Chapter 504 - 169: Do You Have Feelings for Him? Marry Him and You Will Be the Principal Wife, Plotting for a Saint Noble Family

Afterward, Jiang Lan inquired about the details of Tantai Qing’s assassination attempt.

A glint flashed in Tantai Xu’s eyes, but he didn’t hide anything. In the presence of the Four Great Dukes, he recounted everything the Tantai Family had learned about the incident.

"Helian Wen, the former sixth young master of the Helian Family, isn’t dead?"

They were utterly shocked.

Back then, the story of Helian Wen stealing the Elder Pavilion’s Holy Object and subsequently leaping from a cliff to his death had caused a massive uproar on Immortal Ascension Island; everyone knew about it.

Everyone had been certain he was dead. After all, how could a member of the Human Race survive deep within the Demon Abyss, a place saturated with Demonic Qi?

"Not only is he alive, but he used the pretext of a meeting to lure Qing’Er out, ambushed her, and left her gravely injured..." Several of the Tantai Family Elders shook their heads.

Just then, supported by a maid, Tantai Qing emerged from her room. She wore a pale yellow outer gown, her hair was styled in an elegant topknot, and a light touch of powder on her fair face made her complexion look much improved.

"I was just wondering why Qing’Er was taking so long. So, you were getting all dolled up..."

"What’s this? Worried about letting Young Master Jiang see you looking so pale and sick?" Tantai Xu teased with a chuckle.

"Grandfather..."

Tantai Qing seemed a little embarrassed by his words, a faint blush rising to her cheeks. She then gave Jiang Lan a graceful curtsy and said, "Qing’Er greets Young Master Jiang."

"Thank you for your concern, Young Master Jiang. My injuries are much better now."

"To think Helian Wen could be so ruthless," Jiang Lan said with a slight sigh. "Rest assured, Miss Tantai. I will have my people track him down for you."

"It was my fault for being too careless. I trusted him too easily, which is why he was able to ambush me."

"I thought he..."

Tantai Qing’s gaze was like shimmering water, her eyes so expressive they seemed to speak. But as she spoke, a shadow of sadness fell over her, and she trailed off into silence.

"Hmph. Even now, the Helian Family is still stonewalling, refusing to hand over Helian Wen’s Life Lamp," one of the Tantai Family Elders said resentfully. "I bet that old fox Helian Xiang rushed over just to confirm if the letter was in Helian Wen’s handwriting. With his cultivation, how could he possibly not recognize it?"

The other members of the Tantai Family were also filled with righteous indignation.

"If the Helian Family is determined to protect Helian Wen, then confirming his identity will indeed be incredibly difficult..." Jiang Lan agreed, shaking his head slightly.

Tantai Xu’s voice was cold. "No matter what, I will make the Helian Family answer for what they’ve done to Qing’Er. This matter isn’t over."

"I will pressure the Elder Pavilion. The Helian Family will hand over Helian Wen’s Life Lamp and make a public announcement, whether they want to or not..."

With that, he issued his commands right in front of Jiang Lan, dispatching his people to carry them out.

The other members of the Tantai Family took their leave as well.

At the insistent urging of the Tantai Family Elders, Jiang Lan agreed to stay and decided he would leave after the luncheon.

’Visiting Tantai Qing was secondary. My main purpose was to connect with Tantai Xu, a man with real power in the Elder Pavilion.’

’In the original plot, Tantai Xu was ruthless and profit-oriented, and Tantai Qing was much the same.’

’It was with his help that Helian Wen had succeeded in stealing the Elder Pavilion’s Holy Object, the Three Saints Heart Refining Pill.’

’I approached him to gauge his attitude toward me and the other two Saint-led Noble Families.’

’And now, it seemed things were going exactly as I had expected.’

’Tantai Xu’s public display of goodwill and intimacy was the most important signal I could have received. It was also the most critical part of my next move.’

’As one of the six Elders of the Elder Pavilion, Tantai Xu surely knew of the prophecy left by the Ancient Three Saints. He would understand that the Demon Abyss could not be sealed forever, that the Array Patterns within it would shatter sooner or later. The return of the Demon Calamity was only a matter of time.’

’If the Tantai Family wanted to survive the impending catastrophe, their only option was to evacuate ahead of time.’

’But with the Tantai Family’s current power, relocating the entire Little World that housed their ancestral lands would completely drain the foundation they had spent ten thousand years building.’

’During the migration, they could be ambushed by their enemies, and their millennia-old legacy could collapse and be destroyed in an instant.’

’For a Little World to jump through the turbulent void, it requires a tremendous amount of Magical Power. Without a Saint to oversee the process, activating a Little World is nearly impossible.’

’Tantai Xu’s repeated mentions of my maternal grandfather, Li Ran, were surely part of his future plans.’

’The safest way for them to evacuate would be to have a living Saint protect and guide them.’

’Thus, Tantai Xu wanted to use me to establish a connection with my grandfather, Li Ran.’

"Qing’Er, you and Jiang Lan have been getting quite close lately. How are things between you two?"

In the courtyard, after everyone else had withdrawn, Tantai Xu remained.

After dismissing the many maids and servants, he clasped his hands behind his back and questioned Tantai Qing.

"Grandfather... what do you mean by that?" Tantai Qing asked, lowering her head as if she didn’t understand.

"What is your opinion of Jiang Lan? I want to hear what you truly think," Tantai Xu rephrased.

"To answer Grandfather, Jiang Lan is nothing like the spoiled, hedonistic heir he’s rumored to be," Tantai Qing replied honestly after a moment of thought. "He’s gentle and courteous, his conduct is impeccable, his knowledge is vast, and his cultivation is profound. If we were to truly fight, I’m not certain I could defeat him."

Tantai Xu smiled. "It’s rare for you to give a man such high praise, Qing’Er. But he is indeed extraordinary. I’ve observed his cultivation... and there’s something about it I can’t quite see through..."