Volume 1, Chapter 150 – Luoshui Has Been Discovered

While Empress Lingshuang strolled through Yaochi Immortal Palace with Yun Yun, a figure nearly indistinguishable from her surroundings stood silently beneath a spiritual plant on the other side of the palace.

It was Luoshui.

The person her Master cared about had caught Empress Lingshuang’s attention, and now the woman had brazenly taken up residence here.

Until her Master arrived, Luoshui naturally had to keep a close watch on the situation.

At that moment, her gaze tracked Empress Lingshuang and Yun Yun in the distance as she tried to make out what they were saying.

Just as she was concentrating on them…

An extremely faint yet exceptionally pure current of icy power swept soundlessly across the area where she stood, like an invisible strand of spider silk.

“I’ve been discovered?”

Luoshui’s heart tightened, but her expression remained perfectly composed. Not even her gaze shifted in the slightest.

She did not move or reinforce her concealment. Doing so would only make it more obvious that she had something to hide.

Meanwhile, the probing power lingered briefly around her position, seemingly trying to confirm something.

Then it swiftly receded like the tide, vanishing without a trace.

A moment later, a blue-clad figure silently appeared beside Empress Lingshuang.

It was Lanling.

Empress Lingshuang, who was speaking with Yun Yun, paused so briefly that it was almost imperceptible.

A flicker of understanding crossed her eyes, only to disappear at once, as though nothing had happened.

She turned her head slightly toward Yun Yun, her tone as even as ever.

“Thank you for showing me around and explaining everything. I’m feeling a little tired, so I’d like to return and rest for a while.”

At those words, Yun Yun immediately stopped and inclined her head gracefully.

“Of course, Senior. If you need anything, please summon me at any time.”

“Mm.”

Empress Lingshuang acknowledged her without another word, then turned and walked unhurriedly toward the guest quarters in the Eastern Courtyard.

The female general Lanling followed in silence, as faithful as a shadow.

They returned to the Eastern Courtyard’s guest quarters and entered an elegant, tranquil inner chamber.

Empress Lingshuang casually waved a hand. An invisible barrier instantly unfolded, completely isolating the room from the outside world.

“Speak.”

She turned and fixed her cool gaze on Lanling.

Lanling’s expression was solemn. Her voice was extremely low, yet perfectly clear.

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“Your Majesty, while familiarizing myself with the surroundings, I sensed an exceptionally subtle presence watching us.”

“At first, I thought it came from someone within the Immortal Palace, but after examining it more carefully, the aura seemed to belong to someone from the Qingxuan Imperial Dynasty.”

Empress Lingshuang narrowed her eyes.

“Someone from Qingxuan?”

“Yes.”

Lanling answered with certainty.

“I could not be mistaken. When I accompanied Your Majesty to the Eastern Region, I clashed with people from the Qingxuan Imperial Dynasty on numerous occasions.”

“Moreover…”

Lanling paused before adding,

“Though that prying presence was concealed with the utmost care, it could not have belonged to an ordinary cultivator.”

“I believe the person is at least at late-stage Tribulation Transcendence, perhaps… even higher.”

“Late-stage Tribulation Transcendence… or perhaps even higher…”

Empress Lingshuang lightly tapped her fingertips against the tabletop, each tap producing a crisp sound.

Several names flashed through her mind before she settled on the most likely candidate.

Qingxuan’s most mysterious and trusted first disciple.

It was said that this person had long since reached the ninth heaven of Tribulation Transcendence. Qingxuan trusted her deeply, and she was particularly skilled in concealment and reconnaissance.

“Luoshui…”

Empress Lingshuang murmured the name, her lips curving into a cold, intrigued smile.

“She’s actually here? And from the looks of it, she’s been here for quite some time?”

Lanling lowered her head.

“After discovering her, I did nothing to alert her.”

“You did well.”

Empress Lingshuang gave her an approving glance.

Qingxuan’s purpose in sending Luoshui to the Southern Region and even stationing her in Yaochi Immortal Palace was self-evident.

“She’s here for no other reason than to investigate this newly risen Empress and relay information back!”

It seemed her decision to stay temporarily at Yaochi Immortal Palace had indeed struck a nerve with that woman.

At the thought, Empress Lingshuang gave a cold laugh and said indifferently,

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“Heh. She still loves hiding in the shadows and playing her convoluted little games.”

“Your Majesty, should we…?”

A fierce gleam flashed through Lanling’s eyes.

“No need.”

Empress Lingshuang raised a hand to stop her.

“This is Yaochi Immortal Palace, her territory. Besides…”

She paused, her eyes flashing with both cunning and forcefulness.

“Since Qingxuan sent someone to watch from the shadows, let her watch.”

“Not only will I let her watch, I’ll make sure she sees everything perfectly clearly!”

She rose and walked to the window, gazing toward the main hall with a faint curve to her lips.

“Today, I shall discuss the Dao with her.”

Meanwhile, inside the main hall…

Gu Han sat cross-legged on the cloud couch. She had just finished a round of cultivation when A-Yao’s clear voice rang out from beyond the hall.

“Master Mama!”

The tiny figure skipped inside, clutching a freshly picked bouquet of spiritual flowers.

“Look! A-Yao picked these flowers beside Yaochi. Aren’t they pretty?”

Gu Han turned toward the pale purple spiritual flowers in A-Yao’s hands. Her lips curved slightly as she reached out to accept them.

“They’re very pretty. Our A-Yao has excellent taste.”

A-Yao happily climbed onto the cloud couch and nestled beside Gu Han. Pointing toward the outer reaches of the Immortal Palace with one little hand, she said,

“Master Mama, A-Yao heard there are lots of demonic beasts outside. I want to go take a look. Can I?”

Gu Han was about to reply when something stirred in her mind.

She raised her eyes toward the hall doors, a trace of helplessness flashing through them.

She gently rubbed A-Yao’s little head.

“Be good, A-Yao. Master has something to take care of in a moment.”

“If you want to play, why don’t you ask your junior sisters to take you out first?”

“Oh… All right, then.”

Although A-Yao was a little disappointed, she obediently nodded, hopped down from the cloud couch, and dashed away.

Not long after A-Yao left, Empress Lingshuang’s voice came from outside the hall.

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“Fellow Daoist Gu, pardon the intrusion.”

Gu Han straightened her robes before answering in her usual cool voice.

“Please come in.”

The hall doors opened soundlessly.

A figure dressed in ice-blue palace robes walked in at an unhurried pace.

Empress Lingshuang’s attire today seemed even more exquisite than it had yesterday.

Delicate silver cloud patterns were embroidered across her long ice-blue gown, and a pale blue silk sash encircled her waist. Her hair was swept into a high coiffure and adorned with a phoenix hairpin.

She was already breathtakingly beautiful, in no way inferior to Empress Qingxuan. The two women simply had completely different personalities.

Now, dressed with such meticulous care, she looked even more stunning, almost too dazzling to look at directly.

Except…

Gu Han keenly sensed that the Empress of the Northern Region seemed somewhat… ill at ease today.

From the moment Empress Lingshuang entered the hall, her gaze remained fixed on Gu Han, the faintest ripple passing through her eyes.

On the way here, she had spent a long time considering how to grow closer to Gu Han.

Discuss the Dao over tea?

Or give her something, as that woman Qingxuan had?

In the end, she had decided to begin with the most straightforward approach: paying her a visit.

“Fellow Daoist Gu.”

Empress Lingshuang spoke in her usual cool voice, though it held less sharpness than it had yesterday.

She stopped three zhang from Gu Han and offered the customary salute between fellow Daoists.

A hint of surprise crossed Gu Han’s eyes at the gesture.

The Empress of the Northern Region was actually being so courteous?

“Please sit, Fellow Daoist Lingshuang.”

Gu Han raised a hand, and a chair formed from pure spiritual energy slowly took shape beside Empress Lingshuang.

“Thank you.”

Empress Lingshuang’s gaze rested on Gu Han’s face as though she hoped to discern something in those tranquil eyes.

“Did something bring you here today, Fellow Daoist?”

Gu Han asked directly, her tone calm.

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Empress Lingshuang fell silent for a moment.

Before coming, she had thought of many topics they could use to “discuss the Dao.”

They could explore the Great Dao, for example, or she could ask about the origins of that mysterious ancient bell, or perhaps…

Yet now that she was truly facing Gu Han, she suddenly found herself unable to voice any of the things she had prepared.

Especially when she saw the pale cyan Profound Heart Bracelet around Gu Han’s left wrist.

That bracelet…

Empress Lingshuang’s fingertips curled almost imperceptibly.

“There is something I wish to ask you, Fellow Daoist Gu.”

Empress Lingshuang’s voice was lower than usual, carrying a trace of hesitation that even she failed to notice.

“In our battle yesterday, did you hold back at the end because you felt that I… was unworthy of making you use your full strength?”

The question was direct, even somewhat cutting.

But once Empress Lingshuang had voiced it, she felt relieved instead. This truly had been weighing on her mind.

Gu Han shook her head slightly.

“You misunderstand, Fellow Daoist Lingshuang.”

She met Empress Lingshuang’s gaze calmly.

“You did not hesitate to burn a thousand years of your lifespan merely to fight with all your strength. I admire such dedication to pursuing the Dao.”

“I did not stop because I looked down on you. I simply felt… it was unnecessary.”

“Unnecessary?”

Empress Lingshuang frowned slightly.

“You used a forbidden technique to raise your cultivation and brought forth a divine weapon approaching the level of a quasi-immortal artifact. You had already given everything you had.”

Gu Han continued slowly,

“Whereas I did not use my true killing moves yesterday.”

She paused, then looked at Empress Lingshuang and spoke bluntly.

“If I had fought with all my strength, even if you managed to withstand it, you would inevitably have been severely wounded. Such an outcome would have brought me no benefit.”

“After all, there is no mortal enmity between us.”