If you don't give up, I'd like to be your adoptive father.

Chapter 1009 The Imminent Celestial Change
As we left the Qinling Mountains, the east was already beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn.

Dou Gengyan looked up at the night sky and said softly, "My friends are still waiting for me. I have to go."

"Leave Xianyang?" Xiaoyu asked.

"We need to stay a while longer." After a moment of hesitation, she whispered, "Soon, something big might happen in Xianyang."

Just stick to the original plan, stay within the Imperial Observatory, don't go out, and don't cause any trouble with them.

"Sigh, I wanted to advise you! If you want to rebel against Qin and support the imperial court, just wait quietly for the true dragon to be born."

"Now that we've confirmed the true dragon's identity, we'll directly assist him. Why come to Xianyang to cause trouble, just for the thrill?" Xiaoyu sighed.

Dou Gengyan said, "You misunderstood. It's not that my companions and I are trying to cause trouble."

We are here to observe the changing situation and determine when the world will descend into chaos.

Not only us, but the entire land of China is watching the political situation in Xianyang closely, waiting for a major upheaval to occur.

At that time, righteous armies from all over China will surely rise up in rebellion.

It wasn't just one person, but a whole group of rebels who rose up together, overwhelming the Qin Dynasty.

"If you ask me, you shouldn't have come out of the mountains now. You should at least wait until the end of the great calamity, when everyone can see who the real dragon is, before you join them and become a 'female celestial master'."

"Wouldn't it be good to manage the mountains and rivers of the Nine Provinces in the Imperial Observatory, just like me?" Xiaoyu asked.

“By then, the True Dragon’s power will have been established, and it will be too late. Besides, I don’t understand the Celestial Master’s teachings, so I can’t be a female Celestial Master,” Dou Gengyan said.

Xiao Yu said with a blank face, "So, your role among the 'Eight Immortals of the Outer Sea' is that of a fierce general in battle?"

“Besides the magical duels, I am also the one in charge. Just like my father’s position among the ‘Eight Immortals of the West’.” Dou Gengyan raised her chin slightly, a hint of pride on her pretty face.

Xiao Yu was even more speechless. "Your master is definitely using you to take the fall."

“The tyrannical Qin killed my father, destroyed my Dou family, and wiped out my Western Lu. Shouldn’t I seek revenge?”
"These were all things I did voluntarily. Don't say such things to me again in the future," Dou Gengyan said in a deep voice.

"Alright, I won't say anything more. I'm just reminding you of something." Xiaoyu waved her hand and said seriously, "Although I haven't arrested any 'rebels' recently, I've been keeping an eye on Xianyang every now and then."

Using the Heavenly Eye to distinguish between right and wrong, the suspect was marked and then handed over to the City God Ying Qian.

I was in charge of observing, and he was in charge of investigating.

He will probably report the investigation results to the Court of Justice.

Whether you want to cause trouble or not, I advise you to leave Xianyang as soon as possible.

If you're going to cause trouble, don't live in Xianyang. Live outside the city; it'll be easier to escape if something happens.

After a pause, she added, "If you need to find me in the future, you can go directly to the Imperial Observatory."

As long as you don't loudly proclaim things like "tyrannical Qin" or "rebellion," the Great Qin Celestial Master will treat you like a fairy maiden.

“I’m coming to find you. What will you do if I’m exposed in the future?” Dou Gengyan asked.

"So what if we're exposed! Back during the Investiture of the Gods, the disciples of the Chan and Jie sects, who were enemies on the battlefield, all addressed each other as fellow disciples. Who cared?" Xiaoyu said nonchalantly.

Dou Gengyan sighed, "Yes, even though we are as close as brothers in daily life, we are ultimately on different sides."

On the battlefield, it's a fight to the death.

I actually hope that I won't see you again before this great calamity ends.

By not meeting in person, we won't turn against each other because of differences in our positions.

"Please don't!" Xiaoyu quickly stepped forward, grabbed her hand, and said earnestly, "You must contact me more often! You can discuss anything with me."

At least during this great calamity, when you are feeling unsettled or making important decisions, you can trust me more than anyone else, including your master.

I only hope you survive this ordeal, and I'm sure I can help you in any way I can.

The South Sea Divine Nun needs disciples to ward off calamities, so their intentions must not be as pure as hers.

Dou Gengyan disagreed with many of her words, but she could feel the sincerity and concern in them.

"Thank you! I think your situation is much worse than mine. You should take your leave while you're ahead and leave China as soon as possible!"

"Don't worry about me, just promise me first," Xiaoyu said, looking into her eyes.

Dou Gengyan hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright, I promise you. During the great calamity, if I feel uneasy on a whim, I will ask for your opinion before making a decision."

Xiao Yu released her hand, took out a piece of spirit jade from her sleeve, and imprinted the "true form" of the Divine Mace Protector into it, along with his identity, name, and origin.

"If you are short on time, you can use the Divine Control Technique to summon the Divine Mace Protector, who is my friend."

"Don't rely on him to fight. He's actually quite strong, but you don't know him well, so just ask him to deliver messages."

Dou Gengyan was both touched and somewhat helpless. "I am not a child. My experience, knowledge, and life experience are no less than yours."

—Your eyes are as clear as a recent college graduate's; what experience or knowledge could you possibly have?
Xiaoyu thought to herself, but said seriously, "When you get this impatient, you're already acting like a child."

"If you encounter difficulties, will you come to me?" Dou Gengyan asked.

"No. If I can't solve a problem myself, asking you for help will only drag you down," Xiaoyu said honestly.

Dou Gengyan gritted his teeth and said, "Before dawn, let's have a sword match, which will also fulfill a wish I've had for ten years."

"Next time! It's not even dawn yet, but it'll be soon. In such a short time, it's hard to determine a winner with you."

Xiaoyu wasn't looking down on her; she wasn't just making excuses.

If we use the "Method of Annihilating the Nun of the South Sea," we can definitely get rid of the Nun of the South Sea's disciple quickly.

But since we've chosen to have a sword fight, "cheating" becomes pointless.

Not only can't you cheat, you can't even use supernatural powers.

The two were purely competing in swordsmanship, responding to each other's moves without using any supernatural powers or Taoist cultivation. It could have been a very long fight.

Because of the existence of both power and speed, the two sides are roughly equal in strength and speed. Therefore, the outcome depends solely on their techniques.

Dou Gengyan possessed a clear and discerning sword mind, so his sword techniques were bound to be near perfect, with very few and very small flaws.

Xiaoyu fighting her was like Sun Wukong fighting Zhu Bajie using only his weapons, without using any supernatural powers.

When Wukong encountered Zhu Ganglie in Gao Village, didn't he fight with him all night?
Xiaoyu felt confident that even if she were to encounter the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Sun Wukong, without using supernatural powers or competing in cultivation (in terms of the quantity and quality of internal energy), she could fight him for days and nights with no clear victor.

“If I encounter an insurmountable enemy, I won’t come to you. But if I simply run into trouble, and you can solve it, rest assured, I will treat you like a servant, just like back in the Red Sleeves Brothel.” She then added.

Dou Gengyan's anger flared up again, and he angrily said, "When did I ever become your servant?"

"I was using a metaphor." Xiaoyu waved her hand. "Go back now! If you have any free time while you're in Xianyang, remember to come find me and we can have a sword fight."

She was actually quite looking forward to the clash between Sword Heart Clarity and Supreme Sword Bone.

Fat Moller is still at the Grand Tutor's mansion!
Moreover, she returned to the Grand Tutor's Mansion in public yesterday, and this morning she also had to take Fat Moller and walk through the streets back to the Imperial Observatory.

But before she could even leave the house, an unexpected visitor arrived.

"Prince Huhai? He came to wish me a Happy New Year? What day is it today? Oh, the tenth day of the Lunar New Year, it's certainly a day to pay New Year's visits. But why is he wishing me a Happy New Year?"

Fat Moller said, "Master, no matter what His Highness the Prince's purpose is, as long as he comes with gifts, you should receive him with great ceremony, so as not to be impolite."

Xiaoyu nodded and said, "Open the middle gate, I'll go see him."

Hu Hai certainly wouldn't stand at the door waiting, and the steward couldn't just open the door and let people in on his own. Especially for distinguished guests, the host had to greet them personally; the steward wasn't even qualified to open the main gate.

The steward went to inform the master that the distinguished guest was still sitting in the carriage outside the door, and only arranged for a servant to deliver a visiting card and explain the purpose of the visit.

Fat Moller opened the gate as an invitation, and Hu Hai stepped down from the four-horse carriage, using an embroidered stool as his foot.

The first major gate is the "outer gate," where Xiaoyu, the master, stands and waits.

Hu Hai entered through the outer gate and went straight to the middle gate.

Upon seeing Xiaoyu, he immediately performed the disciple's salute, bowing deeply and saying, "Student Huhai greets Grand Tutor!"

Xiao Yu's expression was somewhat strange. She stepped aside to give way half a bow, then returned the bow with her hands clasped in return, saying, "Your Highness, please rise. Please come inside to speak."

She gestured for Prince Huhai to go first, but Huhai declined.

In the end, Xiaoyu was in front, and he was a step behind.

After entering the inner hall and taking their seats according to their status as host and guest, Xiao Yu said, "Your Highness, did you not know about yesterday's court assembly? I am not yet the Grand Tutor."

Hu Hai's face showed admiration as he earnestly said, "In my heart, you are the only Grand Tutor of Qin. And only you are capable of shouldering the heavy responsibility of Grand Tutor of Qin at this time."

"The Empress Dowager seems to have some doubts," Xiaoyu probed.

“But I have no doubts whatsoever, and I wholeheartedly agree with you, Grand Commandant. You are not only the Grand Tutor, but you should also become the ‘Ancient Grand Tutor’ who surpasses the Three Dukes.” Hu Hai’s eyes were firm, and his voice was resounding, as if he were making a promise.

Xiaoyu understood a little.

She waved her hand and said, "What position you hold is not important; it's all about being loyal to the Great Qin."

No matter what position I hold, it will never change my loyalty to the Qin Dynasty.

However, I appreciate Your Highness's kind intentions.

Hu Hai's face lit up with a hint of joy, but he quickly suppressed it and said, "I have come to pay my respects to the Grand Tutor today, and I have a few questions about Taoist arts in mind. I wonder if the Grand Tutor has the time?"

Xiao Yu said, "Your Highness, please ask. It will definitely take about half a cup of tea."

Hu Hai's expression stiffened for a moment, then quickly returned to normal, and he swiftly asked the question that had been on his mind.

It was indeed a difficult question about Taoist arts, but Xiaoyu answered it easily.

When the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea was about to end, Hu Hai tactfully got up to take his leave.

"Interesting. They even know how to win me over. It seems that Xianyang is about to undergo a major change."

Watching his departing figure, Xiaoyu smiled with a hint of amusement.

"Fat Mole, come here quickly! We're going back to the Imperial Observatory." She called towards the door.

"Master, I have a feeling that there will be quite a few guests visiting you today. Just now, after His Highness Hu Hai entered, there were quite a few well-dressed people watching at the entrance of the Grand Tutor's mansion."

"They are likely stewards or servants from various mansions," Fat Moller said.

"So we need to leave as soon as possible! I was careless for a moment and let that kid Hu Hai get a great deal, wasting my time. We can't let someone else benefit from this." Xiao Yu said.

Fat Mole was speechless.

This is Xianyang, and the people who come to visit you are all very important figures from the great nation of China!
"Master Yu, you're finally back."

Upon returning to the Imperial Observatory, Master Guan greeted him with a solemn expression.

"Take a look at this." He handed her a piece of hard, yellow paper the size of a newspaper.

Xiaoyu took it and opened it; it was a star map.

It's not just a simple imitation of the stars at night; the image also highlights the movement trajectories of some of the stars.

Solid lines represent completed trajectories, while dashed lines represent possible future trajectories for the stars.

"Is this 'Gouchen Star' perhaps Empress Dowager Zhao? It seems her destiny star has shifted."

Master Guan said, "After the Empress Dowager assumed regency, her destiny star has been moving closer to the direction of the Ziwei star."

It keeps moving, moving back and forth.

But last night, around midnight, for a fleeting moment, it seemed as if her destiny star had fallen a bit downwards.

"Who was on duty at the Department of Astronomy last night?" Xiaoyu asked.

Master Guan turned around and called out, "Ginger!"

Ginger was a Taoist nun who looked to be in her fifties or sixties. She was hunchbacked, overweight, and had gray hair; she looked quite old and frail.

However, her eyes remained bright and spirited, like the morning star in the night.

"The Empress Dowager's destiny star has plummeted, and the commotion is quite significant. How can you say 'seems'? Such a big matter, can't you even be certain?" Xiaoyu asked.

"Master Yu, please take a look."

The nun with the dry, cracked skin extended her fingers and pointed a few times at the star map.

“Last night, from midnight to 3:45 AM, the light of the imperial star appeared in these locations.”

I was greatly surprised. I had been pondering the celestial phenomena of these positions and had momentarily overlooked the six stars of Gouchen.

But I have been observing the stars for many years and I cannot be mistaken.

"If there's something you feel, there must be a reason," said the Taoist nun, Ginger, confidently.

Xiao Yu pondered, "Judging from last night's star chart, there seems to be an omen of purple aura obscuring the sky. Strange, I went to the Qinling Mountains last night and just checked the Qinling dragon vein and the Nine Cauldrons of Yu the Great, and everything was normal."

"Alas, the dragon vein is dead. It cannot react to the impending changes in the heavens, or its reaction is extremely slow."

But the celestial phenomena originate from the Way of Heaven and will never become dull due to the decline of a dynasty; they will always be full of foresight. "Master Guan sighed.

The fate of a dynasty's emperor will certainly affect the dynasty's fortune.

When a change occurs, the dynasty's aura will inevitably change as well.

However, celestial masters or diviners rarely use dragon energy to predict future changes in the fate of dynasties.

Changes in dragon energy are often delayed and can only measure the current state of a country.

When it comes to predicting the future, "astrology" is always the most efficient, convenient, and accurate method.

The changes in celestial phenomena are also exceptionally sensitive; if any important figure in the world shows the slightest sign of change, the celestial phenomena will immediately react accordingly.

Xiao Yu asked, "How would the Imperial Observatory handle this situation in the past?"

Master Guan said bitterly, "In the past, at most the imperial star would be dim, but it wouldn't fall drastically."

"Anyway, this is the first time I've encountered such a situation in Xianyang in the two or three hundred years I've been here."

The nun, Shengjiang, said, "The celestial phenomena last night only revealed the initial signs."

The changes are likely not over yet; the trajectories of some stars are somewhat blurred.

"Perhaps we should wait a few more days until the star chart stabilizes before reporting to the Empress Dowager and the Three Dukes."

Xiao Yu nodded slightly and said, "Summon the astrologers from the Imperial Observatory who are skilled in star observation. Tonight, let's go to the observatory together and take a closer look."

(End of this chapter)