As she watched Chu Yuan being taken away under half-coercion by the Crown Prince, Gu Qingwan felt a renewed sense of crisis. She instinctively sent a Sound Transmission to her strategist.
[Young Master Yunlan, what do you think we should do now?]
In the distance, inside a private room in a tea house, Chu Yunlan’s expression flickered between light and shadow.
He had originally thought that if these two childhood friends reconciled, the Crown Prince would back off. From the looks of it now, the situation was entirely different from what he had anticipated.
So, what should be done?
Should he continue to advise Fairy Gu and have her act as a restraint in the shadows?
No! Fairy Gu’s level was too low. In the end, she was no match for the Crown Prince’s forced love for that waste!
‘If I want to get rid of that guy, I need to find someone even more powerful…’
Chu Yunlan could not help but let out a long sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Suddenly, a nine-tailed phantom flashed through his mind, and his heart stirred.
‘That’s right! The Fox Venerable!’
‘Doesn’t she practice the Way of Desire and Emotion?’
Furthermore, with her cultivation in the Hedao Realm, even the Crown Prince would have to be seventy percent wary of her. Chu Yunlan narrowed his eyes, then shook his head.
‘Does a waste from a side branch of the Chu Clan really require a Supreme Guardian to step in personally?’
‘Is that not thinking too highly of the waste?’
Before he could reach a decision, Gu Qingwan sent another transmission.
[Young Master Yunlan, are you all right? Or… am I disturbing you?]
Chu Yunlan immediately reassured her.
[You aren’t disturbing me! Fairy Gu, I think you shouldn’t worry yet!]
[Perhaps the Crown Prince really just sent Brother Yuan to handle some business.]
[Besides, do you really think the upright and selfless Crown Prince would steal another man’s love?]
At this, Gu Qingwan let out a fragrant sigh and echoed with a guilty conscience.
[You’re right! How could the upright and selfless Crown Prince steal another’s love!]
[I’m probably overthinking it! Thank you, Young Master Yunlan.]
[I’ll keep an eye on things. If I run into any more problems, I’ll let you know!]
“Alright! Get some rest, Fairy Gu!”
After ending the communication, Chu Yunlan stood up and walked to the window. He remained silent for a long time, contemplating whether or not to invite the Fox Venerable.
When the setting sun outside sank into the West Mountain, Chu Yunlan finally made up his mind.
‘If I don’t kick this waste out of the way, I’ll never be able to get close to that Highness.’
‘I should try to seek help from the Fox Venerable!’
‘As for the reason…’
‘I’ll use the Demon Path Alliance, which is a common enemy of the world, to make a case against that waste!’
With that thought, Chu Yunlan first deployed a Sound-Proofing Formation within the room. Turning back to the desk, he activated a small dharma array.
Array patterns circulated, and an eerie light flickered. A moment later, a phantom of a nine-tailed figure appeared within the array. The phantom lay lazily on a soft couch. Sensing it was Chu Yunlan, she sat up slightly and adjusted her robes.
“Young Master Yunlan? I wonder why you have sought me out?”
Chu Yunlan bowed in return, his tone respectful. “Lady Fox Venerable, this junior has a request.”
Su Xuanxuan gave a faint, insincere smile. “Oh? Young Master Yunlan actually has a request for me? That is truly a rare occurrence!”
Chu Yunlan hesitated for a moment. “Um… this matter is both large and small. I am not sure if…”
Su Xuanxuan grew slightly impatient. “There is no need for the Young Master to be formal. If there is anything I can help you with, just speak plainly!”
Chu Yunlan phrased his words carefully and said, “In the past few days, I discovered that an evil cultivator from the Demon Path Alliance has possessed a disciple of the Chu Clan and is lurking within the side branch!”
Su Xuanxuan frowned. “Oh? Who was possessed?”
Chu Yunlan replied, “Chu Yuan!”
The moment those words were spoken, Su Xuanxuan’s fox-like eyes widened. Unable to believe what Chu Yunlan had said, she instinctively asked again.
“Young Master, who did you just say was possessed?”
Chu Yunlan answered again, “Chu Yuan! An orphan from a side branch of the Chu Clan. He was originally a waste with no talent. But in the last few days, his behavior has become increasingly bizarre, and he has even made contact with the Successor of the Immortal Dynasty.”
As he spoke, he began to spin a web of lies.
“I felt it was suspicious, so I sent people to tail him. Unexpectedly, I discovered this fellow had been possessed by an evil cultivator. If it were a common evil cultivator, I would have simply sent someone to kill him — “
“But this person is highly likely to be an official of the Demon Path Alliance. If I kill him, I fear it will alert the enemy. After thinking it over, I wanted to inform you, Lady Fox Venerable, to see if you have a better idea.”
The more Su Xuanxuan listened, the more her heart pounded.
‘How did this fake young master notice the Holy Son?’
‘Could it be that Chu Zhenshan was exposed?’
‘No! Impossible!’
The fake young master’s words matched Chu Zhenshan’s reports.
‘Could the Holy Son really have been possessed?’
Su Xuanxuan’s brows knit tightly. ‘If that’s the case… this is much more serious than the fake young master discovering the truth!’
To the Fox Venerable, Chu Yunlan was nothing more than a fake young master. If he simply wanted to get rid of Chu Yuan, Su Xuanxuan could have easily activated the Holy Son’s bloodline in advance. This would have triggered the “real vs. fake young master” power struggle earlier, allowing her to continue honing the Holy Son’s schemes.
Worst case, she could have used the reason that “the fake young master possesses not a single drop of Taixu bloodline” as an excuse to eliminate Chu Yunlan directly. However, if she did that, it would be a waste of a “whetstone” that had been cultivated for many years.
Of course, if the Holy Son really was possessed, that was an absolute emergency.
Su Xuanxuan made an immediate decision. “This matter is of grave importance! Young Master, do not act rashly for now. I will arrive within the next two days!”
While pleasantly surprised, Chu Yunlan was also somewhat confused. “Lady Fox Venerable, are you certain???”
Seeing the fake young master’s suspicion, Su Xuanxuan flipped her hand, and a blood-red dharma orb suddenly floated in her palm. “Young Master, do you know what this is?”
Looking at the blood-red sphere, Chu Yunlan hesitated. “This… could it be the legendary Time-Peering Orb? But the color…”
He had heard elders within the realm mention that the Fox Venerable possessed a special magic treasure that could predict fortune and disaster. Since peering into the Heavenly Secret was a great taboo, she could only use it once every fifty years to avoid the punishment of a Lightning Tribulation.
However, according to the rumors, it should have been a completely transparent crystal ball. Why was it stained blood-red?
Facing his confusion, Su Xuanxuan explained, “This is indeed the supreme treasure of our realm. Even I am seeing its color change like this for the first time. I fear a great catastrophe is coming in the future.”
There were still a few months left before she could use the Time-Peering Orb again. Su Xuanxuan had originally intended to wait and see what exactly would cause that future catastrophe before acting.
But Chu Yunlan’s plea for help made her realize she had to make a trip to Xuanji City.
“It is quite a coincidence that the Young Master reported this. Naturally, I must take it seriously. Perhaps it really is related to the Demon Path Alliance that is currently causing chaos. Young Master, you must not act on your own. Simply wait for my arrival!”
Chu Yunlan cupped his hands. “Then I shall trouble you, Lady Fox Venerable!”
Su Xuanxuan’s smile remained thin. “There is no need for the Young Master to be formal. You are the future Holy Son. As the Supreme Guardian, it is my duty to protect you and the safety of the Taixu Sacred Realm!”
Chu Yunlan was overjoyed. “Excellent! I shall see you then!”
As the communication ended, the smile on the Fox Venerable’s face grew cold. She raised her hand, her fingertips tracing the surface of the orb. The faint red light reflected in her pupils.
‘Holy Son… my Yuan’er, you must not let anything happen to you!’
With that, she wasted no more time and immediately departed for Xuanji City to investigate.
***
At the same time, inside the tea house in Xuanji City.
Despite securing the Fox Venerable’s help, Chu Yunlan could not bring himself to be happy. Watching the sun set outside, he could not help but mutter to himself.
‘What exactly is this catastrophe that could turn the Time-Peering Orb red?’
‘Could I have been right? Is it really related to the Demon Path Alliance?’
If that was the case, Chu Yunlan could already foresee the turbulent changes coming in the future.
As the future Sacred Lord of Taixu, he understood the principle that with great power comes great responsibility. Looking back at the Demon Path Alliance’s years of heinous crimes, he knew he had to become a “close” ally with the future Empress, Ji Xuanyuan, to completely eradicate the Demonic Path.
To achieve that, he had to get rid of that waste Chu Yuan to get on the Crown Prince’s good side.
Admiring the infinite beauty of the setting sun, Chu Yunlan sighed.
“Brother Yuan, for the sake of the greater good, please sacrifice yourself!”