Chapter 241: The Goddess Restores Her Purity Again; Ascending the Heavenly Dao Sect, Stirring Winds and Clouds (1)
"Your Majesty, what are you thinking? I just wanted to get to know my colleagues, that's all."
"All this righteousness in me is for Your Majesty's grand ambition. How could that be wrong?"
Su Qing spoke with an innocent tone.
That upright, righteous declaration only provoked the Empress further.
"What, do you think I'm some naive little girl you can fool that easily?!"
The gorgeous Empress grabbed his ear without mercy, clearly pissed.
His words sounded nice, but what had he actually done?
She still couldn't forget what happened just yesterday—and thanks to him, she didn't even get any sleep.
And now he dares tell her he's loyal and patriotic? He really knew how to act.
"Your Majesty does look like a little girl, but I've never once tried to fool you!"
Su Qing offered the compliment as naturally as breathing.
"Daring to speak so flippantly… sounds like you don't want your head anymore!"
The Empress's anger lessened a bit, though her tone was still far from pleased.
"Didn't Your Majesty say you were traveling incognito? Being too respectful would ruin the whole act."
Su Qing replied earnestly.
The way the two spoke, as if no one else was present, left the others in the meeting dumbfounded.
This... this wasn't the dynamic of ruler and subject at all. It was more like...
They all had the same thought, but no one dared say it out loud.
Still, internally, they all began to regard Su Qing much more seriously.
In this strange atmosphere, the only person who dared speak up appeared.
"Your Majesty, there is a line between monarch and minister. I hope you won't let others cloud your judgment."
Lady Yuqiong reminded her in a stern, meticulous tone.
Her warning wasn't from personal resentment over what happened to Chuyi last night—it was simply what was right.
"It's fine. I trust him. It's nothing serious—you don't need to be so tense."
The Empress responded casually, completely unconcerned.
They were even closer than this in private. This kind of interaction was nothing.
She was long used to it.
Everyone present was sharp enough to sense something from the Empress's attitude.
One by one, they were shocked, and a single thought surfaced in their minds:
Is this what being a favored subject truly means?
They all knew Su Qing had a high position, but this... this was on another level.
"Report the intelligence we currently have."
The Empress sensed the odd atmosphere and calmly shifted the topic.
Lady Yuqiong had no complaints and began presenting the intel she had gathered and analyzed.
To take down the Heavenly Dao Sect, there were three major hurdles.
First, its location was hard to pinpoint and ever-changing.
Second, the sect, being a major force, could potentially draw in various martial factions.
Setting aside the small ones, the most notable were the Four Pillars and Five Chiefs.
The Four Pillars referred to four ancient, thousand-year sects that held supreme prestige.
The Five Chiefs were five individuals at the peak of their respective domains.
Given the Heavenly Dao Sect's reputation and the Sect Master's network, they could call upon these forces.
In fact, not long ago, the Sect Master had already sent out invitations.
With a military campaign underway, there was no way to keep it a secret.
The Sect Master invited many to come and support them—but how many would answer that call remained unknown.
Attacking the Heavenly Dao Sect would be like kicking a hornet's nest; everything could spiral from a single spark.
Third, there was the hidden threat.
Though the Sect Master had kept to herself for many years, she never stopped cultivating.
She was rumored to have mastered an immortal technique, but its power remained a mystery—no one had ever seen her use it.
After all, she was already known for her prowess in Daoist arts and was one of the Five Chiefs—the Dao Chief.
Normally, there was no need for her to use such techniques against enemies.
Lady Yuqiong recited this intelligence in a neutral tone, devoid of emotion.
Once she finished, her gaze shifted to the Empress, waiting for a decision.
The atmosphere grew heavy.
Clearly, there were good reasons why no one had dared to uproot that arrogant sect.
In this world, strength was everything.
The Sect Master was just that powerful—it was natural that her strength only kept growing.
Which made this upcoming battle all the more critical.
This was the moment where the court and the martial world would clash outright.
If they couldn't decisively win, the consequences would be severe.
Everyone knew: if the Heavenly Dao Sect withstood this, their fame would soar.
Should the imperial forces fail, more factions might start imitating them.
So this battle had to be won—failure was not an option!
And not just a win—they needed a crushing, overwhelming victory to shake the world.
"Just a bunch of mountain bandits playing king—hardly a threat."
"If we move, we move to crush them completely. We hold the initiative."
The Empress broke the tense mood with an icy voice.
As she spoke, her gaze fell on Su Qing, full of praise.
He was a true hero without a crown.
Su Qing found her words amusing and smiled, nodding.
The difference between these sects and bandits was one of order versus chaos.
If anything, what the Heavenly Dao Sect was doing now already bordered on rebellion.
So... should they start calling that mountain they occupied Liangshan?
But this wasn't a case of being forced into rebellion.
They had a good life—and chose to stir up trouble anyway.
No wonder past dynasties never gained much from these sects.
Using martial prowess to defy the law—once some gained power, they started to see themselves above everything.
Their disregard for law and order caused enough destruction to give any ruler a headache.
"That's right. We hold the initiative and have already avoided a lot of trouble. Thank you for your assistance."
"We located their position smoothly, saving time and resources."
"Breaking the illusion array won't take long either. The advantage is still ours."
Lady Yuqiong stood up and gave Su Qing a deep bow, expressing her gratitude.
She showed no lingering resentment over last night's conflict, as if nothing had ever happened.
Her composure made even Su Qing feel a little respect for her. He gave the big sister a smile.
In a way, she truly was an excellent partner.
He had to admit, he was the one getting won over this time.
"Right, there's one trivial bit of news about the invitations."
"This time, the Sect Master of the Heavenly Dao Sect invited sects from across the Southern Court. Aside from resisting Your Majesty, there was another purpose."
"To gather the elite talents from half the world to choose a husband for the Goddess."
Lady Yuqiong added.