?****


    "Are you still upset about what happened back here?"


    Three hours had psed since Yu Fei''s usation against Qin Ye. The pce had resumed its quiet ambiance. However, Xu Shan seemed visibly irritated, tugging on his fingers as thoughmenting over something.


    Despite the food being ced on the table in front of him, he hadn''t taken a single bite.


    "I made a big mistake this time... I underestimated him. I might''ve created an even bigger mess for me." Xu Shan''s frustrated voice echoed in the dining hall where he sat alone with Xinren.


    "I never expected my father and Celestial Pce Master to be so useless. Even after I presented everything to them on a silver tter, but to still receive this oue... They are so useless!"


    Hours had passed since everyone departed, but Xu Shan was still in a state of unrest. Despite his meticulous nning, there was an unforeseen factor that disrupted his arrangements.


    Even in his wildest assumptions, he hadn''t expected that Qin Ye would be able to escape from right under the nose of the Celestial Pce Master and his father.


    Qin Ye quickly became aware of the situation as soon as Yu Fei leveled usations against him. He had sensed that this was a trap and he found himself in a precarious position. Staying any longer in the Eternal Dynasty would only increase the level of danger he faced.


    His disappearance was as enigmatic as the rare escape treasure he possessed. Despite being constantly under scrutiny in the Eternal Dynasty, he managed to slip away from anyone''s notice.


    It was unclear how he did it, but everyone was sure that he had returned to the Qin Dynasty somehow.


    Later on, the Celestial Pce Master acknowledged his mistake and took responsibility for it. Despite his prominent status, he humbly apologized to Xu Shan and even bestowed upon him a valuable treasure as a gesture of reconciliation before departing.


    Xu Shan didn''t care about the treasure. He had thought that Qin Ye was going to die for sure. Not many people could escape from two Overlords after all. Unfortunately, in the end, it didn''t happen as he had expected.


    "Even if you couldn''t kill Qin Ye, at least the Celestial Pce isn''t a threat to you anymore. Isn''t that good in itself for the time being? That was your biggest concern, after all."


    Unlike Xu Shan, Xinren wasn''t so pessimistic. In her eyes, even though things didn''t progress as nned, the oue was still favorable.


    "Your thoughts are too simplistic. Not only did the Celestial Pce trouble not get resolved, but it became even worse now. I feel a headacheing!"


    Xu Shan ced his head on the table in frustration. He couldn''t believe how useless the two leaders were. All his carefully-constructed ns were now in shambles, and his problems had escted to a new level.


    "What do you mean?"


    After deceiving the Celestial Pce Master and tampering with Yu Fei''s memories, one could assume that Xu Shan was no longer considered an enemy. However, Xu Shan''s recent statement regarding the increased danger of the Celestial Pce raised Xinren''s confusion.


    "Are you worried that her memories might return?" She asked after a brief moment of silence. "If that''s your concern, then you should stop worrying. That''s something achieved through the Book of Desires. It''s impossible for her to recover her memories."


    "That''s not my concern." Xu Shan lifted his head and let out a deep sigh, feeling exhausted. Eventually, he got up from his seat and pushed the chair back. He didn''t feel like eating at all.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Then what''s troubling you?" asked Xinren, as she trailed after Xu Shan, who had left the dining hall.


    "Are you forgetting her Celestial Spirit that can talk to her?" Amidst the sound of his footsteps in the long empty hallways, Xu Shan spoke.


    "Wait... That...?" Xinren''s face revealed a look of realization. It was something she hadpletely forgotten about.


    A Celestial Spirit was a distinct, individual consciousness that existed within a person. While connected to their host, it also possessed a sense of autonomy.


    "Just because I manipted her memories, it doesn''t mean her Celestial Spirit doesn''t know everything that happened here. Her Celestial Spirit knows the truth! And it''s only a matter of time before she tells Yu Fei the moment it wakes up."


    Even though Yu Fei''s father had broken the restriction on her strength, her Celestial Spirit remained affected by the drugs and was forced to sleep for a month. Throughout that time, Yu Fei was able to utilize her own strength, but was unable tomunicate with or awaken her Celestial Spirit.


    Since Xu Shan knew about that, it was also why he had nned such a thing.


    His initial n was to have the Celestial Pce Master kill Qin Ye! After that, the Qin Dynasty would''ve waged a war on the Celestial Pce for revenge! It was the perfect opportunity for the two forces to be pushed to the brink of war and carnage!


    Moreover, in that case, even if after a month Yu Fei had been informed about the truth by her Celestial Spirit, it wouldn''t have mattered! It wasn''t as if after a month-long war, the Celestial Pce Master could just suddenly stop it by saying he was manipted.


    Moreover, if he tried to turn his swords toward the Eternal Dynasty, the Eternal Dynasty could''ve joined the Qin Dynasty to finish the job.


    This way, all his problems would''ve been solved in one fell stroke. At the same time, the Qin Dynasty would''ve been forced to be their allies in the end after suffering through the longsting battle against the Celestial Pce.


    In fact, Xu Shan had also nned to help his father take over the Qin Dynasty when it was at its weakest.


    Regrettably, despite his best endeavors, his hard work didn''t materialize as the Celestial Pce Master proved to be unhelpful. To add to his predicament, Yu Fei was now a potential threat to him, akin to a ticking time bomb.


    "Urgh, did I really make a mistake by trusting them to be useful? That old man is so useless, it wouldn''t be surprising if the Celestial Pce is destroyed under his rule!"


    Ever since he was reborn into this new world, he had rarely felt this angry! He had everyone right where he wanted and still everything was screwed up!


    Now Qin Ye knew how dangerous Xu Shan was. It was clear that he was never going to make the same mistake in the future.


    Xu Shan understood that it was going to be even harder to deal with Qin Ye now!


    "One month... What can I do in one month?" Xu Shan appeared preupied and somewhat unsettled as if he was lost in thought. He realized that several factors were beyond his control now, causing him to feel uneasy. Despite this difort, he knew he couldn''t let the situation persist unresolved.


    "I guess the only option is for me to enter the tiger''s den! I need to enter the Celestial Pce and destroy it from within before they find out the truth! Or at least I must make sure the war happens as soon as possible!"


    Xu Shan''s frustration reached its peak, and a sudden thud echoed through the hallway as he hit the wall with all his might, leaving a small but noticeable mark on the stone surface.