Before Meng Wanyue had fully mastered the instant sealing technique, Xuanyuan Lige was, to her, nothing less than a priceless treasure — one she naturally intended to keep well cared for.

If she could draw sufficient power from Xuanyuan Lige’s body, her sealing technique would gain an overwhelming advantage over Meng Duo’er’s.

Meng Wanyue also knew Xuanyuan Lige was no fool — this man’s intelligence was in no way inferior to her own son’s — so she had to be all the more careful.

Aside from the secret of the Five-Element seal, Meng Wanyue’s whispered explanation revealed almost her entire plan to Xuanyuan Lige.

Xuanyuan Lige listened with an expressionless face, his deep, composed eyes revealing nothing but stillness — no one could see through his gaze, could fathom his true heart.

Once Meng Wanyue had smugly finished laying out her entire plan, he finally spoke flatly. “So we’ve already left the Longyuan mainland?”

“We’re at the sea cliffs — once the ship arrives, we can head straight for Nanzhao!” Meng Wanyue said with a smile.

Xuanyuan Lige only nodded, saying nothing further.

Meng Wanyue’s plan was, in her mind, quite flawless — she intended to use the Nanzhao royal house to restrain Jun Beiyue, using the opportunity to strike at Han Ziqing.

Indeed, to compete with Jun Beiyue — whether through open military confrontation, single combat, or underhanded schemes — the only place with any real chance of victory was on Nanzhao’s own soil, the one territory that lay entirely outside Jun Beiyue’s sphere of influence!

Xuanyuan Lige glanced at Meng Wanyue, coldly smiling to himself inwardly. If Meng Wanyue could have heard that laugh, she surely would have felt a chill run down her spine.

Meng Wanyue, so proud of her own cleverness, had never once stopped to wonder — Xuanyuan Lige knew so much about the secrets of the isolated island, so why had he never once used this secret to threaten Jun Beiyue with it?

Precisely because it was his greatest, most inviolable taboo!

And, without question, Meng Wanyue had touched upon that very taboo today!

Xuanyuan Lige walked slowly to the mouth of the cave, gazing out at the boundless sea stretching to the horizon, his handsome, sculpted face gradually darkening with malice.

He was still far too weak right now — he had no idea what exactly had happened to his body, what exactly had happened to the Five-Element seal, so he couldn’t make his move just yet!

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have let Meng Wanyue step even half a foot outside this cave!

As he pondered this, he saw, not far off on the sea’s surface, a ship bearing the Meng clan’s emblem slowly approaching.

“Heh heh, the ship’s here,” Meng Wanyue said with delight. “I’d wager they’re currently on their way to the Meng clan.”

“Where are we going?” Xuanyuan Lige asked in return.

Meng Wanyue only smiled mysteriously. “To the liveliest place of all. Once we get there, you’ll understand.”

Yet, who would have guessed — Xuanyuan Lige asked flatly, “The Jade Water Nectar Heavenly Lake?”

At this, Meng Wanyue was visibly startled. “You know about it?”

“The Beast Clan’s leadership succession — there’s bound to be a grand ceremony at the Jade Water Nectar Heavenly Lake,” Xuanyuan Lige said. When it came to happenings within Nanzhao, Meng Wanyue certainly knew no more than he did!

This woman, of all places she could have chosen, had picked Nanzhao of all places — one could only say she was courting death.

Meng Wanyue laughed. “No wonder my son keeps you in mind as a worthy rival!”

With that, ignoring Xuanyuan Lige’s suddenly darkened gaze, she grabbed hold of him and leapt down.

Xuanyuan Lige tried to break free, only to discover his internal energy had dropped to less than thirty percent of its full strength. His heart lurched in shock, his gaze sweeping over Meng Wanyue, yet he remained outwardly composed.

He knew — this woman had surely tampered with him somehow!

Before long, the two figures landed on the Meng clan’s great ship. The grand ceremony at the Jade Water Nectar Heavenly Lake had also sent an invitation to the Meng clan’s Nanzhao branch, and bearing the Meng clan’s name, Meng Wanyue could come and go freely.

Meanwhile, Yu Xiaomeng and Baili Xiaosheng — no, Mi’er — were still on the road, hurrying toward the coast.

Baili Weisheng perched high in a tree, gazing off into the distance at the receding carriage, his handsome brows furrowed tight.

“Could it really be Nanzhao? Have they already put out to sea?” he murmured to himself.

Jun Beiyue had sent word just yesterday that Yingzi had already reached the Meng clan, only to find the entire clan deserted — not only had the Meng clan people vanished, but even the shadow guards Jun Beiyue had stationed there were nowhere to be found!

Meng Wanyue alone could never possibly have accomplished something this silent, this thorough, all on her own.

There was no doubt about it — Xuanyuan Lige had a hand in this! To be precise, the moment Xuanyuan Lige had rescued Meng Wanyue, he’d already seized control of the Meng clan. That earlier false message from the Meng clan hadn’t come from Meng Wanyue at all — it had come from Xuanyuan Lige!

At this thought, Baili Weisheng’s brow furrowed even deeper. He genuinely wanted to crack open Xuanyuan Lige’s skull and see just what exactly was going on inside that head of his!

He’d clearly already seized control of the Meng clan, clearly already joined forces with the Second Young Beast Master — so why was he only ever playing games with Jun Beiyue on the battlefield?

After all, everything he controlled within Nanzhao — whether it was Qinji, or Ziqing’s secret, or the lie the Meng clan had told the Nanzhao royal house about searching for the dead barrier — any single one of these would have been more than enough to utterly destroy Jun Beiyue.

Yet he’d done nothing at all, foolishly throwing himself against Jun Beiyue on the battlefield like an egg against a rock!

Was it a matter of principle?

But everything he’d done to Yelu Qianqian could hardly be called principled at all.

Baili Weisheng was still lost in tangled thought when the carriage before him began pulling further away. He hurriedly gave chase.

But no sooner had he touched down than someone reached out and blocked his path.

Meng Duo’er narrowed her eyes at him, her smile not quite reaching them.

“Where’s my mother?” Baili Weisheng asked in return, not at all surprised by Meng Duo’er’s arrival — after all, this girl was the only one capable of countering Meng Wanyue’s sealing techniques, so of course her assistance would be needed.

But hadn’t they said Lady Jinjiao would be coming too? Why was Meng Duo’er here alone?

“Isn’t it better that she’s not here?” Meng Duo’er asked in return.

She had to admit — around everyone else, especially in front of Lady Jinjiao, being alone with Baili Weisheng made her feel inexplicably uneasy.

Yet when it was just the two of them, she felt far more relaxed, more natural.

Who would have guessed — the moment she said this, Baili Weisheng raised an eyebrow at her, his gaze somewhat suspicious, somewhat surprised, strange enough that it left the previously perfectly natural Meng Duo’er suddenly feeling awkward. Had she said something wrong?

She furrowed her brow too, staring back at Baili Weisheng in suspicion.

Baili Weisheng cleared his throat a few times, averting his gaze, and said only flatly, “Let’s go.”

With that, he turned and walked off, muttering to himself, “A man and woman alone together — what’s so great about that?”

He couldn’t help but recall the price he’d paid for being alone with a woman in some room back in the capital, and a chill ran up the back of his neck.

Meng Duo’er was utterly baffled — was there something wrong with what she’d said? If Lady Jinjiao had come along, she’d have kept trying to push them together nonstop — wasn’t it better without that awkwardness?

Watching Baili Weisheng walk off without a backward glance, she decided not to dwell on it further, shaking her head and hurrying after him.

This was the first time she’d be traveling alongside this man — she hoped things would go smoothly. With everyone on the Meng clan’s main island having vanished, she too was anxious to find her father.

At this thought, Meng Duo’er quickened her pace further. Yet she soon discovered that no matter how fast she went, she simply couldn’t catch up to Baili Weisheng.

He always kept a good ten paces of distance between them!

“Hey, wait for me!” Meng Duo’er called out loudly.

…