Yue Ningshuang found herself in a difficult situation, knowing that her position alone, under the circumstances at that time, made it easy for others to suspect her. Yet she hadn’t done anything at all!

She did wish for the opportunity, but Jiang Chenyu never gave her a chance.

Always hiding on the outside and not returning, only now to come back and make veiled insinuations, Yue Ningshuang was furious!

Despite her grievances, she had nowhere to voice them.

After all, she wasn’t truly guilt-free. If Jiang Chenyu had truly given her the chance, she wasn’t sure she wouldn’t have taken a drastic action against Jiang Chenyu.

Because of this, she didn’t feel entirely righteous, and only said, "I see, so the Flower Fairy’s actions have chilled the Palace Master’s heart. But that’s human nature, isn’t it? Once bitten by a snake, one fears a rope for ten years!"

This was how masters dueled, no flashing swords or clashing blades, but every sentence brimming with hidden meanings.

Yue Ningshuang was mocking Jiang Chenyu for being outwitted by a disciple and being too scared to return.

On one hand, she distanced herself from the issue, and on the other, she ridiculed Jiang Chenyu. Such was her skill.

But Jiang Chenyu just smiled confidently.

In the face of absolute power, all flair and flourish are meaningless.

"Let’s not dwell on the past. Now, the Central Plains face troubles both from within and without, and Guanghan Palace is confronted with a grave challenge. My return comes at just the right time."

No matter how Yue Ningshuang tried to attack, the control of the tempo always remained in Jiang Chenyu’s hands.

At this moment, their conversation was under the scrutiny of the crowd, with all the important figures of Guanghan Palace present and watching from below.

Jiang Chenyu was still the Lord of Guanghan Palace, and even though she had been away from her position of power, her status would still be recognized by the people upon her return.

Not waiting for Yue Ningshuang to speak again, Jiang Chenyu issued her first order upon her return.

"Elders and disciples of Guanghan Palace, I, Jiang Chenyu, owe you an apology. For being deceived and ambushed, losing my cultivation level, but fortunately, Cangtian has not forsaken me; after twists and turns, and with the help of friends, I have recently restored my cultivation level.

"You have all suffered in my absence!

"Having been through this ordeal, I also understand that fate can turn on a dime. To prevent such events from reoccurring, I hereby declare Gu Qingmeng as the Acting Saintess. With the Grassland People’s relentless intent to destroy us, as the Lord of Guanghan Palace, I shall lead the charge and fight to the death against the Grassland People.

"After this matter is settled, the disciple who performs the best in this battle may become a candidate for Saintess. If I survive, I will confirm the appointment; should I fall in battle, then Gu Qingmeng will act as Palace Master, and together with the Elders, will appoint the Saintess. It is imperative to ensure the lineage of Guanghan Palace remains unbroken.

"Have you all understood clearly?"

With her speech, Jiang Chenyu amply demonstrated her determination to fight against the Grassland People, and it also stirred up the zeal of the disciples and elders of Guanghan Palace.

Guanghan Palace is one of the Top Three Sects, and it has always been considered the foremost sect under the Taiqing Daoist Temple; its members carry pride in their hearts. However, ever since Jiang Chenyu’s incident, life at Guanghan Palace had been stifling.

In contrast, the Shenxiao Sect’s vigorous action was even more heart-wrenching for the disciples of Guanghan Palace.

Lately, they’ve been hung up and targeted by the Grassland People, and a sense of anger had been simmering in the hearts of those at Guanghan Palace. Jiang Chenyu’s timely return, declaring her resolve, immediately gained her the support of the majority of the disciples.

Most of the Elders’ hearts were inclined towards Jiang Chenyu, and the Neutral Faction didn’t hesitate to swing their support to her as well.

In her heart, Yue Ningshuang was frantically mocking.

She knew the Palace Master well; others might fight while she slacked off, but her slogans were always loud and clear.

It’s just that there are too many fools in this world, fond of pretty words.

Hearing those cheers, Yue Ningshuang knew that her influence had waned.

Even if Jiang Chenyu were to die now, her orders would certainly be carried out by the people of Guanghan Palace, and she would never get a chance to take the lead.

Indeed, it was a matter of both time and fate.

What Yue Ningshuang didn’t know was that this time, Jiang Chenyu was serious.

Although she was just a mere salted fish, if someone wanted to snatch her man, she would never agree!

Watching Jiang Chenyu easily defuse the situation, Lin Yu grew even more wary of her.

This woman must be formidable at palace intrigue, and she would have to be on guard against her in the future.

While inwardly criticizing Jiang Chenyu, Lin Yu didn’t miss this opportunity. Now that Jiang Chenyu had roused their morale, it was the perfect time to clash with the Grassland People and show them what they were made of.

So, amidst the cheers of the crowd, Lin Yu also shouted a slogan, "Expel the invaders and restore the Central Plains!"

At the cry of the slogan, the disciples all responded enthusiastically, their uniform voices carrying twenty li outside of Ziyang City.

On an empty plain, the camp of the Grassland People was spread out.

Lin Yun was in the camp, feeling a tingling on his scalp as he listened to the distant slogans.

"Ah Yun, those Central Plains People seem to be stirring something up."

Snow Maiden found an excuse to run to Lin Yun’s tent.

Lin Yun turned to look at her, but she shyly lowered her head, cheeks slightly flushed, taking small, faltering steps towards him.

Since she and Lin Yun had already had close contact, the two naturally shared an indescribable intimacy. Concerned about Lin Yun’s safety earlier, Snow Maiden had unleashed her power in a burst, allowing her to sweep through the lands undefeated, thanks to the awakening of her Divine Power.

But when Lin Yun came back, he told her that everything was just a misunderstanding.

It was only after seeing each other that Lin Yun found out it was Snowstep who had sent the faulty message, with only the word "save" left on the blood-stained letter. No wonder Snow Maiden had panicked.

A mere misunderstanding had escalated to the current situation of flying arrows and clashing swords, prompting Lin Yun to marvel at the coincidence, yet he felt somewhat incredulous.

This is supposed to be a coincidence?

I call bullshit! 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

It was a setup, definitely a setup.

Lin Yun felt the premonition growing stronger, but the tragedy of being a pawn is being helpless even when aware of one’s own status.

And the tragedy for others is not knowing they’ve been manipulated until their dying breath.

That night, Lin Yun shared many things with Snow Maiden, including his affairs with several women in the Central Plains and what he aspired to achieve. He held nothing back from her.

Of course, he didn’t leave anything for Snow Maiden to hold back either, not even her veil, which he tore to shreds.

These are unimportant details that we’ll gloss over.

Although Snow Maiden was shocked to learn that Lin Yun had so many women, she was also a bit angry. However, she conceded that she was the only one whom Lin Yun called "sister," and that only she could trust and support him unconditionally — that was what set her apart from the other women.

Now aware of the current situation, Snow Maiden offered her advice.

Since a mistake had already been made, they might as well see it through to the end and conquer the whole Central Plains!

After all, she hadn’t indulged in indiscriminate slaughter, and the lands could still be governed by dividing power, requiring only the relinquishing of the Great Emperor’s position.

Lin Yun thought this was a good approach as well.

Snow Maiden had already conquered half the territory. Withdrawing now would be unacceptable to both the Grassland and Central Plains People. Therefore, the only option was to push forward with the mistake.

Lin Yun also settled on his next target for battle, to take down Ziyang City.

He also planned to send messages to Lin Yu, Fang Yu, and Dongfang Hongyue, informing them of his changed plans.

And it was at this moment that the Grand Shaman issued a command...