Feng Miaojun’s eyes widened in disbelief: “I thought you had overwhelming power at court, but it turns out you still have adversaries!”

“How could I not have adversaries?” He smiled sardonically.

That word “could” gave her much to ponder.

He continued: “Did you think Yun Kai could dominate everything in Wei Kingdom? Even though he’s become sickly from divining heavenly secrets for Great Wei, there are still many who can’t stand him, competing to submit memorials against him.”

She recalled Yun Kai’s pale complexion, his occasional light coughs, and how Young Master Yan had specifically sent him back to the capital. So, that fellow truly was ill?

She felt somewhat uncomfortable as if something was deeply incongruous.

Wait, could he have some incurable disease? He’d better not drag her down with him!

“What disease does he have?”

“Heart disease. They say it’s beyond the help of medicine and minerals.”

Feng Miaojun’s vision darkened, and she instinctively held her breath. No, no!

Mo Tizhun certainly wouldn’t miss her unsightly expression: “Do you fear him or like him?” This girl always looked as if she’d seen a ghost whenever Yun Kai was mentioned. He had thought she was terrified to the bone of him. Now it seemed that wasn’t the whole story.

“How much longer can he hold on?” She hadn’t lived enough yet—she didn’t want to die!

“He can last a long time.” Mo Tizhun snickered coldly. “The Ao Fish belongs to the dragon lineage, with a life force far stronger than ordinary monsters. After consuming the dragon pearl, his heart disease should be largely cured.”

Yun Kai had become even stronger. In this encounter with Yun Kai, he was certain that the dragon pearl had indeed been consumed by his opponent, leading to his increase in strength.

“Oh—” That’s good, she sighed in relief. Perhaps because she had suffered from severe illness in her previous life, enduring the torment of disease, she felt some sympathy for Yun Kai’s similar condition.

“You care whether he lives or dies?” Mo Tizhun looked at her strangely. “Aren’t you a survivor of the fallen An Xia Kingdom?”

“Who told him to be so handsome?” She randomly made something up. “Admiring beauty and detesting ugliness, isn’t that human nature? It has nothing to do with my identity or my stance.”

Mo Tizhun nodded in agreement: “That makes sense. All the survivors of fallen Kingdoms I’ve met have been blinded by hatred. That you can see this point is no small achievement.”

Feng Miaojun touched her nose sheepishly. Who knew that pretending to be boy-crazy could earn praise? She heard Mo Tizhun immediately change the subject: “Little girl, you’re quite shallow. Do you know how old he is?”

“I don’t know.” She estimated, “Eighteen, or nineteen?”

He laughed loudly: “Then how old do you think I am?”

Guessing ages was something she generally avoided—it was particularly easy to offend people. Feng Miaojun still needed his help, so she had to guess younger: “Th-thirty?” After Mo Tizhun had shaved off his beard, it seemed he had also removed the weathered look from his face, appearing twenty years younger all at once, leaving only the steadiness of a mature man. Besides, his original features were quite handsome, with strong lines and a resolute profile.

The corner of his mouth twitched: “My great-grandson is older than you. He just completed his capping ceremony this year.”

Great-grandson? Now she was genuinely shocked. Counting from Mo Tizhun, who was already the fourth generation and his great-grandson had already turned twenty. This meant he was at least seventy years old, most likely approaching his eighties or nineties!

While nearly a century old, he now looked no more than thirty-something.

Even in her shock, she remembered her manners: “Old man… ahem, I mean, sir, then how old is Yun Kai?”

Mo Tizhun was satisfied with her dumbfounded reaction: “How would I know? His origins are a mystery, so his age is likewise a mystery. However, human lifespans aren’t what they used to be, and we can’t escape this fate either.” By the end, he let out a light sigh.

“Before, what was it like?”

“Before the Haoli Empire, spiritual energy was abundant in the human realm. People could easily live three to five hundred years without cultivating or maintaining their youthful appearance. Now—” He shook his head, “Even those like us can barely exceed two hundred years.”

But Feng Miaojun’s eyes widened in surprise. Being able to live two hundred years while maintaining youth and vitality was already inconceivable, wasn’t it? These people’s expectations were truly high. She would be satisfied just to live longer and not die prematurely.

“Back to the point.” Mo Tizhun cleared his throat, pulling the digressing conversation back to the main topic. “If you want to enter Smoke Sea Tower to read books, you need to be connected to me by blood or marriage. Regardless of your purpose, you will inevitably be drawn into some of Great Jin’s entanglements. Can you calculate the benefits and drawbacks?”

She leaned forward slightly: “Your adversary—is their power great?”

His eyes didn’t even blink: “Not small.”

Indeed. The true opponent of a behemoth would likely be another behemoth.

Reflecting on Mo Tizhun’s earlier words, the other party had been able to turn his disciples against him, which already showed they were no easy adversary. That faction probably understood clearly that if they couldn’t take Mo Tizhun’s life while he was injured, they would face the Grand Preceptor’s storm of revenge afterward. So Mo Tizhun’s days over the past few days must have been quite difficult.

This pent-up resentment and anger would inevitably be released upon his return. If she went back to the country with Mo Tizhun, there would immediately be a show to watch. In such critical moments, appearing as a new face beside the Grand Preceptor would certainly attract attention from various parties.

Feng Miaojun was merely a powerless survivor of a fallen Kingdom. Could she bear such attention?

She didn’t hesitate, nodding: “I want to enter Smoke Sea Tower.”

Judging by Yun Kai’s appearance, he was someone who attracted hatred. Even Mo Tizhun had nearly been schemed to death. How could she hope that Yun Kai would safely live to two hundred? Her own life—she wanted to control it herself.

This time, she wasn’t seeking modest wealth and security, but to truly take control of her destiny.

If she failed before succeeding, she would accept it. As for Yun Kai, she would inconvenience him to accompany her in death.

She thought miserably, that having a stunningly handsome man die with her would be quite glorious, in a way.

“Good.” Mo Tizhun was equally concise. He had analyzed all the pros and cons for her to hear, something he had never done for outsiders before. If she was determined to proceed, he wouldn’t stop her. That left only one final question:

“Who exactly are you?” Mo Tizhun’s gaze was profound. “You are not an ordinary survivor of An Xia.” She had loyal guards by her side and possessed a calm mind with excellent decision-making abilities. Although extraordinary individuals could hide among common people, he was more inclined to believe she had once had an illustrious background.

Dragon gives birth to dragon, phoenix gives birth to phoenix, and a rat’s child can only dig holes—this saying was not without reason.

The Grand Preceptor Mo would certainly not bring a person of unclear background back to the Jin Kingdom. Even if he didn’t investigate, he couldn’t guarantee others wouldn’t. So Feng Miaojun had long considered this question, and now spoke naturally: “Of course not.”

Under Mo Tizhun’s gaze, she said word by word: “I am Princess Changle.” Since she had decided to go to Jin Kingdom and seek Mo Tizhun’s protection, she first needed to gain his trust.

Mo Tizhun was suddenly moved, staring at her intently for a long time before saying: “On the day An Xia fell, the queen embraced her daughter and drank poison.”