She stayed in the estate with her father for three days, helping him settle in, teaching him how to manage the servants, and leaving him a considerable sum of silver.
"Father, you can stay here. If you need anything, just send someone to the Demon Emperor Palace to deliver a message," Hua Qian Gu said, tidying her father's bedding.
"Xiao Gu, you and that Sha Qian Mo..." Father Hua started, then stopped.
"He's my friend," Hua Qian Gu replied. "A very good friend."
Father Hua sighed, not asking further. His daughter was grown and had her own mind; he trusted her.
On the fourth day, Hua Qian Gu prepared to depart for the Demon Emperor Palace.
As soon as she stepped out of the estate's main gate, she saw someone leaning against an old locust tree by the roadside.
Dressed in green robes, with a wooden hairpin, and amber eyes, he was pretending to read a bamboo slip.
Dongfang Yuqing.
Hua Qian Gu paused in surprise. "Why are you here?"
"Just passing by," Dongfang Yuqing replied, closing the bamboo slip. His tone was casual. "I heard you were bullied at Maoshan? I came to see if you were missing any limbs."
"Your news travels fast."
"Naturally." Dongfang Yuqing walked over and scrutinized her from head to toe, his gaze lingering on her for a few seconds. "You seem fine. It looks like Sha Qian Mo has been protecting you well."
Hua Qian Gu detected a hint of jealousy in his tone and didn't respond.
"Let's go, find a place to sit," Dongfang Yuqing said, leading the way. "I have something to tell you."
The two of them sat down in a teahouse at the foot of Qingcheng Mountain.
Dongfang Yuqing ordered a pot of tea and two plates of pastries, then leaned back in his chair, fingers interlaced, watching Hua Qian Gu.
"The entire Immortal Realm knows that Sha Qian Mo sent Demon Soldiers to Maoshan," he stated.
"If they know, they know," Hua Qian Gu said, picking up her teacup and taking a sip. "Ni Mantian and I have already fallen out completely, so I'm not afraid of people knowing."
"You might not be afraid, but what about your father?" Dongfang Yuqing raised an eyebrow. "The Immortal Realm is now spreading rumors that Hua Qian Gu is a demoness who seduced the Demon King. Even though your father is hidden away, his reputation is ruined. It will be difficult for him to live peacefully in the Human Realm from now on."
Hua Qian Gu put down her teacup and was silent for a few seconds.
"Reputation doesn't matter; being alive does," she said. "My father died in my previous life. As long as he's alive in this one, I don't care what others say."
Dongfang Yuqing looked at her, his expression shifting slightly.
"You're quite philosophical."
"It's not about being philosophical; it's about having experienced it and knowing what's important and what isn't."
Dongfang Yuqing picked up his teacup, took a sip, and suddenly changed the subject. "Sha Qian Mo is quite good to you?"
Hua Qian Gu looked up at him and smiled. "Ask what you want to ask directly."
"I don't want to ask anything," Dongfang Yuqing turned his face away, looking out the window. "I just think you're quite capable, finding a new backer so quickly. The Demon King, the most handsome man in the Six Realms, is willing to protect you."
Hua Qian Gu heard the jealousy in his tone and couldn't help but want to laugh.
"Didn't you say I needed allies?" she said deliberately. "Sha Qian Mo is my first ally."
"First?" Dongfang Yuqing turned his head, his eyes holding a subtle expression. "Then what about me? Am I not your ally?"
"You are," Hua Qian Gu replied. "You're the second."
Dongfang Yuqing's expression darkened further.
"Second," he repeated the word, his tone as sour as if he had drunk half a bottle of vinegar. "I, the dignified Pavilion Master of Yi Xiu Pavilion, am ranked second in your eyes?"
"Does it matter which rank you're in?" Hua Qian Gu tilted her head to look at him.
"It matters," Dongfang Yuqing said. "It matters a lot."
Hua Qian Gu was taken aback, not expecting him to be so direct.
She looked into his eyes—in his amber pupils, there was a seriousness she hadn't seen in her previous life.
"Dongfang Yuqing," she said, putting down her teacup. "What exactly do you want to say?"
Dongfang Yuqing was silent for a few seconds, then picked up his teacup, drank the remaining tea in one gulp, and placed it heavily on the table.
"It's nothing," he said, standing up. "I just came to give you some intelligence. Ni Mantian's latest move—she's trying to win over Mo Yan."
Hua Qian Gu frowned. "Mo Yan? The Mo Yan from Chang Liu?"
"Yes." Dongfang Yuqing took out a slip of paper from his sleeve and handed it to her. "The Daughter of the Penglai Sect Leader personally visited Chang Liu and had a private meeting with Mo Yan for two hours. They were both smiling when they came out."
Hua Qian Gu took the paper and her fingers tightened as she read its contents.
Mo Yan.
He was Ni Mantian's backer in her previous life. In this life, Ni Mantian is trying to win him over in advance, which means she's already making her move.
"Who is she planning to target?" Hua Qian Gu asked.
"Do I even need to ask?" Dongfang Yuqing sat down again. "You, of course. She knows Sha Qian Mo is protecting you, so she can't attack you directly. That's why she's trying to approach from the side."
"She knows Sha Qian Mo is protecting you, so she can't attack you directly. That's why she's trying to approach from the side," Dongfang Yuqing analyzed. "Mo Yan is the Chang Liu World Honored One and carries significant weight in the Immortal Realm. Once Mo Yan labels you a 'demoness,' the entire Immortal Realm will follow suit. Even if Sha Qian Mo protects you then, he won't be able to protect your reputation."
"I don't care about my reputation."
"You don't care about your reputation, but what about your life?" Dongfang Yuqing looked at her. "If the Immortal Realm collectively condemns you, Sha Qian Mo can protect you for a while, but not forever. And if it truly comes to that, it will be a War of the Five Realms. Do you want to see that happen?"
Hua Qian Gu gripped her teacup, her knuckles turning white.
Of course, she didn't want to see a War of the Five Realms. In her previous life, her existence had caused chaos among the Five Realms, resulting in countless deaths.
"Then what's your suggestion?" she asked.
"Strike first," Dongfang Yuqing said. "If Ni Mantian can win over Mo Yan, you can win over others. Chang Liu isn't the only sect in the Immortal Realm, and Mo Yan doesn't have the final say in everything."
"What can I use to win them over? I'm just a Mortal."
"You have me," Dongfang Yuqing pointed to himself. "With the intelligence network of Yi Xiu Pavilion and your precognitive abilities, we can get ahead of Ni Mantian and block every move she makes."
Hua Qian Gu looked at him and suddenly smiled.
"Didn't you say you were jealous because I found Sha Qian Mo as a backer? Why are you still helping me?"
Dongfang Yuqing was taken aback by her question, the tips of his ears turning slightly red.
"Who's jealous?" he said, turning his face away. "I'm afraid that if Ni Mantian kills you, no one will provide me with future intelligence. This is a mutually beneficial exchange, not jealousy."
"Oh," Hua Qian Gu suppressed a smile. "Then why are your ears red?"
"..." Dongfang Yuqing picked up the empty teacup and took another sip, only to realize there was no tea left, making him even more embarrassed.
Hua Qian Gu finally burst out laughing.
"Alright, I won't tease you anymore," she said, standing up. "I'll keep an eye on Ni Mantian's affairs. You also help me monitor Mo Yan's movements. If he does anything unusual, tell me immediately."
"Got it," Dongfang Yuqing also stood up. "Where are you going?"
"Back to the Demon Emperor Palace. Tang Bao is about to hatch, and I need to be there."
"Then I'll escort you."
"No need."
"I said I'll escort you, and I will," Dongfang Yuqing's tone was unyielding. "What if Ni Mantian ambushes you on the road? You're just a Mortal; you wouldn't even be able to escape."
Hua Qian Gu glanced at him and didn't refuse further.
The two of them walked out of the teahouse, shoulder to shoulder on the mountain road.
The sunlight was warm, and the breeze was gentle.
Dongfang Yuqing walked to her left, not too close, not too far, maintaining a distance of about a fist's width.
"Hua Qian Gu," he suddenly said.
"Hmm?"
"You said I was second. Who was first?"
"Sha Qian Mo."
"That's not what I'm asking," Dongfang Yuqing stopped walking and looked at her. "I'm asking, in your heart, who is ranked first?"
Hua Qian Gu paused for a moment, then smiled.
"Myself," she said. "In this life, I want to put myself first."
Dongfang Yuqing looked at her, silent for a few seconds, then he also smiled.
"That's fine too," he said. "Then I'll strive to be second."
【End of Chapter·Comment Section: What rank do you think Dongfang Yuqing deserves?】
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