Princess Taiping's Visit, the Mastermind Behind the Scenes

Princess Taiping?

After hearing the news Bai Su had brought back, Ren Xiaoyao furrowed his brow as well.

According to Ren Xiaoyao's memories, this Princess Taiping was no ordinary figure. She was the Empress's only daughter and deeply trusted by her mother. She now held great power in the court and was also the most powerful princess in all the dynasties.

The reason lay in the fact that the Empress had once been the primary consort, with the bloodline of the Wu Clan of Bazhou flowing through her veins, while the Great Gan Imperial Clan belonged to the Li family. This made the Empress extraordinarily wary of the Li Imperial Clan. Since ascending the throne, she had purged the Li Imperial Clan several times. Other than the Li Vassal Kings who held the frontier lands and commanded military power, she had slaughtered everyone she could kill.

The Empress did not even trust her own sons. She had borne four sons, three of whom had died by her hand. The remaining son had been confined. Under such circumstances, she could naturally only place heavy trust in her daughter.

Princess Taiping wanted to see him now.

Ren Xiaoyao knew this was trouble.

A few days ago, Ying Huai had already made it clear: when the outside world believed Li Chunfeng to be in the Heavenly Human Realm, the first person they would seek to win over would be Ren Xiaoyao, Li Chunfeng's disciple.

Clearly, Princess Taiping had that intention.

"Senior Sister Bai Su, please inform Princess Taiping that I am still bound by the Empress's decree. Without her imperial edict, I cannot leave the Imperial Observatory."

Ren Xiaoyao came up with an aboveboard reason.

He had no desire to get tangled up with Princess Taiping. Imperial power was a whirlpool—usually, whoever touched it died.

Of course, Ren Xiaoyao was now at the Third Heaven of the Dao Realm, equivalent to the Heavenly Human Realm. By the standards of the martial world, he could stand apart from imperial power. Even if he became entangled in its karmic ties, it would not mean certain doom.

But Ren Xiaoyao had no desire to invite such trouble.

Bai Su's eyes lit up when she heard this, and she smiled. "Little Junior Brother, your mind really turns quickly. I wanted to refuse Princess Taiping before too, but I couldn't think of a suitable reason. Now we're set!"

Bai Su did not want Ren Xiaoyao dragged into the struggle for imperial power either. However, she had felt that directly refusing Princess Taiping would bring immense trouble. After all, Princess Taiping was not a magnanimous person.

Now that they had this perfect excuse, all the better.

Afterward, Bai Su chatted idly with Ren Xiaoyao. Ever since attaining the Grandmaster Realm, she had left the Imperial Observatory to roam the martial world, and several months had already passed.

"Little Junior Brother, I used to travel the martial world with Master. Back then, with Master's protection, the martial world in my eyes was a place of freedom, grudges, and vengeance. But this time, wandering alone, I saw its filth, danger, and unfathomable complexity!"

"I originally thought that the righteous path acknowledged by the Imperial Court was filled with honorable gentlemen, while the Demonic Cult the Imperial Court wished to eradicate was full of treacherous little people. But I discovered that was not the case at all. There were bastards in the righteous path who deserved to die, and within the Demonic Cult, there were people whose loyalty reached the clouds."

As she spoke, a glimmer appeared in Bai Su's eyes. Ren Xiaoyao noticed it and asked with a smile, "Senior Sister Bai Su, you must have met some outstanding men during your journey this time, right?"

At those words, Bai Su's cheeks reddened, and she spoke softly.

"There was indeed someone. He was handsome. Though he couldn't compare with you, he was still a dragon among men. And there was a special charm about him."

Seeing Bai Su's first stirrings of love, Ren Xiaoyao chuckled. "Senior Sister Bai Su, then you're done for. You're about to fall into the river of love."

"Alas!"

Bai Su sighed and said,

"You're right. Though he truly is a very good man, there can be no outcome between us."

Ren Xiaoyao shook his head and said, "Senior Sister Bai Su, where are there any good men in this world? Remember this: any man who breathes is not a good man."

"No, he's different!"

Bai Su refused to accept it, her little face puffed up with anger.

Ren Xiaoyao gave a quiet laugh and did not argue with Bai Su.

Not long afterward, Bai Su left the Imperial Observatory. She conveyed Ren Xiaoyao's response to Princess Taiping, who naturally nodded and expressed understanding. After all, the Son of Heaven's edict could not be defied.

However, Princess Taiping still intended to establish a connection with Li Chunfeng. Thus, she told Bai Su that since Ren Xiaoyao could not conveniently leave the Imperial Observatory, she would find time to visit him there herself.

"What is up with this Princess Taiping?"

Within the Night Observation Department, Ren Xiaoyao complained to Li Chunfeng. "She's taking the initiative to come to the Imperial Observatory. Does she really want to establish ties with you, a Heavenly Human Realm expert, that badly?"

Li Chunfeng rolled his eyes at Ren Xiaoyao. "I'm not in the Heavenly Human Realm. You are."

Li Chunfeng had been suffering headaches lately. The outside world believed him to be in the Heavenly Human Realm, and that was absolutely not a good thing.

He had even heard that many Super-Rank Realm Martial Artists who had concealed their names for a long time were eager to challenge Li Chunfeng and prove their own strength through him.

But Li Chunfeng did not possess the strength of the Heavenly Human Realm. His power fluctuated between the Grandmaster Realm and the True Man Realm. If he truly encountered a top-tier True Man Realm expert, he would be finished.

Ren Xiaoyao smiled awkwardly. "It's all the same. As long as we're both in the Imperial Observatory, it doesn't make much difference whether you or I am the one in the Heavenly Human Realm."

"Even so, I don't feel secure about it."

Li Chunfeng sighed.

"I have no idea how a monster like you cultivates Martial Art. At only seventeen, you've actually attained the Heavenly Human Realm! Princess Taiping wants to contend for the succession, so naturally she wants to win over a Martial Artist of the Heavenly Human Realm."

"Contend for the succession? Princess Taiping wants to become Emperor too?"

Ren Xiaoyao looked curiously at Li Chunfeng.

"Of course."

Li Chunfeng said,

"For figures at Princess Taiping's level, only two things can stir their interest. The first is immortality, and the second is inheriting the Imperial Throne. But immortality is all illusion. Who in this world can avoid death? Only fighting for the throne is real."

Ren Xiaoyao nodded but said nothing. Since beginning immortal cultivation, what he pursued was also immortality, and its allure far surpassed every other temptation.

"Winning over a Martial Artist of the Heavenly Human Realm cannot create much of a storm while the Empress firmly controls imperial power. But when power changes hands, it becomes completely different."

Li Chunfeng continued.

"The transfer of imperial power may seem like nothing more than a matter of an Edict of Succession, but behind it, things are nothing of the sort."

"Whoever can control the inner palace of the Capital City and the Garrison Camp during the old ruler's final days will become the next Son of Heaven. But if a Martial Artist of the Heavenly Human Realm appears in the Capital City, they can paralyze every Martial Artist in the inner palace. One Heavenly Human can completely alter the course of imperial succession."

Hearing this, Ren Xiaoyao nodded as well.

Originally, Ren Xiaoyao had thought the Heavenly Human Realm was nothing remarkable—his combat strength was simply a little greater, and he had a little more confidence in self-preservation. But now, it seemed that was not the case.

But I'm only at the Third Heaven of the Dao Realm now. If I entered the Dao Realm Fourth Heaven, or even the Dao Realm Fifth Heaven, what would that be like?

Ren Xiaoyao felt an inexplicable anticipation.

Princess Taiping's execution was exceptionally swift.

Two days later, Princess Taiping arrived at the Imperial Observatory. Her stated reason was to visit the injured Director.

This was entirely reasonable.

After all, Princess Taiping was now the foremost among the hundred officials, and the Director was nominally her subordinate.

However, after visiting the Director, Princess Taiping avoided directly meeting Li Chunfeng. This was because Li Chunfeng was a Martial Artist of the Heavenly Human Realm. If Princess Taiping had direct contact with him, she would certainly draw the Empress's suspicion.

Princess Taiping summoned Ren Xiaoyao alone. Ren Xiaoyao was helpless, but since she had come to his door, he could not hide from her. He could only go and meet Princess Taiping.

Princess Taiping had a full, Round and Smooth figure, a slender bearing, and heroic spirit between her brows. Her lofty noble aura was filled with contempt and disdain for all things in the world.

Ren Xiaoyao used his Spiritual Sense to examine Princess Taiping and discovered that she was also a Grandmaster Realm Martial Artist, which surprised him considerably.

The Empress had previously issued an edict that all princes and princesses within the Capital City were forbidden from cultivating Martial Art. So what was going on with Princess Taiping?

Had she secretly practiced Martial Art behind the Empress's back?

Then Ren Xiaoyao's Spiritual Sense discovered that among the dozen or so palace maids accompanying Princess Taiping, one plainly dressed maid was actually a True Man Realm Martial Artist.

Although both Princess Taiping and the maid kept their True Essence extremely restrained, making it impossible for others to detect them so long as they did not use their True Essence to circulate their cultivation, no matter how well they concealed themselves, they could not hide from Ren Xiaoyao's Spiritual Sense.

"Ren Xiaoyao, do you still remember Elder Sister? Back when your mother was still alive, we often played together. You used to be Elder Sister's little tagalong."

When Princess Taiping saw Ren Xiaoyao, she smiled warmly.

She did not put on any airs as a princess.

Ren Xiaoyao naturally watched Princess Taiping's performance with a cheerful smile.

Then Princess Taiping began chatting idly with Ren Xiaoyao, steering the subject toward Ren Xiaoyao's birth mother, Luo Mengshen, the founder of Facing Heaven Pavilion.

Ren Xiaoyao was naturally curious about this mother of his.

In the present Great Gan Imperial Court, it seemed every important figure had some connection to Luo Mengshen. This showed that Luo Mengshen had once been a legend. Yet there were very few records concerning Luo Mengshen, only that she was the founder of Facing Heaven Pavilion and Ren Xuanji's secondary wife.

Ren Xiaoyao had also asked Li Chunfeng, but during his travels through the martial world, Li Chunfeng had not known much about Luo Mengshen. He had only fought Luo Mengshen once during her peak years. Though he had not lost, Luo Mengshen had suppressed him badly.

"If Elder Sister Luo had not died so early, you would not have fallen to such a state today!"

Princess Taiping sighed, then continued.

"But a blessing in disguise—who can know it is not fortune? Your master, Li Chunfeng, has now attained the Heavenly Human Realm. Following him, you have a great future ahead."

Princess Taiping finally revealed her true purpose.

Then Princess Taiping smiled and said,

"Ren Xiaoyao, everyone living in this world must eventually choose a side. Choose the right camp, and you can soar into the skies; choose the wrong one, and you will fall into eternal damnation. Now, Elder Sister can bring you into my camp. Once Elder Sister inherits the great lineage, you too can be granted lands and made a marquis."

Hearing this, Ren Xiaoyao put on a nervous expression and said, "Th-this... Your Highness, I would rather live out this life plainly and peacefully."

"It is impossible to remain neutral."

Princess Taiping frowned. "Only absolute strong people have the qualifications to remain neutral, like your master. But you do not have those qualifications, understand?"

"I... I..."

Ren Xiaoyao acted timid and caught between two difficulties. He neither refuted Princess Taiping nor agreed to her recruitment.

He had no interest in getting involved in the rotten business of fighting for the succession, nor did he want Princess Taiping to target him.

Seeing Ren Xiaoyao's reaction, a trace of coldness flashed through Princess Taiping's eyes, though it vanished in an instant. Then she smiled.

"Ren Xiaoyao, I know today's conversation has had too great an impact on you. But for you, this truly is a heaven-sent opportunity. I hope you can seize it. Once you have decided, you may tell Elder Sister at any time."

"Alright, thank you, Your Highness!"

Ren Xiaoyao nodded, continuing to brush her off.

In the end, Princess Taiping did not receive the answer she wanted and left the Imperial Observatory in considerable displeasure.

Two days after Princess Taiping left the Imperial Observatory, Ying Huai and Fang Yuan hurried there once again. They found Li Chunfeng and Ren Xiaoyao, bringing with them an exceedingly urgent piece of news.

Ying Huai had discovered that when the Evil Sect had come to the Imperial Observatory, their target had not been Li Chunfeng, but Ren Xiaoyao. Even the mastermind who had instructed the Evil Sect had been identified.

It was Princess Taiping!