Heavenly Oversight Pavilion's Scheme

After staring at the gentle woman across the tea table for a few moments, Xu Yuan's expression gradually became strange.

When Big Ice Block first mentioned the name Tianyan, he did find it quite strange, after all, there is an old saying that goes, "Tianyan six... cough, Tianyan is forty-nine, and man escapes one."

Calling her Tianyan directly seemed a bit too domineering, but after getting to know her, I no longer felt that way. I just didn't expect that the name of this washboard saintess was actually bestowed upon her.

"Bestowed the name Tianyan?"

"Nature."

Luo Xiran's voice was calm, as if she were stating something perfectly normal. "The Heavenly Oversight Pavilion Master is equal to Heaven, and takes Heaven as his surname."

Seeing Luo Xiran's matter-of-fact expression, Xu Yuan grinned.

This Heavenly Oversight Pavilion is even more domineering than the current imperial dynasty.

Even the supreme ruler of the Great Yan Dynasty only called himself the Son of Heaven, yet the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion Master directly proclaimed himself to be Heaven.

But thinking about it, it makes sense. The imperial dynasties have only existed for a few thousand years, and have changed hands several times, while the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion is a powerful force that has existed for tens of thousands of years.

There's not much to say about someone who considers themselves superior.

However, the name Tianyan was actually bestowed upon him by the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion.

Picking up the second cup of refreshing tea that the other person had poured for him, Xu Yuan smiled and joked:

"Your Heavenly Oversight Pavilion has so many rules; you even have to change your name after becoming a Holy Maiden."

As he spoke, Xu Yuan sipped his tea while looking Luo Xiran up and down.

"Back then, Xiran, as a candidate for the Holy Maiden, what name would you have changed to if you had been chosen? Tianlu or Tianxi? Hmm, let's call you Tianran, it sounds better."

Luo Xiran's cold gaze swept over him. "Is this all you're focusing on?"

Xu Yuan shrugged nonchalantly and said with a smile:

"I was just joking about your rules at the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion, but if we follow those rules, what would your Pavilion Master be called? Would he also be called Tianyan? Aren't you afraid of causing confusion?"

Luo Xiran suppressed her displeasure with the brat, gave a cold snort, and explained:

"I am not familiar with the current Pavilion Master, but the Pavilion Master from ten thousand years ago shared the same name as the current Holy Maiden."

"."

After a moment of silence, Xu Yuan's smiling eyes suddenly froze.

Although the words were short, he realized the vast amount of information contained within them.

The current head of the pavilion is unaware.

In other words, the current sect leader may not have fully comprehended the Yantian Art, and therefore cannot be granted the title of Tianyan.

Setting down his teacup, Xu Yuan sat up straight, his tone tinged with seriousness:

"Are you implying that even the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion Master might not be able to fully comprehend the Four Chapters of Yantian?"

Luo Xiran flicked her sleeve with one hand to pick up the teapot and pour herself some tea.

"Are you curious?"

"."

Seeing that look in his eyes, Xu Yuan twitched the corner of his mouth.

Oh no, is this older adopted sister going to play the riddle game like Old Man Luo?

Fortunately, Luo Xiran was not Old Man Luo that old coin, and she let out a soft breath, her voice gentle and slow:

"The Heavenly Oversight Pavilion has existed for tens of thousands of years. Most of its leaders have attained their positions by mastering three chapters, and there are only about forty people who have mastered all four chapters. As for those who have been granted the title of Tianyan, there have only been a handful of thirteen throughout history."

Tens of thousands of years.

Thirteen.

hiss.

Hearing these secrets that even Old Man Luo didn't know, Xu Yuan unconsciously took a deep breath.

That pushover saintess is actually this strong?

In the silence, Xu Yuan asked with a hint of curiosity:

"So rare, what is the content of the fifth chapter of the Yantian Art?"

"I don't know."

"Um?"

"Don't look at me like that, I'm not lying to you, brat."

Stared at by Xu Yuan's suspicious gaze, Luo Xiran's eyes revealed a hint of reminiscence. "The Yantian Art is a top secret even within the Saint Venerable circle of the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion. I only learned about this information because I was once a candidate for Saintess. As for the deeper levels, the Pavilion Master did not reveal them to me at the time."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan subconsciously recalled Tianyan's beautiful young face.

Since Luo Xiran doesn't know, Tianyan should know, right?

As the current Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion and a woman who has mastered all five chapters of the Yantian Art, Tianyan definitely knows the answer to this matter.

If he asked her directly, would she tell him?

After a moment of silence, Xu Yuan dismissed the idea in his heart.

He was reluctant to use emotions to manipulate that pushover saintess.

Thinking this through, Xu Yuan shook his head and whispered:

"That's a pity then. Why didn't you get selected back then, Xiran?"

Luo Xiran didn't hide anything:

"Back then, even after three attempts to comprehend the Yantian Stele, I only managed to grasp a fragment of the Heavenly Word Mantra, and the Cultivation Method could not be fully activated."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan suddenly thought of Old Man Luo and asked with a hint of curiosity:

"What about your brother? He must be quite talented, right?"

"."

Luo Xiran shook her head, her tone flat, showing no emotion when speaking of her blood relative:

"He lost to me in the Spirit Testing Ceremony, and there is only one spot for our Luo Clan. However, if you ask about Luo Daofan's talent, his talent is certainly not weak, as he ultimately became Saint Venerable."

Xu Yuan noticed that his sworn sister seemed to dislike Old Man Luo somewhat:

"So, your brother is less talented than you?"

"Nature."

"But he knows the Heavenly Word Mantra."

"." Luo Xiran.

A strange glint flashed in Xu Yuan's eyes:

"You do not know?"

After a moment's pause, Luo Xiran's delicate voice sounded somewhat complicated:

"I don't know, the Pavilion Master never revealed the details to me back then."

As she spoke, she looked up into Xu Yuan's eyes, her voice tinged with hesitation, as she asked again for confirmation:

"Does he really know the Heavenly Word Mantra?"

Xu Yuan briefly recalled the events and gave an affirmative answer:

"I saw him use it with my own eyes, to break the Heavenly Word Mantra of Tianyan."

"Hmm, it seems he took advantage of the situation when the Strange Ghost Calamity was approaching, the front lines were under pressure, and the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion was empty, to secretly sneak in and study the Yantian Stele."

"."

Luo Xiran sighed.

The opportunity and the timing were both perfect; the kid hadn't lied to her.

The location of the Yantian Stele is the secluded cultivation place of the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion Master. Back then, when he defected, it was the same time that the Pavilion Master went out to hunt down the saints and Strange Ghost.

She remembered that the Pavilion Master had only been away for a month.

In other words, he spent less than a month comprehending the Yantian Stele back then.

With these thoughts in mind, Luo Xiran slowly lowered her bright eyes.

A gentle morning breeze caressed the window curtains. She looked at her reflection in the cup and sighed softly.

He comprehended the Heavenly Word Mantra in less than a month.

Ah, so that guy deliberately lost to her back then.

"."

Lost in thought, Luo Xiran suddenly noticed something approaching.

I glanced up slightly and saw the little devil's ambiguous smile.

Xu Yuan stroked his chin and said jokingly:

"What, it's only after ten thousand years that you realize how good your own brother is?"

As he spoke, Xu Yuan reached out and patted her shoulder, smiling:

"However, you don't suffer the fate of wanting to care for your parents but finding them gone, or the scourge of the past lingering for a thousand years. Old Man Luo is still alive. Now that you call me brother, I will reunite you two when I return to the Imperial Capital."

Staring at that smug face, Luo Xiran slapped his hand away and coldly refused:

"No need."

Xu Yuan clicked his tongue, his eyes filled with a hint of mockery.

Arrogance has long since faded from the scene; doesn't this woman know that?

Before he could speak, Luo Xiran's businesslike voice came through:

"I am telling you these things today only because the Holy Maiden passed on the Yantian Art to you."

Oh, so she thought he was trying to woo her.

However, Xu Yuan didn't intend to spell it out. He shook his head and asked in a low voice:

"Alright, alright, so how exactly does one comprehend this Yantian Art?"

Luo Xiran glanced at him:

"Didn't you already comprehend it once just now?"

Xu Yuan was taken aback, and asked hesitantly:

"Can't it be done by simply recalling it?"

Luo Xiran's lips curled into a smile:

"Don't ask me, I don't know either. What I said just now was merely a deduction based on the aura emanating from you."

Xu Yuan frowned:

"Didn't you study the Yantian Stele?"

Luo Xiran's eyes were like a clear lake, and her lips Wan'er.

"That's right, kid, you also know that what I was studying back then was the Yantian Stele."

"."

Xu Yuan fell silent.

Well, Old Man Luo and his sister are alike; they know nothing about anything.

Seeing Luo Xiran gently comforted her:

"Don't worry, kid, with your Innate Dao Body's comprehension..."

"Don't compare me to those with the Innate Dao Body of the past; I am special."

"." Luo Xiran.

Rolling her eyes at the clueless brat, Luo Xiran said leisurely:

"Kid, actually compared to..."

"No, could you please stop calling me 'kid'?"

Are you angry?

"No."

"Then it is not possible." Luo Xiran smiled, her smile radiant.

Xu Yuan stared at her for a few moments, then nodded and gave a knowing smile.

"Alright, I remember my sworn sister's body is still in that Underground Palace. I'll go there sometime."

Luo Xiran's smile froze, her eyebrows furrowing:

"You dare?!"

Xu Yuan looked at the anger in her eyes and smiled:

"If you call me 'brat' again, you'll see if I'll dare to do it in the future."

"."

Luo Xiran's jade-like hands clenched so tightly they cracked, and after a long while, she let out a long breath:

"Xu Yuan."

"What?" Xu Yuan laughed, "You're not calling me 'little devil' anymore?"

Taking an inch and wanting a mile, a little devil is a little devil.

With a soft snort, Luo Xiran ignored the other party's provocation and gently reminded them:

"Actually, rather than thinking about why the Holy Maiden taught you the Cultivation Method, you should think about why she did Cultivation Method the first place."

Xu Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly upon hearing this and smiled:

"Xi Ran, what you can think of, I can naturally think of as well."

Luo Xiran a soft snort:

"The Holy Maiden taught you the Cultivation Method in the hopes of helping you remember certain things, but did you know that she obtained the Sect Master's permission for this?"

"."

Xu Yuan's heart sank suddenly, and his tone instantly became serious:

"This was something Tianyan and Li Qingyan told me after I fell unconscious last night?"

"Yes." Luo Xiran nodded. "Even if I don't say it, Wu Yuan should tell you later."

Silence fell after the words were spoken.

Xu Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly.

Xu Yuan could roughly guess Tianyan's motives, but why did that Pavilion Master allow him to comprehend the Yantian Art?

Given the tight control the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion exercised over the Yantian Art, even its own Saint Venerable kept it firmly under wraps, let alone allowing an outsider like him to touch such a foundational item.

Tianyan is ignorant, how could the Pavilion Master be ignorant?

So, is she planning to accept him as her son-in-law?

The thought had barely crossed his mind when Xu Yuan himself found it somewhat absurd.

Unless the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion completely sides with their Prime Minister's Mansion, this is utter nonsense.

However, the chasm of interests between the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion and the Prime Minister's Mansion is much deeper than that between the Prime Minister's Mansion and the imperial family; it is almost bottomless.

My thoughts raced, one hypothesis after another popping into my head, only to be immediately rejected.

Time passed silently, second by second, and Xu Yuan finally gave up thinking.

I can't think of anything.

The most likely possibility he could think of was that Tianyan's master wanted to restore his memories and then use the feelings he had shared with Tianyan over the past ten years to do something.

But even this possibility was rejected by Xu Yuan himself.

Because when he broke through the illusion in the Qionghua Secret Realm, his attitude towards Tianyan had already shown that this path was a dead end.

His rationality was able to suppress his emotions.

Luo Xiran looked at the slightly dejected kid and chuckled:

"How?"

Xu Yuan rolled his eyes:

"Have no idea."

Luo Xiran frowned slightly at the other party's bachelor appearance and warned:

"So you're just going to abandon the plan? You should already know how important the Yantian Art is to my Heavenly Oversight Pavilion. If this plan isn't handled properly, your life could be in danger."

Xu Yuan downed the fragrant tea in his cup in one gulp and asked in return:

"So what if I know? We have too little information right now, not enough for me to deduce what Master Tianyan wants to do. I can't expect to get right by speculating that the arrow was shot first and the target drawn later, can I?"

At this point, Xu Yuan slowly stood up, waved his hand behind him, and walked towards the door.

"When I see Tianyan again, I plan to just ask her what she has to say; that's the simplest and most direct way."

Luo Xiran watched his retreating figure and asked:

Where are you going?

"You've already said that Li Qingyan stayed up all night for me, so you should at least go and thank him, right?"

Xu Yuan walked to the door of the side room, placed his hand on the doorknob, and glanced back at the door. "Are you going?"

Luo Xiran's eyes held a half-smile:

"You trust me with such an important matter?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan chuckled and raised a finger, pointing it in the air at his sworn sister:

"So sensible! I'm very pleased with you, brother."

As he spoke, he casually removed the Blood God Jade Pendant from his neck and tossed it towards Luo Xiran:

"I'll be right back."

Luo Xiran casually caught the jade pendant and gave Xu Yuan a cold, sidelong glance:

"Enough with the talk, hurry up and leave."

Having said that, she ignored him and calmly began to drink her tea at the tea table.

Stepping out of the private room, there was a long, circular walkway outside. Looking along the velvet carpet on the floor, there was no one there.

Upon seeing this scene, Xu Yuan's eyes showed a slight hint of confusion.

Judging from the furnishings of that room, this brothel is clearly one of the most luxurious and extravagant.

In typical brothels of this caliber, there are always maids or servants standing in the corridor outside the private rooms, waiting for the guests to give orders.

There's no one here now; they must have been dismissed.

It seems it really is the Crown Prince Prince's chief advisor, but why choose this brothel as the location?

With his boots clicking on the velvet carpet, Xu Yuan, while fastening the open lining of his brocade robe, shouted loudly:

"Someone come here, I'm awake and need breakfast."

No one answered.

Seeing this, Xu Yuan roughly understood that there was probably Sound-Blocking Array. After a moment's thought, a smile suddenly appeared on his lips:

"You won't come out, huh? Guards, this young master wants to see the Crown Prince's chief attendant!"