That Woman

The Imperial Palace of the Xiahou Dynasty was far grander than those of other nations.

But in Chaoge City, the tallest building was not the Imperial Palace, but the Dao Alliance's station in the Cambrian Kingdom—

The Dao Supervision Palace.

The Dao Supervision Palace was a branch of the Dao Alliance's Heavenly Dao Palace.

It was through Dao Supervision Palaces scattered across the nations of the True Origin Continent that the Dao Alliance supported imperial power with Talisman Artifacts, armed the armies, checked and gradually controlled the sects of every nation, and upheld the Dao Alliance's authority.

Twenty years ago, in the Cambrian Kingdom, this balancing tactic of the Dao Alliance triggered the Sect-State War between the Snow Flame Sect and the Xiahou Dynasty.

That long-drawn-out Sect-State War, which inflicted devastating losses, ultimately ended when three Dao Patrol Heavenly Boats from the Dao Alliance Headquarters descended upon the Cambrian Kingdom.

Mediating peace talks, cleaning up the endgame, enforcing the Heavenly Origin Dao Laws—the Dao Alliance ultimately took control of the Cambrian Kingdom at a very small cost.

The same story had played out in nearly every nation across the True Origin Continent.

Only a tiny number of nations and sects had escaped it, becoming enemies of the Dao Alliance.

The Dao Supervision Palace of the Cambrian Kingdom stood atop Yellow Rock Mountain north of Chaoge City.

It was a tower palace embedded within the mountainside.

Pines and maples grew from the tower walls, while pillared pavilions coiled around the mountain rocks. They interlocked and melded into one, lofty and ethereal, as though they did not belong to the mortal world.

The tower was cast from black iron, dark as dusk from top to bottom, engraved with the Dao Alliance's Sword Cloud Emblem. Its five points were sharply defined, and it rose several hundred zhang high, like a sword thrust upside down into the mountainside.

Majestic and magnificent, its grandeur surged like rolling waves, carrying an irresistible pressure. It was as though one stood before the boundless Heavenly Dao itself, instilling a sense of impartial justice that treated heaven, earth, and all things alike.

At the peak of the Dao Supervision Palace, five enormous swords floated in the same plane, their tips pointing inward. Purple light swirled around them as they faced one another in a five-point formation, forming a Five Elements Teleportation Array that could lead directly to the Heavenly Dao Palace at the Dao Alliance Headquarters or to other Dao Supervision Palaces.

The highest official of the Dao Supervision Palace was the Dao Supervision Envoy.

Below him were the Sect Overseer and the State Overseer, respectively responsible for supervising the sects and the imperial dynasty.

As the strongest sect in the Cambrian Kingdom, the Snow Flame Sect also fell under the Sect Overseer's jurisdiction.

The second-highest floor of the Tower Palace.

On a level floor by the window.

Atop a purple-jade table more than a zhang long, a middle-aged man in a black Sword Cloud robe was eating wife cake. He was tall and slightly plump, with a short beard and an overwhelmingly imposing presence.

He was none other than the Sect Overseer rumored to have long coveted the beauty of an elder—

Qi Shan.

It could not really be called coveting.

The Dao Alliance had assigned him a mission: find a way to marry Master Yuhu, the Snow Flame Sect's Pill Elder, and learn about the direction of her research into Demon-Monster Fusion.

The Qi Family was a renowned clan in True Origin City.

And while still young, he had advanced to the Nascent Soul realm and become the Sect Overseer of an entire nation.

He had thought that with such qualifications, marrying a Pill Elder would be as easy as turning over his hand.

Yet this Master Yuhu simply refused to give him any face!

It had gotten to the point where he thought there might be something wrong with his looks.

So he had secretly sent several young men handsome beyond all reason to approach her, only for every one of them to be swept out the door.

Only then had he breathed a sigh of relief.

But now, not only had he failed to win her hand, he was also forbidden from marrying other women because he had not completed the Dao Alliance Mission...

All he could do was sit at home every day and eat wife cake.

His resentment grew with each passing day, gradually transforming into fury.

Just as he was preparing to cast aside his pride and use underhanded means against Master Yuhu, he suddenly heard that she had taken a partner...

The other party was a menial servant.

His cultivation was at the Fetal Breath realm.

He had nearly stormed straight into the Snow Flame Sect and started killing.

After thinking it over, he decided that, for the sake of the Dao Alliance's image that he represented, assassination would be better.

This was not merely a personal grudge, but also for the Dao Alliance's supervision mission.

Knock, knock, knock—

Someone knocked on the door.

Qi Shan raised his hand and tossed the wife cake out the window, then wiped the crumbs from the corner of his mouth.

"Come in."

The double doors creaked open.

A short Dao Alliance inspector with a dark complexion walked in respectfully.

"Sect Overseer."

Qi Shan's expression remained unchanged as he poured himself a cup of clear tea.

"Is it news from the Snow Flame Sect?"

The dark-faced inspector said,

"The mission to assassinate Master Yuhu's partner has failed. Ma Xianchao and Mr. Lun Wang have been out of contact for an entire day. At present, I fear the odds are against them."

The tea at Qi Shan's lips suddenly lost its fragrance. Suppressing his anger, he questioned,

"You couldn't even kill a menial servant?"

The dark-faced inspector said,

"Princess Mu Yun appears to be secretly helping that menial servant. As for Ma and Wang... it is uncertain whether they were killed by the princess."

Remembering something, Qi Shan asked tensely,

"Before they died, was the Word Spirit Curse lifted?"

The dark-faced inspector said,

"No. Judging from the records of spiritual pressure, they seem to have been killed instantly..."

"As long as we weren't exposed."

Qi Shan let out a breath of relief. Only then did he drain the tea at his lips in one gulp, then added after finishing it,

"The Dao Alliance will thank them for their contribution."

The dark-faced inspector asked,

"What next? Should we send someone stronger to continue the mission?"

"Forget it."

Qi Shan waved his hand.

"The Snow Flame Sect will have plenty more trouble ahead. Leave us more people we can use... This Master Chun Xiao truly doesn't know what is good for him. He forgets how the Dao Alliance raised him back then; now that he has become Sect Leader, he eats from the bowl while looking into the pot, refusing to heed discipline. If he were obedient, we would not be in such a passive position over this matter."

The dark-faced inspector did not listen too closely and quickly pulled the wandering topic back.

"It seems Master Yuhu places great importance on this menial servant. Could he possess some extraordinary quality?"

"Cough, cough, cough."

Qi Shan's expression turned ugly as he dry-coughed several times.

The dark-faced inspector hurriedly analyzed,

"Could it be as the rumors say? Master Yuhu is conducting Demon-Monster Fusion experiments, and this menial servant with Balanced Five Elements is precisely her Experiment Subject?"

Only then did Qi Shan nod with a solemn expression.

"Not a bad analysis."

The dark-faced inspector continued,

"If that is truly the case, the Demon and Monster Races will certainly keep their eyes on her. The Snow Flame Sect may not be peaceful in the near future."

"For the Dao Alliance, what we fear most is peace under heaven. As for this menial servant... I will personally go take a look in three days."

Qi Shan felt that his chance to earn merit had arrived.

Suddenly, he remembered something important—

"Right. Pass down the order: news of Master Yuhu taking a partner must never reach the prison in this palace."

The dark-faced inspector said,

"You mean..."

"Have you forgotten how the war ended?"

Qi Shan rose to his feet, his gaze suddenly turning grave.

"If that woman learns of this, she will definitely break out of prison and kill Xiao Bai!"