When Na Nali's five senses returned, she saw Qing Linyun.
He sat beside his desk with only an outer robe draped over him. His hair was a little messy, his complexion was poor, and there were dark circles under his eyes from not having slept enough.
Na Nali had returned at the worst possible time.
Qing Linyun had just gone to bed and fallen deep asleep, only to be woken by the disturbance from those spatial fluctuations.
He sensed who had arrived and had initially wanted to pretend to be asleep and ignore her, but the portal had opened right into his room. It would have been hard to justify keeping up the act, so he reluctantly got out of bed, threw on a robe, and sat by the desk to wait for her.
"Well, well, boss." Na Nali's eyes lit up as soon as she saw him like that. The bells on her ankles jingled as she pressed herself against him. "You're up in the middle of the night, waiting for me in your room?"
"Which eye of yours saw me waiting for you?" Qing Linyun said irritably. "You woke me up."
"Doesn't that just show we're destined to meet?" Na Nali said, moving to sit on his lap. "I came all the way from Shrek City to report to you, and you won't even pour me a cup of water."
"Get off."
"No."
"Get off."
"Boss, you're no fun like this."
Despite her words, Na Nali got off his lap and sat across from him, crossing her legs as her bells swayed. "All right, all right, let's get down to business. You look like you're still half asleep, so I'd feel bad bothering you any more."
Seeing that she had settled down, Qing Linyun rubbed his temples and sat up straighter. "Go on. What's the situation with the Holy Spirit Cult?"
Na Nali dropped her flippant manner, and her tone turned serious. Though her legs were still crossed, her carefree air was gone.
"First, Sister Lingling."
Na Nali's expression turned playful.
"That move of yours was the right one. She's kept her lips sealed about Dark Hummingbird. When I told her I knew about it, she even tried to stop me. But I lied and told her I'd already taken care of every source of the information."
Qing Linyun nodded without speaking.
He knew Ye Lingling's nature well.
She was not only gentle but smart, and she understood matters like these better than anyone.
He had entrusted the company to her and asked her to keep Dark Hummingbird's death a secret, and she had handled both perfectly. That was why Ye Lingling could be Qing Linyun's secretary.
"Next, Yulai."
Na Nali continued.
"Boss, you need to be careful too."
"Yulai may be a little demonic,"
"but she's still a genius, and she's smart. She must have noticed something. She didn't use her Battle Armor or Soul Skills at all when she was hunting down the Ghost Emperor."
"After we came back, she argued with Ye Lingling. But all she said was to declare her loyalty, so you should still give her a little something."
"I heard Leng Yulai misses you terribly every night, you know."
Na Nali did not say much more. After all, if she told him everything Leng Yulai was feeling, that would be criticizing the boss.
Na Nali knew the way of a good subordinate inside and out, so naturally she would never do anything so brainless. She also knew that Qing Linyun was naturally capable of learning everything that had just happened at the Heaven-Supporting Pillar. Some things only needed to be mentioned in passing.
Qing Linyun nodded.
He really had neglected a certain little phoenix for quite some time. That was not in keeping with an emperor's art of managing his subordinates. It was indeed time to comfort her a little.
"Mm, I understand."
"Now, let's get down to business."
"All right, let's get down to business."
"I probed her strength." Na Nali's expression turned serious. "The Demon Empress is a cut above a Quasi-God, but she definitely hasn't reached the level of a god. If she were a true god, neither Yulai nor I would have made it back today. She couldn't hold the two of us there, so she gave us a way out and let us both go."
Qing Linyun pondered for a moment.
Having dealt with the Holy Spirit Cult for so many years, he naturally knew what that meant.
With a Demon Empress who was a cut above a Quasi-God but short of a god holding the fort, it was as if a sword hung over the Holy Spirit Cult. Anyone who wanted to move against it would have to think twice.
For the moment, though, that sword could not affect the continent. After all, according to the original story, the Demon Empress should still be plotting to become a god.
"Any other developments in the Holy Spirit Cult?"
"The Ghost Emperor is the same as ever: a rank 99 Limit Douluo at the Quasi-God level, with Four-Word Battle Armor and four black, four red, and one orange-gold Soul Rings. He's an undead-type fellow who spends all day plotting how to scheme against people."
"That coward the Underworld Emperor is still hiding who knows where. After we left, a few people filled the vacancies among the Four Heavenly Kings, but none of them were very strong. Now Dark Hummingbird's dead too, and the ones left are nothing to worry about. In the entire Holy Spirit Cult, the only one who can truly hold things together is the Demon Empress."
Qing Linyun listened, tapping his fingertips against the desk.
There was a question here.
The original story had said that the Demon Empress did not involve herself in the cult's affairs. Normally, the Ghost Emperor and the Underworld Emperor should have discussed how to direct the Holy Spirit Cult between them.
It was understandable that the Ghost Emperor, that old scheming bastard, had not acted personally, but why hadn't he egged Ha Luosa on to act?
Leng Yulai and Na Nali had improved so much in such a short time. Would Ha Luosa, a man who wanted to become a god, really not come and see for himself?
Judging by that, was Ha Luosa wary of something? What could it be?
Qing Linyun could not figure it out.
"Boss, what are you thinking about?" Na Nali asked.
"The Holy Spirit Cult."
Qing Linyun paused, then put it another way.
"Dark Hummingbird came to the East Sea to test me. They sent a rank 98 Super Douluo to gauge my strength. I killed her, and then nothing more came of it. The Demon Empress is so powerful and holds the fort for the Holy Spirit Cult, yet she let the matter go lightly, without so much as a threat."
"You mean they have something bigger going on?"
"I don't know." Qing Linyun shook his head.
"But they're definitely plotting something. Whatever is keeping even the Demon Empress too busy to act can't be anything small."
Na Nali nodded thoughtfully, then smiled again. She and Qing Linyun exchanged a knowing look.
"All right, boss, let's set aside what we can't figure out for now. At least the Holy Spirit Cult has quieted down for the moment. The Demon Empress said herself that she wouldn't send anyone else to the East Sea anytime soon. No matter how much the Ghost Emperor jumps around, he can't escape her grasp. Eastsea City can have some peace for a while."
"Mm."
The taut string in Qing Linyun's heart slackened.
Dark Hummingbird was dead, he had tested the Holy Spirit Cult's attitude, and he had learned the extent of the Demon Empress's strength.
Eastsea City could have some peace for a while, and that period of peace would give him time to make plans concerning Tang Wulin and Gu Yue.
In Qing Linyun's eyes, the Holy Spirit Cult was really nothing more than a roadside diversion. The only things on the Douluo Continent that mattered to him were Gu Yue and Tang Wulin.
Gu Yue was the Silver Dragon King, while Tang Wulin carried the Golden Dragon King bloodline. Each was more precious than the other, and each was more troublesome than the other.
If the Holy Spirit Cult's Limit Douluo came knocking every few days, they would not only disrupt his existing plans but also be a nuisance.
So when the matter with Dark Hummingbird came up, his first thought was that he had to let the Holy Spirit Cult know that Eastsea City was not to be trifled with, but he also had to let them know he did not want to make a bigger issue of it.
He had sent Na Nali and Leng Yulai to the Holy Spirit Cult. Gauging its strength was secondary; the main purpose was to teach the two of them a lesson.
He had just never expected Leng Yulai to get clever. Damn, the savage got smarter. He had not expected her to catch the flaw and piece a few things together.
At the thought, Qing Linyun pinched the bridge of his nose helplessly.
As for Na Nali, she had always been a black glove he had planted in the company.
She usually acted unreliable, but in truth, when he was away from the company, she never missed a single thing she was supposed to keep an eye on. Not that she was spying on Ye Lingling; there was no need to watch someone as devoted as Ye Lingling. A black glove, after all, was for doing work that could not see the light of day.
He was also the one who had passed the information about Dark Hummingbird to Na Nali this time.
He had her pretend in front of Ye Lingling that she had bought the information from an underground boxing house, then take a hotheaded Leng Yulai charging into the Holy Spirit Cult. That way, he could both test the cult's attitude and see whether the Demon Empress, whose strength was unknown, would actually act.
Now it seemed things had gone much as he expected.
The Holy Spirit Cult had sent Dark Hummingbird as a simple probe. They were still wary of something. As for what it was, he could not guess yet.
But at least the matter with the Holy Spirit Cult could be considered settled.
Eastsea City could remain stable for a while.
That would give him enough time to observe and make plans.
They're waiting for the plan to become a god to reach completion.
Heh, then let them take their time waiting.
At that thought, Qing Linyun could not help relaxing a little, and Na Nali became much easier on his eyes.
The girl usually acted unreliable, but she was dependable when it came to getting things done.
She had passed on the information she was supposed to pass on, tested the strength she was supposed to test, and brought back everyone she was supposed to bring back without losing a single one. She had even managed to keep that powder keg Leng Yulai wrapped around her finger.
Sensing the hint of satisfaction in Qing Linyun's gaze, Na Nali's tail immediately went up.
She pressed herself against him again, hanging half her body off his arm as her bells jingled incessantly.
"Boss, I did pretty well this time, didn't I?"
"Not bad."
"Then is there a reward?"
"No."
"Boss, that's really hurtful." Na Nali leaned close to his ear. "I've been tired all day. Look, my feet are sore from walking."
"You walked barefoot the whole way. How could they not be sore?"
"Then will you rub them for me?"
"Dream on."
"Boss, you're really no fun."
That was what Na Nali said, but she stayed draped over him and kept chattering. "I'm telling you, that old Demon Empress is ugly. Her face is covered in wrinkles, just like old tree bark."
Qing Linyun sighed.
He had intended to push her off, but he was indeed in a good mood today, so he let her cling to him, too lazy to make an issue of it.
Sometimes, he ought to give out a little reward.
For example, there was also a certain little phoenix hiding under her covers, silently crying.