Mythical Qin: I, Gao Yao, will never be a eunuch!

Gao Yao gently swirled the teacup in his hand, causing ripples to spread across the tea.

“Fan Xian, you are indeed smart,” Gao Yao admitted. “Li Yunrui’s departure is indeed related to me. But this is not a threat, but a deal.”

"A transaction?" Fan Xian frowned.

“I can’t give Li Yunrui what she wants, but I know who can.” Gao Yao’s words were meaningful. “And the inner treasury in her hands has become a burden to her. Rather than holding on to it tightly, it’s better to let go at the right time and exchange it for something more valuable.”

"What does she want?" Fan Xian pressed.

Gao Yao didn't answer directly, but instead asked, "What do you think Li Yunrui wants most? Power? Wealth? Or something else?"

Fan Xian pondered for a moment, then suddenly understood: "She wants to prove herself. To prove that she is no less than Ye Qingmei, to prove that she is qualified to stand at the top."

“That’s right.” Gao Yao nodded. “But the Inner Treasury was founded by Ye Qingmei. No matter how well Li Yunrui manages it, people will always remember Ye Qingmei’s name. So, she needs a stage that is entirely her own.”

“Jiang County…” Fan Xian suddenly realized, “She’s going to Jiang County to establish her own power.”

Gao Yao picked up his teacup and drank it all in one gulp: "Jiangjun is prosperous, far from the capital, and protected by the natural barrier of the Yangtze River. There, Li Yunrui can break free from Ye Qingmei's shadow and truly establish her own foundation. In exchange, she gave up the Imperial Treasury and temporarily stopped targeting you."

Fan Xian fell silent. He hadn't expected things to turn out this way. Li Yunrui, the woman he had always considered his greatest enemy, had actually chosen this path.

"Why did you help her?" Fan Xian asked the most crucial question.

Gao Yao stood up and walked to the window. In the night, the lights of Kyoto were still dazzling, but compared to ten days ago, there seemed to be some subtle changes.

“Because of the balance.” Gao Yao’s voice drifted over. “The balance of this world has been broken. The Temple, Qing Kingdom, Northern Qi, Dongyi City… all the forces are stirring. And Li Yunrui, her ambition and talent, can be the key to breaking the deadlock.”

"Break the deadlock?" Fan Xian asked, puzzled.

"Indeed, my sudden appearance, an uncontrollable grandmaster, has led to the entire capital searching for me."

Gao Yao's voice was calm and even, yet every word carried immense weight. He sat casually in the chair opposite Fan Xian, his posture relaxed as if discussing the weather rather than secrets concerning the fate of the world.

The candlelight flickered across his face, outlining his deep features. Fan Xian gazed at this uninvited guest, trying to glean more information from those calm eyes. A Grandmaster—the pinnacle of martial arts in this world, there are only a handful of such individuals in the entire realm. Yet this man before him seemed to have appeared out of thin air, with no background or connection to him.

"But the only people who know I exist are you, Li Yunrui, and Yan Xiaoyi, who is by Li Yunrui's side."

Gao Yao continued, a hint of amusement in his voice. He gently swirled the teacup in his hand, his gaze fixed on Fan Xian: "Of course, neither of them will reveal my identity, because they dare not offend me."

Fan Xian's fingers tightened slightly. Li Yunrui, the eldest princess, wielded immense power; Yan Xiaoyi, a ninth-rank archer, possessed unfathomable strength. Both were important figures at the heart of the Qing Kingdom's power, yet they both chose to remain silent.

"After all, no one is unafraid of a grandmaster who doesn't care about anything, right?"

A faint smile played at the corners of Gao Yao's lips. His words, spoken so casually, sent alarm bells ringing in Fan Xian's mind. Unscrupulous—this meant Gao Yao belonged to no faction, was not bound by any rules, and acted entirely on his own will. Such people were often the most dangerous.

"And what about me?" Fan Xian finally spoke, his voice calm, but his eyes sharp as knives.

Gao Yao seemed to have anticipated this question. He put down his teacup and leaned forward slightly: "You have that robot behind you. Strictly speaking, the robot is not a Grandmaster, but it can fight against a Grandmaster."

Uncle Wu Zhu. Fan Xian murmured this name in his heart. That taciturn man, always dressed in black, his eyes covered by a black cloth. He was indeed not a grandmaster in the traditional sense, lacking true qi and martial arts realm, yet he possessed the strength to fight a grandmaster.

"But he's not invincible either." Gao Yao's words broke Fan Xian's thoughts. "At least in the short term, he can't defeat any Grandmaster. He can only win by relying on time and physical strength."

These words were like a bucket of ice water poured over Fan Xian's head, making him realize the limitations of Uncle Wu Zhu. Indeed, Uncle Wu Zhu's fighting style relied more on protracted battles, wearing down his opponent rather than a decisive victory. This might be an advantage in one-on-one combat, but in complex situations, it could become a hindrance.

“However, this can also be considered a unique strength behind you.” Gao Yao changed the subject, his tone even carrying a hint of admiration. “Now my sudden appearance will cause a stir.”

"What kind of vibration are you talking about?" Fan Xian pressed, already having a guess in his mind, but still wanting to hear Gao Yao say it himself.

Gao Yao did not answer directly, but instead asked in return: "Qing Kingdom itself has a Grandmaster in name only, Ye Liuyun, you should know that."

Fan Xian nodded. Ye Liuyun, the founder of the Flowing Cloud Scattered Hands, the guardian deity of the Qing Kingdom, and one of the Grandmasters. His existence was a crucial reason why the Qing Kingdom was able to gain an advantage in the tripartite balance of power.

“But there have always been rumors in Qing Kingdom, you must have heard them too, right?” Gao Yao’s eyes deepened.

Fan Xian's heart skipped a beat. The rumor—that a hidden Grandmaster resided within the palace—was circulating secretly among the high-ranking officials of the Qing Kingdom, yet it had never been confirmed. An invisible pressure always surrounded the Emperor Qing, making even a ninth-rank expert feel suffocated. Could it be...?

"Who are you? Is there a hidden Grandmaster in the palace?" Fan Xian's voice unconsciously lowered.

Gao Yao nodded slowly: "That's right, this matter itself is something that cannot be proven, but also cannot be disproven."

This is precisely the most delicate aspect. Because there is no conclusive evidence, various countries have always maintained leeway in their assessments of Qing's strength; but because they cannot completely deny it, they dare not easily test the limits. This uncertainty itself becomes a form of strategic deterrence.

“But at this time, a new Grandmaster has emerged in the capital of Qing Kingdom,” Gao Yao continued, each word striking Fan Xian’s heart like a heavy hammer. “This kind of thing cannot be kept secret from Northern Qi and Dongyi City.”

Fan Xian's mind raced. What did the appearance of a new Grandmaster in the capital of the Qing Kingdom mean?

"What does it mean that a newly emerged Grandmaster happens to be in the capital of the Qing Kingdom?"

Gao Yao took a sip of tea, his movements unhurried, as if savoring the conversation. This simple action, however, sparked a flash of inspiration in Fan Xian.

He did it on purpose!