Taizong and Fu Jing exchanged a glance, both visibly astonished.
"Quick, show him in!" Taizong forgot all about maintaining his imperial bearing.
Soon, Qiu Zhenli was brought before Taizong.
"Qiu Zhenli, Left Protector of the Black Heaven Holy Church, greets Your Majesty of the Great Tang Domain."
Qiu Zhenli did not kneel—he would not have knelt even before Emperor Lizong of Song in the Shaoding Plane. He merely bowed slightly.
Taizong paid that no mind. The words "Black Heaven Holy Church" had already swept away his faint displeasure.
"Good! Hahaha, excellent! Give him a seat!" Taizong was delighted. He thought the Black Heaven Cult had come to deliver the Grievance Spirit Banners.
Once Qiu Zhenli was seated, Taizong asked what had happened afterward in the Shaoding Plane.
Qiu Zhenli shook his head. "The Holy Church's plan failed. A mysterious young expert named Lu Wang ruined it..."
"Wait!" Taizong's eyes widened. "Lu Wang?!"
Qiu Zhenli nodded.
"So it was that brat!" Taizong slammed his fist against the dragon throne. "He kept denying it to the bitter end. If the Left Protector hadn't come, the State Preceptor and I would almost have been taken in..."
Fu Jing smiled. "There's no need to be angry, Your Majesty. What we want is Lu Wang's territory. Whether he sabotaged our grand plan in the Shaoding Plane isn't the point."
Qiu Zhenli asked, "Your Majesty knows where this Lu Wang comes from?"
Taizong nodded slightly. "I do, but for certain reasons, I cannot say."
Fu Jing smiled. "There's no need to worry, Left Protector. Lu Wang is still weak. He poses no threat. Please continue."
Qiu Zhenli nodded and recounted the rest of the news, including the Black Heaven Cult's crushing defeat and the death of the mole it had planted in the Supreme Clarity Sect