Interrogation  

Within the imperial palace of the Great Chu, an unusual sight unfolded. Two dragon thrones, one occupied by a man, the other by a woman, faced each other across a long table laden with a lavish spread of delicacies. The man was Xiang Chong, the Emperor, and the woman was Sage Ruler Yao Guang.

Yao Guang had graced Peng City with her presence, offering sermons and teachings to the women of the Great Chu. Given her esteemed status, the imperial palace was the only suitable accommodation. In Xiang Chong's mind, receiving her with imperial honors was only natural.

"Your Majesty, I am deeply honored by your presence in the Great Chu," Xiang Chong said, his tone obsequious, though he was oblivious to his own fawning demeanor. In fact, he felt a surge of pride.

Who was he, Xiang Chong? Mere months ago, he was but a disciple of the Blazing Fire Sect, an insignificant member of the Great Chu's extended imperial family. Now, after a whirlwind of events, he wore the dragon robes and wielded imperial authority. Even Sage Ruler Yao Guang, the Supreme Sage Ruler of the Brahma Sound Pure Land, a figure of legendary power, sat before him as an equal.

Heavens! For the first time, Xiang Chong felt that enduring Fan Li's dominance and swallowing his pride had been worth it.

"You are too kind, Your Majesty," Yao Guang replied while radiating benevolence. She looked at Xiang Chong with an affectionate gaze, like a mother doting on her son.

Xiang Chong basked in this peculiar sense of condescending warmth. After all, he had even taken Sage Ruler Han Yue as his adoptive mother. Bowing before the Supreme Sage Ruler of the Pure Land didn't feel demeaning in the slightest.

As for Yao Guang's purpose in coming to Peng City—sharing her teachings and spreading enlightenment? In Xiang Chong's mind, she was indeed a benevolent sage, her actions a testament to her noble character.

However, Chen Gonggong, the Chief Eunuch, had cautiously voiced his concerns. The Three Kingdoms—Wei, Han, and Wu—had all experienced an exodus of women, abandoning their homes and families to join the Pure Land. The old eunuch had urged Xiang Chong to guard against a similar population drain in the Great Chu.

Xiang Chong, however, dismissed his worries. "With a population exceeding one hundred million, what does it matter if we lose a hundred thousand or so women? Especially if they are commoners, unfit for military service or cultivation? Let them go."

He scoffed at Chen Gonggong's alarmist attitude, even feeling a slight disdain for Yao Guang. "She's just a woman, after all."

He failed to grasp the simple truth—a thousand-mile dike could be destroyed by an anthill. He had forgotten that the departure of over a hundred thousand women meant countless families torn apart, countless men unable to find wives. How would this affect the Great Chu's birth rate in the coming years?

"Thank you for your hospitality, Your Majesty," Yao Guang said finally, dismissing her host. "I must prepare for my sermon in three days. Please, feel free to attend to your duties."

Xiang Chong, although reluctant to leave and eager to further ingratiate himself with this legendary figure, managed to retain a shred of dignity and took his leave.

As Xiang Chong and his entourage departed the palace, Yao Guang's benevolent facade crumbled. In its place, an aura of imperial majesty, akin to that of Emperor Jiajing of the Great Ming Dynasty, descended upon her.

…

Late that night, a figure drifted into the palace hall. It was Sage Ruler Han Yue, fresh from her visit to the Fan residence.

"Why are you still awake at this late hour, sister?" Yao Guang asked warmly.

"Elder Sister," Han Yue replied, her troubled heart finding solace in the warmth of Yao Guang's tone. "I just met with Fan Li again."

"Oh? Your swordsmanship is unparalleled, the best in the world. If you were to assassinate Fan Li, even Wu Gang couldn't stop you. So, did you succeed?"

Han Yue's face paled.

"El-Elder Sister, the Pure Land and the Great Chu have formed an alliance. Surely there's no need to target Fan Li anymore?" she stammered.

Yao Guang's smile remained fixed, her eyes like bottomless pools and unreadable to Han Yue.

The Pure Land has allied with the Great Chu, but not with Fan Li. Did you fail to strike because you couldn't bear to kill him?"

Han Yue's face flushed crimson.

"I… No… I didn't…"

"There, there, sister, calm yourself," Yao Guang chuckled softly.

"The Pure Land's goal is to liberate all women from their shackles, to grant them freedom and independence. Who you choose to kill or spare is your decision. Even as your elder sister, I cannot force you, can I?"

Han Yue let out a sigh of relief, her heart filled with gratitude for Yao Guang's understanding.

"Thank you, Elder Sister. I truly don't wish to harm Fan Li any longer."

Yao Guang's eyes flickered with a hint of coldness, but the expression vanished as quickly as it appeared.

"You came to see me so late at night, sister. Surely there's something you need my help with?" she asked, her voice as sweet as honey, like a mother coaxing a child.

"I… I wanted to ask you something." Han Yue's expression turned serious. The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she hesitated, unsure how to phrase her question.

Yao Guang, who had been studying her intently, already knew what she wanted to ask.

"You want to know the cause of Yan Yuan's death?"

"Yes!" Han Yue nodded quickly.

She hoped Fan Li's suspicions were wrong. She hoped his ambush outside Mount Yunmeng, Lu Bu's betrayal, and Yan Yuan's death were all unrelated to the Brahma Sound Pure Land. She hoped that there would be no further conflict between Fan Li and the Pure Land.

"Sister… They were merely completing the task you left unfinished."

Her words shattered Han Yue's hopes.

"They?"

Yao Guang was referring to Sage Ruler of Archery, who had launched the arrow attack, and Diao Chan, the Sage Ruler of Life/Fate, who had manipulated Lu Bu.

"Elder Sister, why?!" Han Yue cried out. "Don't we share a common enemy—the Great Ming? Why are we fighting amongst ourselves when we should be working together?"

"For the sake of millions upon millions of pitiful women," Yao Guang's words silenced Han Yue's protests. "I intend to establish a nation. The Pure Land will liberate all women, not just those within the Great Ming, the Great Chu, Wei, Han, or Wu. All women deserve to be free.

But as long as Fan Li lives, he will obstruct my path. He will prevent me from saving the pitiful women of the Great Chu. Sister, tell me, shouldn't Fan Li be eliminated?"

Kill one man to save millions? Should he be killed?

Han Yue couldn't answer. But following Yao Guang's logic, she realized that Fan Li would indeed become an obstacle to the Pure Land's ambitions. He was Duke Jin of the Great Chu, the true power behind the throne. He would never allow his citizens, especially women, to flee to another nation.

Han Yue's face contorted with pain.

Seeing her anguish, Yao Guang gently patted her shoulder.

"There, there. The situation has changed. For now, at least, Fan Li is no longer our immediate concern."

Han Yue's despair turned to joy in an instant.

"Elder Sister, are you serious?!"

As far as she was concerned, if Yao Guang spared Fan Li, he would be safe. If Yao Guang insisted on his death, there would be no escaping his fate.

"Of course I'm serious," Yao Guang said with a smile, gently stroking Han Yue's beautiful face. "How could I possibly do anything to hurt my dear sister?"