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

Fan Xian suddenly looked up, his gaze towards Gao Yao filled with astonishment: "You did this on purpose! Regardless of whose side you are on, your appearance in the capital of Qing Kingdom, without belonging to Northern Qi or Dongyi City, will be accepted by all factions as a sign that the newly promoted Grandmaster is from Qing Kingdom!"

A hint of approval flashed in Gao Yao's eyes.

Fan Xian continued his reasoning, speaking faster and faster: "Two Grandmasters, or rather, three Grandmasters... all the forces involved will definitely not sit idly by and will choose to target the Qing Kingdom!"

Balance. The core of the world's affairs is balance. Northern Qi has Ku He, Dongyi City has Si Gu Jian, and Qing Kingdom has Ye Liu Yun—this is the apparent Grandmaster structure. If this balance is broken, especially if Qing Kingdom might possess three Grandmasters, how will Northern Qi and Dongyi City react?

"Heh, you're not too stupid, are you?" Gao Yao chuckled, but there was no warmth in his laughter. "That's right, you're right. My appearance was a fuse."

The fuse. This word sent a chill down Fan Xian's spine. A fuse that, once lit, could never be extinguished.

“If the Grandmasters of the world could be evenly distributed, it wouldn’t matter,” Gao Yao’s gaze became profound, as if he could see through the wall and see the entire world’s structure. “But if the Nanqing family has the potential to have three Grandmasters, then the Beiqi and Dongyi City will inevitably try to unite, and the possibility of foreign tribes cannot be ruled out.”

The word "union" echoed in Fan Xian's mind. Although Northern Qi and Dongyi City had their grudges, they could temporarily set aside their differences in the face of life and death. Once they united, along with other foreign forces such as the grassland tribes... the Qing Kingdom would face unprecedented pressure.

eye of the storm

At this moment, Fan Xian was impressed by Gao Yao's methods. He hadn't done much—just appeared in the capital and revealed his identity as a Grandmaster—yet he was able to directly stir up the entire world's affairs.

This was something Fan Xian dared not even imagine. Although he maneuvered within the Qing Kingdom's court and clashed with various forces, he remained confined to the internal struggles of Qing. But Gao Yao's move directly expanded the chessboard to the entire world.

At this point, Fan Xian finally understood something: that is, why Gao Yao said that if you want to participate in truly important matters, you either need to have enough ability or enough strength.

Ability, like Chen Pingping, involves strategic planning and controlling intelligence across the land through the Overwatch Council, influencing the situation with wisdom. Strength, on the other hand, is like that of a Grandmaster, using absolute power to shatter the existing order and force a reshuffling of the world.

Gao Yao chose the latter. It was more direct, more forceful, and more effective.

"So what exactly do you want to do?" Fan Xian finally asked the most crucial question.

Gao Yao did not answer directly, but instead asked, "Fan Xian, you seem to have misunderstood something. It's not what I plan to do, but what you plan to do?"

"Me?" Fan Xian was taken aback.

“Yes, you want to investigate the cause of Ye Qingmei’s death back then,” Gao Yao’s voice was calm, yet it cut into the most hidden corner of Fan Xian’s heart like a sharp blade. “Actually, this matter is very simple, and there are even quite a few people who know about it, but you just don’t want to think about it.”

Fan Xian's hands trembled slightly. The death of his mother, Ye Qingmei, was an eternal pain in his heart, and also the greatest driving force behind his progress. But he had to admit that Gao Yao was right—he had actually been close to the truth for a long time, but he was afraid to face it.

"The question is, even if you investigate the cause of Ye Qingmei's death, what then?" Gao Yao continued to press, each word striking Fan Xian's heart. "Avenge Ye Qingmei, or do you have some other plans?"

Fan Xian was stunned when Gao Yao asked him that question.

What happens after revenge?

He had never seriously considered this question. Since coming into this world, he had been fighting for survival, fighting to uncover the truth. But if he really found his mother's killer and avenged her, then what?

If Fan Xian had previously intended to use the knowledge in his mind to change this world—the scientific knowledge and cultural concepts from another world—this idea faded considerably after seeing the letter left by Ye Qingmei.

In her letter, Ye Qingmei wrote that this era was the most suitable time to remain, calculated from the past. Too early, and the foundation of civilization would be insufficient to support change; too late, and the vested interest groups would be too powerful. This era was just on the eve of change, yet it would not cause a complete collapse.

This also made Fan Xian forget a lot of his original thoughts. It seemed that apart from investigating the truth about Ye Qingmei's death back then, there was nothing else to do.

"See? That's the problem." Gao Yao's voice pulled Fan Xian back from his thoughts. "You haven't even figured out why you exist. Is it just to avenge Ye Qingmei? And then what? You haven't even thought about what you're going to do. So the question you should be asking isn't me, but yourself."

These words were like a heavy hammer, shattering Fan Xian's long-held self-perception.

He transmigrated to this world, gaining a second life. Was it merely for revenge? Did Ye Qingmei want him to live like that? Would that extraordinary woman who once wanted to change the world want her child to live only in hatred?

"As for what I should do, what do you think?" Gao Yao's tone returned to its previous calmness. "With your brain, you shouldn't be stupid. I've already said that our goals don't conflict."

Fan Xian's mind raced. Gao Yao's arrival had disrupted the balance of power, forcing Northern Qi and Dongyi City to unite against the Qing Kingdom. But what benefit would this bring him?

Unless... Gao Yao's goal is not to help either side at all, but rather...

"Hehe, you've thought it through pretty much." Gao Yao seemed to have seen through Fan Xian's thoughts, and chuckled lightly, his laughter carrying an indescribable meaning. "Once you've figured it out, we might be able to cooperate."

Cooperation. This word, spoken by a grandmaster, carries extraordinary weight.

“As for now,” Gao Yao stood up, the candlelight casting a long shadow behind him, “you should be going on a mission to Northern Qi. There are quite a few people hoping for your death along the way.”

Fan Xian's heart skipped a beat. This mission to Northern Qi was arranged by Emperor Qing, and it was a task he had to complete. But the journey was fraught with peril; countless forces sought his life. Princess Li Yunrui, the Crown Prince's faction, and perhaps even a conspiracy from Northern Qi itself...

"Think it over carefully, whether you want to cooperate with me or not."

Thinking alone in the dead of night

After leaving those words, Gao Yao left the room as quietly as he had come.

Back at the Fan residence, Fan Xian sat alone in his study, the flickering candlelight casting shifting shadows on his face. The room suddenly felt empty and silent, save for the occasional drumbeat from outside the window, a reminder of the passage of time.

He needs to process the shock that Gao Yao has once again brought him.