A subtle curve deepened at the corners of Gu Yin’s mouth as she said calmly, “Sect Master Li, I’ve long heard of your bold personality. Unfortunately, people are different. What you desperately seek means nothing to me. Sorry.”

“Ouch, my poor Daoist robe!”

The sudden cry came from none other than Ling Fengzi, the famously witty and eccentric old Daoist. His face, dry and wrinkled like aged tangerine peel, scrunched up into a theatrical expression of misery.

“Sect Master Gu, I really don’t appreciate what you just said. Look at this robe. I’ve had it for a hundred years, and except for a few washes, it’s never lost a single thread. And now, you've torn it in... five, five huge gashes!

I might have thick skin, but since you just claimed you're not interested in fighting, shouldn’t you at least give me an explanation?”

Everyone in the hall laughed, and Gu Yin laughed too. “Strumming a five-string zither, watching wild geese fly home... Such refined pleasures, and yet you, Daoist Ling, aren’t lucky enough to enjoy them. That truly is a pity.”

The old Daoist Ling Fengzi rolled his eyes, about to retort, when a sharp, cold laugh cut through the air.

“So much useless chatter.”

That one line roped in all four sect leaders at once. Clear and cutting, the speaker didn’t bother to hide her edge. In an instant, the tense atmosphere in the hall took on a whole new energy.

The speaker was none other than Master Tianzhi, ruler of Nightless City.

To Li Xun, she'd seemed rather reserved until now, content to listen as Gu Yin and the others went back and forth. But the moment she spoke, she did so with striking boldness.

Li Xun was quietly astonished. He had long heard of this woman, the only female sect leader among the righteous sects, so naturally, he studied her closely.

What he saw was a strikingly beautiful woman cultivator, with a cold, aloof air about her. Li Xun figured that as cliché as the word “icy beauty” might be, it was probably the best way to describe her.

Her hair was styled in a phoenix chignon, held in place by a radiant glass hairpin shaped like a multicolored phoenix, adorned with dangling pearls and tassels. Her earrings were especially unusual. One shaped like the sun, the other like a crescent moon.

She might well have been the most lavishly adorned female cultivator Li Xun had ever seen. Yet all the luxury of her ornaments seemed to fade into the background, merely serving to highlight the stunning allure of her face.

Her skin glowed with a soft inner light, and her eyes, long and slanted, shimmered with flickers of brilliance. She was undeniably alluring, but there was also a subtle force to her presence; a quiet, intimidating power that warned others not to take her lightly.

What struck Li Xun most, though, were her lips. Crimson and gracefully curved, with the corners tipped ever so slightly, they formed a faint smile; yet that smile carried an edge, like a silent sneer, cool and condescending. It was the kind of look that got under your skin, made you resent her, yet still drew you in completely.

Though seated and draped in a silver brocade robe, the way her collar crossed just so revealed the gentle curve of her chest and the elegant line of her shoulders and back. Judging by eye, Li Xun guessed she might even be taller than him.

It was easy to imagine: if she were to stand, with that tall, graceful figure and the poise of a Grandmaster, she could shame any man into silence.

Without a doubt, Master Tianzhi was one of the most captivating women Li Xun had ever seen. Even Qin Wanru, who stood at his side, seemed to lack that peculiar quality. That irresistible pull that stirred the heart, yet held it at a distance, making her feel at once desirable and untouchable.

With that thought, Li Xun couldn’t help glancing at Qin Wanru, only to see her intently focused on the water mirror.

Since Li Xun couldn’t get up, Yan Shuiyue had considerately suspended the mirror in front of his chest, angled just right so he could see everything clearly without moving.

But for Qin Wanru to view it, she had to lean slightly toward him. In doing so, her posture curved into a graceful arc, her hair falling forward. One strand even brushed against Li Xun’s ear. When the breeze stirred it, it tickled slightly.

Qin Wanru happened to be sitting on his left, and perhaps without fully thinking it through, Li Xun casually reached back and brushed his fingers against the strand of hair. As it grazed his skin, a ripple stirred inside him. He caught the end of it, and gave it a gentle tug.

Startled, Qin Wanru looked his way. Li Xun had felt a flicker of hesitation, but the moment he saw her expression, a heat bloomed in his chest. He gave a faint smile and let go, lowering his hand... only for it to rest naturally on her knee.

Even through the thin silk fabric, he could feel the warmth of her skin and the intoxicating softness beneath.

His hand slowly traced the curve of her calf, coming to rest at her ankle. That spot let his arm remain in a relaxed, natural position, while allowing him to fully enjoy the secret, subtle beauty of her body.

A soft flush colored Qin Wanru’s cheeks, but she didn’t pull away. Her eyes, always so expressive, now shimmered with a delicate mist, soft and enchanting.

And yet, her expression remained composed, serene and dignified. A striking contrast to the rising heat beneath her skin.

Li Xun let out a low grunt. At a moment like this, if a man felt nothing at all, could he still call himself one?

But that sound caught Yan Shuiyue’s attention. She glanced at him curiously. Her gaze swept briefly in his direction, and Li Xun’s heart skipped a beat. Still, his arm didn’t move in the slightest. It remained mostly hidden beneath Qin Wanru’s flowing skirt, his fingers even giving her ankle a subtle tap or two.

Yan Shuiyue didn’t seem to notice the little game between these two. Li Xun took the chance to collect himself and turned his focus back to the scene unfolding in the water mirror.

His hand, however, stayed right where it was. Every now and then, it gently brushed against her skin. It felt far too comfortable to stop.

After this small act, Li Xun found his mood had unexpectedly lifted. But when he looked back at the situation in Radiant Pool Hall, the atmosphere seemed to have grown more strained.

He’d missed a few parts of the discussion, but judging by the mood, it looked like the argument had shifted to the casualties on both sides.

Master Tianzhi’s brows were drawn in a clear frown, her displeasure written all over her face.

“You may not care about their lives, but I do. Those disciples and fellow cultivators who died.... don’t they matter? As the leader of your sect, carrying on like this. How can anyone not feel disgusted?”

Had someone else said this, it might have sounded like they’d run out of arguments. But coming from Tianzhi, it felt completely in character. And likely just a prelude to sharper words still to come.

Gu Yin, however, knew her well and didn’t take offense. She smiled and said calmly, “If there are consequences, then surely there were causes. A month ago, it was you, Master, who sealed off our sect’s domain with the Ten-Thousand Li wide Aurora Barrier. If this conflict has flared up, are you not partly to blame?”

“The Demon Phoenix is a threat all our sects agreed must be eliminated. And yet your sect not only broke the pact, you pulled a sleight of hand to help her escape; then sheltered her within your own gates. Now, you even invoke her name to form some so-called ‘Rogue Cultivators’ Alliance.’ Our sect has every right, and obligation, to intervene!”

"May I ask, what exactly did the Demon Phoenix do to warrant being hunted by every sect?"

"She cultivated demonic arts and gave birth to a demon fetus, fueling the Forty-Nine Tribulations. How could she not deserve to die?"

"She practiced those arts. She gave birth to a demon fetus. And yet, the power of the Forty-Nine Tribulations seems no different than before."

"The will of the heavens is swayed by the hearts of humans. The tribulation responds to intention. That’s been understood for a century now. And now, it’s playing out exactly as foretold."

The two female sect leaders exchanged words like strings of pearls, one sentence flowing seamlessly into the next. But at that moment, Gu Yin suddenly laughed.

"The will of the heavens, the tribulation follows the heart... That’s from the Water Mirror Sutras, isn’t it? I wouldn’t have argued with that before. But surely you all remember what happened two years ago; the Water Mirror upheaval. That all-seeing mirror turned out not to be so flawless after all. I wonder, how do our friends from the Water Mirror Sect explain that?"

The moment she said this, all four sect leaders, along with over a hundred cultivators seated below, fell into stunned silence.

Since the founding of the Water Mirror Sect, no one had ever dared to openly question the accuracy of the Water Mirror Sutras.

But Gu Yin had chosen her moment well. The upheaval two years ago was still fresh in everyone's memory. Given that context, her words didn’t sound like baseless provocation.

At that point, all eyes in the hall turned, almost instinctively, toward Daoist Yu Lan of the Water Mirror Sect.

Miles away, Yan Shuiyue suddenly snapped her folding fan shut with a loud crack and cursed, "That damn Gu Yin, unbelievable!"

Only after she’d shouted did she realize both Li Xun and Qin Wanru were looking at her. Her face turned red, and she mumbled under her breath before quickly turning her gaze back to the mirror.

Li Xun felt a flicker of intrigue stir in his heart.

Back when Li Xun first heard about the matter from Ming Li two years ago, he'd felt a strange intuition—almost as if the so-called “Water Mirror Upheaval” might somehow be connected to him. And now, hearing the young girl speak so heatedly, he wondered, could he get some inside information from her?

The thought had barely formed when a voice from Radiant Pool Hall drew his attention. It was the plain-faced Daoist Yu Lan, who spoke in a cool, even tone:

"Heaven’s will is beyond prediction. Our sect has never claimed the Water Mirror Sutras are heavenly truth. What Sect Master Gu said isn’t wrong.

"But I would ask you, Sect Master Gu. Search your heart. That heaven-shaking tribulation... how exactly did your revered uncle resolve it? What was the cost? And what, in the end, was gained?"

To Li Xun, those words carried a subtle edge. Almost like a threat. It sounded as if the Water Mirror Sect had leverage on Gu Yin. Given their reputation for divining the will of the heavens, it wasn’t impossible.

He glanced quickly at Yan Shuiyue. She looked positively smug, her eyes bright with satisfaction. In the mirror, Gu Yin’s expression was as calm as still water, unreadable and composed.

There was definitely something going on beneath the surface.

Just as Li Xun was thinking this, he heard Daoist Yu Lan suddenly let out a long sigh.

“I misspoke. Heaven turns as it will, and change is ever sudden. Just opening my mouth may already have stirred more trouble than I intended… I only came to observe the polar shift from nearby. And yet, stirred by pride, I spoke out of turn. I’ve no face to remain here. I’ll take my leave.”

As soon as she said this, many in the hall tried to persuade her to stay. But Yu Lan paid no mind. She rose, gave a formal bow, and walked out of the hall without looking back.

As she walked, she chanted softly to herself:

"Just stacked the blue sky into snow, only to see the dawn breaking bright and clear."

“Water Mirror verse?”

Li Xun still remembered where that strange line came from. It was clearly from the Water Mirror Gathering last year. But hearing it again now, could it actually be referring to Gu Yin?

Daoist Yu Lan kept saying she “misspoke,” but every word of that verse seemed to be hinting at something.

Interesting.

Li Xun was still wondering how to get the answer out of Yan Shuiyue when she suddenly called out.

“Ah, this is bad!”

She had seen Yu Lan leave the hall and immediately panicked. She shot to her feet. “Can’t stick around anymore! I’ll leave the Water Mirror here. Without me keeping it stable, it’s only got a few minutes left. Sorry, I’m out!”

She gave a quick wave, threw the door open, and dashed off in a hurry, gone without a trace.

Li Xun opened his mouth to call after her but was too late. He turned his gaze back to the strange atmosphere inside the Radiant Poll Hall, then glanced at Qin Wanru, whose expression had grown warm and teasing. He shook his head, then slowly pulled his hand back.

Qin Wanru straightened up, brushing aside the strand of hair Li Xun had just tugged. She gave him a sideways glance, a curious smile playing on her lips.

“You’re getting bolder. Or maybe... this is the real you?”

Li Xun lifted his left hand to his nose and gave it a quick sniff, smiling.

“Wouldn’t dare. Just got a little too comfortable around you, Senior Sister. I hope you don’t mind. Of course, being able to catch a whiff of the famous Chief Archivist Qin’s scent... well, that’s a dream come true for me.”

There was a subtle shift in the way he addressed her now, carrying a slightly indecent undertone. Qin Wanru picked up on it right away, and her smile took on a new flavor.

"Ah yes, Master once taught you a few methods of dual cultivation, didn’t she? But techniques like that are no fun without a partner. When we’ve got some free time, why don’t you and I have a friendly... spar?”

Li Xun immediately caught her meaning. He raised both hands in surrender, quickly cutting the conversation short.

Just then, a voice finally rang out again from the Radiant Pool Hall. This time, it was Gu Yin speaking.

"The Water Mirror technique truly is deep and unfathomable. Since Daoist Yu Lan has already spoken, I’ll show some respect as well... It’s true. Even with my uncle’s strength alone, he couldn't dispel the calamity. All he could do was alter its course; divert it from the Four-Nines Tribulation, and shift it into the future, letting it slowly wear itself out over time.

“All of you are people of the righteous path, with laws and conscience in your hearts. Tell me this. Compared to gathering a crowd to hunt down a pregnant woman, how would you judge the morality of diverting a disaster this way?"

Before the three sect leaders could respond, someone down below let out a heavy grunt. Li Xun recognized him immediately.

Short and stocky, it was the man from the Three Sovereigns Sword Sect, the one known as the Dongyang Hermit. He barked out, “What kind of moral high ground is that? Are you saying all the cultivators who died, or will die, because of that tribulation don’t matter? That they’re worth less than some demonic phoenix?”

The sect had probably suffered heavy losses in the war, and the man’s temper had clearly frayed. He was losing control of his mouth.

A few of the more level-headed ones in the hall were already shaking their heads in silence. Even Dragon Madman, sitting beside him, was quietly tugging at his sleeve.

Gu Yin didn’t even spare him a glance. The only response was a faint, mocking curl of his lips.

Ignoring the awkward tension in the hall, she gave a cold smile.

"Since that’s how you all see it, there’s no point in further discussion. I’m not here to debate, I’ve simply come to inform you of one thing.

"The Rogue Cultivators’ Alliance has reached an understanding with six sects: the Sect of Sublime Transformation, the Succubus Sect, the Heavenly Demon Sword Sect, the Venom Veil Sect, the Bliss Sect, and the Underworld Monarch Sect,. These six have acknowledged the Alliance’s existence, though they’ve agreed it may not be recognized as a formal sect. That much has already been decided.

"As for our conflicts with you, among the Six Ruling Councilors of the Alliance, half believe we should fight and win, while the other half argue for a slower, more strategic approach. The Discussions Hall has advised temporarily easing tensions. Based on that, the Alliance has decided to pause hostilities, for now, and observe how many of the Thirty-Three Sects in this realm are willing to acknowledge our position."

This was probably the longest speech Gu Yin had ever given. Strangely enough, the more she spoke, the more confused everyone inside and outside the hall became.

Everyone already knew the Rogue Cultivators’ Alliance had ties with the Succubus Sect and the others. No surprise there. The restriction against becoming a formal sect also made sense.

But terms like “the Six Ruling Councilors” and “Discussions Hall” were completely new. None of these names had ever appeared in the history of the Tongxuan Realm. Was there something deeper going on?

Li Douliang stroked his stubbly green-tinged chin and smiled. "Interesting. So this ‘Six Ruling Councilors’ and ‘Discussions Hall’ can actually steer the Alliance’s direction? And who’s the one in charge?”

Gu Yin smiled as well, though there was something odd and unreadable in her expression.

“In charge? There’s no such thing.

“The Alliance runs on three structures: the Six Ruling Councilors, the Discussions Hall, and the Fourfold Envoys. That’s all.”

“And when there’s a dispute, how do decisions get made?”

“The Fourfold Envoys hold no authority to make decisions. When issues arise, they’re handled by the Six Ruling Councilors. Each of the six holds an official seal. If there’s disagreement, the decision goes to the side with the majority of seals. If the votes are tied, the Discussions Hall activates the final ‘Tie-Breaker Seal’ to determine the outcome.”

Li Douliang stopped stroking his chin. His eyes briefly met those of Tianzhi, Qingming, and Ling Feng. And in that instant, they all saw the same surprise mirrored in each other’s expressions.

“What a clever system,”

Li Xun and Qin Wanru muttered the same thought. When their eyes met again, they exchanged a smile, both struck by a sudden and mutual respect for each other’s scheming minds.

Just then, Gu Yin addressed Li Douliang’s earlier question about the members themselves.

“The Six Ruling Councilors are held by Lady Qixia, the Sea Wave Demon King, Three Origins Dragon Lord, Elder Jia, Lady Ice Mist, and my humble uncle, the Daoist Gu. The Discussions Hall consists of 49 representatives from across the cultivation world, each one a figure of widely recognized authority and respect.”

Li Xun immediately understood: “Lady Qixia” was the Demon Phoenix.

The Sea Wave Demon King was the ancient Kunpeng demon; Three Origins Dragon Lord was the Three-Headed Flood Serpent; Elder Jia belonged to the Ten Current-Reversed Demons; and Lady Ice Mist, she was none other than the so-called Ice Witch, long known to the righteous path.

Add in the reclusive Jade Wanderer, and the six split evenly: three humans, three demons. A perfect balance.

Brilliant.

With this structure, the rogue cultivators and demons gathered in the North Pole were no longer just pawns on the battlefield. They were now recognized decision-makers, actively shaping the direction of the Alliance itself.

And under this banner of “collective consensus,” every decision issued was framed as the result of shared wisdom and deliberation. Who, then, could accuse them of acting with hidden agendas?

That being the case, managing the balance of interests between all parties became a critical issue.

Li Xun figured that within the so-called “Six Ruling Councilors,” Jade Wanderer, the Demon Phoenix, and the ancient Kunpeng demon were all unquestionable top-tier figures—peerless grandmasters who had reached the True One at least a thousand years ago.

In comparison, the Three-Headed Flood Serpent, Elder Jia, and the Ice Witch clearly ranked a level below. In terms of raw power, they couldn’t even match someone like Qing Luan, who wasn’t even among the Six.

So why was Qing Luan left out?

It was obviously a quiet compromise. If three of the six had all belonged to Jade Wanderer’s faction, then there’d be no point holding votes at all; the so-called “Ruling Council” would just be a front.

Even so, given the current lineup, the Demon Phoenix and Jade Wanderer were basically on the same team. That gave them a numerical advantage. All they needed was one more cooperative vote, and they'd have an unshakable position in the council.

Of course, that kind of alignment could just as easily spark suspicion and push the others to band together against them.

Still, with Jade Wanderer’s foresight, could he really have failed to prepare for that?

If Li Xun could see it, then surely people like Qingming and the others had already thought of it too.

Li Douliang gave a dry smile and said, not without a hint of sarcasm, “So what you’re saying is, all those skirmishes between our sides recently; those were joint decisions by your side?”

“Sect Master Li,” Gu Yin replied calmly, “I’m only standing in for the Alliance temporarily, here to negotiate. As for those recent events, they were done out of respect for my uncle... so perhaps it's best if we skip calling it ‘your side.’”

With just a few light words, she casually distanced the Miaohua Sect from the matter.

Then she smiled again. “But as for your question about whether those actions were ‘unanimous decisions,’ that does deserve a bit of clarification.”

“These past few days of conflict did mostly start on the Alliance’s side; that much is true. The decisions were approved through both the Ruling Council and the Discussions Hall. But to say they were unanimous? Not quite.

“As far as I know, when the Alliance was first formed, the pro-war faction definitely held the majority. But after these latest clashes... isn’t it the peace faction that’s gained the upper hand?”

What sounded simple on the surface carried far deeper meaning.

To Li Xun, the message was clear: If not for those battles, how else would the warmongers have been wiped out?

There was no mistaking it. This had been an internal purge within the Rogue Cultivators' Alliance.

And through that purge, this massive, well-resourced machine had begun stripping away those factions that no longer served its interests. It was consolidating from the inside out.

Once that consolidation was complete, or even just temporarily stabilized, the energy it could unleash on the Tongxuan Realm would be absolutely devastating.

Unfortunately, everyone present had unknowingly played the role of a "miraculous healer," cutting away the very tumor that had been holding the other side back.

And now, how could they possibly stop what was coming?

Gu Yin hadn’t spoken a single threatening word. But the implication behind every line she delivered was steeped in quiet menace. By the time she fell silent, every face in the hall had turned grim.

....

Two chapters today, since it feels like the right time for it.

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