My whole family are full of geniuses, I really don't want to be a succubus!

Upon hearing Su Yi's words, the old man was startled, his eyes filled with astonishment.

For eight hundred years since the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the sacred precept has been to establish the legitimate heir and not the illegitimate heir, in order to preserve the purity of the royal bloodline.

With the nation's fortunes protecting them and their descendants flourishing, the imperial court naturally had no need to worry about the succession of a sage.

In this generation, with the sage below him, there are five emperors ruling simultaneously, so there is no need to worry about succession.

Instead, the question of who could inherit the throne made the entire Great Zhou Dynasty unpredictable.

Now, suddenly someone jumps out and tells you that none of the five princes who currently hold real power in the court will become the next sage.

The Sage is a princess who is only twelve or thirteen years old and has been forced to leave the capital to cultivate in seclusion at the Luoxia Immortal Sect in the Thirty-Six Caves.

Do you want to hear what you're saying?

Have you ever thought about whether you ate too much rat poison this morning and are hallucinating?

Just as the lord sneered, intending to send this arrogant brat to swim in the River of Oblivion, he suddenly felt a tremor in his heart.

The old man thought of Su Yi's identity, and even more so of the Luoxia Immortal Sect, one of the thirty-six grotto-heavens behind Su Yi.

What the hell!

I'm so impressed! If that's really the case, what kind of prestige would a legitimate princess representing the thirty-six blessed lands and the entire cultivation world of the Great Zhou Dynasty have?

Thinking of this elderly lord, he broke out in a cold sweat and instinctively wanted to submit a memorial to the Imperial Observatory, severely criticizing these wild immortal sects that dared to try and seize power in the mortal realm.

But this thought only lingered in his mind for a moment before the old man swallowed it back.

If a legitimate princess with thirty-six blessed lands behind her were to actually participate in the struggle for the throne, it would be questionable whether she could truly ascend to the throne.

If it really works out, while everyone else is busy with their own projects, I'll be busy with my own projects.

Once it's done, wouldn't the national fortune and blessings of the Temple of Heaven's shrine be within easy reach?

He's been an old man for so many years, and his memories have been erased so many times. He really wants to improve!

How could this handsome but seemingly clueless young man possibly know such a secret?

The elderly lord, still somewhat skeptical, stretched out his withered right hand, grabbed Su Yi, and warned in a low voice, "Boy, your arrogant words could bring utter destruction to your Falling Clouds Immortal Sect!"

"You think borrowing a route through Yongzhou will lead to the destruction of your entire sect? Do you think Brother Su has wasted ten years playing 'Immortal Path'?"

"Does this old man not believe that Ling Yao is currently cultivating at the Luoxia Immortal Sect? No wonder the Empress has been on the throne for ten years, and this Lord of the Palace still hasn't been promoted. He has no discernment at all!"

Su Yi muttered something to himself, but his hand had already reached into his storage bag. He mysteriously pulled out the sect leader's token and said, "This is the sect leader's token of my Falling Clouds Immortal Sect. Anyone who sees this token is as if the sect leader himself has arrived!"

The elderly man, who was initially skeptical, became almost entirely convinced the moment he saw Su Yi take out the sect leader's token.

The token resembled both gold and bronze, its material ordinary, yet the venerable Lord of the Ancient Mansion, comparable to a Grand Cultivator of the Divine Transformation Realm, immediately discerned the laws flowing within it. It was as if Zhen Xiazi were held firmly in Su Yi's grasp.

Amazing! It's actually true! The Thirty-Six Heavenly Caves are going to be involved in the succession of sages in the mortal world, and the representative they've chosen is none other than the Sixth Princess, who is currently cultivating at the Luoxia Immortal Sect!

The fact that he had learned of such a great secret meant that the Thirty-Six Immortal Sects intended to join forces with him.

But why would the other party let you know about this?

The elderly lord, his voice trembling slightly, asked, "Why? Why did you tell me this?"

If this matter succeeds, the merit of supporting the emperor will surely earn him a place in the shrine of the Imperial Observatory!

"Why? Of course, it's to scare you, you old cod, into making us go to Yongzhou!" Su Yi rolled her eyes, but then smiled mysteriously and said, "Although the Luoxia Immortal Sect isn't in the mortal realm, its presence there is in Qingzhou. Qingzhou belongs to the Southwest Circuit, so it's naturally within the prefect's jurisdiction. As the saying goes, a close neighbor is worse than a distant relative..."

Su Yi didn't finish her sentence, nor did she want to finish it, deliberately leaving room for imagination. Su Yi meant that now that the legitimate princess was in the Luoxia Immortal Sect, you, kid, were just benefiting from being close by. You should be sensible and send us to Yongzhou!

"Is this what your sect leader intends?" the elderly lord asked, staring at Su Yi.

Makasuko?

Do we need the sect leader's approval to pass through Yongzhou?

Su Yi smiled proudly and said, "I am a disciple of Luo Xiazi, the vice sect leader of the Luo Xia Immortal Sect, and my godfather is the sect leader of the Luo Xia Immortal Sect!"

He possesses the sect leader's golden token, knows such a great secret, and is also the adopted son of the sect leader of the Luoxia Immortal Sect.

At that moment, the old man felt as if a huge pie had fallen on his head.

With the backing of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Caves, and with the Five Dragons vying for the throne in full swing, it's entirely possible that they could be like the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind!

But no, although this matter is very tempting, it is also very risky. Having lived for so many years, the old fox's first thought is to protect himself and never take sides.

Therefore, the venerable old man calmed himself down and said, "The affairs of the human world are not something that gods and immortals can decide. The laws of nature and human relationships are determined by Heaven's will!"

Su Yi was immediately displeased upon hearing the words of the elderly man.

"Hey, why is it so hard to get through? I've practically made it clear that I have connections in the court, doesn't this old guy understand? What's with all this talk about immortals, gods, and mortals?"

But the elderly magistrate calmly replied, "I just heard that you intend to pass through on your way to Yongzhou?"

"The Zhengyang Immortal Sect is about to hold a grand competition, and we are here to participate as ordered by our master!" Su Yi replied honestly.

The elderly lord sneered, thinking to himself, "Perhaps participating in the competition is a pretense; his true intention is to rebel?"

"Since it is requested by the Luoxia Immortal Sect, and immortals are one family, it is naturally not a problem. Apart from that..." The old man looked at Su Yi, only saying half of his sentence, but subtly indicating to Su Yi that he would stay out of this important matter and would not take too much risk to help the sixth princess seize the throne.

Upon hearing the words of the old man, Su Yi's initially joyful expression faltered. The old man had only said half of what he wanted to say before stopping. Could it be that he wanted some benefits?

Seriously? We've already come all the way to the Prefect, and they still want protection money?

Surely not?

Such a powerful prefect does not need spirit stones?

Su Yi raised her hand, staring blankly at the elderly lord, rubbing her thumb and forefinger together, and asked uncertainly, "Is this what you mean, Lord?"

The old magistrate looked at Su Yi's gesture. As the magistrate, he naturally understood what Su Yi meant.

But one only thought about using Yongzhou as a transit point, while the other only thought about plotting the emperor's succession. These two parallel lines never intersected. Naturally, the old man assumed that since Su Yi felt he wouldn't contribute his own efforts, then he would have to.

How do you exert force?

Of course, it costs money!

As the Prefect of the Southwest Circuit, if something can be solved with money, is it even a problem?

The elderly lord looked at Su Yi and said matter-of-factly, "Give me your hand!"

Su Yi reached out her hand, puzzled, and a brocade pouch appeared in her hand.

No? You bribed me by letting me pass through Yongzhou?

Su Yi opened the brocade bag somewhat blankly, looking at the various spirit stones inside. Judging from their quality, they were all high-grade spirit stones.

His heart skipped a beat, and he immediately closed the brocade pouch.

The elderly lord looked at Su Yi, who had closed the brocade pouch, and asked somewhat uncertainly:

"Is this enough?"