In the pavilion, a thin veil-like mist floated gently, revealing the faint outline of the Saintess Xiyuan's graceful figure, her slender waist clearly visible.
After Chu Xinyue left, only the Saintess Xiyuan and Gu Changge remained in the pavilion.
The Saintess Xiyuan had not expected Gu Changge to barge in so casually, as if he did not care about her presence at all.
However, after the events of their last encounter, she had come to understand one thing: Gu Changge's strength far surpassed her own.
Therefore, when facing Gu Changge, it was best not to oppose his will.
Though the Saintess Xiyuan was displeased, she did not show it on her face and quickly regained her composure.
The veil fluttered gently as she sat gracefully, her slender jade-like hand holding a wine cup, gently swirling it.
"Young Master Gu, what brings you here today?" the Saintess Xiyuan asked in a calm and indifferent tone.
"Can I not come if there's nothing important?" Gu Changge smiled faintly, casually pulling his robe as he sat down opposite her.
The Saintess Xiyuan raised her eyes to look at him, unable to guess his intentions.
Last time, she had tried to win over Gu Changge, but her efforts had ended in failure, leaving her feeling quite frustrated.
In the Mirror of Reincarnation, she had "experienced countless battles" and understood Gu Changge's temperament, preferences, and personality. However, the future simulated by the mirror was ultimately not reality.
The death of her simulated self in the mirror would not affect her real self in the present.
But if she were to die in reality, there would be no coming back.
Especially when facing a terrifying and unpredictable existence like Gu Changge, she felt restrained and unable to fully utilize her advantages.
Hearing Gu Changge's words, the Saintess Xiyuan remained silent for a moment, her thoughts suddenly becoming active again.
During their first encounter, she had been too eager, and her clumsy attempt to seduce him had been seen through by Gu Changge, leading to the subsequent events.
Although Gu Changge had threatened her afterward, he had ultimately not harmed her.
"Young Master Gu, if you have something to say, please speak directly. I believe someone like you would not visit without a purpose," the Saintess Xiyuan replied calmly after gathering her thoughts.
Gu Changge shook his head lightly and said, "It seems the Saintess Xiyuan still holds a deep distrust of me. I had thought that after our last encounter, your prejudice against me would lessen."
Hearing this, the Saintess Xiyuan's expression darkened.
The strength with which she gripped the wine cup increased noticeably.
If Gu Changge had not brought up the matter, she might have forgotten about it. But now, she remembered how狼狈 she had been at that time, thrown onto the bed by him, her usual transcendent and holy image completely shattered.
Of course, the main reason was that she had been genuinely frightened at the time, thinking that Gu Changge would humiliate her.
Who would have thought that Gu Changge had only been trying to scare and tease her, wanting to see her panicked expression?
"Young Master Gu, someone as gentle and kind-hearted as you, how could I possibly hold any prejudice against you?" The Saintess Xiyuan gritted her teeth, forcing her tone to sound natural.
Gu Changge chuckled lightly, "But just now, who was it that didn't want to let me in?"
The Saintess Xiyuan was momentarily speechless. She decided not to respond and instead continued to sip her wine behind the veil. She was not wearing a veil, and her drinking motions were not particularly elegant, almost as if she was using the act to掩饰 her emotions.
Gu Changge did not mind.
His main purpose in coming here was to see how the Immortal Chu Dynasty planned to deal with the Saintess Xiyuan and what methods they would use.
Just now, when Chu Xinyue had left, her gaze had been extremely闪躲, clearly trying hard to suppress something.
It was likely that after dealing with the Saintess Xiyuan, the Immortal Chu Dynasty would immediately turn their attention to him.
However, in that brief moment, Gu Changge was still unsure of Chu Xinyue's methods.
If their plan was simply to get closer to the Saintess Xiyuan and strengthen their relationship, would the Immortal Chu Dynasty be underestimating the Saintess Xiyuan's judgment?
She was a smart person and would surely have her own calculations. She would not easily side with the Immortal Chu Dynasty.
"I've heard rumors that the Immortal Chu Dynasty may soon make a move against you, Saintess."
Gu Changge looked at the Saintess Xiyuan, who was quietly sipping her wine behind the veil, and smiled faintly.
These words caused the Saintess Xiyuan, who was about to bring the crystal-clear wine cup to her lips, to pause.
She found it hard to believe that the Immortal Chu Dynasty would dare to do such a thing, as she believed they lacked the courage.
But now, Gu Changge had actively brought up this matter. Was he trying to make her wary of the Immortal Chu Dynasty?
However, in the eyes of the Saintess Xiyuan, Gu Changge and the Immortal Chu Dynasty were no different. Who could say if he was deliberately trying to deceive her?
"Oh?"
The Saintess Xiyuan thought for a moment, her red lips curving into a slight smile. She then set down the wine cup and stretched lazily, exuding a somewhat慵懒 charm.
"I didn't expect Young Master Gu to take the initiative to tell me this. It seems you do care about me," she said with a smile.
"Care is too strong a word. I simply don't want to see you fall victim to the Immortal Chu Dynasty's schemes. After all, if they succeed, it will inevitably affect my plans," Gu Changge replied with a smile.
The Saintess Xiyuan stood up, her jade-like hands parting the veil as she gracefully walked over, smiling. "But how do I know that you, Young Master Gu, aren't also scheming against me?"
Gu Changge looked at her with interest and said, "You don't need to know whether I'm scheming against you. You just need to know that if I wanted to harm you, I wouldn't have let you go last time."
The Saintess Xiyuan's bright eyes shimmered, as if filled with countless sparkling lights.
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and gave Gu Changge a somewhat coquettish glance before saying, "Young Master Gu, your words are truly hurtful. It was the first time I had ever shown such favor to someone, yet you treated me so coldly."
Seeing the Saintess Xiyuan like this, Gu Changge's expression remained unchanged, still filled with interest. "Last time, I told you that if you can't truly seduce me, don't try to win me over. Because next time, I won't let you off so easily."
"Are you testing me now, trying to see if I'm just bluffing?"
The space in front of him seemed to blur, and in the instant Gu Changge finished speaking, his hand had already reached out.
A hazy pattern spread, and the surrounding space seemed to solidify once again.
The Saintess Xiyuan pursed her lips and smiled, seemingly prepared. She raised her flawless hand to block her face.
However, Gu Changge's target was clearly not her face. Vague Dao runes condensed in an instant, and he grasped her delicate, boneless wrist.
"Young Master Gu, what do you mean by this?"
The Saintess Xiyuan appeared to still be standing in place, but in reality, she was now standing right in front of Gu Changge.
She smiled faintly, raising the wrist that Gu Changge had grabbed. Her beauty was radiant, and her body seemed to lean forward slightly.
"You don't need to test me like this. This seductive and alluring act doesn't suit you. If you were a bit more domineering and arrogant, I might actually be interested."
Gu Changge chuckled lightly and suddenly released her wrist, sitting upright.
He was actually quite surprised that the Saintess Xiyuan had tried to test him again.
After threatening her last time, he had thought she would be more cautious and understand that such methods were useless against him.
He didn't know what the Saintess Xiyuan had seen in the Mirror of Reincarnation that made her think this "childish" seduction tactic would work on him.
Perhaps an ordinary man would have fallen for it.
But to Gu Changge, beauty was merely skin-deep. Beneath the surface, it was all flesh and blood.
The Saintess Xiyuan was not surprised and returned to her usual cold and aloof demeanor. "It seems my beauty is not enough to catch Young Master Gu's eye, which is why you remain unmoved today."
This second attempt had once again confirmed her earlier suspicions.
Her previous approach had clearly been wrong. Gu Changge simply wasn't interested in her.
But this also left the Saintess Xiyuan confused and bewildered. Why had the Mirror of Reincarnation been so wrong? Had she misinterpreted its revelations?
In the Mirror of Reincarnation, Gu Changge had appeared far more cruel, cold, and unpredictable, with life and death entirely at his whim.
But from the current situation, there was no direct conflict of interest between the Xiyuan Sacred Hall and the Heaven-Slaying Alliance led by Gu Changge.
So how had the future predicted by the Mirror of Reincarnation come to pass? And how could she prevent it?
At this moment, the Saintess Xiyuan suddenly wanted to return to the Xiyuan Sacred Hall and use the Mirror of Reincarnation to simulate the future once more.
"This is a golden scroll. It bears the imprint of my Dao and divine aura. If you feel it is necessary, you can activate it at a critical moment."
"As long as you are within the territory of the Immortal Chu Dynasty, I will be able to come to your aid."
Gu Changge's eyes carried a hint of something unusual as he smiled and waved his hand.
A golden page, shimmering with divine light, suddenly appeared. Dense patterns spread across it, each line seemingly containing vast and profound power.
After placing the golden page on the table, Gu Changge stood up and left.
The Saintess Xiyuan came back to her senses and wanted to say something, but Gu Changge's figure had already disappeared.
"Why did he leave me this golden page? Does he really know something?"
Examining the golden page, the Saintess Xiyuan was also a bit puzzled. She didn't understand why Gu Changge had suddenly shown such kindness.
However, she was still wary of anything left behind by Gu Changge, fearing that he might have planted some hidden mechanism within it.
Thus, the Saintess Xiyuan picked up the golden page. It was thin, almost like cicada wings, and made of an unknown material. The patterns on it were ancient, not words, but rather vague totem-like designs, resembling ancient rituals to the heavens.
She probed it slightly and could indeed feel the terrifying power contained within, enough to make her heart skip a beat.
This was indeed a powerful protective item, likely capable of withstanding an attack from an ordinary Ancestral Dao realm expert.
However, with her own strength, ordinary Ancestral Dao realm experts were nothing to her.
This golden page was undoubtedly valuable and difficult to create. For an ordinary Dao realm cultivator, it would be a precious life-saving item.
But for her, it was almost useless.
"Could it be that he looks down on me, which is why he left this golden page, thinking I would call for his help in a critical moment? He really underestimates me too much."
The Saintess Xiyuan thought for a long time but could not figure out Gu Changge's intentions in leaving this golden page.
In the end, she could only conclude that he had underestimated her, which made her grit her teeth in frustration.
Of course, it was also possible that Gu Changge had other methods, but she simply couldn't detect them.
To be safe, the Saintess Xiyuan placed several seals on the golden page, stored it deep within her Void Storage Space, and used several precious ancient artifacts to suppress it before finally feeling at ease.
Over the next two days, Chu Xinyue continued to visit the Saintess Xiyuan on time, asking about various cultivation-related doubts and confusions.
Because of Gu Changge's words, the Saintess Xiyuan remained wary of the Immortal Chu Dynasty and suspected that Chu Xinyue might have ulterior motives.
However, every time Chu Xinyue visited, she would sit respectfully behind the veil, never overstepping her bounds.
After asking her questions, she would leave without lingering or mentioning anything about the Immortal Chu Dynasty, as if she were solely focused on cultivation.
This left the Saintess Xiyuan even more confused.
She had thought this matter would soon pass, but on the third day, after finishing her questions, Chu Xinyue finally brought up something else.
She said that her father, Chu Gucheng, had prepared a banquet that evening and invited Jin Lao. He also wanted to invite the Saintess Xiyuan to attend.
Chu Gucheng wanted to help the Saintess Xiyuan and Jin Lao resolve the矛盾 that had arisen during the birthday banquet, allowing them to reconcile.
Chu Gucheng believed that this matter had started because of him, and since Jin Lao was a highly respected elder in the Vast Expanse and acquainted with the Saintess Xiyuan's master, the Sage Xi, the Saintess Xiyuan, as the beloved disciple of the Sage Xi, should not let this conflict with Jin Lao continue.
The Saintess Xiyuan did not want to attend this banquet, but considering that Chu Gucheng had already invited Jin Lao, if she refused, it would be a direct affront to Jin Lao, effectively severing ties with this highly respected elder.
After all, Jin Lao held a high status in the Vast Expanse and was acquainted with her master, the Sage Xi.
During Chu Gucheng's birthday banquet, she had publicly confronted Jin Lao in front of all the guests.
Now that Jin Lao was willing to lower his pride and reconcile, why should she continue to hold a grudge?
After some thought, the Saintess Xiyuan nodded and agreed to Chu Xinyue's invitation.
"Very well. I will return and inform my father. I'm sure he will be delighted to see you and Elder Jin Lao reconcile," Chu Xinyue said with a smile before quickly taking her leave.
The Saintess Xiyuan watched Chu Xinyue's retreating figure, her expression calm but with a faint sense of unease.
But she couldn't pinpoint what exactly was wrong.
Could this be a trap? Would Chu Gucheng really dare to make a move against her?
She didn't think the Immortal Chu Dynasty had the courage. If anything were to happen to her, not only would the Xiyuan Sacred Hall retaliate, but other forces within the Prime-Origin Civilization would also not let the Immortal Chu Dynasty off easily.
Soon, night fell. In a remote, uninhabited hilly area near the capital of the Immortal Chu Dynasty...
"Brother Chu Bai, do you really think Han Feng will be ambushed? He is the Marquis' trusted aide. Who in the Immortal Chu Dynasty would dare to offend the Champion Marquis?"
Several figures were hidden behind a massive boulder, concealing their auras.
The surrounding space was blurred, and their figures seemed to merge with the void.
The speaker was a tall, burly man with a dark face, carrying a massive purple-gold hammer wrapped in crackling purple lightning, exuding a destructive aura.
The other companions around him had varying auras, both male and female, but all were terrifyingly powerful. There was even a Dao realm expert among them, their aura vast and unfathomable.
"My guess won't be wrong. This time, someone was harmed. The Marquis is fighting on the frontlines against the Demon Court and cannot return personally."
"So, he will definitely send a trusted aide to investigate the cause of death and the true culprit."
Chu Bai's figure was also hidden in the void. His eyes were deep, and he spoke in a low voice.
The people before him were all talented individuals from the Immortal Chu Dynasty's Able and Extraordinary Mansion, colleagues of Chu Bai. Among them were individuals with great fortune and those with extraordinary talents.
They had all followed the Champion Marquis for a time, accompanying him in battles and training, and had received his favor.
This time, when the Champion Marquis's residence was attacked, and his wife was humiliated to the point of taking her own life, they were all furious and sought to help the Champion Marquis uncover the truth.
Unfortunately, after so many days, there were no clues. Even the powerful Ancestral Dao realm experts in the imperial palace could not deduce or discern the situation at the time, let alone identify the true culprit.