Chapter 105: Now I Am Power Itself, The Saintess Returns to the Palace

Chapter 105: Chapter 105: Now I Am Power Itself, The Saintess Returns to the Palace

"Congratulations on your new title, my lord."

Liu Yuheng was downcast over the mystery of Ye Yu’s whereabouts, but she still managed to force a smile and congratulate Pei Shaoqing when he returned to the mansion.

"Thank you, Madam," Pei Shaoqing replied with polished grace.

Liu Yuheng couldn’t help but ask, "My lord, is there any news today about Yu’Er’s whereabouts?"

"It won’t be that fast." Pei Shaoqing knew her worry was making her frantic. "Madam," he said, "this afternoon I sent a letter to the Thousand Households, along with a portrait of Young Hero Ye. I’ve asked the Lord Thousand Households to mobilize all the Jing’an Guard in Shu State to help with the search. I’m sure there will be news soon."

He was truly doing his utmost, mainly because the Iron Sword Sect had helped him so much and their relationship was close.

"I truly don’t know how to thank you, my lord." Liu Yuheng was moved by his words and immediately tried to kneel.

"Madam, what are you doing?" Pei Shaoqing caught her hand to stop her, feigning displeasure. "If you continue to be so distant, I’ll truly be upset."

Liu Yuheng pressed her lips together and said no more, but her eyes, as she looked at Pei Shaoqing, were filled with gratitude.

Pei Shaoqing patted her hand and walked inside.

Zhao Zilan walked to Liu Yuheng’s side and whispered, "Mistress, with my lord doing everything he can to help, and with the Jing’an Guard’s eyes and ears all over the realm, I’m sure they’ll find Second Senior Brother’s trail soon. You shouldn’t worry so much. Your eyes have been swollen all day."

"Sigh... I know, I know. But it’s not as if I can simply stop worrying by telling myself to." Liu Yuheng shook her head and sighed, squeezing Zhao Zilan’s hand.

After dinner, before they went to sleep, Pei Shaoqing and Xie Qingwu were chatting in bed. "The Emperor wants me back in the Capital City for the Mid-Autumn Festival, which means I’ll have to deal with some old acquaintances. I need you to go back with me, Qingwu."

As he spoke, he caressed Xie Qingwu’s thigh.

The white Ice Silk, thin as a cicada’s wing, felt delicate and smooth to the touch, and he could feel the warmth of her leg through the fabric.

Xie Qingwu, who had removed her makeup and was wearing only a silken bodice and stockings, replied, "Of course. Thankfully, we won’t have to stay for long; we can leave right after the festival. Besides, I don’t know about some of the original Pei Shaoqing’s affairs or the people he associated with."

"We’ll play it by ear. As long as they’re not people who were too close to him, they won’t easily suspect I’m an imposter," Pei Shaoqing said, his hand sliding to her waist.

Xie Qingwu’s waist was slender, yet softly yielding. She had a hint of a tummy. ’The very definition of Top Grade.’

"What about your sister-in-law? When you go back to the capital, you’ll have to live at home. Even if you weren’t close with her in the past, you lived under the same roof for so many years. She’s bound to know some of the smaller details about you."

Xie Qingwu furrowed her lovely brow. The most fortunate thing right now was that his older brother and his father weren’t in the Capital City. They were the ones who knew Pei Shaoqing best and would be the most likely to grow suspicious.

Pei Shaoqing’s hand slid up her waistline and slipped beneath her bulging bodice. As he listened to Xie Qingwu’s soft, melodious moan, he said, "With family like my sister-in-law, father, and brother, the only way is to minimize contact with them."

"Everyone in the Capital City now thinks you were intentionally hiding your abilities in the past. Your sister-in-law and the others might even think you were deliberately tarnishing your own name for the sake of the Marquis’s Mansion. They might feel guilty for misunderstanding you and feel they owe you, and now they’ll be scrambling to make it up to you."

Aroused by his touch, Xie Qingwu’s body went limp. She leaned against the headboard, panting softly, as her small, silk-clad feet, slender enough to be held in a single grasp, deftly traveled up Pei Shaoqing’s calf.

"Then we’ll meet them halfway." Pei Shaoqing caught her mischievous, jade-like foot with his other hand, toying with it as he mused aloud. "It’s true that he was hiding his talents, but it’s also true his relationship with his family was poor. I’ll act as though I’m still holding a grudge for how they treated him, harboring resentment and deliberately keeping them at arm’s length."

"Not thinking about repairing the father-son relationship and borrowing the power of Marquis Wei Yuan’s Mansion anymore?" Xie Qingwu said with a laugh.

"I am a power unto myself now! Why would I need to borrow a tiger’s might like some cunning fox?" Pei Shaoqing said with wild arrogance.

’Besides, even if I pretend to be at complete odds with my family, no one would dare see me as anything but the son of Marquis Weiyuan. I can still borrow the power of the Marquis’s Mansion all the same.’

"So commanding, my husband." Xie Qingwu’s beautiful eyes flashed as she rolled on top of him. Her "heavy conscience" was flattened, spilling out slightly from the sides of her bodice. With a dazzling smile, she said, "We won’t rely on Marquis Wei Yuan’s Mansion, nor on Anning Marquis’s Mansion. Our own Pingyang Manor will be a house in its own right."

In doing so, the two of them, by a strange twist of fate, were acting in perfect alignment with the Emperor’s wishes. After all, the Emperor was only supporting Pei Shaoqing so heavily because of the discord between the Pei Family’s father and son.

"Even as the noble Baron of Pingyang, I’m still pinned beneath a woman," Pei Shaoqing wailed theatrically.

Xie Qingwu was completely uninhibited in bed. "And what if I feel like climbing on top of my husband and running wild?"

"Just as long as you don’t piss on me," Pei Shaoqing said.

Xie Qingwu shot him a coy look and scoffed.

Pei Shaoqing stared in bewilderment. Her reaction only made him thirstier.

"My lord! My lord!" General Li knocked on the window.

Pei Shaoqing stuck his head out and called irritably, "What is it? We are busy!"

"The cat sent to the Capital City has returned with a message. The intelligence line is clear all the way!" General Li reported, his voice filled with excitement.

’The successful establishment of this intelligence line proved that the same method could be used for other locations in the future.’

’His, General Li’s, importance and status would be greatly enhanced. In the future, he might even command all the cats in the world!’

’Pei and Li, ruling the world together—it was no longer just a dream!’

’My lord, you may call Us the Meow-peror!’

Pei Shaoqing had yet to notice the swelling ambition of that little fellow, General Li. He was simply excited by the good news. "Excellent! Excellent! General Li, your cats are top-notch! I’m heading to the Capital City next month. I’ll bring several carts of dried fish to reward them along the route."

’It actually worked. This calls for a celebration.’

"My lord! This servant must accompany you!" General Li said at once. ’How could I give my lord the opportunity to win the hearts... the cat-hearts, of my subordinates?’ he thought. ’My own followers must be rewarded by me, Li the Cat, personally!’

Pei Shaoqing casually agreed, "Fine, you can come along."

"Thank you, my lord!" General Li said, adding, "If there are no further orders, this servant will take his leave."

"Graaaanted," Pei Shaoqing’s voice drew out the word.

...............

The night was deep. In the Holy Palace Main Hall, located in the Holy City within the Celestial Demon Mountain Range, the lights burned bright. The upper echelons of the Profound Sect were gathered.

The clear, crisp sound of bells echoed.

In flowing white robes, the cold, noble Shaking Light Saintess seemed to drift down from the moon like a celestial fairy, landing gracefully at the entrance of the main hall. With her head held high, she stepped inside with bare feet. With every step, the bells on her ankles and neck chimed a melodious tune, like a complete song.

"Shaking Light greets the two Hall Masters and all the elders."

The Shaking Light Saintess gave a slight bow, which served as her greeting.

"There is no need for ceremony, Saintess," the Yellow Hall Master said, raising a hand.

Everyone fell silent, their eyes fixed on the Shaking Light Saintess, waiting for her to explain her recent disappearance.

The Shaking Light Saintess’s eyes were indifferent. Her pale-red, jade-like lips parted as she spoke slowly, "After leaving the Holy Palace, I headed straight for Tongzhou City. I never expected to be attacked by a masked expert just as I entered Tongzhou’s borders."

In an instant, every face in the hall turned grim.

"His strength was greater than mine, and he used the Martial Arts of our Holy Sect," the Shaking Light Saintess said, her tone icy.

"What?" an elder exclaimed.

The others also wore grave expressions.

The Shaking Light Saintess continued, "I was wounded in the exchange, and in the process, I lost my Storage Treasure Ring. I had to exert all my strength just to escape. Since then, I have been hiding deep in the mountains, braving the elements while I healed.

"I knew the Holy Palace would have sent people to Tongzhou to find me, so once my wounds were healed, I made a trip to the Tongzhou Branch. There, I met the envoy the Holy Palace had dispatched to find me, and I had him accompany me back here."

After the last word, she fell silent.

"Saintess, are you certain the mysterious person who attacked you truly used the Martial Arts of our Holy Sect?" the Flame Hall Master asked in a low voice.

The Shaking Light Saintess nodded coolly and said with conviction, "I could not possibly be mistaken."

"Did you notice any other distinguishing features about the attacker?" the Yellow Hall Master asked with a frown.

Shaking Light shook her head. "The person was very well disguised. I could only discern that he was a man."

"In that case, there is someone in our sect who bears the Saintess ill will! Or perhaps it is a spy planted by the Court," an elder said.

Another elder sighed. "We plant spies in the Court; it’s only natural that the Court plants its own pawns among us. Such things are unavoidable."

"To be able to injure the Saintess, he must be an expert at the mid-stage of the Wandering Dragon Realm, at least. Within our Holy Sect, that would place him among the upper echelons. Investigate," the Flame Hall Master said coldly.

"We must investigate. Check the recent movements of all members at the mid-stage of the Wandering Dragon Realm. This matter will be the responsibility of the Law Enforcement Elder," the Yellow Hall Master said grimly.

The Law Enforcement Elder rose. "This old one obeys."

"Since you went to Tongzhou City, Saintess, why did you not kill Pei Shaoqing?" the Flame Hall Master asked another question.

Standing with perfect, dignified posture, the Shaking Light Saintess answered with calm composure, "Because he, too, has a Wandering Dragon Realm expert as a personal bodyguard. I was not fully confident of success. Moreover, I feared that the mysterious person who ambushed me was still in Tongzhou, and that revealing myself openly would attract his attention."

Here, she paused before continuing, "Furthermore, at the time, my judgment was clouded by rage over Kaiyang’s death. During my time healing in the mountains, I have given it careful thought. It is not wise to kill Pei Shaoqing right now."

"Oh? And what is the Saintess’s brilliant insight on this matter?" The Yellow Hall Master looked puzzled, gesturing for her to speak plainly.

The Shaking Light Saintess recited the words her master had taught her. "Pei Shaoqing was heavily rewarded for his service. If we immediately retaliate against him, it would be a direct slap in the face to the Emperor of Great Zhou. He would undoubtedly launch a fiercer counterattack to wipe away the shame, which would only bring more casualties to the Holy Sect."

"According to you, Saintess, are we simply not to take revenge? What would become of our Holy Sect’s prestige? What about our battered morale?" an elder demanded, his tone displeased.

The Shaking Light Saintess turned her head to look at him coldly, her voice calm as she said, "The Holy Sect has existed for over a thousand years. What we strive for is not a fleeting victory, but a legacy that will last for ages. We cannot, for a moment of satisfaction and some illusory concept of prestige, throw away the Holy Sect’s bright future.

"The Emperor of Great Zhou is old. His campaigns against us have noticeably weakened in recent years, as he focuses his energy on defeating the Northern Barbarians and dealing with Western Wei. Why should we provoke him at a time like this? When he finally dies and a new ruler takes the throne, I will personally take Pei Shaoqing’s dog life."

After she finished, the crowd began to murmur amongst themselves.

"I think the Saintess is right. Practical benefits are more important than something like prestige."

"It’s not that we won’t avenge this shame, we’re just postponing it."

"The truth behind the Kaiyang Saint Heir’s death is already a disgrace that cannot see the light of day. To insist on avenging him and sacrifice even more lives in the process... this old one believes it is not worth the price."

The corners of the Shaking Light Saintess’s lips curved up slightly.

’Master and Mistress are truly incredible, just using my mouth to twist these old men around their little fingers.’

’Thinking of her master and mistress’s methods, the dignified and aloof Shaking Light Saintess, standing in the Holy Hall, felt her heart begin to race in a fluster.’

’She subconsciously pressed her full thighs tightly together.’

’I’m so looking forward to their reward.’

The lamplight flickered, illuminating her crimson cheeks.