Now that Pei Weiyi’s attitude is clear, the subsequent arrangements fall into place naturally.

He quickly gathered a group of cabinet advisors and convened a secret cabinet meeting.

...

Pei Weiyi returned to Jinhua Mansion and, seeing that Fan Wubing had not left, displayed a gentle smile.

After shedding the Chiwen Robe, she immediately transformed from the intimidating Left Minister into the gentle Pei Weiyi.

"I thought you left."

Fan Wubing was sitting cross-legged on her private Dao Platform, meditating. Upon hearing her voice, he opened his eyes,

"I’m staying here for a while, hope you don’t mind."

"Oh, how could I dare to mind?" Pei Weiyi changed into a light, floral dress and leaned by the window, the warm autumn afternoon sun draping over her. At this moment, a layer of sacred aura enveloped her, "Only when you’re here can I stop thinking about everything."

"What’s wrong? Feeling sad? Were you criticized at court?"

Pei Weiyi squinted, "Who would dare? It’s just that the current Immortal Dynasty seems to have deviated from the grand aspirations promised when the Immortal Dynasty Gate was knocked upon. Not only has it not achieved these goals, but it has strayed further away."

"What grand aspirations?"

"Senior Jiang Ran once, on behalf of Shangjing, made a grand vow to heaven: ’In the name of the Immortal Dynasty, may all living beings in the world have grand ambitions, see beyond the horizon, turn obsessions into dragons, and resolve to open the heavens.’

"Truly a vow to heaven."

"But..." Pei Weiyi looked out the window, the daylight illuminating her fair face, "Ten thousand years have passed. The Immortal Dynasty... it seems to be nothing more than a larger and stronger nation. You see, those ordinary cultivators struggling to survive in Changning City, how are they any different from common folks? And the so-called ’turning obsessions into dragons, resolving to open the heavens’ refers to reconstructing the Path to Immortality. But not to mention whether it can be done, it seems the entire Immortal Dynasty isn’t even contemplating it."

Fan Wubing thought for a moment, "Didn’t you say before, Jiang Ran didn’t want Shangjing to become the Immortal Dynasty?"

"Yes."

"Could it be she foresaw today’s situation back then?"

Pei Weiyi suddenly turned, staring intently at Fan Wubing,

"If it were someone else, I might think they’re being delusional. But Senior Jiang Ran... perhaps she really could foresee." Then she looked troubled, "However, even if that’s the case, it doesn’t justify turning to demons."

Fan Wubing appeared disheartened, "That, I don’t know."

Pei Weiyi squinted slightly, "Do you know Senior Jiang Ran?"

"No, why do you ask?"

"It’s nothing. It just seemed like your heart stirred a bit when mentioning her."

Fan Wubing felt awkward... is this women’s intuition?

"You’re overthinking."

In front of Fan Wubing, Pei Weiyi was more casual, stretching comfortably, showcasing her impressive figure,

"I’m going to the Illusion Immortal Tower."

"What for?"

Pei Weiyi replied with a knowing smile, "What else does one do at a brothel?"

"Hmph."

"Oh, one more thing."

"What is it?"

"Your friend Ye Wuyue might be in trouble soon, so pay more attention. Don’t ask me for details. I am, after all, someone of the Shangjing Immortal Dynasty, and the fact that I’m saying this is solely because of you."

Having said that, Pei Weiyi drifted away.

Fan Wubing watched her silhouette, a slight smile tugging at his lips as he thought to himself,

"I knew about this even before you did."

...

On Cyan Dragon Avenue in Changning City, there’s a palace complex as grand as the Little Imperial Palace—it’s where the Immortal Continent Demon Extermination Bureau is located.

All matters related to Demon Cultivators in the Immortal Continent are sent here for handling.

Even at the midnight hour, the place remained brightly lit, with departments working nonstop, never pausing for a moment.

In a palace behind the main hall, a detailed, clearly marked giant model of the Immortal Continent was suspended in the air.

Ye Wuyue examined it closely.

Even in the dead of night, she had no intention of resting. Just before, she learned from Jianshen San that the mysterious and powerful Greedy Demon Lord might already be in the Immortal Continent. Compared to the Greedy Demon Lord, past demon disturbances were mere trifles.

This Demon Lord, whose background, cultivation strength, and plans are all unknown, hangs over the Immortal Continent like a sword, uncertain when or how it will fall.

Faced with such an adversary, Ye Wuyue dared not rest.

She rubbed her temples, trying to dispel the fatigue, muttering to herself,

"I promised Sister Jiang to clear out all demon cultivators from the Immortal Continent; how can I rest at a time like this? I must work harder!"

She’s recently been planning to implement a new response mechanism within the Demon Extermination Bureau, streamlining departments to increase efficiency. Ever since the bureau’s establishment, she discovered that many unnecessary positions had been deliberately planted within each department. These positions severely impacted critical operations like task execution and mobilization response.

As a princess of the Imperial Dynasty, she knew very well why this happened. It was merely to complicate the allocation of power and resources, facilitating multiple distributions. She was also quite clear about who was responsible.

But during ordinary times, she’d turn a blind eye, yet now, with the massive threat from the Greedy Demon Lord, reforms within the Demon Extermination Bureau were imperative!

As she was thinking about all this, someone knocked on the door,

"Is General Director Ye in?"

Ye Wuyue closed up the model, "Please, come in."

Gong Tianrui opened the door, nodding slightly as a gesture of courtesy.

Ye Wuyue asked with a smile, "Up so late, hasn’t Prime Minister Gong rested?"

Gong Tianrui shook his head, "There are things weighing heavily on my mind, hard to soothe, making sleep impossible."