Chapter 491: Tantai Qing's Schemes, Blinded by Her Beauty and Unaware

“Bring the beggar in.”

Tantai Qing closed her hand, crumpling the letter into a ball. Her expression was calm as she spoke.

Soon, a limping beggar was brought in. He was terrified, dressed in ragged clothes, with his hair disheveled.

“Greetings, Tantai Divine Lady…” He knelt in terror, not daring to lift his head and look directly at the stunningly beautiful face before him.

Tantai Qing calmly sized up the beggar, a brilliant golden light from a Rune flashing deep within her eyes. Finally, she shook her head and said, “Take him away.”

‘I never expected to find any trace of Helian Wen’s whereabouts through a beggar anyway.’

‘Since he used this man to deliver the letter, he must be confident that I won’t be able to trace the clues back to him.’

Things were just as Jiang Lan had said; Helian Wen would seek revenge against her soon.

But it was happening a little too quickly…

Tantai Qing clutched the letter tightly, silently repeating the location Helian Wen had invited her to: Wangfu Cliff.

It was a high precipice on the West Coast of Immortal Ascension Island. One side faced the vast, surging ocean, its base dense with jagged reefs like a dog’s teeth. The roar of the crashing waves could be heard there day and night.

There was also a beautiful legend about the place. In ancient times, there lived a loving husband and wife who made their living by fishing. Their life was harmonious and their bond deep. Worried for her husband’s safety at sea, the wife would stand on the cliff every evening, gazing out over the water. She would only relax when she saw his fishing boat bobbing on the horizon. Then, she would return home to prepare dinner, so that a warm meal would be waiting for him the moment he arrived.

Then one day, lightning flashed and thunder roared from the depths of the sea. A furious storm broke out, and none of the fishermen who had gone out returned. The woman waiting on the cliff refused to believe her husband was gone. Day after day, she waited, unwilling to leave. She stood motionless for a whole month. No one knew how she survived; by all rights, her life should have been exhausted, but a powerful will kept her going. Some say her devotion moved the Dragon God of the sea. As a result, her husband, who had already died at sea, was miraculously revived. Adrift on a dilapidated boat, he eventually found his way back to her. They embraced, weeping with joy…

To this day, a Dragon God Stele still stands on Wangfu Cliff, said to have been built by that couple to thank the Dragon God.

Every year on Immortal Ascension Island, during a specific time, a Dragon God Temple Fair is held. Lovers come to Wangfu Cliff and pledge to spend the rest of their lives together before the Dragon God Stele, making for a lively event.

For Helian Wen to choose that place to meet her was clearly a decision with ulterior motives.

However, she had never felt any so-called affection for Helian Wen, only annoyance and disgust.

“A meeting?” A mocking curve touched her lips, gone in an instant.

‘I don’t know what gives him his confidence, but it’s obvious I hold the greater advantage.’

‘He chose to contact me, but his biggest mistake was writing the letter by hand…’

Afterward, Tantai Qing gave an order to summon her younger brother, Tantai Ming. She then went to her study to personally write a letter, which she had him deliver to Jiang Lan under the pretext of discussing the business alliance in detail.

Her banquet for Jiang Lan last night naturally hadn’t escaped the notice of the major Noble Families’ spies.

Today, various rumors and speculations were circulating throughout Immortal Ascension Island, suggesting that the Tantai Family’s business alliance might cooperate with the Changlong Business Alliance, or even join it…

Such speculation, of course, was not unfounded.

Tantai Qing was intentionally steering public opinion in this direction.

The local business alliances on Immortal Ascension Island were controlled by the Tantai Family, the Gongsun Family, and the Helian Family. They had always been in a state of tripartite confrontation. If the Tantai Family tried to dominate, the other two Noble Families would surely not agree.

Therefore, she created this narrative to make the other two Noble Families focus their attention on this matter.

Once the Tantai Family’s business alliance joined the Changlong Business Alliance, the other two families would not be able to sit still and would surely try to obstruct it. After all, this concerned the long-term, fundamental interests of Immortal Ascension Island.

This way, she could not only use the negotiations with the Changlong Business Alliance as an excuse to withdraw from patrolling the Demon Abyss, but also focus all her energy and attention on dealing with Helian Wen.

Then, even if Helian Wen appeared and revealed the truth to the public, and the Helian Family chose to take his side, she could counter them using the pretext that the Helian Family was trying to prevent the Tantai Family from cooperating with the Prime Minister’s Mansion.

In just one night, Tantai Qing had devised multiple countermeasures.

Following Tantai Qing’s orders, Tantai Ming made multiple visits to Prince Zhong’s Mansion to see Jiang Lan. He also spread the news that the Tantai Family’s business alliance was interested in deepening its cooperation with the Changlong Business Alliance, and was even considering joining it.

Different reactions began to emerge on Immortal Ascension Island, sparking widespread discussion.

The first to be unable to sit still were, naturally, the business alliances of the Helian and Gongsun Families.

The business alliances of the three great Noble Families controlled at least seventy percent of Immortal Ascension Island’s entire economic lifeline.

The Four Great Dukes controlled ten percent, and the remaining twenty percent was held by the other families and the various Immortal Sect Lineages stationed there.

Although the Changlong Business Alliance was massive, it only used Immortal Ascension Island as a transit hub. It had a branch stationed there, but it only did business with the three great Noble Families and had not infiltrated their core interests. After all, they were Saint-level Noble Families and could not be coerced by force.

Immortal Ascension Island’s geographical location was unique. It contained numerous precious mineral veins and many rare Spiritual Objects that could only be found on the seabed. Ores mined here often sold for extremely high prices on the mainland.