---

Chapter 117: Hidden Lines

According to reports from the secret organization under her command, that silly Princess had already slipped out of the house with her guards much earlier, heading off on some “adventure” in Yangyuan County described by that Spirit Miss. So after confirming the divination calculations from Wenfu, all Hen needed to do was give a little push from behind.

She secretly ordered Wenfu to release the information about the Qilin’s appearance and to invite heroes from all over the world to jointly investigate the Tidal Gorge.

In truth, Hen didn’t really expect those so-called heroes to accomplish much; her goal was simply to let Yuan Zhi, who had already arrived in Yangyuan County, hear about this news, nothing more.

From her observations and understanding of that Princess, once the matter concerning the Qilin reached her ears, it would undoubtedly spark a great curiosity within her. The West Sacred Beast was the very foundation of the West Yuan Spiritual Kingdom, and as the descendant of the Spirit Saint, Yuan Zhi would surely go to great lengths to prove that she was not just a decorative vase, wanting to be involved in this affair.

To this end, Hen intentionally mentioned vaguely in her letter that a noble closely related to the Qilin would soon come to handle this matter, instructing Prefect Wenfu to pay attention but not to draw too much attention to it and simply pretend ignorance.

As long as Yuan Zhi entered the Tidal Gorge and caught the Qilin’s notice, Hen’s objective would be fulfilled.

Regardless of how things would unfold, this disaster related to Ya Zi would ultimately have to be temporarily quelled. As for whether it could be perfectly resolved…

Hen wasn’t a deity; at least for now, her primary goal was to do everything she could to avoid and minimize the impact of the disaster.

However, she also noticed another piece of information provided by Wenfu.

The golden light that shot into the sky and illuminated Yangyuan County—Hen found no relevant descriptions in the memories revived in her body. However, if it was something extraordinarily important, the divination should not have neglected to mention it.

There were only two possible explanations.

First, it was a mere coincidence, and the event and its creator would not bring any impact or disaster to the Ancient Spirit Realm, hence it could be ignored.

But frankly speaking, this possibility was relatively low.

If it were just a small-scale disturbance, Wenfu would never have linked it with the Qilin’s appearance. Moreover, given that Yangyuan County was already a place of great turmoil, whether it was the extreme chaos unveiling the great world order or the Qilin in the Tidal Gorge, once these events were influenced by external forces, they could easily evolve into situations even Hen could not predict.

Thus, the Spirit Princess preferred to believe in the other possibility.

—This event had already surpassed the calculation range of the divination.

Perhaps… the destined person was in Yangyuan County and might even participate in the unrest under the Tidal Gorge.

Emotionally, Hen had thought about directly meeting this person, but she knew that was not truly feasible.

Since leaving the capital, the long-prepared plan had officially commenced. Those lurking in the shadows, aiming to overturn the world order, had already bitten the bait she cast. It was likely they would leap into action before she even reached Yangyuan County.

Besides, the information about the destined person being in Yangyuan County was merely her conjecture. If acting hastily led to greater changes, it would be counterproductive.

After serious consideration, she decided to stick to the original plan and not rush to seek out the identity-unknown and completely blank information on the destined person, but instead head first to the place where they would surely arrive and wait for them.

The Spirit Princess proceeded with the initially planned course, successively dispatching several waves of elite Ling Wei Army cavalry along the way, deliberately creating a grand spectacle known to all, using the excuse of supporting the Tidal Gorge while subtly reducing her visible forces around her to lure out certain individuals.

Such a twofold measure quickly bore results.

When the patrol team was still several hundred miles away from Yangyuan City, the long-predicted upheaval that could not be avoided in the divination—the dragon’s turning—came as expected. This was the sign that the other side would soon make their move on her.

Sure enough, within a day, the Spirit Princess’s patrol team was heavily assaulted by unknown assailants.

Yet Hen was well-prepared; taking the opportunity, she slipped away from everyone’s sight and, with her cultivated hidden forces’ assistance, executed her escape to the already contacted Cangyun Mountain’s Peach Blossom Peak. Here, she would find refuge while also addressing another disaster that was about to unfold.

However, there was a small unforeseen issue during this process.

Knowing she would not return, Hen originally planned to leave her sworn sister, He Zhu, who served as her maid beside her, within the main forces for safety. Yet, it seemed He Zhu had sensed something too, insisting on following her no matter what.

In the urgency of the situation, with He Zhu’s identity being somewhat special, Hen reluctantly brought her along and took the chance during the chaotic attack to hide her when she was knocked unconscious, to prevent her from being killed or captured by those furious thieves.

Yet this slight deviation exposed her location, allowing the later-arriving Vilyric and others to track Hen’s whereabouts and chase after her.

“So… you really didn’t expect to meet me here?”

After hearing the general situation, Miss Vilyric instantly grasped the implied meaning behind the words of the Spirit Princess.

Hen shook her head, but her gaze remained fixated on a certain part of the body belonging to the [Taotie].

“I had some anticipation, but couldn’t completely foresee.”

“What do you mean?”

The silver-haired girl turned back, a smirk forming on her lips. Although her eyes remained as calm as a deep well, they reflected a hint of unnoticeable ease.

“I mentioned before, I couldn’t find the destined person, so I had to wait here.”

“Cangyun Mountain’s Peach Blossom Peak, this is a crucial place. The destined person will inevitably come to Cangyun Mountain. They will definitely enter the Chaotic Great Secret Realm. Among the Ancient Spirit Realm, this is the only place they will surely step foot in, hence… I’m waiting for you here.”

“…Why?”

“I’m not sure; it’s what the divination told me.”

Frowning slightly, Vilyric, unsatisfied with the answer, continued.

“Did the divination tell you anything else regarding this so-called destined person?”

The Spirit Princess silently shook her head.

“I only know that you are very important, extremely important.”

“Alright… but I have a few more questions.”

“Please go ahead.”

After a moment’s thought, the Priestess presented a point that seemed to have been deliberately omitted in the earlier descriptions, almost waiting for her to uncover.

“Why not tell the West Sacred Lord the detailed situation? Is it that even he, sitting at the pinnacle of a nation, cannot assist you, or does he not have your trust?”

To this, Hen remained noncommittal.

“The Spirit Princess is of the Ancient Spirit Realm, but the Sacred Lord is the Sacred Lord of the West Yuan Spirit Kingdom. Regardless of his personal character, that identity will not change.”

“What if it were Lingyin Fairy Island?”

“I would not hesitate to seek their help, but you know, I couldn’t connect with them at that time.”

“Is that so…?”

Ending what seemed a bit cryptic yet mutually understood conversation, Vilyric continued.

“What’s the relationship between Saint Peach Blossom and the [God Fox]?”

“Oh?”

The silver-haired girl’s beautiful eyebrows slightly raised, revealing mild surprise.

“How did you figure that out?”

Had it been anyone else, Vilyric probably would have retorted, “I’m the one asking you,” but since she confirmed Hen was indeed Hen, even if not the exact Hen she was searching for, the girl couldn’t help but feel a sense of camaraderie.

She calmly replied.

“The one who sealed [Taotie] is [God Fox], and guarding the entrance to the secret realm is Saint Peach Blossom. The latter possesses almost peak powers just under that of a deity, which in itself speaks volumes.”

“Furthermore, she carries a strong causal connection similar to Ya Zi. Though the forms differ, I suspect only beings with a direct relation to [Gods] are subject to such deep influence.”

“This curse seemingly born of [Destruction] can cling like a parasite, silently spreading to close relations over time, from father to son, son to grandson. That former [Nine-Pattern Earth Spirit Great Saint] may have met his demise due to this.”

“Thus, Saint Peach Blossom rarely leaves her residence and resolutely avoids most outsiders. I believe it’s not out of exclusivity, but perhaps out of a desire not to harm innocent beings…”

The Priestess smiled faintly.

“Of course, this is all my speculation; I wonder how much of it is accurate?”