Chapter 2230: Saint, please instruct

On the night You Huan became Grand Advisor, he hosted a lavish, multi-day feast at her Sumao Qingxi residence. From then on, all the notables in Mudu knew she was Lord You’s new favorite.

Over the past two years, she had not only built bridges for Cang Yan’s intelligence network but also handled numerous tasks for You Huan.

As Grand Advisor, You Huan frequently encountered matters he couldn't handle openly.

“There are many major merchants in Muguo who frequently travel to Lingxu City. It’s too dangerous for you to go there directly with this face.” Mei Wuniang’s striking beauty, he explained, made her too recognizable. “Lingxu City is a den of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. Simply using a mirage pearl to alter your appearance isn’t safe enough. I need to find someone skilled in surgical arts to make some adjustments to your face.”

Mei Wuniang couldn't help but gently touch her face, a little worried: “It won’t make me ugly, will it?”

She cared most about her appearance.

Her stunning beauty was her most potent weapon.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be beautiful as always.” He Lingchuan dared to make such a boast now, with so many talented individuals under his command. If worst came to worst, there was always Dong Rui. “We just need to make some minor changes to the details, remove any existing moles and scars, and you’ll be even more beautiful than before.”

His words were as good as gold, and Mei Wuniang felt slightly relieved after getting his assurance: “That’s good.”

“Also, while your face is healing, you must take sixty days of Tranquil Fragrance Pills.”

“What are they for?”

“To permanently change your body odor.” He Lingchuan’s methods were always astonishingly meticulous. “A person’s body odor usually remains constant and is easily recognized by animals and demons. To become a completely different person, changing your face alone isn’t enough.”

“Also, although you’ve left Mudu without permission, it’s best to give You Huan an explanation. He’s very suspicious, and you are a close associate who possesses his secrets and evidence. If you suddenly disappear, he’ll definitely investigate thoroughly. Otherwise, he might dig too deep and unearth Cang Yan’s entire network of contacts in Mudu.”

Mei Wuniang remained silent, simply blinking at him.

He Lingchuan smiled and continued, “Alright then, Mei Wuniang was attacked by demons while away and unfortunately perished. Where did you go on this trip?”

“Qizhou Liutang County in Muguo,” Mei Wuniang added. “It’s on Muguo’s eastern border, and there really is a large forest outside the county.”

“Mm, I’ll arrange for someone to fabricate the story for you.” He Lingchuan asked her, “Before you left Mudu this time, you didn’t transfer any businesses or sell your shops, did you?”

“Of course not. I was afraid You Huan would grow suspicious, so I only brought out a small amount of valuables and silver as travel expenses,” Mei Wuniang said, her face pained. “All the shops and assets I worked so hard to accumulate over the past two years, I wonder who will get them cheaply now.”

As she spoke, she looked at He Lingchuan with sparkling eyes, hoping for some gesture. A normal man would surely thump his chest and promise, “Don’t worry, I’ll make up for all your losses.”

However, the wealthy Emperor Jiuyou casually dismissed it: “It doesn’t matter. Money is merely an external possession.”

“Stingy. Too stingy,” Mei Wuniang thought, casting a resentful glance at him.

For him, it might be an external possession, but for her, it wasn’t.

Never mind.

“Since you, Emperor and Saint, have thought of everything so thoroughly…” Mei Wuniang stretched, already feeling a little eager to try. “Lingxu City is so vast, where should I go?”

He Lingchuan was silent for a moment, then placed his hands, clasped, on the table: “Didn’t you want a high-difficulty challenge?”

“Yes,” she replied.

“Do you dare to go to the most unfathomable, yet most corrupt, place in this world?”

Mei Wuniang knew it was a provocation, but she found herself quite amenable to it: “Why wouldn’t I dare? What place are you talking about?”

“The Celestial Palace.”

Mei Wuniang’s delicate eyebrows rose high, and her beautiful eyes shone astonishingly bright.

The Celestial Palace? The legendary earthly abode of the gods, where even the Demon Emperor respectfully bowed?

After a long moment, she said with a bright smile, “Good!”

“The Chief Emissary of the Celestial Palace, Du Yun, is very old. Ever since he commanded the gigantic ji beasts in the great battle against the Fire Spirit Zuju, his health has been deteriorating, and he is now in a precarious state. He must find a successor for the Chief Emissary position as soon as possible, otherwise, once he dies, the Celestial Palace will fall into chaos.”

The Celestial Palace stood above the entire Beijia, a transcendent existence. If it became unstable, Lingxu City would also suffer.

“If the Chief Emissary position is so important, doesn’t the Celestial Palace have any candidates?”

“Originally, there were three. One died in the Panlong Desert to the west, another died in the Flash Gold Plains a few years ago, and the third was found to have moral failings last year and was personally disgraced by the Heavenly Demon. Thus, the succession to the Chief Emissary position suddenly became a major problem for the Celestial Palace.”

He Lingchuan took a sip of wine to clear his throat. “I’ve received news that the Celestial Palace has now put forward two new candidates internally: Hou Tianyu and Lu Yongyan. Both have limited experience but are competitive and are trying hard to impress the old Chief Emissary.”

Mei Wuniang blinked. “That sounds very interesting. Which one do you suggest I choose?”

He Lingchuan chuckled. “During such an extraordinary period, they must all be extremely careful with their words and actions. A femme fatale like you, they wouldn’t even dare to touch.”

This was blatant flattery, and Mei Wuniang accepted it with a smile.

“So, what’s my objective?”

“First, get into the Celestial Palace, then act according to the situation. If you can become a Lamp-Lighting Handmaiden, you’ll learn many secrets.” He Lingchuan sat up straight, his face serious. “What I’m about to say, you must keep in mind.”

“Yes!” Mei Wuniang said with a cheerful smile, “Please give your instructions, Saint.”

“Being in the Celestial Palace means being directly under the Heavenly Demon’s nose, which isn’t as easy as dealing with You Huan. You must constantly prioritize your safety, listen more and speak less, and do not contact Cang Yan unless there’s a major incident.”

“Does the Heavenly Demon constantly watch the Celestial Palace?” Mei Wuniang pondered. “Then how do people in the Celestial Palace manage to hide their corruption?”

He Lingchuan remained silent, simply gazing at her quietly.

“Alright, alright, I know you’re worried about me.” Mei Wuniang stopped pressing him. “What opportunity is there for me to get in now?”

“The Celestial Palace will select another batch of handmaidens within six months, ranging from fourteen to seventeen years old, from both official families and commoner backgrounds.” He Lingchuan carefully observed her face. “Girls in Lingxu City tend to mature early, and your bone structure makes you look young. Impersonating a seventeen-year-old girl won’t be a problem.”

Mei Wuniang already had a small face, and her clear, black-and-white eyes looked especially pure. She also cultivated the Illusion Sect’s Cocoon-Breaking Heart Technique, giving her skin a flawless, porcelain-like quality, and every strand of her hair seemed full of vitality. Whenever she made a casual expression, she looked like a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl, naive and inexperienced.

“Thank you for the compliment.” The Emperor Jiuyou was getting better at giving compliments. “So, have you chosen a background for me yet?”

“I’ll give it to you within seven days.” He Lingchuan thought for a moment, then asked her to get paper and ink from a tavern employee.

He took a sheet of paper from his robe and quickly wrote something.

Mei Wuniang was curious and wanted to lean in for a look, but He Lingchuan had already finished writing. With a flick of his left hand, he said, “Sit still.”