A’na Ri stood in place, as if even the most beautiful scenery could no longer enter her eyes. Her heart was completely filled with what Tianji Zi had just said, replaying over and over in her ears.

After people with the same fate pattern meet, it becomes uncertain who will steal whose fortune?

No wonder the relationship between her and Si Qin had been so tense lately. She could already feel the growing distance between herself and Si Qin.

But who was she? How could her status compare to Qin Yining’s?

Fortune?

She didn’t believe that dead people could have fortune!

Tianji Zi stood beside her with a smile, and only after a long while did she smile and say: “Khan?”

A’na Ri came back to her senses and smiled: “Thank you for your guidance today, Master.”

Tianji Zi solemnly bowed to A’na Ri and said gently: “The Khan need not thank me—this poor Taoist is truly humbled. The Khan is heaven’s chosen child with extraordinary fortune, destined for great achievements. Everything now is merely a small detour on your path to success. You need only step over it. The Khan is not a creature of the pond and need not let irrelevant people and matters obstruct your steps.”

A’na Ri felt warmth in her heart and said with emotion: “Thank you, Master. This Khan knows that I am the irreplaceable ruler of the Tatars. This Khan shoulders the safety of the entire Tatar nation. A small stone—just kick it aside.”

“The Khan’s great ambitions truly earn this poor Taoist’s admiration.” Tianji Zi smiled.

The two strolled leisurely while chatting about various things. In just a moment, A’na Ri said she still had state affairs to handle and took her leave first.

Only after A’na Ri had left and there were no others around did Mu Jinghu frown at Tianji Zi and say: “Master Uncle, what did you mean by those words just now? Speaking like that will make the Khan hate the Qin woman!”

Hearing this, Tianji Zi yawned and used her finger to wipe away a bit of moisture that had welled up in the corner of her eye from yawning, saying lazily: “I know you have a good relationship with Pang Zhixi, and you once helped him and protected his wife. But your help wasn’t out of sentiment—it was because you owed him once. After helping, you no longer owe them anything. Your task now is to protect me. Why do you ask so many unnecessary questions? Don’t tell me you’ve gone soft and want to help the Qin woman escape?”

Mu Jinghu pursed his lips as he stood beside Tianji Zi, his lips moving for a long time before saying: “I have never disobeyed Master Uncle’s instructions. It’s just that Pang Zhixi and I are friends. Though my previous help began because I owed him once, it wasn’t solely because of that debt—otherwise it wouldn’t have been friends helping but a transaction.”

Tianji Zi glanced sideways at Mu Jinghu and said slowly: “I thought you were just an obedient wooden block—even Pang Zhixi calls you Mutou. I never expected you to be so sentimental.”

Mu Jinghu pressed his lips tightly together and lowered his head, unsure how to respond for a moment.

Tianji Zi slowly walked up to Mu Jinghu and suddenly said coldly: “Remember, you know what to call me. You are a member of the sect. If your actions go against my wishes, that would be betrayal of the sect.”

Mu Jinghu looked down at Tianji Zi and slowly nodded.

Tianji Zi continued: “I’ve calculated your fate. If you obediently stay by my side, I can guarantee your safety. I’m keeping you here not just for my own sake. Both publicly and privately, you must obey. Do you understand?”

Mu Jinghu’s lips moved, but ultimately he said nothing.

Tianji Zi asked seriously again: “Do you remember my words?”

After a long while, Mu Jinghu finally nodded: “Master Uncle, I remember your words. It’s just that regarding the Qin woman…”

“Are you afraid that if she dies, Pang Zhixi won’t be able to bear it?”

Mu Jinghu said nothing.

Tianji Zi paced with her hands behind her back, made hand seals, and calculated for a moment before smiling slightly: “Do you wish to see the world unified, all people content, and a prosperous golden age? At that time, the common people would live and work in peace, with no more wars and no more hunger or cold. Then the world wouldn’t need to distinguish between your country and my country, because whether Tatar, Great Zhou, or Southern Yan, the ruler would be the same person. Do you look forward to such a golden age?”

As if attracted by the blueprint Tianji Zi painted, Mu Jinghu looked at her with longing: “Naturally I hope for such a world to come. All the people under heaven surely hope for this. But Master Uncle, what connection do your actions have with this golden age you speak of?”

“Naturally there’s a connection. Everything I do is to set things right. With the Seven Kills star ascending and the Purple Forbidden Emperor Star subordinated, if the Heavenly Dao is not proven, the chaotic times will never end. What I’ve always been doing is working to restore the golden age, to ensure at least a hundred years of peace.”

“Master Uncle, you’re saying the Great Zhou Dynasty… You talk about helping some Purple Forbidden Emperor Star set things right, but all I see is you stirring up trouble everywhere, creating chaos, and inciting unrest between nations.”

“You follow me every day yet don’t understand what I’m doing—how much less would the people of this world understand?” Tianji Zi stood with hands behind her back, smiling and sighing: “On the road to achieving this golden age, all the mountains of corpses and seas of blood are merely foundation stones, and all sacrifices are worthwhile. Otherwise, what meaning would there be in living a lifetime?”

Looking at Tianji Zi’s back, Mu Jinghu ultimately didn’t voice his many questions. Because he knew that even if he asked, Tianji Zi wouldn’t answer.

Mu Jinghu had always respected the sect and obeyed Tianji Zi completely, but his heart was also concerned about his friendship with Pang Xiao. There was no reason for him to remain completely unmoved while watching his friend’s wife fall into such distress.

Mu Jinghu found himself caught in a dilemma.

Meanwhile, when Qin Yining returned to the palace, she was suddenly placed under strict surveillance by two additional old nannies. Except for summons from the Khan, she wasn’t allowed out at any other time, nor was she permitted to see anyone.

Qin Yining had the self-awareness of a prisoner, so when they wouldn’t let her out, she simply didn’t go out.

But when Lu Heng came to see her several times and was forcibly blocked by the guards outside, he became increasingly anxious and worried. Unable to see her, he had no idea how Qin Yining was faring. If she had been bullied, injured, or fallen ill, given A’na Ri’s temperament, Qin Yining might be doomed.

When they wouldn’t let him through the door, Lu Heng spoke through the barrier: “Princess, are you well? This is Lu Heng, here specifically to check on you.”

Qin Yining was in the inner room and had actually heard Lu Heng’s voice several times before. But each time Lu Heng spoke in Tatar so rapidly that she could tell he was arguing with someone, yet she couldn’t interject.

This time Lu Heng used the language she was familiar with, so Qin Yining immediately got up, walked around the screen, and replied: “I am well in all respects. Thank you for your concern, Second Master Lu.”

Hearing some weakness in her voice, Lu Heng sighed: “Just hold on a bit longer. I’ll find a way to rescue you and lift your confinement.”

Just as he finished speaking, A’na Ri’s sarcastic voice came from behind him: “Not bad—even locked up, she still has the ability to seduce people.”