After leaving the Peach Blossom Secret Realm, Han Dong, Ouyang Ye, and Young Lord Chiyan flew together.
Along the way, Han Dong seemed preoccupied with heavy thoughts, while Ouyang Ye, carefree as ever, coached Young Lord Chiyan on how to play his role properly.
"Ye Ye, if you need me to show up in the future, could you please tell me in advance? You have no idea how scared I was just now."
With no outsiders present, Sister Ling’er dropped her disguise. Though she still wore the appearance of Young Lord Chiyan, her demeanor and movements betrayed the nervousness of a timid woman. Recalling the earlier scene, she instinctively patted her chest and sighed, "That was really too dangerous just now. Luckily, you were there to guide me the whole time, otherwise... I truly wouldn't have known what to do."
"Sister Ling’er, why is it that you're fine during our usual practice sessions, but you get so nervous at the critical moment? It's fortunate those people have never seen Gu Qingfeng before, otherwise, your clumsy acting would have given us away long ago!"
Sister Ling’er revealed a helpless, bitter smile. "Ye Ye, you know very well my courage has always been small. I get nervous even facing so many experts normally, let alone when you ask me to impersonate Young Lord Chiyan. I'm really worried that if we're ever exposed one day, it will implicate Han Dong."
Han Dong, who had been flying ahead, suddenly stopped and looked at Sister Ling’er impersonating Young Lord Chiyan. "Sister Ling’er, you mustn't say that. It's I who have implicated you... If not for you and Ye Ye's help, I'm afraid I would have died at Yaoyue Palace three months ago."
Even now, thinking back to the events of three months ago, Han Dong still felt a lingering fear.
Three months ago, the Second Elder of Yaoyue Palace, in league with many other Elders, had suddenly moved against her, forcing her to voluntarily relinquish her position as Heir Apparent. Although Yaoyue Palace also had a few Elders who supported her, they were ultimately outnumbered and powerless against the Second Elder and his faction.
To be honest, Han Dong didn't care at all about being the Heir Apparent of Yaoyue Palace; she had not the slightest interest in the position.
If possible, she would have long since fled far away from this place.
But she couldn't.
She didn't care about the position of Heir Apparent, but she cared deeply about her master.
Her master was the current Palace Master of Yaoyue Palace, Daozun Feiyan.
Once the Grand Elder of Yaoyue Palace and a highly respected senior in the Great Northwest frontier, she had been entrusted with Yaoyue Palace by Lady Zhuyue and had presided over it ever since. Unfortunately, during the ancient cataclysm, she suffered severe injuries. Though she still lived, her wounds were so grave she was even weaker than an ordinary person.
Han Dong understood clearly in her heart that her master cared deeply about Yaoyue Palace, especially as it declined day by day. She constantly felt she had let down Lady Zhuyue and had lived all these years in self-blame and remorse. This was also why, despite years of recuperation, her injuries hadn't improved but had instead grown worse.
Han Dong knew her master had pinned all her hopes on her, hoping she would take over Yaoyue Palace and restore its former glory.
She couldn't even imagine if her master would die of sorrow if she lost the Heir Apparent position.
Three months ago, when the Second Elder and his men had suddenly moved against her, Han Dong had thought it was all over. She had been prepared to fight to the death; if the Second Elder truly took action, she would rather die than submit.
However.
She had never expected Ouyang Ye to suddenly barge into Yaoyue Palace, and even bring a Young Lord Chiyan with her.
She knew Young Lord Chiyan was impersonated by Sister Ling’er, because Ouyang Ye had told her earlier that this method could be used to scare the Second Elder. Even if it didn't scare him off, it could at least delay him, ensuring the Second Elder and his faction wouldn't dare to openly force her to give up the Heir Apparent position for a while.
After all, Young Lord Chiyan's identity was special—special because he was the renowned successor of Lord Chixiao.
With that alone, he could absolutely intimidate the Second Elder.
Even if the Second Elder and the others harbored suspicions, they wouldn't dare act rashly. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many impostors in this world claiming to be disciples or successors of Lord Chixiao still living freely and happily. Because no one could be one hundred percent certain they were fake, and if they turned out to be real, no one could bear the consequences.
Moreover, this Young Lord Chiyan, as Lord Chixiao's successor, had even received recognition from dozens of Chixiao people across the Four Great Regions. This made the Second Elder and the others even more afraid to suspect recklessly.
Indeed, that was exactly what happened. Three months ago, when Ouyang Ye barged into Yaoyue Palace with Young Lord Chiyan and announced he was Han Dong's Dual-Cultivation Dao Companion, it not only preserved Han Dong's position as Heir Apparent but also made the Second Elder and his faction dare not bully Han Dong so brazenly ever since.
For this, Han Dong felt profound gratitude towards Ouyang Ye and Sister Ling’er in her heart. Yet along with gratitude came deep worry.
She worried that if this continued, once they were exposed, it wouldn't just implicate Sister Ling’er but also Ouyang Ye.
A fake was a fake after all. They could deceive for a time, but not forever. Eventually, the truth would come out.
When Ouyang Ye had first proposed this idea, Han Dong hadn't agreed precisely because she feared implicating them. Yet Ouyang Ye had gone ahead and done it anyway. What was worse, her master, Daozun Feiyan, had also learned of this matter and was overjoyed—happy that Han Dong had found a good match, and happy to see hope for revitalizing Yaoyue Palace.
But the key point was that this Young Lord Chiyan was an impostor...
If the truth were ever exposed, Han Dong truly didn't know how she would face her master...
It wasn't that she hadn't considered telling her master the truth, but every time she saw the hope in her master's eyes, she couldn't bear to speak it. Especially last time, when she brought Sister Ling’er impersonating Young Lord Chiyan to meet her master, and her master actually knelt on the ground to thank Young Lord Chiyan for helping her—she really couldn't bring herself to reveal the truth then.
But the current situation no longer allowed her to keep the truth hidden.
Not because the Second Elder had seen through the impersonation.
But because Sister Ling’er could no longer continue impersonating Young Lord Chiyan.
The reason was simple: Sister Ling’er was pregnant. She had been pregnant for four months now. Appearance could be altered, voice could be changed, but as Sister Ling’er's belly grew day by day, how could she possibly continue impersonating Young Lord Chiyan?
This problem troubled not only Han Dong but Ouyang Ye as well.
Back then, she had only thought of saving Han Dong and hadn't considered the long term. She had originally planned to have Sister Ling’er handle it temporarily, and after the matter was settled, make other arrangements—at worst, find someone else to continue impersonating Young Lord Chiyan.
She had thought finding someone to impersonate Young Lord Chiyan wouldn't be difficult, but when she actually started looking, Ouyang Ye realized she had been too naive. Finding someone with Golden Core cultivation wasn't hard, but finding someone both trustworthy and with Golden Core cultivation was a difficult task. Especially since this person also had to match Young Lord Chiyan's temperament... it was simply too, too difficult...