Chapter 165: As Long As I Can Help My Benefactor, It's All Worth It
Inside the imperial palace of Great Chu.
The place was filled with splendid pavilions and towers, stretching endlessly. Each building stood like a bright moon rising from the sea—magnificent and radiant—with an awe-inspiring grandeur that seemed to transcend time.
At the deepest part of the palace.
A low and modest hall stood, completely out of place among the surrounding majestic structures. It was desolate and worn down, the walls weathered and crumbling, with wild grass growing in some spots.
The only exception was a plot of land directly in front of the hall that had been cultivated into a medicinal herb field. It was filled with Ganoderma, each plant no taller than the size of a hand.
Judging by their appearance, these spirit mushrooms were not very old—probably just about a year.
A gentle breeze passed by.
All the Ganoderma swayed in unison with the wind.
Along with them, the hem of a young girl's skirt also fluttered in the breeze. She looked to be around sixteen or seventeen years old, with hair as dark as clouds, eyes bright and teeth pearly white—so beautiful it felt almost unreal.
As her sleeves and robes flowed with the wind, she resembled a celestial maiden dancing across water, ready to ride the wind and soar away.
"Young Mistress, I've completed the task you assigned me."
A hoarse, aged voice rang out. An old man dressed in a light blue robe stood silently in a corner, his presence so well concealed that he blended perfectly with the surroundings.
Although he had already reached the peak of the Divine Palace Realm, this was the Great Chu imperial court—where Saint-level beings resided. He dared not be careless.
If he were exposed, it wouldn't matter if he died, but if the Young Mistress was implicated, the consequences would be far more severe.
"Many thanks, Old Wang."
The girl spoke, her voice crisp and melodious like a warbler singing in the valley.
With a delicate hand, she scooped water from a wooden ladle and gently poured it around the spirit mushrooms, tending to them with the utmost care and affection.
"Young Mistress..."
Old Wang hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Though I delivered the message, that Holy Son of Profound Sun doesn't seem to have any intention of leaving."
"Mm."
The girl gave a soft hum in response, as if she wasn't surprised at all. Her eyes were misty, and with a slight parting of her lips, she said calmly, "Then you all remain in hiding... and help my benefactor fend off the strong ones of Great Chu."
Old Wang frowned.
The Great Chu Dynasty has countless experts. Their group is now just composed of remnants—how could they possibly have the strength to resist all of Great Chu?
At most, they could delay a few Dukes. But if they dare attack those Dukes, the Emperor of Chu will definitely sense it. He'll realize that a powerful force is hiding within his domain.
Given the current Emperor's cold and tyrannical nature, he'll pursue this to the very end. By then, whether their group can remain hidden... that's hard to say.
After all, the Emperor had even wiped out the Great Bright Monastery. If he wanted to eliminate them, it would be far too easy.
"Young Mistress, is this really worth it?"
Old Wang sighed lightly, speaking helplessly:
"If we can just endure for a few more centuries, once this old man contacts the other remnants left behind by Master, overthrowing the entire Great Chu Dynasty will be no challenge at all."
"If we expose ourselves now, the loss will far outweigh any gain."
"As long as I can help my benefactor, it's all worth it."
The young girl spoke gently. Her voice was soft and graceful, yet carried an undertone of unwavering conviction.
"It's just a single Ganoderma Grass... haven't we already done enough?"
Old Wang couldn't help but speak up.
The Holy Son of Profound Sun Holy Land had killed a prince of Great Chu—something that would be an enormous offense if it ever came out to the public—yet it had been completely covered up by their efforts.
Though the Great Zhou Empire also played a part in suppressing the matter, their efforts paled in comparison to what Old Wang and his people had done. They had assassinated almost all of Great Chu's spies.
The few remaining ones hadn't even managed to return with any useful information.
Because of this, even now, Great Chu still had no idea how Chu Linghe died a year ago—or who had killed him.
If the Emperor of Chu learned that Chu Linghe had died at the hands of Li Xun...
Then everything would be different.
Perhaps the Emperor would still offer a supreme-grade Dao Weapon to invite him, but once Li Xun refused, the people they sent would certainly not be from the younger generation. They'd be Divine Palace Realm experts, or perhaps even the emperor himself might take action.
Right now, things were still relatively restrained, mostly because the only thing Great Chu knew was that Li Xun had defeated the Champion Marquiss. The situation hadn't escalated to a life-or-death struggle.
Having the younger generation step up still preserved some sense of propriety, sparing the dynasty from a reputation of bullying the weak.
"Old Wang."
The girl's voice turned slightly cold. She turned around and said word by word,
"Do you know? Benefactor Li is the only one who gave me a Ganoderma Grass when my mother needed it most?"
"...This…"
Old Wang was at a loss for words.
Now he understood. In his Young Mistress's heart, the Holy Son of Profound Sun held a place that was unshakable.
After all, when someone lends a hand in your darkest hour, even if it's just a single straw, you'll remember it for life.
When it came down to it, his Young Mistress was just like his late Master. Both were far too sentimental.
Unfortunately, the one that his late Master had encountered was the Emperor of Chu, someone who is completely unreliable.
And as a result, even though his late Master is someone with peak Divine Palace Realm strength, he was killed in a single night.
But now...
Who exactly was this Holy Son of Profound Sun whom the Young Mistress had met?
The old man chuckled slyly.
A jade token appeared in his hand. He gently rubbed its surface.
With the Holy Son of Profound Sun's current cultivation speed, in just a few hundred years, he might become a Saint.
When that time came, if his Young Mistress was ever in danger and he notified Li Xun—wouldn't that be like summoning a sacred weapon to descend from the skies?
After all, Li Xun was a genius who had survived the ten lightning calamities tribulation. With such deep foundations, his path to Sainthood would likely involve at least five tribulations.
With a powerhouse like that on their side, perhaps his Young Mistress might even become a future Empress of Great Chu.
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