Qi Xuansu was deeply dissatisfied. He had never expected Manu Tancha to be so lacking in judgment.

In an ordinary household, this would be the sort of ungrateful man who, when someone kindly warned him that his wife was planning to run away with both his money and a younger lover, not only refused to believe it but actually got angry at the messenger, accusing him of trying to drive a wedge between husband and wife.

People like that deserved to lose both their wealth and their spouse.

Qi Xuansu had made his displeasure with the emperor quite clear.

At present, it was the Tawantin Court that depended on the Daoist Order’s support and assistance, not the other way around. As such, there was little the Tawantin Court could do in response.

Just as Qi Xuansu was about to leave the palace gates, Huangfu Xi appeared. She was no longer dressed like a courtesan as she had been the previous night. Instead, she wore the elegant and noble attire of a Central Plains princess. She acted as though she had never met Qi Xuansu before, displaying a mixture of surprise, unfamiliarity, and curiosity.

Qi Xuansu stopped walking, and the Chief Chamberlain hurried after him. Regardless of how dissatisfied the man might have been, the Daoist Order standing behind Qi Xuansu was an undeniable reality. He had no right to lose his temper and could only continue to serve politely.

Huangfu Xi asked curiously, “Who is this gentleman?”

The Chief Chamberlain hurriedly replied, “Your Highness, this is Sage Qi, envoy of the Daoist Order.”

Then he turned to introduce Huangfu Xi to Qi Xuansu. “Sage Qi, this is—”

Qi Xuansu raised a hand and interrupted him. “I have heard Sage Huangfu mention her before. Huangfu Xi, correct?”

Huangfu Xi’s acting was flawless. She revealed an expression of delighted surprise and said, “Sage Qi, you actually know of me?”

Qi Xuansu played along. “Brother Huangfu speaks very highly of Your Highness.”

Like a young girl idolizing a famous hero, Huangfu Xi’s eyes sparkled as she said, “I have long heard of Sage Qi’s great reputation. Brother Li Ming has told me many stories about your deeds. You participated in the Fenglin War and ventured alone into Nanyang to suppress the rebellion there. You are truly an extraordinary person. Brother Li Ming even said that you may become the Grand Master of the Daoist Order one day!”

To outside observers, Huangfu Xi looked like an innocent and naive princess. Who would have guessed that this princess was actually a formidable figure capable of standing toe-to-toe with the empress herself?

“Miss Huangfu, you flatter me too much. You’re making me embarrassed,” Qi Xuansu said, though he showed not the slightest trace of embarrassment.

After spending enough time at the top, hearing such praise became commonplace. How could he possibly feel embarrassed? On the contrary, the more he heard it, the more pleasant it sounded. He could never hear enough of it.

After being flattered for too long, a person would gradually be intolerant of even the slightest dissenting voice, even when those voices were correct.

Thus, arrogance took root.

Power’s corruption of the human heart manifested in countless ways and was almost impossible to guard against.

Qi Xuansu had not yet reached that point. Still, there was no need for him to pretend modesty in this regard. He had long since grown accustomed to flattery.

Huangfu Xi had certainly not encountered Qi Xuansu by chance. She had come specifically to meet him. Putting on the appearance of a young admirer meeting her idol, she clasped her hands over her chest and asked, “Sage Qi, do you have a moment? Might I trouble you to honor me with some guidance regarding my cultivation?”

The Chief Chamberlain immediately looked troubled.

Qi Xuansu nodded. “Certainly.”

Huangfu Xi brightened with delight. “Thank you, Sage Qi. This is not the most convenient place. Might I invite you to my residence instead?”

With that, Huangfu Xi ignored the Chief Chamberlain and personally led Qi Xuansu away.

The Chief Chamberlain stared speechlessly at their departing figures. He stamped his foot in frustration before hurrying off to report the matter to the Empress.

If the Princess managed to establish ties with the Daoist Order, the situation would become extremely dangerous.

After boarding Huangfu Xi’s carriage, Qi Xuansu signaled with his eyes, asking whether it was safe to speak.

Huangfu Xi immediately dropped her innocent-girl act and replied respectfully, “Everyone around us can be trusted. This carriage is also safe, so there is no problem.”

Qi Xuansu said, “Miss Huangfu, forgive my bluntness, but your biological father is vastly inferior to your godfather.”

Huangfu Xi gave a bitter smile. “If that were not the case, I wouldn’t have sought you out ahead of time last night...”

Even she did not know how to describe her own father.

Qi Xuansu said, “Today, I intended to pressure Unulatu directly and force her hand. Instead, your father defended her at every turn and nearly came to blows with me, completely disrupting my plans. Left with no choice, I had to take a detour. Regarding the Heron Society, I have ordered Unulatu to provide me with a clear explanation within 15 days. Once those 15 days are up, I will deploy personnel from the Western Daoist Order into New Paititi. We shall see how Unulatu chooses to respond.”

Huangfu Xi clapped her hands together. “That’s an excellent strategy, Sage Qi. By forcing Unulatu to strike at her own side, you put her in a difficult position. If she refuses, you will have a perfectly legitimate reason to deploy personnel, and she will be forced onto the defensive.”

Then Huangfu Xi sighed. “As for my father, he is truly difficult to describe. But then again, the reason the Western Daoist Order chose him to inherit the throne in the first place was precisely because of his noninterference.”

This “noninterference” was obviously not the Primordial Daoist Ancestor’s concept of governing through inaction. It meant he was doing nothing and accomplishing nothing.

Qi Xuansu asked an unrelated question. “If the Emperor and Empress are so devoted to one another, why does he still take concubines?”

Huangfu Xi replied, “As a daughter, I should not casually judge my father. But since Sage Qi has asked, I can only answer honestly. Although my father is romantic by nature and incapable of remaining devoted to a single woman, whenever he falls in love, his feelings are utterly sincere. He would gladly tear out his heart for the woman he loves and cut flesh from his own body if she desired it. In his eyes, every woman is a treasure. His love for each of them is genuine, and his sincerity is the same every time.”

Qi Xuansu was silent for quite a while.

There was Hun Chowen, who had resolved to destroy the Tawantin Empire for the sake of a woman, even at the cost of destroying himself.

Then there was Manu Tancha, who clearly had little interest in ruling and cared only for romance and pleasure.

How could such parasites ever govern the Tawantin Empire properly?

Then again, as love rivals, they truly were well-matched.

At last, Qi Xuansu spoke. “Very well. It seems the immense burden of Tawantin will ultimately fall upon your shoulders. You must maintain close communication with the ministers and work together with General Huangfu Zhu of the Southern Palace Guard to ensure the stability of New Paititi.”

This was precisely what Huangfu Xi had been waiting to hear. Already seated on her knees within the carriage, she gracefully bowed. “How could I dare disobey?”

Qi Xuansu said, “I have given Unulatu 15 days. She won’t sit still and wait for her fate. She is certain to make a move, so keep a close watch on her. At the same time, ensure your own safety.”

“Yes. Thank you for your concern, Sage Qi,” Huangfu Xi replied.

Qi Xuansu left behind a Corpse Liberation Incarnation to complete the performance with Huangfu Xi, while his true self disembarked from the carriage midway through the journey.

Before long, Qi Xuansu returned to the Daoist temple serving as the headquarters of the Beichen Hall.

There was still one more person he needed to meet.

This person had been dispatched by the Beichen Hall headquarters in Jade Capital to replace the ex-Branch Manager. Although Huangfu Ji had destroyed the headquarters of the Evangelical Ministry, the Ministry had inflicted severe damage on Beichen Hall as well. The entire intelligence network across the Northern Continent had been heavily compromised, a Branch Manager had been captured, and now everything would have to be rebuilt from the ground up.

Although Qi Xuansu would not personally oversee this matter, as a superior, he still needed to meet the candidate for the new Branch Manager position.

Qi Xuansu had already reviewed the man’s files. Shen Yubing came from the Shen family of the Taiping Sect. He was somewhat older than Qi Xuansu, roughly the same age as Cheng Lixue. He was a Heavenly Being and a third-rank Youyi Daoist. So long as he was not compared to prodigies like Qi Xuansu and Li Changge, he was considered an outstanding talent of the Daoist Order in every sense. Given a few more decades of steady advancement, attaining the rank of Omniscient Sage was well within reach.

The moment Qi Xuansu entered the Daoist temple, Lu Yujue came forward to greet him. “Chief Deputy, Shen Yubing has arrived. He’s waiting for you.”

Qi Xuansu nodded slightly and headed straight for the reception room.

Upon entering the reception room, he saw a man sitting there with an indifferent expression. The man was exceptionally handsome, with slightly thin lips, sharp brows, and bright eyes. Just as there were icy beauties among women, there were men of a similar style, unmoved by external influences and radiating an unapproachable aura. Many women found precisely this sort of man appealing.

The man sitting there was Shen Yubing.

Seeing Qi Xuansu enter, Shen Yubing rose to his feet. “Greetings, Chief Deputy.”

The greeting was delivered in a cold, rigid tone, devoid of warmth or emotion.

Qi Xuansu found it somewhat unusual but merely nodded. “No need for formalities.”

His first impression of this new Branch Manager was that he was a little too handsome. After all, wasn’t intelligence work better suited to people with forgettable appearances? Still, since the candidate had been selected by the headquarters of Beichen Hall, Qi Xuansu saw no need to comment.

Qi Xuansu sat down opposite Shen Yubing and motioned for him to do the same.

“I’ll cut to the chase. Your assignment to the Northern Continent to rebuild the damaged intelligence network carries considerable risks. Be mentally prepared.” Qi Xuansu warned.

Keeping his expression cold, Shen Yubing glanced at Qi Xuansu and replied in a voice that seemed chilling. “Understood.”

Qi Xuansu could faintly sense a hint of disdain. Whether it was arrogance born of talent or youthful intellectual pride, it stirred a measure of dissatisfaction within him. As the Chief Deputy, he could not tolerate such subtle disrespect.

But unlike Manu Tancha, Qi Xuansu did not lose his temper on the spot and maintained a strictly professional demeanor. He asked, “What is your plan?”

Shen Yubing retrieved a written proposal from his sleeve and handed it over. “Please review it, Chief Deputy.”

Qi Xuansu skimmed through it. On paper, there were no major issues. The real challenge would be execution.

In any undertaking, the hardest part was always proper execution. Laws and regulations were a prime example. If laws could truly be enforced to perfection, the world would be a utopia.

Qi Xuansu asked, “Has the Hall Master reviewed this plan?”

Shen Yubing replied, “The Hall Master has already reviewed it. He believes it is highly feasible.”

Qi Xuansu closed the proposal. “Since the Hall Master approves of it, I see no reason to object. Proceed accordingly. If you require anything further, consult Branch Manager Lu.”

With that, Qi Xuansu returned the proposal to Shen Yubing. “I wish you success in completing your mission.”