Chapter Eight: Off to Yuhang Town!~

The Great Tang’s rapid technological advancement had pushed the forging of cold weapons to its zenith, and the prototype of the flintlock musket had already emerged. Other nations were no match for the Great Tang, and their reliance on Tang-made daily necessities allowed the empire to keep them in check. Otherwise, the Heavenly Court would surely have ordered a siege against the Great Tang long ago.

"My mission is to completely resolve the threat the Heavenly Court poses to humanity."

Suppressing his resentment toward the celestial realm, Hao Yun spoke calmly to Wu Zetian: "I am heading to Suzhou to find the Son of Destiny of this era and formally declare war on the Heavenly Court."

"Do you require our assistance?"

Wu Zetian did not ask for the reason; as a human, she understood her position well. Titles like "Son of Heaven" had been discarded back when Li Shimin was alive, replaced by the title "Human Emperor." In the Great Tang, where the intellect of the populace had been greatly enlightened, there was no longer any reverence for the Heavenly Court.

"Of course. You are the formidable weapon I have cultivated to deal with them." Hao Yun laughed heartily. With the support of the Great Tang, would he be foolish enough to face the Kingdom of Nanzhao—or even the entire Heavenly Court—alone? "Accelerate the popularization of immortal cultivation and increase investment in metaphysics. When I launch the counterattack, I will send word for you to act."

"Understood! The Black Armor Army and the Imperial Observatory stand ready at all times!"

Wu Zetian nodded firmly, representing the stance of the Great Tang as Prime Minister. Yet, as she turned away, a faint glimmer flashed in her eyes. *To wage war against the Heavenly Court—the State Preceptor must be planning to go down with them... For the sake of humanity, he has sacrificed too much.*

Indeed, in some respects, the imagination of the ancients was quite remarkable.

***

Leaving Chang'an, Hao Yun boarded the newly opened train to Suzhou. Sitting by the window, he watched the golden wheat fields, the solid concrete roads, and the smoke rising from distant chimneys, feeling a deep sense of pride. Fifty years of reform had truly put the Great Tang on the path to becoming a global superpower. Now, the only things left to deal with were the Heavenly Court—the mountain that had long weighed upon humanity—and the task of breaking the tragic fate of the descendants of Nüwa.

Yes, in Hao Yun's view, the true goal of the three-star mission issued by Li Xiaoyao had always been the descendants of Nüwa. The entire story of *Chinese Paladin* revolved around Ling'er. Whether it was the Sword Saint or the Moon Worshipper, their obsessions were never Li Xiaoyao or Lin Yueru; they cared only for the Nüwa descendant.

Therefore, he would change his previous strategy of taking on many disciples. He would devote his remaining mission time entirely to training Zhao Ling'er so that she could reach a level capable of contending with the Heavenly Court. Since the system classified this world as a mid-tier world, where even the strongest creator, Nüwa, was only at the peak of the Father-God level, it should be no problem to elevate Ling'er to that stage—the Celestial Immortal level—given her talent and the resources he controlled.

The steam train was not fast, traveling at only 30 kilometers per hour. After nearly a day of travel, he arrived at the starting point of the story: Suzhou. Stepping out of the station, he saw a brand-new city filled with high-rise buildings rather than traditional tile-roofed houses. Hao Yun couldn't help but rub his nose. They had built ten-story towers before even perfecting elevators—had the technology tree grown a bit crooked?

"State Preceptor."

Just as he was considering visiting the Lin Family Manor before heading to Yuhang Town, a plain-looking passerby approached him and whispered.

"Who are you?"

"I am Su Ping, the Suzhou inspector for the Embroidered Uniform Guard. By order of the Prime Minister, the Suzhou branch is at your command."

Su Ping offered a salute. The Embroidered Uniform Guard had been established on Hao Yun’s advice, reorganized from the Hundred Cavalry Division. Their primary function was to gather intelligence on neighboring nations and officials, with the right to report directly to the Cabinet. To limit their power, however, they had no authority to arrest criminals or suspects without treasonous cause; they were strictly an intelligence-gathering body.

"Where are you heading, State Preceptor? Do you require assistance?"

"Tell me the location of the Lin Family Manor. Additionally, monitor Yuhang Town. Report immediately if you spot anyone from the Kingdom of Nanzhao."

"Yes!"

Su Ping saluted and left. Moments later, he returned with the information. Hao Yun opened the file. Lin Yueru was only six years old and had been studying martial arts under her father, Lin Tiannan, for less than a year. During her recent enrollment in the academy, she was found to have a natural affinity for immortal cultivation—a prodigy. She had just transferred to the metaphysical school; her cultivation level was at the Foundation Establishment stage.

*Should I take another disciple?* Hao Yun mused. *She looks like a protagonist template.* No, he couldn't just take every talented sprout he saw; there were many geniuses in this world. Even the "weak" scholar Liu Jinyuan was praised by the Moon Worshipper as a genius, not to mention Tang Yu, Anu, and Li Xiaoyao.

*Forget it. Yueru has already started her schooling and her future has changed. Best not to disturb her. On to Yuhang Town.*

Hailing a carriage, Hao Yun relaxed on the sofa inside and headed straight for Yuhang. Upon arriving, he had no intention of entering the town. Li Xiaoyao was still a child; why visit him? He had Su Ping provide him with a speedboat and set out to find Fairy Island.

He had barely arrived at a large island when a giant bird descended from the sky. It had the features of a qilin, a snake's head, a fish's tail, and a phoenix's wings. A phoenix?

The person on its back jumped down, dressed in night-travel clothes and a black mask. Seeing Hao Yun, he drew his sword and asked vigilantly, "Who are you? Why have you come to Fairy Island?"

Behind him, an old woman cradled a small, translucent girl. It was the Granny and Ling'er. So this was the day the time-traveling Li Xiaoyao brought the young Ling'er to the island? *Damn it, did the future not change? Or is this Xiaoyao from a parallel future?*

"Li Xiaoyao? You can leave once you've dropped her off. Don't linger here, go back early."

Sensing the strange timeline around Li Xiaoyao, Hao Yun was certain he was from a parallel universe. To prevent him from taking the Five Spirit Beads from this timeline, Hao Yun waved his hand, using the spatial-temporal energy clinging to the boy to send him back. As for whether he could return or what would happen without the Water Spirit Bead—that was none of his concern.