Chapter 117: Stargazing

Diaochan left the water pavilion, but she did not rest. Within the Grand Preceptor’s estate, a dedicated stargazing platform had been constructed specifically for her use, in addition to her living quarters.

Upon reaching the platform, Diaochan removed her shoes and socks. Barefoot, she stepped into the positions of the Seven Stars and stood perfectly still in the center of the summit. As she looked up at the night sky, her eyes suddenly turned pitch black. Deep within her pupils, a sea of stars gradually emerged, appearing as the reflections of every star in the heavens.

Heavy footsteps sounded behind her. The visitor was none other than Dong Zhuo.

"Any anomalies in the stars tonight?" Dong Zhuo asked.

"Liu Xie’s imperial star was originally dim and obscure, but since he subdued the divine beast Xuanwu, it has gained a glimmer of brightness."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Dong Zhuo’s expression soured. His hideous, ugly face appeared even more ghastly. Diaochan raised a hand, pointing toward a specific sector of the night sky.

"However, the Han dynasty is crumbling; the mandate of heaven is difficult to alter. Liu Xie is born with a short-lived physiognomy—he possesses virtue but lacks the fortune to sustain it, destined to perish halfway."

"Hahahaha!!!" Dong Zhuo was finally overjoyed. He did not look up at the sky; he had attempted to read the stars in the past, but had gained nothing from it. The secret art of stargazing required an extremely rare talent. Among the countless beings in the world, one could hardly name those capable of capturing a trace of heaven's will from the vast, profound cosmos. It was precisely for this reason that the Ming Emperor Jiajing, while claiming to be the foremost man of his era, still retained the national advisor Lan Daoxing.

"Stargazing is truly profound!" Dong Zhuo praised. "Diaochan, it is no wonder you can hold the position of the Saintess of the Pure Land despite your frail cultivation. Furthermore, beyond stargazing, you even possess the ability to alter one's fate..."

"Grand Preceptor." Diaochan whispered a gentle reminder, signaling for him to be quiet. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly, as if she had captured even more information from the celestial expanse. "In Chang'an, two new imperial stars have appeared!"

"Though their light is faint, they possess a burgeoning vitality, like the rising sun."

"If the Grand Preceptor were to use the [Taotie Demon Art] to devour their imperial destinies, you could entirely replace Liu Xie and forge an imperial destiny of your own."

Dong Zhuo was thoroughly shocked. Could Chang'an truly harbor so many True Dragon Emperors? Though it seemed unbelievable, it was the result of Diaochan’s reading, so it must be true.

"A gathering of dragons in Chang'an? Is this not heaven’s will, assisting me in forging my imperial destiny? Diaochan, you are truly my fated Empress, hahahaha!"

Through Diaochan’s arts, Dong Zhuo had long known that besides the Han Emperor Liu Xie, Cao, Liu, and Sun also possessed imperial destinies. His [Taotie Demon Art] was powerful, but that was secondary. The greatest value of the demonic art lay in devouring the destiny of emperors to refine himself into a True Dragon Emperor.

"I have excavated the tombs of Han emperors and collected many fragments of imperial destiny; all I lacked was a living emperor as a catalyst!" Dong Zhuo’s expression was savage, as if he were ready to devour a man—and indeed, he truly desired to.

"Those three boys, Cao, Liu, and Sun, possess formidable cultivation and their influence cannot be underestimated. I have tried to strike at them several times, but they are incredibly slippery; I could never find a flaw or an excuse. Especially that Cao Cao, who dares to actively approach me and feign flattery—his audacity far exceeds that of Liu Bei or Sun Quan! If it were not for the fact that these three band together and rely on the child Liu Xie, I would have turned against them long ago. Why wait until the Three Emperors' Alliance, when Liu Xie loses to Zhu Houcong and his luck plummets, to prepare my move?"

The more Dong Zhuo spoke, the more excited he became, his eyes gleaming with murderous intent. "Now, can my grand plan succeed ahead of schedule? Diaochan, tell me quickly, who are these two with the new imperial destinies? I shall go and claim their lives at once!"

After a long moment of observation, Diaochan slowly gave the answer: "The Duke of Jin of Great Chu, Fan Li. Princess Changle, Liu Man."

Dong Zhuo was stunned. "Why these two?" Upon a second thought, he found it reasonable. Both had arrived in Chang'an recently with the Great Chu delegation. Diaochan could only use her stargazing art once a month; only by performing it today could she discern their extraordinary destinies.

"A pity." Dong Zhuo shook his head. "Since it is Fan Li and the Princess, I shall endure. I will stick to the original plan and strike at the child Liu Xie during the celebration."

Diaochan ceased her observation and withdrew her gaze. She asked, "Why does the Grand Preceptor intend to let these two go? Whether it is the Princess or Fan Li, both are weaker than the Han Emperor. To abandon the easy path for the difficult one—Diaochan cannot understand the Grand Preceptor’s deeper meaning."

Dong Zhuo, hearing this, was willing to explain patiently. "The Fan clan holds absolute power in Great Chu. If I were to use my demon art to devour Fan Li, it would be tantamount to declaring war on Great Chu. Even if I succeed in overthrowing the dynasty, could I simultaneously withstand the combined crusades of Chu and Ming? As for Princess Changle, hehehehe..."

Dong Zhuo did not elaborate, but he made a motion of licking his lips, and Diaochan understood. Princess Changle possessed the beauty of a celestial being.

...

"Listen to me, let me explain."

Fan Li was on a video call. He wore a mask of pain, regretting deeply why he had picked up Xiang Ning’s call.

"I won't listen!"

"You are clearly bewitched by lust! You bought one Heaven-grade treasure robe and five Earth-grade treasure robes, only to give them to Princess Changle and the Saintess of Hanyue? Fan Li, have you never seen a woman in your entire life!?"

Fan Li covered his face. Chatting was just about saying what came to mind, right? Xiang Ning had said she was practicing diligently with the Saintess of Qingqiu and asked how he was doing. Fan Li had told the truth, never expecting Xiang Ning to explode like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

"Your Majesty, as I just said, the Heaven-grade robe was stolen by Princess Changle," Fan Li said, feeling depressed. "And besides, she is your Empress; aren't her belongings effectively yours?"

On the screen, Xiang Ning’s cute face was flushed red. Clearly, she had no ground to accuse Fan Li regarding the Princess.

"And what about the Saintess of Hanyue?!"

Xiang Ning might not be very bright usually, but in certain matters, her reactions were shockingly fast. She held up five fingers. "Five robes, and from the [Cloud Embroidery Workshop]?"

"Fan Li, do you know how expensive and hard to buy clothes from the [Cloud Embroidery Workshop] are? I’ve lived for nearly twenty years and have only secretly worn them two or three times!"

Fan Li tried to change the subject. "Was that during those times Your Majesty wore women's clothing? Speaking of which, I couldn't help but want to offer a few praises..."

"You... don't start flattering me yet. I know I’m beautiful, but you clarify the matter of the Saintess of Hanyue first!"

Finally, Xiang Ning’s tone softened slightly, but she remained fixated on the Saintess.

"I gave the clothes to Hanyue to save my life." Fan Li pondered and finally found a strategy. "Hanyue harbors ill intentions toward me; she is clearly an assassin sent by Xiang Chong. I gave her those gifts merely to dull her killing intent. Unfortunately, I did not expect Hanyue to be an ingrate. After such precious gifts, she still tried to kill me. Look, Your Majesty, she wounded me quite badly with her sword..."

As he spoke, Fan Li pitiably unbuttoned his outer robe, intending to show Xiang Ning the wound on his chest. However, as he opened the garment, it revealed the [Emperor’s Undergarment] he was wearing underneath.

"Nine-clawed golden dragon? Bright yellow imperial attire!?"

Xiang Ning widened her almond eyes, her body trembling, her teeth chattering.

"Fan Li, you traitor!"

"Go to hell!"