Chapter 697: Yang Chuan

A day later, in Yongding, Xiao Nanfeng's avatar was perusing a stack of documents when a flash of rainbow-colored light appeared outside his study. A wave of energy surged toward him.

Xiao Nanfeng's brush paused. This was the effect of Blue Lantern's new formation—the fact that it was vibrating and releasing colored light meant that someone was trying to sneak into Dazheng's palace.

"Do cultivators of the Yuqing holy land enjoy sneaking around?" Xiao Nanfeng called out.

Suddenly, a man in white appeared by the entrance to the study. He was particularly handsome, with a muscular physique and a paper fan in his hand. He smiled as he entered the study with a natural air of arrogance and elegance.

"Martial Aspect Xiao, you are skilled. The formation around this palace is no inferior to that in many divine empires'," the man in white exclaimed.

"The Southern Aspect—a rare guest," Xiao Nanfeng replied.

The man was none other than Yang Chuan, the Southern Aspect.

"Martial Aspect Xiao, I naturally had to accept your invitation." Yang Chuan continued to smile.

"But I didn't invite you, Southern Aspect Yang."

"You asked for a Boundless Immortal from the Yuqing holy land. Who else could you be referring to but me?" Yang Chuan spread his fan.

"There are surely multiple Boundless Immortals in the Yuqing holy land. At the very least, the Yuqing hierarch himself must be one," Xiao Nanfeng said.

Xiao Nanfeng knew very well that, given the Yuqing hierarch's status, he would never show up himself to discuss the matter of the seventh-grade lotus. In that case, Yang Chuan was the only candidate. Of course, there may have been other Boundless Immortals the Yuqing holy land had cultivated in secret, but this would hardly be the appropriate place to reveal them.

"Let's cut to the chase. Martial Aspect Xiao, shall we discuss the seventh-grade lotus?" Yang Chuan asked.

"Very well, Martial Aspect Yang. What did you think of the battle at Taixu?"

"In what sense?" Yang Chuan countered.

"I'd like to know whether you think the treasure I obtained from combat should belong to me," Xiao Nanfeng said seriously.

"If it were any other treasure, we wouldn't mind—but the seventh-grade lotus is different. It's one of the representative treasures of the Yuqing holy land, and we're obligated to reclaim it if it's ever lost. The reason we haven't attacked you directly is on account of the relationship between the Taiqing Immortal Sect and the Yuqing holy land," Yang Chuan said.

"We fought for the seventh-grade lotus with our lives. Taiqing and Yuqing might be close allies, but that's no excuse for Yuqing to demand or steal Taiqing resources. Southern Aspect Yang, how do you intend to trade for my seventh-grade lotus?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"Trade?" Yang Chuan frowned.

"Or do you intend to steal it?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

Yang Chuan fell silent. He stared at Xiao Nanfeng, then suddenly laughed. "You're an interesting man, Martial Aspect Xiao. What do you want from me, then?"

"And how do you know I want something from you?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"You requested me in all but name. There must be something in my possession you're interested in. Go on. If it's not too outlandish a request, I'm happy to satisfy it outright," Yang Chuan replied.

The intent and implication of Xiao Nanfeng's insistence on meeting with a Boundless Immortal of the Yuqing holy land had been quite clear.

"Very well, Southern Aspect Yang. I require fair arbitration from you."

"Oh?" Yang Chuan was taken aback. He wasn't quite sure exactly what Xiao Nanfeng meant.

"I'm happy to return the seventh-grade lotus to the Yuqing holy land as long as you return to the Yuqing holy land to provide fair judgment regarding a dispute according to the rules of the sect. I do not require any partiality on my behalf."

Yang Chuan frowned. "Is this about Xia Yu'er?"

"I won't tell you what it's about at the moment. Would you accept this request, Southern Aspect Yang?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

Yang Chuan knew that Xiao Nanfeng had to have an ulterior motive in mind, but the seventh-grade lotus, a Boundless Immortal relic, was more than worth a mere favor of this sort.

"What's the matter?" Yang Chuan asked.

"Southern Aspect Yang, I'm offering a Boundless Immortal relic for this! Do you really need to think more about the deal?" Xiao Nanfeng smiled.

Yang Chuan frowned. "And yet I expect I won't like what I'm going to hear from you. Even so, as long as it doesn't hurt me or the Yuqing holy land as a whole, I'll accept."

"You're known to be a man who keeps his word, Southern Aspect Yang. I'll thank you in advance, then," Xiao Nanfeng replied.

"Now, what's the matter you want me to adjudicate?" Yang Chuan asked again.

"If I recall correctly, the Yuqing holy land has a certain rule that states that holy children of Yuqing are of equal status as its Mountain Lords. Is that so?"

"Indeed," Yang Chuan replied.

"In that case, since the Mountain Lord of Taiyi Peak, Sage Green Lotus, has been killed, does that mean that the holy child of Taiyi Peak can inherit his position?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"Do you mean the Demon Child? I heard that his demonic corpse body was shattered by Tu Jiuniang. Isn't he dead yet?" Yang Chuan exclaimed.

Xiao Nanfeng nodded. "I paid a tremendous price in order to save him."

Yang Chuan's eyes widened in shock. He guessed what had happened immediately. "You used the seventh-grade lotus to reforge the Demon Child's physical body, didn't you?"

"The Demon Child is pitiful indeed. He was betrayed by his father and master, and almost perished as a result of their nefarious plans. Although he killed Sage Green Lotus, he did so only in self-defense. If I'm not mistaken, Yuqing laws absolve the defender of all blame in such cases. The Demon Child might be Sage Green Lotus's disciple, but as a holy child, his status is equal to that of a Mountain Lord. As such, taking down a Mountain Lord in self-defense should leave him blameless."

Yang Chuan narrowed his eyes as he considered the situation at hand.

𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"Southern Aspect Yang, I heard that you're now the Mountain Lord of Yujiang Peak. You used to be a holy child of Yuqing in the past, and you ascended to your current position after the death of the former Mountain Lord there. Perhaps you share a little sympathy with the Demon Child. I even heard that you've helped him out and cared for him quite a bit in the past. It won't be too much trouble for you to assist him now, will it?"

Yang Chuan replied, "The Demon Child's too young. There's much that he doesn't understand just yet."

"That he is, but you and I can help him out. A holy child is backed by others; a holy child without backers is but a pawn. If the Demon Child does not become the Mountain Lord of Taiyi Peak, do you truly think that he'll survive after a new Mountain Lord is instated?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

Yang Chuan frowned again as he considered Xiao Nanfeng's hand in this series of affairs. "So you handed the seventh-grade lotus to the Demon Child, who's basically going to listen to you. The seventh-grade lotus might as well still be yours."

"I admit I share a close relationship with the Demon Child, but I don't mean him any harm. What's more, he's going to be nine years old soon enough. Even if he's not good at judging others just yet, he can develop that skill. If he becomes the Mountain Lord of Taiyi Peak, you'll be able to help him as well—and the seventh-grade lotus will certainly remain within the peak. Only the identity of the Mountain Lord of Taiyi Peak will have changed."

Yang Chuan mulled it over for a moment before nodding. "Very well. I'll accept this. That said, the Demon Child should return to the sect as quickly as possible."

"His body is currently being reforged with the seventh-grade lotus, and it'll be a few days before he's fit to travel. We'll return to the Yuqing holy land then. I'm counting on you, Southern Aspect Yang," Xiao Nanfeng said.

Yang Chuan spread his fan and smiled. "Martial Aspect Xiao, you are indeed powerful. I see why Ao Canghai has lost to you several times now."

"Thank you for the praise, Southern Aspect Yang," Xiao Nanfeng replied.

"Alright. We'll talk again in the future."

Yang Chuan stepped out of the study and vanished across the horizon.

Just then, a group of guards rushed into the study in panic. "Please forgive us, Your Majesty. We were suddenly restrained and rendered immobile."

"It's fine. You may leave," Xiao Nanfeng replied.

"Understood!" The guards left the study, still wide-eyed in shock.

Xiao Nanfeng hummed thoughtfully. Yang Chuan was strong indeed.

Back in the south, in the valley in which the Divine Emperor was residing, Xiao Nanfeng and the Divine Emperor walked out of her bedroom. They had groomed themselves by then, but the Divine Emperor still had a radiant flush on her face. She tugged on Xiao Nanfeng's hand in happiness and satisfaction.

"Haven't you been in secluded cultivation all this time? How did you manage to get to Taixu all of a sudden?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"Who said I was in secluded cultivation?"

The Divine Emperor smiled at Xiao Nanfeng, her beauty so breathtaking that Xiao Nanfeng was stupefied for a moment.

"What're you looking at? Haven't you seen your fill?" The Divine Emperor blushed even as she smiled.

"My beautiful wife, how could I ever get my fill of you?" Xiao Nanfeng replied.

"Nonsense!" The Divine Emperor's eyes were radiant with mirth. She continued gently, "My subordinates believed you, but not completely. That's why they lied and told you that I was in secluded cultivation—then rushed back to inform me of the news."

"Oh? They're rather alert, aren't they?"

"Naturally. They were already with me fifty thousand years ago. I have plenty of experts in military affairs and in administration, and they're no worse than those of your Dazheng Empire."

"Not my Dazheng Empire, but ours," Xiao Nanfeng corrected.

The Divine Emperor smiled and clicked her tongue. "I misspoke."

"You're the empress of Dazheng," Xiao Nanfeng told her gently. "Don't misspeak next time."

The Divine Emperor smiled warmly as she leaned into Xiao Nanfeng.

"I left in too much of a hurry to tell them where I was headed. How did you find me?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"I headed to the Yuqing holy land first, only to find out that you had already left. Then, one of my subordinates' avatars coincidentally reported seeing you outside Taixu. That's why I went. Fortunately, I wasn't too late." The Divine Emperor shuddered at the thought of what would have happened otherwise.

"Thank goodness my wife was here to save me," Xiao Nanfeng replied.

The Divine Emperor blushed in a mix of embarrassment and pride. If her subordinates were present, they would have been shocked to see their invincible leader behaving like a young woman in love for the first time.