Chapter 469 - Chapter 469: Chapter 291: Return to One

Chapter 469: Chapter 291: Return to One

“So it’s the Cloud Fairy from Mercy Sailing Temple gracing us with her presence. My apologies for not having met you from afar, Fairy. Please forgive my oversight!”

“The one who should say that is Mengyao. You, young lord, manage myriad affairs every day. Mengyao came without invitation, and I hope that you can forgive my impudence!”

Within the Scholar’s Palace, they faced each other with forced smiles. Although they appeared amiable on the surface, there was an underlying sense of opposition.

Su Shaoqing gazed at Yun Mengyao, and Yun Mengyao gazed back at Su Shaoqing. Their eyes met, but their thoughts were different.

Mercy Sailing Temple—Yun Mengyao!

Su Shaoqing disliked both the sect and the person before him.

Because their intentions were far from pure.

The ancient emperor’s past with that fairy from Mercy Sailing Temple was no secret among the major powers.

There had been long-standing rumors among the common folk that even though the former Great Zhou Heavenly Martial was an emperor, the sovereign of all under heaven, he remained unmarried and his harem empty, resulting in no heir to continue the lineage. This ultimately laid the groundwork for the downfall of Great Zhou.

Although such rumors were but wild speculations of the ignorant, the fall of Great Zhou had little to do with whether the bloodline of the Heaven Martial continued. Even if there had been a direct descendant, it would have been futile to try to reverse the overwhelming tide of doom that befell the empire.

But… the past entanglements of the ancient emperor with that fairy from Mercy Sailing Temple were true. It was also true that he left the harem desolate for her sake.

Although today’s Mercy Sailing Temple had little to do with its past, by flaunting such a connection and sending a successor like her, the intention and thoughts behind such a move were clear without needing to be spelled out.

“Seeking to leverage the past to invoke the ancient emperor’s lingering affections?”

“Hmph!”

“What does the Mercy Sailing Temple of the past have to do with the one now?”

“Shameless!”

Despite his dissatisfaction and even aversion, Su Shaoqing didn’t let it show on his face and maintained his composure as he said, “Fairy, please take a seat!”

Yun Mengyao smiled faintly, “Please, young lord!”

Although the other party was excellent at keeping up appearances, Yun Mengyao could still feel a hint of resistance and repulsion.

This was a woman’s intuition!

Yun Mengyao didn’t take it to heart.

After all, she was engaging in activities bound to be disliked by others.

But as expected as it might be, it did not mean she had to accept being marginalized and oppressed.

For instance…

“What a coincidence that the heir of Freewheeling Peak just left yesterday. I’ve heard that the Fairy and Mr. Ning are close friends, having once perused majestic landscapes of many mountains and rivers together, evoking envy from the world. Now, to have just missed him, how regrettable. Had I known, I would have asked him to stay another day!”

Su Shaoqing spoke with a disarming smile, throwing a conversational grenade with a tone both casual and composed.

In response, Yun Mengyao remained calm and nonchalant as she said, “Mengyao and Brother Ning are indeed close friends, nothing more. Any other rumors are but the wild imaginings of the ignorant. With your wisdom, young lord, you surely understand the truth.”

“Is that so?”

Su Shaoqing feigned surprise, then quickly offered an apologetic tone, “Then I have been presumptuous. Please don’t take offense, Fairy!”

“What are you saying, young lord!”

Yun Mengyao’s smile persisted, unaffected and graceful.

Su Shaoqing saw this and inwardly clenched his teeth.

This woman was firmly decided to cling tenaciously, no matter what.

Indeed, a tree without bark will surely perish, and a person without shame is truly invincible!

His intention in bringing up Freewheeling Peak and Ning Xinghe was to warn her, to make her aware that Mercy Sailing Temple was not the only one seeking his favor, and she should not be so presumptuous as to overestimate her position or try to negotiate from a place of higher status.

Unexpectedly, this woman disregarded his strategy completely, casually dismissing any connection with Ning Xinghe.

What did this imply?

It implied that she was resolute in her intention to “offer herself to the devil” and employ the manipulative schemes of Mercy Sailing Temple!

Just what is Mercy Sailing Temple? A nunnery or a fox’s den, to continually produce such bewitching beings?

…

Su Shaoqing clenched his teeth in silence, while Yun Mengyao remained unperturbed.

Although he now held a high position within the Scholar’s Palace, with significant authority, at his core, he still behaved like a petty girl, so naive in his actions. Did he really think that by mentioning Freewheeling Peak and Ning Xinghe he could intimidate her and gain the upper hand?

He was underestimating her!

Such a tactic, and he expected to be fit to rule under Heaven Martial as the Scholar’s Palace’s young lord?

Or was it that he was too emotionally involved and lost his composure, revealing such behaior?

No matter. It was of little consequence. Since he was indeed the young lord of the Scholar’s Palace and direct descendant of Heaven Martial, that most intimate person, a little retaliation was sufficient, to be tasted but not indulged in. She mustn’t be too adversarial, or it would look bad for both sides.

She hadn’t come here to compete over trifles.

Yun Mengyao composed herself and looked at Su Shaoqing, “May I inquire where the Martial Emperor might be? Could Mengyao be granted an audience?”

Hearing this, Su Shaoqing also put aside his miscellaneous thoughts and said with a grave voice, “I have already passed on the news of the Fairy’s arrival, but the ancient emperor is burdened with myriad affairs and may find it difficult to get away. If the Fairy has urgent matters, feel free to discuss them with me first.”

“Is that so?”

Yun Mengyao frowned slightly, hesitating in her mind.

Her hesitation was not due to doubts about the truthfulness of Su Shaoqing’s words.

Despite his somewhat childish demeanor, she expected that he would not allow personal feelings to influence such important matters, nor would he dare to do so.

After all, the Wandao School was not his alone. Even though he occupied a high position as the school’s lord, beneath only one and above tens of thousands, he could not act recklessly.

That was why she retaliated as she had earlier. It wasn’t just for her own pride; it was also for Mercy Sailing Temple’s status and position within the Wandao School in the future.