Chapter 368 - 134: Returning a Favor, an Inexplicable Enjoyment

In the courtyard, he watched You’Er’s figure vanish like a wisp of ghostly light.

Jiang Lan then looked away.

He clasped his hands behind his back and paced back and forth, a thoughtful expression on his face.

’I’ve already considered every angle of this plan. As long as nothing goes wrong, it should be fine.’

Over this period, You’Er had begun to master some of the Ghost race’s innate talents. Hiding and concealing herself within the Void was no difficult task for her.

’Since Emperor Xia has given me such an advantage this time, it’s only right that I return the favor.’

’The Blood Immortal Sect is scheming to get their hands on Great Xia’s National Treasure, the Dragon-Suppressing Seal. Conveniently, I’ve already used Song Youwei to tamper with that small half-bottle of the Blood Immortal’s Muddy Blood.’

’Whether the Blood Immortal Sect’s plot succeeds or fails, it won’t affect me in the slightest. If they succeed, I can secretly corrupt and gain control of the Dragon-Suppressing Seal. If they fail... well, the worst that can happen is I’ll have wasted the time I spent on the Refinement of that Blood Immortal’s Muddy Blood.’

’No matter the outcome, it’s a win-win for me.’

’Besides, by indirectly leaking this information to Emperor Xia, I can score some goodwill and siphon off a bit of her fortune as well.’

The reason Jiang Lan sent You’Er to investigate, and then planned to have his father dispatch men to raid the Blood Immortal Sect’s stronghold, was to create the illusion for Emperor Xia that the Prime Minister’s Mansion had secretly uncovered some of the sect’s activities on its own.

Emperor Xia had an attendant named Xia Zhu whose talents were somewhat similar to You’Er’s. She could move silently through the Void, and her sole purpose was to uncover secret information for the emperor.

’If, after learning the news, Emperor Xia could be bothered to investigate the Blood Immortal Sect stronghold herself, that would be even better.’

’With her level of cultivation and strength, she would definitely recognize You’Er.’

’And if she dispatches her personal attendant Xia Zhu, given that their talents are similar and Xia Zhu’s cultivation is far stronger than You’Er’s, she would also be certain to discover You’Er’s presence.’

That way, Jiang Lan could logically pass along the so-called "information" that You’Er had discovered to Emperor Xia, which would also give her a chance to prepare.

Jiang Lan could then continue to leverage the matter of the National Treasure Dragon-Suppressing Seal to his advantage.

"Mengning, suppress your cultivation to the Soul Palace Realm and spar with me for a bit."

Jiang Lan’s thoughts returned to the present, and he spoke to the empty courtyard.

The words had barely left his lips when a serene aura materialized behind him, followed by the gleam of a sword, as brilliant as a bolt of Moonlight, striking toward the back of his head.

Without a second thought, Jiang Lan brought two fingers together like a sword and unhurriedly moved to block it.

This was a perfect opportunity to test the current limits of his physical strength.

As for the Heaven-Reaching Stele and Jiang Ruxian, he could only set those matters aside for now and pretend he knew nothing.

For some time now, Jiang Ruxian had been living in seclusion within the Imperial Capital.

To a certain extent, she and the Prime Minister’s Mansion had reached a subtle, unspoken understanding.

After the conflict in Qianyuan Prefecture ended, the Prime Minister’s Mansion hadn’t released any news related to Jiang Ruxian.

This left the various factions, who had been trying to uncover Jiang Ruxian’s origins and her connection to the Prime Minister’s Mansion, to return empty-handed and disgruntled.

...

「Meanwhile, inside Chengming Hall.」

Emperor Xia finally finished reviewing the memorials that had piled up over the past few days, pinching the bridge of her nose with slender, jade-like fingers.

She had accumulated a sizable backlog of them because she had been preoccupied with monitoring Jiang Lan’s entry into the Dragon Transformation Pool.

With the Southern Hunting drawing near, all sorts of conflicts had begun to erupt in the borderlands where the Southern Wilderness Province met the frontiers of Great Xia.

Some powerful warriors of the Barbarian Race had infiltrated Great Xia’s borders, sowing chaos and causing great unrest in the frontier cities.

In addition, she had also received news that the Blood Immortal Sect was lying low and plotting in some of the smaller kingdoms outside Great Xia’s territory.

Some of the ancient Daoist Sacred Lands in Dongyuan Province had also been restless during this time. Spies had noticed the rumbling of Ancient War Chariots and the sounds of clashes that crossed territorial boundaries.

Two ancient, powerful sects had gone to war over a rare, secret mine. The surrounding factions caught in the crossfire were forced to abandon their ancestral lands and flee toward the Celestial Central Province.

Across the entire Nine Provinces Land, only the Celestial Central Province, ruled by the Great Xia imperial dynasty, was relatively peaceful.

In some provinces, mortal lives were as worthless as weeds. In the eyes of powerful cultivators, they were lower than pigs and dogs. In some lands where Alien Races coexisted, the custom of raising mortals "free-range" as a food source persisted to this day.

’During the coming Southern Hunting, I fear Dongyuan Province won’t be able to restrain itself. Xia Jin is holding down the Southern Wilderness Province, so I don’t have to worry too much about it for now. But places like Xiling Province and North Sea Province are all guarded by the Prime Minister’s forces...’

’After my father passed away, the National Guardian Mansion and the Assistant Country Mansion were suppressed by the Prime Minister and forced to surrender all their military power.’

’Right now, the only people I can use are the few from Prince Zhenbei’s Mansion, Duke Zhongguo, and my uncle, Prince Chong’an.’

Emperor Xia’s mind churned as she mulled over the current state of Great Xia.

Her primary goal for this Southern Hunting was to intimidate the Barbarian Race of the Southern Wilderness Province and the ancient sects and Dao Lineages of Dongyuan Province.

Just then, her attendant Qiuju suddenly entered the hall and stepped forward, reporting respectfully at Emperor Xia’s side.

"Your Majesty, the Naxian Alliance just received a tip. They’ve discovered a Blood Immortal Sect stronghold within the Imperial Capital."

Emperor Xia glanced at her and asked, "How large is this stronghold?"

"It is not particularly large, but they may be meeting tonight to plot something. Your Majesty, shall we send men to surround and capture them?" Qiuju asked deferentially.

Emperor Xia considered for a moment, then shook her head. "Let’s not tip them off just yet. Xia Zhu, you go and investigate what those remnants of the Blood Immortal Sect intend to plot."