"If you truly fall for it and clash with the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao, while the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao might not be able to do anything to you, you certainly wouldn't be able to wipe out the present-day Nine Heavens Immortal Dao either. The only outcome then would be mutual destruction, and that's precisely the result they want. The mastermind behind the scenes could then reap the rewards while the snipe and the clam fight."
Gu Qingfeng asked, "Isn't that a bit off?"
"What's off about it? Did I say something wrong?"
"The mastermind behind the scenes isn't necessarily targeting me, right? Couldn't they be targeting your Nine Heavens Immortal Dao instead?" Gu Qingfeng smiled faintly. "In recent years, in order to dominate the heavens and earth, your Nine Heavens Immortal Dao has either bullied this Great Dao or suppressed that one. In the Ancient Era, they didn't dare stand up to you, but now in the Present-Ancient Era, their ancestral patriarchs have awakened. They definitely don't want to be bullied by your Nine Heavens Immortal Dao anymore."
"I heard not long ago that the Demonic Dao has broken with your Immortal Dao, right? It's entirely possible that the ones stirring the pot this time are the Demonic Dao trying to play your Immortal Dao. Moreover..." The smile on Gu Qingfeng's lips grew more pronounced. "The reason your Nine Heavens Immortal Dao can dominate the heavens and earth is entirely because you seized the position of the Heavenly Dao. The Heavenly Dao has lain dormant all these years, enduring in silence and keeping a low profile. A myriad of years have passed; it's about time for the Heavenly Dao to emerge. Perhaps the Heavenly Dao is the mastermind this time."
After taking a drink, Gu Qingfeng continued, "And, in my impression, the Heavenly Dao does love playing this kind of 'stirring the pot' game."
"What you say is correct. This matter could indeed be other Great Daos deliberately targeting the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao. However, whether it's targeting you or targeting the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao, it's a conspiracy. If you, Emperor You, just lay low for a while, none of us will fall for the trap. Wouldn't that kill two birds with one stone?"
"That sounds reasonable on the surface, but..." Gu Qingfeng asked, "Why should I be the one to lay low? Why doesn't your Nine Heavens Immortal Dao lay low for a bit?"
"Emperor You, saying that is rather forcing the issue, isn't it? Currently, the Immortal Dao dominates the heavens and earth. Throughout the myriad realms, there is peace and prosperity—an unprecedented golden age. If you show your face, you will shatter this golden age and stir up immense waves in the Great Wilderness. How could the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao then stand idly by? Even if they wanted to ignore it, they would have no choice but to intervene."
"To put it bluntly, I can afford to lose a little face, but the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao's face cannot be lost, is that it?"
"This isn't about losing face or not. This is... this is... for everyone's good."
Nalan Qianqiu grew increasingly anxious but for a moment didn't know how to persuade Gu Qingfeng. "Besides, currently the myriad realms don't even know for sure that the person on the Xuantian Vessel is definitely you, Emperor You. Where's the loss of face? Moreover, does the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao even have any face left in your eyes? Back when you burned the Nine Heavens with your Netherfire, what face did the Immortal Dao have left to lose?"
"Heh."
Gu Qingfeng chuckled, drinking by himself. He asked, "Let me ask you something. If I stubbornly refuse to lay low, what does the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao plan to do?"
Nalan Qianqiu lowered her head to drink, seeming to hesitate over whether to answer Gu Qingfeng's question. After pondering for a long while, she ultimately decided to respond truthfully. "What the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao plans to do, I'm not clear on. I only know that the various law enforcers of the Nine Heavens, the various Destiny-Bearers, the various Tribulation-Bearers have all received the Immortal Dao's holy decree. The various ancestral patriarchs of the Nine Heavens, including the Three Purities and Four Sovereigns, have all emerged from seclusion. The Immortal Dao's origin has been opened, the Immortal Dao's laws are in operation, the Immortal Dao's judgment has been initiated..."
"The mastermind behind this may partly be targeting the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao, but I believe, compared to the position of 'Leader of the Great Daos,' the Three Thousand Great Daos would rather eliminate you—a threat to the heavens and earth who might trigger the Present-Ancient Cataclysm. Once the Immortal Dao makes a move, the other Great Daos will surely follow closely behind."
"Emperor You, the grievances between you and our Nine Heavens Immortal Dao are in the past. In the Ancient Era, the ancestral patriarchs of our Nine Heavens Immortal Dao were all in slumber; those ruling the Nine Heavens were all pedantic and incompetent individuals. Now, the Immortal Dao's ancestral patriarchs have awakened. They do not wish to be your enemy and hope to resolve the enmity between you and the Nine Heavens. Before I came, several of the Nine Heavens' ancestral patriarchs specifically instructed me that if you are willing, they would like to invite you up to the Nine Heavens for a visit and personally apologize for offending you in the Ancient Era."
Observing the silent Gu Qingfeng, Nalan Qianqiu stood up to pour him wine, speaking cautiously. "Emperor You, the awakened ancestral patriarchs of the Nine Heavens are enlightened individuals. They truly do not wish to be your enemy. If possible, they also hope to join forces with you to jointly resolve the Present-Ancient Cataclysm."
"The Nine Heavens suddenly pulling this move on me... I'm really having a bit of trouble adjusting."
Gu Qingfeng looked at Nalan Qianqiu with amusement, extending his arm. "Look, I've got goosebumps. After the Nine Heavens started dominating the heavens and earth, they really are different, huh? Playing deeper games than before. When the hard approach doesn't work, they start playing soft?"
"Emperor You."
Nalan Qianqiu spoke earnestly. "Believe it or not, what I just said was spoken with utmost sincerity. So, for your own sake, for Jin'er's sake, for all our sakes, for the sake of the heavens, earth, and the Great Daos, for the sake of all living beings, I hope you will seriously consider it."
Hearing Nalan Qianqiu mention Jin'er, Gu Qingfeng's brow twitched slightly. Though the smile remained on his lips, it was no longer carefree and casual. It gradually transformed into a smile of solitary arrogance and absolute dominance. "What does this have to do with Jin'er? What's this? From the sound of your tone, if I don't agree today, are you planning to use Jin'er to threaten me?"
"No! That's not it!"
Nalan Qianqiu's face paled in fright, and she hurriedly explained, "Emperor You, you must not misunderstand. That is absolutely not what I meant. How could I possibly use Jin'er to threaten you?"
"Then what exactly do you mean?"
"Jin'er has always cared deeply for you and doesn't want you to get into trouble. If you clash with our Immortal Dao again, Jin'er will worry about you. And my junior sister said that Jin'er's current condition cannot handle great sorrow or great joy. Furthermore, your Blood of Original Sin has a deep connection with Jin'er's Blood Moon curse. If Jin'er experiences great sorrow because of you, it could very likely reawaken the Blood Moon curse. So... that's why I said, for Jin'er's sake, I hope you will seriously consider it. I truly have no other meaning."
"I've been wondering all along why Su Hua would let Jin'er come. Now that I hear you say this, I think I'm starting to understand a bit."
Gu Qingfeng said, "No wonder she's the Holy Maiden. The games she plays aren't shallow either."
"Heavens!"
Nalan Qianqiu was on the verge of collapse. She explained, "Emperor You, you... how can you make such wild guesses? My junior sister letting Jin'er come was absolutely not to persuade you, nor to make you apprehensive, nor did it carry even a hint of threatening you. Please don't misunderstand, okay? Besides, this time it was Little Jin'er herself who wanted to come!"
"What Su Hua means, even if you don't say it, I know perfectly well."
Gu Qingfeng stood up. "Alright, big sister. It's getting late. I won't keep you any longer."
"Wait, you... you're just leaving like this?"
"What else?"
"Then do you agree or not?"
"Depends on my mood."
"What do you mean, 'depends on my mood'?"
Gu Qingfeng, who was about to leave, suddenly stopped. He turned around, fixing his cold, indifferent gaze on Nalan Qianqiu. "'Depends on my mood' means I'll do whatever I feel like doing. Understand?"
"Emperor You, you can't..." Nalan Qianqiu began to speak, but upon meeting Gu Qingfeng's dark, profound eyes, she dared not continue.
"Take two messages back for me. The first message is for the Nine Heavens. Tell them I've returned."
"The second message is for Su Hua. I've entrusted Little Jin'er to her. If anything happens to Jin'er, I will personally go to see her for the last time."