Chapter 60: The Mastermind in the Imperial Palace

The Xia Emperor stood by the window all along, gazing far into a certain void, and murmured, "Bai Ruyue, let this Emperor witness just how much foundation your Watching Moon Sect truly has left."
......
Inside the Liang Mansion.
Xuantian had been continuously healing Su Yang's injuries. While the latter's injuries could not be described as overwhelmingly severe, they were deeply startling to behold.
Though a severed arm could be reattached, the internal injuries were almost too gruesome for even Xuantian to bear looking at.
His internal organs had all suffered damage, many of his primary and secondary meridians were snapped, and the most severe injury of all was his dantian, which faintly showed signs of fracturing. This was the absolute priority. Once the dantian shattered, all cultivation would completely scatter. Even with Su Yang's Supreme Bloodline, he would never amount to much in the future. At most, he could only cultivate his physical body. Yet wanting to attain the Dao through physical supremacy was far too illusory and ethereal; throughout the entire Xuantian Continent to this day, no mighty figure had ever emerged who achieved the Dao through physical might alone.
Xuantian could only proceed with utmost caution, trying his best to stabilize the dantian within Su Yang's body and striving to allow it to slowly mend.
Aside from Xuantian, Yu Qiuyue and Li Shanshan were also present in the room.
Both of their expressions were filled with deep anxiety, terrified that something might happen to Su Yang. However, Li Shanshan's expression was slightly more composed; in her view, as long as Su Yang did not die, he would definitely be all right.
"Hoo~" After another round of healing, Xuantian withdrew his spiritual energy and stood up from the bedside.
"Sect Master, how is Su Yang right now?" Yu Qiuyue hurriedly asked.
"He won't die for the time being, but he was far too reckless, employing an offensive strategy that inflicted a thousand enemies while self-inflicting eight hundred, which led to his current state. It is estimated that it will take quite some time for him to fully recover."
"During this period, you must take good care of him. This Sect Master must figure out a way to deal with that crazy woman's harassment. Otherwise, it will truly be difficult for us to walk out of this Outer City of Central Province!" Having said that, Xuantian could only feel a headache throbbing. The mere thought of that crazy woman Bai Ruyue waiting for him brought an involuntary wry smile to his face.
"Understood. I will definitely take good care of him and will never let anything happen to him," Yu Qiuyue said with absolute certainty.
"Mn. Although this is the Liang Mansion, given the Prince of Liang's character, he certainly won't do anything out of line. Still, you must remain vigilant to prevent any petty scoundrels from sneaking in."
"This Sect Master will take his leave first." With that, Xuantian was about to depart. Only then did he notice Li Shanshan, who had been standing quietly to the side all along. After looking her up and down for a moment, he narrowed his eyes and said, "You are quite remarkable. It seems this kid has quite a fortunate destiny. Furthermore, there is actually the aura of this kid's bloodline within your body?"
Seeing the Xuantian Sect Master staring right at her, Li Shanshan felt somewhat uneasy.
"Reporting to Sect Master Xuan, that is because... I possess the Extreme Yin Bloodline. The last time my bloodline erupted, Su Yang used his Supreme Bloodline to suppress the yin Qi within my body, which is why I carry the aura of his bloodline," Li Shanshan answered directly.
"Oh? So that was it. To think you actually possess the Extreme Yin Bloodline... Ah, what a pity," Xuantian sighed involuntarily upon hearing this.
The higher one's realm, the more one understands the terror of the Extreme Yin Bloodline. Very few people could survive several rounds of eruptions from the Extreme Yin Bloodline, and some even lost their lives on the spot during the very first eruption. Moreover, those who possessed such a bloodline basically could not live for long.
Therefore, in Xuantian's eyes, Li Shanshan was already a dead person who simply hadn't died yet.
Li Shanshan could sense the underlying meaning in Xuantian's words, yet she maintained a gentle smile throughout, without a trace of sorrow.
So what if she died? As long as she could stay by Su Yang's side for a little longer, even if it were just one more hour, it would be enough.
After Xuantian left, Yu Qiuyue said to Li Shanshan, "Shanshan, Auntie still has some matters to arrange. Just stay here and take care of Su Yang. If you need anything, simply call for me."
"Mn, alright," Li Shanshan nodded in agreement.
Immediately afterward, Yu Qiuyue also departed from the room.
Once Yu Qiuyue left, Li Shanshan walked softly to Su Yang's bedside. Looking at the face with its currently tightly closed eyes, she didn't know where she found the courage, but she stretched out a slender, delicate hand and gently stroked his face.
At that exact moment, Su Yang's eyelashes suddenly fluttered, startling Li Shanshan so much that she instantly pulled her hand back.
Like a child who had done something wrong, she stood there at a complete loss.
Seeing that Su Yang had not truly woken up, Li Shanshan let out a breath of relief and once again stared unblinkingly at Su Yang.
She kept watch over him silently in this manner until the dead of night.
Three days later, the news of the battle between Su Yang and Elder Ruthless had already shaken both the inner and outer regions of Central Province.
Countless factions had listed Su Yang as their primary target of concern, and quite a few people even came personally to the Liang Mansion to pay a visit, all of whom were turned away by Yu Qiuyue one by one. Even so, many people still lingered outside for two full days before gradually departing.
During these days, Yu Qiuyue was unexpectedly busy.
Matters within the Liang Mansion were already cumbersome, and now she also had to constantly monitor Su Yang's safety, making it truly exhausting work.
The Prince of Liang also understood the importance of Su Yang to the Xuantian Sect. Although he maintained neutrality, Su Yang was residing within the Liang Mansion after all, and to prevent any accidents, the Prince of Liang had dispatched heavily armed guards to stand watch around the room where Su Yang was resting.
As for Li Shanshan, she had never stepped out of the room for even half a step, remaining steadfastly by Su Yang's side.
Such treatment... was truly unparalleled.
At this moment, within the Imperial Palace in the Inner City of Central Province.
"My Lord, that kid is still healing inside the Liang Mansion, and moreover, the Prince of Liang has dispatched heavy guards to secure the area."
Inside a luxurious room, a figure half-kneeling on the ground spoke.
In front of the figure stood another figure facing away, whose hands were constantly spinning two iron balls as if trying to use them to decide some matter.
After waiting for a long time, the figure facing away finally spoke: "Transfer people from Youzhou, and have Scar-Faced Tiger find more disposable assassins. Make sure they are unfamiliar faces, and the higher their cultivation, the better. Have them rush over as quickly as possible."
"My Lord, Scar-Faced Tiger is still executing a mission, I'm afraid..."
"Hmph, tell him to abandon the mission in his hands. This matter takes precedence."
"Understood, My Lord. This subordinate will see to it immediately."
After the figure departed, the figure facing away slowly sat down. The iron balls in his hands continued to spin unceasingly as the corners of his mouth slowly curled upward, appearing extremely satisfied with his own decision.
"Since the chaos has already begun, there is no need to stop it. Hahahahaha!"
Meanwhile, in various corners of the Imperial Palace, those factions that usually remained hidden and dormant seemed to be growing active.
Regarding the struggle for the crown prince, although the Xia Emperor explicitly stated that no one was permitted to participate, how could things truly be that way behind closed doors?
If you wish to survive within the Great Xia Empire, either your strength must be astonishing, or you must choose your camp wisely. At present, the First Prince still held an absolute advantage; after all, the merit of guarding Youzhou was simply too immense. Although the Third Prince worked diligently, he still fell far behind. As for the Second Prince, while he had made no contributions to the empire whatsoever, the forces standing behind him were considered mere ants even in the eyes of the Great Xia Empire.
It only remained to be seen whether the Second Prince wished to become the new Xia Emperor when the time came for contention.