"What are your thoughts?"
A wailing wind brushed past his ears, and an airy, smiling feminine voice sounded beside him, interrupting Xu Yuan's train of thought. Snapping back to his senses, he saw a magnificent fortress city faintly visible on the distant horizon, perched high atop a precipitous cliff.
After leaving the cavern, the two had ceased concealing their auras, rocketing toward Zhenxi Prefectural City at the full speed of an Origin Realm expert.
In just under two hours, Zhenxi Prefectural City was already within reach.
Pulling his gaze back, Xu Yuan asked softly in return, "About what?"
The young woman smiled enchantingly. "About that Mu Xingchen earlier, of course. Do you trust him?"
Xu Yuan pondered briefly and replied noncommittally, "The information he provided basically checks out against what we know. Logically speaking, too, the matter of the Insect Saint holds together as cause and effect without any obvious flaws."
Hearing this, the young woman raised a slender finger and pointed toward the fortress city on the horizon.
"So you're planning to report this intelligence to the Zhenxi Army?"
Xu Yuan gave the palace-dressed girl beside him an odd look, tapped his temple, and asked with mild amusement, "Couldn't you tell that I never intended to trust him from the very start? Why ask such an idiotic question?"
The alluring, delicate features of the young woman pinched slightly in a frown, her eyes tinged with displeasure.
Catching every subtle shift in her expression, Xu Yuan chuckled, shook his head, and said leisurely, "Besides, quit putting on an act. Even if I were to pass word along, I wouldn't use the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion's name to vouch for it."
"..."
After a moment of silence, the alluring charm vanished from Tianyan's face. She pursed her lips and asked in a low voice, "How could you tell?"
Xu Yuan blinked at her and smiled. "Because you don't understand Tianye. No matter how good your acting is, you can only mimic her form, not her spirit."
Tianyan's expression turned cool, and she let out a cold laugh. "Ha... so you're saying you understand her very well?"
Seeing the chill in her eyes, Xu Yuan remained unfazed and chuckled leisurely. "My memories are incomplete, so naturally I don't understand her either. But one thing I do know is that she would never ask a question like that."
Tianyan's expression softened slightly, though a questioning look lingered in her eyes.
Xu Yuan shrugged. "That enchantress is far less of a confidante and far more of an aloof, detached witness."
"...A witness?"
"Haven't you noticed her habits these past few days?"
"Get to the point!"
"Alright, alright."
Facing her fierce glare, Xu Yuan gave a playful French salute and chuckled languidly. "Aside from keeping me safe, that enchantress spends most of her time finding ways to mess with our heads. She hasn't provided a shred of practical help."
With that, a trace of helplessness flickered in Xu Yuan's narrow eyes, and he said gently, "As the Saintess of the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion, you must know how terrifying the Pavilion's foundation was before the historical severance. You should also know what a difference Tianye could make to the current situation if she were willing to intervene in earnest, right?"
Compared to the ten breaths she could manifest her power, the intelligence she possessed was the true highlight—it might even be enough to influence the entire situation across the desert.
If that enchantress were willing to help him in earnest, countless problems would solve themselves without all this roundabout trouble.
For instance, what secret method the Mu Family Chamber of Commerce used to seize the Insect Saint's bloodline, or how Mu Xingyi had broken through to Sainthood in a mere month.
Tianye knew a great deal. She could even use the willow ghost blade to track down the location of Mu Xingyi and his family.
Yet she merely watched in silence from the sidelines, like a detached bystander.
Like watching a movie, the enchantress observed his every choice, watching him sink and rise through this mortal world.
In recent days, Xu Yuan had occasionally felt the impulse to ask for Tianye's advice, but he had held back every time.
Because he knew that if Tianye truly helped him, she would no longer be the enchantress who could always get under his skin.
Sensing the complicated emotions in him, Tianyan unconsciously bit her lower lip. Her gaze carried a flicker of resentment, yet she said nothing.
Back in the Phantom Demon illusion, this bastard had relied on precisely this meticulous perception to flirt with women everywhere, deceiving the hearts of so many beauties.
She hated this side of him.
Then again,
if Xu Yuan didn't possess such keen insight, she wouldn't have fallen so deeply for him either.
This fellow truly was an incorrigible bastard...
Snap.
A sudden snap of fingers right before her eyes jolted Tianyan back to reality. She shot him a reproachful glare.
"What?"
Xu Yuan looked at her with a chuckle and said softly, "We can't fly any further."
"Why?"
"Haven't you noticed the shift in the qi dynamic around us?"
Amused, Xu Yuan slipped out of the tether of source qi connecting the two of them. As he descended toward the ground, he called out with a laugh, "A flight ban has been placed around Zhenxi Prefectural City. Let's walk the rest of the way on foot. In turbulent times like these, it's best to conceal our identities."
The two touched down. The gust of wind swirling around Xu Yuan kicked up a wild burst of flying sand from the ground. Tianyan rolled her eyes and waved her sleeve in disgust, dispelling the dust, before glaring at him crossly: "Do you really have to make such a huge fuss every time you land? Do you think it looks cool?"
Xu Yuan offered a slightly sheepish smile.
Having his chuunibyou habit from his past life in the dorms called out like that was indeed a bit embarrassing.
Pleased by his reaction, Tianyan curved her red lips and let out a light hum from her delicate nose. After a brief pause, she changed the subject: "Xu Yuan, what are your actual thoughts on what to do next?"
"Do you mean about the insect ghost family of three, or the whole situation across the desert?"
"Both."
"Hmm... it's quite complicated. Let's talk as we go."
Xu Yuan did not answer right away. He raised a hand, gesturing for them to speak while walking.
The blazing sun hung high overhead, scorching the yellow sands that buried old bones.
Decades ago, the region surrounding Zhenxi Prefectural City had served as the front line in the war between Great Yan and the Western Desert. Countless lives had perished here. Whenever the wind swept the sands aside, ghastly white bones buried in the dunes were frequently laid bare.
His gaze swept past a skull crushed beneath his boot. After pondering for a long moment, Xu Yuan finally spoke slowly: "Tianyan, don't you feel that far too many powerhouses have gathered in this desert?"
Tianyan raised a delicate brow, her gaze growing serious. "Yes. Four Saints have already congregated in the desert, and there are likely even more Transcendent Realm cultivators..."
"There are more than just four Saints."
Xu Yuan cut the girl off with a smile. Meeting her puzzled gaze, he laughed softly. "You don't need to look at me like that; I have my reasons for saying so."
With that, Xu Yuan cast a distant, pensive look toward the northeast and asked slowly, "Where do you think all of Great Yan's attention is focused right now?"
"The Northern Border and Di'an," Tianyan answered without hesitation.
Xu Yuan chuckled and shook his head. "No. To be precise, only Di'an City. Whatever attention is paid to the Northern Border is merely a derivative of Di'an.
"From the perspective of the sects, the court's war of annexation against the three northern provinces ceased to matter the moment the northern sects threw away those three hundred thousand elites. The overarching trend had already been decided; the court's complete purge and annexation of the Northern Border is merely a matter of time.
"What truly holds the attention of everyone under heaven is the current Emperor, whose lamp is running out of oil, and whether he will purge the Prime Minister before he dies.
"If he chooses to strike, internal strife will fracture the imperial court. The glorious renaissance forged by the current Emperor and my father will vanish overnight, and the threat the court poses to the sects will be reduced by more than ninety percent."
Having said this,
Xu Yuan glanced sideways at the young woman, his voice quiet and gentle: "All of the above is the future the sects wish to see.
"However,
"what if the conflict between the imperial family and the Prime Minister's Manor is nothing more than a trap laid by my father and the Emperor for the sects of the realm?"
"..."
Tianyan was sharp enough to grasp his point instantly. Her beautiful eyes flickered. "Are you saying that the court's forces are firmly locked in the north, leaving them no leisure to look west, so the sects chose to make their move in the Western Desert?"
"Precisely."
Xu Yuan took a deep breath and said slowly, "The sects cannot simply wait for the court to play its pieces before responding. Since the court slaughtering the great dragon in the north is an unalterable fact, they chose to play their pieces in the Western Desert, placing heavy bets in this opening to devour the great dragon of the west with all their might."
Hearing this, Tianyan fell silent for a long time. When she spoke again, her voice carried a hint of raspiness: "Why... haven't I received any word of this at all?"
In this grand game of chess, the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion was bound to be involved, yet she, the Saintess, had not received the slightest piece of information.
Xu Yuan pushed off the ground, leaving a depression in the sand as his figure reappeared over ten yards away. He chuckled lightly: "Who says you didn't know? You and Su Jinxuan escorting the Desert Divine Maiden was one of the steps in their plan."
Tianyan's fists clenched slightly beneath her wide sleeves. "That isn't what I meant."
Xu Yuan naturally knew what Tianyan was referring to.
Thanks to the large cohort of defectors from the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion residing in the Prime Minister's Manor, he had a fairly good understanding of the Pavilion's power structure.
In terms of authority, the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion was entirely ruled by the Pavilion Master's word.
Yet in terms of status, the Pavilion Master and the Saintesses were actually of equal rank.
Both were representatives of Heaven's Will in the mortal realm.
Neither was superior to the other.
To say nothing of the most unique Saintess among them—Tianyan.
Conventionally speaking, even a Saint Venerable from the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion who arrived here would have to obey Tianyan's commands and deployments. The reality, however, was that Tianyan had been relegated to a mere executor throughout this entire affair.
She had not been privy to a single inside detail.
In the silence,
Tianyan looked involuntarily toward the young man at her side.
The yellow sand whipped up their long hair, their gazes intertwining for a moment.
Neither spoke, yet everything had been said.
The Pavilion Master of the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion no longer trusted Tianyan, her Saintess.
Due to his familiarity with the girl, Xu Yuan had a rough guess about where this distrust originated.
The assassination attempt against him.
Tianyan must have done something back then.
And as an emotionless machine, the Pavilion Master would undoubtedly eliminate that risk.
The girl slowly lowered her eyes, her thick, curled lashes trembling slightly. Her frail figure looked somewhat helpless amid the blowing sand.
Watching her like this, a pang of sour guilt gradually spread through Xu Yuan's chest. He instinctively wanted to comfort her, but swallowed the words down when they reached his lips.
He could not point this out directly.
This was an internal affair of the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion; speaking up would only make Tianyan's position even more difficult.
"Master... is right."
Tianyan's nightingale-crisp voice carried a faint tremor as she forced an indifferent smile. "In my current state, I'm truly not suited to handle those things."
With that, she slowly looked back at him, pursing her red lips. "Why are you looking at me like that... You make it look like I'm pitiable."
Averting his eyes, Xu Yuan felt a tightness in his chest. His voice was very quiet: "I'm sorry..."
"Hmph."
With a soft snort, the girl kicked his thigh with a bare foot. "Did I blame you? Why are you apologizing? Instead of apologizing, why don't you explain how the sects plan to devour this great dragon of the Western Desert?"
After several breaths of silence,
Xu Yuan took a deep breath, collected his emotions, and slowly uttered the names of two factions: "The Dachao Royal Court and Zhenxi Manor."
Tianyan seemed somewhat distracted. Glancing at the desert sands retreating beneath their feet, she replied offhandedly, "Using Su Jinxuan to control the Desert Divine Maiden, thereby pulling the strings of the Dachao people?"
Xu Yuan thought for a moment and answered softly, "I thought so at first as well, but now it seems that's likely just an overt measure on the surface."
"Are you saying Su Jinxuan's identity as a spy for your Prime Minister's Manor has been exposed?"
"If it had been exposed, there's no way she'd still be alive."
"Then why do you think so?"
"Because Su Jinxuan was..."
Xu Yuan answered instinctively, but broke off halfway through.
Tianyan glanced at him with her azure-gold eyes. Seeing the expression on his face, she gave an involuntary, faint smile tinged with self-deprecation: "Because... she came along with me?"
"..."
Xu Yuan did not speak, but his silence was an admission.
Tianyan kicked him again, glaring at him fiercely: "I told you, don't look at me with pity like that!!"
"..."
The young woman looked like a wounded little animal, arousing instinctive pity, yet Xu Yuan lacked even the standing to comfort her.
Nursing the sting of the kick, he could only remain silent.
Seeing his reaction, Tianyan snorted coldly and said huffily, "If you really feel guilty, then tell this Saintess of the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion everything you know as the legitimate son of the Prime Minister's Manor."
Xu Yuan paused for a moment, well aware that the girl was deliberately giving him an out. He spoke in a measured tone: "I don't have any leads yet on what contingency they've prepared for the Desert Divine Maiden, but the method they intend to use to control Zhenxi Manor is likely through the Mu Family Chamber of Commerce."
Tianyan's eyes flickered. "The Mu Family Chamber of Commerce?"
Xu Yuan said in a low voice, "Mu Shanhai and the Marquis of Zhenxi are childhood friends and sworn confidants. Over the past several decades, the Mu Family Chamber of Commerce has come to control nearly half of the Zhenxi Army's economic lifelines. Back in Di'an City, Li Junwu once told me that the two families had entertained thoughts of a marriage alliance, with the Mu family marrying into Zhenxi Manor."
At this point, Xu Yuan recalled that bosom brother of his whose life or death remained unknown, and smiled bitterly: "They said betrothal gifts had already been delivered back then. Unfortunately, that woman Li Junwu only loved women... so the marriage fell through completely."
Seeing his demeanor, Tianyan hummed, "You seem quite concerned about her, don't you?"
"Don't go getting jealous of her."
Hearing her words, Xu Yuan finally cracked a joke with a smile. "If you two ever meet in the future, I imagine I'll be the one getting jealous of her instead."
Tianyan processed that for a moment, then glared at him and pressed her lips together in a smile. "I don't like women."
"Of course I know you don't like women."
With those words, the atmosphere between the two eased slightly, but Xu Yuan's mood sank again before long, and he said in a muted voice: "You must have heard what Mu Xingchen said earlier. With the marriage called off, the Mu family and those backing them have decided to play rough and forcibly eliminate Li Junwu.
"That woman got dragged into the clash between the Linlang and the Insect Saint. Even though she relied on a military array to forcefully abduct the Desert Divine Maiden, she has now been missing for months.
"Whether we will ever see each other again... remains completely up in the air..."
Chapter 612