Chapter 33:

After Xue Ying returned from delivering the message, Du Yizhou was contemplating how to stage the act. The reasoning was, “Previously, the Taichu Sect and the East Sea Dragon Clan were at loggerheads, but now they’ve suddenly made peace. If you were the Female Marquis, what would you think?”

Xue Ying sighed, “Dirty capitalism. You have no emotions; all you see is money.”

Ignoring Xue Ying’s nonsensical ramblings, Du Yizhou continued his analysis, “Since the Dark Lord was captured, she must be on high alert. Right now, with both sides at each other’s throats, it’s actually to her advantage.”

Originally, the Dragon Clan had nothing to do with this, but they stubbornly refused to let go of the Five-Colored Divine Feather. The Taichu Sect had no choice but to make concessions. Besides, Xue Ying was right about one thing—the Female Marquis was no match for the Taichu Sect. Rather than letting her go back and call for reinforcements, it was better to capture her directly within the Dragon Clan’s territory.

Du Yizhou’s thought was: Why do you Dragon Clan folks always complicate things? The Taichu Sect is dealing with the demon race—what business is it of yours?

Xue Ying was eager to participate, thrilled at the prospect of visiting the East Sea. “What should we do?”

Giving it away for free was out of the question. Everyone would suspect the Taichu Sect and the Dragon Clan were up to something. The best outcome would be for the two sides to clash openly, sever ties, and for the Taichu Sect to withdraw completely while the Dragon Clan successfully took the Five-Colored Divine Feather back.

Du Yizhou simply said, “Troublesome.”

After discussing for a long time, the three decided to draw from past experience and reenact the Taichu Sect’s expulsion of Lin Jiujiu.

This would ensure the Female Marquis had no worries and would confidently attempt to steal the Five-Colored Divine Feather from the Dragon Clan. Then, the Taichu Sect could lie in wait and spring a surprise on her when she appeared.

Wen An suggested, “We need a different script. The whole ‘righteousness of the sect’ trope is getting old.”

Du Yizhou made full use of available resources. “During our last trip to the illusion realm, the Voice of Diting’s ingenious ideas left us in awe.”

The subtext was clear: let the Voice of Diting come up with another one.

Xue Ying wasn’t keen on unleashing the Voice of Diting. That thing never stopped talking, and the envoy of Yunmengze had already shifted from admiration to gossip, showing no respect for sword cultivators.

Her reluctance didn’t mean Du Yizhou would respect her wishes. When it came to the sect’s righteousness, Du Yizhou was ruthless. Exchanging a glance with Wen An, each grabbed one of Xue Ying’s hands and forcibly pulled out Guanhuo.

Xue Ying covered her face in frustration. “…Just you wait.”

Wen An acted swiftly, swapping his sword Guyu with Xue Ying’s Bailu, coaxing her gently, “You can borrow my Guyu for a while.”

Wen An was notoriously possessive of his sword—no one else was allowed to touch Guyu, as he claimed it would be “tainted.” Now that Guyu was in Xue Ying’s hands, she examined it thoroughly from top to bottom.

Wen An’s heart ached. For the sake of the sect’s righteousness, he had sacrificed too much. Unable to bear the sight, he turned away, channeling his sorrow into motivation. “Voice of Diting, Voice of Diting, tell me who the greatest director in the world is.”

The Voice of Diting replied arrogantly, *”Oh, my dear senior brother, I am the greatest director in the world.”*

Setting aside everything else, the Voice of Diting was delighted to be released and immediately pulled out a pre-prepared script. *”She was once the most favored disciple of the Taixuan Sect—loved by her senior brothers, doted on by her master. But then, one day, that man stormed into her heart, stealing all her attention…”*

After reciting the lines, the Voice of Diting added with flair, *”This is the path a sword cultivator should take—surrounded by countless men, her heart shattered into pieces, her sincerity fed to the dogs.”*

The story was simple: as the youngest disciple of the Taixuan Sect, Xue Ying had grown up adored by everyone, but she fell for the unexpected arrival of Yan Zhi. For him, she stole the Five-Colored Divine Feather, wishing only to elope with her beloved, forsaking immortality for love.

It perfectly fit Du Yizhou’s requirements—the Taichu Sect and the Dragon Clan would be at odds, the Five-Colored Divine Feather would fall into the Dragon Clan’s hands, and there would be no threat from Xue Ying and the other sword cultivators.

However, Wen An was dissatisfied with one detail: he suspected the “senior brother” in the story was him. Gentle and devoted—in other words, a doormat, a nice guy, a rebound.

The Voice of Diting added more details. *”Wen An thought to himself: Why am I always cast in these roles? The lovelorn second male lead, giving everything only to end up with nothing. He decided to talk to Du Yizhou about changing the script—perhaps a low-key yet luxurious domineering senior brother.”*

Du Yizhou sneered. “A mere sword cultivator dares to claim luxury?”

The two were itching to settle things with their swords, but with Xue Ying nearby, neither dared to make the first move. The Voice of Diting chimed in, *”Du Yizhou decided to wait until Xue Ying left, then secretly duel Wen An behind her back.”*

Before Du Yizhou could respond, a murderous aura surged from behind. Xue Ying, holding Guyu, smiled sweetly. “How about I help you two loosen up?”

Duelling Wen An was one thing, but doing it behind her back? Did they not consider her one of their own?

The Voice of Diting sighed. *”I really don’t understand why these two younger brothers act up in front of their ‘dad.'”*

Du Yizhou: “…”

Now he understood why Xue Ying hated the Voice of Diting so much.

After beating up her two useless “younger brothers,” Xue Ying left in high spirits. Wen An, nursing a black eye, sat up and broached the real issue. “Xue Ying seems interested in Yan Zhi. If this act becomes reality…”

He feared Xue Ying might not return. The Taixuan Sect would lose its next Sword Immortal, and Wen An would be branded a traitor for eternity—no amount of painting in seclusion could wash away that sin.

Du Yizhou, slumped against the wall half-dead, mocked Wen An. “Now you realize.”

Fresh from Xue Ying’s beating, Wen An lacked the energy to pull Du Yizhou’s hair but still managed a retort. “If she marries into the Dragon Clan, the Taixuan Sect is too poor to afford a dowry. Then it’ll be your Taichu Sect’s problem.”

The Dragon Clan’s prime minister, the scion of the Yan noble family—how could they present her without a grand dowry?

After a moment of silence, Du Yizhou suggested, “Should we call Elder Yuheng?”

Wen An, clutching his “used” Guyu, suppressed his anger. “Call her.”

If she kept acting like this, where would that leave him, the senior brother?

With their strategy set, Du Yizhou could maintain control when facing Yan Zhi the next day—at least he wouldn’t be led around by the nose. When Yan Zhi arrived, however, she was no better off than the troubled Du Yizhou and Wen An.

After Ao Fugui’s shocking remarks the previous day, Yan Zhi had nearly wanted to crack open his skull to see if it was filled with seawater or squid. The “green hat” theory was absurd.

Faced with the carefree Ao Fugui, Yan Zhi could only sigh. “Old habits die hard.”

Your Dragon Clan has peculiar tastes—willing to try anything, take anything.

Unaware of both sides’ distress, the envoy of Yunmengze assumed the Dragon Clan and the Taichu Sect had hit it off. He eagerly spread the news, ensuring all of Yunmengze knew the two former enemies had become lovers.

**Latest News:** The first-ever human-dragon meeting, spearheaded by Taixuan Sect disciple Xue Ying and Dragon Clan Prime Minister Yan Zhi, was officially held yesterday in Yunmengze. This historic meeting marked the first close interaction between the Dragon Clan and the Taichu Sect. Both sides engaged in friendly discussions about Yunmengze’s development. This collaboration signifies the melting of centuries-old barriers and the dawn of a new future.

Let us applaud the successful conclusion of this meeting and express gratitude to Xue Ying and Yan Zhi for their efforts. Without them, this gathering—and the boundless future it heralds—would not have been possible.

Du Yizhou commented, “A perfect beginning.”

The news clearly hinted at a special relationship between Xue Ying and Yan Zhi, lending credibility to the “elopement” theory.

He even gifted the envoy a suona, blaring it from street to street to celebrate—free of charge and full of energy.

The meeting place was the envoy’s garden, but the timing was peculiar: a moonless, pitch-black night, with only Yan Zhi invited. Ao Fugui, who had wanted to tag along, complained, “What’s wrong with the Taichu Sect, choosing this time to meet?”

Still, he was relieved not to face the Taichu Sect—especially Xue Ying. After seeing Yan Zhi off, Ao Fugui rubbed his hands and summoned his shrimp soldiers and crab generals, ready to indulge in the decadent lifestyle of a modern rich heir.

For example, playing *Landlords*.

Meanwhile, when the two sides finally met, Xue Ying greeted Yan Zhi cheerfully. “Prime Minister Yan, we meet again.”

Yan Zhi, still unsettled by Ao Fugui’s “green hat” theory, stiffly nodded and focused on Du Yizhou, reassuming her dignified demeanor as the East Sea’s prime minister—confident and strategic.

“Has the Taichu Sect invited me here because you’ve found a solution?”

There was a reason Ao Fugui wasn’t invited—he was the Female Marquis’s suitor. Who knew if he might suddenly switch sides and gift the Five-Colored Divine Feather to her? Then it wouldn’t be “forsaking immortality for love” but “tearing lovers apart.”

Du Yizhou nodded. “Indeed. To be frank, the Taichu Sect has no interest in the Five-Colored Divine Feather itself, but it’s tied to another matter…”

He explained the situation with the Female Marquis. After hearing it, Yan Zhi declared righteously, “For the peace of the four realms, I am willing to assist.”

As she spoke, her mind was already calculating. If she helped Ao Fugui capture the Female Marquis and eliminate a threat to the Daoist realm, it would greatly enhance his reputation.

Those who achieve great things don’t sweat the small stuff. Later, people would praise Ao Fugui for sacrificing love for righteousness. A dramatic “wait for me outside the prison in eighteen years” could even earn him a reputation for devotion.

Enough to fool a few sentimental girls.

Yan Zhi had it all planned out—anything beneficial to the Dragon Clan and Ao Fugui, she, as his teacher, was willing to do.

Xue Ying was overjoyed. She handed the script to Yan Zhi. “I’m the lead actress. Looking forward to working with you, Prime Minister Yan.”

Yan Zhi took the script and flipped to a page, where a few lines stood out:

*”She couldn’t help but chase after that man’s figure. Facing her senior brother’s furious questioning, she tearfully said, ‘I just want to stay by his side. If he finds someone else, I’ll step aside.'”*

*”‘If you truly love me, why can’t you love this part of me too?'”*

Yan Zhi felt a sense of foreboding. “May I ask who this ‘him’ is…?”

Xue Ying batted her eyelashes and recited the lines. “I envy the women around him—they can share poetry and romance with him. Unlike me, a shabby sword cultivator who can’t even recite poetry, embarrassing him.”

She finished with an expectant look. “How was my delivery?”

Yan Zhi: “…”