344: I'm afraid even the Empress herself doesn't realize that she's already fallen for the Lord.

During this period, Li Tongshen was not doing well, very not well.

He originally thought that after leaving the Sea of Buried Demons, where Soul Palace Realm Cultivators were everywhere and Divine Profound Realm Cultivators were common, and returning to the Great Qi Dynasty, his strength would be enough to achieve something significant.

In fact, at first, he did play a considerable role. Because of Shen Tianxing, he gained the trust of Empress of Great Qi and participated in the suppression of demons and monster and ghost Cultivators hidden in Great Qi.

The Ten Gates of Demons and Monsters and the Six Sects of the Ghost Path, once notorious in Great Qi, were eradicated five of them in less than a year!

This was a glorious achievement unprecedented since the founding of Great Qi!

The magnitude of Li Tongshen's role in it was unimaginable!

He originally thought that things would develop very smoothly, and dealing with those demons and monster and ghost path Cultivators would only require following the steps to quickly complete the cleanup.

But just as they were overjoyed, more than a dozen Imperial Dynasties adjacent to Great Qi suddenly launched an attack, fiercely assaulting Great Qi's borders!

At the same time, some extremely powerful experts emerged from various places. Many Soul Palace Realm Cultivators appeared, and even Heavenly Phenomenon Realm powerhouses showed themselves!

The Crimson Star Dynasty, Great Qi Dynasty, Southern Buddha Dynasty, Danxia Dynasty, Xuanmu Dynasty, Great Stone Dynasty, and some lesser-known Imperial Dynasties, acting together, almost caused the Great Qi Dynasty's border to collapse!

Fortunately, although the Great Qi Dynasty seemed to be on par with these Imperial Dynasties in strength, after generations of imperial development, the hidden forces, with the strong rise of Empress Yan Yuzhu, became increasingly formidable!

Coupled with Empress Yan Yuzhu's Dharma Body, which could appear anywhere in Great Qi, the attacks from various regions were, after all, temporarily suppressed!

"Hoo-choo! Hoo-choo!"

Li Tongshen sat in a private room of a restaurant, drinking alone, when he suddenly had several consecutive sneezes, causing him to spray wine all over the floor.

"Damn it, why am I always sneezing lately? Could it be that I'm too flashy and someone has targeted me?"

Li Tongshen grumbled as he tidied up the wine on his body, feeling a bit uneasy.

This situation wasn't the first time it had happened recently; it had occurred several times in a row, as if he was somehow being targeted by someone, as if they were plotting against him.

Sometimes, this feeling was very strong, while at other times, he had no clue. Several times, he even wanted to pay special attention to his surroundings but was ridiculed a few times by people from the Demon and Monster Division.

"My lord, I wonder how things are for you in the Inner Sea?"

"You asked me to return to the Great Qi Dynasty to help the Empress, and it's not that I haven't tried my best, but the Holy Heaven Demon Sect has arrived!"

"Just as you predicted, the Holy Heaven Demon Sect couldn't do anything to you, so they have dispatched many forces to start acting against Great Qi."

"Empress, I wonder how long she can hold on."

Li Tongshen took a vexed drink of wine and vigorously shook his head.

He didn't like this sense of crisis; it made him feel insecure.

He had always been good at avoiding crises, but now he couldn't. Having followed Shen Tianxing, how could he abandon the situation here?

Although he had only been here for a few months, all the high-ranking officials of Great Qi highly regarded him and showed him much respect.

This was a joy he had not experienced when he was in the Heaven Refining Sect.

However, with his strength alone, he couldn't change the fate of Great Qi. Even with the Empress, a super-expert above the Heavenly Phenomenon Realm, she probably couldn't hold out for long.

After all, human power has its limits. Even if the Empress's Dharma Body could reach any part of Great Qi, she couldn't possibly oversee everything.

Li Tongshen had also advised the Empress to send someone to seek help from Shen Tianxing.

But the Empress refused!

"I don't know what the Empress is thinking. My lord's strength is far more than just newly entering the Heavenly Phenomenon Realm. If he were here, he would surely have a way to deal with the current situation."

"I think the Empress probably knows that the Great Qi Dynasty is about to face collapse and doesn't want my lord to be in danger."

Li Tongshen recalled the slight change in the Empress's expression during his persuasion and couldn't help but form a bold idea in his mind.

"Could it be... that the Empress has some feelings for my lord? Otherwise, my lord is, after all, the Grand Minister of Justice. In the face of a national crisis, how could she not let him return?"

"Hiss... No way?"

"If that's really the case, my lord's Luck with women is quite good, isn't it?"

The more Li Tongshen thought about it, the more he felt it was possible, and the smile on his face became somewhat inexplicable.

"Forget it! This matter is ultimately not for me to decide."

"If Great Qi unfortunately collapses, and my lord finds out, he will surely blame me. It's better to inform him early."

After several gulps of wine, Li Tongshen's previously somewhat muddled thoughts became clearer.

Why did Shen Tianxing send him back?

Wasn't it to help Great Qi and also to pay attention to its changes?

Once there was any unusual movement, he had to report it promptly.

Too many thoughts in his mind were, in reality, just his personal ideas, completely useless.

Thinking of this, Li Tongshen's body trembled, a faint light flashed from within him, and a figure appeared before him.

"Greetings, my true self!"

Li Tongshen had already condensed five Incarnations, and their utility was growing.

The jade plate he originally used to contact Shen Tianxing was shattered in a major battle, so now he could only send an Incarnation to inform Shen Tianxing about the situation in Great Qi.

"Go, tell my lord everything here!"

"Yes!"

After a bow, the Incarnation flickered and disappeared from the private room.

"The Empress has deep feelings for my lord!"

"I heard they haven't met many times, but the Empress's care for my lord has never been lacking. She even willingly used the Luck of Great Qi's Dragon Vein to heal my lord."

"Tsk tsk, perhaps even the Empress herself doesn't know that she has already fallen in love with my lord, right?"

Thinking of this, Li Tongshen couldn't help but smack his lips, feeling that this thought was inappropriate. He shook his head, casting out the somewhat chaotic thoughts in his mind.

Anyway, the Incarnation had already set off. Once it reached the Inner Sea and found Shen Tianxing, he would naturally make a decision.

As for him, he could only continue to stay here, silently drinking wine and doing what he was supposed to do.

Thump thump thump!

Footsteps came from the stairs, sounding heavy, and there was more than one person's footsteps.

"Li Tongshen!"

Bang!

The private room door was roughly opened, and a tall old man and a refined middle-aged man appeared. As soon as they saw Li Tongshen sitting inside drinking, they directly stepped in.

The newcomers were none other than the Chief Director of Great Qi's Demon and Monster Division, the famous madman Situ Kuanglei!

The middle-aged man was the Chief of the Zhenwu Division, Xie Jian!

"Why are you two here?"

Li Tongshen gave them an exasperated look. They were both old men over a hundred years old, yet still so boisterous!

The crucial thing was, these two old men coming to find him definitely meant no good; he was going to be a thug again!