Night.
Xiao Zhe Villa.
Qian Shan, who had been waiting anxiously, immediately asked when she saw Su Hua return, "Miss, where is Empress Nalan? Did she not return with you?"
As someone close to Su Hua, Qian Shan not only knew that Nalan Qianqiu was Su Hua's senior sister but also knew that Nalan Qianqiu had once been an Empress in the Celestial Realm.
"She left."
Su Hua looked utterly exhausted as she slowly sat down on a chair, lost in thought.
"Empress Nalan came and left in such a hurry. Could it be she only came to stop you?" Qian Shan asked doubtfully. "Miss, did Empress Nalan tell you just who Gu Qingfeng really is?"
Hearing Qian Shan's voice, Su Hua shook her head. If possible, she too wanted to know the answer to that question. Unfortunately, Nalan Qianqiu had not answered it, saying only that she didn't know either and that it was the will of their Eldest Senior Sister.
If it were anyone else, Su Hua might have been able to discern the truth, but when it came to this mysterious and eccentric senior sister of hers, she had never been able to see through her in the past, and now it was even more impossible.
"Empress Nalan said not to provoke Gu Qingfeng, and also said... that no one can afford to provoke him. Isn't that a bit too exaggerated..." Neither Qian Shan nor Su Hua could imagine what about Gu Qingfeng was so terrifying that it would make Nalan Qianqiu utter such bewildering words.
A long time passed.
Su Hua sighed wearily. She was utterly drained, feeling completely exhausted. She shook her head slightly, truly not wanting to think about this headache-inducing problem anymore.
"Miss, now that so many Immortal Dynasty nobles have died, the Immortal Dynasty will learn of this before long. However, the Immortal Dynasty's entire focus is currently on the Heavenly Mandate. They probably won't have time to deal with this matter. It's that Young Lord Long... if he finds out..."
"The Immortal Dynasty nobles sent by the Immortal Dynasty, along with so many Immortal Officials, even including the two Edict Young Lords, are merely the public faces, just a smokescreen. The ones truly in charge are others."
Qian Shan nodded. She had heard Su Hua say that there were two groups in the force stationed at the Northwest Immortal Estate. One was led by the two Edict Young Lords, and the other was a team that would not show themselves publicly. This latter team was the core. She didn't know who was in charge of it. When she asked,
Su Hua uttered only three words: "Bei Changqing."
Upon hearing the name Bei Changqing, Qian Shan's expression jolted in shock, as if she couldn't believe it, and with some suspicion, she asked, "That Bei Changqing? The Purple-Gold Cloud Noble?"
"Him."
Once confirmed, Qian Shan's brow couldn't help but furrow slightly.
There were many nobles in the Immortal Dynasty.
Cloud Nobles were hailed as the nobles among nobles, and Purple-Gold Cloud Nobles were hailed as the prodigies among Cloud Nobles.
Bei Changqing!
He was a very low-profile Cloud Noble, so low-profile that no one knew his cultivation level, no one knew his destiny, and no one knew his true strength. It was only rumored that he had once wiped out over a dozen perfected Earth Immortals with a single punch.
"Miss, I've heard this Bei Changqing is a ruthless character. If he finds out Gu Qingfeng killed so many Immortal nobles..." As Qian Shan was speaking, Su Hua interrupted, "If my guess is correct, he should already know. Otherwise, Young Lord Long and his people would likely have arrived long ago."
"Miss, are you saying Bei Changqing learned of this and therefore stopped Young Lord Long from coming here?"
"That should be the case."
"How would Bei Changqing know? Did someone tip him off?"
"Unclear. Perhaps, or perhaps he was present at the time."
Su Hua said softly, "Bei Changqing is not only ruthless, but also a very cautious man, a man of profound cunning. For this Northwest expedition, splitting the forces into two groups, having the two Edict Young Lords lead a bunch of arrogant, ignorant Immortal Dynasty nobles to show themselves and test the Crimson-Letter Sect—that was likely his idea from behind the scenes."
"Is that the Immortal Dynasty's intention? Or Bei Changqing's?"
"It is both Bei Changqing's intention and the Immortal Dynasty's. Probably both. That faction within the Immortal Dynasty that has always wanted to eradicate the Crimson-Letter Sect likely wants to take advantage of the Heavenly Mandate affair to thoroughly test the Crimson-Letter Sect's limits."
Su Hua had always known there was a faction within the Immortal Dynasty that wanted to wipe out the Crimson-Letter Sect.
Not just the Immortal Dynasty, but even the Cloud End behind the Immortal Dynasty, and even the Nine Heavens, also harbored this notion.
And Su Hua had always tried to dissuade them. However, this matter involved too many parties. The mere existence of the Nine Heavens Survivors residing in Cloud End gave her a headache. Fortunately, whether in the Immortal Dynasty, Cloud End, or the Nine Heavens, there were also many who did not approve of eradicating the Crimson-Letter Sect. The factions for and against were evenly matched, barely maintaining a balance. At least the Immortal Dynasty would not launch a full-scale war against the Crimson-Letter Sect.
"That faction's audacity grows by the day," Su Hua continued, her voice tinged with anger. "All they think about is how to eradicate the Crimson-Letter Sect, to avenge the hatred from the Ancient Era, to reclaim the face and honor lost in this world back then. Have they ever considered whether the Crimson-Letter Sect is so easy to eradicate?"
"The Crimson-Letter Sect's branches are spread across the world. Those who followed Monarch Chixiao to conquer the world back then are either rulers governing their own domains, mighty overlords who command respect across regions, immensely wealthy magnates, or hegemons who dominate their territories. Some have become immortals, some demons, some monsters, some ghosts. This lord, that master—all are rulers in their own right."
"They naively think the Northwest is a remote borderland where they can do as they please. They naively think the Crimson-Letter Sect without Monarch Chixiao is a toothless tiger. How ignorant!"
"Whether the true Monarch Chixiao is even dead remains unknown. Even if he is, there are several impostors in this world. And which of those impostors isn't a mysterious and powerful existence? Do they truly think those people impersonate Monarch Chixiao just for fun?"
"Besides, there are also the women from the Monarch's past. This queen, that empress; this palace mistress, that sect leader; this demoness, that mysterious maiden. Even the World-Honored Empress had relations with him... Does the Immortal Dynasty treat them all as if they're dead?"
The more Su Hua spoke, the angrier she became, her anger mixed with resentment. At first, it seemed she was resentful of the Immortal Dynasty's ignorance, but as she went on, her resentment seemed to shift towards Monarch Chixiao himself, as if resenting his philandering ways.
Beside her.
Qian Shan opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but hesitated.
She knew Su Hua had been searching for Monarch Chixiao.
She also knew the reason for searching was due to karma.
She knew even more that Su Hua seemed to have become deeply entangled. Every time Monarch Chixiao was mentioned, her emotions fluctuated greatly. Sometimes she even resembled a resentful woman, her eyes filled with bitterness.
Qian Shan was deeply worried. If this continued, would her young mistress truly become ensnared...
It wasn't that she hadn't advised Su Hua to abandon this karma.
Alas.
Su Hua simply wouldn't listen.