The Prison Emperor's Wisdom
As early as when Ah Rou and Xiao Wu went into labor, Gu Yue had sensed that this descent of his was drawing to a close.
On his first descent, he had not dared make any drastic moves, choosing instead to develop steadily. He had merely found a little amusement along the way, and the plans he needed to set in motion were already in place. He casually instructed Di Tian to keep a secret watch on the Clear Sky Sect's movements without exposing himself.
At the same time, Gu Yue specifically told him that he was about to fall asleep and was not to be disturbed unless something serious happened.
He did not want Gu Yuena pulling off some heaven-defying move while his consciousness was away and she was sleeping on standby like an NPC.
If later events really followed the course he had changed, and Prison Gu screwed him over someday, wouldn't he be so furious he spat blood?
Not long after he finished giving his instructions, Gu Yue's consciousness was dragged back to the ancient era by the Time-Reversal Trajectory while the two rats were fighting.
But when those casual instructions reached Di Tian's ears, they took on an entirely different meaning.
Beside the Lake of Life, faint glimmers from the water reflected in Di Tian's dragon eyes, and he felt the blood surging in his chest.
Just look at that!
He could count the number of times his lord had awakened on one hand, yet she had summoned no one else. She hadn't even seen that little cutie, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion. She had sought out him, Di Tian, alone.
He, Di Tian, had seen everything during this time. His lord had merely given the humans a little guidance, and they had turned on their own kind. Even six Titled Douluo, each equivalent to a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, had died one after another.
Just look at how world-shaking his lord's wisdom was.
And before she fell asleep, his lord had entrusted this entire far-reaching scheme to him. How highly she must have valued him!
As his lord's number-one lackey, he, Di Tian-
Had to be loyal to the core!
Just now, while Di Tian had been using his spiritual sense to scout the Clear Sky Sect, he had happened to see Tang Yuehua driven into a desperate situation by her own kin.
Di Tian felt as if he had been struck by lightning and began brainstorming.
"Is... is this my lord's wisdom?"
"This human woman has meager Soul Power. If we support her until she is secure as sect master of the number-one sect, and add to that her grudge over her own kin trying to assassinate her tonight, the sect is bound to fall into endless infighting."
"The humans will slaughter one another, and our Soul Beast Clan need only sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, then reap the fisherman's reward."
"I, Di Tian, have finally grasped one ten-thousandth of my lord's world-shaking wisdom..."
After careful consideration, Di Tian decided that a woman's affairs ought to be handled by women. He immediately tore open space and sent Bi Ji and Zi JI to the Clear Sky Sect, repeatedly impressing upon them that all of this was part of their lord's profound intentions.
Di Tian recalled Gu Yue's instruction not to disturb her unless it was something serious, and thought of how this little matter he had handled for his lord could have such a far-reaching impact on the future.
He gazed down into the depths of the Lake of Life and murmured softly:
"My lord, even you would be proud to have a subordinate like me, wouldn't you?"
As for Gu Yue, he had long since returned to the ancient era and was indignantly kneading little Gu Yuena's chubby cheeks like dough.
And the Silver Dragon Fish on this timeline, just as in the original story, remained fast asleep on standby even after recovering from her injuries.
Gu Yue had no idea that a single casual instruction before he left could actually awaken world-shaking wisdom in the Prison Emperor as well.
In a courtyard of the Clear Sky Sect.
Tang Yuehua paid no attention to the disciple suspended in midair, caught in Zi JI's invisible grip. Her beautiful eyes were full of hope as she asked urgently:
"I... can I go see him?"
Zi JI gave her a long look and inwardly grumbled, I haven't managed to meet my lord once since I was born, yet you, a mere human, actually dream of an audience with her? You're dreaming out of your ass.
Zi JI refused coldly. "No. My lord is very busy."
Come to think of it, the Silver Dragon King really was quite busy.
On this timeline, she was fast asleep on standby. Sleeping once in a while certainly didn't count as being busy, but if she kept sleeping all the time, wasn't that a kind of busyness too?
The light in Tang Yuehua's eyes dimmed at once, and she was utterly dejected.
Bi Ji, who stood beside her, had a gentle disposition. Seeing her so downcast, she comforted her softly:
"However, my lord did instruct us that, as long as it isn't excessive, we may take care of some troubles for you along the way."
Those words made Tang Yuehua's dimmed eyes light up again in an instant.
"He has me in his heart..."
Tang Yuehua whispered to herself, her eyes reddening.
If he didn't have her in his heart, why would Gu Yue have taken time out of his busy schedule to send two experts especially to keep her safe, and even instructed them to deal with her troubles...
No, he was clearly having them clear away every obstacle for her!
Once someone blinded by love confirmed that the object of her affection was within reach, it was particularly frightening when that brain of hers got to work.
The frailty vanished from Tang Yuehua's face in an instant, and her gaze turned ruthless.
"In that case, sorry for the trouble, but please kill the disciple who attacked me."
"Also, there must be people outside the residence secretly keeping watch and sealing it off, intending to put me to death. Sorry for the trouble, seniors, but please cripple all of their cultivation."
After speaking, Tang Yuehua seemed to think of something. Her expression grew restrained, and she looked at Bi Ji and Zi JI with some hesitation and concern as she asked softly:
"Um... can you beat them? If I'm right, several of the people in charge must be directing this from the shadows tonight. The weakest of them is at least a Soul Saint..."
Bi Ji and Zi JI exchanged glances.
Although Bi Ji had not yet reached the cultivation of over 550,000 years she had during Peerless Tang Sect, she had long since surpassed 500,000 years and was genuinely at the level of a Limit Douluo. Even if her true form was a healer, she was still at the very ceiling of the continent.
Zi JI was no slouch either. Although she had yet to reach the cultivation equivalent to a human Level 98 during The Legend of the Dragon King, even at her current weakest she was equivalent to a Level 97 Super Douluo.
Zi JI sneered, her face full of disdain.
"Even if your sect master came back to life and crawled out of his grave, I could beat him to death all over again."
Down in the netherworld, Tang Zhen felt offended.
Tang Yuehua simply ignored the fact that her old father had been badmouthed. Hearing this, she felt completely reassured and had no further misgivings.
In no time, the three people in charge who had directed the assassination from outside the residence were dragged into the courtyard by Zi JI like dead dogs. Every meridian in their bodies had been severed, and their Martial Souls and Soul Power were completely crippled on the spot.
The next day.
Outside the Clear Sky Sect's council hall, a pungent smell of blood spread on the morning breeze.
Atop a towering flagpole, the three people in charge who had participated in the assassination plot the previous night and the disciple who had carried out the attack hung in midair for all to see, cold iron hooks driven through their collarbones. Dark red blood dripped down the steps and pooled across the ground.
Inside the hall, the atmosphere was heavy.
Tang Yuehua had changed into a splendid robe symbolizing her status as sect master and sat upright in the sect master's seat, her expression cold.
Bi Ji and Zi JI stood silently at her sides, one on her left and one on her right, vast oppressive pressure naturally emanating from them.
Below them in the hall, the people in charge who had not taken part in the previous night's operation, those responsible for the various affairs, and even the patriarchs of the three affiliated single-attribute clans all had their knees go weak under the two terrifying pressures and fell to their knees.
They could clearly feel that the pressure radiating from the two peerlessly beautiful women standing so casually beside Tang Yuehua was far more formidable than even that of the old sect master, Tang Zhen.
Several of the people in charge who had looked down on Tang Yuehua only days ago had their backs drenched in cold sweat. Inwardly, they couldn't help going mad. If you had such a badass backer, why didn't you say so earlier?!
If we'd known you had backing like this, who would have dared set their sights on you?
She was clearly pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger, deliberately luring them into a trap so she could purge every opponent within the sect!
Looking at the corpses hanging high outside, everyone in the hall was scared out of their wits, terrified that they would be called to account on the spot the next moment.
After all, aside from Bai He, everyone present was either a member of the opposition or a neutral bystander who had watched coldly from the sidelines.
Tang Yuehua looked at her kin prostrated throughout the hall, her cool voice echoing within it:
"After today, if anyone dares pay lip service while acting against me, or defy their superiors, the corpses hanging high outside will be your tomorrow."
Those who had once spoken harshly to Tang Yuehua went pale with fright and repeatedly knocked their heads against the floor, begging for mercy, oblivious even to the blood streaming down their foreheads.
The neutral faction, meanwhile, secretly rejoiced that they had not blindly meddled.
Sure enough, as long as they did nothing, they couldn't make mistakes.
Some had even begun filling in the blanks themselves.
They should have realized long ago that the old sect master had been willing to pass the position to Tang Yuehua on his deathbed because even he could do nothing about the connections behind her.
Hadn't they seen the expression on his face when he looked at Tang Yuehua before breathing his last? It had been like a pie chart: thirty percent desolation, thirty percent persistence, and forty percent pleading.
He had clearly been saying: Just be the sect master. The Clear Sky Sect can't do without you.
Even Tang Yuehua herself hadn't expected some of her kin to misunderstand things to such an extent.