Wayfarer

Chapter 790: The Uninterested Lady Yaoguang

In the Sieve of Heaven, within Ao Canghai's manor, several of Ao Canghai's trusted Martial Aspects hurried in and began to conspire with him.

"Eastern Aspect, the situation is dire!" one of the Martial Aspects cried out.

"Don't call me Eastern Aspect. I don't hold that position any longer," Ao Canghai said irritably.

"Xiao Nanfeng will only be the Eastern Aspect temporarily. You'll always be the true Eastern Aspect in our hearts, Eastern Aspect. We're all in support of you!" the Martial Aspects said one after the other.

"Wait until the time is right. Don't call me Eastern Aspect for the moment. We don't want any outsiders catching wind of this."

"Understood. Shall we address you as Dragon King, like before?" one of his subordinates suggested.

"Very well." Ao Canghai nodded.

"Dragon King, things aren't looking good. Xiao Nanfeng has consolidated his power over the last few days and has summoned all the spymasters responsible for overseeing the eastern quadrant. They've been seized and replaced by his own subordinates, and their methods of contacting each other in private have been disrupted. All the resources and intelligence networks that once belonged to you have been completely taken over," one of the Martial Aspects reported.

Ao Canghai's expression turned dark. "I understand. You're all dismissed."

The Martial Aspects wanted to say more, but given Ao Canghai's mood, they had no choice but to retreat.

Once they were gone, Ao Canghai summoned a plain-looking man.

"I need to speak with the head of Snowborne," Ao Canghai said.

"Understood," the man replied. "My main body is with the head of Snowborne. I shall relay this conversation."

Ao Canghai paused, then took a deep breath. "Xiao Nanfeng has become the Eastern Aspect. His growth is far beyond what we anticipated. It's time to implement your proposed plan."

Several days later, in Xiao Nanfeng's manor in the Sieve of Heaven.

Xiao Nanfeng was busy taking full control of his newfound station as Eastern Aspect. It wasn't until now that he truly understood the immense authority wielded by his position.

All divine empires and holy lands in the eastern quadrant had a large number of spies from the Imperial Court. The amount of intelligence available left him astonished.

"How much more incompetent can Ao Canghai get? To think he'd been sitting on such a gold mine for centuries without exploiting it properly! He even failed to be properly greedy. No wonder the Heavenly Emperor was disappointed..."

With all this information and all these spies under his control, Xiao Nanfeng had gained an incredible advantage.

Just then, one of his spectral guards hurried over.

"There's urgent news, Your Majesty."

"Hm?"

"The spectral guards near the Shangqing holy land report that Lady Yaoguang has been harassed recently."

"Harassed?" Xiao Nanfeng's expression turned cold.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Someone headed to the Shangqing holy land to propose to her. Although he was rejected, the suitor persisted and even persuaded some of the elders in the holy land to pressure her."

Xiao Nanfeng's frowned. He pondered the situation for a moment before his eyes glinted. "Ao Canghai's scheming against me, is he? He truly doesn't know what his opponent's capable of."

The Shangqing holy land to the north was located along the coast of the Northern Sea. Its vast territories spanned land and sea, and countless islands served as residences for various branches of the holy land.

The Shangqing holy land was happy to admit spirits among its ranks, and many of its elders were powerful spirits.

At present, on a particularly large island, a bustling scene unfolded. Many Immortal spirits were coming and going from the island, which bore a large stone stele on which "Cursebane Island" was engraved.

Inside a fog-wreathed courtyard on the island, by a garden blooming with vibrant and beautiful flowers, under the eaves of a small cottage, a graceful woman in blue sat playing the erhu with her eyes closed. Her beauty was so breathtaking that the flowers' paled in comparison. She was none other than Lady Yaoguang, who had shared a kiss with Xiao Nanfeng and pledged her heart to him when they parted ways at the Netherworld Palace.

As Lady Yaoguang played the erhu, a soft smile graced her lips as a fond memory came to mind. The erhu's melancholy tune briefly gave way to a note of joy. That emotion quickly faded, to be replaced with longing.

Several maids passed by outside the courtyard. Though they had seen plenty of breathtaking Immortal beauties, Lady Yaoguang still left them awestruck. They couldn't help feeling inadequate by comparison. The heavens had bestowed every form of beauty upon Lady Yaoguang; her only flaw was that she was as cold, distant, and aloof as an iceberg. Only when she played that seemingly plain and ordinary erhu would she occasionally smile. None understood why she cherished it so greatly, unaware that Xiao Nanfeng had made it for her by hand.

A man's voice called out, "Yaoguang!"

Her concentration broken, Lady Yaoguang furrowed her brows in irritation. She opened her eyes. "Uncle, what are you doing here again?"

She carefully put away her erhu, as if worried that her uncle might damage it.

Her visitor was none other than her uncle, Qu Jianfeng.

"Yaoguang, the elders have invited you to pay them a visit several times. Why do you refuse to do so?"

Lady Yaoguang shook her head. "I'm not interested."

"Yaoguang, this is a great opportunity. The Immortal Emperor of Dahan is approaching you himself as a suitor. He wants to take you as his empress. All the elders of Cursebane Island expect good things of this union, and the other branches of the holy land are incredibly envious."

Lady Yaoguang's expression turned cold. "I'm not interested."

"Yaoguang, don't be stubborn! An Immortal Emperor himself wants to take you as his consort. Even though he inherited his empire from his father, he's still an Immortal Emperor. If you marry him, you'll become an empress and be granted a share of immense fortune. You could elevate countless disciples of the holy land and enrich it to no small extent."

"Aren't you listening, Uncle? I'm not interested. I'll inform the hierarch myself once he returns."

"Yaoguang, you willingly became a holy maiden, and the holy land gave you all its resources as a result. You know what you're obligated to do in return. How can you refuse this political marriage now?" Qu Jianfeng frowned in annoyance.

Lady Yaoguang bit her lip. She had initially done so for Xiao Nanfeng, worried that he would be harmed by the cursed effigies that plagued him. She had needed the Shangqing Yin Body to help him.

Now that Qu Jianfeng was criticizing her, she replied in frustration, "I am a direct disciple of the Shangqing Grandmaster, and I inherit his legacy. I don't want to marry into Dahan."

"You're not the Shangqing Grandmaster's only disciple, and the Shangqing holy land doesn't need you to remain here. That's no excuse. If the suitor were ordinary, I would have refused him for you myself—but he's the Immortal Emperor of Dahan! He's been waiting outside the mountain pass for days."

Lady Yaoguang grew more frustrated. "I don't like him, Uncle!"

"Is there someone you're already interested in?" Qu Jianfeng frowned.

Lady Yaoguang blushed and quickly shook her head. "No!"

Qu Jianfeng's face turned even darker. "Don't lie to me. Your demeanor is just like your mother's. She used to act the same way—she rejected the excellent matches the holy land arranged for her and ended up choosing your father, that good-for-nothing. Look how it all turned out! They died together. You can't f ollow in her footsteps."

Lady Yaoguang grew even more discomfited. "My father wasn't a good-for-nothing. Don't you dare insult him."

"Is Xiao Nanfeng the one you're interested in?"

Lady Yaoguang's eyes widened upon hearing Xiao Nanfeng's name, but she hurriedly denied it. "No."

Qu Jianfeng sighed. "To be honest, if not for the Immortal Emperor of Dahan, Xiao Nanfeng might well be a good match."

"What?" Lady Yaoguang was stunned.

Qu Jianfeng had always looked down on Xiao Nanfeng. If anyone from the Shangqing holy land were to learn that she cared for Xiao Nanfeng, it would place him in great danger. That was why she had been forced to distance himself from him.

"There have been some rumors about Xiao Nanfeng from the east and the south. If those rumors are true, then Xiao Nanfeng is indeed far more talented than I had given him credit for. Even so, no matter his capabilities, he's but an ordinary emperor. He can't compare to the Immortal Emperor of Dahan."

"What rumors? Why haven't I heard about them?"

Qu Jianfeng frowned.

"Uncle, I'm a holy maiden of Shangqing! I told you I had to be informed of any news related to the Taiqing Immortal Sect. Have you been deliberately cutting off any contact with them?"

Qu Jianfeng grimaced in embarrassment. "Yaoguang, this is all for your own good."

"For my own good? I don't need your help! I need the authority that comes with being a holy maiden. If you've taken away my authority, then don't expect me to serve my duty. I'm not interested in the Immortal Emperor of Dahan's proposal. Let whoever is interested claim it."

"Don't be so willful, Yaoguang," Qu Jianfeng said sternly.

"Uncle, do you need me to repeat myself? I'm not interested in the Immortal Emperor of Dahan's proposal!"