Chapter 356: The True Purpose of the Profound Iron Order

“Send him somewhere no one knows, and make everyone think he’s dead… But that would be very difficult, right? After all, Jisierk has plenty of guards.”

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Though it may be difficult, for the sake of your happiness, Princess, I would do it even if it meant being ground to dust.”

“No, I don’t want you to be ground to dust! I want you to live a long, good life. I’ll have my mother help pick a wife for you. In the future, when I’m married and have children, your child can be my child’s Personal Guard Captain. As long as my line continues, I will have my descendants forever ensure the wealth and glory of your line.”

Li Haiqin was being completely serious.

If this had been said anywhere but the Northern Domain, it would have surely been met with scorn.

What’s that supposed to mean? Isn’t it enough for me to be your guard for my whole life? You want my kids and grandkids to be guards for your kids and grandkids too?

But this was the Northern Domain, where the social hierarchy was deeply ingrained. As long as the Dahar Khanate existed, no one could shake the status of the Eight Golden Families.

So, Li Haiqin was speaking from the heart, and she was genuinely grateful to Huo Er.

This was also why Chu Fan wanted to leave her a way out. She was only four years older than Ni Cailing and still at an innocent age. She was kind-hearted by nature.

Though a bit arrogant and headstrong, she was, after all, a princess who had been pampered and adored since birth.

It was already impressive that she didn’t throw her weight around and bully people.

If she weren’t from the Northern Domain, Chu Fan would have even considered taking her on as a disciple.

“Thank you, Princess, for thinking of me. As for choosing a wife, please don’t mention it again. In this life, I care about only two things: my loyalty to my duty as a Guard, and the pursuit of the pinnacle of the Martial Dao.”

Seeing how serious Chu Fan was, Li Haiqin didn’t press the issue. Instead, she steered the conversation back to her marriage.

“If there’s no other way, I’ll just marry Jisierk. But, before I come to like him, you must help me keep him from taking advantage of me. If I find someone I like in the future, you also have to help me separate from Jisierk.”

Her words were a perfect reflection of her naive, girlish mindset.

Chu Fan couldn’t help but smile at her words.

‘She really is just an innocent girl, after all.’

“Princess, you don’t need to worry too much. Hasn’t a group of people appeared in the Northern Domain trying to seize the Profound Iron Orders of the Golden Families? What if, before you get married, the Hanmo Clan’s Profound Iron Order is lost? The wedding might be postponed indefinitely! After all, the Profound Iron Orders are too important to the Golden Families.”

“You’re right. It’s just that the remaining five families are already on their guard. It will definitely be hard for that group to steal another Profound Iron Order. If I were the Clan Leader of a Golden Clan, I would definitely move the Profound Iron Order to a safer place right now.”

A thought struck Chu Fan, but he kept his expression neutral as he spoke. “The Profound Iron Orders are already kept in the most secure locations. Even if they were moved, where could be safer than where they are now?”

Li Haiqin shook her head. “You’re looking at it the wrong way. Think about it. When that group went after Casque’s clan and the other two, they went straight to where the Profound Iron Orders were hidden. Doesn’t that suggest that before they even made their move—perhaps even before they arrived in the Northern Domain—they had already sent people to scout out the exact locations? That’s why they succeeded so easily and got the Profound Iron Orders so quickly.”

“So, even if I moved the Profound Iron Order to an unguarded place, as long as it’s inconspicuous, the mere act of moving it would create difficulties for that group. The Profound Iron Order is only so big. If I just dug a hole and buried it, how could anyone find it so easily? Unless they had enough time to dig three feet deep across the entire hundred-li radius of the Moon Sea.”

“But no matter how formidable that group is, they have their limits. If they hit and run, maybe no one can stop them. But if they stay in one place in the Northern Domain for too long, our Northern Domain Cultivators are no pushovers.”

Chu Fan was amazed by her analysis. He couldn’t believe that he hadn’t understood such a simple principle as clearly as this young girl had.

‘Talk about not seeing the forest for the trees.’

He was so focused on the importance of the Profound Iron Orders, assuming they must be under heavy guard, that he’d failed to think outside the box.

“Your Highness is truly brilliant. I hadn’t thought so deeply on the matter.” Chu Fan’s words were both flattery and a heartfelt admission.

Li Haiqin was, after all, still a young girl. Being praised, she couldn’t hide her delight. She said, “Actually, after I learned that the Profound Iron Orders from Casque’s clan and the other two had been stolen, I put myself in my grandfather’s shoes, thinking about how our Lindi Clan could protect our Profound Iron Order from being stolen.”

“That still makes you more impressive than me. I only know how to fight. My brain just isn’t suited for these kinds of mind games,” Chu Fan said, scratching the back of his head.

“I’ll tell you a secret, but you can’t tell anyone else.”

“A secret? If it’s a secret, it’s better if you don’t tell me, Your Highness. I’m afraid I might talk in my sleep and let it slip.”

“You live alone in this courtyard. Even if you talk in your sleep, no one will hear you.”

“Then tell me, Princess. I promise I won’t tell anyone.”

“I think I can actually guess where Grandfather moved the Profound Iron Order.”

“Oh?”

Upon hearing this, Chu Fan’s first reaction wasn’t excitement, but wariness.

‘Could this girl be so perceptive that she’s testing me?’

‘Did I give myself away?’

Putting on a cautious act, Chu Fan glanced around before whispering to Li Haiqin, “Your Highness, you mustn’t say things like that. The walls have ears. Even if you know something, you have to act like you don’t.”

“Of course I won’t tell anyone else. I’m only telling you all this because you’re the person I trust the most.” Li Haiqin was amused by Chu Fan’s cautious demeanor.

Chu Fan nodded. “No one knows which clan that group will target next. Maybe they already have spies hidden in the estate. So it’s best to be careful about everything.”

Li Haiqin smiled faintly.

Chu Fan asked again, “The Profound Iron Order is very important to the Golden Families, but what good does it do those people from the Southern Domain to fight over them? Does the Profound Iron Order have some other function?”

“The Profound Iron Order is a symbol of a Golden Clan’s status. The eight Profound Iron Orders, when brought together, can open the White Wolf King’s tomb, which is how we counterbalance the Khan King. Moreover, the Profound Iron Order is also a key. The heritage of the Golden Families is tied to the world the Profound Iron Orders can unlock.”

“Could those people from the Southern Domain be trying to gather all the Profound Iron Orders to make the Dahar Khanate…?” Chu Fan stopped abruptly.

Li Haiqin finished his thought for him. “You mean, overthrow the dynasty? That’s not possible. Even if they gather all eight Profound Iron Orders, they can’t counterbalance the Khan King without eight people who carry the corresponding heritage for each Order. Besides, the Khan King’s White Jade Order isn’t just for decoration.”

“Couldn’t they steal the Profound Iron Orders, then send their own people into the world they unlock to receive the heritage? In a few decades, they’d still be able to challenge the Khan King,” Chu Fan speculated.

Of course, Chu Fan knew the ones gathering the eight Profound Iron Orders weren’t trying to overthrow any dynasty. Combining what the Zhen Yang Ascendant had told him with the current situation, he had already guessed at another possibility.

In seven months, the Khan King was scheduled to visit the Ancestral Land to pay respects to his forefathers. The Zhen Yang Ascendant had told him this would be his only chance to kill Niu Guli, on the condition that he gathered all eight Profound Iron Orders first.

In other words, entry to the Ancestral Land required either the Khan King’s White Jade Order or all eight Profound Iron Orders.

This meant the Ancestral Land of the royal family of the Dahar Khanate was probably not what it seemed.