Chapter 636: Chapter 71: Mu Qingge Is Played for a Fool!

"Young Master, the High Priest has arrived!" Suddenly, Xie Ya’s face lit up with surprise.

Mu Qingge raised her eyes to look at her, a hint of confusion reflecting in her clear, transparent eyes. "You’re here, how do you know he’s arrived?"

Xie Ya explained, "Young Master might not know, but our clan has a special secret method to sense each other’s aura. Just now I sensed the High Priest’s aura, which means he’s not far from us. I estimate by tomorrow morning, he’ll find us."

After listening to Xie Ya’s explanation, Mu Qingge simply nodded calmly, withdrew her gaze, and lowered her eyelids.

Her calmness made Xie Ya anxious, unsure if she had said something wrong.

She couldn’t fathom what Mu Qingge was thinking and dared not disturb her lightly.

Suddenly, Xuan Ya clasped her hand, and she turned to look at Xuan Ya, who was gently shaking her head.

Jiang Li sat in the corner, leaning against the inner walls of the carriage, watching the scene with a teasing gaze.

Back at the inn, once inside the courtyard, Bai Xi hadn’t returned, but Mei Zizhong was sitting inside waiting for them. After seeing the four of them return safely, he didn’t linger, stood up directly, and took his leave.

"You should all go and rest too," Mu Qingge instructed Xuan Ya and Xie Ya.

Then, she returned to her room with Jiang Li, closing the door behind them.

"The Young Master has always had trust issues with us," Xuan Ya said to Xie Ya, looking at the firmly closed door.

Xie Ya’s bright eyes flashed with a hint of disappointment. "His caution has never been concealed. It’s understandable; after all, we have too many things hidden."

Xuan Ya nodded, with a bitter smile, "When the Mu Clan leader set up this harsh selection, who knows if it was right or wrong? If I were the Young Master, knowing that there were multiple candidates, and the subordinates who are now helping me would side with the enemy if I failed, I might not be able to take it either."

"Perhaps because of this, the Young Master has kept a cautious stance toward us. Now that he has the map, I suddenly feel there’s no longer a need for us to stay by his side," Xie Ya confided her thoughts.

"Sister, don’t think like that!" Xuan Ya prevented her from continuing to overthink. "It’s normal for the Young Master to be wary of us. Only time will prove everything now."

Xuan Ya’s words led Xie Ya to look up at her. In her bright, spotless eyes, there was a bit of exploration.

It seemed these words shouldn’t have come from Xuan Ya.

Xuan Ya, after being looked at for a while, suddenly covered her mouth and laughed, "Sister thinks I’ve changed from before?"

’Indeed!’ Xie Ya answered inwardly.

The previous Xuan Ya, although she chose Mu Qingge as her leader, was always scrutinizing, and she placed too much importance on the future of her clan, her utilitarianism was too strong.

But just now, when she said these words, Xie Ya could feel it, at this moment, Xuan Ya truly considered Mu Qingge as her master!

"Actually, I’m not different." Xuan Ya lifted her hand, tucking the strands of hair behind her ear, "It’s just that following the Young Master this way has made me more certain of my judgment. In the future, the Young Master will definitely win and become the true successor of the Mu Clan. Since I’ve already decided in my heart, keeping reservations is like cutting off my own future."

What Xuan Ya said was realistic, but also more convincing.

"I’m different from Sister. Maybe Sister fell for the Young Master, impressed by his character and demeanor, thus loyal to the master. Sister once said, your master is only Mu Qingge, not the Mu Clan’s Young Master. This touched me a lot. But for me, I believe the Young Master is indeed the true Young Master of the Mu Clan." Xuan Ya showed Xie Ya a charming smile.

Inside the room, Jiang Li followed Mu Qingge as they walked towards the bedroom.

She clasped her hands behind her back, curiously peeking at Mu Qingge, and laughed, "Your guard against them is really blatant."

Mu Qingge smiled indifferently, "Everyone knows it well."

"What are you worried about?" Jiang Li asked.

Mu Qingge furrowed her brows lightly, "Not worried, just unclear, so can’t fully expose myself. Suppose if they truly can determine distance and specific location through aura. They follow me all day, won’t my whereabouts be exposed?"

Jiang Li thought, nodding, "Then what are you going to do? Anyway, you already have the map, they’re temporarily no use to you, right? Kill them? Or expel them?"

Mu Qingge curled her lips and looked at her, "Not yet necessary to kill. As for whether to keep them by my side, I need to meet the High Priest before deciding."

"Since that’s the case, no need to think much now. Let’s wait until we meet him and talk, didn’t Xie Ya say, we can see him tomorrow morning." Jiang Li comforted.

Mu Qingge nodded.

Actually, the matters of the Mu Clan to her were like a fantasy tale.

From the beginning, she treated it as a mythical story, always cooperating, because she wanted to obtain the clue to the Divine Strategy Middle Volume. Regarding the Mu Clan’s Young Master, she couldn’t care less. Especially not about leading the Mu Clan survivors back to their homeland, reclaiming the old site, and restoring the Mu Clan.

Now, she already got what she wanted, and the clan’s High Priest, as promised, came. It was time to lay everything out and discuss.

"By the way, were there any clues on the map?" Jiang Li suddenly asked.

Mu Qingge looked at her with a peculiar expression.

Jiang Li felt uneasy under her gaze, displeased, "What are you looking at? You extracted my memory, and you think I still remember anything?"

Mu Qingge withdrew her gaze awkwardly, furrowing her brows, "Can’t tell what location it’s depicting, but there are four characters on the map... ’Year Cold One Inch.’

"’Year Cold One Inch’? What does that represent?" Jiang Li’s brows furrowed as well.

Mu Qingge laughed, "If I could know those four characters’ meaning, the riddle would be solved."

Jiang Li nodded in agreement, "Anyway, we have a clue now, that’s progress. Don’t rush, take it slowly."

...

The next day, early morning.

Mu Qingge and Jiang Li got up early, while Xuan Ya and Xie Ya also prepared breakfast.

Mu Qingge instructed Xie Ya to invite Mei Zizhong over for a meal together.

When Mei Zizhong arrived, he was still in a white outfit, looking ethereal and collected. Mu Qingge and Jiang Li exchanged smiles, looking at Mei Zizhong with a teasing gaze.

"What’s wrong?" Mei Zizhong felt somewhat puzzled by their looks, glanced down at himself, and didn’t find anything amiss.

"Nothing, we are just impressed by Brother Mei’s charisma," Mu Qingge praised.

Without exaggeration, Mei Zizhong gave a sense of pure cleanliness and tranquility, like warm sunshine in winter, able to dispel gloom and coldness.

Among the people she had met, he was the one who made her feel the least harmful.

Praised by Mu Qingge, Mei Zizhong’s cheeks blushed with a light red hue, seemingly shy.

Jiang Li, sharp-eyed, noticed this and quickly seized the chance to tease, "Brother Mei, are you shy?"

Her revelation made Mei Zizhong’s face turn even redder.

Standing there, looking helpless, like a bashful young man.

"Hahaha..." Jiang Li couldn’t help but laugh out loud. She always thought Mei Zizhong was quiet, didn’t expect him to have such a cute side.

"Stop teasing Brother Mei," Mu Qingge advised, stopping.

What nonsense!

Jiang Li stopped laughing, gritting her teeth, glaring at Mu Qingge. ’Obviously you started it, okay? You sly fellow! Now you play the good person!’

Mu Qingge only raised her eyebrows at her and said to Mei Zizhong, "Brother Mei, don’t mind it, Jiang Li is always careless. Come and eat, before it gets cold."

Jiang Li’s face turned gloomy, her golden eyes mixed with resentment staring at Mu Qingge.

Unfortunately, Mu Qingge turned a blind eye to her resentment.

Mei Zizhong lightly nodded, his lips maintaining a faint smile, as he walked into the room and sat down at the table.

The breakfast was a light porridge, accompanied by some exquisite pastries and small dishes, perfectly suited to Mei Zizhong’s palate.

"Brother Mei, how is Master?" Mu Qingge casually asked.

Although her Alchemy Skill had nothing to do with Lou Chuanbai, she called him Master nonetheless, as he had helped her somewhat.

Mei Zizhong put down his chopsticks and said to Mu Qingge, "Before leaving, I specifically went to see the Master; he’s well and quite concerned about you."

"Master is thoughtful," Mu Qingge said with a smile.

The three chatted casually and soon finished breakfast.

Just as they tidied up the bowls and chopsticks, a white light fell outside the door and transformed into Bai Xi.

"Hiccup~!"

Bai Xi hiccupped, looking lazy and seemingly very sleepy.

She ignored Jiang Li and Mei Zizhong, heading straight to Mu Qingge’s side, her soft arm coiling around Mu Qingge’s body like a snake, her head weakly leaning against her. "Qingge, I’m so sleepy. Let me go back to sleep. I might breakthrough again."

Mu Qingge’s mouth twitched, incredibly envious!

To go out to find some food and sense a breakthrough, then sleep and wake up to break through—how amazing!

Her peripheral vision caught Jiang Li also looking envious.

Only Mei Zizhong seemed bewildered, not understanding what was happening.

Mu Qingge smiled slightly at him, raised her hand, and waved Bai Xi into her space.

Mei Zizhong looked at Mu Qingge in shock, unsure what to say.

Mu Qingge coughed lightly, explaining, "Bai Xi is actually transformed from a Spirit Beast; her true form is the Nine Extremes Sky-devouring Python, my Contracted Beast."

Mei Zizhong nodded in understanding, though his usually calm eyes couldn’t hide his shock.

"Brother Mei, what are your plans for today?" Mu Qingge asked.

Yesterday, they hurriedly left for a day, leaving Mei Zizhong alone in the inn; thinking about it, she felt a bit sorry.

Mei Zizhong pondered for a moment before saying, "I originally planned to practice Alchemy, but now that I’m in Middle Ancient Realm, with many unknowns, I thought it better to go out for a walk first."

"That’s a good idea!" Jiang Li laughed. "Qingge has matters today and needs to stay at the inn, so why don’t we explore Chaohan City together and send a message to Zhao Nanxing of the Floating Guest Clan while we’re at it."

Mu Qingge originally intended to deliver the message to Zhao Nanxing herself, but being busy now, Jiang Li took it upon herself.

"Alright," Mei Zizhong agreed with a nod.

Seeing they all had plans, Mu Qingge said no more.

Soon, Mei Zizhong and Jiang Li left the inn, and not long after, Xuan Ya also went out, leaving only Mu Qingge and Xie Ya in the inn’s courtyard.

Mu Qingge waited alone in the room, carefully analyzing the map again but unable to decipher the meaning of the four characters. She had a vague sense that understanding the significance of those four characters would reveal the map’s location.

It was nearing noon when Xie Ya finally arrived with a person wholly wrapped in a cloak, holding a long staff.

Before they approached, Mu Qingge slowly opened her eyes, directly looking at the person holding the staff. ’Here!’ The awaited person had come, making Mu Qingge’s clear eyes even brighter.

"Young Master, the High Priest has arrived," Xie Ya came before Mu Qingge and said.

The person beside her extended a hand, revealing a shriveled palm, and pulled down the hat on his head.

An old face that Mu Qingge was quite familiar with appeared before her.

The High Priest of the Heritage Tribe inclined his left hand, which wasn’t holding the staff, tightly against his chest and bowed to Mu Qingge: "Young Master!"

"Xie Ya, you may leave," Mu Qingge instructed Xie Ya.

Xie Ya pursed her lips, nodded, and retreated while closing the door.

Mu Qingge stood up from her chair and approached the High Priest. Her clear eyes seemed to delve into the depths of his heart to uncover all the secrets hidden there.

However, the High Priest’s expression was calm, his wise eyes conveying a gentle smile as if everything was already understood.

Mu Qingge paced slowly, circled the High Priest, and stood before him again.

Her hands were clasped behind her, her spine straight, exuding authority. Staring at the High Priest, she slowly spoke, "I have obtained the map."

The High Priest’s eyes lit up, his mouth breaking into a smile, "Congratulations, Young Master!"

Mu Qingge was indifferent to his congratulations. She turned, walked back to her original seat, and sat down, her sleeves fluttering, saying to the High Priest: "I asked you to find me; since you’ve arrived, I suppose you’ve guessed my purpose."

"Yes," the High Priest calmly replied, his lips still maintaining a smile.

Mu Qingge gave a barely perceptible nod, "If so, to save me the trouble, High Priest, please go ahead."

"I have already informed the Young Master about the matters concerning the Mu Clan," the High Priest slowly said.

"Then tell me something unknown, or rather something your clan kept from me," Mu Qingge’s eyes squinted slightly, her tone growing colder.

The High Priest smiled slightly, glancing around before speaking to Mu Qingge: "Young Master, I’m old now, may I sit down to talk?"

"Feel free," Mu Qingge replied.

He walked over to the seat closest to Mu Qingge and sat down.

After a moment of silence, he said, "The origins of the Mu Clan, I have already briefed the Young Master. Long ago, the Mu Clan was a top power on the Divine Demon Continent—strong, brave, and noble. Because of this, many pledged allegiance, willing to serve under the Mu Clan and fight alongside them."

Finally, the High Priest began his narrative, his eyes revealing traces of nostalgia for a grand era.

That nostalgia made Mu Qingge feel he had emerged and survived from that era!

But is that possible?

Moreover, the Mu Clan descended from the Divine Demon Continent? Meaning their homeland is the Divine Demon Continent! Si Mo managed to live for thousands of years; how long has this High Priest lived?

For a person living that long, how powerful must he be?

The more she thought about it, the more Mu Qingge was shocked.

"...Unfortunately, the Mu Clan was too upright and eventually met their end," the High Priest regretfully said.

"Too rigid leads to breakage?" Mu Qingge murmured.

This unintentional comment penetrated the High Priest’s ears, and his wise and aged eyes suddenly emitted a dazzling glow. He nodded: "The Young Master is spot on; too rigid leads to breakage. The Mu Clan was so powerful that many feared them. However, their defects were quite evident. In the Mu Clan’s eyes, right and wrong were too absolute. Their strength made them confidently believe they could control people’s hearts. They thought showing leniency to those who acknowledge and correct their mistakes would make them change sincerely, believing no one dared to challenge the Mu Clan’s dignity!"

Mu Qingge’s eyes bore a hint of mockery.

Overconfidence is arrogance. She slowly said, "In your eyes, the Mu Clan’s demise may have been due to betrayal or slander. But to me, it was self-inflicted."

The High Priest stiffened, stunned by Mu Qingge’s words.

"Self-inflicted! Self-inflicted..." The High Priest kept repeating the phrase, his face suddenly showing a trace of relief. He suddenly stood up, bowed deeply to Mu Qingge, and sincerely said, "Young Master, you are the only one who has seen through the truth all these years."

Mu Qingge, however, was not swayed by his words, and mockingly said, "I’m not the only one who sees through it. In fact, you all know it in your hearts, but you just don’t want to believe it."

The High Priest slumped in his chair, Mu Qingge’s sharp words striking him like a bolt of lightning, startling him awake.

Indeed! Unwilling to believe.

Unwilling to believe that the Mu Clan’s demise was due to their own gradual self-destruction.

If they hadn’t been so confident, so self-righteous in believing, taken precautions early, would things still be like this today?

Perhaps the Mu Clan would still be the sovereign, enjoying supreme glory and absolute power!

The High Priest suddenly shook his head and smiled bitterly, saying to Mu Qingge, "To think I am still a Tianlu Seer, priding myself on being able to penetrate the secrets of heaven and predict the future. Yet, because of my selfish desires, I’ve blinded myself, refusing to face the truth of failure. Young Master, thank you!"

"Tianlu Seer..." Mu Qingge wasn’t focused on his tone of gratitude, but rather was intrigued by the unfamiliar term he mentioned.

The High Priest nodded and continued his narrative, "The Divine Demon Continent is a place the Young Master must inevitably go to. It is a more vast and magnificent realm, wielding incredibly powerful forces. To people from other dimensions, the inhabitants there are gods, are demons. Those on the side of light are gods, and those in darkness are demons. Besides the Divine and Demon clans, there is yet another special race that can predict the future, see the heavenly secrets, and calculate fortune and misfortune, known to the Divine and Demon Clans as the Tianlu Seers. However, such people are extremely rare, and nowadays, apart from my senior and myself, there are probably fewer than five."

"Divine Clan, Demon Clan..." Mu Qingge’s eyes gradually narrowed. She gradually felt that she was getting closer and closer to this legendary race.

The Mu Clan possesses information on the Divine Strategy, and the Divine Strategy is the strongest cultivation method of the Divine Clan, so... does that mean the Mu Clan is the Divine Clan?

Mu Qingge’s gaze deepened.

A playful emotion suddenly rose from the depths of her eyes!

Is it really that melodramatic? She is of Divine lineage, and Si Mo is of Demon lineage? Recalling Han Caicai’s words, it seems that regardless of whether she is a person of the Mu Family, if she reaches the Divine Demon Continent, she would belong to the Divine Clan’s camp?

Exactly how is this affiliation determined after breaking through the realm and entering the Divine Demon Continent?

Mu Qingge slightly frowned, as this doubt arose from the depths of her heart. However, she didn’t question the High Priest. Because she felt this question was best asked to Si Mo! Gathering her thoughts, she continued listening to the High Priest’s account.

"Back then, the Mu Clan had a total of three Tianlu Seers, occupying nearly half of all Tianlu Seers on the entire Divine Demon Continent. Naturally, one can imagine how powerful the Mu Clan was back then. Unfortunately, no matter how strong the gods are, they have a day of falling. Under the intimidation of the Mu Clan, the interests of other divine beings were threatened. Eventually, they colluded together and launched an unprecedented war against the Mu Clan, slaughtering all the disciples of the Mu Clan!" As the High Priest spoke of this past event, a layer of bloody red appeared in his eyes.

"Slaughter, but in the end, some people still escaped," Mu Qingge stated quietly.

The High Priest nodded in admiration. "The Mu Clan was strong, but even they could not withstand the gnawing of countless ants. One of the Tianlu Seers belonging to the Mu Clan burned his own life, calculating that the Mu Clan was doomed, yet there was a slim chance of survival in ten thousand years, then perished. Because of his prediction, the Clan Leader of the Mu Clan at the time made a decisive decision, expending great magical power to tear through the space restriction, allowing some clansmen to escape from the Divine Demon Continent. Among them, a direct lineage of the Mu Clan fled to the Linchuan Realm, while I and the remnants on Duole Island were responsible for protecting this lineage. We were left by the Clan Leader during the passage through the Bitter Sea."

"The Mu Family of Linchuan is of the direct lineage bloodline of the Mu Clan?!" Mu Qingge was shocked by this news.

"Exactly!" The High Priest affirmed: "In the Mu Clan, we mastered the Divine Clan’s strongest cultivation method, the Divine Strategy. This is also the reason other gods were so envious. Before the slaughter began, the Clan Leader separated the three volumes of the Divine Strategy; the Middle Volume was hidden, the Lower Volume was a decoy, and the Upper Volume’s fragmented script was taken by him, as an inheritance for the direct lineage descendants."

"What do you mean, explain clearly!" The Divine Strategy is the key, Mu Qingge demanded.

The High Priest pondered for a moment and said, "Part of the Upper Volume of the Divine Strategy has long been lost. The Upper and Middle Volumes can be cultivated separately, but the Lower Volume must be cultivated after the Upper and Middle Volumes. It is precisely because of this that the Clan Leader made a decisive move, using the Lower Volume as bait, to attract those greedy gods, buying time for the family lineage’s escape. The Middle Volume was hidden by him in a secret place, with only a map left behind, split into two parts before heading to Linchuan, entrusted to us. We were also split into two parts, waiting at the Bitter Sea and the Wandering Soul Desert. Because these are the two exits from Linchuan."

Mu Qingge understood!

At the same time, she felt very fortunate! By a twist of fate, she managed to complete the Upper Volume of the Divine Strategy!

Is this destiny, or something that the ancestor of the Mu Clan had calculated long ago?

"So, the Lower Volume of the Divine Strategy is still in the Divine Demon Continent?" Mu Qingge asked.

The High Priest nodded. "It should be so."

Mu Qingge took a deep breath; her reason for going to the Divine Demon Continent seemed to increase by another reason.

"Continue." Mu Qingge calmed her emotions and said again.

The High Priest continued, "The Mu Clan Leader, in order to select the person who could truly lead the family back to the Divine Demon Continent after ten thousand years, established a cruel competition rule for Young Master candidates. The Young Master should already know this after meeting the Mu Family of the Middle Ancient Realm. The Clan Leader had no choice but to do so. Because, relying solely on the word of a Tianlu Seer, he could not determine who the slim chance of survival belonged to after ten thousand years. So he decided that the direct lineage of the Mu Clan would no longer have absolute inheritance rights, and the leader of the Mu Clan would be whoever was the most capable. But it must be said, the direct lineage bloodline does have absolute advantages."

"The absolute advantage you refer to is that half of the fragmented scripture of the Upper Volume of the Divine Strategy?" Mu Qingge couldn’t help but chuckle.

Up until now, she still hadn’t figured out how to cultivate; what use was this to her?

"Young Master need not worry, let nature take its course, and when the time is ripe, everything will become clear," said the High Priest.

Mu Qingge had no intention of discussing this with him, nor did she want him to know that she had already completed the Upper Scroll. So she said, "In that case, the bloodline left behind means there are more than just a few competitors, doesn’t it?"

The High Priest nodded, "We were the first group to leave. So, exactly how many factions escaped, we do not know. However..."

He suddenly paused, appearing somewhat hesitant.

"However what?" Mu Qingge pressed.

The High Priest hesitated for a moment, then looked up at Mu Qingge, "The reason I came so quickly to see the Young Master was also to remind the Young Master of something!"

His seriousness made Mu Qingge’s eyes darken.

The High Priest said, "Previously, I divined a reading for the Young Master, and the omens show that a great calamity is imminent, one that concerns life and death! Moreover, I observed the stars, and there is a dark star constantly approaching the Young Master. Therefore, Young Master must be careful recently!"

"A dark star? A life-and-death calamity?" Mu Qingge furrowed her brows.

She asked, "Do you know which star represents me?"

The High Priest shook his head, regrettably saying, "I cannot see the Young Master’s Life Star because I belong to the Mu Clan’s Tianluo Seer! Tianluo Seers of the Mu Clan cannot see the Life Star of the Mu Clan’s master!" As he said this, his tone held a hint of excitement. The implication of his words was quite obvious. It seemed he had, thus, confirmed Mu Qingge’s identity!

Such an obvious implication was naturally understood by Mu Qingge.

However, she didn’t respond to it.

After slightly calming his emotions, the High Priest continued, "However, I can see the dark star that represents the Mu Clan’s destiny, and that dark star is precisely threatening it."

Mu Qingge’s gaze shifted slightly as she said deeply, "So, that dark star threatens the person representing the Mu Clan’s destiny. Are you so certain that I am that person?"

"Young Master!" The High Priest suddenly stood up, saying to Mu Qingge, "Young Master is that person, the hope the Mu Clan has waited for thousands of years! In this, I am utterly certain! I swear it on the honor of the Tianluo Seers!"

Mu Qingge waved her hand dismissively, unaffected. "The reason I summoned you isn’t just to clear up what you’ve been hiding from me, but also to clarify a few matters myself."

"Please speak, Young Master." The High Priest calmed himself and sat down again.

Mu Qingge said, "I’m only interested in the Divine Strategy; I have absolutely no interest in being the Mu Clan’s heir, let alone take on the responsibility of the Mu Clan’s revival. I’m already overwhelmed with my own affairs and have no energy to complete such a grand and arduous task. So, you should search for someone else suitable and recognize another Young Master. After all, I’m not the only candidate!"

"Young Master, do you think you can escape destiny? You are the one whom fate has chosen, and your presence is meant to bring hope to the Mu Clan." The High Priest shook his head with a bitter smile.

Mu Qingge said with a frown, "Don’t say these brainwashing words to me, making it sound like some cult. What destiny? What chosen one?"

She was merely a wandering soul from an otherworld, coincidentally entering Mu Qingge’s body and being reincarnated in this world. Had she not come, Mu Qingge would have turned to dust long ago, so what chosen of destiny?

"Alright, I’ll stop with that. But, Young Master, have you thought that the Divine Strategy is something all Mu Clan heirs must acquire? Even if you don’t wish to shoulder the role of the Young Master, would others let you go? Even if you generously share the Divine Strategy with them, would they tolerate a threat by their side? Would they tolerate another person in the world practicing the Divine Strategy?" the High Priest reasoned earnestly.

"..." Mu Qingge understood this logic all too well. The High Priest’s words rendered her silent.

To withdraw from the competition, she would have to relinquish the Divine Strategy.

However, she was unwilling to give up the Divine Strategy; this was the crux of the dilemma.

Let alone her, anyone who had painstakingly obtained something wouldn’t hand it over so easily.

"So, Young Master, there are many things you can’t simply walk away from. The moment you obtained the Divine Strategy, you were destined to be entangled with it, unable to escape," the High Priest advised.

Mu Qingge remained silent, her thoughts racing rapidly.

This game, she could continue to play, continue to assume the role of Mu Clan’s heir, and acquire the Divine Strategy; then what? Even if she didn’t confront others, wouldn’t others come for her for the sake of the Divine Strategy and to eliminate a competitor? Out of self-preservation, she would surely strike back.

Either she dies, or they do!

Moreover, from the High Priest’s words, it can be inferred that Mu Luofeng is just one of the candidates. Like her, no one knows how many candidates from the Mu Clan there are.

If she can survive till the end and become the final victor, then should she take on the responsibilities of the victor, or not?

Will it be like now, where even if she indicates that she has no thought of reviving the Mu Clan, the other Divine Clans, those who have grievances with the Mu Clan, won’t believe it? They will still hunt her down, and if she resists, she must possess sufficient power—the remaining ministers of the Mu Clan would be the best choice.

The outcomes are nothing more than two options: either she leads what’s left of the Mu Clan to death, extinguishing all hope of the Mu Clan’s resurgence, or she leads the remaining ministers to victory against those Divine Clans.

How is the latter outcome different from taking on the burden of reviving the Mu Clan?

’This is a huge pit! A ten-thousand-year-old pit!’ Mu Qingge cursed in her heart. Because of the Divine Strategy, she fell into this intricately designed pit that took millennia to set up, unable to climb out!

What infuriated her the most was being manipulated by someone from a thousand years ago!

Crack!

Mu Qingge’s tightly clenched fists made a cracking sound.

The High Priest looked at her and saw that she was filled with a chilling aura, making her extremely cold and aloof.

"Young Master..." After a while, the High Priest tentatively called out.

Mu Qingge took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

It took a long time before she slowly opened her eyes and exhaled a breath of turbid air. She said to the High Priest, "It seems that you’re determined to rely on me, and it seems I have no other choice."

These words were spoken with great reluctance.

At this moment, she really wanted to flog a corpse! How should she handle it?

She wanted to dig out the Clan Leader of the Mu Clan from a thousand years ago and severely torment him, venting the resentment in her heart of being schemed against.

"Young Master, reviving the Mu Clan is your mission." The High Priest actually addressed her with respect here.

I spit!

Mu Qingge irritably said, "Don’t talk to me about missions! If you want to discuss missions with me, wait until I’ve obtained the Divine Strategy Middle Volume and found the Divine Strategy Lower Volume."

The High Priest fell silent, sensibly avoiding a confrontation with Mu Qingge.

After a while, Mu Qingge calmed down and asked the High Priest, "Since you’ve lived so long and are also a master of Tianlu, have you heard of ’Suihan Yicun’?" She brought up the four characters on the map again.

"Suihan Yicun?" The High Priest frowned.

He nodded, and a gleam of wisdom flashed in his eyes, "I remember that the map we kept had the two characters ’Suihan’ engraved on it."

"That’s correct." Mu Qingge acknowledged.

The High Priest was silent for a moment before slowly nodding, "I don’t understand Suihan, but when combined with the following ’Yicun’, I have a hypothesis."

"Let’s hear it." Mu Qingge became immediately interested.

The High Priest looked at Mu Qingge and said, "A thousand years ago, on the Divine Demon Continent, it was customary to use ’cun’ to describe the space split open by divine power. ’Sui’ is a number, indicating years, and ’Han’ refers to the name of that space."

’So the four characters need to be understood separately!’ Mu Qingge realized in her heart.

She remained silent, continuing to listen to the High Priest’s analysis.

"Suiyi, I think, refers to that space being newly developed, but it’s only a thousand years old—a new space. If named ’Han’, the climate inside must be extremely cold," the High Priest supplemented.

"Why doesn’t Suiyi refer to one year, but a thousand years?" Mu Qingge asked, puzzled.

The High Priest shook his head and said, "One year is impossible; on the Divine Demon Continent, ’sui’ generally refers to a thousand years. Now, ten thousand years have passed, so that space is over ten ’sui’ old."

"In that case, how do I find that space?" Mu Qingge frowned and asked.

The High Priest pondered for a moment, then stood up and said, "Young Master, are there other words or coordinates on the map?"

Mu Qingge concentrated and visualized the map in her mind.

Apart from those four characters, a series of tiny characters gradually emerged among the depicted mountains and rivers...

"Qian eight, Kun four, Zhen eighteen..." Mu Qingge murmured.

The High Priest’s eyes shone as he listened!

He repeated the characters Mu Qingge uttered, and after she finished, exclaimed with surprise, "These contain hidden coordinates! Moreover, this is my senior brother’s method!"

After saying that, his expression suddenly changed, "Not good! Since my senior brother participated in the creation of this map, he must have figured out where the Divine Strategy Middle Volume is hidden."

Mu Qingge frowned, "Explain clearly."

The High Priest took a deep breath, looked at Mu Qingge, and said solemnly, "My senior brother is also one of the Mu Clan’s Tianlu masters. Originally, he should have been the one accompanying the direct lineage, but he was convinced that a person representing a sliver of hope wouldn’t appear in the direct lineage after ten thousand years and was unwilling to go to the barren Linchuan, so he was replaced by me. He followed another bloodline. Over ten thousand years, I have no idea where he is. However, I am sure that once he finds a suitable heir, he will fully support them. This method of hiding the coordinates is his original creation; I recognized it at a glance. Even if he doesn’t know the Clan Leader hid the Divine Strategy Middle Volume here, he will definitely search once he sees no clue. My senior brother is extremely formidable; with the Young Master’s appearance, it may have triggered the Mu Clan’s Dark Star, and he may already know. It’s likely that the map in the Young Master’s possession relates to him and the hardships the Young Master will face!"

Mu Qingge felt a slight heaviness in her heart upon hearing this.

She said to the High Priest, "Let’s not concern ourselves with these matters for now. Since this is your senior brother’s invented method, you should also be able to decipher it. Your task now is to quickly decipher the coordinates, allowing me to enter that space and find the Divine Strategy Middle Volume before anyone else."

"Yes!" The High Priest immediately agreed.

"For the time being, follow me. You don’t need to do anything else; just devote yourself to deducing the coordinates." Naturally, Mu Qingge wouldn’t let him leave at this time.

Fortunately, the High Priest wasn’t in a hurry to leave. It seemed he was worried about Mu Qingge facing calamity and more worried about that malicious star threatening her. Therefore, when Mu Qingge asked him to stay, he agreed without hesitation.

...

In Chaohan City, Jiang Li and Mei Zizhong released a message in the Floating Guest clan, conveying the news of finding Mu Qingge to Zhao Nanxing, who was far away in East Continent.

Just after they finished, they saw Xuan Ya appear among the Floating Guest clan.

She seemed not to notice the two of them and went directly to the place where messages were relayed.

Jiang Li’s eyes shifted, and she said to Mei Zizhong, "Let’s follow her and take a look."

Mei Zizhong gave her a glance, nodded slightly, and did not refuse.

The two walked behind Xuan Ya and saw her carefully examining the posted messages. Most of these messages resembled the ones they communicated to Zhao Nanxing and carried no particular significance.

Moreover, it seemed incomprehensible to those who weren’t involved.

After a while, Jiang Li tapped Xuan Ya’s shoulder in confusion, prompting her to turn around.

Seeing Jiang Li and Mei Zizhong suddenly, a hint of surprise flickered in Xuan Ya’s eyes, yet she still bowed and greeted, "Miss Jiang, Young Master Mei."

"What were you looking at?" Jiang Li asked directly.

Xuan Ya turned back, her gaze once again falling on the message board, focusing on one line as she explained to the two, "Recently, a scoundrel impersonated the Young Master, molested a woman, and then fortunately escaped without a trace. That woman has now sent us a message that he has appeared in the West Continent."

"What! Someone dared to impersonate Mu Qingge? Is he tired of living?" Jiang Li’s focus was always different from others’.

Mei Zizhong frowned, "Impersonating Qingge to molest women?" His almost imperceptible cold snort also indicated his anger.

Xuan Ya turned back and gave the two a smile, "Since we have his whereabouts, I must immediately report to the Young Master."

"We’ll return with you," said Jiang Li.