Mutated Tao

“Father, could you be quieter? I’m trying to talk to Mother.”

Li Huowang ignored her and continued to search for the book he needed. He continued to murmur to himself, “This book… It’s not what I need.”

Li Sui saw that Li Huowang was ignoring her, so she didn’t think much about it. She turned to Bai Lingmiao. “Mother, I really don’t want you to be the Saintess. The higher up you climb, the more dangerous it is for you. I’m worried.”

“Danger? I thought the Dharma Sect had been exterminated. What danger is there left? Are you saying…?”

Bai Lingmiao looked towards the direction of the palace.

“Those at the top are always in danger, no matter where they are. To be honest, I didn’t want Gao Zhijian to be the Emperor or father to be a Twisted One because it’s dangerous. They didn’t have a choice, but you do. I can find a way to have someone replace you.”

Bai Lingmiao lowered her head and looked at her new clothes silently. “Is this related to the emperors seeking me out? Do they want to do something to me?”

Li Sui shook her head lightly. “No, we haven’t reached that stage yet. However, the situation will get very messy very quickly if this continues on. The frequency of such incidents will increase as long as you’re the Saintess. I fear that the situation will deteriorate in the future.

“Mother, don’t forget that we now have five Emperors. While Gao Zhijian may not do anything to you, the other Emperors are more than eager to get rid of you. There are still people who are on par with me in terms of strength in the other Surveillance Bureaus.

“More importantly, there’s nothing the White Lotus Sect can do. Any resistance would be treated as treason.”

“Then so be it! We will show them how strong we are!” Bai Lingmiao’s voice revealed a rare hint of anger.

The Second Deity turned and voiced the thoughts Bai Lingmiao had been keeping in her heart. “We, the White Lotus Sect, were the ones who fought against the Dharma Sect on the front lines! Our people generously donated money, food, and resources to support them!

“And now they have the nerve to tell us that there are too many people in the White Lotus Sect? Do they think that we are expendable tools?”

"You're absolutely correct—the White Lotus Sect is a tool." Li Sui's words caused the room to fall into a hushed silence, except for the sound of Li Huowang rummaging through the books.

Bai Lingmiao was in shock, her eyes wide as she looked at Li Sui.

“Mother, you must understand that these kinds of incidents are inevitable when you hold such a high positionMother, you must know that these incidents become common as you sit high in your throne. Since ancient times, emperors have always been cruel people, and the saying that the cruelest person is the Emperor is no mere exaggeration. As they said, the cruelest person was the Emperor, and it’s not a joke. That's why I want you to step down—you're too kind-hearted for this place.”

“You’ve escaped from the Zephyr Temple and finally have some time to relaxWe finally have some time to relax after escaping Zephyr Temple. Now, it's your turn to enjoy some peace and tranquilityIt’s time for you to enjoy your peace. Don’t worry about troublesome matters.”

Bai Lingmiao recalled her past and remembered her naive dream. She remembered looking at everyone’s back and smiling.

A few breaths later, she was pulled back to reality. Bai Lingmiao shifted her gaze elsewhere and said, “It’s true, but there are some things I cannot decide for myself. I cannot leave, especially after listening to your words.”

“Why?” Li Sui wasn’t surprised, but she still asked out of curiosity.

“Because I’m worried. I’m worried about the Emperor who would treat two million lives as a statistic. We are all humans, not weeds sprouting from the fields.”

Bai Lingmiao clutched onto her clothes as she spoke, "I could, at the very least, intimidate them a bit by staying here. If I were to actually leave, the White Lotus Sect would crumble into a disorganized mess, easily manipulated by the Emperor's whims."

Bai Lingmiao then placed her clothes to the side. “Suisui, go back and tell Gao Zhijian everything can be negotiated. As a sign of our sincerity, I’ve restricted my people from recruiting or spreading our gospel.”

Li Sui sipped her tea and said, “Mother, it’s not just humans we have to be wary about. We also have to consider what the Simings above think. Will the Heavenly Mater agree? You might end up with two dissatisfied parties instead.

Bai Lingmiao’s expression changed slightly, but she refused to budge. “I know that there will be issues, but I don’t want to give up. I want to at least try.

“I can’t give up just because I know it will be difficult. I don’t want to run from my problems—I want to face them head-on this time. I will not regret this, no matter what the outcome is.”

“Nice!” The Second Deity circled around and gave Bai Lingmiao a light peck on her cheek. “We’ve worked hard to secure our role, and now they want us to back down just because they said so? Who do they think they are? Let them try to force us. Let’s see if we get exterminated or if we get to punch out their teeth!”

Li Sui understood Bai Lingmiao’s intention and nodded, “Alright, I will pass on your message.”

Li Sui stood up and looked at Li Huowang, “Father, are you still searching for the book? Do you need my help? What kind of book are you looking for?”

The Second Deity glanced at the gift Li Sui had brought them before whispering in her heart, “In the end, we are only her stepmother, so it's natural that she’s a bit distant from us. Look at how chummy she is with her father.”

“Why are you treating Suisui like that? I thought you were very close to her last time. This isn’t her fault. She’s caught in the middle of two opposing forces and has to be careful.”

“Are you sure she’s in a difficult position? I might be close to her, but she’s no longer two years old. She’s already one hundred sixty-two years old. There’s always going to be a barrier between us.”

Bai Lingmiao frowned before approaching Li Huowang too.

Seeing that Bai Lingmiao didn’t want to talk to her anymore, the Second Deity decided not to say anything else. Her intentions had already been made clear.

“Hey, crazy bastard. What are you looking for? It’s been half a day, and you still couldn’t find it?”

Eight pairs of eyes were better compared to a single pair of eyes. They rapidly searched through the books and soon organized them based on their contents.

Some were illustration books, some were records of history, and there were even some scriptures—the genres of the books were chaotic. Li Huowang sat on the floor and read every single one because he couldn’t afford to miss anything. He was hoping that he would find what he needed in the books.

“Father, did something happen in the Qi Kingdom?” Li Sui suddenly sensed that something was wrong.

“Yes, they are here! Their goal isn’t the Qi Kingdom—it’s the Liang Kingdom! They are passing through the Qi Kingdom, and their real goal is to cross into the Liang Kingdom and kill your mother!”

Li Sui and Bai Lingmiao were shocked at his words. They now understood why Li Huowang was panicking.

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