There’s no such thing as a wall that doesn’t let some wind through.


    Oftentimes, even without concrete or glaring evidence, a bit of careful reasoning can reveal a lot. Whether it’s Zuo Tianzheng or a faction like the Heavenly Mother Sect, both have clear motives to move against Han.


    For Zuo Tianzheng, it’s about seeking some treasure hidden in Black Mountain that could benefit him—Han himself is the obstacle standing in his way. As for the Heavenly Mother Sect, their grudge with Han runs deep, an old feud that’s even escalated to him offending one of their revered Heavenly Maidens. Within the sect, a Heavenly Maiden holds a lofty status, far surpassing the so-called "Taoist Seeds" or "Immortal Seeds" of other factions. Even with modest cultivation, they command the loyalty of countless followers.


    “This guy was there when we captured Liu Chen, watching it all unfold. That means he knew exactly where we were,” Lu Qingmo said thoughtfully. “It’s unlikely he was waiting for us in advance, but he must’ve been tailing us closely the whole time.”


    She continued, “I’ll look into it when I get back—whether that demon attack on the village yesterday actually happened.”


    If it turns out to be a fabrication, then the Black Cloud Guards were deliberately drawn away, all to set the stage for Bai Ruoyue to step in today.


    Han mulled it over and shook his head. “Whoever’s behind this wouldn’t dare pull off something so bold without covering all their bases. A slip-up like that? Unlikely.”


    Mid-conversation, the three of them flew into Black Cloud Town.


    “You two head back first,” Lu Qingmo instructed, dropping them off at the martial hall before taking to the skies again. But her trajectory wasn’t toward Peach Grove—it was the Governor’s Mansion.


    “Zuo Tianzheng, show yourself!”


    Her sharp shout echoed through the mansion as she ignored the guards at the gate, soaring straight in from above. Her presence was overwhelming, her momentum fierce and unrelenting.


    She’d come straight for Zuo Tianzheng, the Emperor’s own envoy, and was now bearing down on him with unbridled authority!


    Han was stunned. The onlookers who caught sight of this were equally floored.


    Chu Shi, the Manifest Saint cultivator at Zuo Tianzheng’s side, shot into the air to intercept her. “Lu Qingmo, what are you doing?!”


    His expression was grim, the pressure hitting him like a tempest.


    As Zuo Tianzheng’s bodyguard, Chu Shi wasn’t weak by any means. But to compare him to someone like Lu Qingmo—a former True Disciple of Xuandu Temple, a bona fide Taoist Seed—was laughable. The Emperor didn’t send such elite protectors on every outing. Besides, the emperors of the Three Kingdoms were all prodigies of unmatched talent and cultivation. A mere Manifest Saint wouldn’t qualify to guard them.


    Lu Qingmo fixed her gaze on Chu Shi. A massive Mysterious Palm Seal coalesced in the air, crashing down toward him with crushing force. Chu Shi’s face paled as he scrambled to defend himself, deploying a renowned Taoist art of the Qi Bai Clan. Seeing this, Lu Qingmo dispelled the seal—but even so, Chu Shi was left ashen and shaken.


    Zuo Tianzheng emerged alongside Li Shi, a Marrow-Cleansing cultivator, his face dark with displeasure. “Lu Qingmo, what’s the meaning of this?” he demanded, his voice low and accusing. “Barging into the Governor’s Mansion in broad daylight, intimidating us with your aura, and even attacking my guard—are you planning to take me down too?”


    Lu Qingmo didn’t even deign to respond. Her eyes flicked between Chu Shi and Li Shi for a moment. Both guards were here…


    “You know why I’m here,” she said flatly.


    “You’re acting so recklessly—how am I supposed to know?!” Zuo Tianzheng shot back.


    “Where are the demons that attacked the village yesterday?”


    “The Black Cloud Guards are handling it.”


    “Then send all the evidence—traces left by those demons, proof of their crimes—to the Ghost God Division,” Lu Qingmo said, locking eyes with him, her gaze icy. “You’d better bring those demons back. And yesterday’s attack better be real—not some story cooked up by certain people. If it’s the latter, Zuo Tianzheng, you know the consequences.”


    Shock and fury flashed across his face. “Lu Qingmo, are you threatening me?”


    “Take it however you like.”


    Fearless, she stood her ground.


    “Fine! Fine! Fine!” Zuo Tianzheng seethed, trembling with rage. “When I return to Jade Capital, I’ll report every detail of this to His Majesty! Xuandu Temple, with its thousand-year legacy, is a pillar of the nation, a righteous sect. The Grandmaster is revered by all, beloved by the people. Yet you act like this? Just wait for Xuandu Temple’s punishment!”


    His anger burned hot, and though his stance seemed unyielding, his words were carefully chosen. He didn’t dare tarnish Xuandu Temple’s name, instead framing Lu Qingmo’s actions as her own, distancing the temple from her behavior. Had a Heavenly Dragon Sect member stormed in like this, he’d have demanded if they were plotting rebellion. But with Lu Qingmo, he couldn’t—and wouldn’t—go that far.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    For any other sect or clan, if a disciple stirred trouble, he could escalate it to indict the whole group for lawlessness or poor discipline. But Xuandu Temple’s disciples? No matter what they did—even openly betraying the Qi Dynasty—it remained their personal affair, never implicating the temple as a whole. If he dared question Xuandu Temple’s intentions or suggest they disregarded the Emperor, the Qi Emperor would be the first to make him regret it.


    You could clash with Xuandu Temple’s disciples, fight them to the death even, but to the Qi court, the temple itself was infallible, eternally the revered state religion. Anyone who positioned Xuandu Temple against the dynasty was an enemy. Even princes and princesses couldn’t openly criticize it without facing the Emperor’s unrelenting wrath.


    Two centuries ago, a Qi prince—widely regarded as the most gifted of his generation, excelling in both soul and martial cultivation—was poised to become crown prince. Blessed with peerless talent, he was expected to elevate the dynasty to new heights. But he’d publicly criticized Xuandu Temple, making remarks with disastrous implications and even hinting at disdain for its leader. Before the temple could even respond, that generation’s Qi Emperor stripped him of his title, locked him away in the palace depths, and erased him from public view forever.


    Such was the warped yet unshakable dynamic between the two powers.


    The standoff in the Governor’s Mansion grew tense, with Zuo Tianzheng shielded behind his guards. “You’d better hope it wasn’t you,” Lu Qingmo said, turning to leave with one final warning. “Go ahead and report me if you want. I’ll face whatever punishment Xuandu Temple deems fit.”


    Once she was gone, Zuo Tianzheng’s face twisted into something dark and menacing, his fists clenched tight. “Lu Qingmo…” he growled through gritted teeth, as if he could crush her name itself.


    “We failed,” Chu Shi said, his expression sour. “Han and Bai Ruoyue came back with her to Black Cloud Town. Neither of them died.”


    “Is a Xuandu Temple disciple really that formidable?” Li Shi asked, baffled. “To cover that distance and still arrive in time to save them? What is she, a Yin God Venerable?”


    It was obviously just frustrated sarcasm—Lu Qingmo’s recent move had revealed her Manifest Saint aura clear as day.


    The one sent to ambush Han was Zuo Tianzheng’s third guard, lurking in the shadows. What exactly happened at the ambush site, the three of them didn’t know. They assumed Lu Qingmo had swooped in just in time to rescue Han and Bai Ruoyue. How else could two Visceral Realm fighters survive a Manifest Saint? If it wasn’t Lu Qingmo who saved them, Li Shi would’ve bet his own head—and kicked it around like a ball.


    But how she’d made it there so quickly from such a distance was a mystery none of them could unravel.


    “What now?” Li Shi asked.


    Zuo Tianzheng’s voice was ice-cold. “We don’t know what happened. It’s got nothing to do with us. When I get back to the capital, I’ll file a formal complaint against her.”


    He was livid, humiliated. He was the Emperor’s envoy, yet she’d treated him with such contempt, showing him no respect. Xuandu Temple disciples sure threw their weight around.


    Setting facts aside, even if he had sent someone to kill Han and Bai Ruoyue, didn’t they bear some responsibility too? Sure, he might’ve ordered the hit, but did that give Lu Qingmo the right to stomp all over his dignity like this?


    The Governor’s Mansion wasn’t the end of it. Lu Qingmo headed straight for the Heavenly Dragon Sect’s foothold next. And with them, she dropped any pretense of restraint she’d shown earlier.


    Her Mysterious Palm Seal came down hard, forcing the sect’s Manifest Saint and Marrow-Cleansing experts to scramble in defense. The shockwave was massive—ground split, walls crumbled, and chaos reigned.


    She’d held back a little with Zuo Tianzheng out of some regard for the court, but with the Heavenly Dragon Sect? No such courtesy was needed.


    “Lu Qingmo, what’s this about?!” they demanded.


    Her gaze swept over them. The sect’s key players were all present. No glaring oversights here either, it seemed.


    “Do you have a Life-Substitution Jade?” she asked abruptly.


    The three Heavenly Dragon experts were dumbfounded. You barge in here, attack us, and your big question is whether we’ve got a Life-Substitution Jade? Are you out of your mind?


    They’d just been enjoying the drama unfolding at the Governor’s Mansion—Xuandu Temple’s disciple clashing with the Emperor’s envoy was prime entertainment. But now, the spotlight had swung onto them, and the fun was over.


    “Why would we have something like that?!” one snapped. “And even if we did, what’s it to you? You here to rob us?”


    “Summon every Heavenly Dragon Sect disciple here,” Lu Qingmo ordered, her tone uncompromising. “Every last one. If even one’s missing, you’d better pack up and get out of Black Cloud Town immediately.”


    “You—!” A Marrow-Cleansing warrior started to retort, furious, but he was quickly restrained. The Manifest Saint among them wasted no time contacting the sect’s scattered disciples.


    Lu Qingmo studied the three closely. They all carried the distinct water-element aura typical of Heavenly Dragon Sect members. Before long, the disciples assembled, and she scrutinized each one. No one was hiding their strength. Her piercing gaze left them all chilled, as if she could see right through them.


    “All your disciples are here?” she asked.


    The lead Manifest Saint nodded, his expression frosty. “Yes.”


    “Then I hope no random person pops up later, causing trouble, only for you to claim they’re one of yours,” she said coolly. “If that happens, I won’t acknowledge them—they’ll be impostors as far as I’m concerned. This isn’t Haizhou. This is Black Cloud Town, under the Ghost God Division’s jurisdiction. Don’t make any stupid moves. Heavenly Dragon Sect members can die just like anyone else.”


    With that, she turned and left, ignoring the simmering rage of the sect’s three top fighters.


    “She’s too arrogant—treating our sect’s honor like it’s nothing!” one fumed.


    “How dare a washed-up nobody act like this?!” another snarled.


    “Why’d she show up today, so furious? What happened?” the third wondered.


    “Is she telling us to keep our disciples in line here in Black Cloud Town?”


    They traded heated words, outraged yet puzzled, grasping at guesses about her motives.


    Lu Qingmo’s double assault—first the Governor’s Mansion, then the Heavenly Dragon Sect—sent shockwaves through Black Cloud Town. What was the Ghost God Division’s overseer up to? The simplest take was clear: she was fed up with the Emperor’s envoy and the top-tier Heavenly Dragon Sect, and tensions had erupted.


    These were the three most powerful factions in town right now, and this clash lit a fire under everyone’s curiosity. What had sparked it?


    Lu Qingmo flew straight back to Peach Grove. Seeing this, Han said a quick word to Bai Ruoyue and followed suit.


    Watching Han’s retreating figure, Bai Ruoyue’s expression flickered, her fists clenching silently. I never want to feel this way again, she vowed inwardly. I, Bai Ruoyue, will climb to the top, step by step!