Sending Her Away

The Lingtian Instrument was a spiritual artifact capable of sensing the location of a Holy Son or Saintess through the Heavenly Yan divine soul. In ordinary times, it was used to prevent Holy Sons and Saintesses from accidentally going missing, safeguarding their security as they roamed the realm. However, when the ascension ceremony of a new Pavilion Master arrived, the Lingtian Instrument became a lethal tool used to send the remaining Holy Sons and Saintesses to the Heavenly Sacrifice. None of the Holy Sons and Saintesses who cultivated the Heaven-Deducing Art were easy marks. Even though the choice of the new Pavilion Master would be revealed only at the final moment, occasionally a Saintess or Holy Son would still flee ahead of time before the new Pavilion Master took the throne, using the Heaven-Deducing Art to escape the Pavilion Master’s deductions. After all, nobody wanted to die. At such times, the Lingtian Instrument’s ability to pinpoint locations became their death talisman. As information regarding the Lingtian Instrument flashed through his mind, Xu Yuan’s eyes darkened with gravity. What did the appearance of the Lingtian Instrument here mean? Were they looking for Tianyan? Xu Yuan felt that was impossible. After all, as the envoy sent by the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion to seek an audience with the Great Yan imperial court, Tianyan’s whereabouts might be unknown to outsiders, but the higher-ups of the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion were bound to know. Moreover, Tianyan had once told him that imparting the Heavenly Yan divine soul to him had been approved by her master. Putting the two together, a somewhat absurd thought instantly flashed across his mind. Assassinating him. The strange look in Xu Yuan’s eyes reached its peak. Were the people of the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion out of their minds? They wanted to assassinate him at a critical juncture like this? Right now, the entire realm’s political situation was a powder keg. The Overseeing Heaven Pavilion had only just reentered the world, and none of the various factions across Great Yan’s territory had the leisure to bother with them. To suddenly rush over and assassinate him now—wasn’t that jumping straight into the powder keg of their own accord? As countless doubts flickered through his heart, Xu Yuan suddenly realized one thing. The Overseeing Heaven Pavilion did not know he could detect the Lingtian Instrument. The moment that thought arose, the logic clicked into place instantly. Putting himself in their shoes for a second, Xu Yuan immediately reconstructed the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion’s plan. Assassinating him right now held countless benefits without a single drawback. First, the catalyst of the great calamity that would stain the entire world would be erased. Second, the heir to the Chancellor’s Manor would disappear. Third, under deliberate framing, with Li Zhaoyuan having already set a “shining precedent,” the current state of affairs would inevitably compel the Chancellor’s Manor to direct its spearhead toward the imperial clan—and only toward the imperial clan. Fourth... Xu Yuan looked once more at the young woman beside him. As long as he was gone, the affection of this Saintess, Tianyan, would naturally fade away bit by bit with the passage of time. Unfortunately for them, the foundation upon which everything the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion plotted had been shattered by him from the very beginning. With these thoughts running through his head, Xu Yuan silently directed his spiritual vision to entwine with that wisp of qi dynamic descending from the sky. And the moment he made contact, a brittle crack echoed within the perception of his spiritual vision. The person manipulating the Lingtian Instrument had retreated. Having done this, under Tianyan’s puzzled gaze, Xu Yuan slowly walked back to the tea table and began pouring and drinking on his own without a word. The cultivation of whoever controlled the Lingtian Instrument had to be at the Transcendent Realm or above. If they were taking no chances, other powerful experts might even have accompanied them. Just now, he had considered pretending not to know, using the opportunity to deal the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion a heavy blow. He could use the Heavenly Communication Crystal to summon reinforcements from the Imperial Capital and slaughter every last one of those Overseeing Heaven Pavilion experts right here, which would surely deal the Pavilion a crippling blow. Yet after careful consideration, Xu Yuan abandoned the idea. Sipping the fragrant tea from the porcelain cup, he felt the sweetness and astringency spread across his taste buds, and let out a soft sigh. Slaughtering all those experts in sweet vengeance would feel satisfying, but he could not do so. As the designated sole heir of the Prime Minister’s Manor, his every move affected the life and death of countless people. The moment he did that, the Chancellor’s Manor and the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion would have completely torn away all pretense of civility. Given the current situation in Great Yan’s imperial court, though the Prime Minister’s Manor was formidable, so were the imperial clan and the sects. It was best not to push the currently neutral Overseeing Heaven Pavilion toward their adversaries. The best choice was to let them know the difficulties and back down. “Xu Yuan... what’s wrong?” A cautious voice came from beside him. Xu Yuan turned his head. Without him noticing, Tianyan had quietly come up beside him, concern flickering in the beautiful golden eyes gazing at him. A gentle warmth touched his heart, but right after, a hint of complexity flickered within him. If Lou Ji learned of this, Tianyan would most likely be held directly as a hostage. Stances and allegiances... Tightening his fists slightly, Xu Yuan gave a light chuckle. “I’m in a bit of a bad mood.” “Why?” Tianyan asked. Xu Yuan chuckled softly, reaching out to drape an arm over the girl’s seemingly boneless shoulders, his fingertips trailing lightly across her fair, slender neck. Unlike the firm, delicate texture of the breast-bound princess’s body, although Tianyan was as flat as a washboard, her body was as soft as cotton. “Because you turned me down.” “...” Tianyan blinked her beautiful eyes. Realizing what he was referring to, a fetching blush rose on her face, and she spat softly, “Bah! We’re talking about serious matters. What on earth happened to you just now?” “What I’m talking about is serious business.” Xu Yuan looked smilingly at the girl pulled into his embrace, taking in the frail softness of her body. His fingertips brushed across her neck, catching on the ornate palace robes as they slid farther downward. The man’s scent and the touch of his fingertips caused Tianyan, kneeling upon the rush mat, to unconsciously press her legs together. Her steady breathing grew hurried. “Th-that’s only because of you... You said you only remember part of it. If... if you...” “Why must you cling to the feelings from the illusion?” Xu Yuan’s voice was gentle as his fingertips quietly slipped beneath the knotted collar of the girl’s garment, gliding over the jade-like, translucent clavicle and continuing downward. “Isn’t it good for us to make some new memories?” Having said that, Xu Yuan paused with a smile and asked softly, “Or could it be that you lack the confidence to make me fall for you all over again?” Beneath his tender gaze, Tianyan felt her heart pounding furiously, while the large hand sliding inside her collar sent a fiery blush spreading all the way to the tips of her ears. Biting her lip, Tianyan ultimately caught his wrist. She took a deep breath, steadying her trembling voice. “Don’t sweet-talk me with words like that. You... you just want my body.” His hand unable to advance an inch, Xu Yuan chuckled and teased, “We’re practically an old married couple by now, so why are you still acting like an innocent maiden?” Tianyan looked at him, pursing her lips slightly. “You said it yourself: the easier it is for a man to get something, the less he cherishes it.” At that moment, Tianyan seemed to find the key to breaking the stalemate. Her eyes brightened, and she hurried to add, “Besides, with your current cultivation, you... you...” As she spoke, the girl’s clear voice gradually faded to a murmur. “...you couldn’t even breach my virginity.” “Then wouldn’t it work if you just relaxed?” “...” Tianyan fell silent. “If you can’t relax, we can always use other meth—” *Smack.* Swatting away his wandering hands, Tianyan sprang to her feet and cast Xu Yuan a frigid glance. “Out of the question.” Xu Yuan refused to let it go. “Why?” “No reason.” “Then don’t make a fuss when I go find Bai Muxi.” Xu Yuan seemed to have made up his mind. “You dare!” Tianyan glared with wide eyes. Meeting her gaze, Xu Yuan leaned back, propping his weight on his hands behind him as he stared at her. “Do you have to be so domineering? You won’t give it to me yourself, yet you won’t let me seek out someone else? “Besides, “what about Ran Qingmo and Li Qingyan in the future?” The words pierced the girl’s heart like needles. Hearing this, the tender ripples in her heart were instantly overwhelmed by bitterness. Tianyan bit her lip, looked at him, and took a deep breath. Without a word, she turned and walked toward the door without looking back. Seeing this, a flash of reluctance crossed Xu Yuan’s eyes, yet he still called out clearly, “Tianyan, if you step out right now, leave my black eagle pavilion altogether. Think things through before you return.”