"Mmm… then what would you do first?"
Bai Yujian had a bad feeling. If she didn't redirect this conversation fast, this so-called master-disciple relationship was about to go completely off the rails.
So, she asked.
Su Xiaobai, of course, did not take the bait—or rather, he took it and ran straight into a completely different battlefield.
"What else? Stop hiding in this tiny-ass country." His tone was absurdly casual, "Either turn it into a vassal state and conquer it properly, or move to the empires and start taking control there. Without political power, what the can we even do?"
He leaned back slightly, as if he were just discussing which restaurant to eat at, rather than planning a hostile takeover.
"Those Peak Lords sitting around all day, rotting in their own comfort? Send them out to gather resources for the sect. If they don't et their quotas, demote them. Put in soone hungrier. A sect needs two things—talent and resources. If you control the resources, talent will co to you. If you control the kingdom, you don't have to worry about getting crushed under soone else's boot."
These were the lessons Su Xiaobai had learned over two lifespans.
Just having resources wasn't enough.
You could never avoid politics.
If you refused to play the ga, then you were just an easy scapegoat.
Soone like Sun Liang would eventually appear, pin all the shit onto him, and laugh while taking everything.
So why not just take it all first?
If he could expand this sect's influence, take over Tianlong Empire, then White Cloud Star itself would be within his grasp.
At the end of the day—everything led back to his own personal gain.
Bai Yujian's eyes flickered continuously as she absorbed his words.
Politics?
She had never considered it before.
But… using those lazy-ass Peak Lords to generate wealth instead of just sitting on their asses?
Wouldn't that piss them off?
But then again—who cares?
If they didn't like it? Replace them.
There were plenty of people in line.
She didn't realize it yet…
But Su Xiaobai was planning to run this sect like a goddamn corporation.
Her eyes suddenly lit up.
"That's… a great idea."
Su Xiaobai glanced at her, unimpressed. "Hah?"
He had just spit out so random bullshit, not expecting her to actually think it was brilliant.
But while he was ntally shrugging it off, his hands were itching—
The wrist he had been gripping all this ti?
His fingers slipped lower before he even realized it, trailing down her arm.
And then—
They found her waist.
His palm landed firmly on her soft, thin, willow-like curves, fingers sinking slightly into the delicate fabric of her robe.
The grip was unapologetic, instinctive.
Like he had always ant to put his hands there.
Bai Yujian flinched, but didn't pull away.
That confused the hell out of Su Xiaobai. This woman was the queen of vague answers—if she lived in his old world, she'd probably top the list of won accused of "friend-zoning" n into the afterlife.
But she wasn't denying him either.
His grip tightened.
He pushed closer, their shoulders brushing, the faint warmth of her soft curves pressing into his side.
This woman.
She never clarified anything.
So why not see how far this ga could go?
"Show your sword."
Bai Yujian, who had been absorbed in the sudden closeness, blinked as if waking up from a trance. She hesitated, then lifted her hand.
Whoosh!
A flash of white slashed through the night.
A sword flew into her palm, its sheath black as night, but the mont she drew it, the blade glead like a single carved piece of white jade.
Su Xiaobai narrowed his eyes.
This sword…
Sothing about it felt familiar.
Bai Yujian watched him carefully. "You won't be able to hold it."
It wasn't arrogance—it was a fact. She had tested it before. No one except her had ever been able to grip this sword without it rejecting them.
Su Xiaobai didn't give a shit. "Yeah, yeah."
He ignored her warning, grabbed the hilt, and yanked it from her hands.
The sword shook violently, like a spirit beast trying to escape a bad contract.
That was the nature of Soul Weapons. They had minds of their own—if they didn't like you, they would flat-out refuse to be wielded.
But after shaking furiously for a few seconds, the sword…
Settled.
Bai Yujian's eyes widened.
That wasn't supposed to happen.
Su Xiaobai's grin stretched wide.
Sothing clicked in his head—sothing he had forgotten for far too long.
"White Jade Sword… huh."
Bai Yujian's heartbeat picked up.
Su Xiaobai muttered to himself, voice thoughtful. "Do you know how I was able to control the sword intent you left behind?"
Bai Yujian frowned. That had bothered her for a while. Sword intent wasn't sothing that could just be taken or broken—it was unshakable.
Su Xiaobai let out a breath, his hold on her waist loosening, as he pulled out sothing from his spatial ring.
A golden pen.
The Celestial Weaver.
The golden formation pen, currently only the size of his palm.
He stared at it, eyes flashing.
It all made sense now.
Emperor Tian Yu had been far beyond anything they could comprehend—maybe even a True Immortal.
An array designed by him?
Of course, it would contain tricks beyond normal comprehension.
Even Bai Yujian, compared to Tian Yu, was probably nothing more than a child.
But she had escaped that array.
And now that he looked at this sword…
It was connected.
"What's going on?" Bai Yujian's brows knitted together as she saw the two weapons tremble the closer they got to each other.
Su Xiaobai shook his head.
He told her everything.
The story of Emperor Tian Yu.
His wife, Yue'er.
The one who had forged this sword for the Emperor.
Then, he turned to her with a new question—one that made her breath still.
"Have you ever heard of the Golden Bow? Or the Forbidden City?"
Bai Yujian's eyes narrowed. "No."
She had never even heard of Emperor Tian Yu before today. If such a figure had existed, it must have been so far back in history that even the sects had forgotten.
But Su Xiaobai was staring at her like she was the key to everything.
And in so way…
She was.
"Does your family tree show any connection to soone nad Yue'er or Tian Yu?"
Bai Yujian's gaze sharpened.
Su Xiaobai smirked. "If this sword recognizes you, that ans you must have their blood."
He had already inherited after Emperor Tian Yu.
Yue'er was still trapped.
That left only one possibility.
Bai Yujian was connected to them.
His thoughts spiraled.
If she was a direct descendant…
Then that ant—
She could legitimately take the throne.
And as for military and political power?
That was his job.
With the right moves, they wouldn't just take over the White Cloud Star—they could dominate entire Immortal Rain Valley as well!
Tianlong Empire.
Vermilion Phoenix Dynasty.
Black Tortoise Empire.
And then…
Baihua Plains.
A chaotic land of scattered islands, a hub of war and ancient relics—where long-lost treasures still lay buried.
It was the site of constant battles between smaller kingdoms and warring tribes.
And yet…
Geographically, it lined up too well with the site where he had t Yue'er.
It had been covered in hills, drowning in endless rainfall.
Which ant—
That entire region had once been part of the Three Empires.
Together, they ford the Four Divine Beasts.
Dragon. Phoenix. Black Tortoise. White Tiger.
Su Xiaobai's blood burned.
If Baihua Plains was once part of the Northern Plains…
Then how had it shattered into so many islands?
The answer clicked into place.
It was the Golden Bow.
The first ti Yue'er had fired it, she hadn't understood its true power.
And in that single mont of miscalculation…
She had blown an entire continent to pieces.
Su Xiaobai's heart pounded.
This wasn't just about his revenge anymore.
This was about reshaping the entire fucking world.
_____
"What about your… Sword Intent?"
Bai Yujian's gaze flickered toward the Celestial Inscriber in his hand.
She wasn't as shocked or excited as Su Xiaobai—her expression remained calm, almost indifferent.
Even if she really did have the blood of so forgotten emperor, what did it matter?
First—she wasn't strong enough to capture an empire alone.
Second—no one even fucking rembers this Emperor.
If she had been a direct descendant of the Tianlong Empire's First Emperor, then sure, it would have been a whole different story.
But now, her attention shifted.
What really interested her—was his Sword Intent.
It wasn't just unique—it was twisted, rewritten, as if he had completely flipped the entire concept of Sword Intent upside down.
Su Xiaobai grinned, rubbing his chin. "Oh, that? Yeah, I did so tweaks."
"Tweaks?"
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