Seventy-One. Aunt Will Teach You

Yanbo Pavilion was a venture into which Li Yan had poured all his heart and soul, costing him countless resources and efforts.

Moreover, to the Second Prince, this was far more than a mere pleasure house; profit was the least of Yanbo Pavilion’s concerns. Its true purpose went well beyond matters of loss or gain.

If something as drastic as Yanbo Pavilion being suddenly reduced to ashes were to occur, Li Yan would never remain idle. He would undoubtedly find a way to return to Yangzhou—whether by covert excuses or by confronting Emperor Zhaoning directly. After all, the Emperor had always regarded him as a pawn to be moved at will; allowing the Second Prince to return to Yangzhou would not be considered overstepping any bounds.

However, something like this... the Yaoguang Sect could not possibly have planned so far in advance.

No matter how resourceful the Empress Dowager was, she resided in the capital. Transmitting plans back and forth was troublesome enough. While there were methods of communication and transportation—she’d caught a glimpse of such means in the Empress Dowager’s hands that night at Mount Renhuang—crossing provincial borders was no easy feat.

The Empress Dowager turned her elegant head once more, her gaze fixing on Pei Xiunian. She gave a cold snort and said,

“In any case, now that you have a new maid, Xiao Qin can return to the sect. She will handle the destruction of Yanbo Pavilion. There will be no mistakes.”

There was a peculiar undertone to her words, but Pei Xiunian feigned ignorance and replied,

“Is Xiao Qin truly capable of handling such a task?”

Lu Qinyue was indeed the Holy Maiden of the Demonic Sect, but Pei Xiunian had never sensed the oppressive aura one might expect from such a figure. He was beginning to doubt her credentials.

Yet, seeing the Empress Dowager’s confidence, perhaps this little enchantress was more useful than she appeared.

Meng Qingyuan, propping her chin with one hand, said,

“Xiao Qin doesn’t need to scheme; she only needs to deliver the message to the sect. The rest will be handled according to plan. Though I am wounded, the foundation of Yaoguang Sect remains. We are still among the foremost in both the demonic and orthodox paths.”

That was true. A sect with such a long history would not be brought low by the loss of its top cultivator. The foundation built over countless years would not collapse overnight; disciples of Yaoguang Sect were still spread throughout the land.

Even if the master of Guiyuan Pavilion were to die, the sect would not withdraw from the stage. For a sect of this magnitude, the presence or absence of a leader was not enough to shake its very core.

But this also made Meng Qingyuan herself seem less indispensable. The Empress Dowager had lost all her cultivation, and she rarely returned to the sect. If dissent arose within, that would not be a trivial matter. Distant water cannot quench present thirst. If both orthodox and demonic paths faded into silence, perhaps the sect would not be troubled by internal strife.

But now, as the two paths were about to reemerge into the world, with pressure and temptation from outside, who could say what might happen?

Still, Pei Xiunian was not familiar enough with the venerable leader of Yaoguang Sect to speak freely on such matters, much less the inner workings of the sect itself.

Suddenly raising such topics would only breed displeasure.

Pei Xiunian suppressed his curiosity and held his tongue; there was no need to tempt fate. With Xiao Qin returning to the sect as its nominal Holy Maiden, some of these potential issues might be eased.

“But...” The Empress Dowager’s gaze fell once more upon Pei Xiunian, her tone earnest.

“With Xiao Qin’s return, this must be settled soon—likely within the next few days. The Heart-Guarding Mirror will require more time to be polished. For now, you must beware that noble lady from the aristocratic clan. Ha—such obvious infatuation... Be careful she’s not a fox spirit who will drain you dry by night.”

A flicker of emotion crossed Pei Xiunian’s eyes. He glanced at the Empress Dowager, who was clearly speaking in jest, yet her intuition was uncanny. Was this what they called a woman’s instinct?

He cupped his hands in sincere respect and said,

“Rest assured, Your Majesty. Should she truly be a fox spirit, I will see to her demise before dawn.”

The Empress Dowager was secretly amused. Though his meaning was ambiguous, Meng Qingyuan, herself a demonic enchantress, could find no fault in his words. If the woman truly were a fox spirit, then the term “enchantress” was apt enough.

Had he just turned the tables on her? Yet, with his air of certainty, was he not missing the point?

The Empress Dowager stifled a laugh. Perhaps his so-called infatuation was not without basis.

One had to admit, though, Yu Hongdou was a striking beauty. Who would have thought such a woman would be hidden among the aristocracy?

Meng Qingyuan scoffed,

“Even if she is a spirit, she’s not one you could handle in your current state. Planning to subdue a fox spirit, are you? With what, a stick?”

Pei Xiunian was not offended but rather puzzled by Meng Qingyuan’s words. Did fox spirits not possess any defenses?

He could not be bothered to ask further, lest he be accused of ulterior motives by this enchantress. Instead, he retrieved his portable chessboard and a book of cultivation techniques.

“In that case, I hope Your Majesty will instruct me.”

“So that’s what you’re after,” Meng Qingyuan laughed. He could have asked at any time, yet chose to play games instead. Was this out of defiance or to amuse himself?

As a demonic enchantress, Meng Qingyuan was not shy about such playful banter. Had her circumstances been different, she would have cared little for propriety. She said,

“If you seek instruction, what should you call me?”

Pei Xiunian, sincere, ventured, “Master?”

“Stop.”

The Empress Dowager halted his reckless words. In this world of cultivation, such titles were not to be used lightly—even in the Demonic Sect.

“Call me Aunt Meng. For matters like these, an aunt will suffice.”

After Pei Xiunian addressed her, the Empress Dowager took the cultivation manual from his hands and glanced through it.

At first glance, the Untitled Method seemed unimpressive—mere basics. But the deeper she read, the more mysterious it became.

It did not resemble a chess-based art; its variations were infinite, and it did not seem to focus on any particular weapon—almost as if any form could be cultivated in tandem.

Truly an unheard-of technique. Most people devoted themselves to a single path, but this method encompassed all arts of the myriad worlds. The difficulty of mastering it was evident.

Meng Qingyuan’s initial disdain vanished. She turned to Pei Xiunian and said softly,

“Try circulating your energy.”

In matters of cultivation, the Empress Dowager was a true authority. At this, Pei Xiunian set aside any grudge over her earlier feigned ignorance and calmly began to channel his inner energy.

The Empress Dowager perceived the surging spiritual energy around him and was startled. Such smooth and pure breathing—he was truly a prodigy.

Even Lu Qinyue, whom she had personally nurtured, might not compare.

Pei Xiunian was indeed gifted in the Dao, though he had not devoted much time to cultivation. If he had, he would already be close to perfecting the second realm, and with his current speed, breaking through to the third would only take a few days.

What surprised her even more was how quickly Pei Xiunian had grasped the fundamentals of this method—after just two days, and entirely self-taught, his foundation was already so solid.

Were it not for the fact that he had only begun cultivating at this age and was a complete novice, the Empress Dowager would have suspected he was a reincarnated soul who had already cultivated to achieve a Yang Spirit and was reforging his body.

She said calmly,

“Your foundation is excellent. You’ve already mastered the basics of this technique. Now you need only delve deeper to truly command it.

However... such insight requires a clear understanding of your own path. Comprehending the Dao is a matter for those breaking through the fifth realm.”