I am Guhuoniao, not an umbrella demon, please do not disturb me.

“Luck does exist and it does influence things, but I think they’ve got it backwards.”

"When one's fortune declines, the first thought is not to find the cause of the decline, nor to investigate why it is declining and where the root cause lies, but instead to think about how to improve one's fortune."

"If we don't even solve the root problem, what good is it if we find a way to improve our luck? At most, we can hold on for a few years, and then it will burst like a bubble."

Everything has a cause; the rise and fall of fortunes are all due to reasons.

Take the events in the capital, for example. Although she didn't know the specifics of what had happened, she was absolutely certain that a large portion of the officials in the capital were corrupt.

It's rotten and corrupt. Even without natural disasters or man-made calamities, the people are still living in misery and can't even afford to eat. How can you expect good fortune?

In a sense, fortune reflects the overall situation of a country and does not exist in isolation.

Fortune influences every citizen, and conversely, every citizen influences fortune.

Why send Xu Yuanqing back to resolve the issues in the capital first?

Because the internal problems remain unresolved, and the emperor continues to be incompetent, everything he says is meaningless. If the little snake were to go, the result would certainly be that initially, the nation's fortunes would improve, but after a few years, it would suddenly collapse, and the little snake would suffer a backlash, at best severely injured, at worst dying on the spot.

If the nation's fortunes improve but the overall situation remains unchanged, what's the difference between that improved fortunes and a castle in the air? It's nothing but a dream, a bubble that bursts at the slightest touch.

Normally, the Imperial Advisor wouldn't fail to see such a simple truth.

Even if he's young, it's true that you can't tell, but surely his master can?

His master was a remarkable figure who managed to revive the nation's declining fortunes for decades despite his mortal body.

How could they not know this?

So why didn't he say it?

Because if he were to say it, his disciple would die!

To address the root cause, we must deal with certain scum who disregard human life.

The problem is that these scoundrels often wield great power and have deep roots in the capital.

They don't care what happens to the world.

The nation's fate is declining because of them, and they don't care. If Xu Yuanqing dares to show any intention of settling scores or touch their interests, they will not hesitate to deal with him.

So what if he's the Imperial Advisor?

They don't care about the fate of the nation, they deceive their superiors and subordinates, so why would they be afraid of a national advisor who is only twenty-seven years old?

It would be more appropriate to have his master come.

One person can't deal with Xu Yuanqing, but what if they join forces?

Could it be that even if they joined forces, they still wouldn't be a match for Xu Yuanqing?

Bai Qingyu briefly explained her thoughts, saying that this was a good opportunity for the children to understand just how treacherous people can be.

Sure enough, after saying that, Xiao Yao whispered, "Then Auntie, isn't this person doomed when he gets back?"

At this moment, even Xiaodie, who was focused on making clothes, and Yuzhanjin, who was focused on reading, turned their gazes over.

"Not necessarily." Bai Qingyu shook her head.

"Since the nation's fate has been able to hold out until now without collapsing, it means that the capital can still be saved, and there are a few people like Xu Yuanqing."

"Actually, Xu Yuanqing's return this time was his own attempt to save the nation's fate."

"As long as he can defeat these people and eliminate them, how can the nation's fortune not improve? At least, I can let the little snake go with peace of mind."

"If he dies, then there's nothing anyone can do; the Great Spirit deserves to be destroyed."

With people like Xu Yuanqing dead, who can save the Great Ling Dynasty?

Tianyang Palace?

Tianyang Palace will only watch silently as another group of people come and conquer the capital, and from then on, the Great Ling Dynasty will become history.

Anyway, it has nothing to do with them, and they can't interfere in mortal affairs.

The new dynasty will still make Tianyang Palace the guardian sect of the country, and will continue to offer tribute to Tianyang Palace every year. In order to please Tianyang Palace, they will even double the benefits.

“He’s too young,” Zhen Tian said softly.

"Yes, he's too young, only in his twenties. Just a few years ago he was still learning from his teacher, and now he has to face a group of old foxes who have been in power for decades. It's tough."

How many of the officials who rise to high positions and influence the fate of the nation are fools?

They were all more cunning and treacherous than the last.

Not to mention those powerful and aristocratic families.

Will Tianyang Palace intervene?

Zhen stood behind Bai Qingyu and asked a question.

Before Bai Qingyu could answer, Dong Qing, who was sitting beside her and leaning back with her head on her lap, opened her eyes. "No, Tianyang Palace cannot interfere in mortal affairs, especially the imperial court. Not only Tianyang Palace, but other sects also cannot. If a problem arises, it will be a huge karmic obstacle affecting the entire sect. I'm afraid only the Demonic Sect can get involved."

She was a disciple of Tianyang Palace, and she knew these rules very well.

"Wait a bit, it should only take a year. I estimate it won't be enough in a year, it will probably take two years. Ling'er, you can consider it then. The imperial court has agreed that as long as it's completed, they will bestow an official title upon you. The title is very important, it will affect your future transformation into a dragon."

Bai Qingyu gently massaged Dong Qing's head and said softly, "I will discuss with the imperial court and try to keep you here for as long as possible, maybe thirty to fifty years."

Thirty to fifty years is not a long time for a demon, and Bai Qingyu thinks it is worth it to exchange this time for a title.

"That's about it. It doesn't matter whether you agree or not. Don't feel guilty. The fate of the nation is not your doing. What can you do if you don't agree? You're a demon, not a human, and you've never taken any benefits from the court."

The little snake lowered its head, "I don't know either..."

She knew how important the investiture was to her, but once she agreed, she would have to leave her aunt's side for decades.

People like Dongqing can at least come back to visit once every few years, but she probably won't be able to anymore.

"It's okay, there's still plenty of time, we can take our time to think about it."

Bai Qingyu lifted Dongqing's hair and began to braid it, remarking, "Humans are fascinating creatures. With a single thought, they can become gods or demons. There is indeed a reason why only humans have become the darlings of heaven and earth."

"I've always wanted to go to the capital to see what it's like. If that guy succeeds, I'll take you all with me to see what true prosperity is all about."

"Great!" Dongqing was very happy. She had planned to go to the capital when she came out of the valley, but she didn't expect it to be delayed until now.

"What's so good about it? Your master might not be able to let you go down the mountain then. You've come all this way, so tell everyone what life on the mountain is like."

"Life up in the mountains..."

Several days passed in the blink of an eye. Xu Yuanqing drove the carriage along the official road without stopping for long, but there were still at least ten days' journey to the capital.

No longer traveling at night, Xu Yuanqing parked the carriage by the river, lit a campfire, sat by the fire, stared blankly at the burning flames, took out some coarse grain cakes from his pack, and ate them with boiled river water.

He had already calculated his expenses before returning to the capital.

There are more ills than good luck.

Fortunately, there is some hope, so it's not so hopeless that one can despair.

"Master, I will definitely succeed..."

He clenched his fists tightly, his face full of determination.

While he was eating coarse grains, he suddenly heard a sound. He turned his head and saw a curvaceous girl dressed in revealing clothes walking towards him.

"Young master, could you give me some food? I haven't eaten for three days."

The woman walked to the fire, and her body suddenly went limp, leaning towards Xu Yuanqing.

Xu Yuanqing glanced up, then ignored her, letting the vixen lean against him.

This demoness is just an ordinary fox demon.

Leaning against Xu Yuanqing, the fox woman opened her eyes and glanced at him.

I finally met an ordinary person, and he was a scholar at that.

The first murder I've ever committed, and it's you!

Dying beneath the peony blossoms is a romantic death.

"Sir..."

As soon as she finished speaking in her sweet voice, she looked up again and saw that Xu Yuanqing had turned into a ghost face. She was so frightened that she turned pale and sat up in Xu Yuanqing's arms in shock.

Seeing her reaction, Xu Yuanqing couldn't help but laugh out loud and took the mask off his face.

"Hehehe, it seems you've met the Lord of Nanshan."

He tossed the mask into the air and caught it, then examined it carefully in his hand.

If Bai Qingyu were here now, she would definitely notice that this mask is the one with the confident smile of the Shuten-dōji in his Shuten-dōji form, only with some minor details added to make it look terrifying.

This was something Xu Yuanqing used to ward off ghosts and monsters while traveling.

When you arrive at a desolate place, all sorts of ghosts and monsters appear one after another. Some of them are so annoying that you get lost in a maze of ghosts. After putting on this mask, I never encountered them again.

Only then did the fox demon realize that he had been tricked, and his face turned extremely ugly.

"How dare you play tricks on this immortal?!"

"You call yourself an immortal?" Xu Yuanqing sneered, his expression mocking. "I saw a demon a few days ago, and she was absolutely stunning. Not only was she incredibly beautiful and gentle, but she was also full of merit. Even the people in the city spontaneously built a temple for her and respectfully called her 'Your Majesty.' Even so, she didn't call herself an immortal. How dare you call yourself one?"

"With that pointy mouth and monkey cheeks, doesn't he ever look in the mirror? He's got that slutty, seductive smell, doesn't he know how to wash himself off?"

"You!" The demoness trembled with rage.

"What, you're not convinced? That lady is my good friend. If you're not convinced, you can go and find her in person."

The demoness then revealed her sharp claws and ferocious fox head, saying, "Kill you, and I will go find her myself!"

"Then you must remember this well: that lady lives in Nanshan. We usually call her Nanshan Divine Phoenix. Of course, I suggest that when you go there, you should call her Divine Phoenix Lady."

After the incident at Xishan, Bai Qingyu's name did not spread, nor did the name of the Guhuoniao. However, the name of the Divine Phoenix became known to everyone. As long as one mentioned the Divine Phoenix, everyone would know that it was Bai Qingyu.

The enchantress's expression changed. "Are you trying to scare me?"

"Trying to scare you? Since you recognized this mask, guess how I got it? The Lord of Nanshan is the child of the Divine Phoenix, you couldn't possibly not know that, could you?"

Xu Yuanqing remained calm and composed. "I could tell at a glance that you're not human. Why do I still dare to sit here? You fool, don't you even think about it? It's because I have a magical artifact bestowed upon me by the Empress. Although it can only subdue one monster, if you really want to try, then so be it."

These words really intimidated the demoness, leaving her unsure whether to attack or not.

He intervened because he was worried that this guy might actually know the Divine Phoenix and kill him, which would leave him in deep trouble. If he didn't intervene, wouldn't it be too embarrassing for a demon to be scared off by a mortal?

"Leave now, it's better for both of us."