Chapter 1658: Again and Again the Monthly Culprit, The Emperor's Hundred-Year Scheme of Statecraft

“Yes, we have a child…”

Click!

As soon as these words were spoken, the scene froze for a moment.

Xu Xiaoshou subtly hid the recording bead, his face still etched with shock, as if hearing such a major piece of gossip for the first time.

Dao Qiongcang was equally astonished, his hands slightly raised, level with Xu Xiaoshou's abdomen, as if proving to someone that he couldn't free his hands to record anything.

In fact, they had already discussed Bazun'an's child during their night on Mount Qingyuan.

However, outsider gossip was in no way comparable to the personal admission of the party involved.

Leaving aside other things, that one sentence from the footage just now, if it were released on the Holy Divine Continent, would surely create immense waves.

It would likely shake all five domains, leading to a fervent 'child-finding' campaign.

Bazun'an's age-appropriate children would probably spring up like mushrooms after rain, one after another.

“What’s their name?”

“Is it one child, or twins, triplets? Even quadruplets are possible, right?”

Xu and Dao became somewhat fervent, asking questions incessantly, one after another:

“Boy or girl?”

“Are you sure they were born? And are they... still alive?”

“Their sword talent must be excellent, right? How old are they now?”

“Xiao Kongtong?”

“That's too old. Xiao Dazhui already exists. They should be around their late twenties, a vigorous age...”

“Liu Fuyu?”

The two became increasingly outlandish, brainstorming all sorts of possibilities, but unfortunately, they received no response from Bazun'an.

Bazun'an had little power left and didn't seem to have noticed their earlier subtle actions.

In reality, the fact that he spoke proactively meant he implicitly believed there was no need to hide anything.

The matter was long in the past; discussing it now felt like talking about a stranger.

Of course, regarding the child, Bazun'an only mentioned that one sentence just now before returning to the main topic:

“I ignored the threatening letter...”

A threatening letter?

Who wants to hear about a threatening letter now?

We want to hear about the child, the child!

“It would be good to know their name, so if we meet in the future, we don't cause trouble for them by mistake.” Dao Qiongcang was skilled at subtle threats.

It must be said, his subtlety was very effective.

Bazun'an pondered for a moment, then revealed without hesitation:

“August, a girl.”

August?

Who is August?

Xu and Dao both felt a sense of unfamiliarity.

Looking across the entire ancient sword arts community, no renowned female ancient sword cultivator around thirty years old was named August.

The only one who fit the description was Liu Fuyu.

Changed name?

No, it doesn't seem like it...

Intuitively, it didn't seem right...

While unfamiliar, they both also felt a slight sense of familiarity.

It was like a name they had inadvertently heard a passerby mention deep in their memories.

But it was too fleeting!

It would genuinely take some time to recall.

Just then, Cao Erzhun's soul body boiled with excitement, unable to restrain himself from letting out a sound:

“Sister August?!”

Thoughts surged like a tide, and Xu Xiaoshou instantly recalled information about August.

Back when everyone first met Erzhun on Mount Qingyuan, he was holding a slip of paper with his name on it and mentioned it was given to him by 'Sister August.'

August was accompanied by an old man, whom Mr. Siyiren judged to be highly likely Youtu.

August was younger than Erzhun, and possibly even younger than himself. In short, she definitely couldn't be someone in the age range of Xiao Kongtong or Liu Fuyu...

Has a technique for freezing age?

Or is it true age-freezing?

“This is getting confusing!”

Xu Xiaoshou felt it was incredible.

Indeed, when the name August was first mentioned, he had linked it to Bazun'an's child.

But thinking about it later, it seemed too hasty, just combining Bazun'an and Yue Gongnu's surnames to form a girl's name—that's pure nonsense, isn't it?

Judging by the name 'Bazun'an,' his family's naming skills shouldn't be so sloppy.

Now it seems...

It came true?

Xu Xiaoshou glanced in astonishment at the flamboyant old Daoist, seeing a look of surprise on his face no less than his own. He then remembered that the great formation on Mount Qingyuan was later under Dao Qiongcang's control.

Dao Qiongcang had probably already traced back what happened inside.

Naturally, he should also know who August is.

“You two know her?”

Bazun'an mentioned his daughter's name casually because he knew how low-key Youtu was, never truly returning to the Spirit Refinement Realm all these years.

Who would have thought, it's one thing that Xu and Dao knew the name, but judging by their expressions, it seemed they had both met her in person?

Bazun'an himself hadn't even seen what his daughter looked like when she grew up!

Moreover, this clueless, dazed soul body that appeared out of nowhere also knew his daughter, and even called her so intimately?

Chop him...

A thought spontaneously arose.

Sensing the killing intent, Xu Xiaoshou blurted out without thinking: “He's Cao Erzhun, Kuileihan's son.”

Bazun'an then realized that this soul body was the one he needed to protect.

As for why Cao Erzhun's soul was restrained by Xu Xiaoshou, why his body was taken by Dao Qiongcang, and what dreadful things these two, one seizing the soul and the other usurping the body, had done to Kuileihan's son earlier...

He didn't want to know.

They did quite well.

Since the person wasn't dead, Old Cao's request was fulfilled.

Bazun'an's curiosity about matters unrelated to himself had always been less intense than an ordinary person's.

At present, he didn't issue any threats or requests for them to assist August if they met again in the future.

He simply noted down these names, focusing on Dao Qiongcang knowing August, and then brought the topic back to himself:

“I ignored the threatening letter and chose to fight.”

“On the day of the duel, halfway through the fight, someone sent me a message: Yue Gongnu was in trouble—through a Heaven's Secret art.”

Xu Xiaoshou stopped interrupting, his gaze sweeping to Dao Qiongcang.

The latter quickly waved his hands innocently, indicating it wasn't his doing.

“At the time, I also thought Dao Qiongcang was behind it, but I didn't care. After all, the battle had already begun, and I couldn't disengage until it was finished.”

“Hua Changdeng is not weak. He wouldn't miss any combat opportunity. I couldn't expose a weakness to him.”

Not weak...

Xu Xiaoshou's heart secretly trembled.

This guy always acted like he could instantly defeat anything and everything; even towards Chongyin, his words were a simple, crude 'Repeat after me.'

It was the first time Xu Xiaoshou heard Bazun'an use such a solemn tone and the description 'not weak' to evaluate an ancient sword cultivator.

Hua Changdeng should be no worse than the Nine Honored Seats...

Xu Xiaoshou secretly noted the key point.

After all, he knew that the Ten Honored Seats event was originally held merely to select talents for the Holy Divine Palace.

For the five great Holy Emperor families, who were on a higher level, it was no different from selecting useful subordinates from other clans.

Hua Changdeng not becoming one of the Ten Honored Seats didn't necessarily mean he failed. It was possible that, like Yue Gongnu and her brother, there was simply no need for him to participate:

'My family organized a competition to select subordinates; why would I, as the young family head, get involved in such a spectacle?'

'What? This batch of chosen subordinates has too much attitude?'

'That's another matter; it doesn't affect my initial disdain for these soon-to-be outstanding subordinates.'

'What? Dao Qiongcang went?'

'He should go; otherwise, why would some people call him the 'Flamboyant Old Daoist'?'

'What? Bei Huai went too?'

'His going is also understandable; others might go to study the competition, while he goes to study them.'

Yue Gongli, huddled in the Divine Punishment Pillar array disk, originally felt the space was a bit cramped.

As a noble young master, he truly couldn't stand these broken array disks.

But at this moment, Yue Gongli was curled into a ball, trying his best to shield his soul aura, preventing Bazun'an's sensitive nose from detecting his presence.

“Still talking?”

“Let's not talk about this anymore, Brother Eight, please spare me, give me a break...”

He hugged himself, trembling in the array disk, not daring to show his face to his 'brother-in-law' whom he had once told outsiders he had an extremely close relationship with.

Being in the inner sanctum as well, Bazun'an was relatively relaxed. After a pause, he continued:

“The interference originating from the Heaven's Secret art didn't disturb me.”

“In fact, based on my understanding of Yue Gongnu, even if something truly happened to her that day, knowing I was in battle, she wouldn't tell me these things, because it was highly likely just a 'ploy.'”

“But finally...”

His voice deepened, and Xu Xiaoshou immediately felt that the crux of the problem was about to be revealed.

The 'turn of events' that would appear next should be the root cause of Bazun'an's crushing defeat at Hua Changdeng's hands.

What could it be?

Dao Xuanji still has such methods?

I can't tell... Xu Xiaoshou listened intently to Old Eight's narration, even temporarily forgetting about his daughter.

Just then, Dao Qiongcang's eyes glittered with a dangerous light, and he stated firmly:

“Yue Gongli!”

Xu Xiaoshou glanced at him in surprise, seeing through the phenomenon to the essence, as if he could see the array disk where Yue Gongli was located.

What does this have to do with the younger brother?

Didn't Yue Gongli say his relationship with his brother-in-law was very good? Is he also one of Dao Xuanji's people?

No, according to Aunt Xiang's intelligence, weren't they at odds?

“Shut up!”

Inside the Divine Punishment Pillar array disk, Yue Gongli roared angrily.

Unfortunately, he didn't dare to shout a word out loud. He just cowered like a mouse inside the array disk, snarling at Dao Qiongcang from afar, wishing he could rush out and tear him apart—but only wishing.

“Indeed.”

Bazun'an affirmed:

“What I didn't expect was that, at the critical moment of the heated battle, Yue Gongli rushed into the battlefield.”

“Actually, he didn't directly intervene in the main battle.”

“But from the side, with a voice full of panic, he transmitted to me that his sister was in trouble, being taken by the clan elders to Cold Hell for imminent judgment...”

The subsequent sounds gradually faded.

Xu Xiaoshou had probably understood.

A younger brother, in such a crucial situation, rushed over to tell his brother-in-law that his sister was in trouble.

Even if this fellow was usually unreliable, as the noble successor to a Holy Emperor lineage, he would have manners.

He should know the difference between urgency and importance.

Such a statement disrupted Bazun'an's focus.

Even if it was just a tiny bit, even if the opportunity was fleeting, would Hua Changdeng let go of his opponent's moment of distraction and hesitation?

“Was that fox intentional?”

Xu Xiaoshou frowned, immediately thinking from the perspective of a cunning person.

Within the ancient book world, Bazun'an's blurry figure shook his head, but before he could speak, Dao Qiongcang interjected:

“This matter cannot be hastily concluded, nor can it be decided by feeling. In my opinion: it's truly not certain!”

“Yue Gongli is naturally intelligent and cunning as a fox. How could he not see through Dao Xuanji's scheme?”

“Perhaps he wasn't used as a tool to kill someone else, but merely took advantage of the situation and went along with it.”

Bazun'an listened in silence, offering no comment.

“Dao Nitian, shut up! Shut up!”

Inside the array disk, Yue Gongli's soul body bounced up and down, listening until his wounds almost burst open, nearly shattering into soul fragments again.

“I didn't do it on purpose!”

“You have to understand the bond between siblings. She might hit me normally, but at a crucial moment, I'm still a person, I have emotions!”

“When I heard her news, when I saw such a huge commotion in the clan, with all the clan elders moving out, how could I not be flustered?”

“A desperate patient will seek any doctor. What's wrong with me seeking out Bazun'an? What's wrong with the fight pausing for a moment? Is anything in the world more important than my sister?”

“Brother-in-law, you should understand, I was just worried sick!”

But...

These words...

Yue Gongli didn't dare to show his face and say them.

He no longer dared to face Bazun'an, knowing that by unfortunate coincidence, he had become the culprit behind the 'fall' of the Eighth Sword Immortal.

And whenever he thought of this, the Heaven's Secret Puppet—no, the owner of the Xuanji Star Seeker who delivered the 'crucial intelligence' at that time—would be mentally stabbed a few more times by him:

“Dao Xuanji!”

“You truly deserve to die!”

Dao Qiongcang considered himself never to be a petty person who spoke ill of others behind their backs.

With Bazun'an silent and Yue Gongli not jumping out to object, he dared to directly speak ill of him in front of both:

“Isn't that right?”

“Even if you act emotionally, we can simply disregard the complex and incredible process in between and consider this from a 'results-oriented' perspective: Who benefited?”

He snapped his fingers: “Yue Gongli!”

“Did completing this benefit Dao Xuanji in any way?”

“Yes! It injured the Eighth Sword Immortal and stripped Yue Gongnu of her Holy Emperor Successor identity, but is she the type to harm others without benefiting herself?”

“No! From a long-term perspective, this set the stage for the later demise of the Lei family, preventing you from intervening.”

“But the gain is too small! This isn't Dao Xuanji!”

“Who truly profited immensely from this matter?”

With a snap, Dao Qiongcang snapped his fingers again, stating firmly:

“Yue Gongli!”

Xu Xiaoshou's face showed a look of shock.

The fall of the Eighth Sword Immortal was not just about a battle between sword immortals after all.

Behind it was also a sibling rivalry, and a struggle for the Holy Emperor Successor position?

In a short time, too many chaotic thoughts flashed through his mind, bringing up the disgusting Yue Gongli who dared to perform a Caesarean section in public.

Regarding these matters, Dao Qiongcang seemed to have already analyzed them, calmly explaining while staring at Xu Xiaoshou's abdomen:

“The Moon family's Holy Emperor Successor changed hands; my sister lost power and had no chance of ascending again.”

“Though her unborn child was certainly the first in line for succession, first, they hadn't been born yet, and second, they had ties to an outsider. The mother was demoted to a Holy Slave, and the child would be too.”

“With her lineage gone, although I'm her brother, theoretically I'd be implicated. But would I, in reality?”

“No! I wouldn't!”

“On the contrary, with neither mother nor child having a chance to ascend, not only would I not be implicated, but I would be heavily favored by my father, becoming the true Holy Emperor Successor, and the future head of the Holy Emperor family!”

His voice was like a bolt from the blue, not only rendering Bazun and Xu silent and Erzhun dumbfounded, but even Yue Gongli in the array disk was petrified on the spot.

“Is that all?”

“No! Just that isn't enough for 'immense profit.'”

But Dao Qiongcang didn't stop. With another double snap of his fingers, he eloquently explained the advantages and disadvantages:

“Once my sister was gone, as her deeply emotional brother, the Eighth Sword Immortal would hate my clan but, being a discerning individual, would absolutely not bear a grudge against me. On the contrary, he would help me.”

“The more he hated the Moon family, the more I could use that seed of hatred, getting closer to him, using him as a sword to eliminate rivals and clear obstacles within my clan.”

“Hiding the sword for thirty years, only waiting for the day to use it. The stronger you are, the more convenient you'll be for me to use later!”

Cao Erzhun's soul body listened in shock, muttering in a daze, looking utterly shaken.

Yue Gongli remained silent, but his soul body inside the array disk was taut, trembling uncontrollably.

“Is that all?”

“No! There's more!”

Dao Qiongcang snapped his fingers yet again, seeing clearly and penetrating deeply:

“The scheme originated from Dao Xuanji. If I were to ascend afterward...”

“I would only need to strongly protect my sister but not rescue her. Outsiders would then know I care deeply but am not swayed by emotion, making me a person of great utility.”

“I would only need to resent Dao Xuanji but not kill her. Outsiders would then know I understand honor and disgrace, gratitude and resentment, but also right from wrong and priorities. I wouldn't harm the harmony of the five great Holy Emperor families over such trivial matters, making me a person of immense tolerance.”

“With Bazun'an on my left and Hua Changdeng on my right, I could protect the Cold Palace Imperial Realm for five hundred years. The people's hearts would be with me, my reputation would be with me. I ask you, if I can't achieve great things, who can?”

“And to achieve this, what do I need to do within this five-hundred-year grand scheme?”

“It's not difficult. I just need to play the role of a messenger, be a supporting character once, and say one sentence—just one sentence, that's enough!”

Pausing there, Dao Qiongcang, using Cao Erzhun's face, a slight smirk playing on his lips, slowly looked back at Xu Xiaoshou's abdomen...

Suddenly startled, he became flustered and looked around, finally covering his mouth with the back of his hand, gasping as he whispered:

“An, my sister is in trouble. Return quickly.”