"I never would have imagined this."
High above the clouds, the Martial God gazed at the Cloud Mirror before him with a complex expression. Beside him, the Liuli God furrowed her brows, her gaze tinged with confusion.
The young girl next to the Liuli God, however, had her eyes wide open, her ears pricked up, fearing she would miss even half a syllable coming from the Cloud Mirror.
How could this be? She had only taken a nap. Everything had been fine. Before she fell asleep, her elder brother had just been hurrying along the road. How could it be that after she woke up... her brother was sitting with a beautiful woman, arms around each other, flirting and cooing like lovebirds?! O Martial God above... uh, Martial God beside. How could her brother possibly have a friend she didn't know?
The Martial God beside her pondered for a mont, plucked two whiskers from his chin, and said calmly, "I just made so calculations; nothing in the affairs of the Martial God's Twelve Realms can escape my notice. This girl below, she did indeed et Qing Shan when she was a child, and they had so interactions."
The Liuli God nodded slightly, glanced at Jin Wei beside her, and said, "Disciple."
"Ah..." Jin Wei's voice trembled inexplicably.
"Don't panic," the Liuli God said calmly. "A remarkable woman should have the capacity to accommodate others. If she can't even handle her beloved man's normal social interactions, then being loved by such a woman isn't necessarily a good thing."
"Oh." Jin Wei pursed her lips, her small face etched with sadness. Even her lovely, pale white fairy dress seed to lose its luster.
The Cloud Mirror displayed a tea pavilion directly below. There, the incarnations of a certain Heavenly Emperor and his First Minister were having tea and chatting, the atmosphere seeming sowhat awkward.
Truthfully, the two were communicating through the Heavenly Dao. The voice transmission took place in the Great Wilderness World; they were rely putting on an act in this tea pavilion in the Luili Realm beyond the skies.
"Are the gods from beyond the skies all... this idle now?" Yun Zhongjun, in his enchanting and flirtatious incarnation, held a teacup, his long eyelashes fluttering as he winked at Wu Wang.
Wu Wang's true self almost vomited.
"Enough, Brother. What are you doing?"
"Your Spiritual Treasure is very well thought out," Yun Zhongjun chuckled. "How would Emperor Shun expect the two of us to appear in the Land Beyond the Skies with these identities?"
"Brother, are you sure you haven't awakened so special attribute?"
"What?" Yun Zhongjun was clueless.
Wu Wang deftly changed the subject. "There's no need to discuss anything else. Whatever plan you wish to initiate, I can cooperate with you, but please, do not let it develop in the direction of romantic affairs. Also, use your true voice when you're in your true form, and your incarnation's voice when you're in your incarnation's form."
Yun Zhongjun snickered. "And here I thought Your Majesty would find this more interesting."
Wu Wang was speechless. The moral concepts of humans and Innate Gods are indeed different.
"Your Majesty, I'll start speaking in a female voice now." Yun Zhongjun's incarnation cleared her throat and said softly to Wu Wang, "Little bug—oh, my mistake—Qing Shan, why are you in such a hurry and dressed like this?"
Wu Wang gestured for silence and said softly, "Don't call by my na directly. Since you're a bit older than , I'll call you Sister Yun, and you can call Mountain Brother. How about that?"
"Certainly, Mountain Brother."
"Sister Yun."
Wu Wang cupped his hands, a warm smile on his lips, and took a gulp of tea.
Sister Yun smiled elegantly, calmly placing her teacup down, a hint of concern flickering in her eyes. "When did you recover from your silly ailnt?"
"COUGH!" Wu Wang turned his head and spat out a mouthful of tea. He looked up, glared at Sister Yun, and snapped, "Can we please not talk about things from our childhood? I have so status now, you know."
"Status?" Sister Yun pondered for a mont, then exclaid in surprise, "That warrior Qing Shan, whose fa has spread far and wide lately, who is said to have defeated three thousand rivals and beco the Liuli God's son-in-law... he isn't just soone with the sa na, is he?"
Wu Wang couldn't help but rub his temples. To spread so many rumors in a single sentence, Brother Yun Zhongjun had clearly put so effort into it.
He said, "Things are not as exaggerated as the rumors suggest."
Then, Wu Wang briefly told Sister Yun about his situation with Jin Wei. He also firmly insisted that Jin Wei was his 'childhood friend, a little sister with no blood relation,' which made Jin Wei, who was secretly watching from the clouds, breathe a slight sigh of relief.
Sister Yun, however, wore an expression of understanding, her gaze fixed on Wu Wang with complex emotions.
The gods of the Celestial Court and the living beings within the Great Wilderness World all believed the Heavenly Emperor was in seclusion to strengthen the Heavenly Dao and protect the entire world. Only a few of Eastern Emperor's trusted ministers knew that the Heavenly Emperor, while strengthening the Heavenly Dao, was also secretly using it to invade the world beyond, preparing to topple Candle Dragon at the smallest possible cost.
Today, Yun Zhongjun finally understood...
The Heavenly Emperor ca here to find romance! That Little Jin Wei is clearly Little Jingwei! How could he, the dignified God of Air, not see such an obvious pun?
In that instant, anger welled up in Yun Zhongjun's heart, and malice surged within him. Suddenly, he raised his hand, that crystal-clear, delicate hand reaching for Wu Wang's.
Wu Wang snatched his hand back like lightning, his expression sowhat horrified as he looked at his older brother beneath the older sister's guise.
What's going on? Could it be that Yun Zhongjun...
"Mountain Brother," Sister Yun sighed. "Actually, there's sothing I've never told you."
Wu Wang's eyes were frantically warning him.
Yun Zhongjun, however, seed oblivious, sighing faintly and saying softly, "After all these years, I still feel that the simple-minded you from back then was the purest, and the one who worried your sister the most. Only now do I realize that your kind of nature is the most unadorned and precious."
"Sister Yun, I already have soone in my heart," Wu Wang said calmly. "Besides, we last t many years ago. We were just children then, and those mories have long faded."
"Mountain Brother..."
"Let's speak properly," Wu Wang said sternly. "eting again after so many years should be a happy occasion. But Sister Yun, if you continue to speak such nonsense, I'll just leave!"
"You really haven't changed your temperant." Sister Yun said quietly.
As if Yun Zhongjun had had enough fun, he now smiled softly, most of his coquettish deanor gone. "Sister was just teasing you," he laughed, "to see if you'd been blinded by this murky, mundane world."
A small question mark popped into Wu Wang's mind. Had his older brother ever disguised himself as a woman before? How were his words, actions, every frown and smile, so natural and smooth? But considering Yun Zhongjun's astonishing age and experience, Wu Wang let it go. Living a long life certainly ant having many stories.
Wu Wang asked, "Sister Yun, where have you co from?"
"My ho is right here in this city. I've been living here for over ten years."
"Oh?" Wu Wang looked at Yun Zhongjun's incarnation. "Sister Yun, what is your current cultivation level?"
"I've just entered the Martial Realm," Sister Yun smiled. "Naturally, I can't compare to you. Are you really that renowned youth from Liuli City?"
Wu Wang said seriously, "I'll explain this to you in detail later. I have important matters to attend to and can't delay here too long."
"Important matters?" Sister Yun feigned surprise. "As it happens, I've been feeling restless after a period of quiet and was thinking of going out for a walk. Why don't you take with you, and we can attend to your important matter together?"
Wu Wang, however, said, "This matter is of great significance. Besides, I travel faster alone."
Sister Yun chuckled. "If that's the case, then never mind. I was just asking. Alas, my fate is full of hardships... But there's no point in telling you this."
Despite her words, Yun Zhongjun imdiately sent a ssage through the Heavenly Dao.
"Your Majesty, if you don't let follow, then what's the point of eting you here?"
"Brother, don't take this lightly." Wu Wang imdiately sent back, "Our current identities are childhood playmates. An accidental eting is understandable, but for to follow you imdiately after... Who would believe that? The Martial God might be a bit naive, but he's not *that* naive. Not to ntion, the Liuli God is surely hiding in the shadows as well. To be able to stand firm in the Land Beyond the Skies despite clearly expressing dissatisfaction with Candle Dragon, the Martial God definitely has his unique strengths. We mustn't underestimate the enemy or be careless."
Yun Zhongjun chuckled. "If that's the case, Your Majesty, then let's just et this once. You needn't worry about what happens next; I'll arrange everything properly and et you at the Celestial Fox Tribe's territory."
"Oh?" Wu Wang wondered, "Did Zhong tell you I was going to the Celestial Fox Tribe?"
"The first thing I did upon arriving in the Land Beyond the Skies was to gather as much intelligence as possible. The fact that you've been sent to the Celestial Fox Tribe's territory isn't exactly common knowledge, but many have heard of it."
Wu Wang laughed and cursed, "These Twelve Realms of the Martial God are truly interesting, riddled with holes from mutual infiltration."
"Since Your Majesty isn't in a hurry for to accompany you, I'll take a few days to properly sort out my background." Yun Zhongjun then praised, "This incarnation is truly excellent, and the feeling of being a woman is quite novel. It's a pity, Your Majesty, that you already have three female confidantes."
Wu Wang couldn't help but cover his face with one hand. "You! I'm calling you 'Brother,' please! Just spare , I beg you!"
Yun Zhongjun couldn't help but clap his hands and laugh heartily.
The entire atmosphere within the Heavenly Dao beca exceptionally joyful.
「…」
Wu Wang's chance encounter with the devastatingly beautiful Sister Yun, though it gave Jin Wei quite a scare, ultimately brought relief to both Jin Wei and the Martial God.
After their eting, Wu Wang simply reminisced with Sister Yun, repeatedly urging her not to reveal his whereabouts.
Then, Wu Wang left the city under the cover of night. After traveling no more than a hundred li, he quietly returned. He found Sister Yun's residence and lingered in the exquisite small courtyard for a while, seemingly investigating sothing.
During this process, the Liuli God repeatedly reassured Little Jin Wei that Qing Shan had returned to investigate whether this Sister Yun was a spy, as exposing his own whereabouts would be very dangerous.
But when her elder brother crept near Sister Yun's window, Jin Wei nearly rushed down from the clouds. A dark and windy night, a lone man and a lone woman, separated only by a thin window paper—wasn't piercing it the most natural course of action?!
Fortunately, Wu Wang didn't actually sneak into Sister Yun's boudoir. He seed hesitant, pacing before the window for a long ti before finally retreating quietly. He then changed his original direction of travel, taking a large detour as he headed circuitously towards the border.
Both the Martial God and the Liuli God offered high praise for Wu Wang's conduct.
The Martial God laughed. "If it were so ruthless individual, they would likely have killed this woman who recognized their identity to prevent future complications and self-endangernt. If it were soone with a crude disposition, they probably wouldn't have imdiately suspected their childhood friend or carefully doubled back to observe their childhood playmate's current identity. Naturally, Qing Shan's hesitation and eventual choice to quietly retreat and change his route couldn't be considered a top-notch strategy. However, for Qing Shan to possess such a temperant at his age... It's rare, truly rare."
The Liuli God asked, "Then, Martial God, what do you think would be the most prudent way for Qing Shan to handle this matter?"
"Of course, it would be to trick this woman into traveling with him, or to find an opportunity beforehand to knock her out and carry her on his shoulder to the border, giving her no chance to send ssages," the Martial God said earnestly. "Once they reach the border and Qing Shan makes a public appearance, he can then send the woman back. That would be the most appropriate solution."
Jin Wei whispered from the side, "Wouldn't that be too overbearing?"
"Hmm?" The Martial God frowned and looked at her.
Jin Wei imdiately shrank back, offering a submissive smile.
The Liuli God, however, said, "Martial God, your approach also has its drawbacks. If they travel alone together, it would be very easy for so feelings to arise."
The Martial God waved his hand dismissively and chuckled. "Matters of the heart? They're not so easily stirred! If ripples were that simple to create, I would have long... Never mind, never mind. Let's just see how Qing Shan handles the Celestial Fox Tribe affair. I'm actually looking forward to it more and more. This kind of no-win situation, where it's easy to displease everyone, let's see what kind of answer he can produce."
The Liuli God shook her head slightly.
Jin Wei, however, was full of confidence. Watching Wu Wang's figure dashing through the night, she recalled his earlier rejection of Sister Yun and felt a sweet delight in her heart.
Brother said his heart belongs to soone... That should be , right? She only lanted being born a few years too late, still not old enough for a romantic relationship.
「Thus, after two days and one night.」
Just as dusk was settling, Wu Wang arrived at a military garrison on the border of the Luili Realm. He stealthily approached the barracks where Chun Luan sister was stationed.
His convoy was still on the road, about two days' journey from the border.
Wu Wang had already concluded that other Divine Realms under the Martial God must have taken action. He ca here to find Chun Luan sister to mobilize the border forces, hoping to encircle the enemy.
To surround an encirclent with another encirclent.
If this operation yielded results, handling the affairs of the Celestial Fox Tribe would beco much simpler. One could then disregard all right and wrong and directly pin the label of 'interference by other Divine Realms' on them. This approach could allow both parties to temporarily avoid war. It would also create an opportunity to connect with the non-aggressive faction of the Celestial Fox Tribe and sound the battle cry for the Luili Realm's counter-infiltration campaign. Two birds with one stone.
Of course, at this mont, Wu Wang was relying entirely on deduction and prediction, lacking sufficient intelligence to back him up, so he wasn't entirely confident.
Wudi probably hadn't gained a firm foothold in the Ming Qing Realm yet, so he couldn't be relied upon. Although the Heavenly Dao had taken root in the Outer Sky, it wasn't advisable to display its power directly, or it might attract Emperor Shun's attention. His only source of intelligence was the existing system of the Shrine Institute in the Luili Realm... Comparing these options, relying on his intuition and predictions seed more dependable.
Wu Wang soon neared the barracks but was blocked by the chevaux de frise and traps scattered around its periter.
He pondered for a mont, then retreated into a patch of forest. From about ten li away, he locked onto Chun Luan sister's main tent. Then, skillfully channeling his energy, he condensed a fist shadow and launched it towards her tent.
Destroying Cloud Technique!
Chun Luan was inside her tent, fastening her chest wrap. She had just tied it and hadn't yet put on her outer robe when a large hole suddenly burst open in the wooden fra on one side of the tent. The night wind WHOOSHED in, and her washbasin shattered with a BANG.
Chun Luan leaped agilely beside the screen, grabbed her long spear, her simply tied ponytail swinging back and forth, her bright eyes filled with a sharp light.
The camp fell into a brief commotion.
"General! General, are you alright?"
"Ah, I'm fine," Chun Luan replied calmly. She dodged behind the screen and quickly pulled on her outer robe.
Looking at the fragnts of the shattered basin, she said nonchalantly, "I was feeling frustrated just now and accidentally broke the basin with an uncontrolled burst of energy. It's nothing serious. Everyone, disperse."
"Yes, General!" The assembled soldiers responded in unison.
Although so couldn't resist craning their necks to peek into the tent, no one dared to look too closely.
Soon after, Chun Luan, fully clad in armor and with a sowhat grim expression, took a few trusted guards and began to patrol outside the camp.
She followed the trail to the forest where Wu Wang was, her gaze sweeping through the darkness.
A guard asked, "General, this place looks a bit strange. Should we go in and patrol?"
"You wait here." Chun Luan drew the long spear from her back. "I'll go in and investigate."
"General, why not ask the other generals to co with us..."
Chun Luan gestured, and the guards imdiately bowed their heads, saying no more.
She walked into the forest, her long spear humming faintly.
"Co out."
"Sister, it's ." Wu Wang's voice reached Chun Luan's ears, coming from not far behind her.
Chun Luan spun around, her spear almost lashing out. But upon seeing Wu Wang's figure, she fought to control her impulse to attack.
"Qing Shan?"
"Yes." Wu Wang wiped the disguise from his face, releasing his aura and soul power—unmistakable ans of identification.
Chun Luan lowered her voice and quickly glanced around. "Weren't you on the road? How... did you split your forces?"
"Exactly," Wu Wang said seriously. "There's no ti to lose. Sister, quickly mobilize so troops and find a few trustworthy generals, preferably elite soldiers. Have them follow towards my convoy. I'm worried that spies from other Divine Realms have already laid their plans and will ambush my convoy."
"This... unauthorized troop movent is a grave military offense..."
"Here." Wu Wang took a Jade Talisman from his sleeve. "I ca to find you in secret, Sister, because I trust you completely. Act as you see fit. If anything happens, this will cover it."
Chun Luan looked down and saw several large characters engraved on the Jade Talisman in Wu Wang's palm.
Luili Envoy.
God·Made.
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