Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 1004 - 1004 0597 Chief Worshipper_2

Chapter 1004: Chapter 0597: Chief Worshipper_2 Chapter 1004: Chapter 0597: Chief Worshipper_2 All the cultivators, upon hearing this, dared not hesitate for even a moment and said in unison, “We obey the order.”

Emperor Jianwu nodded in satisfaction and then turned to Qi Tian, “Master Qi, step forward and receive the congratulations from everyone.”

Qi Tian gave a respectful bow to Emperor Jianwu and then abided by Emperor Jianwu’s command, taking a step forward.

The cultivators, without waiting for a reminder from Emperor Jianwu, bowed in unison towards Qi Tian, saying, “We greet Chief Worshipper, Sir.”

Qi Tian clasped his hands together, gestured bowing towards all around and said, “I thank His Highness for his trust and also thank you all for your esteem. I, Qi Tian, am not particularly talented, and I ask for everyone’s gracious guidance in the future. Also, you may call me Master Qi if it rolls off the tongue, or even Qi Tian is fine; I will accept either. I hope that in the future, we can all contribute to Jianwu Palace together for His Highness to make the Sacred Cultivation Places a place envied by outsiders through our united efforts.”

The cultivators answered together, “What Chief Worshipper Sir says is very true, we will follow the command.”

The cultivators were quick to agree, but whether they would actually take Qi Tian’s words to heart was something only heaven knew.

Qi Tian had no intention of fostering his own power within Jianwu Palace, and whether these cultivators truly took his words to heart was not something he cared to delve into, as long as they did not work against him or scheme behind his back, Qi Tian was content to let them be.

Emperor Jianwu spoke, “You all do your duties well, I have matters to attend to, so there’s no need for you to follow. Master Qi, accompany me for a while.”

Having said this, Emperor Jianwu, along with Qi Tian, made their way to the Imperial Study.

The cultivators watched Qi Tian with envy; to be able to accompany Emperor Jianwu at any time, within Jianwu Palace, was absolutely a sign of favor. It seemed that Qi Tian would undoubtedly become a rising star, ascending within their Jianwu Palace.

Emperor Jianwu had not set foot in the Imperial Study for over a hundred years. However, it was kept very clean. With a wave of his hand, two chairs flew over and placed themselves before the writing desk. Emperor Jianwu and Qi Tian sat facing each other.

Emperor Jianwu said, “Master Qi, if you have any questions or things you want to know, now you can ask me anything. I shall hide nothing and will reveal all that I know.”

Qi Tian had been holding back a belly full of questions, wanting to find someone to clarify them, but he had never had the chance before. Now the opportunity had finally come. As his Immortal Slave, Emperor Jianwu could not refuse his questions, nor could he conceal or deceive him while being asked.

Qi Tian said, “Your Highness, one very important reason for me entering the Imperial Family Secret Territory was to search for a few people, or rather, to search for one of them in particular. They had all entered the Imperial Family Secret Territory together.”

I remembered, you mentioned to me that you are the National Master from the Great Zhao Nation’s Imperial Master Mansion? Are you here for Mansion Master Xiao Xiaowu?”

Qi Tian nodded and said, “Indeed, I came for Master Xiao. Do you, Prince, happen to know of Master Xiao’s whereabouts?”

Emperor Jianwu replied, “I truly am not too clear about it. These years, I’ve been hiding in a small space, and I hardly inquire about the outside world. I haven’t deliberately asked my close associates to inquire about this. However, based on my experience gained over the years in the Imperial Family Secret Territory, when Emperor Tian Rui took people into the secret territory, he likely had the intention of taking root within. If he brought people with him, it’s very likely he does not plan for these people to leave the Imperial Family Secret Territory again. After all, the secret territory is our imperial family’s greatest secret. Regardless of who finds out, there are only two outcomes: either they are brought into the secret territory, never to leave, or they are silenced through death.”

Qi Tian said, “That doesn’t seem right. To my knowledge, isn’t there the Refining God Sect within the Imperial Family Secret Territory? Why are they able to freely enter and exit the secret territory?”

Emperor Jianwu’s expression changed slightly as he snorted coldly and said, “Refining God Sect was created by Emperor Zhi Wu. That damn turtle, Emperor Zhi Wu, violated our ancestral teachings. First, he let descendants with royal bloodline drift among the common folk. Then, after finding out about this, he didn’t bring this descendant back to the royal family but allowed him to grow up amongst the people. Finally, he granted him access to the Imperial Family Secret Territory, blatantly disregarding our ancestral teachings.”

Qi Tian asked, “Since Emperor Zhi Wu violated the ancestral teachings, why didn’t you, Prince, join forces with the other princes to stop him?”

Emperor Jianwu sighed and said, “I indeed wanted to stop him. However, my lineage is one of the weaker ones within the Imperial Family Secret Territory. Furthermore, many issues have developed by now that our own power can’t solve. Emperor Zhi Wu proposed setting up a lookout outside the secret territory, serving both as a bridge connecting our secret territory with the outside world and as an escape route in case uncontrollable incidents occur in the secret territory, allowing us to retreat elsewhere. This proposition won the support of many princes; thus, even if he violated the ancestral teachings, he did so with the tacit permission of many. What use is my single opposition?”

Only then did Qi Tian understand the situation. He shifted the topic away from the Refining God Sect and continued to inquire about Xiao Xiaowu. “Prince, you just mentioned that Emperor Tian Rui has the intention of taking root within the Imperial Family Secret Territory, but I feel something isn’t quite right?”

Emperor Jianwu asked, “Why do you have that idea?”

Qi Tian replied, “There are two points of doubt. First, when Emperor Tian Rui left the Great Zhao Nation, he didn’t pass the throne to the Crown Prince, nor did he show any inclination to pass it to other princes. He took Master Xiao and the others to the Imperial Family Secret Territory, but he didn’t inform the Crown Prince of his actions. The Crown Prince is still unaware of the secret territory’s existence, which is quite abnormal. Second, when in Great Zhao, Emperor Tian Rui disliked our Mansion Master greatly. He even covertly encouraged and instigated the other two National Master Mansions to join forces in suppressing the Imperial Master Mansion. If he truly intended to take root in the Imperial Family Secret Territory, he should have brought his trusted followers, those he could rely on. It’s improbable that he would bring Master Xiao along.”

Emperor Jianwu furrowed his brows and fell silent for a moment before saying, “You make a valid point; there indeed may be something going on. If you are truly concerned about Xiao Xiaowu, I can send someone to inquire and find out where exactly Xiao Xiaowu and his group have settled. If possible, I will try to arrange a meeting for you.”

Qi Tian quickly bowed to Emperor Jianwu and said, “Thank you, Prince. Let’s arrange it that way.”

Truth be told, Qi Tian wasn’t very attached to Xiao Xiaowu. However, during his time at the Imperial Master Mansion, Xiao Xiaowu had provided Qi Tian with help on several occasions. Qi Tian felt obligated to return the favor. Moreover, Xiao Xiaowu was the backbone of the Imperial Master Mansion. Having come from the Imperial Master Mansion himself, Qi Tian hoped the mansion would flourish even more in the future. It was necessary to inform Xiao Xiaowu about some of the mansion’s affairs and urge him to return to the Imperial Master Mansion soon to take charge of the grand scheme, allowing the mansion to once again have a leader who could receive everyone’s support and lead them back on track.

Although Qi Tian had appointed a proxy Mansion Master for the Imperial Master Mansion, Xiao Xiaowu’s role within the mansion was irreplaceable. If Xiao Xiaowu could be persuaded to return, it would appease the hearts of those in the Imperial Master Mansion. Moreover, Guan Xun, who had been appointed as the proxy Mansion Master, could return to serve by Qi Tian’s side, once again becoming an asset to Qi Tian. Even if Guan Xun didn’t wish to return, he would be free to pursue his own life.