Starting with being handed over to the Imperial Concubine, building a family with a thousand-year hi

"Not necessarily." Su Mu slowly shook his head, his tone solemn. "Princess, have you considered why Wei Zhongxian suddenly brought people here tonight to conduct a thorough search of the library? He ostensibly searched for the remaining assassins, but in reality, he's here for me."

Xiao Anran was slightly taken aback, then smiled and said, "It's alright. Even if the Emperor finds out about this, he probably won't be angry, much less come to question you over such a trivial matter. After all, the Emperor knows you have rendered service to the royal family."

"I hope so," Su Mu sighed softly, his tone carrying a subtle, unspoken meaning.

He readily admitted to the matter for two reasons: firstly, to observe Xiao Anxun's reaction and test the limits of the royal family's trust in him; secondly, he felt the matter was insignificant—with his current strength, even if the royal family were to pursue the matter, he was confident in his ability to handle it.

Moreover, he was fearless and usually too peaceful, so it wouldn't hurt for him to occasionally find some "fun" and observe the scheming and power struggles of various factions.

He said no more, turned and left the gatehouse, returning to the library to continue his meditation and cultivation, as if the turmoil of the night had never happened.

Nothing more was said that night, and the library returned to its usual tranquility.

The following morning, Wei Zhongxian, carrying Xu Shan'er's ashes and personal belongings, entered Fenghe Palace again to report to Lin Wen.

Upon hearing Wei Zhongxian's report, Lin Wen trembled with rage, cursing fiercely, "Ungrateful wretch! Su Mu, that ungrateful wretch! He actually dared to hide the remains of the assassin who tried to kill me! If it weren't for me back then, how could he be in this situation? Has he forgotten that he was just a lowly eunuch by my side back then?!"

"Your Majesty, please calm down," Wei Zhongxian quickly advised. "Old Su had only recently arrived at the library, and his martial arts cultivation was far inferior to what it is today. Perhaps he was genuinely afraid of being implicated in this matter, which is why he resorted to this desperate measure. He did not intend to oppose Your Majesty."

"Afraid of being implicated?" Lin Wen sneered, her anger rising even higher. "He clearly did it on purpose! Back then, he knew perfectly well that the Xu Qian'er sisters came from the Situ family, yet he still dared to let Xu Qian'er stay in Shude Palace, by my side. He must have had ulterior motives all along! I even specifically asked him to help me investigate Xu Qian'er's identity. He clearly knew everything, yet he kept it from me all along. If I hadn't set a trap to lure Xu Qian'er into making a move, who knows how long he would have kept it a secret!"

At this moment, Lin Wen's disgust and hatred for Su Mu reached its peak—she wished she could immediately capture Su Mu and tear him to pieces to vent her anger.

"Your Majesty, Su Mu is now a Grandmaster-level expert and has rendered meritorious service to the royal family. It is probably not enough to punish him severely for simply hiding the remains of an assassin," Wei Zhongxian said slowly, deliberately provoking. "Ever since he entered the library, he has no longer been the little eunuch by Your Majesty's side. In his heart, there is no longer Your Majesty, nor the royal family, only himself."

"Hmph! A mere Grandmaster, not even a Great Grandmaster, dares to be arrogant before me!" A ruthless glint flashed in Lin Wen's eyes as she sternly ordered, "Steward Wei, expedite the investigation immediately. Find evidence of Su Mu's collusion with the Divine Judgment as soon as possible. Once we have irrefutable evidence, I will ensure he is utterly disgraced and dies a horrible death!"

"Your subordinate obeys!" Wei Zhongxian bowed and accepted the order, overjoyed. He then turned and took his leave, immediately arranging for people to expedite the investigation into the connection between Su Mu and the Divine Judgment.

At this time, the imperial palace was filled with a gloomy and desolate atmosphere due to the tense border war. Xiao Anxun was devoted to the border war, working day and night. Even when Xu Qian'er attempted assassination in the palace, he only rushed to Fenghe Palace to confirm that Lin Wen was safe before immediately returning to Qianming Palace to throw himself back into busy political affairs. He had no time to care about Su Mu and Xu Shan'er.

On the northern border, the fierce battle between the Great Xia army and the barbarian and Northern Desert allied forces has entered a white-hot stage. Both sides have won and lost, and suffered heavy casualties, but the overall situation is extremely unfavorable for Great Xia.

The barbarian soldiers have always been brave and skilled in battle. With the help of the Northern Desert Wolf Cavalry, their combat power has greatly increased, and they are pressing forward step by step. The Xuanjia Guard of the Great Xia Dynasty was severely weakened in the battle a year ago. Even with the support of the Jianrui Battalion, it was difficult to withstand the fierce attack of the allied forces. If it weren't for the soldiers' desperate resistance, the Great Xia army would have been completely routed long ago.

On the western border, the Tianwu Sect led warriors from all sides to fight against the beast tide from the Cangmang Mountains. Although they successfully blocked the beast tide's offensive and defended the western border, they also paid a heavy price, with countless deaths and injuries, and many experts perishing.

Inside the library, Su Mu sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and regulated his breathing. His divine sense quietly spread out, sensing the aura of the entire palace. He could clearly perceive that the imperial power within the palace was gradually weakening—Xiao Anxun was preoccupied with border wars and palace affairs, his mind was unsettled, and he was unable to stabilize his imperial aura. Even the palace's fortunes were declining accordingly.

A profound meaning flashed in Su Mu's eyes—the Great Xia royal family was already mired in internal and external troubles. For him, this might be an opportunity, or it might be a new crisis. And his grudges with Su Qingshan and the Divine Judgment, as well as his scheming with Lin Wen and Wei Zhongxian, would eventually have to be completely settled.

Su Mu was unaware that the growing ebb of imperial power within the palace was largely due to the secret alliance between the Divine Judgment, Japanese pirates, and the Duanmu family. Now, more and more forces across the land are secretly plotting to overthrow the Great Qian Dynasty!

If Su Mu hadn't been unwilling to see the Great Qian Dynasty perish and hadn't secretly supported the Xiao royal family, the royal aura within the palace would probably have already declined to its lowest point! The Tianwu Sect alone simply couldn't hold on, and even if the Tianwu Sect produced another Grandmaster, it would be difficult to reverse this downward trend beset by internal and external troubles!

But Su Mu wasn't worried about that. His only thought at that moment was to become stronger.

Spiritual Essence Pill, Qi Condensation Pill, Yuan Condensation Pill, Soul Nourishing Pill... He swallowed one precious pill after another without hesitation, and the medicinal power surged wildly in his body, which he then refined.

The world within his Qi Sea grew ever more expansive. What was originally only the size of a fist had now expanded into a massive bucket, with his true essence surging like a vast ocean—meaning that he had firmly stepped into the Grandmaster realm!

Within his sea of ​​consciousness, the soul fire was also surging wildly, quickly reaching a height of ten meters. Within the flames, the fiery figure, originally only a little over a meter tall, now possessed a more solid form, its facial features clearly visible, almost lifelike. Su Mu's spiritual power had reached its peak in the realm of martial arts!

"After this physical transformation, my physical strength is far greater than before, which is why I can digest the Emperor Qi and the power of the pills so quickly!" Su Mu thought to himself. "Otherwise, it would have taken me at least several more months to break through to the Grandmaster realm."

"Once I reach the Grandmaster level, I will be able to handle things with complete ease. Even if I face attacks from several Grandmasters or thousands of troops, I will be able to deal with them calmly, and no one will be able to do anything to me!"

His rapid advancement in cultivation filled him with absolute confidence.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

As evening fell, Wei Zhongxian hurried to Fenghe Palace, his face beaming with excitement.

"Your Majesty, I have found out!"