I’m Definitely Taking This Power-Fantasy Protagonist Role! Chapter 91

It was still the sudden arrival of Changhua Yuanzun that finally pulled them apart from their sticky situation.

In the reception room on the first floor, three people sat around a table. The bamboo curtain hung down, and as the wind blew outside, a few flower petals were swept in, causing the curtain to sway slightly, and the shadows danced along with it.

"Thanks to you two for the matters concerning the Feng family," Changhua Yuanzun said, emphasizing the "you two," with her main focus on Jiang Baiyu.

She politely picked up her teacup, took a sip, and set it down. "If it weren't for your strong support, the Feng family would have faced great disaster this time."

Jiang Baiyu seemed to realize something. "Could it be that the Feng family is involved with the academy?"

Changhua Yuanzun nodded. "We have a private collaboration; the Feng family has been of great help to me. The imperial court may have discovered some clues and traced them back to the Feng family. Coincidentally, I was preoccupied with other matters at that time and couldn't intervene in time. Feng Chi City has already informed me of the situation. I didn't expect that Ziyang Zhenren would actually come to Quxianze, almost turning the entire area into a ghost domain. Now that the matter has passed, the head of the Feng family still breaks into a cold sweat when talking about it; it was truly perilous."

Jiang Baiyu asked, "Is Ziyang Zhenren really that ruthless?"

Changhua Yuanzun's expression turned solemn. "This tumor has taken root for a long time, with countless lives on his hands. Fortunately, he has never established a sect to spread his teachings; otherwise, it would surely bring even greater disasters to the lower realms."

"Although the Feng family managed to seal off the news in time, Ziyang Zhenren's aggressive emergence from his ghost domain directly headed for Quxianze, alarming the powerful families along the way. His sudden disappearance couldn't have gone unnoticed. The final location was in Quxianze, where the Feng family faced a great calamity, being attacked by both the imperial court's cultivators and Ziyang Zhenren, yet they didn't suffer any significant injuries."

"Even if the news was sealed, everyone knows that this matter is definitely related to the Feng family. The Feng family excels in formations, but even with the strength of their entire clan, they might not be able to match Ziyang Zhenren. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been forced to leave the city to confront him."

"Moreover…" Changhua Yuanzun paused, her gaze serious, "there are many witnesses to the battle with the High Priest's split soul, making it impossible to seal off. A battle where the imperial court's cultivators besieged the Feng family has unexpectedly drawn in two significant figures, causing quite a stir in the outside world."

Jiang Baiyu understood. "The capital has found out?"

Changhua Yuanzun nodded. "The news has leaked; the Human Emperor cannot possibly be unaware. With Ziyang Zhenren's downfall in front of them, and the High Priest's split soul behind, even if there are other intentions, they will have to consider this for the time being. They must first uncover the truth behind Ziyang Zhenren's demise and find out who killed him. If the one who fought the High Priest's split soul is the same person, such a cultivator, regardless of their stance, will inevitably affect the balance."

"I came today to ask for your opinion—are you willing to lend me a hand?"

With the proximity to the water tower, one gets the moon first.

While the outside world was still buzzing about this matter, Changhua Yuanzun already knew who was behind it.

Busy with affairs, she finally found some time today.

Lin Zhao Ren sat up straight, gently rubbing the edge of his teacup with his fingers, drawing circles, his eyes fixed on the water's surface, pretending to be a qualified listener, not intervening or speaking out, leaving the choice entirely in Jiang Baiyu's hands.

"Sure," Jiang Baiyu replied without hesitation.

It was a quick and decisive response, without any hesitation.

A faint smile appeared in Changhua Yuanzun's eyes. "Aren't you going to think it over? The things I plan to do next are fraught with danger."

She was quite confident about the outcome of her recruitment.

Jiang Baiyu said, "No need to think. Earlier, I thought it was just my bad luck to encounter such things while out having fun. Now that I think about it, I realize it’s not that I was unlucky, but that the imperial court has long been riddled with hidden dangers, with rebellious forces continuously rising. It seems there’s no major chaos, but in reality, both sides are consciously suppressing each other, keeping conflicts and frictions within a certain range. Because once war truly begins, it won't be so easy to stop. The Human Emperor sounds incredibly noble, but above him is the Celestial Court, and in essence, he is just a puppet supported by others."

"The Celestial Court can support the Human Emperor to ascend, and they can also support someone else. If they can't suppress the lower realms and let the war spread everywhere, the Celestial Court could very well replace him with another puppet. Just as the lower realms don’t want to provoke the Celestial Court to intervene again, a tacit understanding is reached between them."

"Right now, the situation is like the activity before a volcanic eruption. When the energy accumulates to a certain level, or if there’s a temptation, the long-brewing magma below will erupt."

Jiang Baiyu looked at Changhua Yuanzun and affirmed, "Your journey to the upper realm must have yielded great results."

So much so that the dean had to actively break the tacit understanding and provoke a war.

The timing was ripe.

For him, it was like wanting to take a nap and a pillow fell from the sky.

The High Priest wanted his life, and probably the Human Emperor wanted his life too. Regardless of the High Priest's intentions when sending out the split soul, this grudge had already been formed.

Speaking of the upper realm, Changhua Yuanzun looked deeply at Jiang Baiyu. "The Ancient God Realm has helped me greatly, breaking the deadlock that has trapped me for many years. I will remember this kindness."

Hearing this, Jiang Baiyu wouldn’t really take credit for it. "That mirror has been lying in the Forbidden Wasteland for many years without anyone taking it. The dean's ability to refine it is his own fortune; I merely reminded him. If we’re talking about kindness, the academy has helped me a lot, and I won’t forget the benefits of the Celestial Pool. I also won’t forget the dean personally venturing into the upper realm to bring me back."

Changhua Yuanzun said, "With your current strength, continuing as a student of the academy is a bit of a waste of talent."

Jiang Baiyu replied, "Oh no, I quite like the academy dormitory. I can also cultivate in the Celestial Pool. Without the identity of a student, I really don’t know where else I could go."

Upon hearing this, Changhua Yuanzun smiled. "What’s so difficult about that?"

She raised her hand and flipped it, taking out a token. "This is the token of a guest elder of the academy. With it, you will have your own place. If you really like this courtyard, you can move there entirely."

Some people don’t like to give their used things to others, or let others live in places they’ve lived in.

Jiang Baiyu didn’t decline. Compared to being a student, the identity of a guest elder was naturally much freer.

He took the token and looked at it repeatedly, then raised his eyes to Lin Zhao Ren. The other party was looking at him, and he answered directly, "I don’t need it."

Lin Zhao Ren said, "I’m not a student of the academy; I’m just temporarily collaborating with her. I don’t need such things."

Not holding a grudge against Changhua Yuanzun didn’t mean he had no qualms; the actions of Tianxiang Palace against Yuheng Sect were forever etched in his heart.

Jiang Baiyu put away the token. "What plans does the dean have?"

Changhua Yuanzun was straightforward. "Directly storm into the capital."

Simple and brutal, with no euphemisms.

Jiang Baiyu couldn’t help but be stunned. "…Just like that?"

Changhua Yuanzun nodded firmly. "Just like that."

Jiang Baiyu asked, "No other plans?"

Changhua Yuanzun's tone was calm. "No need. The arrangements I’ve made over the years are sufficient; it just lacks the final touch. The various sects have never submitted to the Human Emperor, but to the Celestial Court behind him. In battles between cultivators, schemes are secondary; strength is the greatest reliance."

"Moreover…" Her expression subtly changed, and she said meaningfully, "Besides killing, there are now more convenient methods to deal with the Human Emperor's die-hard loyalists."

Jiang Baiyu had a strange feeling that when Changhua Yuanzun said this last sentence, she seemed to deliberately glance at him.

Storming into the capital, that was quite a leap.

But perhaps this is the style of cultivators; as long as their strength is strong enough, they don’t need to care about established rules and directly take action.

Having already taken ninety-nine steps, they just needed to take the final step and wouldn’t make a mistake on such matters.

If defeating the Human Emperor at the cost of one’s life was merely to make a garment for others, then this rebellion would be a complete failure.

After a pause, Changhua Yuanzun changed the subject. "It’s said that the High Priest has suffered quite a bit this time, going mad in the palace, shouting to kill the chaotic star, taking the initiative before his wings are fully grown."

Jiang Baiyu sipped his tea, taking a sip, then another.

Lin Zhao Ren's gaze was cold, and he scoffed, "So whoever fights with the High Priest's split soul is the chaotic star that will soon bring disaster to the world?"

Changhua Yuanzun understood his concerns. "No one believes it; they all say it’s just the High Priest’s mad ramblings, a fit of impotent rage."

A petal blew in from outside, landing perfectly in her cup, gently floating, like a small boat surrounded. Changhua Yuanzun stared at it for a moment and said blandly, "The Human Emperor comes from a mundane dynasty, having seen all sorts of schemes and deceptions since childhood. When the dynasty first rose, his ambition was sharp, and cultivators transcended the mundane, holding a superior position. The imperial power was weak against this strength, and being able to lift the heavy mountain pressing down on him was a source of great joy and pride."

"But once he moved this mountain, he found that there was an even bigger mountain above it, heavier than the cultivators of the lower realms, still pressing down on him, making it hard for him to breathe. Eventually, the Human Emperor gradually fell silent, indulging in the opulence of the dynasty, suppressing the aristocratic families and sects as a means of balance and venting his anger; he enjoys watching cultivators kill each other."

"Once, the Human Emperor intended to seize the Ascending Immortal Academy, specifically summoning me to the capital for a reward." At this point, a smirk appeared at the corner of Changhua Yuanzun's lips, her smile revealing a strange and mocking tone. "He said he could confer me as a consort."

Jiang Baiyu nearly choked on his own saliva.

Lin Zhao Ren's expression also turned strange, mimicking, "Confer you as a consort?"

Years later, when recalling this matter, Changhua Yuanzun could still remember her feelings at that time—absurd, extremely absurd, utterly incomprehensible.

She looked at the Human Emperor and found that he was actually serious, genuinely believing this was a kind of grace, a bargaining chip he could offer. In that moment, Changhua Yuanzun understood that the Human Emperor, at his core, was still an ordinary man, a narcissist with imperial power ingrained in his bones.

He didn’t realize that this was a tremendous humiliation for Changhua Yuanzun.

Perhaps he understood but didn’t care, because at that time, Changhua Yuanzun wasn’t as strong as she was now.

As long as he offered a position as a consort, he could gain the Ascending Immortal Academy and the Celestial Pool. Such a profitable deal with no cost was simply a windfall.

This also had tremendous benefits for Changhua Yuanzun; she could use the Human Emperor's name to strengthen the Ascending Immortal Academy, monopolizing the lower realm's cultivators.

But this was merely the Human Emperor's assumption, a power monster nurtured by imperial authority, fundamentally different from the self-created biological dimension nurtured by cultivation.

Naturally, it ended up in a mess.

It was this farce that made Changhua Yuanzun see the Human Emperor's weakness and incompetence.

If he were a truly formidable man, he wouldn’t resort to such shameless means. He could temporarily submit to the Celestial Court but wouldn’t be a lifelong puppet, accumulating strength and breaking through all obstacles to achieve his desires.

Having seen too many ghostly and treacherous things, he had completely lost his way.