Wayfarer

Chapter 807: The Shangqing Hierarch

Soon, a group of cultivators dressed in blue robes entered the hall, led by a strikingly handsome middle-aged man, who exuded an aura of authority from the forefront.

"Immortal Emperor of Daliang, why have you summoned me in such a hurry?" he asked.

"Shangqing Hierarch, I apologize for the inconvenience. I invited you in haste because I would be hosting a holy maiden of Shangqing today. Since the two of you are acquainted, I thought it would be nice for you to meet." The Immortal Emperor of Daliang smiled.

"Oh?" The Shangqing hierarch glanced over curiously to see Lan Yaoguang rise gracefully and bow. "I greet the hierarch."

"Yaoguang?" the Shangqing hierarch exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

At that moment, Xiao Nanfeng stood up and smiled. "I am Xiao Nanfeng, Eastern Aspect of the Imperial Court. I greet the Shangqing hierarch, and I thank you for taking care of Yaoguang all these years."

Xiao Nanfeng had heard from Lan Yaoguang that the Shangqing hierarch had been rather protective of her. When she was acknowledged by the Cursebane Sword, many elders in the sect were reluctant to pass the treasure to her. It was the sect master who opposed them and supported Lan Yaoguang. His assistance was instrumental in securing her position as a holy maiden and helping her resolve many of the problems that would have come her way.

The Shangqing hierarch turned to Xiao Nanfeng in surprise. "Xiao Nanfeng? I've heard of you—but not that you've become the Eastern Aspect."

"The Heavenly Emperor granted me the position," Xiao Nanfeng replied.

The Shangqing hierarch's expression shifted. He glanced at Lan Yaoguang thoughtfully, then Xiao Nanfeng. He seemed to sense something, though he quickly schooled his expression.

"I see. Eastern Aspect Xiao, how did you come to be with Yaoguang?" the Shangqing hierarch continued.

"Don't you know, Hierarch?" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed.

One of the Shangqing hierarch's subordinates immediately spoke up. "Hierarch, I didn't have a chance to inform you of the news in advance—you were summoned by the Immortal Emperor of Daliang right after a bout of fighting in the Enlightenment Grounds."

"Oh?"

"My avatar remains within the holy land, and I witnessed the altercation that took place. The Immortal Emperor of Dahan attempted to seek out Holy Maiden Yaoguang's hand in marriage, but she refused. A group of elders in the holy land, who accepted his bribes, secretly brought him into the Shangqing holy land, whereupon he abducted her. Among the culprits was Holy Maiden Yaoguang's uncle, Qu Jianfeng."

The Shangqing hierarch's eyes widened in anger. "Those scoundrels—they dared to collude with an outsider against a holy maiden? Do they have a death wish?!"

The Shangqing hierarch looked genuinely furious. He seemed prepared to cripple all the elders who had been responsible for the affair.

"Except for Qu Jianfeng, all the elders have been killed by Eastern Aspect Xiao. He arrived at the scene just in time, and then..." The Shangqing hierarch's subordinate recounted what had happened between Xiao Nanfeng and the Immortal Emperor of Dahan.

After hearing the entire story, the Shangqing hierarch narrowed his eyes. He looked at Xiao Nanfeng incredulously.

"You managed to capture the Immortal Emperor of Dahan? Quite a feat, Eastern Aspect Xiao."

"I was merely lucky," Xiao Nanfeng replied, not wanting to dwell on the matter.

Just then, the Immortal Emperor of Daliang interjected, "To think Eastern Aspect Xiao was so skilled! I truly envy Lady Yaoguang."

"Are you interested in this matter, Immortal Emperor?" Xiao Nanfeng smiled.

"Of course. Eastern Aspect Xiao, your bold actions in defense of your beloved are admirable indeed—though I confess it does make me uneasy. As a fellow Immortal Emperor, should I be worried that you'll arrest me too, Eastern Aspect Xiao?" the Immortal Emperor of Daliang joked.

"You've shown me nothing but sincerity, Immortal Emperor. I would hardly disrespect you."

"Indeed, indeed. Eastern Aspect Xiao, I feel great kinship with you. Allow me to offer you another toast—and to the Shangqing hierarch as well, in congratulations of the bond between the Shangqing holy land and Eastern Aspect Xiao." The Immortal Emperor of Daliang raised his cup.

By then, the Shangqing hierarch had been seated by an attendant.

Upon hearing the Immortal Emperor's words, his eyebrows twitched slightly. Nevertheless, he raised his cup and accepted the toast gratefully. For some reason, however, Xiao Nanfeng sensed a trace of enmity in his gaze.

"Yaoguang, what brings you to the green knoll hidden realm?" the Shangqing hierarch asked.

Before Lan Yaoguang could respond, Xiao Nanfeng interjected, "I brought her here, Hierarch. We heard that the Enlightenment Grounds here would be of particular value for her cultivation. To our surprise, the effect was even better than expected."

Xiao Nanfeng's response was deliberately intended to evoke a reaction from the Shangqing hierarch.

As expected, the Shangqing hierarch's eyes narrowed briefly before he smiled. "It looks like you've discovered some of the secrets of these Enlightenment Grounds already, then. I was planning to bring Yaoguang here myself in due time—but it seems you've beaten me to it. Even better."

Xiao Nanfeng could tell that the Shangqing Hierarch was aware of the interaction between the Cursebane Sword and the blue-furred monsters, but had deliberately withheld the information from Lan Yaoguang for some reason. Something was clearly going on.

The Immortal Emperor of Daliang smiled. "Hierarch, you must not be aware of this—Eastern Aspect Xiao and Lady Yaoguang have already taken down many small-scale Enlightenment Grounds. They make quite the couple. They're truly a match made in heaven!"

The Shangqing hierarch grimaced slightly, clearly annoyed. Even so, he kept his anger under control, and his expression quickly turned neutral.

Upon seeing this, Xiao Nanfeng couldn't help but sense that both the Immortal Emperor of Daliang and the Shangqing hierarch both had ulterior motives in mind.

"Yaoguang, is what the Immortal Emperor of Daliang said true?" asked the Shangqing hierarch, smiling. It was quite obvious that his smile was forced.

Lan Yaoguang moved to Xiao Nanfeng's side and sat on the praying mat beside him. She took his hand and smiled. "Indeed, Hierarch. Xiao Nanfeng is the only husband I shall take in this life."

Xiao Nanfeng intertwined his fingers with hers. He smiled. "What better wife could I ask for?"

The Shangqing hierarch's face was slowly turning red, but he forced his anger down once again. He frowned. "Eastern Aspect Xiao, I've heard that you're engaged to the princess of the Imperial Court, Zhang Lingjun. Yaoguang, were you aware of this?"

Lan Yaoguang nodded. 'Indeed, Hierarch. You have a few wives of your own, don't you? Isn't it rather inappropriate for you to try to sow discord between Nanfeng and me in front of everyone?"

The Shangqing hierarch gaped. He was speechless; he didn't know how to respond to such blunt criticism.

The Immortal Emperor of Daliang laughed before the silence could grow more awkward. "I hope you'll invite me to the wedding, Eastern Aspect Xiao, Lady Yaoguang."

"Of course," Xiao Nanfeng replied.

Lan Yaoguang blushed. She held Xiao Nanfeng's hand more tightly.

Meanwhile, the Shangqing hierarch's eyes twitched. He raised his cup of wine and downed it all in one gulp.

"Regarding my request to handle the Enlightenment Grounds, shall we discuss a potential collaboration?" the Immortal Emperor of Daliang continued.

The Shangqing hierarch interjected before Xiao Nanfeng could respond, "There's no need to complicate things. Eastern Aspect Xiao and Yaoguang should join our group. We can take care of each other."

"Oh? Would you like to team up?" The Immortal Emperor of Daliang's eyes lit up.

Xiao Nanfeng, however, shook his head. "Thank you for the offer, Hierarch, but Yaoguang and I are comfortable taking on these Enlightenment Grounds on our own."

The Shangqing hierarch's expression darkened. "Eastern Aspect Xiao, you might not be aware of this, but the Enlightenment Grounds here by the capital are particularly dangerous—they're at least ten-pearl territories. The masters of these Enlightenment Grounds are at least at the level of Boundless Immortals."

"Thank you for the warning, Hierarch," Xiao Nanfeng replied firmly, "but we prefer to act on our own."

The Shangqing hierarch clearly wanted to say more, but he gritted his teeth and shut his mouth upon seeing Xiao Nanfeng's expression.

Xiao Nanfeng then turned to the Immortal Emperor of Daliang. "Immortal Emperor, would you pass me what information you have on the Enlightenment Grounds nearby?"

"Of course. I'm counting on your help, Eastern Aspect Xiao." She instructed her subordinates, "Bring Eastern Aspect Xiao all the data we have on the Enlightenment Grounds around the capital."

An official quickly arrived and handed Xiao Nanfeng a jade slip, who inspected it briefly. "Thank you, Immortal Emperor."

"It is I who should thank you both for your help," the Immortal Emperor replied graciously.

The Shangqing hierarch's eyes continued to flash with emotion, though he remained silent.

The banquet continued, but the atmosphere was clearly tense. Afterwards, the Immortal Emperor of Daliang showed her guests to their respective guest quarters.

Xiao Nanfeng and Lan Yaoguang were escorted to a floating island, while the Shangqing hierarch was given separate accommodations. The three groups parted ways.

Once everyone departed, the Immortal Emperor of Daliang conjured a cloud of fog around herself. Her smile vanished, replaced by a cold, calculating expression.

Just then, a man shrouded in fog appeared beside her, wrapping his arm around her waist. She leaned into his embrace.

"Do you think the Shangqing hierarch will go after Xiao Nanfeng, Husband?" the Immortal Emperor of Daliang asked softly.

"Of course. I know exactly what the Shangqing hierarch is thinking about. He's long since considered Lan Yaoguang a personal possession of his. The only reason he hasn't made a move is because she wields the Cursebane Sword."

"The Shangqing hierarch desires Lan Yaoguang?" the Immortal Emperor of Daliang asked.

"It's not a matter of desire—he simply wants to possess her for himself. The Cursebane Sword is one of the four great swords of Shangqing, and Lan Yaoguang's command over it is particularly valuable to the Shangqing hierarch. That's why he's kept such a close watch over her—but he never expected her to fall in love with Xiao Nanfeng. Otherwise, he would have sent someone to assassinate him long ago."

"Oh?"

"The Shangqing hierarch had been pondering the idea of doing so back when Lan Yaoguang's mother was the wielder of the Cursebane Sword, but when she unexpectedly married Lan Jiguang, his plans fell through. Now that Lan Yaoguang has inherited the sword, his sights are set on her."

"You're very well informed about the Shangqing holy land."

"When I sought to dominate the region, I made sure to learn about the surrounding powers. It's a pity that our son doesn't know anything about such intricacies," the man replied, sighing.

"Didn't you give Bing'er any commands before you left?"

"Of course I did. I specifically told him not to provoke anyone from the Shangqing holy land. He agreed—but went after Lan Yaoguang anyway. He's simply too enamored with women. That's how he ended up in such a mess."

"Now that Bing'er's in Xiao Nanfeng's hands, what should we do?"

"Don't worry. The sea of fortune around Dahan hasn't crumbled, which means that Bing'er's still alive. We'll bide our time and weaken Xiao Nanfeng's forces, then capture either his avatar or Lan Yaoguang's body to use as leverage for an exchange," the man said coldly.

"Very well," the Immortal Emperor of Daliang replied, nodding.