Chapter 902

The Fifth Huang Nu tilted her head coldly. "Our sibling rivalry was his idea to begin with—he's probably the one most eager to see us slaughter each other. Besides… our father and the Four Elders aren't in Jingcheng right now!"

Not in Jingcheng? Even the Four Elders from the Four Departments are gone?

Fang Yue's expression froze.

"Where did they go? Why leave Jingcheng now? Is it because of the Heiqing Shanmai?"

"The anomaly in the Heiqing Shanmai? That kind of thing probably doesn't require our father and the others to intervene. As for where our father went—well, you'd better ask you, Ye Hongyi. I know you. It was right after our father met you in the Wen Wu Da Dian that he suddenly left Jingcheng with the Four Elders. If anyone in Jingcheng still knows their whereabouts, it's you."

It wasn't that Fang Yue was playing high-profile; the chaos he caused in the Wen Wu Da Dian had already spread among the upper echelons—it wasn't a secret.

But as for certain hidden matters, few knew them.

Did the Emperor and the Four Elders leave Jingcheng because of me?

Fang Yue recalled the Emperor's questions in the Wen Wu Da Dian—and quickly found his answer.

Jing Shan!

In the Wen Wu Da Dian, besides Lord Han, the only thing that had changed the Emperor's expression was the information about Meiyu Xianzi.

And Meiyu Xianzi had gone to 【Jing Shan】.

Thus, the only reason Fang Yue could conceive for the Emperor and the Four Elders—the four strongest warriors of Qing Guo—to leave was to go to 【Jing Shan】 and find Meiyu Xianzi.

He didn't know whether the Emperor was aware Meiyu Xianzi was merely a clone—but even so, her clone's power was undeniably Immortal-level!

What did they want with Meiyu? And how did they even know where Jing Shan was? I should've asked more back then.

Even though Fang Yue had no immediate need to seek out Meiyu Xianzi, knowing where Jing Shan was meant he could go there for help if he ever faced something beyond his control.

"Your expression tells me you know where your father went. Interesting. So you're the key turning point after all."

The Fifth Huang Nu stepped toward Fang Yue—the lingering stench of blood immediately washed over him.

She reached out, brushing her fingers through his hairpin, then exhaled softly: "Ye Hongyi, though you've interacted with my other imperial brothers, it seems you haven't joined any faction yet. How about it? Interested in serving under me? I'll give you status and treatment equal to anyone else—and when I become Empress of Qing Guo, you'll be the next leader of the Four Great Families."

Fang Yue:!

"So you plan to overthrow the current Four Great Families?"

"Naturally. These decaying old men refuse to help me—why should I spare them after I succeed?"

"But the Four Great Families have always been the backbone of Qing Guo…"

"Power isn't used in just one way. Bind them. Put them on leashes. The Four Great Families merely serve our imperial house in a different form."

Fang Yue's pupils shrank slightly—a flicker of wariness flashed in his eyes.

This woman was more insane than he'd imagined.

"I'll consider it. But today, I came with Tail—there's another matter I need to ask you."

The Fifth Huang Nu was surprisingly agreeable. She smiled and raised one finger.

"Time waits for no one. I'll give you the lifespan of a single head. Before I kill my next brother, I need your answer—accept or refuse. Otherwise, I can't guarantee what I'll do. If I can't have it, I destroy it—that's my creed."

As she spoke, the Fifth Huang Nu extended her long tongue, watching Fang Yue with feline vertical pupils, licking her bloodied right hand, drawing the blood into her mouth, savoring the taste as she licked her lips and continued: "Also, ask me whatever question you want now. Before you answer me, I'll treat you with the same honesty I give Tail."

Fang Yue stepped back silently, then said: "I want to know if my companion Qingchen was captured by the Heiyue Organization. If they took him, make Heiyue release him."

"Qingchen?"

The Fifth Huang Nu looked slightly bewildered, as if the name meant nothing to her. After a moment's thought, she frowned slightly. "Heiyue did detain someone recently—but they didn't capture him. They borrowed him temporarily from the Phoenix Organization."

Phoenix Organization?!

Fang Yue and the other two were stunned.

They hadn't expected to hear the name Phoenix Organization from the Fifth Huang Nu—and certainly hadn't imagined that the ones who truly captured Jing Yan and Qingchen were the Phoenix Organization itself!

Jing Yan had been taken by the Phoenix Organization for auction; Qingchen had merely been lent to Heiyue.

"No wonder…"

Fang Yue recalled the black-blood anomalies of the Heiyue Organization—wasn't that precisely Qingchen's specialty?

Clearly, Heiyue had extracted a great deal of technical knowledge from Qingchen.

"Where is Qingchen now? Tell Heiyue to release him immediately!" Jing Yan blurted out.

But the Fifth Huang Nu didn't even glance at him—until Tail also voiced the same demand, then she shrugged.

"Too late. Heiyue only borrowed Qingchen for a few days. When the time was up, they returned him to the Phoenix Organization. Though Heiyue is under my control, I don't monitor their every move, nor do I give specific orders to keep someone just for one person."

"Returned him? So Qingchen is back with the Phoenix Organization now?"

Fang Yue's face darkened.

Qingchen, in a sense, had betrayed the Phoenix Organization—he was a traitor.

Now that he'd been recaptured, his fate was obvious.

"Yes. He was returned."

"... I need intelligence on the Phoenix Organization in Jingcheng."

This was what Fang Yue had originally planned to ask—only now, with Qingchen involved, he'd asked earlier.

"Intelligence on the Phoenix Organization? How bold! You're not even mine yet, and you dare demand information of this level."

"... You won't give it?"

Fang Yue released his aura.

A silent pressure wave radiated outward from him!

The table and chairs creaked and groaned.

Tail and Jing Yan were thrown back half a step by the sudden surge—this was even after Fang Yue restrained and controlled it.

The Fifth Huang Nu, who bore the full force of the aura, first looked startled—then her expression slowly shifted into one of keen interest as she studied Fang Yue.

"Strong. Unexpectedly strong. But are you truly prepared to oppose me?"

Fang Yue frowned slightly.

He… couldn't sense her true depth.

It was like a deep, dark ball of mud—no matter how one probed it, there was no way to sense the depth of its strength.

(End of this chapter)