Chapter 212: Chapter 212: Intelligence is Crucial, Celestial Fragrance Saintess

Once you compromise, you’ll do it again.

Yang Chan had tried to tackle the problem at its source, only to find that the source itself was the biggest issue. They just didn’t play by the rules.

He felt that his diligent persona was less effective than simply complaining about a sore back.

As for the cause of the back pain, there would be no need for details. Elder Yan and the others would let their imaginations fill in the blanks and grant his wish.

’Sigh, I used the wrong approach!’

Yang Chan sighed.

This failure was because he hadn’t seen Yan Jinfeng and Ji Feng for who they truly were. He had also used the wrong method. If he had used this approach on Medicine Hall Master Gu An, it surely would have succeeded.

But on Elder Yan and Ji Feng, it was the wrong move entirely.

Intelligence often seemed useless, but its value became obvious when it was time to act.

What was done was done. Yang Chan didn’t dwell on it. He stayed in his room to practice the Flood Dragon Demon Martial Seal and waited for the early morning hours.

Certain things were inconvenient to do in the Cyan Yuan Pavilion, like practicing the Flood Dragon Demon Breath Method or cultivating Sword Intent. The aura fluctuations from these techniques were too obvious.

The disciples’ quarters were packed closely together, and with Inner Refining Grandmaster Level experts nearby, it was nowhere near as private as his own place within the Cyan Yuan Sect.

Yang Chan sat cross-legged. When the Potential Points appeared on his panel, he stopped his visualization practice. He allocated the three points according to plan. The moment he was finished, he lay down on his bed and went to sleep, not wasting a second. He had long ago blocked out the decadent moans from the next room.

For most, it was "out of sight, out of mind." For Yang Chan, it was "out of earshot, mind at peace." He fell soundly asleep, completely undisturbed.

...

「Fragrance Tower.」

"Which Sects arrived today?"

The woman in the white veil inquired.

"Qingzhou Lock Moon Tower, Yanzhou Qinjian Manor, the Qing State’s Cyan Yuan Sect..."

An elderly woman listed the Sects that had come to the Fragrance Tower that day. "Although these people aren’t wearing their Sects’ specific attire, we can identify some from their accents and unique accessories. We’ve also had people gathering information on them."

"After a few drinks, with a soft body to caress, many men’s tongues loosen. They start boasting and end up revealing useful information."

"Quite a few Sects have come for the Pharmacist Exchange Conference this time. We’ve seen arrivals from practically every province."

"The Six Gates was probing the strength of the various Sects, but someone intervened. Now, the Six Gates is behaving itself."

"As for the Court, it seems they want stability."

The elderly woman continued.

Her list didn’t include every Sect, but they had other intelligence channels besides the Fragrance Tower.

"However, Crown Prince Yang Qian has been very active. He even approached our Sect, but the Sect Leader refused to meet with him."

"Regarding matters in the Capital City, the Sect Leader’s intention is for the Celestial Fragrance Sect to remain uninvolved. If you have other ideas, Saintess, it would be best to discuss them with the Sect Leader."

Each piece of intelligence the elderly woman revealed was more shocking than the last. The people and matters involved were far from simple; any outsider who overheard would have been utterly astonished.

"Crown Prince Yang Qian’s ambition is an open secret. I suspect Emperor Yang Yu has been prepared for some time, just waiting for the Crown Prince to make a move. Then he’ll have just cause to depose him and install a new, younger Crown Prince—one who would be easier to control."

The young woman in the white veil sneered before revealing an even more secret, practically earth-shattering piece of news.

"Yang Qian previously sent people to Yu State to acquire Gathering Spirit Liquid through the No-Life Evil Cult. Rumor has it he’s already succeeded. With that, he has a good chance of breaking through to the Cleansing Marrow Grandmaster Realm, so his bid for power isn’t hopeless."

"Besides, the man is deeply calculating. He has secretly cultivated numerous forces and surely has allies within the palace. That’s why he dares to dream of seizing power."

"He’s learned from the failures of the Crown Princes before him. The fact that he’s still showing his hand like this might be a deliberate act."

"After all, flushing out your enemy has its uses."

The elderly woman, however, offered her own perspective, presenting another possibility.

There were many different opinions within the Celestial Fragrance Sect, but for now, they were all following the Sect Leader’s orders.

"The Celestial Fragrance Sect is strong enough that we don’t need to back a desperate cause. Besides, this Crown Prince’s attitude toward the Sects is ambiguous. He appears to be courting them, but he’s also placing his own people to interfere in the affairs of the Six Gates."

"He might turn against the Sects in the future, which makes him a worse option than the current Emperor Yang Yu. That must be why the Sect Leader refused to see Crown Prince Yang Qian."

The elderly woman continued speaking. This wasn’t just her own opinion, but that of several Elders. They had mentioned it to her specifically, clearly intending for her to relay the message to the Celestial Fragrance Sect’s Saintess.

"For our Sect, the longer the struggle between Emperor Yang Yu and Crown Prince Yang Qian drags on, the better. That way, neither of them will get any funny ideas about us. Still, our Sect needs to find a suitable candidate to back in order to reap the most benefits."

"Natural disasters have struck one after another these past few years, causing a significant decline in all kinds of Cultivation Resources within the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty. This isn’t a good sign. The more we can gather, the better."

The young woman in the white veil gazed into a copper mirror, stroking her face beneath the white gauze. The delicate sensation was naturally very pleasant.

"These are truly eventful times. The new year is almost upon us. For many people, it won’t be a happy one."

The young woman in the white veil changed the subject and suddenly laughed, as if at some amusing thought.

"Yes. If Crown Prince Yang Qian makes his move, many people will have a miserable new year. Some won’t live to see it at all."

The elderly woman nodded at her words and added with pointed meaning.

’Young people love the spotlight. They won’t listen to direct persuasion, so one can only remind them with subtle hints.’

"Don’t worry, Granny Rao. I won’t get involved."

The young woman in the white veil smiled upon hearing this.

She was very smart; the moment the elderly woman spoke, she understood the underlying meaning.

"The Saintess has grown up, and your mind has matured as well. I can rest easy now."

"With your dance today, amplified by the mystical Celestial Fragrance, it won’t be long before you are famous throughout all of White Jade City."

"A body double has been prepared. It will make it more convenient for you to move about, Saintess."

The elderly woman looked at the veiled young woman and sighed with emotion.

The cultivation path of the Celestial Fragrance Sect was quite unique. Named for the Celestial Fragrance, its disciples cultivated the Three Celestial Fragrance Scrolls. The young woman before her was currently practicing the Human Fragrance Scroll. Cultivating the Human Fragrance Scroll naturally required the use of many people; only by using them could she bring her practice of the Human Fragrance Scroll to the Great Success stage.

"I have complete faith in your work, Granny Rao. By leveraging the mystical Celestial Fragrance this time, Fragrance Tower will have a constant stream of customers. I can use this opportunity to collect Human Fragrance Qi and bring my cultivation of the Human Fragrance Scroll to the Great Success stage. My strength will rise to another level then."

As the veiled young woman spoke of this, her mood brightened, for her path of cultivation was laid out clearly before her.

As the true controller of the Fragrance Tower and the Celestial Fragrance Sect Saintess, she naturally had to use the tower to complete her cultivation. Doing so would also solidify her position within the Sect. After all, plenty of people in the Celestial Fragrance Sect were just waiting for her to fail.