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Translator: Fate
Translation Checker: Silavin
What Jun Fan said was simply too shocking. Hearing him say such things, Qing Zhu’s fingers were uncontrollably shaking; her face paled as her mind was ringing. Although she prepared herself to betray the Empress, she never expected to have to murder her.
At the end of the day, Empress Yao Xi raised her for so many years, so she was indebted to the Empress, and if it weren’t for the Empress, she wouldn’t have been able to enjoy her current position. Thus, she might be capable of betraying the Empress, but there was no way she could bring herself to murder her.
“Qing Zhu, don’t fret. You won’t be related to this matter. This flask of pill powder does not comprise any poisonous content. No one will notice it. I know you’re too kind to pull this off, but even you know how ruthless and heartless Yao Xi is. If she were to know about our relationship, do you think she would forgive you over sentiments? No one will be able to save you then.”
Looking at Qing Zhu’s perturbed expression, Jun Fan, as though he predicted this, heaved a sigh and continued persuading.
“Y—You’re right. Her Majesty won’t let us off if she were to know about us.” Qing Zhu widened her eyes as her face blanched. After listening to Jun Fan, she could feel her heart wavering, knowing that she was left with no choice now. Back when she agreed to be Jun Fan’s spy by Empress Yao Xi’s side, she should have expected the coming of this day.
She was reluctant to be an officer who would eventually be handed away by the Empress to a random powerful man, just as how it was with Gu Changge. She believed that in the Empress’s eyes, she was nothing but a tool that could be abandoned anytime.
“How confident are you?” Quickly, Qing Zhu calmed herself down, staring at Jun Fan as she questioned him. Betrayal or not, her loyalty wouldn’t matter if she couldn’t protect her life with it. Simultaneously, she accepted the white clay flask from Jun Fan.
“If you succeed, then I’m ninety percent certain.” Seeing that, Jun Fan was pleasantly surprised, after which, he assured, “I’m also in control of certain powerful individuals. Everything but the last piece is ready. The pill powder in your hand by itself functions as a supplement, so the failure of the remaining steps won’t affect you in any way.”
In other words, Jun Fan implied that whatever Qing Zhu was to do wouldn’t be noticed by anyone else.
Understanding his insinuation, Qing Zhu nodded. A supplement like this wouldn’t be poisonous if it was consumed alone, and instead, it would be good for one’s health.
As such, even Empress Yao Xi were to doubt her daily meal, she wouldn’t be able to trace back to any poison component, so Qing Zhu was safe from any risk of exposure.
“Then, I shall trust you.” Qing Zhu grew visibly determined as some kind of insanity arose in her eyes. If she were to succeed, she would become a historic force that overthrew the Empress, her name would live for generations to come.
Accordingly, the two continued discussing their strategies before Qing Zhu eventually stood up and walked away with a heavy heart.
Jun Fan watched as she departed before faintly heaving a sigh, muttering, “Forgive me, Qing Zhu. If you were to succeed, I’ll give you the antidote.”
Finished, he turned to the cup of tea on the stone table, from which, vapour was wafting along with a subtle tinge of fragrance.
At that moment, Jun Fan seemed restless as well, but he was not to blame. Essentially, given his identity, he was destined to stay away from the light of the sun and remain hidden in the shadows, but things might change should the assassination turn out to be successful.
Though, if the assassination was failed, there was no telling what risk would haunt him. Since Qing Zhu was aware of his identity, if Empress Yao Xi were to know about him, he would definitely be exposed. By then, he couldn’t fathom what he could do for his family of this life, and he couldn’t even imagine what sort of terror would come for him. Therefore, for safety purposes, he poisoned the tea and quietly had Qing Zhu, who never doubted him, consume it.
If the assassination were to fail by then, Qing Zhu, naturally, wouldn’t survive without the antidote, which others would perceive as a suicide, so none would think of blaming Jun Fan. If the assassination were to succeed, he would give her the antidote and beg her for forgiveness.
[This plan of mine must succeed. As long as Yao Xi shows up to the Banquet of Prodigies, there won’t be any miscalculations.] With that in mind, Juin Fan’s face grew emotionlessly cold.
…
“Young Master, the woman in purple you instructed us to keep watch on has left the imperial palace and was headed to another direction. She headed towards Black and White Academy, but she swiftly left without staying for long.”
Meanwhile, in a spectacular palace, Gu Changge was leisurely playing chess, and he was fascinated by the report.
Beside him, there was a menacing, intimidating man, who was the one voicing the report. The man’s name was Tian Ze, and he was a subordinate chosen by Gu Changge from Chaos Star Territory. Tian Ze was in the Sacred Lord Realm, and had rich experience in fighting and slaughter.
[If I recall correctly, Black and White Academy was founded by Empress Yao Xi 6000 years ago in order to gather and raise the most talented.] Gu Changge casually moved his chess piece. [Then, it is clear that she was looking for someone in Black and White Academy. Judging by the short duration of her stay, she must be sending some sort of message.]
Thinking that, he let out a chuckle. If he hadn’t paid attention back then, he probably wouldn’t have noticed such a detail.
Either way, Empress Yao Xi must not have predicted that one of her most trusted subordinates, whom she raised for so long, would become a spy of others in her midst. As such, every movement and whereabouts of hers was continuously known by her enemy.
Tensely furrowing her brows, Jiang Luoshen stared at the checkmate on the chessboard and turned to Gu Changge, only to see his irritating grin. She wasn’t particularly bad at chess, yet she stood no chance against him.
[Besides, if Jun Bufan doubles his aggressiveness, it’s possible for him to poison Empress Yao Xi during her daily cultivation and meals, but the odds are low. Given her vigilance, it’s going to be hard to pull off.]
[Wait, no.] Gu Changge ignored Jiang Luoshen as he continued tapping on his chess piece.
All of a sudden, he thought of a way that Jun Bufan could poison Empress Yao Xi without getting exposed to the world, but that would require Qing Zhu to be bold enough to pull it off.
[Demon World’s Banquet of Prodigies is in three days. The major Clans across various Domains will be attending it in Black and White Academy, and Empress Yao Xi, too, will show up. Trying to cause trouble during that time would be the best opportunity he has. If I was him, I’d definitely pick that moment to make my move. Besides, If my inference is right, Jun Bufan is now in Black and White Academy.]
Gu Changge squinted his eyes as he came to the answer.
As a matter of fact, Black and White Academy harboured more than 100,000 disciples, so it would be burdensome to search one by one. Therefore, he wasn’t hasty. Given the small area, the Heir of the Demon Overlord needed only to appear before him and he would be able to detect him.
[Heh… Still, Empress Yao Xi sure is miserable, being betrayed without knowing it. If this were the ordinary timeline, Jun Bufan might just be the victor in the Banquet of Prodigies.] Gu Changge thought, but doubted that Empress Yao Xi didn’t have any defensive measures. Although he saw through everything, he had no intention of informing her as he was planning to manipulate the Empress, and to do that, the most crucial part was to let her completely rely on him.
As for the way to secure such a goal, it would depend on whether Jun Bufan would create an opportunity for him. On the other hand, the subordinate named Qing Zhu might possibly be a key person who would affect the Banquet of Prodigies three days later.
“Keep watching her every move. Shall any oddities occur, report to me immediately.” After a moment of contemplation, Gu Changge commanded.
“Yes, Young Master.” Upon the order, Tian Ze’s body flickered and instantly disappeared.
Followingly, Gu Changge continued steadily tapping on his chess piece. [Right now, Bai Kun’s daughter, Bai Lian’er, and her disciple are in the Demon World, but they have yet to locate Jun Bufan. I wonder if there will be any other variables.]
As the owner of Nephrite Breeze Pavillion, Bai Lian’er’s cultivation level was at least in the Sacred King Realm, which was by no means insignificant regardless of the place she was in.
“Gu Changge.” Out of nowhere, Jiang Luoshen’s dissatisfied voice interrupted Gu Changge’s thoughts.
“Well, you’ve lost again.” Gu Changge breezily shot her a glance. “Time to pay up.”
Gritting her teeth, Jiang Luoshen wordlessly walked over and started massaging his shoulders. As expected, practice makes perfect. After some time, her massaging technique grew more and more advanced, unlike that when she first started. As her snowy, delicate hands landed on his shoulders, she appeared especially beguiling with her golden hair resting on his back, resembling the vibrance of the sun. Furthermore, there was a waft of a pleasant aroma.
“You’re not that incompetent after all. You sure have learned how to give a good massage.” Gu Changge chuckled.
In response, Jiang Luoshen icily glared at him before rolling her eyes on him. Never had she expected to learn to serve someone like this given her identity. This would have been a miraculous surprise to her in the past.
“So when are you going to learn how to warm my bed?” Gu Changge fascinatedly asked.
Immediately, Jiang Luoshen’s pale, slender neck subtly reddened, as though it was a ruby of superior grade, and one could even see her golden veins. The blood of the members of Godly Illusion Clan was of gold colour, as they possessed incomparable Divinity in them.
Nevertheless, her face remained cold without much change as she scoffed, “Gu Changge, don’t try to force me into doing such things, or I’ll kill you.”
Hearing that, Gu Changge sounded somewhat helpless and disconcerted, though he never forced her. “Is that so? You’re so beautiful. It’s such a waste that you’re unwilling to learn to warm my bed.”
Receiving the compliment regarding her beauty from Gu Changge, Jiang Luoshen couldn’t help but feel happy, but those words somehow felt strange. [I should bed him just because I’m pretty? What logic is that?]
“Gu Changge, it doesn’t matter how you try to manipulate me with compliments. I’ll never agree to it.” She let out a snicker.
“Really?” Gu Changge mindlessly smiled and his tone was ever so natural. “There’s no rush. Besides, I remember you saying similar words previously, but look at you, you’re a master massager now.”
“You…” Jiang Luoshen’s face froze as she was flustered, after which she coldly replied, “How is that relevant to this?”
Gu Changge then chuckled, having no intention to tease her any longer.
…
In a flash, three days had passed.
The influential members of major Clans across the Nine Domains of the Demon World came to attend the Banquet of Prodigies. After all, it was an event that only took place every two decades, so almost all powerful figures of the Demon World would be present.
Furthermore, the fact that Empress Yao Xi would personally present the royal wine to the victorious young prodigies was an honour like no other. Not only could they showcase their abilities in the banquet and make a name for themselves, if they were to gain Empress Yao Xi’s recognition, they would be admitted as honoured royal guards.
Besides, it was rumoured that Gu Changge would also be attending the coming Banquet of Prodigies and presenting rewards to the victorious young prodigies.
Upon countless rumours, countless in the Demon World grew more attracted to attending the banquet. Though, many of them only desired to take a glimpse of Gu Changge’s true appearance, as they wanted to see what the current most known figure of the Upper Realm looked like.
The territory of Black and White Academy was more than 150,000 kilometres wide. Composed by towering mountain ranges filled with Divine Mountains, full of soaring Divine Birds and roaring Divine Beasts. It resembled the sceneries of heavenly paradise. Within, the grandest mountain range, containing the Sacred Mountain of Black and White Academy, which was said to harbour Fortuity Dragon Veins of a million square kilometres. This was also where shockingly blinding, vibrant Immortal Mists drifted.
Today, many figures appeared near the mountain range. Regardless of genders, ages, or cultivation level, many were swarming to the region to seize the best vantage point. Other than that, young prodigies of different forces were also gathered here. There weren’t just the disciples of Black and White Academy, but disciples raised by other forces as well.
As its name suggested, the Banquet of Prodigies was an opportunity for all young prodigies of the Demon World to thrive to glory, and anyone of the younger generation was eligible for participation.
At that moment, on a route between the mountains, a man and a woman were in a hurry. The man wore a linen garment and carried a straw basket on his back, bearing the resemblance of an herb gatherer, while the woman beside him also donned a linen garment; her face was dry and yellowish, and somewhat hideous.
However, her body was unparalleled, as every curve emitted charm like no other. It left the young men passing by subconsciously peeking at her, only to have grimaces on their faces as they hastily fled in disgust once they saw her face.
“Lian’er, do you think we can finally meet the person Master mentioned this time?” The basket-carrying man suddenly asked out of curiosity.
Hearing that, the woman glanced at her and answered, “If we can’t find him here, then we’ll probably never find him in all corners of the Demon World. But for some reason, my intuition tells me that he must be there, doing something that would shock the world.”
“Then, after this, do we get to return to save Master once we hand the item over to that man?” The man’s eyes were filled with hope.
Sadly, the woman wordlessly shook her head.
Those two were no other than Bai Lian’er and Bai Hua, who came from the Upper Realm to the Demon World to accomplish a mission given by Bai Kun.
They hurried to the region of the Sacred Mountain before them and like others, they, too, looked for an advantageous vantage point.
Currently, many young prodigies covered in formidable auras and brilliant lights had arrived at the foot of the Sacred Mountain, waiting eagerly for what was to come. Missions were attending the Banquet of Prodigies to witness the flamboyant event.
*Whoosh!* All of a sudden, dazzling beams surged in the sky, grabbing the eyes of all guests as those beams gradually descended to the Sacred Mountain. Atop, there were four striking women, carrying quill, ink, and paper in their hands. Their footsteps were graceful, resembling that of the divine damsels of the Nine Heavens.
“They are the four subordinates of Empress Yao Xi!”
“They have come! Her Majesty must be arriving soon!”
Seeing that, many grew thrilled as they recognised the four women in the sky.
Near the Sacred Mountain, more and more high-ranking officers appeared with their families and servants before getting to their seats in the guest area. Other than that, menacing knights were patrolling the region and they were on standby to attack anyone they deemed suspicious.
At such a moment, the safety of their Empress must be ensured. Although her cultivation level was high, she had yet to be truly peerless, so it wouldn’t hurt to be careful.
Soon, young prodigies of the Demon World, those with the highest cultivation level, showed up one by one, catching the attention and cheers from the crowd.
At the same time, a bewitching woman in a yellow dress also appeared at the foot of the Sacred Mountain, along with a breeze of elegant fragrance. She was gorgeous and seemed to have a heart of gold. She was none other than Song Youwei, the sole Heiress of the Grand Tutor.
Her appearance instantly caught the attention of the other young prodigies, as they turned to her at once, eyeing her with all sorts of emotions in their hearts, be it amazement, appreciation, admiration, or fear.
“Grand Tutor, your daughter possesses such jaw-dropping gracefulness despite her age. One is sure to be envious of her.” The Quelling Chaos King chortled aloud as he was joking around with the Grand Tutor, though his tone still carried respect for the latter.
The Grand Tutor then softly laughed, saying, “How humbling. Though, I’ve heard that your third son is not to be underestimated as well, leaving the world impressed in such a short amount of time. He hid for years, yet he stunned the world once he emerged. Youwei has mentioned him many times to me.”
Hearing that, the Quelling Chaos King obviously grew gleeful. He never expected his third son, whom others were less fond of, to be able to experience such a day. Be it hidden Talents or encountered opportunities, to the Quelling Chaos King, none of that mattered. All that mattered was he could feel proud of what his son had done.
In that instant, an idea arose in the Quelling Chaos King’s mind. Since Song Youwei didn’t have an arrangement of marriage, and she seemed to be good friends with his third sons, it would be beneficial to him if he could pair them up.
As they were chatting, an individual arrived from afar. Sporting a blue garment, the individual was blessed with a handsome visage and a muscular body, and he was carrying confidence and serenity. The man was none other than Jun Fan himself.
As he observed his surroundings, he revealed a subtle grin, talking in his heart. [Yao Xi, the day has come! You better brace yourself!]
Right at that moment, shrieks that thundered across the region came from the sky, followed by the appearance of a charging nine-headed Divine Beast that resembled a Qilin. As its hooves stomped the air, the contact let out a thunderous sound.
The Divine Beast was dragging a black jade carriage behind it, as it exuberantly dashed through the skies. It was approaching with dense, stupefying intimidation. Simultaneously, a daunting cavalry on battle chariots and beasts were following behind the carriage.
“Her Majesty is here!” An anonymous shout was heard, directing the attention of the others towards the sky as their eyes were filled with reverence.
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“Doing something that will shock the world ” haha what a great woman intuition
Dying without a grave is also considered shocking I guess xD
Quite the quick wrap up. Expected this arc to be a bit longer.