Chapter 250: Planning for You

PS: I fell asleep yesterday afternoon and woke up in the middle of the night; I didn't even have time to ask for leave. Sorry, sorry. I'll try to add extra chapters today to make up for it.

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Ye Tinglan, feeling refreshed and clear-headed, put away the communication jade tally.

After so many years of trying to contact my sister, I always got rejected; it made my mammary glands clogged with anger.

For once, I finally got a chance to reject her call; I hope my sister's mammary glands are okay.

The two sisters are both strange; they could have completely removed the preset link within the jade tally and fully "blocked" each other, yet whenever they rejected calls, neither truly blocked the other. Especially Yuan Muyu back then; although she ran away from home, cut ties completely, refused any messages from her older sister, and often opposed her, she still kept the information link. Who knows what she was thinking.

This time, after being "hung up on," Yuan Muyu could have continued calling, but she only raged impotently at home, knowing that calling again would only bring her further humiliation.

Ye Tinglan is upright and serious, a gentleman who can be bullied by rules, but that doesn't necessarily apply between sisters. Only Yuan Muyu knows that this older sister was quite a clever rascal since childhood; the two sisters fighting over things and pulling hair was no small matter. Who knows why, after growing up, she turned into the "older sister like a mother" type, which is just annoying to see.

Look how precise the timing of this hang-up was; she knew exactly when the other person would be most annoyed, and her words were incredibly tea-like. Is that the Ye Tinglan others know?

The usual appearance is just put on for others! Hypocritical!

Over there, Ye Tinglan comfortably put away the jade tally, casually picked up the sweet wine from the table, took a sip, and felt a refreshing sensation that soothed the heart and mind.

Lu Xingzhou said, "Finished exchanging with Elder Su?"

"Mm." Ye Tinglan leaned back comfortably in her chair, her eyes instinctively avoiding Lu Xingzhou, and said with lowered eyelids, "I just gave a few more instructions..."

In her heart, she thought Elder Su really understood. Back then, it was Elder Su who said that poaching Lu Xingzhou would make the King of Hell die of anger. Yes...

So I was indeed just conversing with Elder Su just now. No problem there.

Lu Xingzhou said, "Is your communication jade tally universally applicable? Does it not affect communication if one doesn't practice the Tianyao Holy Land's techniques?"

Ye Tinglan glanced at him: "What? Does the Yanluo Palace not use this system for information transmission?"

Lu Xingzhou said, "The Yanluo Palace does indeed have something similar, but the requirements are quite high; third grade can't use it at all, second grade is barely manageable, and only first grade can use it smoothly. Previously, people of the top three grades in the Yanluo Palace had something like this, but I can't. Ordinary disciples still use things like paper cranes to send messages; communication isn't real-time enough and is easily intercepted."

Ye Tinglan said, "This is no different from the Tianyao Holy Land. Yuan Muyu simply copied our system. This is something that uses spiritual sense for communication; although third grade possesses spiritual awareness, it is too thin, and only first grade can use it smoothly. Are you asking this because you plan to get one for yourself? No, you can't use it."

"But at least third grade can receive, right?"

"Right."

"I'm almost there. Didn't Mr. teach me alchemy to train my spiritual sense ability? Can you give me one too, just to try if I can receive?"

Ye Tinglan hesitated a bit.

Such long-distance communication isn't something an individual can achieve with spiritual sense alone; even super-grade spiritual sense doesn't have such a wide range, falling far short. Achieving this effect is actually done through the sect's great formation; everyone leaves a spiritual awareness imprint within the sect's great formation, and communication flows through the formation.

If one were to make one for Lu Xingzhou, Lu Xingzhou's spiritual awareness would have to be imprinted into the sect's great formation, but that is a qualification reserved only for core personnel of the Tianyao Holy Land.

Our "teacher-student relationship" is completely not that concept, okay... counting him as part of the Tianyao core would be non-compliant; we can't just mess around like that.

Unless we truly take him as a disciple... At this thought, Ye Tinglan actually felt a bit tempted. Lu Xingzhou is absolutely talent worth the Tianyao Holy Land absorbing; it could also make Yuan Muyu die of anger, and it could make him put away those bad thoughts of making a move on his master.

But for some reason, Ye Tinglan subconsciously felt a bit resistant.

Immediately, a voice told herself that he wouldn't be willing.

Ye Tinglan finally slowly spoke: "If you want this, you must enter my sect. Are you willing?"

Sure enough, Lu Xingzhou immediately replied, "I won't."

Ye Tinglan lowered her eyelids and drank water: "What, does the Tianyao Holy Land disgrace you?"

"Um, Mr., there are elders, right? Could you let them take me in..."

As soon as these words came out, Sima Zhao's intentions were too obvious; Ye Tinglan splashed the water cup out: "Get lost."

The splashed water reached Lu Xingzhou's front, but he scooped it up with his magic power; it didn't splash on his face, but instead all went into Lu Xingzhou's cup.

Lu Xingzhou drank the water leisurely: "Thank you, Mr., for the gift."

Ye Tinglan remembered that back in the Alchemy Academy, this guy had already said he wanted to drink her water; now it had indirectly become a reality. Ye Tinglan was truly both angry and amused: "Aren't you disgusting?"

"No, no." Lu Xingzhou ingratiatingly picked up a chopstick of meat and put it into Ye Tinglan's bowl: "Mr. was just on a call and didn't eat anything. Come, taste this; it's quite good."

"I said I have no desire to eat." "But before, when A'nuo gave Mr. food, Mr. didn't refuse, did he? Cultivators are supposed to follow their hearts; where is there a rule that one must not eat?"

"Because that was given by A'nuo, and this is what you picked up."

Lu Xingzhou: "..."

Ye Tinglan picked up a chopstick herself and ate happily: "If you want a communication jade tally, I can make a private one for you. As long as someone imprints their spiritual awareness on you in advance, you can connect and communicate via spiritual sense in the future, but you cannot be too far apart; the specific distance depends on the strength of the one transmitting the thought."

Lu Xingzhou hurriedly said, "That's already very good."

Ye Tinglan pinched a jade tally and altered its internal structure. Glancing sideways at Lu Xingzhou's eager expression, she couldn't help but ask, "Didn't Yuan Muyu make a private one for you back then?"

Lu Xingzhou was actually stunned by the question: "No, you just said at least third grade is needed to receive. What's the use of making one for me back then?"

Ye Tinglan immediately realized she had spoken out of turn and didn't know why she, being stuffed, asked that. She quickly threw the jade tally over: "I have already imprinted my spiritual awareness. In the future, I can find you through this."

She had somehow become a prop for one-way contact with him, feeling a bit like privately raising a little puppy. Seeing Lu Xingzhou studying the jade tally and smiling foolishly, Ye Tinglan ate the mythical beast meat grumpily and asked casually, "I had something I wanted to ask you before. Why didn't you let Si Han directly list the Tianyao Holy Land as a holy land of the Tianshuang Kingdom?"

"Two questions." Lu Xingzhou put away the jade tally and smiled: "First, the time hasn't come for you to openly turn against Gu Zhanting."

"And second?"

"Second, whether or not it is a holy land is something Si Han must beg us to become, not something we rush to claim a title for ourselves."

Ye Tinglan pondered for a moment and nodded: "How do you view the follow-up to this matter?"

Lu Xingzhou said, "In the grand scheme, I actually agree with what you said; Si Han is needed to knit together the strength of the Tianshuang Kingdom. A Tianshuang Kingdom that is a loose collection of sand will easily become soil for the demon beasts to run rampant, and also easily become a breeding ground for Gu Zhanting to cultivate extra forces, which is unfavorable for the Tianyao Holy Land... But regarding Si Han as a person, we cannot rely solely on gratitude and righteousness, nor can we rely only on constraints; we need to make him realize that following us has benefits."

"How to do it?"

"First, hang the goal of becoming the second Great Qian before him. Only with our full support can he possibly achieve this goal. Once support is lost, let alone becoming the Great Qian, even the internal Tingxue Pavilion would be enough to give him a hard time."

Ye Tinglan fell silent.

Lu Xingzhou asked in surprise, "What's wrong?"

"If the Tianshuang Kingdom has a chance to become the second Great Qian, is it possible that it will lead to conflict between the Tianshuang Kingdom and the Great Qian that will never end?"

Lu Xingzhou sized her up.

Ye Tinglan said with a tense face, "What?"

"It will." Lu Xingzhou said calmly, "But doesn't that just highlight the value of the Holy Land even more? Currently, Gu Zhanting dares not turn against you because of the demon beasts... But the trouble of the demon beasts will be resolved sooner or later. Have you thought about how the Tianyao Holy Land will position itself after that? I dare say, based on the signs Gu Zhanting is showing now, when the day the demon beasts collapse comes, it will be the day the Great Qian sharpens its knives against the Tianyao Holy Land."

Ye Tinglan fell silent for a moment, then whispered, "Supporting an external enemy… one misstep, and rivers will run red with blood."

"To speak responsibly, regardless of how well it's handled, conflict is inevitable," Lu Xingzhou said calmly. "But I'm plotting for you. Whose blood flows? What's it to me?"

Ye Tinglan looked up at him, his emotions tangled.

It clearly violated his values, yet he had to admit—it felt strangely satisfying.

Like those romantic tales where one sacrifices the entire world for love. Rethink it, and the morals are shattered—but to the one involved, it makes the heart go numb with warmth. He hadn't reached that point yet, but he could understand the feeling that Yuan Muyu, and now Shen Tang, must have felt.

"Besides, I think you should shift your perspective: what even counts as an external enemy? The Holy Sovereign of Tianyao isn't a subject of Daqian, doesn't eat a single grain of their salary, and has instead always protected Daqian—who is truly inside or outside? Tianyao Holy Land is your inner circle; everything else is external."

"Then what about you? Aren't you a subject of Daqian?"

"I only know my family's blood feud was caused by Daqian's Grand Tutor. My lover had her legs broken by the Emperor of Daqian."

Ye Tinglan: "…"

Could you lower your voice when you mention your lover? The waiter just came in and is looking at me strangely.

Am I the third party?

Lu Xingzhou waited until the waiter had left again before saying, "For the Tianyao Holy Land, rising above all nations, wielding the winds and clouds, mediating disputes—that's the outcome a Holy Sovereign should pursue. Cooped up in Daqian as a state tutor, worrying about restraining the Emperor, worrying about the people's welfare, burdened with cares—aren't you afraid of being laughed at?"

Ye Tinglan glared at him. Lu Xingzhou immediately raised his hands in surrender. "Ah, sorry, I misspoke—the State Tutor is your senior sister; you're just a Mr. But the meaning's the same. Go tell your senior sister to stop being foolish. If you lack vision, why not follow the example of the King of Hell? Kill a few heads rolling—you might achieve your ideals faster."

Ye Tinglan slammed the table. "If you miss the King of Hell so much, why don't you go back to the Yanluo Palace? Linger by my side like a beggar—because I look like her, don't I?"

Lu Xingzhou dropped his chopsticks, stunned.

(End of Chapter)