Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 258: The Unspoken Burden of the Old Patriarch

Ye Moquan was lost in thought for a moment before letting out a bitter chuckle and finally setting down the ink brush in his hand.

His expression gradually regained its calm, but as he looked at the paper and brush on the table before him, his gaze was filled with complexity.

Later, two people came to request an audience.

A middle-aged scholar and a young student.

They were none other than his son and grandson—Ye Wei and Ye Feishan.

"Father, there has been no news of Second Sister," Ye Wei said softly.

The Ye Clan Ancestral Land in Jinzhou had been completely destroyed, but fortunately, the clan’s younger generation had been evacuated beforehand, resulting in limited casualties.

However, several locations outside the ancestral land had been breached, suffering significant losses. A Ye Clan Elder of the Upper Three Heavens had even fallen.

Among them, the one with the highest cultivation and most central role was none other than Ye Moquan’s daughter, Ye Wei’s sister—Ye Han.

When the Wuyou Tribulation’s celestial link was severed, Ye Moquan knew something had gone wrong at Tianle Mountain.

With the ritual broken and the backlash from the disrupted spiritual energy, Ye Han’s situation was likely dire. And in that case, the chances of her successfully breaking through and escaping…

"Keep looking, but keep it low-key," Ye Moquan sighed deeply. "For now, our clan needs a long period of recovery. All clan members must speak and act with caution."

Ye Wei and Ye Feishan both lowered their heads. "Yes."

With a Ninth Heaven expert like Ye Moquan and the clan’s heirloom treasure, the Chess Star Seal, the Ye Clan of Jinzhou still had a foundation to rely on.

However, Ye Moquan was severely injured, and the clan’s scholarly lineage had been severed. This battle had dealt a devastating blow to their vitality, leaving them in a state not much better than the Lin Clan of Youzhou had been after their own downfall.

At least the Lin Clan of the Northern Sect could attempt to rebuild in their homeland, trying to restore their scholarly and spiritual heritage.

But for the Ye Clan, returning to Jinzhou was not an option for the time being.

With Xuanyan Temple in upheaval, Guanzhong overrun by demons, and new disturbances emerging in Zezhou to the south, the Tang Imperial Family had seized the opportunity to intervene.

Having lost the Battle of Jinzhou, the Ye Clan was now forced to retreat.

The Three Jin Regions were deeply intertwined with the Ye Clan—from noble families to local officials, their influence ran through countless channels.

Even if the imperial court, preoccupied with the demon chaos in Guanzhong, chose not to immediately purge and reorganize the Three Jin Regions to avoid widespread conflict, the Ye Clan’s control over the area would still decline sharply.

Ye Moquan’s duel with Xu Yuanzhen had not merely cost him a move or two—it had cost the Ye Clan their ancestral land and scholarly heritage.

Regardless of his personal reputation, the Ye Clan’s prestige had suffered an irreparable blow.

If given time to recover, if they were allowed to remain in Jinzhou and continue consolidating their influence, then—since their younger generation had not suffered heavy casualties—the Ye Clan would have had a chance to stabilize and rally support.

Just like the Lin Clan of Youzhou had managed to do.

Thanks to unspoken agreements, Prince Zhao’s Mansion had turned a blind eye to the destruction of the Lin Clan Ancestral Land.

Though they had gone through the motions of formal reprimand, they had not truly taken advantage of the situation to suppress the Lin Clan, allowing them to remain a dominant force in Youzhou.

But in Jinzhou, the imperial court would not grant the Ye Clan such an opportunity.

If they could avoid being completely uprooted and turned into another Jiangzhou within a short time, that alone would be a small victory.

"One day, when we reclaim our homeland, I will personally go before our ancestors and offer my apologies," Ye Moquan said.

"But right now, our priority is survival. As long as our lineage endures, there will be a day when we rise again."

Ye Wei responded firmly, "Through the rise and fall of ages, our clan has faced setbacks before. I will not let this shake my resolve."

The old man nodded slowly.

Ye Feishan spoke softly, "Neither the Four Seasons Military Ritual nor the Wuyou Tribulation yielded their intended results. And then there was Fragmented Danxin…"

The turning point of the battle had been when Ye Moquan unleashed Fragmented Danxin, only for it to fail to shake Xu Yuanzhen’s grip on the Liheng Halberd—instead, he had been counterattacked by Xu Yuanzhen’s own Fragmented Danxin, leaving him wounded.

From that moment on, he had fallen behind, step by step, and could never recover the upper hand.

The Ye Clan of Jinzhou had prepared extensively for this battle.

Yet events had unfolded in a completely unexpected way.

Every move had gone wrong—until they plunged into the abyss.

"If Fragmented Danxin had failed because of someone like Lin Yuwei leaking information, that would still be understandable. But what about everything else?" Ye Wei furrowed his brow. "Surely not every single plan was betrayed?"

A single leak could be attributed to human error.

But if every plan had been compromised, it was beyond comprehension.

The preparations had been divided among different groups, with each individual responsible for their own part. Even Ye Wei and Ye Feishan only knew fragments of the overall scheme.

The only one who understood the full picture was Ye Moquan himself.

"Those with profound cultivation can, through intuition, attune themselves to the natural world and gain insights akin to divination," Ye Moquan said with a slight nod.

As a Ninth Heaven Grand Scholar, he knew this better than anyone.

"But if there truly was someone capable of such precise foresight, their cultivation level would be beyond imagination," Ye Moquan said. "If such an opponent existed, we might as well surrender outright."

Ye Wei and Ye Feishan both frowned, unable to make sense of it all.

"For now, we will step back, lie low, and observe," Ye Moquan said.

Then he instructed Ye Wei, "Even so, we must quietly conduct a thorough internal review—just in case."

Both father and son acknowledged his command.

"Father, in Guanzhong, Pure Yang Palace has fallen. Grandmaster Huang and part of his sect have retreated to the Old Capital. Meanwhile, Snow Bear and some Grand Demons have moved toward the Old Capital, while Azure Wolf and another group of Grand Demons are rampaging through Guanzhong."

Ye Wei continued, "That said, the Shushan Sect and Fang Family of Jingxiang have already entered Guanzhong, and a division of the Divine Strategy Army from the capital has been deployed."

The Tang Dynasty had originally established its capital in Chang’an, in Guanzhong.

However, due to changes in the flow of the earth veins’ spiritual energy, the third emperor of the Tang Dynasty—Zhang Qilong, father of Zhang Wantong—relocated the capital to Zhongzhou, founding a new imperial city, Luoyang.

Since then, Chang’an had been referred to as the Old Capital or Western Capital, still guarded by the imperial family. The Tang Emperor would also occasionally return to Chang’an.

The Snow Bear and Azure Wolf that Ye Wei mentioned were the two dominant Grand Demons of the Northern Frontier, both equivalent to Ninth Heaven human cultivators—savage and ruthless.

The two typically ruled over separate domains, one in the east and one in the west, and rarely cooperated.

For them to join forces now, aided by unseen forces, silently crossing the Great River into Guanzhong had caught Pure Yang Palace completely off guard.

And it had also exposed the truth—Grandmaster Huang Xuanpu had never fully recovered from his injuries.

"As of now, we can confirm that aside from Grandmaster Huang, Pure Yang Palace has only three remaining Eighth Heaven Infant Transformation cultivators. Two of them, Guan Jing and Lü Jinduan, had previously traveled to Jinzhou but have since returned to Guanzhong. Additionally, there are seven Seventh Heaven Nascent Soul cultivators, though most are injured," Ye Wei continued.

He paused briefly before adding, "Among them, Yue Xiling is a special case. Before the Northern Frontier Grand Demons attacked the mountain, he had already left for secluded cultivation elsewhere. He has yet to resurface during this Guanzhong chaos."

If he had entered deep seclusion, given his prior progress and natural talent, then as Pure Yang Palace’s most outstanding successor of the younger generation, he was most likely attempting to break through to the Eighth Heaven Infant Transformation stage of the Daoist Alchemical Sect.

If he succeeded, Pure Yang Palace would then have four Eighth Heaven cultivators and six Seventh Heaven cultivators.

A small consolation in the face of disaster.

However, suffering two catastrophic blows within just over a decade had already drained Pure Yang Palace of the foundations it had built up over centuries.

Since Huang Xuanpu had taken over as sect master, Pure Yang Palace had steadily risen to become the foremost sanctuary of Daoism—even the most prestigious sect in the Tang Dynasty.

But now, while it had not yet fallen to the same depths as Tianshi Mansion had in the past, its momentum had been completely halted.

A fellow fallen brother.

However…

"What about Wang Xuan?" Ye Moquan asked.

"After Pure Yang Palace fell, his whereabouts became unknown. Right now, with Grand Demons running rampant, we have yet to receive definite information. However…" Ye Wei hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Neither Snow Bear nor Azure Wolf have confirmed exactly who the Pure Yang Palace traitor was. They only know that it was an Upper Three Heavens cultivator of the Daoist Alchemical Sect who collaborated with them from within."

Yes.

Such an outcome had even caught Ye Moquan, Ye Wei, and the others off guard.

They, too, had not expected the Battle of Zhongnan Mountain to be decided so quickly—nor with such an outcome.

While the result was favorable, the fact that they had not fully grasped the process left them deeply unsettled.

Ye Moquan looked at Ye Wei.

Ye Wei gently shook his head. "Neither Qingzhou, Suzhou, nor Jingxiang have claimed responsibility for Wang Xuan.

"We still don't know if it was Wang Xuan himself, someone else within Pure Yang Palace who had a personal vendetta against Huang Xuanpu, or if another external force intervened…"

Then Ye Wei lifted his gaze. "However, something was definitely off at Vajra Monastery. Vast Void Temple suffered a crushing defeat there!"

"Details?" Ye Moquan asked.

"Still waiting on confirmation, but for now, we know that the area within a hundred miles of Vajra Monastery has been completely shrouded in golden Buddha’s Light. Vast Void Temple’sYuanmie was nearly trapped inside and barely managed to escape."

Ye Feishan, standing nearby, looked astonished. He had not yet had time to review this intelligence before accompanying his father to see his grandfather.

Now hearing Ye Wei's report, he was startled. "The Diamond Realm of Vajra Monastery shouldn’t cover such a vast area. If that’s true…"

Vajra Monastery was one of the Four Great Buddhist Holy Lands, yet it was the most secretive and closed off.

During the Western Wasteland Demon War, Vajra Monastery had also suffered severe losses.

And when they recently welcomed their new abbot, they had been besieged by White Lotus Sect and Vast Void Temple, suffering heavy casualties and subsequently sealing their gates.

To be sure, Vajra Monastery possessed an extraordinary lineage. The Abbot Anointment Method they practiced allowed each successive abbot to rapidly ascend to the Upper Three Heavens in record time.

Even Tang Xiaotang of Tianshi Mansion might not surpass a Vajra Monastery Abbot in terms of cultivation speed.

However, this method was highly specialized and could only be passed down from abbot to abbot—ensuring that there could be only one recipient at a time.

Moreover, it was a technique focused on rapid advancement.

Its ultimate potential still depended on the individual inheritor.

While the new abbot of Vajra Monastery had progressed quickly, there had been no reports that he had surpassed Yuanmie, the new abbot of Vast Void Temple, in just a few short years.

Yuanmie himself was already one of the most outstanding young talents of his generation.

Not only had his cultivation advanced rapidly, but his combat prowess was also exceptional.

Otherwise, he would never have been able to force the Silent Dharma King, another Eighth Heaven master, to relinquish his position within Vast Void Temple.

For Yuanmie to probe Vajra Monastery’s defenses, he must have been extremely confident and well-prepared.

Even if he could not defeat Vajra Monastery, he had been certain that he could retreat safely.

Yet now, he had suffered a humiliating setback.

This only confirmed the long-standing suspicions many had about Vajra Monastery—

That place… was hiding something.

"With this development, His Majesty will be even more restless," Ye Moquan unexpectedly smiled.

Ye Wei and Ye Feishan both seemed deep in thought.

"Continue closely monitoring the Western Wasteland," Ye Moquan instructed.

"Yes, Father," Ye Wei replied.

Ye Feishan glanced outside at the gardens of Prince Zhao’s Mansion, then quietly asked, "Grandfather, our clan has sacrificed the ancestral land… what about His Highness Prince Zhao?"

Ye Moquan suddenly fell silent, his gaze momentarily unfocused.

Ye Wei and Ye Feishan did not look at him directly and thus failed to notice.

After a moment of daze, Ye Moquan's gaze sharpened again. "The Fierce Valor Essence has been condensed into a Jade Tablet and has been handed over to His Highness."

Ye Wei and Ye Feishan both nodded slightly.

The destruction of the ancestral land was an incalculable loss to the Ye Clan of Jinzhou.

If there had been any other choice, Ye Moquan would not have allowed it.

But when truly forced into a corner, he had to find a way to salvage something.

What troubled the noble Confucian families was the barbarian influence—the strange and mysterious martial intent.

By forcibly reversing his own ancestral land’s formation, using Confucianism to counter Martialism, Ye Moquan had pushed everything to the extreme, birthing a new existence.

An existence beneficial to martial artists.

Sacrificing the literary heritage of Jinzhou and the Ye Clan’s scholarly lineage had come at an enormous cost.

But what was done was done.

There was no choice but to look forward.

"With Grand Demons and Vajra Monastery both stirring trouble, that is indeed an advantage for us. But from here on, we must tread carefully.

"While keeping a low profile, we must be vigilant about everything."

Ye Moquan looked at Ye Wei, then at the younger Ye Feishan, before saying, "From now on, the clan’s affairs—large and small—will be in your hands."

His gaze shifted back to Ye Wei. "My injuries are severe. I must focus on recovery. In the coming days, prepare yourself—I will pass the Chess Star Seal to you."

Ye Wei looked up at his father.

His father’s words clearly did not mean mere temporary stewardship.

This was an official transfer of the Ye Clan’s heirloom treasure—

Which meant he was being named the new Clan Leader of the Ye Clan of Jinzhou.

Ye Moquan was merely a guest at Prince Zhao’s Mansion.

The Ye Clan had withdrawn from Jinzhou in advance, but with such a large population, it was impossible to relocate everyone to Youzhou.

There were several potential places for resettlement, one of which was Cangzhou.

However, it was rather close to Qingzhou.

Back in the day, the Ye Clan of Jinzhou had originally split off from Qingzhou.

Now, returning there was out of the question, but having suffered a severe setback, even moving to Cangzhou would be anything but a triumphant affair.

But as Ye Moquan had said before—

For a long time to come, they would have to remain in hiding.

…

Tianle Mountain no longer resembled the towering peak it once was, having been reduced to an uneven valley floor.

Besides members of the Ye Clan of Jinzhou searching for any signs of life or death among Ye Han and the others, there were also outsiders quietly approaching the site.

A woman in hemp sandals and plain robes appeared at the base of the former Tianle Mountain.

It was none other than Wei Qiyue, the Supreme Elder of the Shushan Sect.

She circled around the mountain ruins in silence, lost in thought.

During the battle at the Ye Clan Ancestral Land in Jinzhou, she had seen, from a distance, the Tianshi Sword flying toward Tang Xiaotang and merging with her.

At that moment, Wei Qiyue had completely disregarded the ongoing fight between Xu Yuanzhen and Ye Moquan.

That technique was entirely unlike anything practiced by the Talismanic Branch of Daoism.

From afar, it looked no different from their Shushan Sect’s flying sword techniques.

With the Ye Clan Ancestral Land destroyed, the battlefield had descended into chaos.

Instead of getting entangled with the demon clans or other forces, Wei Qiyue had quietly left the area.

Following the direction from which the Purple Thunder Sword Light had come, she had backtracked all the way here to Tianle Mountain, now in ruins.

Members of the Ye Clan were lurking about, seemingly searching for someone.

That meant the Ye Clan of Jinzhou had certainly set up something here—

Only for it to be destroyed.

And if she followed the same trail further, the one who had ruined this place was likely the same person who had delivered the Tianshi Sword to Tang Xiaotang from a thousand miles away.

Who was it?

As an Eighth HeavenSupreme Elder of the Shushan Sect, specializing in artifact refinement, Wei Qiyue searched carefully for a long time but found nothing.

At first, she thought she had the wrong location, but continuing along the trail, she still came up empty-handed.

"Such a cautious individual, with an even more formidable level of cultivation and strength than I initially expected…"Wei Qiyue felt a twinge of unease.

She stood near Tianle Mountain, pondering for a moment before raising a hand.

A flying sword, only about a foot in length, floated before her.

She ran her fingertip lightly along its blade.

A layer of flowing light immediately surfaced, as if embedding words within it.

This was the Shushan Sect’s signature long-range communication method—Flying Sword Transmission.

Of course, other artifacts could also be used for this purpose, but only those that had been refined and nurtured by the cultivator for a long time.

With a wave of her hand—

The flying sword trembled in place, then with a flash of light, shot off into the distant sky.

Wei Qiyue watched her flying sword disappear, her gaze dark and contemplative.

…

Lei Jun left the Broken Dragon Ravine area and attempted to contact Xu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiaotang again.

Well—

His Senior Sister was already chasing the Thousand-Leaf Butterfly King all the way out to sea.

By now, Lei Jun was entirely accustomed to her impulsive nature—when she decided to do something, she did it immediately.

What did surprise him, though, was Ye Moquan’s current predicament.

"He hasn’t lost his chance at recovery, but the damage to his soul will continue to persist and worsen,"Xu Yuanzhen said casually, as if she were discussing the size of the ocean waves.

"So it’s not just an injury—it’s an irreversible transformation of his very soul."

"Exactly."

As expected of you… Lei Jun shook his head with a chuckle.

People were simply different.

If it had been him, and he had the opportunity to finish Ye Moquan, he would have done so without hesitation.

But since the one with the power was Xu Yuanzhen, she naturally made the call.

That being said, the Ye Clan of Jinzhou had preemptively dispersed their forces, keeping their losses relatively low.

Ye Yan and Chu Xiuyuan were still around—whether one called it guarding against Grand Demon invasions from the coast or watching for further actions from the Tang Imperial Family and Tianshi Mansion, both explanations were valid.

At the same time, with the Empress and Xu Yuanzhen around, the aristocratic families couldn’t make any overt moves.

Aside from Xu Yuanzhen, who had her own peculiarities, both the Tang Imperial Family and the noble clans had already begun shifting their attention westward.

Pure Yang Palace had fallen at an alarming speed—Guanzhong was in crisis.

A strange transformation had taken place at Vajra Monastery in the Western Wasteland.

These were completely unexpected developments for both sides.

And the unknown was always the most unsettling.

Thus, with Xu Yuanzhen away and Mount Longhu momentarily at peace, Lei Jun and Tang Xiaotang had the freedom to move about without needing to return to the mountain immediately.

Even Tang Xiaotang was intrigued by the situation in the west—after leaving Youzhou, she had no plans to return to Mount Longhu directly. Instead, she intended to head toward Guanzhong and the Western Wasteland.

Lei Jun was interested as well, but at the moment, he had some theories that he needed to test.

Having gathered some of the Ye Clan of Jinzhou’s materials for the Words as a Face technique, he had been conducting research and had already developed some ideas.

To put his theories into practice, he not only needed rare spiritual materials from his sect, but also a specific kind of environmental support.

After the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou had been written into history, the Tang Imperial Family had taken direct control of Jiangzhou.

Meanwhile, some of the blessed grotto-heavens in Mount Kuanglu that had once belonged to the Lin Clan had been absorbed into Tianshi Mansion.

Among them, the environment of Lan Yue Grotto was precisely what Lei Jun needed for his experiment.

It was good that Ye Moquan had likely been turned into an old man with dementia by his Senior Sister.

But that was a gradual process—it wouldn’t have an immediate, dramatic effect.

Despite the deaths of Ye Han and Ye Zhenxing, the Ye Clan of Jinzhou still had plenty of high-level experts left.

Even Elder Kongjian of Xuanyan Temple—a Buddhist Eighth Heaven elder who had converted but still remained loyal to his clan—was among them.

That man was pretending to be dead, but Lei Jun hadn’t forgotten about him.

With that in mind, it was best to prepare sooner rather than later.

Additionally, with his newly accepted first disciple now at a crucial stage in their cultivation, Lei Jun didn’t want to be away from the mountain for too long.

After considering his options, he decided to temporarily set aside his curiosity about Vajra Monastery and Pure Yang Palace and head to Mount Kuanglu first to conduct his research on the Words as a Face technique.

"Have fun, Little Senior Sister."

Lei Jun added, "But don’t forget—at most, you have half a year. By the fifteenth of the first month, make sure you return to the mountain. It’s time for the Talisman Conferral Ceremony."

"Don’t worry, I won’t forget."

This would be her second Talisman Conferral Ceremony since taking over as Tianshi.

She still found the once-every-six-year Talisman Conferral rather fresh and interesting.

As for the once-every-three-year Initiation Ceremony—she was already sick of it and had no intention of personally hosting it again.

"When is Senior Sister coming back? After watching her fight that old fox from the Ye Clan, I want to spar with her even more!"

"That’s uncertain. You know how Senior Sister is," Lei Jun replied. "But given the gap in your current cultivation levels, there’s no rush, is there?"

Tang Xiaotang was indifferent. "That doesn’t matter. There are some things I can only test under these conditions."

"I see. Well, I’ll notify you when Senior Sister returns to the mountain."

Satisfied, Tianshi Tang ended the transmission and set off westward. "That’s perfect."

Meanwhile, Lei Jun continued south, contacting his master, Yuan Mobai.

As they discussed his journey to Jinzhou, Lei Jun also asked his master to coordinate the delivery of the spiritual materials he needed to Mount Kuanglu’s Lan Yue Grotto, so they would be ready by the time he returned.

At the same time, Yuan Mobai relayed the latest gathered intelligence to Lei Jun.

"The Empress is preparing to leave the capital, Luoyang, and personally travel to the Old Capital, Chang’an?" Lei Jun raised an eyebrow.

Since the Eastern Sea Demon Suppression, this would be the second time the Empress personally led a campaign.

But this didn’t seem to be solely about the Guanzhong demon crisis.

"The area surrounding Vajra Monastery has transformed. For hundreds of miles, the Diamond Form has manifested, with continuous Buddhist chants resonating outward, drawing in devotees from all directions," Yuan Mobai said slowly. "Such a phenomenon has never occurred since the monastery's founding."

Lei Jun mused, "Even if Vajra Monastery’s current abbot advanced rapidly through anointment, he shouldn’t be capable of such feats so soon. And if he isn’t the one behind this, then…"

"Vajra Monastery has always been shrouded in mystery. Even its founding patriarch’s origins were unknown," Yuan Mobai continued. "This sudden transformation may be linked to the monastery’s origins."

Lei Jun pondered. "Master, when I was on duty in our sect’s Decree Pavilion, I once came across an old reference… to the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths."

"Not impossible," Yuan Mobai replied.

The so-called Nine Heavens and Ten Earths were independent realms, where the sun and moon cycled, and spiritual energy flowed freely—surpassing even the mortal realm, akin to true paradises.

Individually, they were not as vast as the mortal realm, but each contained its own extraordinary natural laws, capable of infinite variations.

Previously, Yuan Mobai and his group had inadvertently entered the Jiuli Secret Realm.

As a bridge, the Jiuli Secret Realm was likely connected to other worlds. However, due to time constraints and the uncertain situation, they had not dared to linger long enough to uncover what lay beyond.

Lei Jun and his master both suspected that on the other side of the Jiuli Secret Realm was one of the Ten Earths—the Land of the Deep Sea.

Long ago, when the Jiuli people were forced to retreat southward, they continued withdrawing until they finally disappeared into the Deep Sea, vanishing without a trace.

And in the years that followed, the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths gradually faded from history, sealing themselves off from the mortal world.

Both the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths became nothing more than myths and legends—forgotten by all but a select few.

However, as spiritual energy surged once more, signs of their reappearance seemed to be increasing.

The Jiuli Secret Realm in Southern Wasteland had been discovered, possibly leading to the Deep Sea.

The secret realm where Xu Yuanzhen and Huyang Prince Zhang Rui had ventured also seemed to be a gateway to another world.

And now, Vajra Monastery had undergone such an unprecedented transformation.

"In the past, Shambhala and Mount Sumeru of the Nine Heavens, as well as Avīci of the Ten Earths, were all associated with Buddhism," Lei Jun murmured.

"Xu Yuanzhen’s discoveries—and the strange martial and Confucian techniques you uncovered—are unprecedented not only in the Tang Dynasty but in all recorded history," Yuan Mobai said. "Perhaps they, too, originated from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths."

Lei Jun suddenly asked, "Master, what about our Daoist Sect?"

Yuan Mobai’s tone remained calm. "Kunlun, Penglai, and Huangquan have been absent for thousands of years. What they have become now, no one knows."

Lei Jun nodded in silence.

Changing the subject, he remarked, "That old fox, Ye Moquan, taking refuge in Prince Zhao’s Mansion—that’s as good as making a public announcement."

Prince Zhao’s Mansion had long maintained close ties with the Ye Clan of Jinzhou and had even smoothed relations with the Lin Clan of Youzhou through their mediation.

Such rumors had been circulating for some time.

But private dealings were one thing—publicly placing Ye Moquan under their protection was another matter entirely.

Although Prince Zhao’s Mansion might claim it was a personal favor, the fact remained:

By sheltering Ye Moquan, Prince Zhao had openly revealed divisions within the imperial family.

Yuan Mobai sighed. "His Highness Prince Zhao remains unwilling to let go."

Lei Jun contemplated. "The Lin Clan of Youzhou and the Ye Clan of Jinzhou were supposed to be his strongest allies, yet now both have suffered heavy losses…"

Yuan Mobai replied, "If that weren’t the case, the Empress wouldn’t feel so confident about leaving the capital for the west.

"With both Lin Clans and the Ye Clan of Jinzhou weakened—and considering the prior downfall of the Xiao Clan of Longxi—nearly half of the former Five Great Surnames and Seven Prominent Clans have been crippled.

"This is the weakest the aristocratic families have been in centuries.

"Before departing, Her Majesty officially established the Political Affairs Hall within the Chancellery, granting more officials the right to participate in policymaking."

Lei Jun understood immediately. "Stripping power, dividing authority… even outright usurping control."

By setting up the Political Affairs Hall within the Chancellery, the Empress was undoubtedly fragmenting and consuming the power of the Left and Right Chancellors of the Ministry of State Affairs.

She was splitting the Prime Ministerial Authority.

"But with the Empress gone, what happens to the capital?" Lei Jun asked.

Yuan Mobai answered, "The Crown Prince has come of age. In the Empress’s absence, he will act as regent, overseeing daily state affairs.

"All results and urgent matters will be sent to the Old Capital.

"The Empress intends to remain in Chang’an to quell the demon chaos and assert dominance over the Western Wasteland."

The Empress had no children of her own. With the Crown Prince now an adult, it was inevitable that he would be entrusted with governance in her absence.

How long this arrangement would last depended on how the Guanzhong demon crisis and Western Wasteland Buddhist upheaval unfolded.

Ending his conversation with Yuan Mobai, Lei Jun continued on his journey.

Traveling south from the Three Jin Regions, he slowed his pace as he passed through Zhongzhou.

Observing the land closely, he was struck by an overwhelming sense of familiarity.

It was as if he had seen this terrain before.

Indeed—

The mysterious realm he had entered through the Great Black Mountain’s portal, the one where Xu Yuanzhen had ventured—

The landscapes within that otherworldly realm bore an uncanny resemblance to vast portions of the mortal world.

It was as if an entire piece of land had been carved out of reality.

Yet now, as Lei Jun gazed across the expanse of Zhongzhou, there was no trace of such a phenomenon anywhere.