"I..."
Gu Han's voice was slightly unsteady. She forcefully suppressed the strange feeling surging in her heart, withdrew her arm, and took a half-step back to create some distance.
"Thank you for your kindness, Fellow Daoist Qingxuan, but This Gu indeed has matters to attend to today."
She tried her best to make her voice sound calm, yet she didn't dare look directly into Qingxuan's smiling eyes. Instead, she turned to Ling Shuang:
"Fellow Daoist Ling Shuang, if you find staying in the Immortal Palace uncomfortable, or if there are matters in the Northern Territory that require your attention, you may leave at any time."
On the surface, these words were directed at Ling Shuang, but in reality, they were also a hint to Qingxuan.
Empress Qingxuan took in the sight of Gu Han's reddened earlobes and evasive gaze, the smile in her eyes deepening.
She knew the principle of knowing when to stop.
"Since my sister has business to attend to, then this elder sister won't disturb you."
She gracefully smoothed her dress, her tone becoming even gentler.
After saying this, she gave Gu Han a charming smile, then glanced at the still grim-faced Empress Ling Shuang before turning to leave the courtyard.
Once Qingxuan was far away, the atmosphere in the courtyard remained tense.
Empress Ling Shuang stood where she was, her eyes fixed on Gu Han with a complex and inscrutable gaze.
There was anger, resentment, and even a trace of grievance that she herself hadn't noticed.
"Does Fellow Daoist Gu truly feel that my presence here is a disturbance?"
Her voice was colder than usual, yet it carried a faint, imperceptible trace of bitterness.
Gu Han sighed softly in her heart.
This Empress of the Northern Region had a straightforward personality; she had likely taken Qingxuan's words to heart.
"Fellow Daoist Ling Shuang, you are overthinking things."
Gu Han softened her tone.
"If you wish to discuss the Dao and exchange ideas in the Immortal Palace, This Gu welcomes you. It's just..."
She paused, then raised her eyes to look directly at Ling Shuang:
"This Gu prefers peace and quiet and dislikes conflict. I hope there can be more restraint between you two."
These words were spoken tactfully, but the meaning was clear!
If you two want to fight, don't do it here with me.
Empress Ling Shuang fell silent.
She looked at Gu Han's cool features, remembering the earnestness and purity in her eyes when they had discussed the Dao that day, and compared it to Qingxuan's hypocritical and affected manner... "I understand."
After a long while, she spoke slowly, the chill around her dissipating slightly.
"As long as she doesn't take the initiative to provoke me, I will not cause trouble."
Having said that, she didn't wait for Gu Han's response and turned to walk towards her own room.
Gu Han watched her back and gently rubbed her brow.
These two, one flirting blatantly and the other taking things so seriously without concealment... when would this ever end?
She turned to leave the East Courtyard, but inadvertently caught a glimpse of a flash of blue at the corner of the distant corridor.
That hair color... was it Linger's?
Gu Han's footsteps paused slightly as a trace of doubt flashed through her mind.
Why would Linger be here?
Was she just passing by, or... Thinking of Ye Ling'er's intense reaction outside the Main Hall yesterday, Gu Han felt a faint sense of unease.
That girl is deep-thinking; I hope she hasn't gone down another rabbit hole.
She was wondering whether to go and ask Ye Ling'er when a Disciple hurried over and bowed respectfully:
"Palace Master, the Vice Palace Master requests your presence. He says there's a slight problem with the Myriad Phenomena Pagoda and needs you to take a look."
Gu Han had no choice but to temporarily suppress her thoughts.
"I understand, I'll head over now."
Never mind, the Myriad Phenomena Pagoda concerns the Disciples' Cultivation; it cannot be delayed.
As for Linger, I'll find an opportunity to talk to her later.
Gu Han turned and headed towards the Myriad Phenomena Pagoda.
After Gu Han left, in the shadows of the corridor's corner, Ye Ling'er leaned against the cold wall and bit her lower lip hard.
She had seen everything just now.
She saw Empress Qingxuan intimately linking arms with her Master, pressing against her Master's body.
She saw her Master's reddened earlobes and evasive gaze.
She saw the unusual persistence in Empress Ling Shuang's eyes when she confronted her Master.
And her Master's final soft sigh and the helpless gesture of rubbing her brow... every detail was like a fine needle piercing her heart.
Master didn't push her away.
Master didn't seem to reject Empress Qingxuan's closeness.
Empress Qingxuan's mature and voluptuous figure, her lethally seductive air of laziness, was like a richly colored painting.
And what about herself?
Ye Ling'er lowered her head and instinctively reached out to pinch herself!
The sensation from her touch made her clearly realize her shortcomings.
Although it was also soft, it was still far behind Empress Qingxuan's mature, full curves that seemed almost ready to overflow from her collar.
A trace of bitterness spread through her heart.
Does Master... prefer someone more mature?
Is that why she isn't so repelled by Empress Qingxuan's closeness?
With how I am... what right do I have to compete?
She thought of Empress Qingxuan's manifold charms in every gesture, and her lazy, alluring tone when she spoke.
She thought of the undisguised possessiveness and aggression in her eyes when she looked at Master.
That was the ultimate charm of a mature woman, settled over long years.
And what about herself?
Just a girl of sixteen or seventeen, with nothing but a decent talent for Cultivation and a still youthful appearance.
She didn't understand charm, didn't know how to speak, and even when approaching Master, she could only carefully maintain the duty of a Disciple.
The sink-or-swim courage that had surged last night now seemed so pale and laughable in the face of this cruel comparison.
She wasn't resigned!
Since she couldn't match that mature charm... then she would use something else to make up for it!
Doesn't Master like strong, focused Disciples?
Then she would become even stronger! Stronger than anyone else!
She would make Master's gaze rest only on her!
Not because of her looks or figure, but because of her strength, her hard work, and her irreplaceable value!
Yes, that's it!
She would prove to Master that she, Ye Ling'er, was the one most qualified to stand by her side!
What Empress Qingxuan, what Empress Ling Shuang—they were just predecessors relying on their age and status!
She, Ye Ling'er, had the Supreme Yin Divine Body, the Supreme Yin Manual, and even more unimaginable potential!
Isn't it just being an Empress?
She, Ye Ling'er, would one day become an Empress too.
Time will prove everything!
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