Peng City, the great capital of Chu, had stretches of connected barren mountains and hills located 50 li from the city.
Unlike the prosperous Peng City, there was not a hint of smoke from human inhabitation among the mountains and forests. Only the echoes of monkeys crying in the gullies and the murmurs of streams could be heard.
In the azure sky, several white-feathered hawks and falcons circled as they searched for prey.
A fiery red figure suddenly descended onto the peak of the barren mountain. It was a woman!
The woman had an arrogant look in her eyes as she overlooked everything below from atop the mountain peak, like a commanding goddess.
"Is this place really only 50 li from Peng City?" The woman spoke, her tone even more arrogant than her eyes!
"Don't worry, Feng'er."
A man in black robes stood half a step behind the woman. His tone was gentle but he didn't dare stand side by side with her.
The man smiled and said, "The map Chong'er provided clearly marked this mountain area. Peng City had Chu military camps stationed in the east, west and south directions. Only this location with its complicated terrain that's difficult to station troops in was abandoned by the Chu Garrison Army."
"Hmph!" The woman let out a cold snort. She was none other than the lowest seat Sage Ruler of Brahma Sound Pure Land, Blood Phoenix!
"To kill a mere Chancellor of Chu, am I supposed to make a personal move!? Nanguang Yan, with your insignificant capabilities, ascension will remain but a pipe dream for you this lifetime!"
The man called Nanguang Yan was precisely the current Sect Lord of Blazing Fire Sect.
Nanguang Yan's face reddened slightly in embarrassment as he placatingly smiled. "My dear Feng'er, if it was only to kill Fan Li, I alone would've sufficed. I troubled you this time to make a move in order to deter the Chu imperial clan and persuade the current emperor to abdicate, letting Chong'er have the dragon throne."
Blood Phoenix Sage Ruler's expression softened slightly, "After Xiang Chong takes the throne, he must make Zhi'er the Chu Empress. Also, he can only have the empress this lifetime and no other consorts, otherwise even if he's the Chu Emperor, I still won't let him off!"
Blood Phoenix Sage Ruler had profound cultivation. Just this bout of anger alone frightened the trees in the mountain gully to shake while several hundred species of birds in the woods fled far away!
Behind the two still stood a young woman. The woman was dressed very extravagantly in glittering splendor, not at all resembling practitioners from the outer world. Instead, she was like a well-dressed, daily elaborately made-up young miss from a rich clan waiting to be married.
"Mother dearest, Chong'er already told me he'll only love me this lifetime so please set your mind at ease," Nanguang Zhi coquettishly said.
"Hmph! That's sensible of him." Blood Phoenix Sage Ruler coldly said.
Nanguang Zhi curiously asked again, "Mother, Chong'er doesn't have the destiny to be emperor, can he firmly keep his place on the throne?"
Without the slightest hesitation, Blood Phoenix Sage Ruler shook her head. "Without sufficient Mandate of Heaven, it's definitely impossible to last long. But with mother here suppressing the state's destiny and maintaining peace for at least a hundred years isn't out of the question."
Nanguang Zhi's eyes lit up. "Within a hundred years, as long as I give birth to some children, perhaps one might have the destiny to be emperor?"
Blood Phoenix Sage Ruler also smiled with a nod.
"Although the Son of Heaven's birth follows heaven's will, the probability of an emperor's bloodline giving birth to one with the Mandate of Heaven is still the highest."
It turned out in this family of three's eyes, Xiang Chong was merely a breeding machine!
Behind the three, shadows suddenly flashed out! They were the two elders who arrived later along with seventy Blazing Fire Sect disciples!
"Holy Master, Sect Lord, I received news from Chong'er and already know the whereabouts of the four Fan siblings.
Eldest of the Fan clan, Fan Ming is currently at a secret manor outside Peng City meeting with Grand Tutor Dong Zhuo of Han's secret envoy to negotiate an astronomical business transaction that oversees all of the Fan businesses."
Upon hearing the elder's report, Nanguang Yan sneered repeatedly but his heart unavoidably felt jealous.
"Business transaction? It's clearly taking advantage of Fan Li's Chancellor authority for private use! The Fan clan is despicable as expected for actually working together with scum known across the realm like Dong Zhuo!"
Although Nanguang Yan said this, he still couldn't help selfishly calculating that this kind of smuggling operation probably earns dozens of times more than Blazing Fire Sect in a year!
"Fan Chun made an appointment to hunt in the southern mountains outside Peng City with over a dozen military officers he's on good terms with. They're currently happily playing without a care." The elder further said.
Nanguang Yan said upon hearing it, "I heard Fan Chun is a martial arts genius who once defeated a Unity Realm practitioner when outnumbered. Now it seems the man has lost his ambitions and doesn't have high potential."
Blood Phoenix Sage Ruler indifferently said, "What future can a dead man have?"
Nanguang Yan hurriedly nodded, not daring to sing a different tune from his own wife at all.
"Fan Yuehua has reached ninth grade grand perfection at the Nascent Soul Realm, known as Fairy Maiden of the Moon. She also went out to play and is currently amidst peach blossom woods in Peng City's western suburbs, chanting poetry and drinking while appreciating flowers with a bunch of Chu's handsome and talented youths."
Listening to the elder say this, Nanguang Zhi's heart flared for no reason!
She had always accompanied her mother cultivating ascetically in Brahma Sound Pure Land, living in simple clothes and eating plain food every day while constantly raising their strength through arduous cultivation.
Despite Nanguang Zhi's young age, she had already reached first grade of the Divine Transformation Realm, far surpassing Xiang Chong.
Now upon hearing a woman with inferior cultivation to herself was actually addressed as a fairy maiden and living quite richly, especially receiving a lot of affection from men?
"Mother! Leave Fan Yuehua to your daughter! She's just an Nascent Soul cultivator, a weakling!" Nanguang Zhi resentfully said.
Blood Phoenix Sage Ruler nodded before her gaze fell back onto the elder again.
The most important Fan Li's whereabouts?
"This is... Young Master Fan's situation is somewhat special." The elder rarely revealed hesitance.
"Chong'er only investigated that he went to the Chu dynasty's Dragon God Palace to see its guardian beast, Wu Gang. But it's unknown why conflicts occurred and Wu Gang actually imprisoned Young Master Fan inside the palace. It has already been a full three days."
Finally a hint of seriousness emerged within Blood Phoenix Sage Ruler's eyes.
"I heard that after Wu Gang cultivated her dragon body, she had reached first grade of the Great Vehicle Realm?" Nanguang Yan murmured. He didn't dare provoke someone of this level.
Blood Phoenix Sage Ruler still had an aura of extreme arrogance!
"Reaching the Great Vehicle Realm after cultivating for thousands of years. The human race really is heaven's favored creation while the rest are mongrels. Their talents definitely can't compare to humans.
If Wu Gang knows better, she should take the initiative to hand over Fan Li. Otherwise, I won't be polite with her either!"
Nanguang Yan hurriedly said, "Wu Gang is probably also disgusted by Fan Li but as fellow subjects to the emperor, she's reluctant to make a move. If Madam kills Fan Li, perhaps we can owe Wu Gang a favor?"
"Mm, not bad." Blood Phoenix Sage Ruler nodded satisfactorily. "I will definitely break through to the Great Vehicle Realm within five hundred years. By then I'll transcend the tribulation to become immortal and Wu Gang can be my mount."
Having grasped the Fan sibling's whereabouts, all that was left was to deploy troops to intercept and kill them.
Nanguang Yan started deploying forces.
"I'll have to trouble Madam to personally head to Peng City and collect people from Wu Gang at Dragon God Palace."
"I will go to the Fan clan's secret manor to kill Eldest Fan, Fan Ming."
"Then Elder here will lead seventy Sect disciples to the southern mountains in search of Fan Chun. Once located, no need for words—eliminate Fan Chun and the accompanying warriors on the spot!"
"Zhi'er and the Second Elder will go to the Peach Blossom Forest to intercept Fan Yuehua. Make sure she doesn't escape."
Nanguang Zhi exclaimed with joy, "With the Second Elder leading the charge, I guarantee to personally kill Fan Yuehua!"