Begin your practice with the crane-shaped stance.

Chapter 122 The Old Emperor's Thoughts

The red-clad messenger immediately bowed deeply to Master Guyue and Xia Dong with utmost respect and took his leave decisively.

Once outside the Taiyin restriction of Tiger Hill Cave, the red-robed envoy dared not pause for even a moment. He immediately activated his flying artifact, disregarding the depletion of his magical power, and sped towards the capital at breakneck speed.

Upon entering the capital, he didn't even have time to drink water before plunging headlong into the colossal Tongxuan Division, which governs all extraordinary forces in the world, and went straight to report to the high and mighty Master of Tongxuan Division.

Inside the deep and solemn central hall, the Master of the Tongxuan Division sat high on the main seat, his face hidden in the shadows, quietly listening to his detailed report on delivering the "Immortal Scroll" to True Person Guyue and sealing the copy.

However, to the great surprise of the red-clad messenger, even after he had reported the entire process clearly, this all-powerful Lord of the Department did not ask a single question about Xia Dong's affairs from beginning to end.

The Lord of the Department didn't even mention the "Ascension Token" at all. His indifferent attitude made it seem as if Xia Dong and the Ascension Token were insignificant and unimportant in the eyes of this important figure.

The red-clad messenger was well aware of the principle that "the will of the ruler is unpredictable." Since the chief official hadn't asked, he naturally couldn't bring it up.

After asking the question, the Master of Tongxuan Department dismissed the red-robed messenger.

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After respectfully withdrawing from the main hall, the red-robed envoy thought to himself, "Xia Dong's immortal register supplementation program definitely has a fatal flaw—"

According to the strict laws of the Great You Dynasty, to recognize one's ancestors and be added to the Daoist register, one must have a bloodline token left behind as proof for comparison.

However, Xia Dong's process of supplementing his immortal status was forcibly pushed forward by higher-ups in violation of regulations and "special handling" without any tokens of authorization.

Under normal circumstances, this would be a capital offense of deceiving the emperor!

His only hope now is that this bizarre matter will remain buried in the top-secret files of the Tongxuan Division, never, ever to be exposed.

However, as he walked down the cold corridor of the Tongxuan Division, the red-clad envoy had another thought and offered himself a small consolation.

"On the other hand, when the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up. That Daoist certificate was personally confirmed and stamped by the Duke of Qi's family using their own Daoist seal."

Since the host family has reluctantly accepted Xia Dong's bloodline, if the truth comes out in the future, I, a mere errand boy who only delivers things, will not be blamed.

The image of the dilapidated gate and the Duke of Qi's fearful appearance when the red-clad messenger went to the Duke of Qi's mansion late at night to deliver the imperial edict involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

"But the Duke of Qi's mansion has long since fallen to such a state, and it looks like even their Daoist lineage is about to be cut off. They're just like a dead pig that doesn't care about boiling water. Even if they really broke the law in this matter, how much worse could it be than their current desperate situation of waiting to die? If it comes to light, I'll still be the one who suffers."

Thinking of this, the red-clad messenger couldn't help but feel deeply uneasy again.

Inside the spacious and secluded central hall, the light was dim, with only a few ever-burning lamps flickering with a cold light.

The Master of the Tongxuan Division quietly looked at the copy of the Immortal Register presented by the red-robed messenger.

This scroll was sealed tightly by royal laws, and even a glance from an ordinary cultivator with their divine sense would result in a severe backlash.

However, the Master of Tongxuan remained calm.

He did not break the seal brought back by the red-robed messenger on the surface of the scroll. Instead, his ten fingers moved swiftly like butterflies flitting among flowers, forming an extremely complex and strange hand seal.

As a dark light entered the scroll, the celestial scroll copy was silently blurred for a moment under this special pull.

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Taking advantage of this brief moment, the Master of the Profound Realm's vast and profound divine sense probed into the celestial register like mercury spilling onto the ground. His eyes flickered slightly as he swiftly skimmed through the list of Gu Yue Zhenren's relatives and protectors recorded in the celestial register.

He immediately withdrew his divine sense after only seeing the names inside.

With a soft "snap," the Immortal Talisman copy closed up again, restoring its original solid form.

To ensure absolute success, the Master of Tongxuan bit his fingertip and, using his finger as a brush, solemnly drew a blood-red rune in mid-air on top of the original restrictions on this copy.

The runes disappeared into the scroll, instantly transforming into an extremely powerful and deadly restriction.

With this restriction in place, even if a powerful individual were to infiltrate the Tongxuan Division's secret vault in the future, attempting to steal the Immortal Scroll and spy on its contents, the restriction would be triggered the moment they touched it. Not only would the scroll self-destruct, but the spy would also pay a corresponding price.

1m

Suddenly, a series of extremely faint, almost weightless footsteps echoed in the quiet corridor outside the main hall.

The Master of the Tongxuan Division suddenly raised his head, his gaze shooting towards the palace gate like lightning.

An elderly figure dressed in a dark blue eunuch's robe and holding a whisk was seen silently stepping over the threshold and slowly entering the main hall.

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The old eunuch was pale and beardless, his face full of wrinkles like withered tree bark, and he was hunched over, looking as if a gust of wind could blow him over.

But the moment the Master of Tongxuan saw who it was, he immediately stood up from the large seat that symbolized power and strode forward to greet them. His originally dignified and cold face was now filled with a very polite smile.

"Eunuch Hong, what brings you out of the palace today? May I ask what brings you here?"

There are very few people in the entire Great You Dynasty who can command such humility and politeness from the Master of the Tongxuan Division, who oversees all the extraordinary forces in the world. The old eunuch Hong Jiu before them is one of them.

Hong Jiu is not only the most trusted personal attendant of the current emperor, but also the sharpest knife hidden in the royal family.

The Master of Tongxuan knew better than anyone that this seemingly dying old eunuch had already reached an unfathomable level of cultivation, and his true strength was probably no less than that of Master Xu of Xuantian Temple back then!

Facing such a person, he naturally wouldn't put on airs as the Master of the Xuan Division.

Hong Jiu slightly lifted his droopy eyelids, his voice hoarse and shrill, carrying a chilling aura that sent shivers down one's spine: "Your Excellency, you are too kind. This old servant left the palace today on His Majesty's orders. His Majesty instructed me to inquire about the true nature of the Lonely Moon Fairy who caused the strange phenomena in Lin Yuan Prefecture and newly ascended to the Purple Mansion realm."

Upon hearing this, the Master of the Tongxuan Division immediately became extremely solemn.

He turned and walked to the desk, precisely pulled out an extremely thick scroll from a pile of top-secret documents, and presented it to the old eunuch with both hands.

"Please take a look, Your Excellency. This is what His Majesty desires."

The head of the Tongxuan Division explained earnestly, "This dossier details the entire life of True Person Guyue, from his birth at the Wenhou Mansion in the capital until his joining the Qixia Immortal Sect. As for His Majesty's most pressing concern—his professional sorcerers and high-ranking spies within the Tongxuan Division have already conducted repeated calculations overnight."

He paused, then continued with unwavering certainty, "The spiritual energy of this world is now depleted. To attempt to open the Purple Mansion through arduous cultivation alone is utterly delusional. Based on the intelligence and residual energy we gathered at the Crimson Fire Mine, the most likely reason Master Gu Yue was able to break through this time is that she obtained the legendary Sacred Heart Lotus Seed, said to be able to reshape one's foundation," and forcibly refined the Earthly Fiend Flame that resided deep within the Fire Pool. It was precisely by borrowing the power of these two extraordinary treasures that seized the very essence of heaven and earth that she was able to break through the shackles and achieve the Great Dao of the Purple Mansion."

Hong Jiu merely glanced at the thick dossier before looking away indifferently. His cloudy eyes shifted slightly as he stared at the Chief of the Tongxuan Division, his voice sharp as he revealed the true purpose of his visit: "This dossier, this old servant will submit it. However, what Your Majesty truly cares about is something else entirely."

The Chief of the Tongxuan Division raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly, adopting a posture of attentive listening: "Please speak, Your Excellency."

Hong Jiu lowered his voice, a sinister smile creeping across his wrinkled face: "I've heard that this Fairy Lonely Moon is incredibly beautiful, a beauty that could topple kingdoms. Even more remarkable is her unwavering devotion to the Dao; now that she has achieved the Purple Mansion realm, she must still be a virgin. Such an exceptional woman, if brought into the palace, would be perfectly suited to help His Majesty comprehend the supreme Dao. His Majesty—intends to make an exception and take her as a Noble Consort. I wonder what the Chief Minister thinks of this matter?"

Upon hearing these words, the Master of the Tongxuan Division's expression changed slightly, and he almost lost his polite smile.

He feigned hesitation and pondered for a moment, then shook his head with a troubled expression: "Um—I'm afraid this is absolutely impossible."

"Why?" Upon hearing this, Hong Jiu's sparse white eyebrows immediately stood on end, his expression quite displeased. "All land under heaven belongs to the emperor. For His Majesty to take a liking to her is a great blessing for her. What's wrong with that?"

The Master of the Tongxuan Division gave a wry smile and lowered his voice, saying, "Your Excellency is unaware of this, but this Fairy Lonely Moon—already has a Daoist partner."

"Who?" Hong Jiu's face darkened, and he blurted out the question. In his view, even if someone had a Daoist partner, His Majesty could simply kill them if he wanted to; what was the point of such an obstacle?

The Chief of the Tongxuan Division immediately composed himself, cupped his hands in a respectful bow towards the palace, and said apologetically, "This... I truly cannot reveal it. The laws of the Great You realm clearly stipulate that the top-secret contents of the main and supplementary volumes of the Immortal Register can only be viewed by His Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince, and myself, apart from the recipient of the register. I just revealed to you, Your Excellency, that the Lonely Moon Immortal already has a Daoist partner, which is already considered a violation of the law. I hope you will understand my predicament."

Upon hearing this, Hong Jiu's expression immediately became uncertain, shifting between light and dark.

Since the incident of deposing the crown prince caused turmoil in the court and the country, the old emperor was "disheartened" and the Great You Dynasty never appointed a crown prince again.

This means that, apart from the Lonely Moon Immortal himself, only the Master of the Profound Mystery Division and the Emperor are qualified to know the top-secret contents of this immortal register! The Master of the Profound Mystery Division has laid out the rules, making it clear that there is no room for error and that he will not be allowed to interfere in the slightest.

"Hmph!" Hong Jiu was rebuffed and let out a soft snort. He flicked the whisk in his hand and said, "Since the Master is so strict about the rules, then this old servant will not ask any further questions. This old servant will now return to the palace to report."

"Please take care, sir. I won't see you off any further." The Chief of the Tongxuan Division still smiled and stood there neither humbly nor arrogantly, watching the old eunuch leave.

#m

Hong Jiu returned to the palace with a belly full of resentment and went straight to the alchemy hall deep inside the palace to report to the old emperor.

However, the heavy bronze doors of the main hall remained tightly shut. The eunuchs guarding the door informed them that His Majesty was at the most crucial stage of refining elixirs and no one was allowed to enter and disturb him.

Helpless, Hong Jiu could only write down the Tongxuan Division Master's reaction and the results of his own probing on a piece of paper and ask the eunuch serving medicine to pass it in through the side door.

Not long after, the young eunuch who had been assisting with the alchemy hurriedly retreated and rushed to Hong Jiu, delivering the emperor's decree in a shrill voice: "Eunuch Hong, His Majesty has decreed: the Chief of the Tongxuan Division has informed me of everything concerning the Immortal Register through another secret channel. As for the matter of taking Gu Yue Zhenren as a Noble Consort, that's it, and no one is allowed to mention it again!"

"What?"

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Hong Jiu was stunned on the spot and had no choice but to bow and accept the order, but his heart was in turmoil and he couldn't figure it out.

He simply couldn't fathom the old emperor's thoughts.

The Lonely Moon Fairy has opened up the Purple Mansion. If she could be brought into the harem, it would be an immense benefit to His Majesty's cultivation. Why is His Majesty rejecting her so decisively now?

It couldn't possibly be because Fairy Lonely Moon already has a Daoist partner, could it? Such worldly ethics and morality are utterly meaningless to the royal family that possesses the world and is incomparably domineering!

If the emperor wanted to, wouldn't it be enough to secretly kill that Daoist partner and solve the problem?

Hong Jiu stood outside the main hall, gazing at the tightly closed bronze door, a deep sense of apprehension and frustration flashing in his eyes.

He had always felt that he was a close confidant who had served the old emperor since childhood, and that he was His Majesty's sharpest blade.

But only today did he realize with horror that he was far less adept at understanding the old emperor's thoughts than the seemingly unassuming Master of the Mysterious Enlightenment Bureau.

"What exactly did the Master of the Profound Realm see on the Immortal Register? And what did he secretly tell His Majesty?" Hong Jiu pondered to himself.