Madam of Duke Wei widened her eyes. Clearly, she hadn't expected Yun Liyue to say something like that.
"Yun Liyue."
Once she came back to her senses, Madam of Duke Wei shouted in shock and fury, "I heard some rumors… that your sister didn't die from qi deviation, but was killed by you…"
"Mother."
Yun Liyue interrupted her without hesitation. "There's no point digging into that now. What, is the Yun clan planning to take revenge on me? The Yun clan used to have two options in the palace. Now that my sister is dead, there's only one choice left—support me. There's no alternative."
Madam of Duke Wei's face twisted as she glared hard at Yun Liyue. "You're so ruthless."
But Yun Liyue didn't flinch at all. Instead, her gaze turned cold as she looked down at Madam of Duke Wei. "Mother, go back and tell the Yun clan elders— stop entertaining any of those messy ideas. If the Crown Prince and I are well, then the Yun clan will be fine. If not, the only outcome is mutual destruction."
Madam of Duke Wei had originally come to the palace to question Yun Liyue. But under Yun Liyue's cold gaze, a chill rose unbidden in her heart.
Only then did she seem to realize that the girl before her was not just her daughter—but the Empress of Great Zhou.
"Empress, don't blame your mother. I was just too heartbroken over your sister's death, and I lost control of myself."
She forced a smile onto her face.
"Why would I blame you, Mother?"
Yun Liyue said, "Since you've come today, why not stay and have lunch with me?"
"No need."
Madam of Duke Wei replied, "The Yun clan elders are waiting for my answer. I must return at once."
Sitting there with Yun Liyue felt like sitting on pins and needles. She couldn't bear to stay a moment longer.
As Yun Liyue watched her leave, her gaze stayed indifferent.
It was obvious that Madam of Duke Wei was somewhat saddened by Yun Yirou's death—but only slightly.
What she cared about far more was profit and power.
Luckily, Yun Liyue had already seen through that long ago. So she didn't feel too upset.
Elsewhere—
Not long after leaving Jinghua Hall, Madam of Duke Wei saw a lavish carriage on one of the palace roads.
"What's that?"
She couldn't help but ask the maid beside her.
The maid answered honestly, "Replying to Madam, that's the carriage for the head of Mystic Origin Temple."
"The head of Mystic Origin Temple?"
Madam of Duke Wei looked shocked. "Why would she come to the palace?"
Mystic Origin Temple was a force in the Eastern Wastes that didn't belong to any nation.
Its head, Li Wuzhen, was a once-in-a-century genius who had reached the peak of Martial Saint after just 50 years of cultivation.
"It's said that Master Li heard the Sixth Prince comprehended Sword Intent at the age of one, and came to Great Zhou to accept him as her disciple."
The maid added, "His Majesty was very impressed and arranged for the carriage to personally escort her into the palace."
Madam of Duke Wei's eyes flickered with complicated thoughts.
She knew the Crown Prince had been taken in as a disciple by Lady Cheng.
But Lady Cheng was mysterious, with unclear background.
Li Wuzhen, on the other hand, was a true legend known across the land.
For someone like her to take interest in the Sixth Prince showed just how much potential the boy had.
Half an hour later—
Madam of Duke Wei returned to the Duke Wei Manor.
In the main hall, several elders of the Yun clan were already waiting.
The Duke himself was bedridden and didn't attend the meeting.
"Sister-in-law, what did the Empress say?"
asked Yun Tingfeng, the Duke's cousin.
Madam of Duke Wei then recounted what had happened that day.
"Outrageous."
"She even killed her own sister. How could someone like that be a worthy Empress?"
"She's clearly counting on us not daring to go against her, which is why she's acting so fearlessly."
The Yun clan elders all exploded with rage.
"But do we even dare go against her?"
Yun Tingfeng sneered coldly.
The hall fell into silence.
Back when Yun Yirou was alive, they didn't dare go against Yun Liyue and could only mess around in secret. Now that Yun Yirou was dead, they were even less willing to offend her.
At that moment, Madam of Duke Wei brought up the matter of Li Wuzhen wanting to take Yang Xiu as her disciple.
"We already know about that," said Yun Tingfeng. "You all know how capable Princess Changle is. Over the past year, almost all her predictions have come true. She said Yang Xiu is the child of destiny, and on top of that, he's shown outstanding talent. We have to take this seriously. But right now, we also can't risk angering Yun Liyue. From now on, we must act with more discretion."
Meanwhile—
Yang Cheng was already en route to Autumn Water Courtyard in a sedan chair.
After the previous assassination attempt, his escort was much larger and far more powerful.
As soon as he entered the courtyard, Cheng Junyi's face lit up with relief. "I heard about what happened yesterday. It's completely normal for you to take a day off after being frightened. But the fact you still chose to come shows your strong heart for martial cultivation."
Ding!
[The host has been accepted as a disciple by Cheng Junyi. This is an extremely rare opportunity.]
[Please continue to raise your importance in Cheng Junyi's heart and find a way to move her.]
[This is an achievement task. The stronger the emotional impact you create on Cheng Junyi, the more achievement points you'll earn, and the greater the rewards.]
[Note: Moving Cheng Junyi is extremely difficult. The host is granted a five-year time limit.]
[Mission Reward: Dark Bird Descends from Heaven (10 to 100 breaths duration)]
Yang Cheng's mind stirred slightly.
'Dark Bird Descends from Heaven?'
A Dark Bird was a divine beast of the Dao. Wherever it landed, Dao resonance would appear.
Anyone within that resonance would experience a peak state of Dao comprehension.
No doubt about it—this was an incredible opportunity.
Now the question was how to move Cheng Junyi.
Just then, a tiny figure walked in from behind the curtain, holding a chicken leg in her hand and chewing on it.
Her face was adorably blank, but when she spotted Yang Cheng, she froze briefly before her smile bloomed. "Chengcheng, when did you get here?"
"Just now," Yang Cheng replied with a smile.
Seeing Tang Xingyu's bright grin lifted his mood instantly.
"Tangtang, finish that chicken leg quickly, then meditate with Chengcheng for an hour," Cheng Junyi ordered sternly.
Most of the time, she spoiled the two little ones endlessly, but when it came to cultivation, she was a strict teacher.
Soon, more than an hour passed.
Yang Cheng and Tang Xingyu finished their session.
With Tang Xingyu leading the rhythm, Yang Cheng felt his Tai Sui Breathing Technique had stabilized even more.
Just as the two were about to go play, someone came to visit Cheng Junyi from outside.
Moments later, three figures appeared in the main hall.
Yang Cheng recognized them all at once.
One was Yang Xiu.
The other two—one was a middle-aged Daoist woman, the other a five-year-old boy.
"Li Wuzhen. Zhao Shouyi."
These were none other than Yang Xiu's teacher and senior brother from his past life.
In Yang Xiu's rise to power, these two played massive roles.
Yang Cheng in his past life had never been qualified to meet them.
Li Wuzhen was about to become a Martial Emperor tomorrow. A hundred years later, she would become a Martial True God, and by five hundred years, she'd reach an unbelievably powerful level.
Zhao Shouyi would become a Martial Emperor in a hundred years and step into the Martial True God realm after two hundred.
Yang Cheng, because he started late and missed many early opportunities, only became a Martial Saint after five hundred years.
"Li Wuzhen, what are you doing here?"
Cheng Junyi's face turned cold.
Li Wuzhen smiled slightly. "Sister, no need to be so hostile. No matter what, we were once fellow disciples. I came today because I heard a genius in Great Zhou comprehended Sword Intent at the age of one, and I'd like to take him as my disciple."