Chen Suya walked into the imperial study.
At that mont, Emperor Wu was seated on the soft divan in the study, calmly reading through morials.
“Chen Suya greets Your Majesty,” Chen Suya said, her hands resting lightly in front of her as she bowed slightly.
Emperor Wu looked up at the woman before him and smiled. “As a cultivator in the Upper Five Realms, there’s no need for you to be so formal with , is there?”
Chen Suya smiled gently and shook her head. “Your Majesty, you’re mistaken. So what if I am a cultivator in the Upper Five Realms? Haven’t quite a few of them already perished at the hands of the Wu Kingdom?”
The emperor chuckled. “Not many, actually. Upper Five Realms cultivators aren’t like stray cats or dogs that can be killed at will. On the contrary, it’s extrely difficult to kill them. If they choose not to fight and focus solely on fleeing, very few people can actually take them down.
“Thankfully, there are a few Upper Five Realms cultivators stationed in my palace. Otherwise, who knows when my head might’ve been claid by one of you cultivators?”
Chen Suya remained composed, her face showing only a polite smile. “Your Majesty is truly modest. In this world, who could possibly enter this palace and harm you?”
“There are plenty who could harm —not just cultivators, but court officials, feudal lords, or even a lone warrior. All of them probably dream of storming the palace and killing with a single punch.”
“Enough of this useless talk,” Emperor Wu said with a wave of his hand. “I assu you didn’t co here just to chat. What brings you to see , Madam?”
Chen Suya’s expression didn’t change as she got straight to the point. “Not long ago, the child ca to see . He told about the terms and cooperation Your Majesty proposed.”
“Oh?” Emperor Wu raised an eyebrow, looking genuinely interested. “And? Has Madam agreed or not?”
Chen Suya’s lips curved into a soft, warm smile. “Of course, I’ve agreed. After all, the terms Your Majesty offered are so generous, and the price I have to pay is so small. Why wouldn’t I agree? If I refused even this, I’d truly be showing a lack of discernnt.”
The emperor chuckled. “In that case, I must thank you on behalf of ‘Madam Xu.'”
Chen Suya bowed her head slightly. “Your Majesty is too kind. To be honest, that child always misjudges , as if he sees as so sort of villain.”
“That’s only natural,” the emperor replied. “Xu Ming is soone deeply attached to his emotions, and that’s exactly why I appreciate him.”
Chen Suya rely laughed lightly, saying nothing further.
“But I do have a question for Madam Chen,” Emperor Wu said, his tone shifting slightly.
Chen Suya nodded. “Your Majesty need not be so formal. Please, speak freely.”
“Since you’ve said so, I’ll be direct,” the emperor said, his eyes locking onto hers with a faintly somber undertone. “If I’m not mistaken, Madam Chen, you’ve been waiting for to approach you for this cooperation, haven’t you?”
Madam Chen blinked her bright eyes, her expression calm yet tinged with a trace of puzzlent. “Why does Your Majesty say so?”
The emperor chuckled softly. “It’s simple. When you appeared at that village on the outskirts of Wudu, it wasn’t a coincidence—you made a deliberate choice to be there.
“When you awakened this ti, you didn’t harm anyone. In fact, you could’ve quietly devoured the other personality within you, but you chose not to.
“Could it be that Madam Chen is simply too kind-hearted?
“I doubt a cultivator would be so sentintal.
“This indicates that you wanted to leave a way out for yourself. In truth, perhaps you had already envisioned cooperation between the Wu Kingdom and Canglan Sect in your heart.
“However, I truly didn’t expect you’d be willing to sacrifice so much—marrying an ordinary man and even bearing a child.”
Chen Suya shook her head, her expression carrying a hint of helplessness. “What choice do I have? If I don’t hide myself, I’ll eventually be discovered by those people. When that happens, I won’t even be able to protect myself—what’s the point of talking about anything else?
“But Your Majesty, you might be overthinking. I’m not like that old man from Tianji City, capable of calculating everything with such divine precision.
“I only want to survive, nothing more.
“After I sealed my own mories, I beca a completely new ‘.’ As for what that ‘’ might do, how could I possibly know? Let alone foresee things to this extent.
“So, the fact that I’m here today, the fact that I might cooperate with Your Majesty, is all purely coincidental.
“That said, I must admit I’ve raised a fine son.”
Emperor Wu studied Chen Suya intently, and Chen Suya did not shy away from his gaze.
“Hahaha!” After a mont, the emperor burst into laughter. “My apologies, my apologies. I have a habit of overcomplicating things in my mind. If my words earlier were offensive, I ask for your forgiveness.”
Chen Suya’s lips curled into a faint smile. “Your Majesty hasn’t said anything inappropriate—what’s there to forgive?
“Besides, whether this is a sche, or whether it’s all part of so calculation on my part, it doesn’t matter, does it? After all, this arrangent benefits both of us, doesn’t it?”
The emperor nodded. “That’s true. Since we’ve reached an agreent, shall we finalize the contract?”
“Naturally,” Chen Suya replied. “That’s why I ca to see Your Majesty—to formalize this agreent. To be honest, I was worried Your Majesty might change your mind. After all, Canglan Sect has nothing left now, just a few remnants of a broken power. anwhile, Wu Kingdom is thriving. If Your Majesty were to look down on us, there wouldn’t be much we could do.”
“Madam Chen, you’re being far too modest,” Emperor Wu said with a smile. “I believe in you. Even though Canglan Sect has suffered a blow, its strength is still formidable, and I’m certain it will one day regain its forr glory.
“Moreover, even if Canglan Sect’s influence were minimal, I’d still cooperate with you. That’s because I see great promise in Xu Ming. What concerns him is my concern.”
“That Ming’er has earned Your Majesty’s favor is his great fortune,” Chen Suya said, bowing slightly. “On his behalf, I thank Your Majesty.”
“There’s no need to be so formal.”
Though their words were cordial and their smiles genuine, both of them were acutely aware of the truth.
For Emperor Wu, Xu Ming was indeed part of the equation, but more importantly, Canglan Sect’s strength was far from insignificant.
And though Chen Suya spoke of coincidence, whether her actions were part of a carefully laid plan or not remained uncertain.
But none of that mattered now. Regardless of the truth, they were in the sa boat.
The emperor picked up the Imperial Jade Seal from his desk.
With a light toss, the seal floated between the two of them.
Extending his hand, the emperor touched the seal with his finger. A stream of golden dragon energy flowed into it, causing the seal to emit a brilliant golden light.
Under the illumination of this light, a golden, intangible piece of paper materialized between them.
The emperor moved his fingers like a brush, inscribing word after word onto the golden parchnt.
With the final stroke complete, the once blank golden parchnt was now entirely filled with writing.
“Madam Chen, please take a look and see if it ets your approval,” Emperor Wu said to Chen Suya.
Chen Suya carefully examined the terms of the contract.
She understood that this was a contract backed by the fate of Wu Kingdom itself. Once signed, she would have to abide by its terms. Otherwise, even a cultivator at the Ascension Realm would not be able to withstand the backlash from one of the Ten Great Human Dynasties.
“No problem,” Chen Suya said with a smile.
“Good!” Emperor Wu nodded. “Then let it be so.”
The emperor pricked his finger and let a drop of his blood fall onto the contract.
Chen Suya did the sa.
As the contract absorbed their blood, it burst into specks of spiritual light, dissipating into the air.
With that, the contract was sealed.
If Emperor Wu were to betray the contract, Wu Kingdom would suffer a degree of backlash from the Heavenly Dao.
If Chen Suya were to betray the contract, she would face the sa.
For both Emperor Wu and Chen Suya, the consequences of breaking the agreent were unbearable.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave,” Chen Suya said with a smile.
“Very well,” Emperor Wu nodded.
Chen Suya gave a slight bow, then turned and left.
At the entrance to the imperial study, Xu Ming was still waiting.
“Let’s go. We’re going ho,” Chen Suya said to him.
Xu Ming bowed to Wei Xun, who was guarding the door, before following his mother out of the palace.
“You can relax now,” Chen Suya said with a smile, looking at her son. “I’ve already signed the contract with Emperor Wu.”
“Did the emperor say anything to you?” Xu Ming asked.
Chen Suya’s eyes curved into a smile. “Oh, are you concerned about ?”
Xu Ming sneered. “If that’s what you think, then you’re overthinking it. Even if I were concerned, it wouldn’t be about you.”
“My child, you always say such hurtful things to ,” Chen Suya sighed. “But it’s alright—your mother still forgives you. After all, you’re my own flesh and blood.”
Chen Suya shook her head lightly before continuing, “The emperor didn’t say much—just the terms of the cooperation. Though he did try to probe a bit, your mother isn’t so easily outwitted.”
“Anyway, there’s no need for you to worry about these things. Adult matters aren’t for children to ddle in.” She reached out and dusted off Xu Ming’s shoulder. “I’ll be taking so ti to rest for a while. During this period, the other will spend ti with you, though it won’t be for long. Soon, I’ll be heading to the Northern Wastelands.”
“I know what you’re thinking—you want to go with to the Northern Wastelands, don’t you? But that’s not an option.” She tapped Xu Ming’s forehead with her finger. “As I said, adult matters aren’t for children to involve themselves in.”
Xu Ming: “…”
After returning to the Xu residence, Chen Suya ntioned that she was feeling tired and went to her room to rest.
Xu Ming, knowing he wouldn’t be able to get anything out of her, returned to his courtyard to check on Shi Xin.
When Xu Ming arrived, Shi Xin had already risen from her bed and was ditating, reciting Buddhist scriptures.
Xu Ming didn’t disturb her. Instead, he sat beside her, quietly listening to the rhythmic chants.
Though he couldn’t understand a word of the scriptures, he found himself gradually feeling at peace.
Before long, Xu Ming began contemplating the aning of life. Of course, he didn’t arrive at any answers.
After so ti, Shi Xin slowly opened her eyes, blinking as she looked at Xu Ming.
Xu Ming looked into the girl’s clear eyes and couldn’t help but smile. “In the past, my mother took to the Buddhist temples in Wu Capital. The monks at Qingshui Temple there also chanted these sa scriptures.
“But sohow, even though you’re chanting the sa words, it feels… different coming from you.”
Shi Xin tilted her head slightly. “Different how?”
Xu Ming chuckled. “I can’t really say. It’s just that when you chant, it seems to calm my heart more.”
Shi Xin said thoughtfully, “Then how about I chant it a few more tis for you?”
“No need, I think I’ve had enough for now.” Xu Ming poured a cup of tea for Shi Xin and pushed it gently toward her.
Shi Xin reached out, took the tea, and sipped it lightly.
“How is Madam Xu doing?” Shi Xin asked.
“She seems to be doing alright,” Xu Ming replied after a mont of thought. “How should I put it? According to Emperor Wu’s investigation, it turns out my mother’s other personality is actually soone from the Canglan Sect. And then…”
Xu Ming explained everything to Shi Xin in detail.
After listening, Shi Xin nodded. “Given the circumstances, this seems to be the only way forward.”
Xu Ming sighed. “That’s how it is.”
“And what are your plans, Benefactor Xu?” Shi Xin asked.
Xu Ming shook his head. “I’m not sure myself. She said she’s going to the Northern Wastelands, but she won’t let go with her. Even if I insist, it’s not going to happen.”
As he spoke, Xu Ming lifted his head to gaze at the sky.
“But I also understand that in this world, without cultivation, you’re powerless.” Xu Ming shook his head again.
“It sounds like you have sowhere in mind to go,” Shi Xin remarked, tilting her head slightly to look at him.
“There’s sothing I’ve been carrying with , a problem I haven’t been able to resolve. I’ve been putting it off, but now… it feels like the right ti,” Xu Ming said with a sigh.
“After the trip to the Dragon Palace, I plan to head west—to the Western Regions—to et soone.”
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