Qian Renxue's cold eyes swept indifferently over the assembled ministers.
Not a single word was spoken.
Yet her silence alone was enough to convey her stance.
Her icy demeanor left the ministers trembling in fear.
The voices of opposition gradually quieted down.
The ministers were no fools—they knew that in Xue Qinghe's bid to become crown prince, he had schemed against nearly all his brothers.
Now, even the late emperor's only surviving brother, Prince Xue Xing, had gone missing.
For all they knew, he might already be dead.
Faced with such a crown prince, the ministers dared not openly voice their dissent.
Before long, the imperial study fell back into a deathly silence.
They glanced at each other, each hoping another bold hero would step forward to admonish the crown prince.
Alas, no such thing happened.
Watching this scene unfold, Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang, seated beside Ye Tian, grew restless.
Making Ye Tian the Imperial Preceptor? How old was he?
This was sheer nonsense!
He shot a glance at Ye Tian before stepping forward and bowing.
"Your Highness, forgive my bluntness, but Ye Tian is not fit to serve as Imperial Preceptor."
In Grandmaster's heart, a position as lofty and powerful as Imperial Preceptor should have been his.
What qualifications did this brat Ye Tian have?
How much knowledge could he possibly possess?
Forget everything else—could he even make sense of the ledgers of the national treasury?
His words instantly lit up the eyes of the surrounding ministers.
They all cast approving glances his way.
Grandmaster was someone they could count on—when there was trouble, he truly dared to speak up.
Of course, their support stopped at mere approval.
None were foolish enough to openly back him.
Hearing Grandmaster's words, Qian Renxue's brows furrowed slightly.
She had appointed him as the special envoy to the Star Luo Empire merely to capitalize on his reputation.
Did he really think he was someone important?
How dare he criticize her appointments?
Standing before the desk, Grandmaster failed to notice Xue Qinghe's expression.
He spoke with righteous conviction: "Your Highness, if you merely wish to repay Ye Tian for saving your life, you could reward him with wealth."
"But you must not treat a matter concerning the lives of tens of millions of Heaven Dou's citizens as a favor!"
"To appoint a mere teenager as Imperial Preceptor—a position of such immense power—would strip the empire of all dignity!"
"How could the ministers continue to serve in court with any pride? Wouldn't this be degrading themselves?"
"I implore Your Highness to reconsider! If Ye Tian becomes Imperial Preceptor, I will resign from the position you have just appointed me to!"
Grandmaster bowed once more.
He had to stop Xue Qinghe's recklessness.
State affairs were no child's play.
Now that he was about to become an official of the Heaven Dou Empire, he could not tolerate someone as utterly unqualified as Ye Tian holding such a critical position!
Grandmaster was utterly confident in his speech.
As long as Crown Prince Xue Qinghe had even a shred of governing talent, he would reconsider Ye Tian's appointment.
Sure enough, Qian Renxue lowered her head in contemplation before slowly lifting her gaze to meet Grandmaster's.
"Since you hold no attachment to our Heaven Dou Empire, then... resign, by all means."
Qian Renxue waved her hand dismissively, not even bothering with a perfunctory attempt to retain him.
"Th-thank..." Grandmaster's bow froze mid-motion.
He had been prepared to receive praise from the crown prince.
Never had he imagined that His Highness would strip him of his position outright!
He had spent years networking among Heaven Dou City's nobility to secure an official post—it had nearly cost him his heart and soul.
Yet before he could even lay hands on his letter of appointment, he was reduced back to a commoner.
This was more than Grandmaster could bear.
His chest heaved violently, his eyes bloodshot as he pointed at Qian Renxue and roared, "A tyrant! A tyrant!"
He lifted his head to the heavens and lamented:
"The fate of the Heaven Dou Empire is doomed!"
"How dare you, Yu Xiaogang! To show such disrespect to His Highness! Guards, drag him out and give him fifty strokes of the rod!"
The scruffy-bearded captain of the palace guard sprang to his feet, glaring imperiously at Grandmaster:
"Scum like you dare to criticize His Highness?"
The captain had been searching for a way to demonstrate his loyalty to the new ruler.
Who would have thought Yu Xiaogang would deliver himself to his doorstep?
Truly, fortune favors the bold.
"Hahahaha, after all my loyalty to the Heaven Dou Empire, in the end, I'm not even worth the status of a mere boy!" Grandmaster laughed maniacally.
He knew his political career in the Heaven Dou Empire was over.
There would be no great achievements for him hereafter.
Rather than beg for mercy, it was better to maintain his dignity.
At least this way, he could preserve his reputation.
"The rod won't be necessary."
Qian Renxue lightly raised her hand, stopping the guards at the door.
Her beautiful eyes fixed on Grandmaster:
"Grandmaster's loyalty is rare, though his perspective remains somewhat shallow."
"Perhaps this is a matter of expertise."
Qian Renxue left Grandmaster with ample face.
Then she added, "If Grandmaster wishes to continue serving the Heaven Dou Empire, you may return at any time. Heaven Dou's doors will always remain open to you."
"No need!"
Yu Xiaogang lifted his chin, clasped his hands behind his back, and strode out of the imperial study without a backward glance.
As a renowned Grandmaster of theory, he had his own pride.
Otherwise, the world would only remember him as Yu Xiaogang, the trash of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family—not the Grandmaster revered throughout the spirit master world.
Watching Yu Xiaogang's retreating figure, Qian Renxue shook her head slightly.
A pity. Had she been able to wield Yu Xiaogang as a pawn, he would have been quite useful.
Then,
Qian Renxue withdrew her gaze and fixed her beautiful eyes on Ye Tian:
"From today onward, you are the Imperial Preceptor of the empire—second only to one, above ten thousand."
"Your strategies will shape the empire from top to bottom."
"Your ideas will be carried out by millions, striving forward."
Seeing Qian Renxue's solemn and earnest expression,
Ye Tian chuckled lightly.
On his end, he hadn't prepared for any of this.
Yet Qian Renxue had already laid the groundwork for him.
"Your Highness, why are you so certain I'll agree to become Heaven Dou's Imperial Preceptor?"
Ye Tian was curious—what was Qian Renxue thinking?
How could she arrange such a position for him without even consulting him?
If he refused, wouldn't that undermine her authority for nothing?
"Ye Tian, don't pretend to refuse a favor while secretly accepting it."
A nearby minister couldn't help rolling his eyes.
"Do you have any idea how significant the Imperial Preceptor's role is?"
"It's no exaggeration to say they wield immense power!"
"His Highness entrusting such a position to you shows her faith in your ability to govern our Heaven Dou Empire."
"Surely you don't wish to disappoint Her Highness?"
Hearing this, Ye Tian lowered his head with a smile before meeting Qian Renxue's gaze brightly.
Qian Renxue did not flinch from his stare.
Their eyes locked, neither yielding.
Then, Qian Renxue waved her hand. "Ministers, you may all leave. I wish to speak with Ye Tian alone."
"Your subjects take their leave."
The ministers were tactful, filing out of the imperial study one after another.
"Well? Care to explain?"
With no one else present, Ye Tian relaxed considerably.
He pulled up a chair and sat across the desk, staring straight at Qian Renxue.
Though the ministers had left, Qian Renxue's expression remained composed.
Or perhaps she was masking her sorrow.
The events of the past few days had left her struggling to breathe.
Every decision she made had been under immense pressure.
Her choices weighed heavily on her conscience.
She leaned back in her chair, her eyes fixed on the study's domed ceiling as she spoke slowly:
"For the first time in so many years, I feel exhausted."
"It turns out there's no such thing as mere pretense in this world—pretend for long enough, and you become the person you're pretending to be."
After a pause, her gaze shifted to Ye Tian. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and said:
"Truthfully, it was I who killed Emperor Xue Ye and Xue Beng."
Having spoken these words, Qian Renxue seemed to shed a great burden.
After enduring such torment, she had finally found someone to share her secret with.
"I know."
Ye Tian showed no surprise at this revelation.
Silence fell between them once more.
Qian Renxue cradled her head in her hands, staring at the floor.
Ye Tian, meanwhile, tilted his head back to study the marble dome above.
In the end, it was Qian Renxue who broke the silence.
"Though I know this may be asking too much of you,"
"I still beg you to stay by my side, even if only for a while."
Qian Renxue lifted her golden pupils, her expression unfocused.
Her hands clutched at her slightly disheveled hair as she mocked herself:
"In over a decade, I've never been moved by any man—except for you."
"Can you understand the agony of longing for someone you cannot have?"
She tilted her head, gazing sidelong at Ye Tian.
Hearing this, Ye Tian opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing.
This was a question he could not answer.
Qian Renxue suddenly laughed, as if she had anticipated Ye Tian's reaction all along.
Perhaps she didn't need an answer.
Perhaps she simply wanted to confide her anguish to Ye Tian.
The room lapsed into an eerie silence once more.
Ye Tian lowered his head in thought. Now was likely the time when Qian Renxue needed help the most.
Or perhaps what she needed wasn't help—just someone she trusted to stand beside her as she faced the coming storm.
Across from him, Qian Renxue took deep, steadying breaths.
She regretted confessing her true feelings to Ye Tian.
Some words, once spoken, could ruin even a friendship.
She also felt a pang of guilt—Hu Liena was, in a way, her half-sister.
Poaching her sister's love interest was somewhat despicable.
Qian Renxue forced herself to calm down.
Then, she rose slowly from her seat. "I won't rush you for an answer. Stay here and think it over. I must go to the Hall of Governance for the coronation ceremony before the late emperor's spirit."
"Can't I think while accompanying you?"
Ye Tian smiled as he stood.
At this, Qian Renxue's heart trembled. Tentatively, she asked, "Then, Imperial Preceptor Ye, will you accompany this crown prince?"
"At your command, Your Highness."
...
Within the inner reaches of the Clear Sky Sect, a squad of disciples clad in the sect's uniform patrolled the grounds.
Among them, a chubby youth glanced at the cliff beneath his feet.
A carefree grin spread across his face.
"The fog is especially thick today. Looks like our patrol will be easier."
His name was Tang Li,
an inner disciple of the Clear Sky Sect and a four-ringed Spirit Ancestor.
His words drew a laugh from a lanky youth beside him:
"What's that supposed to mean? As if our patrols have ever been hard before."
"The Spirit Hall's army of fifty thousand has had us surrounded for a month, and they haven't made a single move."
"Even on days with light fog, the Spirit Hall couldn't breach the sea of clouds."
"Today's no different."
His words filled the patrolling disciples with pride.
They began boasting enthusiastically.
"Our Clear Sky Sect may have withdrawn from the world, but our strength remains. The title of 'Number One Sect Under Heaven' isn't for nothing!"
"Mark my words—the Spirit Hall is like a grasshopper in autumn, they won't last long."
"No kidding! My uncle told me just the other day that our sect master has secretly been reaching out to other spirit master sects."
"Haha! Soon, our Clear Sky Sect will reclaim its honor and once again become the greatest sect on the continent!"
Tang Li cut off their fantasies: "Enough. Don't waste time on pipe dreams."
"Our mission today is to inspect every chain along the cliff."
"Though the fog is thick, we mustn't slack off."
"Oho, Little Li's starting to sound like an elder! You'll definitely become a legendary elder of our Clear Sky Sect one day!" a young man teased.
"Shut it!" Tang Li shot him a glare. "Save your breath for the patrol so we can finish early and focus on training."
"Hey—look! There's light in the fog below!!"
Just then,
a disciple at the front suddenly shouted.
"Light?"
The others exchanged glances.
A skinny youth chuckled. "Probably just stars reflecting off the clouds."
"Nonsense! It's clearly a beautiful ghost coming to claim our lives! Haha!"
Clearly, they took the front disciple's words as a joke.
Tang Li also grumbled impatiently: "Don't spread false alarms. We're under siege by the Spirit Hall—no need to scare us half to death."
But the front disciple grew frantic:
"I'm not joking! There really is light below the cliff!!"
"This could be a sign of an enemy ambush!!!"
"Yeah, yeah, sure! We believe you!"
The others laughed even harder.
Having lived at the Clear Sky Sect for over twenty years,
they all knew there was only one way in— the iron chains.
Climbing up from the base of the cliff was pure fantasy!
The shortest peak of the Clear Sky Sect stood ten thousand zhang high!
Even a Spirit Douluo would struggle to scale it,
let alone ordinary soldiers.
Whoosh!
An arrow imbued with formidable spirit power shot through the air.
Its speed was so great that it emitted a piercing shriek.
The sound sent a shiver down the spines of Tang Li and the other Clear Sky disciples.
Their laughter died instantly.
As one, their eyes turned toward the fog-shrouded abyss.
Whoosh!
Another arrow.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Then came a storm of them.
One unfortunate disciple took an arrow straight through the heart, dying instantly as he toppled over the cliff.
Panic erupted.
They spun around, shouting:
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack! The Spirit Hall has launched their assault!!!"
(End of Chapter)