had forcibly abducted her and brought her here.

It was all because her constitution was perfectly suited for the cultivation techniques of the Blood Immortal Palace, making her a rare talent seen only once in a millennium...

That vile old crone had, in her determination to take her, personally slaughtered her entire family to sever all her attachments.

Then, she was controlled with the Blood Immortal Curse. When it flared up, the pain was worse than death.

If not for her obsession with revenge, she probably would have taken her own life long ago.

But now, to suddenly hear that her sister hadn’t died after all, that she was still alive...

’He... he probably wouldn’t lie to me...’

...

In stark contrast to the glorious clamor of Jingyang City, the damp prison of the Observatory was chillingly silent.

The corridors were desolate and silent, lit by dim oil lamps.

From shadowy corners wafted the stench of rotting corpses, accompanied by the rustling of rats and insects crawling over and gnawing on flesh.

Xie Qing and Xie Yunshuang stared across at the opposite cell, their hearts filled with sorrow. Inside, Xie Jianjia was staring blankly, seemingly lost in a depressed stupor since the day before.

"That Rejuvenating Turtle Breath Pill is probably a fake..."

"Xiao Teng took it to be appraised, and there’s been no word since. He must have been tricked by that scoundrel Jiang Lan."

"Still, maybe it’s for the best. It’s not like Jianjia wanted to take that damn pill anyway. The worst that can happen is she becomes a normal person. With her personality, she can definitely accept that."

"Actually, it’s that boy, Xiao Teng, who probably can’t accept Jianjia becoming a commoner. That’s why he’s so desperate for her to take the pill. For all we know, Prince Zhenbei’s Mansion is already discussing how to call off the engagement..."

The hushed sounds of their conversation faintly reached Xie Jianjia in her cell across the corridor.

Her vacant gaze flickered toward the corridor. The flicker of hope she had been holding onto was gradually dimming.

’Tomorrow morning, the Immortal Suppression Bureau will come to cripple my cultivation. If I don’t have the Rejuvenating Turtle Breath Pill to conceal it then...’

’...my true cultivation level will be revealed. Worse, even my real identity might be exposed...’

’That was the last thing she wanted to happen.’

’With the Rejuvenating Turtle Breath Pill, she was confident she could fool the Immortal Suppression Bureau and safely preserve her cultivation, avoiding the fate of becoming a commoner.’

’Is my only option to find a way to escape from the Observatory tonight?’ Xie Jianjia sank into deep thought.

But just then, the dead silence of the corridor was suddenly broken by the sound of hurried footsteps.

"Jianjia..."

Xiao Teng’s figure appeared at the far end of the corridor. He hurried over, his expression one of undisguised joy.

Xie Jianjia looked at him, a hopeful light flickering in her own eyes.

"Jianjia, my father had the Lord State Preceptor appraise it, and then he sought out several elixir masters for a second opinion. There’s nothing wrong with it. It’s a genuine Rejuvenating Turtle Breath Pill, I guarantee it!"

Xiao Teng’s voice was filled with excitement. As he spoke, he passed a white porcelain bottle to Xie Jianjia through the Profound Iron Fence.

Ordinarily, such a blatant act of deception would never be permitted.

Especially in a place like the Observatory; the two of them were practically plotting out loud.

But neither Emperor Xia nor the Prime Minister’s Mansion wanted to see Xie Jianjia’s cultivation crippled.

One side didn’t want to waste the years of resources they had invested in her; the other didn’t want to waste the Immortal Phoenix True Blood she possessed.

Thus, this whole affair was essentially just going through the motions, a superficial adherence to the so-called rules.

And on this matter, both the Observatory and the Immortal Suppression Bureau would choose to turn a blind eye.

Xie Jianjia understood this, as did the Xie Family.

Therefore, the matter of whether Xie Jianjia could be safely escorted to the Sword Sect had become an open political game between the Royal Family and the Prime Minister’s Mansion.

A game that seemed to break the rules, yet was played entirely within their confines.

"Thank you, Xiao Teng. You’ve gone to great trouble."

Finally hearing the news she had awaited all day, the heavy stone in Xie Jianjia’s heart was finally lifted.

She gave Xiao Teng a small smile, and her normally cold, noble features suddenly brightened, becoming radiant.

For a moment, Xiao Teng found himself completely captivated.

Opening the white porcelain bottle, Xie Jianjia poured out the Elixir Pill but did not swallow it immediately.

True to her cautious nature, she first examined it carefully, cross-referencing it with her own extensive knowledge. Only after confirming that there were absolutely no issues did she finally swallow it.

As the pill’s medicinal power dissolved and spread, the faint apparition of an ancient Divine Turtle flashed deep within her abdomen.

Above her Spirit Sea, where her Magical Power and cultivation base converged, the phantom of an ancient Divine Turtle appeared once more. It crouched down and began to inhale and exhale.

It opened its massive maw, which was like a black hole, and instantly devoured all fluctuations of her Magical Power.

Following that, all turbulence within her Spirit Sea subsided. Xie Jianjia’s own aura became tranquil and drawn-out.

Joy was plain on her face. ’Finally, there are no more problems.’