Shen Qianmo toyed with her teacup, her eyes indifferent, a ruthless smile playing on her lips. "So powerful?! Even if the Demon Palace and Seven Absolutes Manor joined forces, they couldn't handle a Tang Clan?!"
“The Tang Clan is not just a simple martial arts organization.” Xuan Lou frowned slightly. It wasn’t that he hadn’t considered dealing with the Tang Clan, but the power behind the Tang Clan was simply too great. Even he couldn’t find out what that powerful force behind the Tang Clan was.
"It's just Linwei!" Shen Qianmo's tone was indifferent, yet laced with murderous intent. She knew, of course, that the Tang Clan was no ordinary organization. If it were merely a martial arts group, how could it dare to simultaneously confront both the Blood Demon Pavilion and the Demon Palace? If it were just a martial arts force, why would it bother vying for the Xuan Tie Token?! The Xuan Tie Token's greatest use, after all, lay with emperors.
The Tang Clan is so powerful. Who else could be behind them besides Linwei?! Yan Xiuling, you really have some tricks up your sleeve. This Tang Clan is truly ruthless. However, there's one thing she can't understand: the Tang Clan actually issued a kill order against her and Situ Jingyan. But based on her understanding of Yan Xiuling, she knew he would never do such a thing.
"Linwei?!" A hint of surprise flashed in Xuanlou's eyes. He had always known that the Tang Clan was likely backed by a country, but he hadn't expected it to be Linwei. Linwei and Tianmo were currently the two most powerful countries, so how could Shen Qianmo mention it so casually?
"Does the young master know what lies behind the Enchanting Blood Tower?" Shen Qianmo saw Xuan Lou's hesitation and understood how much Xuan Lou cherished the Seven Absolutes Manor. She knew that he would never want the Seven Absolutes Manor to take such a risk, not even for the sake of his beloved mother. So she could only smile and continue.
Xuan Lou's gaze gradually darkened. The Tang Clan had Linwei behind it, and the fact that the Blood Demon Pavilion and the Demon Palace dared to oppose the Tang Clan meant it wasn't simply a matter of the martial arts world intervening. Adding to this the conditions the Blood Demon Pavilion Master had negotiated with him, and that unparalleled regal aura, Xuan Lou almost blurted out, "Could it be Tian Mo?!"
"That's right. The Lord of the Enchanting Blood Pavilion is Situ Jingyan, the Emperor of Tianmo!" When Shen Qianmo spoke of Situ Jingyan, her eyes were filled with pride and happiness.
Xuan Lou saw the pride and happiness slowly creeping into Shen Qianmo's eyes. He understood that this was the reaction of a woman deeply in love with a man; only in this way could she be proud of him. However, his heart ached terribly when he saw the emotions in Shen Qianmo's eyes.
Suppressing the helplessness and bitterness in his heart, he still spoke in a gentle and unchanging tone, "In that case, Seven Absolutes Manor is willing to cooperate."
Yes. At this point, there's no way to save Seven Absolutes Manor except through cooperation. If they don't cooperate with Shen Qianmo and Situ Jingyan, Seven Absolutes Manor is no match for the Tang Clan, which has the backing of Linwei. Back when Shen Qianmo dragged him to the Tang Clan to demonstrate their power, Seven Absolutes Manor probably already had no way out.
How ridiculous. He was clearly drawn into this woman's scheme, yet he willingly complied, unable to even muster a shred of blame. Was this still Xuan Lou? Still the same cold and indifferent man? Perhaps, as Xuan Ming said, love is a power that can change one's self. Xuan Ming, though simple-minded, wasn't stupid; he saw things more clearly than Xuan Lou himself.
"In that case. We'll rely on you during the martial arts tournament." Shen Qianmo smiled faintly. Xuan Lou was a smart man; he didn't need her to teach him how to make decisions. "I'll go check on Qianqian. That little girl, she seemed unhappy when I told her I had something to discuss with you."
“We were all very worried about you these past few days while you were gone. If it weren’t for Xuanming’s words of comfort, we would all be in a state of panic.” Xuanlou simply smiled faintly after hearing this. He was also aware of Shen Qianmo’s doting affection for Qianqian.
Shen Qianmo saw the gentle smile in Xuan Lou's eyes and couldn't help but frown. She had heard Xuan Lou's words clearly, especially the sentence, "We were all very worried about you."
Composing herself and ceasing to think further, Shen Qianmo headed towards the back room.
"Miss doesn't like me anymore! She doesn't even talk to me when she comes back." At this moment, Qianqian was lying on the table, looking unhappy. Xuanming was next to Qianqian trying to cheer her up. Sure enough, after a few words, Qianqian was cheerful again.
Shen Qianmo watched Xuan Ming and Qian Qian from afar. They really were a pair without any thoughts. That was good; they got angry easily, but they could also be happy just as quickly. Unlike them, they thought too much, and their emotions came too deeply. They couldn't get angry or happy so easily.
"Miss." Qianqian was talking to Xuanming when she saw Wushuang in white standing in the distance and immediately called out with a smile.
"Silly Qianqian." Shen Qianmo, just like before, reached out and stroked Qianqian's hair, truly reluctant to let her leave him. But after the martial arts tournament, there would be dealing with the Li Kingdom, and then returning to Tianmo to become empress; the road ahead would not be easy. Rather than letting Qianqian live in constant fear with him, it would be better to entrust her to her true love.
After all, Qianqian will eventually grow up; she can't stay with her forever.
"Qianqian, after the martial arts tournament, you will go to the Seven Absolutes Manor with Xuanming." Shen Qianmo's tone was indifferent, but only she knew the reluctance contained within it.
Upon hearing this, Qianqian's expression changed, and the smile on her face instantly vanished. She couldn't help but say, "Miss, did Qianqian do something wrong? Don't you want Qianqian anymore?"
"How could I not want Qianqian? It's just that I have a lot to do after the martial arts tournament, so Qianqian can stay with Xuanming for now, isn't that good?" Qianqian ruffled her hair and said affectionately. She needed to let Qianqian adjust to being away from her before she could truly entrust her to Xuanming.
Qianqian listened to Shen Qianmo's words, glanced at Xuanming, then at Shen Qianmo, seemingly troubled. Yes. She really enjoyed being with Xuanming; the feeling was different from being with her mistress—a sweet and warm feeling. But, but she didn't want to leave her mistress either!
Seeing Qianqian's conflicted expression, Shen Qianmo smiled gently. Perhaps her worries were unnecessary. Qianqian had been with her since childhood and was very dependent on her, but that didn't mean she was Qianqian's everything. Qianqian also had her own love. Xuanming was a very good person. For now, Qianqian and Xuanming could be together. Once everything was resolved, she would officiate their wedding. That way, she could be completely at ease.
"Qianqian, be a good girl." Shen Qianmo smiled and said.
"Okay." Qianqian nodded, glanced at Xuanming, and found that he was also looking at her. His burning gaze made her feel embarrassed. Strange, why did her face feel involuntarily hot?
Seeing Qianqian and Xuanming's expressions, Shen Qianmo simply smiled knowingly.
The martial arts tournament is just a few days away. She needs to take good care of her health and prepare for it.
The Martial Arts Tournament. A grand feast where heroes from all corners of the land gather. It is being held at Phoenix Feather Manor in the heart of Phoenix Feather City. The manor's lord is an elderly man over sixty years old. He wears a long golden robe, exuding elegance and nobility, and his face bears a kind and approachable smile, displaying both authority and warmth.
"Please take your seats, everyone," said Feng Tianyang, the owner of Phoenix Feather City Manor, an elderly man in his sixties.
The martial arts heroes didn't stand on ceremony and took their seats one after another. Shen Qianmo was still dressed in moon-white clothes, looking exceptionally elegant. Her hair was casually tied up, giving her a carefree and unrestrained air. She gracefully took her seat in the Demon Palace Master's position, ignoring the sidelong glances from the martial arts figures, and simply drank her wine.
Xuan Lou was dressed in white, but he looked more refined and less carefree. He sat down next to Shen Qianmo in a seat belonging to the Seven Absolutes Manor.
Opposite the Demon Palace, the spot for the Bloodthirsty Pavilion was empty, indicating that the Lord of the Bloodthirsty Pavilion had not arrived.
Shen Qianmo looked at the empty seat and smiled. Jingyan was clearly in Fengling City, so why wasn't he attending the martial arts tournament? And why was he hiding his identity from her?! She truly couldn't understand what Situ Jingyan was thinking. However, she believed that Situ Jingyan naturally had his own plans.
Next to the Blood Demon Tower was the Tang Clan's location. At this moment, the person sitting there was not Tang Yun, but Tang Yun's younger brother, Tang Yu.
Tang Yu wore a long blue robe. Compared to Tang Yun, he lacked some of Tang Yun's handsome and effeminate features, but possessed a more resolute and untamed air. However, both of them had an unusually pale complexion, perhaps due to years of contact with poisons, which might have affected their physical condition.
Shen Qianmo frowned slightly. She was certain Tang Yun wasn't dead, because she hadn't found his body when the Blood Demon Pavilion collected the remains. But this martial arts tournament was so important; how could Tang Yun not attend?! Could it be that his injuries were too severe, forcing Tang Yu to take his place?!
However, according to Shen Qianmo's understanding, Tang Yu's martial arts skills weren't that great. Even if Tang Yun's injuries were too severe to participate in the martial arts tournament, it wouldn't warrant having Tang Yu take his place.
"Now that almost everyone has arrived, let the competition begin. We'll follow the same rules as in previous years. The two winners will qualify to run for the position of Martial Arts Alliance Leader. The final decision will be made by everyone's opinion," Feng Tianyang said slowly, his wrinkled face gleaming with intelligence.
Seeing Feng Tianyang's gaze sweep over, Shen Qianmo slowly nodded, indicating that she had no objection. Similarly, Xuan Lou and Tang Yu also nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
Although the martial arts tournament was hosted by Phoenix Feather Manor, it still had to be mindful of the opinions of several major powers. Offending these powers would be a serious matter for a small organization like Phoenix Feather Manor.
"Then I'll offer my humble opinion as a starting point." A slightly aged voice rang out. Shen Qianmo looked up and saw that it was none other than the leader of the Zixia Sect, Qinglan's father.
His brow furrowed slightly. The first one to go was likely to be the one who suffered the most. Although the leader of the Zixia Sect was exceptionally skilled in martial arts, he was ultimately fighting against many opponents, and by the time the final powerful enemy made his move, he would probably be exhausted.
"I would like to learn from you." The newcomer was the sect leader of Kongsheng Sect, dressed in a black outfit and looking very domineering.
The Zixia Sect belongs to the righteous faction of the martial arts world, while the Kongsheng Sect belongs to the evil and heretical path. This martial arts tournament is really interesting; it's only just begun, and already good and evil are irreconcilable.
The Kongsheng Sect Master had barely gained his footing when the Zixia Sect Master made his move. The Zixia Sword flashed towards the Kongsheng Sect Master like a streak of light, but the Kongsheng Sect Master was no pushover. He gracefully dodged the attack and quickly regained his footing.
"Excellent! Brilliant!" The martial arts practitioners who had come specifically to watch applauded the duel between the two. They hadn't expected it to start with a duel between two sect leaders. This year's martial arts tournament was unprecedentedly grand. Not only had the Demon Palace and Seven Absolutes Manor, which usually avoided the public eye, made their appearance, but even the duelists were several levels more skilled than usual.
"I think the Kongsheng Sect Master has lost." Sitting in the superior position, Shen Qianmo had a clear view of the duel between the two. Although the Kongsheng Sect Master's moves seemed fierce and relentless, the Zixia Sect Master was actually handling the situation with ease. She was simply observing the Kongsheng Sect Master's moves to find the fatal blow.