"Great Jin Territory. Sage Rulers, do not trespass!"
The sign was clearly a warning to Empress Yao Guang and her companions.
The Empress's face was grim.
She had spent years cultivating a calm and composed demeanor, maintaining an image of grace and dignity in the eyes of the world.
But today, that facade was crumbling.
The sign was newly carved, the ink still wet. Clearly, the person responsible knew they were pursuing Qing Qiu. And yet, they still dared to intervene.
They didn't respect her authority!
Who in the world dared defy her?
Empress Yao Guang was confident that even Emperor Jiajing, if he wished to confront her, wouldn't be so… disrespectful and arrogant.
But for some reason, Fan Li's image appeared in her mind.
Why?
Why did she keep thinking of that insignificant ant?
He was a man who should have died long ago. And yet, he stubbornly clung to life, his influence growing with each passing day.
Once, killing him would have been a simple matter, a single command. She had spared him only because she couldn't be bothered with such an insignificant creature.
But now, it seemed the ant had grown. He had become a force to be reckoned with, a potential ally.
In the war against the Great Ming, Fan Li represented a formidable power, worthy of being her ally.
Empress Yao Guang shook her head, dispelling the thought. She understood why she had thought of Fan Li.
It was the handwriting.
She had recently read Fan Li's letter. And now, looking at the sign, she finally recognized his calligraphy.
Although it was difficult to believe, it was undeniably true.
He had been protecting Qing Qiu all along.
"Does... does the Great Chu... have any Divine Transformation... no, Unity Realm mechanism masters?" Empress Yao Guang muttered.
"I don't think so," Jin De answered immediately.
Every nation possessed unique strengths.
The Three Kingdoms – Wei, Han, and Wu – had inherited the legacy of the former Han Dynasty. Their rulers were strong, their generals brave, their officials wise, and their soldiers skilled. However, their resources were limited, spread thin across three nations.
Emperor Jiajing of the Great Ming was the strongest man in the world. His court was filled with Unity Realm experts, both civil and military. The Ming army was vast and powerful.
However, their bureaucracy was bloated, plagued by corruption and infighting between the Yan and Xu factions. Moreover, Emperor Jiajing's obsession with Daoist cultivation was a drain on the treasury. Their spending outweighed their income.
The Great Chu was the wealthiest nation. The Chu army was well-equipped and well-supplied. What other nations used to equip a single general, the Chu used to equip an ordinary soldier.
But they lacked top-tier experts.
As for mechanism masters, these rare and elusive cultivators, unless they were hermits, their names were known throughout the land.
That's why Jin De was confident that the Great Chu had no mechanism masters, at least not any powerful ones.
"Elder Sister, should we continue?" Jin De asked.
If not for the minefield and the tribulation, she would have dismissed the signs as a joke. But her entire body still ached from the previous encounters. She didn't want to take any more risks.
Qing Qiu?
That woman, with her personality, surely she wouldn't do anything to harm the Great Ci Dynasty, would she?
Jin De hoped that Empress Yao Guang would give up the chase.
"What do you think?"
The Empress glanced at Jin De coldly. There was no sisterly affection now. Only the hierarchy between ruler and subject.
Those who abandon us… cannot be spared.
Empress Yao Guang had personally pursued Qing Qiu. If she allowed her to escape, what would become of her reputation as Emperor?
Jin De shivered, afraid to speak.
"Continue…"
The Empress was about to resume their pursuit, but she stopped.
Ahead, a forest.
Figures were approaching, their numbers vast, their movements synchronized.
"Nascent Soul Realm? Several thousand of them?"
Jin De easily sensed their cultivation levels. Nascent Soul cultivators were insignificant to her.
Unless… their numbers were overwhelming!
Several thousand Nascent Soul experts? Was this the strength of the Great Jin Dynasty?
If so, they were truly worthy of being considered a dynasty!
"Five thousand," Miaoyin said with a surprised expression.
They both looked at Yao Guang, seeking guidance.
The enemy was weaker than them. But who could guarantee that there weren't hidden experts lurking in the shadows?
"I am the Empress of Great Ci!"
Yao Guang suddenly announced. Her voice was majestic and loud, and could be heard clearly for miles around!
Countless birds and beasts fled in terror.
Several ordinary birds and small animals, unable to withstand the pressure of her aura, died instantly.
"Who stands before me?"
"I have come only to capture a traitor of the Great Ci Dynasty. I have no other intentions. If this is a misunderstanding, you may retreat. I will not hold you accountable!"
Miaoyin and Jin De looked at each other with surprised expressions.
Elder Sister, with her immense power, was actually offering a truce?
At least, to their ears, those words, although spoken with an undeniable arrogance, were an attempt to avoid conflict.
Five thousand Nascent Soul cultivators, hidden within the dense forest, resembled a vast, black shadow.
The moment Yao Guang finished speaking, they stopped.
"Elder Sister is truly impressive!" Jin De exclaimed.
But her joy was short-lived.
The black shadow began to move again, approaching them relentlessly. Even facing three Great Vehicle Realm experts, their confidence was unwavering.
How many times had this happened today?
Empress Yao Guang felt her authority being challenged. These people… they all deserved to die!
She slowly extended her left hand, preparing to unleash her World in Her Palm.
To kill them all at once was impossible. But a surprise attack could easily eliminate a hundred or more.
"Excuse me, could you wait a moment?"
A plump, middle-aged man with a languid demeanor suddenly descended from the sky. As he spoke, he retrieved a jade bottle, poured out a handful of pills, and swallowed them.
The aroma of medicine filled the air. Yao Guang and her companions immediately recognized them – Heaven-grade pills!
He was consuming them like candy, not even bothering to meditate and absorb their medicinal properties properly. At least half of each pill's potency was wasted!
This man, if he wasn't incredibly wealthy, he was recklessly squandering precious resources!
"My apologies," the plump man said, panting as he swallowed the pills. "His Majesty ordered me to set up the minefield and the tribulation. It depleted my spiritual energy. If I don't replenish my reserves, I won't be a match for the three of you."
Empress Yao Guang thought she had misheard.
What?!
This man wanted them to wait… not for a negotiation, but because he wanted to fight?
The Empress laughed, her anger reaching its peak.
Damn it!
If she had known, she would have attacked before he consumed those pills.
"Very well. At least we can confirm that he's the mechanism master."
"His cultivation level… Humph, fifth-rank Great Vehicle?"
A mere fifth-rank cultivator, and he dared challenge them?
Yao Guang felt insulted.
World in Her Palm!
She activated the technique, attacking the moment Wang Ban finished speaking.
Her hand seemed to grow in size, until it covered the sky, casting a shadow over the land. A black hole appeared, its terrifying gravity pulling Wang Ban towards it.
However, Wang Ban remained unmoved.
"This is a Western technique, isn't it?"
He stood his ground, seemingly unaffected by Yao Guang's divine ability. He even had the audacity to comment on it.
He shook his head, resembling a learned scholar who had seen countless wonders.
"These Western techniques, they excel at deception and trickery. They speak of 'a flower, a world; a leaf, a Bodhi tree.'
But in truth, a flower is a flower. A leaf is a leaf.
How can a flower possibly contain an entire world?
How can a single leaf be equal to a Bodhi tree?
All of this is because people are deceived, their minds filled with delusions and desires. They become lost in their own fantasies.
My heart is firm. I do not believe that your palm can truly create a world. I will not be trapped."
As he spoke, Wang Ban retrieved another bottle of pills and swallowed them.
"But I must admit, your cultivation level is far higher than mine. I cannot match your spiritual energy reserves. Thankfully, the Imperial Physician prepared these pills in advance. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to fight."
Empress Yao Guang's face hardened.
Her powerful secret technique, so easily countered?
The World in Her Palm required a significant amount of spiritual energy. If she couldn't capture Wang Ban with a single strike, the battle would become a war of attrition.
Watching Wang Ban casually consume Heaven-grade pills, as if they were nothing more than snacks, his spiritual energy reserves seemingly limitless… This "money is no object" tactic reminded Yao Guang of Fan Li!
Could it be?
The "His Majesty" Wang Ban had mentioned… Was it Fan Li?
No, she would rather believe that if this Great Jin Dynasty truly existed, Fan Li was simply serving two masters.
"Humph! If I want to kill you, there are countless ways!"
Empress Yao Guang struck out with her right fist. The sound of wind and thunder accompanied her attack.
A simple punch, but with the power of a ninth-rank Great Vehicle Realm cultivator, it was enough to shatter mountains!
"You're too powerful. I can't block that," Wang Ban said, shaking his head.
He retreated.
They were both Great Vehicle Realm cultivators, but their cultivation levels were different.
Wang Ban's speed was slower than Yao Guang's.
The force of her punch was closing in on him.
The Empress sneered. She had used ten percent of her strength. It would be enough to severely injure him!
Suddenly, countless figures rushed towards them, throwing themselves in front of Wang Ban. They took the full force of the Empress's attack.
Their bodies shattered.
But there was no blood, no flesh, no bones.
"Mechanical puppets "
Yao Guang realized that the thousands of Nascent Soul cultivators hidden within the forest were actually automatons!
Her punch, after destroying over eighty automatons, finally dissipated.
"Impressive, truly impressive," Wang Ban said, having successfully retreated.
"His Majesty was right. You are indeed the second strongest person in the world, after Emperor Jiajing."
Despite his words of praise, Yao Guang was furious.
Second to Emperor Jiajing?
They had never fought. How could he possibly claim that?
"Unfortunately, I just lost so many of my 'maidservants,'" Wang Ban said, seemingly oblivious to her anger.
He patted his sleeve, retrieving a beautifully crafted storage box. He tossed the box into the air. "Armor!"
The box opened, releasing a shower of high-grade armor. The four thousand nine hundred remaining "maidservants" each donned a suit of armor. They now resembled seasoned veterans.
Empress Yao Guang's eyelid twitched.
She recognized the quality of the armor. This was the type reserved for military generals in other nations.
Automatons, equipped with such valuable armor?
"Am I fighting a man, or am I fighting his wealth?"
She was baffled.
Wang Ban, carrying a gentle smile, said, "Shall we continue? If we fight like this, each of your attacks will only destroy forty of my 'maidservants.'"
Over a hundred attacks just to eliminate the mechanical puppets?
Empress Yao Guang felt her hand throbbing just thinking about it.
"You… who are you?!" She glared at him.
"My name is Wang Ban. I am the Chancellor of Great Jin," Wang Ban answered honestly.
"Elder Sister! I remember him!" Jin De suddenly screamed. She pointed at Wang Ban. "I've heard his voice before! At Mount Yunmeng! He's… he's Guiguzi!"
Empress Yao Guang stared at Wang Ban in disbelief. It was him?!
Guiguzi?
The Chancellor of Great Jin?
"I once invited you to join Great Ci, but you refused. So, you have become someone else's subject?"
Her voice was laced with a chilling coldness. She discreetly reached behind her back, her hand closing around the Emperor's Sword of Great Ci.
"The Chancellor of Great Jin? I've never heard of this Great Jin Dynasty."
Wang Ban nodded. "The Great Jin kingdom is new. We only have a single city, with a population of six hundred."
Those six hundred people were mostly former elders and disciples of the Azure Cloud Sect.
"Oh?"
Empress Yao Guang's expression softened. She relaxed her grip on the sword.
"Such a small scale, and you dare call yourselves a kingdom? With your talent, Master, surely remaining in Great Jin is a waste. I invite you once more to join Great Ci. I will appoint you as the highest-ranking official. Once I have defeated the Great Ming, killed Emperor Jiajing, and conquered the world, you will be my greatest hero. What do you say?"
She had assumed that glory and power were every man's dream. But Wang Ban shook his head without hesitation.
"To unify the world is too tiring. I'm not interested."
The Empress's lips twitched. "As the saying goes, 'One must endure hardship…'"
"One must endure hardship… to serve those in power?" Wang Ban shook his head again.
"You serve the Emperor of Great Jin. Surely he desires to conquer the world?"
"His Majesty truly doesn't. He says he's only doing it because of some… system."
Empress Yao Guang was speechless. As expected, she had nothing in common with men. She might as well kill him.
She raised her sword, pointing it at Wang Ban.
"What a pity. The legacy of Guiguzi will end by my hand."
Wang Ban shook his head. "You think too highly of yourself. I can still endure for a while."
Yao Guang sneered. "A desperate struggle?"
"I won't die. My reinforcements will arrive soon."
…
Within the cave, in the safe house, Fan Li, for what he assumed was the first time, observed Qing Qiu as she slept. She was breathtakingly beautiful.
But aside from admiring her sleeping form, something else caught his attention – a tail protruding from behind her.
It was white as snow, fluffy and inviting.
Even Fan Li, a man, felt the urge to touch it!
Her tail was out?
He had seen it once before, at the Tomb of Xuanyuan, when Qing Qiu's cultivation level had reached the eighth rank of the Great Vehicle Realm. She had manifested nine tails, a phantom image.
Those nine tails had been an illusion. But this single tail was real.
He couldn't resist. He reached out and touched it.
It felt amazing!
He couldn't stop himself!
Fan Li was lost in the sensation of stroking her tail until a pair of beautiful eyes blinked open and gazed at him.
Qing Qiu had awakened.
"Ah… You're awake? Um, let me explain."
He desperately wanted to defend himself, to assure her that he wasn't a lecherous scoundrel. But the tail was part of her body. Even if it wasn't a sensitive area, it was still inappropriate for him to touch it.
"Don't touch," Qing Qiu said weakly. "Tails are sensitive."
Damn it!
It truly was a sensitive area?!
Fan Li wished he could disappear. How embarrassing!
Qing Qiu sat up, rubbing her eyes. Her beautiful face was emotionless, but her cheeks and ears were flushed.
Was she feeling hot?
Or was it because he had been stroking her tail?
Fan Li didn't dare ask. He wanted to rewind time.
"Hmm?" Qing Qiu frowned.
She was also unaccustomed to her tail suddenly appearing. She tried to retract it, but it wouldn't budge.
"You can't retract your tail?" Fan Li easily guessed her thoughts.
"Mmm," Qing Qiu nodded. "It's… inconvenient."
The Yao race, although rare, did exist.
And Fan Li, aside from Qing Qiu, also had Wu Gang by his side.
He assumed she was simply concerned about her identity as a Yao, worried that it would cause problems in the human world.
There were many negative stories about fox demons.
Su Daji from the Shang Dynasty, Bao Si from the Western Zhou Dynasty.
"My tail… it reveals my emotions," Qing Qiu said.
Her explanation surprised him.
Reveal her emotions?
Qing Qiu was like an emotionless automaton. What emotions could she possibly reveal?
As Fan Li was thinking this, he said casually, "Empress Yao Guang has been intercepted."
"Oh."
Qing Qiu's tail, which had been swaying gently, suddenly drooped.
Was she… unhappy?
Fan Li was startled. So, that was her emotional response? It was quite understandable.
On a whim, he retrieved a food box. "I brought some pastries. Would you like some?"
"Yes."
Qing Qiu's face was expressionless, but her tail wagged excitedly!
The tail stood up straight, swaying back and forth behind her.
Holy crap!
Fan Li finally understood. There was no such thing as an emotionless creature. They simply expressed themselves differently.
The temptation of a box of pastries had turned Qing Qiu's tail into a propeller!
"After you've finished eating, you can go find Yao Guang. My men won't be able to hold her off for long."
"...Oh."
The tail drooped.
"Once Yao Guang has been dealt with, I'll take you to your new home."
"Good."
The tail wagged.
"It's a hidden kingdom, called Great Jin."
"Oh."
The tail drooped.
"I'm the Emperor of Great Jin."
"Good."
The tail wagged.
The fox's tail, swaying back and forth, amused Fan Li. He pursed his lips, trying not to laugh.
Suddenly, Qing Qiu asked, "You're the Emperor of Great Jin? Then I'm your subject? Should I kneel and kowtow? Emperors live in palaces. Will it be difficult for me to see you?"
As she spoke, her tail drooped completely, resembling a wilted eggplant.
"You can come and go as you please in the Great Jin palace," Fan Li said quickly. "Treat it as your own home!"