Fan Li was stunned.

He hadn't expected Sage Ruler Han Yue, a woman known for her cold and arrogant demeanor, to ask such a question.

How should he answer?

Yes?

No?

No, no, no!

That wasn't the point.

He had to warn her! The marriage alliance was most likely a trap, a cunning scheme orchestrated by Empress Yao Guang.

But how could he convince her?

The Pure Land's Sage Rulers saw Yao Guang as their beloved elder sister. Their trust in her was absolute.

Fan Li felt frustrated. He had once been a silver-tongued devil in Han Yue's presence, capable of twisting words and manipulating emotions. Now, his tongue seemed tied in knots.

"Han Yue, I…"

"I would like to spend a few days exploring Peng City. Would you accompany me?"

She had suddenly changed the subject.

Exploring Peng City?

He was stunned. He vaguely remembered accompanying her on several outings in the past.

Exploring the streets, the city, the lake?

There were many women in his life, but only Han Yue had enjoyed such special treatment.

"I'm not busy…" Fan Li scratched his head, then remembered something. "Wait, you're only staying in Peng City for a few days?"

That was strange.

If this was a marriage alliance, surely she wouldn't simply leave after a few days?

But Han Yue only smiled. She didn't answer his question.

"Consider it settled. I'll come find you tomorrow. It's getting late. Rest well."

With those words, she turned and left, her movements graceful and ethereal, like a celestial dancer. She vanished into the night sky.

Fan Li watched her depart, his mind a jumbled mess.

What was happening?

Han Yue had been acting strangely.

…

The Great Chu's imperial palace.

To welcome Sage Ruler Han Yue's arrival, Xiang Chong had prepared a lavish palace for her, its furnishings and decor even more extravagant than Empress Dowager Li's.

But the woman currently enjoying these luxurious accommodations wasn't Han Yue.

It was Bai Rong.

She had just finished bathing in a pool filled with thirty-six varieties of spirit flowers. The water's essence, infused with spiritual energy, had been completely absorbed by her body.

Its effect, however, was only equivalent to consuming a first-rank Earth-grade pill.

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Given her status in the Great Ci Dynasty, Bai Rong had no shortage of Earth-grade pills.

Even Heaven-grade pills were readily available.

Pills?

To nurture her talent, Empress Yao Guang had once allowed her to absorb the cultivation essence of eight Sage Ruler candidates.

Bai Rong's cultivation had skyrocketed, reaching the Unity Realm.

Not even a Heaven-grade pill could achieve such a result!

Despite this, the spirit flower bath still brought Bai Rong a sense of deep satisfaction.

It was a symbol of her extravagant lifestyle.

A bowl of rice, eaten with ordinary chopsticks and a simple bowl, versus a bowl of rice eaten with chopsticks and a bowl crafted from the finest spirit jade…

The taste might be the same, but the experience was vastly different.

"This is the life… I should enjoy this luxury every day."

Bai Rong's voice, sweet and seductive, was filled with greed.

She believed that once one had witnessed the grandeur of mountains, the vastness of the sky, there was no going back.

She had once been the most favored disciple of the Wuyang Sect. But what was that compared to this?

The Wuyang Sect was a minor organization. Even their leader possessed only a handful of Earth-grade pills.

Bai Rong, however, desired a life where she could bathe in a luxurious spirit flower pool every day.

Similarly, she wanted a bed crafted from rare and precious spirit wood, infused with a spirit gathering formation, allowing her to increase her cultivation even as she slept.

And the bed she currently lay upon, a phoenix bed crafted by the Fan Clan Trading Company, so expensive it was practically priceless…

She loved it!

"What are you doing here?"

A cold voice came from the doorway.

It was Han Yue.

Her tone had changed.

Gone was the gentleness she had shown Fan Li.

Her voice was now as sharp and cold as the wind atop a snowy mountain peak.

Bai Rong, lying upon the phoenix bed, couldn't help but shiver.

The coldness in Han Yue's voice, it wasn't simply a reflection of her Sword Dao cultivation, her aloof and arrogant nature.

It was a reminder that despite their status as Sage Rulers, despite their supposed sisterhood, Han Yue held no affection for her.

"Sister, you're back?"

"This is my first time staying in the palace. I'm a little scared. Could I… Could I sleep beside you tonight?"

This palace had been prepared for Han Yue.

Xiang Chong had arranged a luxurious suite for Bai Rong, but it paled in comparison to the grandeur of the main hall.

Bai Rong's demeanor was that of an innocent younger sister, her voice sweet and childish. Anyone who saw her would surely feel a pang of sympathy.

Han Yue's eyes narrowed.

She vaguely remembered a time when she had also been deceived by Bai Rong's innocent facade.

Until the incident at Mount Danxue, where eight Sage Ruler candidates had died tragically at Bai Rong's hands.

That event had opened Han Yue's eyes to Bai Rong's true nature.

Bai Rong, sensing her displeasure, continued in a sweet voice, "Are you still angry with me, Sister? But what could I do? It was Elder Sister Yao Guang's command. My growth benefits the Great Ci Dynasty. For the sake of our mission, some sacrifices are necessary. Surely you understand, don't you?"

"Necessary sacrifices?"

The image of the eight Sage Ruler candidates, their gruesome deaths, flashed through Han Yue's mind once more.

It was a memory she couldn't escape.

Her eyes, once bright and clear, were now filled with a darkness she couldn't dispel.

"Sacrifices… Shouldn't they be voluntary?"

She didn't wait for Bai Rong's answer.

She drew her sword.

A first-rank Heaven-grade spirit sword – Ningshuang.

Clang!

She flicked the sword with her finger, producing a crisp, clear sound.

"Remember this, Bai Rong.

If the day comes when your death benefits the Pure Land, I will use this 'Chasing Moon Sword' to pierce your heart.

And I hope, when that day arrives, you will finally understand. My actions… are also for the sake of our mission."

In that instant, Bai Rong's smile vanished, replaced by a flicker of fear and anger. Her back was drenched in cold sweat.

'Kill me?

How dare she even think about killing me?

Elder Sister Yao Guang said that with my talent and her guidance, I should reach the Great Vehicle Realm within ten years!

And that sword… What's with the name?

Wasn't her sword called 'Ningshuang'? Why is it now called 'Chasing Moon'?

Chasing Moon… Chasing Moon…

Ah, I remember now! Among the eight Sage Ruler candidates who died, there was a sword cultivator named Chasing Moon.

She actually renamed her sword for that woman?! What does she mean by this?!'

Bai Rong desperately suppressed her fear and anger, forcing her face to remain impassive.

"Sister…"

Her voice was still sweet, but there was a hint of fear now.

"Please don't forget, Elder Sister Yao Guang sent me here to assist you. We must complete our mission."

Han Yue didn't react to the word "mission."

Bai Rong's anxiety grew.

"Sister, remember this!

Qing Qiu betrayed Great Ci. She deserves to die!

But somehow, she escaped, aided by a mysterious power.

Elder Sister Yao Guang suspects that Fan Li is involved.

He's a secretive man. He has evaded Elder Sister's plans countless times. His actions cannot be explained by the Fan Clan's power alone.

You must uncover his secrets, Sister! This is your mission!

And I… I will assist you!"

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