“It’s all right!” Zhang Zhengdao rejected the offer with a black face.

“You traveled for so long to come here, don’t you want to see her?” the big cousin-brother insisted.

Zhang Zhengdao: “................................! ”

“Okay, time is of the essence. We will inform our big cousin-sister next time!” Wang Ke interrupted their conversation.

“Understood! Clan Lord, our little cousin-sister sent a letter to us some time ago, informing us that you were enrolled into the Heavenly Wolf Sect. Why are you here?” The big cousin-brother was curious.

“I have to find someone!” Wang Ke stepped into the main hall of the Great General’s Residence.

He sat at the general’s seat in a lordly manner while the big cousin-brother poured a cup of tea for him.

“Our little cousin-sister should have given you portraits of some people from the Heavenly Wolf Sect. Have you seen She Miejue and Princess Youyue appear in the Qing Capital recently?” Wang Ke asked his big cousin-brother.

“I haven’t seen Princess Youyue. But I did see She Miejue walking about in the palace at the end of the recent imperial court session. She was giving orders to imperial guards to remake some parts of the palace! Just as the Clan Lord mentioned before... might they be setting up a spell array?” the big cousin-brother asked in curiosity.

“She Miejue has indeed come!” Wang Ke’s eyes glowed.

“That’s strange. Is She Miejue related to the Great Qing’s royal family? How can she set up spell arrays as she pleases? Wang Ke, is your Longing Orb pointing toward the royal palace?” Zhang Zhengdao asked.

“Yeah, the Longing Orb is pointing in that direction. Since She Miejue is there, the princess must be there too! We found her!” Wang Ke’s eyes lit up with hope.

“Clan Lord, we noticed that many immortal sects’ disciples have appeared in the Qing Capital recently. Many of them had black Qi!” the big cousin-brother reported.

“Black Qi? It must be demonic Qi! The demonic sects’ disciples are gathering in the Qing Capital? Something big is going to happen! Keep our men in check. In the meantime, have them stop their regular tasks to keep them from being harmed!” Wang Ke instructed with knitted brows.

“Understood!”

“Oh right, did the Qing Emperor see through your cover?” Wang Ke asked his big cousin-brother.

“Nope! All Wang Clan members who remained in the Great Qing Empire were shifted to background operations when you left the political arena back then, including our cousin-sisters and the others! You only sent me here afterward, so no one knows we’re related. I’ve been taking the lead to expand the borders of the Great Qing Empire all these years. All this merit has earned me my current Great General position. And although my surname is Wang, the Qing Emperor didn’t make the connection!” the big cousin-brother explained.

“That’s good. Let’s slowly build up a firm foundation before we rise up in power! Take it slowly. I have my backing now! No one will dare to bully us from here on out!” Wang Ke proclaimed.

“Understood! ” the big cousin-brother acknowledged.

“Wang Ke, you found out that Princess Youyue is in the royal palace, but how do we get inside? She Miejue is also there. Do you think she will just let us take her away?” Zhang Zhengdao asked with worry.

Wang Ke thought for a moment before he turned to look at Zhang Zhengdao.

“Wang Ke, what’s that look in your eyes? Nothing good happens when you look at me like that. What do you want?” Zhang Zhengdao asked in shock.

Night time came—Wang Ke disguised himself as a royal palace guard; he dove into a well in the Great General's Residence.

The deep well was connected to an underground aqueduct filled with water; it took him two hours to resurface on another well.

“Splash!”

“Seems like no one found the linked wells I dug back then. I’m inside the palace, just like that!” Wang Ke uttered to himself as he got out of the well quietly, then he dried his body with essence Qi.

Next, I will wait for Zhang Zhengdao. Wang Ke hid in the shadows at the corner near the well.

-------

Qing Capital. Outside the Great Qing Royal Palace, on the rooftop of a high building—

Zhang Zhengdao, the big cousin-brother, and a Wang clan member were gazing at the royal palace from afar.

Layers of purple fog enveloped the sky above the royal palace; it looked like a spell array that prevented anyone from looking inside.

“The sun is rising from the west? Wang Ke went into the palace to find Princess Youyue all by himself? Instead of asking me to go with him?” Zhang Zhengdao was extremely uneasy about the arrangement.

“Clan Lord said that he can manage on his own; you’ll be in charge of affairs outside the royal palace,” said the big cousin-brother.

“Hahaha! He was finally moved by conscience. I just need to take charge of the rendezvous? Piece of cake! Safety first!” Zhang Zhengdao laughed.

Heading into the palace would surely be dangerous, while staying outside was the safest option. Even though this had to do with rescuing Princess Youyue, a coward like Zhang Zhengdao would certainly prefer the safer option!

“Mr. Zhang, I heard from the Clan Lord that you are the best at fleeing. Is that right?” the big cousin-brother asked curiously.

“That’s for sure, I’m not bluffing. I was able to escape from a Golden Core stage cultivator even when I was still at the Innate Stage. Now that I'm a Golden Core cultivator myself, I can even escape from the hands of an Astral Infant stage cultivator!” Zhang Zhengdao boasted.

“That’s reassuring!” The big cousin-brother nodded.

Zhang Zhengdao said, “Haha, don’t be so serious, we are safe here. The danger is inside the royal palace!”

But the latter took a glance at Zhang Zhengdao before backing away from him. At the same time, he instructed a fellow clan member, saying, “Let’s begin!”

“Sure!” That clan member obeyed.

“Begin? What are you starting? There’s nothing here! Huh, what do you know! Why does this clan member sound so much like me?” Zhang Zhengdao was surprised.

And then… That guy channeled a full measure of essence Qi before roaring across the sky.

“She Miejue, you damned bitch! No man wants you because you’re so damn ugly! I, Zhang Zhengdao, am here. Come and kill me if you dare! Hahahahah!”

The voice impersonating Zhang Zhengdao reverberated across the entire Qing Capital. Countless commoners stuck their heads out of their windows and looked toward the place where the voice came from.

The big cousin-brother and that Wang Clan member instantly ran for cover in a room and quickly descended the stairs of that tall building; they had already disappeared in the streets before Zhang Zhengdao could realize it.

He was the only one remaining on the roof when everyone looked over.

His eyes were wide open. “........................!”

What was that?What just happened?I didn’t say that! I’m not the one! This has nothing to do with me! Not me!

“Boooom!”

Someone soared into the purple sky above the royal palace. That person furiously looked toward the voice’s general direction.

“She... She Miejue?” Zhang Zhengdao was paralyzed by fear.

She Miejue saw clearly that Zhang Zhengdao was the only one standing on the roof. That had also been his voice, who else could it be? How dare you say that I'm a damned b*tch?That no man wants me?That I’m ugly?

“Zhang Zhengdao? I didn’t expect you to follow me here! You’re really bold. It’s been a very long time since anyone has dared to humiliate me like you have. Die!” She Miejue harrumphed in cold anger as she charged toward Zhang Zhengdao with her sword drawn.

Zhang Zhengdao finally understood what the plan was.

Wang Ke’s mission was to infiltrate the royal palace while he was to settle matters outside. But his job was by no means a rendezvous! It was to draw aggression unto himself and lure She Miejue out of the palace! Wang Ke’s plan was for Zhang Zhengdao to make her leave the palace so that he could rescue Princess Youyue.

It wasn’t the safest job, at all! It was the most horrifying task!

There’s no way Zhang Zhengdao would have agreed, had he known that was the plan!

Wang Ke, the big cousin-brother and a Wang clan member who sounded like him. It was a vicious trap! And now, She Miejue was going after Zhang Zhengdao.

“It wasn’t me! This has nothing to do with me!” Zhang Zhengdao wailed as he turned to flee on his flying sword.

“I would recognize your voice even if you turned into ashes! Not you? Stop running!” She Miejue gave chase without hesitation.

And so, the pursuit went on and moved outside the Qing Capital.

The big cousin-brother heaved a sigh once they saw Zhang Zhengdao leave, “Okay, the most dangerous person is gone. Zhang Zhengdao said that not even Astral Infant stage cultivators can catch him, but I’m still worried for him!”

Outside the city—She Miejue shortened the distance with her extreme speed.

Zhang Zhengdao did all he could to hasten his flying sword. Not even an Astral Infant stage cultivator can catch me?Bulls**t! I was just boasting! It was just an exaggeration, you understand?Can’t you tell?

“Wang Ke, you bastard! It’s all your fault~~~~~~~~~~~~!” Zhang Zhengdao’s cries of despair came from outside the city.