138: Teachers and students

Elsewhere, Jiang Yuan was strolling along the cloud path back to Ziwei Imperial Pavilion with Ji Yue in his arms.

"Go on, what good idea does your mother have that she specifically asked you to relay?"

Stopping, Jiang Yuan tapped her delicate, upturned nose and asked with amusement, "If there isn't one, your husband won't let you off easily."

"Then Yue'er would quite like to experience my husband's methods."

Smack.

Jiang Yuan gave her a light, exasperated pat on the behind through her palace dress.

Only then did Ji Yue's expression turn serious.

"Yue'er heard that in that Cangwu Great World, women hold the highest status, and their Empress is a Current Era Great Emperor who just recently Attained the Dao.

Thus, men hold a lowly position, and internal resentment must have been festering for ages.

A frontal assault is certainly possible, but a powerful dragon cannot suppress a local serpent. Although husband has the assistance of the Yaochi Empress this time, a direct, forceful attack will inevitably result in casualties."

Jiang Yuan nodded.

If casualties were not a concern,

the Jiang Family had a hundred ways to swallow the Cangwu Great World.

But most of those would require exposing more of their hidden cards as a price.

For example, having several Old Ancestors awaken together to seize it with overwhelming force.

But in that case, once the Old Ancestors are tied up,

the emptiness within the Jiang Family's headquarters would be exposed, making it extremely easy for their main base to be attacked from behind.

That would be a colossal trouble.

Seeing her husband deep in thought and waiting for him to refocus, Ji Yue continued, "Mother suggested we take a two-pronged approach. Press the border with a massive army, applying external pressure to pin down their main forces. Simultaneously, dispatch a special envoy deep into the heart of Cangwu to execute a strategy of winning hearts and minds!"

"A strategy of winning hearts and minds?"

"Exactly!"

A gleam of intelligence flashed in Ji Yue's eyes.

"This envoy doesn't need to be overwhelmingly powerful, but it must be composed entirely of men, each handsome, possessing extraordinary bearing, and eloquent!"

"Husband, think about it. When our army is at their gates, this envoy appears with slogans of liberating Cangwu's men and establishing a new Cangwu of equality between men and women. What would that mean to men who have been oppressed for countless millennia?"

"That is hope! A savior! They would inevitably rise up, becoming the sharp blade that helps us dismantle the Cangwu Great World from within!"

After listening, Jiang Yuan's eyes showed undisguised admiration.

What a brilliant move to pull the rug out from under them!

This Luo Lianyi, she truly lived up to being a woman who climbed from a Loose Cultivator to the position of Imperial Mother of the Great Yan Divine Dynasty. Her thoughts were indeed venomous, and her methods dirty enough.

Although in a Cangwu where martial prowess reigns supreme, this move might not be particularly effective—

a single Great Emperor or Quasi-Emperor could suppress everything.

But what if most of these powerhouses were gone?

That would surely be quite interesting.

"A good idea."

Jiang Yuan nodded.

Although it could only serve as an extra measure,

it might unexpectedly have a miraculous effect at a critical moment.

Seeing this, Ji Yue was overjoyed and continued:

"Furthermore, although the Great Yan Divine Dynasty cannot compare to the Jiang Family or Yaochi, it still possesses a million-strong army and seven Quasi-Emperors. Among them, my mother, Luo Lianyi, is a powerhouse at the Quasi-Emperor Seventh Heaven, wielding the national guardian emperor weapon, 'Splendid Wheel Heavenly Robe'."

"Neither Mother nor Yue'er will go on this journey, but we will still have a royal uncle at the Peak of the Middle Stage of Quasi-Emperor carry this item."

"It is a special auxiliary-type quasi-ultimate dao emperor weapon. Its greatest function is to boost combat power, influencing the states of both friend and foe within a small range, increasing endurance. If one side is strong, it grows stronger; conversely, if weak, it weakens further. It is a Sharp Weapon for war."

Jiang Yuan recalled the various factions within the Emperor Immortal Great World.

Apart from not having produced a Great Emperor, the Great Yan Divine Dynasty had the most Quasi-Emperors among top-tier forces, second only to an Immortal Imperial Clan like the Jiang Family.

Of course, this was also due to the special nature of a Divine Dynasty.

Setting aside factors brought by the Great Emperor level, such as Ultimate Imperial Weapons, the comprehensive strength of the Great Yan Divine Dynasty was still quite formidable.

"Go back and tell your mother to proceed as she suggested. Let her and the Great Yan Divine Dynasty select the members for the envoy themselves. The Jiang Family will send an Elder at the Late Stage of Quasi-Emperor to oversee things, holding an Ultimate Imperial Weapon."

Receiving his affirmative reply, a dazzling radiance instantly bloomed on Ji Yue's exquisite little face. Her eyes sparkled brightly, like a little fox seeking praise.

Jiang Yuan saw right through what she wanted and stroked her hair.

"You did well this time. Is there anything you want as a reward?"

"Being able to share husband's burdens is Yue'er and Mother's honor."

She rested her head against Jiang Yuan's chest, her voice soft and sweet. "Yue'er and Mother don't want any reward. Being able to help husband is enough."

Hearing this, Jiang Yuan couldn't help but laugh.

He reached out, gently pinched her small chin, and made her look up at him.

"Oh? Truly want nothing?"

"Mhm!"

Ji Yue nodded vigorously, her phoenix eyes filled with sincerity.

"Alright then."

Jiang Yuan nodded with a serious expression. "Since Yue'er says so, then your husband will graciously accept and forgo the reward."

The smile on Ji Yue's face instantly froze.

She blinked, somewhat failing to process this.

This wasn't how the script was supposed to go?

Logically, shouldn't husband have been moved by her thoughtfulness and then doted on her even more?

How... could he really not give it?

The next second, noticing the teasing, half-smiling expression on Jiang Yuan's face, she finally understood—her husband was playing with her.

A flush of mingled embarrassment and indignation spread from her snow-white neck all the way to the tips of her ears.

"Husband, you're bullying me!"

She puffed out her cheeks, like an annoyed kitten, and gave Jiang Yuan's chest a light punch. The force was soft, more like a coquettish gesture.

Jiang Yuan laughed heartily and pulled her into his embrace.

He stroked the beautiful, exquisite bell at her neck, teasing it with his fingertips. A wisp of spiritual powerinjection, and it immediately emitted a pleasant ringing sound.

"Do you like wearing this myriad laws dao bell?"

"I like anything husband gives me."

The little princess's eyes were full of earnestness.

This time, the earnestness was definitely real.

After all, an Ultimate Imperial Weapon—

who wouldn't like it.

"If you like it, I'll give it to you."

Ji Yue's expression froze instantly.

What did husband say?

Give it to me?

Didn't he say it was a reward for good performance in the future?

Right now, he was only lending it to her.

"Husband... this, this is too precious. You, didn't you say, wait until Mother she..."

Ji Yue's voice carried a slight tremor, a mix of excitement and disbelief.

"Didn't your mother already extend a very sincere invitation for me to participate in the Sacred Pool?"

Jiang Yuan asked with a mischievous smile, leaning close to her ear, his voice dropping very low,

"Consider this an early reward for you."

"When the time comes, after your husband graces the Great Yan Divine Dynasty, if you perform well and your husband is pleased, there will naturally be even better things."

"Mhm!"

At this moment, intense joy erupted within Ji Yue's heart. She buried her head deeply in Jiang Yuan's embrace, her heart pounding wildly as if about to leap from her chest.

Jiang Yuan enjoyed the warmth and softness in his arms, feeling quite satisfied.

"Oh, husband, there's one more thing."

"No serious talk now."

"It's not serious. A few days ago, Mother specifically sent someone to deliver storybooks collected from Mortal nations." Ji Yue lowered her head, her little face slightly flushed.

"Oh?"

"Yue'er is slow-witted and can't understand the content, so I really wanted to ask husband for some guidance."

Jiang Yuan looked at the ancient-looking cover of the storybook Ji Yue produced, then at her pure, innocent eyes, and nodded seriously.

He picked up the illustrated storybook with considerable curiosity as well.

To be honest, Jiang Yuan was born into an Imperial Clan. Since childhood, he had been exposed to the Heavenly Sounds of the Dao, reading various scriptures and Dao repositories of Saints and Quasi-Emperors.

Regardless of whether he could understand them.

He truly hadn't read Mortal storybooks from this Cangwu.

"Very well."

Jiang Yuan nodded, pulling her even closer in his embrace,

"Your husband is also very curious about the differences between Mortal wisdom and that of us Cultivators, and what exquisite subtleties they contain that could even confuse a dignified Divine Dynasty princess like you."

Ji Yue nestled obediently in his arms,

remembering the tutors Mother had found for her lessons when she was still young.

It felt like her husband now somewhat resembled her teacher.

The sound of Teacher Jiang Yuan dispelling her doubts echoed in Ji Yue's ears.