Chapter 245 - 107: Now Targeted by the Blood Immortal Sect, Emperor Xia Comes to the Rescue

If she was lucky enough to catch the eye of some young master and be taken as his concubine, her life would be vastly better than the daily misery she endured in the Sect.

He lingered here every day, specifically requesting this Qing Guanren named Yan’Er to accompany him and play music, putting on the appearance of someone interested in her.

Seeing that Jiang Lan asked only a single question before closing his eyes and saying no more,

the woman behind the screen resumed her soft singing and playing, putting all her effort into the performance.

’She could already tell. This young master from the Prime Minister’s Mansion seemed to have taken an interest in her. He had just started asking about her past, and for the last few days, he had requested her company every time he came.’

’He was a young master from the Prime Minister’s Mansion! If her senior sisters from the Sect knew, they would be overcome with envy.’

As evening lanterns began to glow, a thin mist rose from the river. Painted boats and Cloud Boats drifted past, one after another, accompanied by the faint strains of music, creating a scene like heaven on earth.

「Meanwhile, on the river.」

Inside a cabin on the eastern side of one of the painted boats,

a tall and slender man stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the shimmering light on the waves outside the window, his expression as still as water.

His hair was tied back completely, revealing a handsome, fair face. His eyes were deep and brilliant, as if they held a galaxy of stars. At first glance, however, he seemed somewhat lean, and the wrists hidden within his sleeves were noticeably more slender than an ordinary man’s.

He wore an elegant brocade robe with a tall cap and a wide sash, a smooth piece of Ancient Jade hanging from his waist—the very picture of a wealthy young master.

Four figures dressed as Attendants stood silently behind him, not uttering a word.

Although the room was soundproofed with Array Patterns, the faint, decadent sounds of amorous encounters could still be heard, stirring the imagination.

The fair-skinned man’s expression darkened, and the hands behind his back clenched into tight fists. Finally, he could only let out a cold snort.

"No wonder the ministers all get that ambiguous look whenever the Desire Immortal Pavilion is mentioned. Such shameless debauchery, right here in the Imperial Capital of Great Xia, under the Emperor’s very nose... It truly sullies the name and honor of my Great Xia..."

The four figures behind him remained silent.

Everyone in the Imperial Capital of Great Xia knew what kind of place the Desire Immortal Pavilion was. But the person before them was here for the first time, so her reaction was understandable.

After a moment, the fair-skinned man in the brocade robe—who was none other than Emperor Xia in disguise—felt her emotions settle, and she grew calm.

’Situ Ying has already finished the investigation. The mastermind behind the rumors is the Blood Immortal Sect.’

’Somehow, members of the Blood Immortal Sect have managed to infiltrate the Imperial Capital. They don’t dare show their faces openly, so they resort to these underhanded schemes to antagonize me...’

Emperor Xia gazed at the fleet of painted boats moving alongside her own, a hint of coldness appearing in her deep eyes.

After three days, Situ Ying had finally identified the culprits who had been deliberately spreading the rumors about her being a woman. It wasn’t the Prime Minister’s Mansion, as Emperor Xia had initially suspected, but the Blood Immortal Sect.

To avoid alerting the enemy, Situ Ying had only reported this information to her secretly.

To be safe, Emperor Xia took the information and clues Situ Ying had gathered, ordered him not to make any rash moves, and secretly dispatched another team to investigate.

The results revealed another mastermind within the Blood Immortal Sect, someone of mysterious identity—possibly a high-ranking member—who appeared to possess substantial evidence.

This revelation deeply shocked Emperor Xia, and a growing unease began to stir within her.

’Very few people knew she was a woman, and she had destroyed nearly all the evidence.’

’So how did the Blood Immortal Sect find out, and how did they get their hands on so much evidence?’

She couldn’t afford to take this matter lightly, nor could she trust Situ Ying’s people with the investigation.

If there was evidence, it had to be in her possession and her possession alone. No one else could be allowed to see it, not even her most trusted subordinates.

Therefore, Emperor Xia decided to act personally. Using the clues from Situ Ying’s investigation, she would follow the trail to see if she could identify this high-ranking member of the Blood Immortal Sect.

And according to intelligence from her own spies, several remnants of the Blood Immortal Sect were gathering here tonight, though their purpose was unknown.

’This place is too crowded, with too many eyes and ears. The best approach is to follow those Blood Immortal Sect remnants without being noticed and find their hideout...’

Emperor Xia possessed numerous treasures, and her own power had reached the Seventh Realm many years ago.

For her, tracking a few remnants of the Blood Immortal Sect was a trivial matter.

’The members of the Blood Immortal Sect have appeared...’

Just then, she sensed several unfamiliar auras appear within the painted boat. Emperor Xia’s expression tightened, and her deep eyes narrowed slightly.

However, she remained perfectly still, standing by the window with her hands behind her back. She simply extended her Divine Thought to follow the movements of those figures.

The figures were dressed like ordinary Loose Cultivators. Led by the painted boat’s madam, they headed toward a private room and began drinking and chatting like any other patrons.

If not for Emperor Xia’s profound cultivation and immense power, which allowed her to sense the unusual auras about them, she likely would never have guessed they were from the Blood Immortal Sect.

’It’s no wonder the Blood Immortal Sect has grown so rampant over the years. Their methods of concealment alone are beyond what an ordinary person could ever detect...’

Emperor Xia’s expression darkened.

Still, she remained patient, waiting to see what these Blood Immortal Sect remnants were planning to do here.

At the same time, she probed their cultivation levels. Their leader, a man with a thick waist, a wide face, and a somewhat fierce expression, was at the Fifth Realm, the Soul Palace Realm. The others were all at the Fourth Realm, the Illuminating Nether Realm.