74: Golden statue of public opinion

"Qianer, how are you...!"

"Did that beast Xiao Chen do anything inappropriate to you?"

The first thing You Hen did upon waking up was to check on You Qian's condition.

"Inappropriate? No."

You Qian shook her head, "Elder Jin was always by my side. There was nothing improper between Xiao Chen and me."

"He didn't even touch my hand."

You Qian felt somewhat relieved. If Elder Jin hadn't stopped him, she might have been completely devoured by Xiao Chen... She really needed to thank Elder Jin... "Father, where is Elder Jin? I haven't seen her for a long time."

You Hen fell silent immediately.

"As expected, she is likely dead," Qin Tian stepped forward and spoke slowly.

"Ah!" You Qian's body trembled. "Father, is what Brother Qin saying true...?"

You Hen didn't answer immediately but looked at Qin Tian. "You must be the Qin Tian my Imperial Sister mentioned..."

"Why do you think Elder Jin is dead?"

Qin Tian smiled. "A guess."

"Xiao Chen is being hunted by the Dao Seeking Immortal Sect. Once his whereabouts are exposed, he'll be in a desperate situation. I assume he appeared in Huaixuan City because Prince Yan sent someone to fetch him."

"After all, the Empress's Breakthrough is imminent, and every city is being inspected. Without someone leading him, Xiao Chen could never have come here."

"And Miss You Qian accidentally let slip that Xiao Chen was in Huaixuan City. Since Elder Jin was guarding Miss You Qian, she naturally knew as well. It's very likely she and Miss You Qian were the ones who brought Xiao Chen back."

"So, Brother Qin, you intended to trick me into talking from the start?" You Qian's mouth hung open.

"Could it be that you were waiting for me there on purpose that day?"

Hearing this, Hua Jianjia also became a bit curious.

After all, the place they stayed was indeed decided by Qin Tian.

"Not at all. How could I know where Miss You Qian was? It was a coincidence, just a coincidence..."

Qin Tian denied it flatly.

Hua Jianjia gave Qin Tian a suspicious look, thinking to herself, "This kid really has a lot of secrets!"

You Hen didn't care and nodded slowly. "You're right, but why did Xiao Chen kill her?"

Qin Tian's lips curled up slightly. "I guess there are two reasons."

"First, after controlling Prince Yan, he likely didn't have the strength left to control a second Projection Cultivator. And the Elder Jin you mentioned must have been deeply trusted by Prince Yan."

"Such a person would easily discover Prince Yan's abnormality and thus suspect him."

"As for the second reason, he was likely preparing to make a move on Miss You Qian, and Elder Jin was the biggest obstacle."

"By killing her and then controlling Miss You Qian, no one would know he was in Huaixuan City."

"Of course, that was the ideal scenario..."

With the heaven and earth map, Qin Tian knew exactly where Xiao Chen went.

"So, he's such a villain!"

You Qian spoke indignantly, her expression sorrowful.

"As expected of the person my Imperial Sister favors; your mind and methods are truly admirable!" You Hen's eyes sparkled.

"Qin Tian, I will keep your kindness in saving me engraved in my heart."

"Back then, I made a mistake and let Xiao Chen escape. Now I regret it deeply..."

Qin Tian shook his head. "Prince Yan, you don't need to blame yourself. It's no secret that the Xiao Family saved your life."

"The Empress also guessed long ago that Xiao Chen's escape was related to you."

You Hen was stunned. "Imperial Sister knew?"

"With the Empress's methods, how could she not know? Not just the Empress, many others could guess it, but she still suppressed it due to 'insufficient evidence.' You should understand the meaning behind that, Prince Yan."

"Furthermore, even if you hadn't let Xiao Chen go, he wouldn't have died."

"His coming to the Great Gan this time might not just be for Prince Yan alone..."

"You mean someone else has already been in secret contact with Xiao Chen to prevent Imperial Sister's Breakthrough?" You Hen's expression became extremely grave.

He knew now was not the time for self-reproach.

"Fairy Hua and everyone else, I have important matters to discuss with Qin Tian concerning the secrets of the Imperial Lineage. Please excuse us."

"Qianer, you too."

Hua Jianjia curled her lips. "As if this Fairy wants to listen!"

"Little Ningying, let's go eat something delicious!"

The women left.

You Hen looked at Qin Tian and said seriously, "Imperial Sister once sent a message to me, telling me to inform you of all preparations and cooperate with all your actions."

"Please speak, Prince Yan," Qin Tian listened intently.

"For the Imperial Lineage, breaking through to the Creation Realm and plucking the Dao Fruit is extremely difficult."

"However, the difficulty does not lie within the person breaking through themselves..."

Qin Tian looked puzzled.

"For Imperial Sister to become a Heavenly Monarch, she needs to fuse two golden bodies."

"One is national destiny, the other is Public Will."

"The Golden Body of national destiny is built on the foundation of the Great Gan's national destiny. When the national destiny flourishes, a golden body can be condensed within the Dragon Pulse."

"This golden body can be completed by Imperial Sister alone."

"The Golden Body of Public Will is different; it requires the aspirations of the people."

"I have already cast jade statues of the Empress in every city of Great Gan to receive the worship of the people."

"Public will gathers through the jade statues as a medium, eventually condensing into another golden body."

Qin Tian frowned. "No wonder it had to be proclaimed to the world."

"Correct. This is the most unique aspect of the Imperial Lineage and also the most difficult hurdle to overcome."

"Not all public will is positive. Public resentment will affect her mind during the Breakthrough and spawn Heart Demons."

"If there is too much public resentment, Imperial Sister's Breakthrough will surely fail!"

"And even the most sagacious monarch cannot satisfy every single citizen."

"Moreover, Imperial Sister single-handedly brought Great Gan to its current height, offending far too many people."

"Secretly, there will definitely be people inciting others, influencing public will and turning it into public resentment..."

"So that's how it is..." Qin Tian nodded slowly. "In other words, if public resentment can be removed bit by bit beforehand, the Golden Body of Public Will won't be an obstacle for the Empress?"

You Hen sighed heavily. "That may be so, but who can accurately distinguish the emotions of every worshiper?"

Qin Tian's lips curled up.

Others might not be able to, but he could.

The seven emotions seed could sense anyone's emotions; he could discover those with resentment in their hearts immediately.

"Prince Yan, I have a way."

"However, you must issue an order that the people can only worship in places where I am present."

You Hen was stunned and looked at Qin Tian in disbelief.

"Do you possess a Divine Ability like Telepathy?"

"Something like that." Qin Tian smiled.

"Good! Imperial Sister told me to cooperate with you. I will issue the order immediately."

Qin Tian nodded. "As for the Golden Body of national destiny, if they want to cause the Great Gan's national destiny to drain away, there is only one simplest method—rebellion!"

"War is the fastest way to shatter an Imperial Dynasty."

You Hen's expression was grave. "Imperial Sister and I have already made preparations, but everything is still unknown. The pressure Imperial Sister will have to bear then will likely be unprecedented!"

Qin Tian turned and looked out the window, murmuring to himself, "Internal strife, external threats, and Foreign Races watching like tigers..."

"This mission really isn't simple!"

"You Ruoli, you must hold on!"

"As for those guys in the shadows, I'll take care of them for you...!"

With that thought, Qin Tian looked back at You Hen and smiled. "Prince Yan, let's discuss the specific details..."

...An hour later, Qin Tian and You Hen stepped out.

"Senior Brother, have you finished your discussion?" Su Ningying trotted forward.

Xiao Zi jumped onto Qin Tian's shoulder, holding a Bazhen Chicken leg, enjoying it leisurely.

"Kid, where to next?" Hua Jianjia had resisted the urge to eavesdrop, but she was still very curious about the Imperial Lineage.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have come all the way here from the Phantom Spirit Realm.

Qin Tian smiled. "Let's go. First, we'll visit the Empress's Jade Statue..."

...