As soon as Lin Qi arrived in Bingcheng, he sensed that there were dozens of Nascent Soul cultivators in the city, and even auras stronger than Nascent Soul - those of Mahayana cultivators!

These breaths are not within the Ice City, but outside of it.

Outside the Ice City, mountains and snow stretch as far as the eye can see. What could possibly warrant such a mobilization of cultivators?

Except...the North and South Heavenly Venerables' Mansion.

Realizing this, Lin Qi quickened his pace, skimming past the city of ice and instantly shuttling into its depths.

Lin Qi wore a pitch-black cloak, concealing her cultivation and aura. She also had a false mask on her face.

Even if Lin Guizu were here, she wouldn't recognize Lin Qi.

I do this only because Lin Qi now is dead.

Lin Qi just took the opportunity to see how things were going at the Nanshan and Beishan Heavenly Palaces.

She landed silently, and several cultivators were already seated or standing around her.

These cultivators didn't show any surprise at Lin Qi's arrival.

It is apparent that quite a few cultivators from various places have gathered here in recent days.

Lin Qi had just landed when he was caught by the attention of a cultivator.

She was a beautiful young female cultivator, with a curvaceous figure and every movement exuding an alluring charm. Yet, she possessed a powerful aura that was captivating.

Therefore, although the female cultivator was beautiful, few dared to covet her, not even daring to cast their eyes upon her casually.

——

Great-aunt's face turned ashen, but thinking of the Lin family's situation, she gritted her teeth and agreed.

"Good!"

On the way back to Huizhu Courtyard, Gong Rong asked Gong Shaojun: “Master, since you knew that the young master's misfortune came from that mother and daughter pair, why not simply eliminate them? Instead, you brought them into the mansion?"

"The Chosen One is not so easily removed! Besides, Xia Qi also needs her as an opponent."

Gong Shaojun carried a person on his back with one hand, his expression calm and indifferent. "I also want to see, who will win between Heaven's Dao and my game of chess?"

So-called "sons of destiny" are nothing but pawns placed on the celestial chessboard by Heaven.

Gong Shaojun didn't care who this pawn was, but she wouldn't allow the Heavenly Dao to involve her little Qi in it.

If it had to be this way, she wouldn't mind taking control of the game.

Gong Rong sighed, just as she was about to offer some comfort, she saw a person standing under the bamboo grove in Zhuyuan.

"Master, it is the master..."

Gong Shaojun's eyes were still as calm as water, and he stepped forward to meet her.

Lin Ju's face was as radiant as jade. Besides her complexion being a little too pale, she was indeed a striking figure.

The moment Lin Jian saw Gong Shaojun, his eyes instantly turned red. There was hatred and confusion in his gaze: "Gong Shaojun, you are so cunning! You manipulated me and the Lin family like puppets. What is your purpose in doing this?"

"Since you have already become a Yuan Ying cultivator, what is there in the Lin family that you can't decide? Why are you so painstaking to set a trap for me… Now I not only owe AYA and her daughter, but also Xia Qi. You are really cruel!"

Gong Shaojun's eyes fell on Lin Jian, revealing a hint of pity.

"I did calculate you, but... so what?" She slowly adjusted her sleeves and asked calmly, "Did your aunt listen to your explanation? How much did she believe you?"

Lin Ju's face was ashen.

He and Chu Ya were childhood sweethearts, but fate intervened, separating the two. He then married Gong Shaojun as arranged by his family.

Who knew that since the birth of Lin Qi, Gong Shaojun's personality had drastically changed. He no longer cared for his child or family matters, completely immersing himself in cultivation.

Lin Jue's personality is weak, and he can't bear the weight of being the head of the Lin family. During a time of oppression and depression, he reunites with his childhood sweetheart.

After a night of heavy drinking, everything that was supposed to happen happened.

When Lin Ju was shocked, she immediately confessed to Gong Shaojun and sought his help in finding a solution.

Gong Shaojun comforted him at the time: "You and I will pretend that this never happened. Give her some money to settle down, it's also a compensation for her."

Lin Jue was both grateful and guilty at that time.

After sending Chu Ya off and settling her, I never went to see her again.

Who knew that four years later, Chu Ya would suddenly come to him with a daughter, begging him to take them in.

Lin Jue naturally refused, but she couldn't resist the pleas of Chu Ya and her daughter, so she could only once again ask for help from Gong Shaojun.

Who knew that Gong Shaojun not only didn't get angry, but comforted Lin Jian afterwards, letting him boldly bring the mother and daughter into the manor.

As soon as he stepped into the Lin family gate with Chu Ya and her daughter, they were taken to the ancestral hall and onto the black iron tablet...

Not until Gong Shaojun proposed to abolish Lin Jian's status and appoint Lin Qi as the new head of the family did he suddenly realize, this whole thing had been a conspiracy from the beginning.

How could Chu Ya and her daughter, who are not cultivators, safely travel across a continent to reach the desolate city?

Gong Shaojun's two statements, were they prepared in advance to deal with all this?

Thinking deeper, could there have been human factors involved in that hazy and confusing accident back then?

Lin Jue dared not dwell on it, he just couldn't understand: "If you wanted to support Xiao Qi as the head, you could have simply told me and I would have willingly stepped down. Why go through such a complicated scheme?"

Gong Shaojun looked at him quietly, his thin lips lightly parted: "Because I don't trust you, nor do I trust Grandma and the Lin family. The head of the family position that was given to me can also be easily given up."

For Lord Guimeng, only by holding onto these people's weaknesses and suppressing their greed could he forever guarantee Lin Qi's position.

She will eventually leave the Cangwu Realm. Before she leaves, she wants to ensure Lin Qi's safety and happiness for a lifetime.

I never expected to accidentally uncover Lin Qi's life trajectory. Now, everything needs to be reconsidered.

She looked at Gōngróng expressionlessly and ordered, "Take the head of the family back to his room!"

Lin Ju tried to block Gong Shaojun's path, angrily asking, "Aren't you afraid that Xia Qi will resent you after she finds out about all of this?!"

Only then did he remember that Lin Qi was an idiot, someone who would never harbor feelings of resentment in this lifetime.

Palace Shaojun's normally calm and placid eyes grew colder by a few degrees.

Lin Jue's eyes were red. "I understand you want to protect Xiao Qi, but I can never forgive your scheming. Gong Shaojun, you are truly terrifying!"

Lin Jue turned and left Zhúyuàn without looking back.

"Master..." Palace Rong trembled with fear.

Gong Shaojun calmly said, "It's time to depart."

……

Although Lin Qi's spiritual essence has returned and her brain functions normally, perhaps due to her encounter with the earth spirit, she always reacts a beat slower.

Even though I've already thought about what to say, I still have to hold it in for half a minute before opening my mouth.

After learning this, Gong Shaojun remained silent for a long time before saying: "One may not know if losing a horse is not a blessing."

Lin Qi waited half a day before opening her mouth to ask, "Mother, what do you mean?"

Gong Shaojun tapped her brow with his slender fingers like thinly sliced onions: "You'll know later."

A thick, spiritual energy was injected into Lin Qi's body.

She shivered involuntarily, and when she came to her senses, she found herself and her mother hovering above a cloud.

Gong Shaojun moved his feet, shuttling between the clouds, brushing past the flashing lightning.

Lin Qi was terrified.