Chapter Nineteen: Standing Out

Xue Mu really wanted to say that she had guessed correctly: "If I said yes, would the Sect Master kill me?"

"It's not easy to find such an interesting man; This Seat cannot bear to kill you. To be honest, my cultivation is already complete, so I don't have those concerns that Xiao Chan has..." Xue Qingqiu, who had been sitting cross-legged, now relaxed her posture. She leaned lazily against the cushions behind her, unreservedly displaying her perfectly sculpted, exquisite figure. Her reply was languid, and her words were so provocative that she might as well have asked him outright if he wanted her.

Xue Mu cast a brief glance at the undulating scenery, but quickly lowered his eyes, refusing to look again.

Seeing him avoid her gaze, Xue Qingqiu acted as if it were intentional. Her eyes brimmed with charm, and her voice turned soft and bone-melting: "Why? Since it is true, why don't you dare to look?"

Xue Mu replied calmly: "The Sect Master's charm is extraordinary; I fear that looking too much will disturb my peace of mind and cloud my judgment. After all, the Sect Master summoned me here to discuss serious matters, not to dwell on such personal affairs."

Xue Qingqiu was slightly startled. Her seductive demeanor slowly faded, and she looked at Xue Mu earnestly, sitting upright.

She suddenly understood why, despite the unconventional upbringing Xiao Chan had received since childhood, she was still stirred by worldly desires because of this man.

He was truly different... At the very least, such rationality and composure were rare qualities. Had he begun martial arts training earlier, he might have already made a name for himself in the pugilistic world.

Xue Mu continued: "Furthermore, since the Sect Master does not believe in love, acting this way is merely because you find me interesting and wish to amuse yourself. However, I am not here to be a toy or play games, and I have no intention of indulging you. A man only gains the standing to discuss other things once he has demonstrated his value."

Xue Qingqiu smiled slightly: "Well said. I hope you are not just all talk... So, what is your take on the current situation?"

Xue Mu exhaled, organized his thoughts, and spoke slowly: "The Demon Sect's transition from clandestine activities to the public eye is not, as it appears, solely due to the Sect Master's peerless martial arts or the Joyous Union Sect's extensive connections and backing. I believe the true reason is that the Demon Sect has received the imperial court's tacit approval and support to serve as a check against the righteous sects. The Sect Master's seemingly provocative act of tearing down the prison and changing the uniforms of the Six Fan Gates did not actually harm anyone, nor did it burn bridges with them. That is the tacit boundary. Within that boundary, the Six Fan Gates will make certain concessions to the Star Moon Sect and will not truly hold a grudge. In other words, you actually have a degree of cooperative relationship."

Xue Qingqiu listened very attentively, her beautiful eyes fixed steadily on Xue Mu without blinking. When he finished, she suddenly gestured with her hand.

A tea set drifted over as if carried by someone, landing precisely on the table between them. Xue Qingqiu poured the tea with her slender hands and added a cup for Xue Mu: "Thinking back now... it was a failure of judgment on my part to think of using you as an accountant."

He was not just an accountant, nor was he here to develop a brothel industry, or even just to rescue Yin Ye. Xue Mu viewed matters from a much broader perspective.

The shift in the imperial court's attitude toward the Demon Sect reflected a change in the court's entire strategy regarding the pugilistic world. Xue Qingqiu, of course, knew this, which was why she had her own tacit understanding with the Six Fan Gates. However, she only knew the court's intentions—and what she should do—because she had met with the Emperor in secret. To this day, countless people in both the righteous and demonic paths had failed to see through it, assuming it was a case of the "righteous path waning and the demonic path waxing," or cursing the Emperor for being dim-witted. Within the Star Moon Sect, most believed it was the result of the Sect Master's grand strategy; true insight was extremely rare.

Xue Qingqiu knew that Xue Mu had very little information. That he could deduce this analysis, without a single error, based only on the clues he had observed over the last day or two and a few basic exchanges with Xiao Chan, truly left her feeling shaken.

In any era and any culture, the respect people hold for a wise man is the same, regardless of whether he is a scholar or a warrior. No one who reaches the pinnacle of martial arts is a muscle-bound fool, and many are men of great ambition.

Xue Mu possessed no martial strength, but at this moment, in Xue Qingqiu's eyes, he seemed filled with infinite energy. This was an energy no less important than martial prowess. The Demon Sect respected the strong, and Xue Mu's energy belonged to that category. Thus, she served him tea personally—a sign that he had truly earned her respect.

Since entering this world, Xue Mu's constant observation and reflection had finally proven their worth. Like an awl in a bag, he was bound to stand out sooner or later.

Xue Mu took the tea and sipped it. The leaves were unroasted green tea, boiled in water, and the tea was cool. Yet, it did not taste bland; instead, a unique, refreshing fragrance lingered on his tongue, clearing his mind. Even more miraculously, the thirst caused by their long conversation vanished instantly, leaving his mouth feeling refreshed.

"Good tea," Xue Mu praised, though he felt a tinge of regret. It seemed the tea ceremony had not yet developed in this world—the use of natural green tea was proof enough—but in this unscientific world, the natural tea leaves possessed inherent mystical effects. This special fragrance could easily crush any regular roasted tea. Even if he "invented" roasting, it might be useless. What a waste of a potential business path.

No... that might not be true. At the very least, the act of brewing kung fu tea looked sophisticated; it might become popular among the elite. Besides, who knew if the special tea leaves of this world would taste even better when roasted? He would have to try it when he had the chance.

Seeing Xue Mu lost in thought, Xue Qingqiu reminded him: "Regarding the matter of Yin Ye..."

Xue Mu set down his cup and pondered: "I have a vague idea. Xiahou Di arrested Yin Ye to assert her authority, which contradicts your secret cooperation; she is in the wrong. The Sect Master's anger and hardline approach suggest you want to pressure someone higher up, perhaps... someone close to the Emperor?"

Xue Qingqiu narrowed her eyes and asked after a long silence: "Why do you think we have someone close to the Emperor?"

"Since you were able to obtain intelligence that the Emperor is impotent, you must have someone inside the palace at the very least. Besides, since the Emperor is colluding with the Demon Sect, there should be a middleman with a certain level of status."

At this moment, Xue Qingqiu suddenly felt that it was fortunate her rivals didn't have such a person, or many things would have been ruined... For some reason, she felt a wave of fatigue and sighed almost imperceptibly: "The gentleman's deduction is correct. Please, continue."

"The reason the Sect Master still wants to ask for my advice is that, due to certain concerns, you do not wish to have too much contact with that person, or you do not want the signs of that person's pro-Demon Sect stance to be too obvious. Therefore, you hope I can provide other ways to break the deadlock."

Xue Qingqiu simply stopped speaking and continued to refill Xue Mu's cup.

Xue Mu mused: "Actually, this matter can be resolved by dealing directly with Xiahou Di."

Xue Qingqiu finally found an opportunity to object: "Xiahou Di's will is like iron. Once she has decided on something, it is very difficult to sway her."

"Xiahou Di has significant desires. As long as a person has desires, they can be bargained with."

"What desires?"

"The desire to increase the authority of the Six Fan Gates. To put it bluntly, that is why she arrested Yin Ye, but she should also know that it isn't a good idea—it's actually a bit of a blunder. After all, falling out with the Star Moon Sect is not what she wants, which is why she endured it when the Sect Master humiliated her today. If we can provide her with a better method, I believe it will be enough to make her release Yin Ye."

Xue Qingqiu nodded in agreement. Truth be told, she had never imagined the Six Fan Gates would refuse to release her; falling out with the Star Moon Sect held no benefit for them at all. She didn't know what had possessed Xiahou Di.

"What good method do you have?"

Xue Mu shook his head: "It would be best for me to talk to Xiahou Di and understand some other details before I can offer a plan. Otherwise, it's just wishful thinking."

Xue Qingqiu gazed at him with her beautiful eyes for a long time: "You should know that increasing the authority of the Six Fan Gates means increasing the control of the imperial court. This is something the court has tried to do for over a thousand years but failed."

Xue Mu replied calmly: "Even the Demon Sect is colluding with the Six Fan Gates in private. Things that couldn't be done for a thousand years are already changing; one more thing shouldn't be impossible."

"Then we shall see Xiahou Di again tonight. I hope we can truly find a way to break the deadlock." Xue Qingqiu made a decisive choice, then smiled enchantingly, her allure overflowing: "If this matter succeeds, there will be a reward."

In that instant, she once again revealed the demeanor of a Demon Empress, soul-stirring and captivating. Xue Mu smiled bitterly to himself; the prize couldn't possibly be her, so why bother casting such flirtatious glances? She was always testing his willpower—couldn't she let a man have a break?