209: Undercurrents

"What are you spacing out for? In public, you must call him Your Majesty. Don't you even know that?"

"As the dignified Regent, do you not even understand this basic rule? I sentence you to one month of house arrest, effective immediately!"

This was indeed an unwritten rule.

Just like in many informal or private settings, officials of Great Yu refer to The Emperor as "The Emperor," and only in important occasions, such as court assemblies or the current situation, must they call him "Your Majesty."

Previously, he had also used the address Old Ancestor, but Zhou Yan didn't pursue it at the time, so he hadn't paid much attention.

Now, as Zhou Yan's anger surged, he suddenly recalled this rule, which served as a good pretext to make an example of Prince Kang.

Sure enough, as soon as he spoke, the opponent's national destiny significantly weakened.

This proved the reason was effective. Anyway, there were only a few days left until the plan was executed, so a month wasn't even necessary.

Prince Kang seemed to notice this as well and turned to look in the direction of the Ministry of Rites officials.

Seeing the Ministry of Rites officials nod slightly, Prince Kang could only sigh helplessly.

He then stood up, bowed his hands, admitted his mistake, and expressed his willingness to accept the punishment.

The atmosphere on the high platform cooled down again.

Even the dullest official could now see that Emperor Taizong had been intentionally weakening the authority of the three major officials, but they didn't understand why.

Emperor Taizong would leave sooner or later. With this insignificant suppression now, what would happen after he was gone?

The atmosphere was oppressive, but besides a few low-ranking officials shifting from neutral to hostile, there were no other substantive changes.

Conversely, the high-ranking officials of Prince Kang's faction remained calm, each appearing deeply introspective.

Isn't this a classic case of "The Emperor isn't worried, but his eunuchs are"?

The competition below the stage was fierce, but Zhou Yan unintentionally glimpsed someone at that moment.

Shi Suiyan? Why is she here?

A girl with an ethereal aura, carrying a stray cat, was waving towards the viewing platform.

Although it wasn't aimed directly at him, Zhou Yan knew in his heart that she was waving at him.

Even more outrageous, on the other side were Mu Qianqiu and Meng Ke, surrounded by a crowd of fans, making them highly conspicuous.

Zhou Yan started causing trouble as soon as he entered the venue, so it wasn't until now that he realized the audience was full of acquaintances.

Speaking of which, Meng Ke, that fellow, actually switched her identity back? That was fast.

It wasn't Zhou Yan's fault that he didn't notice them immediately.

The stage and the audience area were effectively two separate spaces. This place had been modified by a special Formation, thus Zhou Yan could not see the status bars of the people below.

Otherwise, the moment those specially marked green dots appeared, he would have immediately noticed.

He wondered if things were going smoothly for Li Wenbo. Hopefully, everyone sitting below wouldn't be affected when the time came.

On the stage, as time passed, the atmosphere gradually warmed up, and everyone resumed talking, though they were much more reserved than before.

Meanwhile, the audience area was bustling.

Left side of the venue.

"Sister Shi, won't you cause trouble for Boss by doing this?"

Hearing Yuan Chenling's words, Shi Suiyan punched him on his cat head.

This scene caused many Yao Cultivators to show disdain, feeling that Yuan Chenling lacked backbone.

But Yuan Chenling didn't dare bare his fangs at Shi Suiyan, so how could he not dare to intimidate these little Yao?

As soon as he released a Bloodline suppression, the Yao Race immediately tucked their tails and quieted down.

Having done this, Yuan Chenling looked at Shi Suiyan resentfully, but she was only focused on Zhou Yan, acting like a lovesick fool.

Seeing her useless demeanor, and realizing he was still suppressed by her, Yuan Chenling missed Zhou Yan even more.

Before coming to the venue, he couldn't resist the thought of seeking death and had a spar with Shi Suiyan.

Of course, in reality, Yuan Chenling was overly confident and was unilaterally crushed by Shi Suiyan.

At the time, he felt something was off about this woman. She seemed to know his Divine Ability better than Yuan Chenling himself—its range, gaps, and blind spots, she knew everything.

In front of her, his Divine Ability was useless, and without his Divine Ability, he was no match for her.

Thus, he willingly recognized her as his Big Sister.

But Yuan Chenling was speechless about Shi Suiyan's current behavior. She was the fiercest female Cultivator he had ever seen, yet for some reason, she was infatuated with their Boss.

He had been with Zhou Yan for a while and deeply understood their Boss's temperament.

Simply put, he was "too pure."

Although Zhou Yan was meticulous and occasionally mischievous, he always gave off the feeling of an "Old Child," sometimes mature, sometimes naive.

Zhou Yan's talent was outstanding, possessing the potential for Mahayana, yet his personality shouldn't typically attract beauties. Why would someone as talented as Shi Suiyan be so obsessed, even fanatical, about him?

Humans are truly hard to understand.

However, he still hoped Boss wouldn't find a Dao Companion like her, otherwise, Old Yuan would truly have no peace.

"Stay alert. Time is running out. At the latest, the day after tomorrow, we will have work to do."

Hearing this Sound Transmission, Yuan Chenling subconsciously tried to look up but was pushed down by Shi Suiyan.

"You'll know the details when the time comes. For now, you just need to remember that there will be a big move the day after tomorrow, so be ready to save people. Maybe you, a Loose Cultivator little Yao, can even earn some Karma."

Right side of the venue.

"Meng Ke, is it really necessary for us to go this far?"

"I haven't reached Core Formation yet, so whether I'm here or not shouldn't make much difference, right?"

Mu Qianqiu smiled and interacted warmly with Meng Ke's fans, looking like a manager.

In reality, he was communicating with Meng Ke using Divine Sense.

Meng Ke maintained her smile, responding to fans with the best attitude, while replying.

"Just sit down first. Isn't Zhou Yan your brother too?"

Mu Qianqiu felt like crying but couldn't shed a tear.

"You used my name to trick my good brother into coming, and yet we haven't even met face-to-face the entire time, and I'm forced to work! That's utterly heartless!"

Meng Ke almost burst out laughing and casually replied.

"If you're unhappy, go submit a complaint."

Mu Qianqiu instantly wilted.

"Wage slaves have no human rights~"

At this moment, in the contestant lounge below the stage.

"It's fixed! It's absolutely fixed!"

A man wearing a uniform and a mask angrily declared.

Seeing his agitation, other similarly dressed contestants were either curious or disdainful.

A short Cultivator leaned over and asked.

"Brother Zhao, what fix? Haven't you been winning all the time?"

With someone engaging him, he immediately opened up.

"I'm only at the Foundation Establishment Stage, and I haven't encountered a Core Formation Cultivator yet. That in itself is a fix!"

"This kind of unfair match is not what I hoped for."

"Tch~ Taking advantage and still complaining. You win more prize money, yet you're yelling here? Do you want to gain both fame and fortune?" The speaker was another Foundation Establishment youth, his face bruised and swollen, clearly having just been eliminated.

The young man surnamed Zhao ignored the sour fellow and turned to walk out of the lounge.

"Brother Zhao, where are you going? Isn't your next match tomorrow?"

The short Cultivator hurried to follow on her short legs.

The man surnamed Zhao moved quickly, his face full of anger.

"I must have been manipulated behind the scenes. I'm going to file a complaint right now!"

"I didn't come here for money in the first place. If I can't face Zhou Yan, then my coming here is meaningless."

"Well said!"

An aged voice suddenly rang out. The man surnamed Zhao stopped abruptly. The short Cultivator couldn't brake and was about to crash into him, but he reached out, blocked her, and steadied her.

Just as she was about to thank him, she saw the Black-Robed Man leaning against the wall nearby.

For some reason, this person gave her a strong sense of oppression. She trembled in fear, hid behind Brother Zhao's leg, and pretended to glare fiercely, though even through the mask, she felt completely unthreatening.

"Who are you!" Brother Zhao turned sideways, shielding the short Cultivator behind him.

Seeing this scene, the Black-Robed Man stopped leaning, stood up straight, and brushed off non-existent dust.

"Who I am is not important, but your spirit moves me. I can help you file a complaint and ensure you are matched against Zhou Yan in your next match."

"What is the price?" The man surnamed Zhao remained vigilant, but he was indeed tempted.

The Black-Robed Man sensed his emotions and extended a hand.

"Just making a friend."

[Final Countdown: Two Days]