291: That cunning old fox, the supervisor!

Li Shengyuan's earth-shattering question caused Ye Hangzhou, who was standing silently beside him, to pause slightly, a rare look of surprise appearing on his usually placid face.

Coal Ball, perched on his shoulder, shrank its neck, clearly intimidated by the title "Demon Cult Leader" and the gravity in Li Shengyuan's tone.

However, the Chancellor, who had his back to them, seemed completely unsurprised.

He did not answer immediately, but slowly turned around, a profound and mysterious smile on his ruddy, seemingly ordinary face.

With a casual flick of the wide sleeve of his Daoist robe, an antique tea table materialized in the center of the Star Gazing Platform.

Three purple clay teacups quietly settled onto the table, already filled with steaming, clear tea, its exotic fragrance assaulting the senses.

"Visiting late at night stirs the heart's agitation. First, drink a cup of clear tea to calm your mind and focus your spirit before we speak further."

The Chancellor's voice was peaceful, as if he were merely entertaining two ordinary junior disciples.

He was the first to pick up a cup, gesturing to Li Shengyuan and Ye Hangzhou.

Li Shengyuan knew the old man's temperament well, so he did not decline. He stepped forward, picked up a cup openly, and drank it down in one swift motion, his gaze still fixed intently on the Chancellor.

Ye Hangzhou, appearing somewhat overwhelmed by the favor, respectfully cupped the teacup in both hands and sipped slowly.

Only after both men had drunk the tea did the Chancellor slowly set down his cup, look at Li Shengyuan, and counter-ask:

"How much do you know?"

Li Shengyuan pondered briefly. Since he had come to find him, he had no intention of hiding anything.

He organized his thoughts and recounted the information he had learned from Pei Shuyun, including how he had met her and the relationship between the two of them.

He then fully explained the insane plan Pei Shuyun had revealed: the Demon Cult Leader intended to blood refine the entire world to help his family and their dependents "Ascend as an Entire Clan."

As he narrated, the surprise on Ye Hangzhou's face gradually turned to shock, and he even slightly held his breath.

Previously, his main focus had been on dealing with the Grand Priest and his minions.

He had never expected that the Demon Cult Leader, who had remained low-key and hidden behind the scenes, would possess ambitions and madness far exceeding that of the missing Grand Priest!

Blood refining the entire world to help his clansmen ascend?

How utterly deranged!

As the Chancellor listened, the profound smile on his face gradually faded, replaced by an emotionless calm, as if he had anticipated some parts but was sobered by certain details.

After Li Shengyuan finished speaking, he remained silent for a long while before letting out a lengthy sigh, his voice carrying an almost imperceptible weight.

"This old man certainly knew that the Cult Leader and the Grand Priest were not of one mind, and I also anticipated that hiding behind the scenes meant he had a greater scheme, but..."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the vast starry sky before returning to Li Shengyuan. "I never imagined, however, that his ambition lay not in the mountains and rivers, but in... the entire world. Such ambition can no longer be described merely as madness."

Li Shengyuan frowned deeply and pressed, "Old man, since you were already aware, do you have a countermeasure? If we let him proceed, the consequences will be unimaginable!"

The Chancellor withdrew his gaze from the starry sky and looked at Li Shengyuan, the elusive, indifferent smile reappearing on his face. "A countermeasure?"

"Of course there is... Although the Demon Cult Leader's goal is vast, the forces he can win over and who are willing to conspire with him in this world-refining endeavor are ultimately few. Moreover, they must all harbor their own ulterior motives, making it difficult for them to form a cohesive unit."

He picked up his teacup, gently blew on the steam, and continued, "The key lies in how to make the forces in the Overseas, Southern Wilderness, Demon Barbarians, and even the Western Regions Demon Kingdom clearly recognize the Cult Leader's true objective."

"As long as they know this is a calamity that will wipe them out, they will naturally rise up in resistance."

"But the difficulty lies in... how to make them believe? And how to accurately pinpoint the traitors who have already colluded with the Cult Leader from among the complex web of forces?"

He deliberately paused, his gaze subtly sweeping over Li Shengyuan, his tone carrying a hint of "helplessness":

"Especially that Western Regions Demon Kingdom. It is remotely located, the environment is complex, and it is extremely xenophobic. If an ordinary person goes there, let alone investigating for information, they might not even find a way in. Progress is impossible..."

Hearing this, how could Li Shengyuan not understand the old fox's intention?

He rolled his eyes irritably, directly interrupting the Chancellor's "complaint," and said straightforwardly:

"Enough, old man, stop beating around the bush. You just want me to make a trip to the Western Regions, right? I'll go!"

The Chancellor, whose thoughts had been exposed, showed no shame on his face. Instead, he put on a relieved expression that seemed to say, "You are truly considerate and sensible," and feigned surprise:

"Oh? Your engagement date with Your Majesty and Princess Pingyang is imminent. Wouldn't traveling far away at this time be... inappropriate? Wouldn't you be delaying a major life event?"

Ye Hangzhou, standing nearby, looked at Li Shengyuan with renewed surprise, having clearly just learned the news of his impending engagement.

Li Shengyuan cursed the old fox internally for plotting against him, but merely let out a cold snort outwardly:

"There are still nearly three months until the engagement date; there is plenty of time. This matter concerns the survival of Great Qian. After all, if Great Qian is gone, what use is an engagement? It cannot be delayed!"

Having said this, he wasted no more words, drank the remaining tea in his cup, casually set down the teacup, and cupped his hands toward the Chancellor:

"Since a decision has been made, I will return to prepare early. Farewell!"

Before his voice faded, he had already turned. With his robes fluttering, his figure vanished beneath the stone steps of the Star Gazing Platform, arriving abruptly and leaving just as decisively.

On the Star Gazing Platform, only the Chancellor, Ye Hangzhou, and the black crow with its neck retracted remained.

The Chancellor watched the direction Li Shengyuan had departed, and the smile on his face gradually faded, transforming into deep solemnity.

He muttered softly to himself, yet it sounded like he was giving instructions to Ye Hangzhou:

"The mountain rain is coming... The real storm may have just begun."

"Xingzhou, go alone to the Far North, Outside the Northern Border Mountain Sea Pass, one more time!"

Ye Hangzhou nodded expressionlessly, then also turned and left.