Legitimate Successor

Shangguan Yuan's fingers tapped gently on the edge of the table, making a rhythmic, soft sound.

His gaze fell upon Gu Chengyin's face, his eyes currently as sharp as an eagle's.

After a long while, he spoke slowly:

"You want my Shangguan family... to act as spies?"

As these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly grew tense.

Being a spy was an extremely dangerous and underhanded method.

If exposed, the Shangguan family would instantly become the public enemy of all the newly risen noble families, and it might even trigger turmoil in the royal court.

But Gu Chengyin merely nodded, his tone devoid of any fluctuation:

"Exactly."

"Right now, you are a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet. Your status is noble, and you are the benchmark for the newly risen families in the royal court."

"If even you 'enter the game,' those newly risen families will naturally let their guard down."

"When everyone is so deeply involved that they cannot extricate themselves..."

"You can then coordinate with His Highness from the inside and reap the harvest all at once."

"By then, these newly risen families will only have two paths."

Gu Chengyin held up two fingers:

"Either they lose all their fortunes and never recover."

"Or..."

A cruel light flickered in his eyes:

"They become the most loyal vassals of the Crown Prince's faction."

Shangguan Yuan's expression constantly shifted.

Shock, hesitation, weighing the pros and cons, and even a trace of imperceptible excitement.

Having navigated the sea of politics for decades, he was used to power plays and schemes. But someone like Gu Chengyin, who could speak of such a massive conspiracy so casually...

He was the first.

The depth of Gu Chengyin's scheming, the ruthlessness of his methods, and the sheer scale of his vision made even a newly appointed Grand Secretary like him feel alarmed.

But soon, a crucial question surfaced in his mind.

Shangguan Yuan frowned tightly, his voice dropping low:

"Will the Second Prince just watch this happen?"

"Shanshui City is the core of his new policies, and it is his key bargaining chip to win over the newly risen factions."

"If we tamper with things there, how could he possibly sit by and do nothing?"

This was the most realistic problem.

The Second Prince was no fool either.

If Shangguan Yuan and the Crown Prince's Palace joined forces to harvest his territory, the Second Prince's counterattack would undoubtedly be extremely ferocious.

However, Gu Chengyin merely shook his head.

"Of course not."

"After all, this concerns the Second Prince's future."

Gu Chengyin picked up his teacup, gently blowing away the floating leaves, his movements as leisurely as if they were just chatting:

"But rest assured, Elder, just leave it to this junior."

"I will handle the Second Prince's side."

This sentence was a reassuring talisman.

Shangguan Yuan's tense expression instantly relaxed.

The most important reason he was willing to lean toward the Crown Prince's palace and plot with Gu Chengyin at this family banquet...

Was because of Gu Chengyin himself.

This guy's methods were simply too experienced, too ruthless, and too reassuring.

Every step was calculated with absolute precision.

Every strike hit the opponent's most fatal spot.

More importantly, he always did what he said he would.

Now, Gu Chengyin said he could handle the Second Prince.

Then he definitely could.

This almost blind trust didn't come out of nowhere.

It was forged through precise calculations and brilliant track records time and time again.

As for those newly risen noble families in Luodu.

Shangguan Yuan felt no pressure at all.

The reason newly risen families were called newly risen was because they lacked a deep foundation.

Even an entrenched power like the Xiao clan had fallen, let alone these nouveau riche.

They were like a pack of young wolves that had just grown their fangs—seemingly fierce, but actually fragile.

Not to mention that in Luodu, there was a steady stream of minor families wanting to rise up and take their place.

Shangguan Yuan slowly nodded, making his decision:

"I understand."

"I will handle this matter."

"I will definitely make His Highness satisfied."

This was a promise.

It was also the formal establishment of a political alliance.

Seeing Shangguan Yuan agree, Gu Chengyin raised his wine cup to gesture:

"With your words, Elder, this junior is at ease."

After draining the cup in one gulp, Gu Chengyin looked at Jiang Jianli beside him:

"Things in Shanshui City won't amount to much for a while, so there's no rush."

"On the contrary, Madam... could you clear up a few doubts for this junior?"

This was the most important matter tonight.

Jiang Jianli put down the chopsticks in her hand.

She glanced at Gu Chengyin, then at Shangguan Yuan, and finally her gaze returned to Gu Chengyin as she slowly spoke:

"Of course, this matter is actually not complicated."

"Just as His Highness is the orthodox heir of the Great Luo..."

"You, the inheritor of the Azure Cloud Immortal Clan, are precisely the orthodox lineage that my Azure Sword Sect, and even the entire cultivation world, have been searching for."

The orthodox lineage of the cultivation world?

When Gu Chengyin fabricated this identity, it was only to give himself a reasonable background.

He hadn't expected it to be linked to some orthodox lineage of the cultivation world.

Jiang Jianli looked at the astonishment on Gu Chengyin's face and continued:

"Young Master Gu, there is something you do not know..."

"The current cultivation world appears prosperous, but in reality, it has reached a dead end."

"The Golden Core realm is the peak of this era."

"And most of them are old monsters from hundreds of years ago, secluded year-round and ignoring worldly affairs."

"Therefore, there has always been a saying in the cultivation world that the path to immortality has been severed."

"Severed?" Gu Chengyin frowned.

"Yes." Jiang Jianli nodded. "Since an unknown time, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth has grown increasingly thin, Heaven-tier cultivation methods have gradually been lost, and breaking through bottlenecks has become harder and harder..."

"To this day, the Golden Core is already the end of the line."

"And the only hope to break this predicament is to find the inheritors of the Immortal Clans."

"Only by finding them can we find the grand path of cultivation beyond the Golden Core, and only then can we reconnect the severed path to immortality."

Gu Chengyin understood.

Why Jiang Jianli was so desperately looking for him.

Why the Azure Sword Sect valued his identity as an Immortal Clan inheritor so much.

Because the entire cultivation world was longing for an orthodox lineage, a guide who could lead them out of their predicament.

And he just happened to appear at this exact point in time with the identity of an Immortal Clan inheritor.

Jiang Jianli continued with some excitement:

"Therefore, whoever can find an Immortal Clan inheritor first and complete their inheritance will be the first to step into the Nascent Soul realm, or even higher realms, thereby..."

"Unifying the entire cultivation world of Great Luo."

"So, Young Master Gu, do you now know why I must have you go to the Azure Sword Sect?"

"After all..."

Jiang Jianli stood up, bowed slightly to Gu Chengyin, and performed an extremely solemn sect salute:

"The Azure Cloud Immortal Clan is the orthodox lineage of the Azure Sword Sect."

"According to the rules, even my father must obey your commands."

Before Gu Chengyin could react.

Jiang Jianli's tone suddenly shifted.

She sat back in her chair, her expression turning grave:

"To my Azure Sword Sect, you are an extremely important orthodox inheritor."

"But to other sects, that is not the case."

"Every cultivation sect has its own ancient Immortal Clan."

"They will not just watch helplessly as my Azure Sword Sect finds its orthodox lineage."

"Much less sit by and watch the Azure Sword Sect be the first to break through to the Nascent Soul realm."

"Therefore..."

Gu Chengyin's heart sank as a terrifying speculation surfaced in his mind.

"Madam means... they will make a move against me?"

Jiang Jianli gently nodded.

Gu Chengyin frowned; this was indeed beyond his expectations.

He had truly never thought that the real killing intent would come from the cultivation world.