Qing Heng's arrival was… perfectly timed.
Not during court.Not in the imperial study.
But in the inner palace.
Even his reason was flawless.
—To seek the Empress's guidance on "the human heart," regarding the newly established Order of Cultivation.
Four simple words.
Brilliant.
The order had been established by the Emperor himself.If Qing Heng questioned it directly, he would be challenging imperial authority.
But approaching the Empress?
That became refinement.Completion.Concern for the cultivators of the world.
Advance or retreat—either way, it was a safe move.
Yet Fengyi Palace was nothing like he had imagined.
Hot pot bubbled noisily, red oil rolling.Milk tea stood in neat rows inside ice buckets.Several consorts sat together knitting, while two others squatted nearby, laughing as they jumped rope and counted beats.
The moment Qing Heng stepped through the palace gates—
He stopped.
This scene matched none of his projections.
In his mind, the Empress should have been something else entirely.
Calm.Solemn.Hidden behind layers of calculation.
At the very least—quiet.
Instead, Fengyi Palace was overflowing with life, almost aggressively so.
"This… is the Empress's harem?"
Qing Heng's internal alarm rang sharply.
The more abnormal something was—
The more dangerous it tended to be.
Su Wan was scrolling through her phone when the announcement came. She lifted her head lazily.
"Oh. Daoist Qing?"
She glanced at him like she would an acquaintance.
"Perfect timing. Want to join us for hot pot?"
Qing Heng: "..."
He had cultivated for decades. His mental state was supposed to be unshakable.
And yet—
For the first time in a long while, he felt absurd.
"Thank you for Your Majesty's kindness," he said with a polite smile, hands clasped. "This one practices ascetic cultivation and does not consume worldly food."
Su Wan nodded.
"Then you're missing out."
She pointed casually at the pot.
"We've got a dual-flavor base."
Qing Heng: "..."
For the first time, he realized—
He didn't know how to respond.
They sat.
With a casual "carry on," Su Wan dismissed the consorts. Laughter and chatter faded as the hall doors closed.
The warmth drained away.
Qing Heng's expression finally sharpened.
"You sought me out," Su Wan said bluntly. "Because His Majesty wasn't easy to talk to?"
Straight to the point.
Qing Heng paused, then chuckled softly.
"The Empress is indeed perceptive."
"I merely wished to confirm something."
"And that is?" Su Wan asked.
His gaze darkened slightly, though his tone remained gentle.
"Does the Empress… understand cultivation?"
The first probe.
If she denied it—she was a mortal.If she admitted it—he could push further.
Su Wan blinked.
"You mean alchemy?"
She thought for a moment.
"His Majesty does that."
Then added lightly,
"As for me—I just look things up."
She lifted her phone.
The answer sounded flawless.
Which was exactly why—
Qing Heng grew more cautious.
Truth that sounded too simple was often the deepest trap.
"There is something unusual about the Empress," he said slowly.
"You are not a cultivator."
"Yet… you do not feel mortal."
The second probe.
This time bypassing words, aiming directly at essence.
Su Wan almost laughed internally.
Sharp.
Very sharp.
Outwardly, she sighed.
"Probably because I order too much takeout."
Qing Heng: "..."
Only now did he realize—
He wasn't steering the conversation.
He was being led.
The pressure increased.
"The path His Majesty walks," Qing Heng said calmly, "is no longer ordinary cultivation."
"If this continues, it will inevitably draw the attention of the Immortal Realm."
Su Wan looked up.
"And?"
Qing Heng narrowed his eyes.
"When that time comes, a mortal emperor may find it… difficult to remain standing."
A threat.
And bait.
He waited.
For panic.For ambition.For anything.
Su Wan smiled.
Casually. Lightly.
Like discussing market prices.
"Daoist Qing," she said, "I think you've got one thing wrong."
Qing Heng's heart skipped.
"What is that?"
"It's not His Majesty who will have trouble."
She spoke slowly.
"But the Immortal Realm—"
She paused.
"—might get a little busy."
The smile never left her face.
But Qing Heng's expression changed for the first time.
At that moment—
Su Wan's phone vibrated softly.
She glanced down.
[Malicious Deduction Detected][Source: Qing Heng][Recommendation: Reverse Interference]
Qing Heng was attempting a covert deduction.
Causality.Fortune.Destiny.
He was trying to calculate her.
Su Wan made a single decision.
Instantly—
Qing Heng felt a sharp pain explode in his mind.
All projected possibilities collapsed at once.
Logic fractured.Causality unraveled.
For a split second—
He didn't even know what he had been calculating.
"You—!"
He snapped his head up.
Su Wan had already put her phone away, expression unchanged.
"Daoist Qing," she said kindly, "you don't look well."
"Want me to get you a full-sugar milk tea?"
Qing Heng forced himself to stabilize.
But inside—
A storm raged.
This was not a mortal.
Absolutely not.
And worse—
She was harder to read than the Emperor himself.
When he took his leave, his attitude had completely changed.
No longer confident.
No longer relaxed.
But respectful.
Careful.
And tinged with something he refused to name.
"Empress," he said solemnly.
"I have learned much today."
Su Wan waved lazily.
"Take care."
"Next time, give me a heads-up."
"I'll order a clear broth for you."
Qing Heng stepped out of Fengyi Palace.
The night wind brushed his face.
Only then did he realize—
His back was soaked in cold sweat.
That night.
Imperial Study.
After hearing Su Wan's account, Xiao Xuanyin asked only one thing.
"Did you act?"
"No," Su Wan replied innocently.
"I just made him calculate wrong—once."
Xiao Xuanyin fell silent.
Then he laughed softly.
"They're starting to fear you."
"That's good."
Su Wan leaned against his shoulder.
"Relax."
"This has only just begun."
Outside, moonlight flowed like water.
Qing Heng thought he was testing the Empress.
He never realized—
From the very beginning,
The one being seen through—
Was him.