Counsel

A curtain of rain fell, pattering against the roof. Gloomy, dim light filtered through the window lattice, casting a pale glow across the snow-white skin of the two women. Bai Muxi lowered her delicate, alluring eyes, her mind swiftly weighing the pros and cons. In merely a breath, she realized only two paths lay before her. She could either reinforce the Saintess's current convictions, or gently guide her to correct them bit by bit. Once that thought flashed through her mind, her hesitation dissolved into a soft sigh. She was entirely different from these two noble women of the upper realm. Her feelings toward the young master held no romantic love, only reverence. He had shown her immense kindness, and whether she repaid that debt by giving herself to him or by working like a beast of burden made no difference to her. If the young master needed her capabilities, she would exert them. If the young master desired her body, she would warm his bed. In a forsaken place like the underground palace, the Great Yan's notions of female chastity simply did not exist. Survival and continuation were the sole tenets there. During the era when the high priest ruled, she had guarded her purity because she was the palace's Chief Arbiter. After seizing power, she continued to guard it merely to keep it as a bargaining chip. Even if the young master had never arrived, she had already uncovered clues on how to escape. And according to ancient records, men of the upper realm placed great value on such chastity. Now the young master had saved her and her people, so she was his. Naturally, as a person who was normal yet somewhat warped by the surface realm's standards, claiming she had no desire to gain more would be a lie. She yearned to climb higher and grasp greater power. Only within a behemoth like the Prime Minister's Manor could she secure enough leverage to win a better future for the people of the underground palace. Yet despite that ambition, Bai Muxi knew full well that one must act within one's means. As long as Princess Wuyuan held her place, she had no hope of contending with her. Greedily reaching for more would only lead to destruction for both herself and her people. Thus, her best course was not to scheme behind his back, but to quietly remain at his side and win his favor as best she could. With that in mind, Bai Muxi made her decision. She had to choose the latter. The young master was clever, and so were the people around him. If she chose the former, regardless of whether she succeeded, being discovered would brand her as a scheming concubine sowing discord in the inner quarters. After all, her bond with him was currently fragile at best. The latter option was entirely different. If she succeeded, she could align herself with Tianyan to elevate her standing. Even if she failed and was found out, her sensible behavior would still earn the young master's appreciation. Turning toward the faint light spilling through the window, Bai Muxi offered a soft smile, murmuring to Tianyan with an impeccably measured touch of urgency: "The young master did say as much, but he has never touched me. Surely that is because of the place you and Her Highness Wuyuan hold in his heart, Saintess." Tianyan's mood showed no sign of lifting; instead, a trace of derision crept into her voice. "A place in his heart? He simply hasn't had the chance. If you traveled alone with him for a while, you could see for yourself whether he would keep his hands off you." "..." Bai Muxi froze for a moment, her heart fluttering slightly. Physical intimacy was an accelerant for affection. Creating an opportunity to be alone with the young master... Before she could dwell on the thought, Tianyan's frigid gaze swept toward her. "What, Chief Arbiter? Do you actually want to try?" "..." Bai Muxi lowered her head meekly. "M-Muxi had no such intention." Pausing briefly, she added in a soft voice, "Saintess, since the young master is of such a disposition, are you confident you can change him?" Tianyan stiffened, her slender fingers clenching beneath her voluminous sleeves. Was she confident? Not in the slightest! If that bastard could change his nature, she wouldn't have been driven to fury so many times inside the Meishen Illusion! "It seems you are not confident, Saintess." Noticing the subtle bite of Tianyan's lip, Bai Muxi kept her eyes lowered and said, "Forgive my presumption, Saintess, but since you know his nature cannot be altered, yet still demand his undivided devotion, do you not think this contradiction is irreconcilable?" Tianyan's gaze turned chillingly sharp. "Do you take me for a fool, speaking to me like this?" Bai Muxi was not surprised that Tianyan had caught her meaning. Though this Saintess was not eloquent and struggled in arguments, her mind was extraordinarily sharp. "I am merely stating a fact." Bai Muxi raised her eyes slightly, gazing softly into Tianyan's with a gentle, soothing tone, like a quiet stream flowing under a bridge. "If you remain so unyielding, the only outcome will be a falling-out with the young master, followed by parting ways..." "Shut up!" Tianyan sprang to her feet, as if a raw nerve had been struck. "Bai Muxi, I know what you are trying to do! You are only saying this to curry favor with Changtian! "I don't care what you scheme, but remember this: you are you, and I am me. We are not the same!" Looking up at the petite yet slender girl before her, Bai Muxi hesitated, shook her head, and said softly, "Then can you make the young master give up Her Highness Wuyuan, Saintess?" Tianyan froze, her beautiful eyes blinking as she whispered, "Once he regains his forgotten memories..." "Stop deceiving yourself." Bai Muxi's voice rose ever so slightly with deliberate precision. "If regaining those memories could change his nature, you wouldn't have stayed silent just now. "Deep down, you know very well. "Even if he recalls that past, "even if Her Highness Wuyuan were not in the picture, "you still could not change who he is..." *** The bottom two floors of the black eagle pavilion were cramped, with narrow corridors and dim light, though they remained reasonably tidy. Walking down the shadowy hallway, Xu Yuan extended his intent-soul into a chamber and saw over a dozen maidservants resting together in close quarters, clad only in colorful dudous. A look of surprise flashed across his eyes. This was his first time visiting the servants' quarters, and his first time realizing how rudimentary the living conditions were for these young women. Though the black eagle pavilion was vast and opulent, it contained only three cramped chambers as servant quarters; the rest of the space was dedicated to storage, kitchens, and other facilities servicing the master. Among those three chambers, one was allocated to the guards managing the formation arrays. Sensing Xu Yuan's surprise, Lou Ji glanced toward the room and teased playfully, "You seem surprised, Changtian?" Withdrawing his intent-soul from the expanse of pale, bare legs, Xu Yuan shook his head faintly. "A little. I thought it would be larger." For a pavilion so lavish, the servants' living space was worse than the domestic staff quarters from his past life. Lou Ji chuckled lightly. "If your heart aches for them, Changtian, you could always favor every single one of them. Then they could move right up to the top three floors." Xu Yuan rolled his eyes at the enchantress. "I have no such inclination." "Oh?" Lou Ji drew out the syllable with a soft laugh. "True enough. With noble young ladies like Li Qingyan and Tianyan around, our little Changtian naturally looks down on mere maidservants." Not wanting to indulge her teasing, Xu Yuan asked quietly, "Sis, where is that place you mentioned..." Before he could finish— *Rumble!!* A tremendous boom echoed from above, shaking the entire black eagle pavilion. The sudden tremor made Xu Yuan jump slightly. He suspected it was Tianyan. Left alone in her room without him coming to coax her, she had probably grown angrier the more she brooded, and was now trashing the place. After a moment, Xu Yuan turned to Lou Ji. With her ink-black hair cascading over her shoulders and her deep, sultry eyes brimming with intrigue, Lou Ji looked upward. "Oh... they're actually fighting." Xu Yuan paused, puzzled. "Who?" Lou Ji pulled her gaze back, folding her arms over her chest with an amused smirk. "Oh, no, not a fight—a one-sided thrashing. Changtian, that concubine you took in is being disciplined by the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion's Saintess~" "..." Xu Yuan clicked his tongue, let out a wry chuckle, and paid it no further mind. Seeing his calm reaction, Lou Ji stepped forward to match his pace and asked with curiosity, "You aren't worried?" "Worried about what?" "Those two little girls are fighting." "Didn't you just say it was a one-sided thrashing?" "Aren't you curious why?" "..." Xu Yuan stopped and looked back, smiling wryly. "What reason could there be? With Tianyan's temperament, she wouldn't provoke anyone unprompted. It must be my Chief Arbiter stirring up trouble. If she's getting disciplined, so be it." Lou Ji tilted her head. "You don't feel bad for her at all?" "She always enjoys it anyway." "..." Lou Ji fell silent for a beat. Licking her red lips, she radiated an intoxicating aura of seduction. Slipping her arm through his, she smiled dazzlingly. "It seems you two play quite boldly in private~" Feeling the warm, soft pressure against his arm, Xu Yuan knew she was teasing him again. He shot her a sidelong glance. "Do you want to stir up trouble too?" "..." Lou Ji paused, her phoenix eyes narrowing slightly. Her fingertip traced light circles over his chest as she giggled. "What if I do? With your cultivation, could you make your big sister enjoy it too?" "I have an Innate Dao Body," Xu Yuan replied evenly. "In just over a year, I am already approaching Body Integration, and I have already grasped a Dao Charm. Breaking through to Grandmaster from Body Integration will pose no bottleneck." As he spoke, a cherry blossom radiating an enchanting pink glow appeared in his hand. Staring at the brilliant petal, Lou Ji rounded her full, sultry lips in exaggerated astonishment. "The Meishen Dao Charm..." Murmuring softly, she tightened her hold on his arm, pressing her soft curves against him until they yielded. "It seems you really might be able to make your sister enjoy herself in the future, Changtian~ Though... I wonder how many years I'll have to wait?" Xu Yuan glanced at her. "Within five years, I will surpass Xu Changge." "Pfft—" Lou Ji couldn't hold back her laughter. "..." Xu Yuan's eyelid twitched. Clearing her throat to regain her composure, Lou Ji patted his head with watery tenderness. "*Ahem*... Changtian is truly a genius. Your sister believes in you. But Xu Changge is still no match for me, so it looks like I'll have to wait even longer." Xu Yuan snorted softly, letting the matter drop, and shifted the subject: "Xu Changge is no match for you?" Lou Ji shot him a sultry roll of her eyes. "Just how highly do you regard that eldest brother of yours to think he could fight above his realm and defeat me?" Xu Yuan looked surprised. "Is Xu Changge truly only in the Origin Realm?" "What else?" Lou Ji said casually. "Reaching the peak of the Origin Realm at thirty years of age makes him an unmatched prodigy across past and present." Xu Yuan explained quietly, "He broke through to the Origin Realm ten years ago. I thought he was deliberately concealing his strength." Hearing that, Lou Ji sighed softly. "The Dao he cultivates is simply too arduous. Once the Dao is fused into the body, releasing it again is nearly impossible." Pausing for a moment, she pondered before adding quietly, "However, in a fight to the death, that boy's sword intent might still inflict a fatal wound on me." Her words brought Xu Changge's ultimate technique in *Cangyuan* back to Xu Yuan's mind. That sword strike that reversed cause and effect. In standard combat, his posturing elder brother stood no chance against this woman, but his lethal trump card could indeed fell her in one blow. After all, reality had no health bars. An Origin Realm cutting down a Semi-Saint... Well, beating Xu Changge to a pulp was clearly a goal that remained a long way off. If only he were still a Transcendent Realm aberrant ghost. At that thought, Xu Yuan suddenly chuckled. Thinking he was laughing at her, Lou Ji gave the soft flesh at his waist a firm pinch, sounding peeved: "What are you laughing at, Changtian?" Grimacing in pain, Xu Yuan slapped her hand away with a sharp *smack*. "I have a move that can counter his sword intent." "..." The air hung still for a moment. Pressing close to his arm, Lou Ji pursed her crimson lips, her glistening phoenix eyes dancing with suppressed mirth. Xu Yuan's fist tightened slightly. Even if his cultivation made him the absolute bottom rung of the Prime Minister's Manor, he was still an undeniable prodigy. Yet when he told the truth, nobody believed him. Shaking off her embrace, Xu Yuan let out a dry laugh. "Hah, don't believe me then. You'll see in time." "..." Lou Ji feigned weakness and took two steps back, her alluring sway exuding a dizzying charm that would compel anyone to draw steel for her sake. Xu Yuan shot her a pointed look. "Stop messing around. Let's get down to business." Without waiting for her reply, he turned and pushed open the wooden door to the storage room at the end of the corridor. The moment the door opened, a shrill, manic laugh burst from within: "AHAHAHAHA! Lou Ji, you're finally back! I was getting bored to death waiting! Come on, keep torturing me! Is this all the Chief of the Black Scales has got?!" The frenzied voice grated sharply against Xu Yuan's eardrums. Frowning slightly, he took in the scene inside the storage room. It was not the bloodbath he had anticipated. On the contrary, the space appeared remarkably tranquil and refined, furnished with burning incense and sets of teaware. Naturally, there were also countless bottles and jars, along with specialized medicine-grinding implements Xu Yuan couldn't quite identify. One could easily picture this enchanting older sister sipping tea with poised elegance while languidly preparing her concoctions. Yet all this serenity was shattered by a woman at the far end of the room. Scantily clad with tangled, disheveled hair, she was held firmly down on a stone slab by several heavy shackles. She strained to raise her head, hurling coarse, vile curses from her mouth without pause. Sweeping her with his spiritual vision, Xu Yuan took in her breathtakingly striking features, and his eyes narrowed slightly. She looked familiar. She, too, seemed to be one of the heroines from *Cangyuan*.