Chapter 259: I Admire the National Master

Ye Tinglan was momentarily stunned, staring blankly at Lu Xingzhou, unsure how to respond.

He was in the Demon Emperor's hands, facing mortal danger at any moment. It was evident he was genuinely angry at her "irresponsibility," fuming and cursing. Yet, under such circumstances, he was still concerned for her safety. Even unable to enter the glacier's core himself, he had tried to find a friend to send a message, urging Tianyao Holy Land to evacuate.

Whether as the Holy Master of Tianyao or as his mentor, it was impossible for her to remain unmoved.

But he actually dared to call her a "stupid woman"...

And he was so kind; was it because she was his mentor, or was it because of what Ji Wenchuan had said...?

Was he pursuing her? How did he seem to be pursuing her? He just tricked her into giving him a veil and even said he'd auction it off!

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Lu Xingzhou grumbled. "Of course, my suggestion is that it's best to leave. Because we don't know the enemy, I can't determine if there are other dangers. The dragon bone isn't that important to you; there's no need to get involved in this mess."

Ye Tinglan tentatively asked, "What if I want to play the long game and ambush the Demon Emperor?"

Lu Xingzhou gave her a strange look. It was the first time this "Mister" spoke with such a slightly cautious tone; all that cold detachment was gone...

Are you a masochist? Do you only feel comfortable after being scolded?

After a moment's thought, he counter-questioned, "Do you have a vendetta against the Demon Emperor?"

"She's an enemy chieftain; 'vendetta' isn't the right word. Personally, there's no enmity to speak of." In fact, it should be the other way around: Long Qinghuang would hate Ye Tinglan, after all, she had suffered defeat, and her holy mountain had been burned. What hatred could Ye Tinglan, as the victor, hold against the vanquished?

If Long Qinghuang knew Lu Xingzhou had come with Ye Tinglan, his ashes would probably be scattered by now.

"The Demon Emperor already knows of your presence; she'll be on guard." Lu Xingzhou thought for a moment, then asked, "Could you confirm, is the imperial court involved? Has Gu Zhanting arrived?"

Ye Tinglan shook her head. "The imperial court has not participated."

"The Great Qian Dynasty has gained the upper hand against the demon race because of the joint efforts of the imperial court and Tianyao Holy Land. If it's just Tianyao Holy Land, even if the world's foremost Grand Tutor were here, it clearly wouldn't be a match for the demon race's full force... With the Demon Emperor already on guard, it's impossible to act alone. This time, the dominant force will be the demon race. My suggestion is still not to participate; that would be the safest."

"So, should we observe first? How about we decide whether to act only after determining if the timing is right?"

Lu Xingzhou was even more puzzled. Had her attitude really improved just from being scolded? Why was she so humble?

In fact, besides being touched by his concern for her safety amidst his own danger, Ye Tinglan's attitude was largely due to her astonishment. In just two hours, from a thousand miles away, he had inexplicably clarified something that had troubled her all night without a clue; it was practically a miracle. With such a strategist by her side, would she not listen humbly? Was she going to act like Yuan Muyu, whose brain had been kicked by a donkey?

Ji Wenchuan was right: listen more to Lu Xingzhou. Otherwise, it would be a terrible waste of talent.

For some reason, even though he had only wanted to escape when he was with Long Qinghuang, Lu Xingzhou now felt a slight reluctance for her to be dealt with by Tianyao Holy Land. Yet, from every perspective, humans and Long Qinghuang could only be enemies. He shook off the inappropriate sentimentality in his mind and mused, "Waiting for an opportunity in secret is fine, but as I said before, we don't know the full extent of the enemy in this battle; there might be other hidden factors, so we must remain vigilant."

Ye Tinglan nodded. "I understand. First, we'll find the experts from the Heavenly Frost Nation."

Lu Xingzhou said, "Take me with you."

"Don't you think it's dangerous anymore?"

"We're playing the long game now... This danger is far less compared to Mister abandoning us on the ice plain."

Ye Tinglan turned her head away, feeling guilty and weak, unable to refute.

If they were truly looking for hidden people, the methods would be completely different from searching for an inanimate object like the dragon bone.

If you couldn't find a buried inanimate object, could you really not find a grown person playing hide-and-seek?

Lu Xingzhou didn't know what magical artifact Ye Tinglan was using. After a short while of shimmering, his expression grew serious. "There really are infiltrators... and quite a few of them."

Lu Xingzhou wasn't surprised at all. The fact that no one from the Heavenly Frost Nation was involved was itself a problem. Either they deliberately stayed away, letting Tianyao Holy Land and the demon race fight themselves into a mess, or someone was organizing hidden forces, attempting to seize the spoils.

With such a large scheme set up, the possibility of no one truly showing up was low. Anyone would think of snatching the prize.

But Lu Xingzhou still felt something was off. "Is it just one group?"

Ye Tinglan said, "There are people approaching the border from that direction; they should be demons. There are also people in the mountains bordering Great Qian and Heavenly Frost Nation, but those should be unrelated to this matter, as that area is already a gathering place for many demonic cultivators."

"...You can see that far?"

It feels like she can see even further than Long Qinghuang...

Ye Tinglan looked up at the sky. "My magical artifact is quite powerful."

As she spoke, she sent some kind of signal, informing the people of Tianyao Holy Land to leave the center and gather around her. She also secretly sent a message: "Do not reveal that I am the Sect Master in front of Lu Xingzhou."

After finishing this, she turned her head to look, and Lu Xingzhou was still frowning.

"What's wrong?" Ye Tinglan now felt guilty whenever she saw him deep in thought, and cautiously sought his advice.

Lu Xingzhou pursed his lips. "I'm not sure, but I keep feeling... that Gu Zhanting has had absolutely no reaction to this matter?"

Ye Tinglan was actually clearer about this. "The Emperor, by nature, isn't as interested in treasure hunting as our immortal sects are. He's busy with a myriad of affairs, so it's normal for him to be too lazy to concern himself with such treasure-seizing matters; his focus is different."

"If I'm not mistaken, the imperial family also has a bunch of ancient cultivators who only seek cultivation breakthroughs and eternal life. Gu Zhanting himself isn't very interested, but what about those old imperial recluses? This is a dragon, or what is suspected to be a dragon that has been active since ancient times. Are they really not interested, not even a single person came?"

Ye Tinglan: "..."

"Never mind," Lu Xingzhou shook his head. "After all, I don't understand them. I might be overthinking it; their presence or absence could both be explained..."

Regardless of whether he was overthinking, Ye Tinglan tragically realized he truly could think of issues she had completely overlooked.

As for whether to consider the Great Qian imperial family, that became a question she needed to decide. Lu Xingzhou, as a strategist, had already provided impeccable reference opinions.

At this moment, her strongest thought was still: Had her younger sister's brain been kicked by a donkey, to drive away such a talent?

As they were discussing, shadowy figures appeared in the distance. Over a dozen high-ranking members of Tianyao Holy Land arrived one after another, landing nearby. "Mister Ye, the Sect Master has ordered us to come and assist."

Lu Xingzhou: "?"

For the first time, he began to question the identity of his "Mister."

Before, there had been no fuse to make him idly suspect one person was another; he wouldn't have even considered it. This time, there was. In an instant, his mind raced, and he thought of many things...

So that's how it is.

A resourceful and suspicious strategist is very useful when you need him to find flaws and fill gaps, but when you want to hide something from him, you'll realize you're shooting yourself in the foot.

Lu Xingzhou's expression didn't change, as if he hadn't thought of anything. He even asked innocently, "Has the Grand Tutor not arrived?"

The Tianyao Holy Land members all responded seriously, "No."

Lu Xingzhou bowed. "Lu Xingzhou, a student of the Alchemy Academy, greets you all."

"No need for formalities, Young Master Lu. You are exceptionally talented, and your name as the top scholar is well-known in the capital; we've long admired you."

What a joke! Didn't Ji Wenchuan say he was pursuing the Grand Tutor, and the Grand Tutor didn't even deny it? That attitude was simply... He was definitely suspected of being the Grand Tutor's male consort; who would dare not curry favor?

Lu Xingzhou sighed. "It's a pity I haven't met the Grand Tutor. I've always admired the Grand Tutor, but unfortunately, I've never had the chance to meet."

"Admired"... Was that the right word to use?

Everyone secretly glanced at Ye Tinglan's expression, while saying aloud, "The Grand Tutor also knows of Young Master's name, and there will surely be an opportunity to meet sooner or later. Given Young Master's promising youth, the Grand Tutor must certainly favor you."

Seeing this attitude, Ye Tinglan felt a chill run through her, thinking to herself, *My reputation is ruined.*

Seeing that everyone was still awkwardly chatting, she couldn't bear to listen anymore and quickly interrupted, "What are you all still talking about here? Conceal your presence, fly quietly, and follow me."

With that, she picked up Lu Xingzhou with one hand and A'Nuo with the other, and instantly vanished into the sky.

The others exchanged glances, some winking, others secretly worrying... The Holy Master had always been solemn and reserved; how could she start getting involved with a man? Even stranger, it seemed it wasn't Lu Xingzhou pursuing her, but rather the other way around. By all accounts, it looked like the Grand Tutor was hiding her identity to flirt with a younger man!

What kind of nonsensical behavior was this, like that of a foolish ruler? Did she think she was an emperor from a novel, traveling incognito to flirt with women? Her actions this time were inexplicable. They had set up such a long-planned dragon-slaying trap, only to abandon it just like that?

Never mind, they'd follow orders for now.

The group concealed their presence and carefully flew in Ye Tinglan's direction. Not long after, Ye Tinglan suddenly stopped, holding out a hand.

Just as everyone stopped, they saw demonic energy surging violently across the distant sky, black clouds pressing down like a city. An unparalleled, savage killing intent and malevolent aura surged from the east. The entire ice plain instantly darkened, and icy winds swept across.

A dragon's roar echoed through heaven and earth: "You rats hiding here, have you found your own burial ground?!"

"Boom!" Thunder roared, and heavy rain poured down.

A massive dragon claw descended from the sky and slammed onto an ice mountain.

"Crash!" The ice mountain collapsed with a single strike, sending rocks flying and ice shattering.

Numerous figures desperately scattered and fled from the mountain, while many who couldn't escape in time were pulverized into pulp by the strike.

The might of the Demon Emperor was terrifying.

Lu Xingzhou and A'Nuo's faces turned ashen. Had they just been flirting with this person, discussing admiration and affection? Was that finger that had touched his chin already inflicting internal injuries? Would he suddenly die when they returned...?

The Tianyao Holy Land members immediately found a place to hide. Ye Tinglan waved her hand, setting up a formation and creating a dimensional barrier. "Hide well, and wait for an opportunity."

In the distance, demonic energy surged, and countless great demons surrounded the area, intercepting the figures scattering from the ice mountain.

A golden dragon broke through the black clouds and descended from the sky, attacking the magic array at the center of the rocky ruins.

"Whoosh!" A sword gleam shot up into the sky, meeting the golden dragon. "Demoness, how did you know we were here?"

The infiltrators were utterly bewildered. Logically, there shouldn't have been a traitor. Even if there was, how could they have relayed the message while everyone was hiding together?

"Is it hard to guess there are rats?" Long Qinghuang naturally took credit for Lu Xingzhou's actions.

The dragon claw pressed down, scattering the sword light. Another "boom" caused the earth to shake and mountains to tremble, and the magic array, which the opponents had designed for a long time, shattered with a crash.

An exasperated voice rang out, and sword energy gathered all around. "Long Qinghuang, do you really think you're invincible?"

The golden dragon transformed into human form, still wearing the light yellow dress A'Nuo had chosen, which felt completely out of place in this battlefield. "With Ye Tinglan absent, what are you all, anyway?"

"Bang," the sword formation was scattered like straw, and a figure spat out a mouthful of blood, falling headfirst from the sky.

The ambushers were instead fiercely attacked. The blows they suffered, both strategically and psychologically, were devastating. The battle was completely one-sided from the very beginning, seemingly on the verge of becoming a massacre.

Ye Tinglan sought his opinion. "Should we engage?"

"Wait for a moment," Lu Xingzhou pressed her hand. "Given the opponent's strength, even if we lie in wait here, it won't be easy to exploit an opening. There will surely be more changes in the situation."

Ye Tinglan expressionlessly lowered her gaze, looking at his hand, which rested so naturally on hers. "I wasn't planning to rush in. What are you pulling?"