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

The shadowy figure vanished from the alley, as if he had never been there at all. Bai Qingyu could only say that his appearance and tomorrow's plans were entirely expected; such a momentous event couldn't possibly be left unattended by this group of demonic cult members.

Bai Qingyu wondered if this was part of his plan.

She had no doubt whatsoever that Xu Yuanqing would dare to scheme against a group of cultivators.

Or rather, given Xu Yuanqing's personality, he would inevitably go and clean up these cultivators in the capital. Now, most of the original cancers in the capital have been wiped out, and the remaining source of chaos lies with these cultivators, whether they are righteous or demonic sects.

Even Tianyang Palace was one of the sources of chaos in the capital.

Unless we deal with these cultivators, the nation's fortunes will never improve, unless we truly wait for the arrival of that chosen one.

In short, it has nothing to do with her, unless this battle affects the fate of the country, which is why she wants to protect Xu Yuanqing's life and make sure there are no problems in the palace.

Back in the courtyard, the entire Imperial Preceptor's residence reeked of the smell of wine, meat, and food; the combined aroma was indeed unpleasant. The courtyard was noisy; a group of officials, quite drunk, were boasting and shouting, while maids ran around carrying trays.

One of the maids was so busy that she accidentally stepped off the stairs while carrying a tray, spilling the leftover food from the tray towards Bai Qingyu who was passing by.

At this critical moment, a figure in white robes moved with incredible speed, stepping forward to embrace Bai Qingyu and using his own body to help her block the spilled soup from the leftover food, thus "rescuing the damsel in distress."

Bai Qingyu kicked the man away, using her demonic power to block the soup and help the maid up.

Everything happened too fast; that man was quite skilled.

Pfft!

The sound of the prince falling into the water reached everyone's ears, immediately attracting the attention of several officials who were eating and drinking at a nearby table. They held their glass cups, staring at each other, looking at the third prince who had fallen into the water, then at the maid who was so frightened that she was crying, and then at Bai Qingyu who had almost been splashed with soup.

The chaotic scene instantly quieted down, and some officials, who were slightly drunk, were sobered up by the sight.

"Your Majesty, I, I, I didn't mean to..."

The maid was only sixteen years old. At such a young age, she had never seen anything like this before, and she couldn't bear the shock. When she saw that it was Bai Qingyu in front of her, her mind went completely blank. She quickly apologized, her voice trembling with tears.

"It's alright, just be more careful next time. There were too many things to do tonight, it's understandable that you made some mistakes in the rush." ​​Bai Qingyu said softly, and picked up the plate from the ground and returned it to the girl.

"Thank you for your mercy, Your Majesty."

"It was nothing serious to begin with, so why talk about gratitude? Go on."

The girl looked uneasy, but seeing Bai Qingyu smiling, she finally relaxed a little, apologized to Bai Qingyu again, and hurriedly left.

No matter how grateful she was, she had to leave; she was just a lowly maid.

As they were talking, the Third Prince, who had been kicked into the pool, climbed out and looked at Bai Qingyu with resentment and anger in his eyes.

The little maid's misstep was actually his doing; he deliberately wanted to put on a show in front of Bai Qingyu.

Even if Shenhuang is powerful, she is still a woman. As a woman, she can be moved and pursued. If she cannot be pursued, it can only be because her approach is wrong.

He had seen all kinds of women in his romantic escapades, and had even seduced many female demons and female cultivators.

Bai Qingyu glanced at the Third Prince, but didn't think about what had just happened. She always felt that this person was a bit strange, and seemed to have something to do with the fate of the country. He was not the chosen one, but rather a stepping stone for the fate of the country.

Moreover, this guy's aura is somewhat complex, indicating that he must have come into contact with a large number of cultivators in a short period of time, and all of them are quite powerful.

This is interesting; a prince has come into contact with so many powerful figures.

If she hadn't overheard someone say that, she would have thought it was a representative of some sect.

Turning away, Bai Qingyu found Xu Yuanqing, who was still drinking, and sent a telepathic message, telling him to wait for him by the pool.

Do you know the Third Prince?

"I know him. Why did Your Highness suddenly bring him up?"

"Is this guy backed by a lot of sects?"

"This... to be honest, that's exactly right."

Bai Qingyu's eyes changed slightly. "No, that's right. Send someone to inform your Emperor immediately and tell him to be careful tomorrow and to be prepared."

Her fears came true: many sects united to fight against Tianyang Palace.

The palace may be the opening ceremony.

Volume 1: Chapter 181 First Bow to Heaven and Earth, Second Bow to the Divine Phoenix

To the major cultivation sects, the Great Spirit is merely a mortal dynasty. Many of their sects have experienced more than three dynasties since their inception. However, this does not mean that the Great Spirit is unimportant to these sects. On the contrary, the Great Spirit is so important that any sect would take a risk.

The Tianyang Palace's current formidable strength is inseparable from the help of the Great Spirit.

The Great Spirit can not only bring good fortune to Tianyang Palace, but also countless people and things, especially some important but rare materials that are needed in large quantities.

Furthermore, Da Ling belongs to the orthodox lineage of the world, and as the guardian sect of Da Ling, Tian Yang Palace is also an orthodox lineage of the world. The benefits it brings are immeasurable, such as Tian Jian and Dong Qing.

If one or more sects were to replace Tianyang Palace, their development would double, especially in terms of talent.

Even a sect like Tianyang Palace needs an influx of fresh blood. If it remains unchanged, it will be like a stagnant pool, slowly declining.

So the current situation is that a group of minor sects have joined forces to use the Third Prince as a breakthrough point, preparing to clash with Tianyang Palace. Tomorrow, they will most likely go to the palace to cause trouble for the Human Emperor. If they can kill the Human Emperor and the Third Prince ascends the throne, then they will have succeeded. Conversely, if the Third Prince dies, then they will have failed.

Seeing that Xu Yuanqing didn't seem surprised, Bai Qingyu wondered to herself.

"The Third Prince was also part of your plan?"

"That's it."

"Does it count?"

Bai Qingyu suddenly punched Xu Yuanqing in the stomach. She controlled the force, making it about the same as an ordinary person's punch.

"You rascal, you didn't just call me here to celebrate with you, did you?"

"No, no, Your Majesty, please spare my life." Xu Yuanqing bent over, clutching his stomach, wincing in pain.

"Tell me what you really think, be honest, don't give me any vague answers."

"I'll tell you, I actually have a big plan, but the chance of success is only fifty percent. I'm afraid of what might happen, so I asked Your Majesty to come. I don't need Your Majesty to do anything more, I just ask that Your Majesty lend a hand to the capital if things get out of control."

"You've got a good plan, haven't you? You're talking about the situation getting out of control? What do you mean by 'out of control'? Even if things really do get out of control, Tianyang Palace is there to save you. Why are you coming to me? Are you trying to make me your insurance? You're trying to scheme against me, aren't you?"

"No, no, no, Your Majesty has really misunderstood. I was not plotting against you."

Xu Yuanqing was almost in tears. He actually regarded Bai Qingyu as his last line of defense. No matter what the outcome was, it was an internal matter. With Bai Qingyu around, it wouldn't affect the people in the city.

"Then why didn't you say so before?" Bai Qingyu squinted, she really wanted to slap this guy across the face.

"Because this matter is too complicated to explain, and no matter who wins, it won't affect Your Highness. I'm worried that the chaos it causes will be too great and affect all the people in the capital. With Your Highness here, it won't happen."

"Xu Yuanqing, I know what you're thinking. You feel that as long as I don't tell you, whether I do it or not is entirely up to me, so there's no question of scheming, right?"

Bai Qingyu clenched his fists, wishing he could punch this guy again.

"But you can't be unaware that if something happens in the capital and it affects the people, I can't possibly stand idly by."

Still clutching his stomach, Xu Yuanqing grimaced, feeling somewhat embarrassed. He didn't think he could hide it from Bai Qingyu, but he didn't expect to be exposed so quickly. Moreover, Bai Qingyu had really hit the nail on the head; inviting her over was essentially taking advantage of her personality.

If nothing goes wrong, then there's no problem, everything is fine, and we'll apologize in person when the time comes.

If something goes wrong, then he can't care anymore. If the situation gets out of control and affects the common people, Xu Yuanqing will definitely be the first to die. The forces behind the Third Prince will not let him go.

Since I'm already dead, I can repay my debt by being reborn as a cow or a horse in my next life.

After a long silence, Bai Qingyu spoke, "I can help you, but I have one condition. Otherwise, even if all the people in your capital are wiped out, it has nothing to do with me. You all talk about 'Empress' all the time, but behind my back you call me a monster. How come you've forgotten now that I am a demon? What do I care if the people in your capital live or die?"

"This, Your Majesty, I really didn't..."

"Whether it matters or not, my condition is very simple. You know that the Ninth Princess is in my hands. She is my daughter now. Maybe in twenty years, or maybe thirty years, when she returns, I will help her clear the obstacles and become the Great Spirit Empress."

Scheming against her? Of course I can. As long as I agree to this request, I'll not only protect the people of the capital, but I could even have a run-in with the Third Prince's men tomorrow.

Because at that time, she also wanted the Third Prince to die.

With her eyes lowered, Xu Yuanqing was still rubbing her stomach, though the pain had actually subsided.

He is now pondering Bai Qingyu's words.

"But Your Majesty, what about the Mandate of Heaven?"

"You don't need to concern yourself with matters of destiny."

Xu Yuanqing straightened up, and from who knows where he pulled out a feather fan, he frowned and gently patted it.

Bai Qingyu wasn't stupid, nor was she Xu Yuanqing's biological aunt. Xu Yuanqing dared to say that if he refused, Bai Qingyu would simply leave. What happened in the capital had little to do with her anyway.

He certainly couldn't say that it didn't matter whether Bai Qingyu was there or not. Bai Qingyu was crucial as the last line of defense, and of course, it could get Tianyang Palace to take action. But the problem was that this operation was specifically targeting Tianyang Palace, and Tianyang Palace was already caught in the trap. How could they save them?

After a long pause, Xu Yuanqing put down his fan. "Alright, I promise Your Majesty, if I'm still alive by then."

You never know which will come first, tomorrow or an accident. Xu Yuanqing felt that if things continued to develop this way, it was uncertain whether he would live to see that day.

He might have died before the Ninth Princess even grew up.

He might even die tomorrow.

"Since you've said that, I can't let you die."

Bai Qingyu's smile returned in an instant, feeling that Xu Yuanqing was a promising young man.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Xu Yuanqing smiled wryly.

Although there's no real loss, after the Human Emperor's death, it doesn't matter who you support. The Ninth Princess was raised by the Divine Phoenix, so not only does she have the Divine Phoenix's support, but in some aspects, she's probably better than many other princes and princesses.

Most of the princes and princesses were spoiled and pampered, and in Xu Yuanqing's opinion, none of his eight brothers and sisters were worth raising.

Bai Qingyu waved her hand, and the automatically unfolding barrier was dispelled.

Seeing that Bai Qingyu was about to leave, Xu Yuanqing quickly said, "Your Majesty, you may stay at Xiangtian Tower tonight."

·

On the top floor of Xiangtianlou, Bai Qingyu sat on the roof, with most of the capital city spread out before her.

Many people won't be able to sleep tonight.

Bai Qingyu wondered if the Third Prince had some connection with the Heavenly Sect. Their coordination was too good: one side launched a surprise attack on Xiangtianlou to purge officials and cultivators, while the other side marched straight to the palace to assassinate the emperor and usurp the throne.

The Heavenly Sect's move first will inevitably draw the attention of the cultivators in the city, and the major strongholds will certainly come to their aid first.

As soon as fighting breaks out here, the Third Prince will immediately raise an army in rebellion.

The cultivators in the city were all held back, so how could a group of mortals in the palace possibly stop them?

As for the backlash from heaven, they no longer care.

If they were truly worried about divine retribution, they wouldn't have helped the Third Prince rebel. Bai Qingyu didn't know where they got their courage from; perhaps they saw that fate was about to change and thought this was an opportunity.