Situ Jingyan frowned slightly, noticing the cunning in Shen Qianmo's eyes. Why did Shen Qianmo's words seem like she was deliberately provoking him? Did Shen Qianmo already suspect his identity? No. He absolutely couldn't reveal any flaws. Thinking this, Situ Jingyan suppressed his emotions and reluctantly said, "Since your injuries have almost healed, I will send you back to the villa at Seven Absolutes Manor tomorrow."
Shen Qianmo watched Situ Jingyan's retreating figure, a warm smile appearing on her face. Since Situ Jingyan didn't want to talk about it, she wouldn't force him; she knew he was doing it for her own good.
Sunlight streamed obliquely into the room. Situ Jingyan's dark figure cast a shadow in the sunlight, making him appear as if he were bathed in golden light, so warm and beautiful. Shen Qianmo, dressed in white, stood behind Situ Jingyan.
Both wore warm, sunny smiles, their eyes brimming with affection. It was a pity they couldn't see each other's expressions; otherwise, it would have been a picture of tender love.
"Ahem. Master." Qingsong's deliberately hoarse and somewhat strange voice sounded from outside the door.
Situ Jingyan glanced back at Shen Qianmo. He wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but he felt that Shen Qianmo, standing at the edge of the sunlight, smiling so sweetly, seemed like a wife looking at her husband. Upon closer inspection, however, Shen Qianmo's eyes were simply gazing calmly ahead.
Composing himself, Situ Jingyan strolled out of the house. Even Shen Qianmo's seemingly indifferent eyes softened.
Outside. Situ Jingyan exuded a ruthless and cold aura, his dark robes further emphasizing his menacing presence.
"Master, we have wiped out more than a dozen branches of the Tang Clan. However, the Tang Clan headquarters is very powerful," Qingsong reported respectfully. This time, he had delayed the rescue of Situ Jingyan because of Hongmei, which was a serious offense. Although Situ Jingyan treated them all well, he was always fair in his rewards and punishments. If the Tang Clan matter was not handled well, he would not escape punishment.
Situ Jingyan listened quietly to Qingsong's report, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes. Yan Xiuling knew that the Blood Demon Tower was within his sphere of influence, so how could he not know that the true master behind the Tang Clan was Yan Xiuling?
Based on his understanding of Yan Xiuling, he was certain that Yan Xiuling would never do anything to harm him and Shen Qianmo. This incident must have been Tang Yun's own doing. However, regardless of the circumstances, the damage to Shen Qianmo had already been done, and he would never let the Tang Clan off the hook!
"Mobilize all of the Blood Demon Tower's covert forces. We must annihilate the Tang Clan. As for the people in Phoenix Feather City, they can be withdrawn." Situ Jingyan's obsidian-like eyes gleamed with decisiveness, his thin chin curving into a wicked arc in the setting sun, his smile exuding the confidence and arrogance of a god looking down on ants.
Qingsong paused slightly, looked at Situ Jingyan, and asked, "But isn't Master supposed to stay in Fengling City? All the manpower has been transferred away, what about Master's safety?"
"The Demon Palace's men have arrived, she should be fine." Situ Jingyan didn't answer Qingsong's question, but instead looked at the house with gentle eyes, then raised a wicked smile, "As for my safety, do I need your protection?! If I were waiting for your protection, I'm afraid I would have already perished in Qifeng Valley!"
Upon hearing Situ Jingyan's words, Qingsong lowered his head in shame. He understood that this matter involved Shen Qianmo's safety, which was why Situ Jingyan was so angry and concerned.
"I don't care what you think of Hongmei. I also don't care where you took her that day to help her resolve her inner conflict. Just remember this: if there's a next time, you can forget about being the Protector of the Blood Demon Pavilion!" Situ Jingyan saw Qingsong lower his head and understood that Qingsong had realized his mistake. He just glanced at him coldly and said indifferently.
"Yes," Qingsong replied. So, their master knew everything.
Yes. That day, he accompanied Hongmei to her former home. Hongmei was originally from Fengling City, but because she was too naive and easily trusted villains, her family was destroyed and she died. After being rescued by Meixuelou, she was like a completely different person.
Qingsong knew Hongmei long before she joined the Blood Demon Tower. Back then, Hongmei was pretty and lovely, her innocent and clear eyes deeply touching Qingsong's heart. However, he was already a protector of the Blood Demon Tower, which prevented him from falling in love. Therefore, he kept his feelings buried deep within himself.
But unexpectedly, fate brought him back to Hongmei. However, this time, she was no longer the same. Hongmei's eyes were filled with hatred, and a sarcastic, sharp smile always played on her lips; she was no longer the innocent little girl she once was.
But as Qingsong spent more time with her, he realized that Hongmei was only suppressing her true nature because of one particular incident. She was still as kind as ever. He tried hard not to fall for her, but he couldn't control his feelings. And in these past few years, Hongmei had grown up quickly, even taking over the position of the fourth protector of the Demon Blood Tower.
However, Qingsong understood that Hongmei had a knot in her heart. Therefore, when he arrived in Fengling City, he took Hongmei to her old home, hoping to help her untie the knot in her heart. However, this delayed the time to rescue Situ Jingyan.
"Go down," Situ Jingyan said calmly, his expression unchanged.
In the Linwei Imperial Palace, the golden dragon robe accentuated his unparalleled aura. His face remained exquisitely beautiful, but the childlike innocence and baby-faced cuteness had vanished, replaced by a ruthless decisiveness.
"You're saying that Tang Yun cornered the Blood Demon Lord and the Demon Palace Master?! He almost killed the Demon Palace Master?!" Yan Xiuling coldly stared at his subordinate who was excitedly reporting to him, his face darkening instantly, his light-colored eyes filled with turbulent waves.
"Yes." The subordinate was completely bewildered by his master's displeased expression. Hadn't his master ordered a contest for the title of Martial Arts Alliance Leader? Now that the Blood Demon Pavilion and the Demon Palace had been injured, wasn't this killing two birds with one stone? Wouldn't the position of Martial Arts Alliance Leader be even more secure?! Besides, his master knew the identity of the Blood Demon Pavilion Master. If they could kill Situ Jingyan, wouldn't the world be within their grasp?!
"Bang!" Yan Xiuling slammed his hand on the armrest of the chair, breaking it in two. He glared angrily at his bewildered subordinates, a flash of irritation in his eyes, and said coldly, "Who gave you the audacity to touch Situ Jingyan and his woman?!"
"This... Master... Young Master Tang was only doing it for your own good... This..." The servant, seeing Yan Xiuling's anger, nervously tried to explain, but the more nervous he became, the less he could speak. He knew how ruthless Yan Xiuling was; despite his cute, baby-faced appearance, he was decisive and exceptionally cruel. He had only been on the throne for a month, yet he had already made significant changes throughout Linwei.
Upon hearing her subordinate's words, Yan Xiuling's eyes softened. She reached for her teacup, a smile playing on her lips, her eyes seemingly regaining their pure and innocent look. She gently asked, "How are Situ Jingyan and Shen Qianmo?"
The servant, seeing Yan Xiuling's expression, broke out in a cold sweat. He knew that when his master looked like this, it meant he was extremely angry. Those gentle words were deadly poison. Trembling, he said, "They... escaped. And... the Blood Demon Tower wiped out more than a dozen branches of the Tang Clan..."
After speaking, the servant didn't dare to raise his head, fearing that Yan Xiuling might kill him in a fit of anger. Only when he felt the pressure on his head slowly disappear did he tremblingly raise his head. He only saw that Yan Xiuling was already leisurely drinking tea.
It seems that saving Situ Jingyan's life is more important than saving the dozen or so branch sects of the Tang Clan. I always knew that my master and Situ Jingyan knew each other, but I never imagined their friendship had deteriorated to this extent. It seems my young master has gotten himself into serious trouble this time.
"Tell Tang Yun to be careful. Also, don't touch Situ Jingyan and Shen Qianmo's lives." Yan Xiuling slowly put down his teacup, a calculating glint in his eyes, and said coldly.
This Tang Yun is really daring to challenge the powerful. He's angered Situ Jingyan, and now the entire Tang Clan might be doomed. However, if anything happens to the Tang Clan, he certainly won't let the Blood Demon Pavilion benefit from it.
He and Situ Jingyan were destined to fight, but they wouldn't harm each other's inviolable interests. For Situ Jingyan, Shen Qianmo was that absolutely untouchable interest, but Tang Yun had actually poisoned her. This time, he couldn't protect Tang Yun either.
"Master, news has come from the Xiu family's shops that Xuanlou and Shen Qianmo seem to be truly forming an alliance." Just as the servant left, another pink figure flashed into the palace.
Yan Xiuling frowned slightly. The most important thing in vying for the position of martial arts alliance leader is to gain the power of Seven Absolutes Manor. If Seven Absolutes Manor has already aligned itself with Shen Qianmo, then the position of martial arts alliance leader will probably not be of much use.
We really can't underestimate Situ Jingyan's future empress. She does have some ability. Back then, Tang Yun threatened Xuan Lou with his most cherished mother, but Xuan Lou still refused to yield. What method did Shen Qianmo use to persuade Xuan Lou to be with him?
"Also, Xuanlou's mother's injuries have healed." The pink figure was Qinglian. She continued her unhurried report, her demeanor far superior to that of the servant from before. Although the Xiu family's shops were merely commercial enterprises, they were the best intelligence gathering place. The people of the Xiu family's shops were definitely no less capable than those of the Tang Clan. Even the Enchanting Blood Tower and the Demon Palace wouldn't dare to easily touch the Xiu family's shops.
"Your injuries are healed?!" A hint of surprise flashed in Yan Xiuling's eyes, followed by a look of understanding.
It seems Situ Jingyan has mastered the ninth level of the Enchanting Blood Illusion Technique. However, how did Situ Jingyan manage to meet Xuanlou's mother? As far as he knows, Situ Jingyan has never been to the Seven Absolutes Manor.
Yan Xiuling remained silent, seemingly deep in thought, his chin forming a thoughtful curve. After a moment, Yan Xiuling slowly spoke, "Tell Tang Yun to secretly leave Phoenix Feather City and destroy Seven Absolutes Manor!"
"Yes." Without the slightest doubt, as if Yan Xiuling's words were everything, Qinglian quickly disappeared.
Yan Xiuling smiled. "Jingyan, it seems you've reached some kind of agreement with Xuanlou. In that case, Seven Absolutes Manor is unlikely to be of any use to me. If it can't be of my use, then destroy it!"
As for the position of martial arts alliance leader, why not just give it to your future empress? You see, while the martial arts alliance leader may wield considerable power, maintaining a balance of power among the various factions is not an easy task.
Moreover, it's not so easy to use the power of the martial arts world to deal with the imperial court. Let me see just how capable your future empress really is.
While a series of orders were being issued from the Linwei Imperial Palace, Shen Qianmo and Situ Jingyan were naturally not idle. The combined power of the Demon Palace and the Enchanting Blood Tower against the Tang Clan was not to be underestimated. Apart from the Tang Clan's main headquarters, almost all of its other branch headquarters had suffered devastating blows.
Just as Tang Yun was about to retaliate, he received an order from Yan Xiuling. He had been severely injured by Shen Qianmo's sword last time, and his body had not fully recovered. He was already somewhat lacking in strength to compete for the position of martial arts alliance leader. Since Yan Xiuling had ordered him to leave, he was happy to leave as well.
While the Tang Clan was slowly withdrawing from Fengling City, Shen Qianmo and Xuan Lou were planning how to annihilate the Tang Clan in one fell swoop.
"The Tang Clan's headquarters is very powerful, and I'm afraid it won't be so easy to deal with." Xuan Lou remained calm and composed, his white robes still elegant and handsome.