Simultaneous travel: I am rampant in the domestic area

Control Yuan.

The room was dimly lit, with only a few oil lamps casting long, distorted shadows onto the cold stone walls.

Russell finally met this world-renowned old cripple who had witnessed countless upheavals.

He sat quietly in his wheelchair, a thin blanket covering his knees. His face was aged and serene, except for his eyes, which were as deep as an ancient well, as if they could devour all light and secrets.

Upon seeing Russell enter, he cupped his hands in greeting from afar, his voice calm and even slightly polite: "Master Russell, we have long admired each other."

Russell felt no awe towards the head of the Overwatch Council, the king of darkness in the Qing Kingdom, after all, he himself stood at the pinnacle of martial arts in this world. But he did not underestimate him either, as he knew how terrifying the mind of this crippled old man was, even though it was useless to him.

He simply walked calmly to the chair opposite Chen Pingping and sat down, casually asking, "Fan Xian's wedding, such a joyous day, why doesn't the Dean go and have a drink at the celebration?"

Chen Pingping smiled slightly and said in a soft voice, "I am a eunuch, and my body is not convenient. My hands are stained with too much blood that cannot be washed off. It would be unlucky for me to go. After thinking about it, I decided not to go. It is enough to send my regards."

Russell knew that the man before him was genuinely concerned for Fan Xian, or rather, for Ye Qingmei, and that his words were not empty talk. Without further pleasantries, he cut straight to the point: "So, Dean, what brings you here today?"

Chen Pingping looked at Russell with a slightly solemn expression and slowly said, "Master Luo has issued a wide-ranging invitation to challenge all the masters in the world to a duel in Ming'an Township. I just want to confirm whether this is true or not."

Russell raised an eyebrow and retorted, "Is the Dean questioning me?"

"How dare you."

Chen Pingping immediately chimed in. Being the shrewd old man he was, he naturally discerned that Russell wasn't angry; his old face still wore that smiling expression.

"But Grandmaster should understand that whether this matter is true or false is related to many of my arrangements in the capital. You and I both hope that Fan Xian is alright. In that case, it would be best to exchange information to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings."

Russell looked at him, not answering directly, but instead seizing the opportunity to take back control of the conversation, asking in return, "Dean, you have been secretly investigating the truth about Taiping Villa all these years, you must have some guesses in your heart, right?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Pingping's smile froze instantly, solidifying like a mask. It then peeled away bit by bit, replaced by a chilling coldness that penetrated to the bone. The temperature in the sealed room seemed to drop several degrees.

His aged voice turned deep and dangerous: "Please advise me."

As it turns out, even the most cunning and cunning old fox will find it difficult to completely control his emotions once his deepest, most untouchable sore spots and obsessions are touched.

Russell was not surprised by his reaction and continued, "The Dean invited me here today, presumably to confirm what he thinks."

Chen Pingping stared intently at Russell, and after a long while, slowly nodded and uttered a single word: "Yes."

Although Russell was blind, he seemed to be able to "see" through people's hearts. Facing Chen Pingping, he said in a relaxed tone, "Then congratulations, you guessed correctly."

As relieved.

The cold, fierce aura surrounding Chen Pingping receded like a tide, restoring his calm and serene demeanor, which was even more profound than before.

He admitted that Russell had indeed stirred his heart for a moment, but he had already accepted the situation. Now that the answer he most wanted to know had been confirmed, there was no need to pretend or test him anymore.

Upon seeing this, Russell scoffed without any politeness.

He could see that Chen Pingping was faking it, and Chen Pingping also knew that Russell knew he was faking it, but neither of them said it outright; they simply kept it to themselves.

Russell then changed the subject, saying, "In that case, the martial arts competition in Ming'an Township will be entirely entrusted to the Dean."

Chen Pingping's face regained that faint smile of complete control, and he said softly, "Ming'an Township... I accompanied Miss there when I was young, and it is indeed a beautiful place with clear waters and lush mountains."

Russell continued, "And Fan Xian's identity..."

Chen Pingping stated firmly: "The whole world knew this before the battle of the grandmasters even began."

"That's good then." Russell chuckled lightly, said no more, stood up, turned around, and left the secret room without any hesitation, his figure disappearing into the intricate passages of the Overwatch Council.

The sealed room fell silent once more.

The light from the oil lamp flickered on Chen Pingping's face.

The old man's expression instantly turned completely gloomy, like the sky before a storm.

His thin fingers gripped the armrests of the wheelchair tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.

A chilling hatred and boundless sorrow almost overflowed from his deep eyes.

He gazed into the void, as if facing the direction of the supreme imperial palace, and murmured something unintelligible.

……

Meanwhile, Russell leisurely returned to his residence in Kyoto.

The courtyard was quiet. Si Lili sat cross-legged on the bed, meditating with her eyes closed.

Although her martial arts talent wasn't top-notch, and her martial arts skills weren't particularly good, Russell had been feeding her a full load of energy day and night, along with a process of cleansing her marrow and tendons. The energy accumulated in her body was already far beyond that of ordinary people. She only needed to refine some of the energy in her body to reach the threshold of the ninth rank without any problem.

Sensing Russell's return, Si Lili slowly finished her cultivation, opened her beautiful eyes, a glint of light flashing in them, and asked curiously, "Didn't you go to attend Young Master Fan's wedding banquet, young master? Why are you back so early?"

Russell casually slumped onto the soft couch beside him, grabbed Si Lili's delicate hand, and began to play with it, saying lazily:
"The wedding procession is back, but there's still a lot of complicated procedures to go through. I heard that later at the Lin residence, there will be a heated argument in accordance with the old traditions of the Qing Kingdom. It'll be quite a spectacle. No rush, we can go over after they've finished arguing."

Si Lili chuckled softly upon hearing this.

Having grown up in the Qing Kingdom, she naturally knew this interesting custom: when the groom went to fetch the bride, he had to arrange for someone to have a verbal battle with the people arranged by the bride in front of the bride's mansion. This was supposedly to end any arguments the couple might have in the future, symbolizing harmony and no more disputes after marriage.

She stood up, considerately poured Russell a cup of warm tea, handed it to him, and said softly, "I wonder what a lively scene it will be in front of the mansion when you get married in the future."

Upon hearing this, Russell quickly waved his hand and said, "Please spare me! Just looking at this complicated ceremony that takes three or four hours from beginning to end makes my scalp tingle. If I had to experience it myself, it would kill me."

Si Lili didn't dwell on the topic, and instead chatted with Russell about some interesting anecdotes from Beijing.

After a while, she glanced at the time through the water clock at the foot of the bed and softly urged, "Young master, it's almost time."

Russell, however, was in no hurry. He stretched leisurely and said, "What's the rush? My house is just across the street from the Fan residence. It's only a short walk."

Even so, he still stood up, straightened his robes, and then strolled out unhurriedly. When he returned to the Fan residence, it was already packed with guests, filled with music and celebration, and the lively atmosphere had reached its peak.

The bride was first led to the inner room to sit down, while Fan Xian was standing at the door greeting guests with a fake smile on his face. When he saw Russell coming over, he finally couldn't help but complain about everything that had happened that day.

With Russell standing there, the other guests naturally didn't dare to chat with Fan Xian anymore, and all carefully walked past them.

It should be noted that for the past two weeks or so, the most important thing for all the major families and officials has been to memorize the portrait of Russell, the newly crowned Grandmaster.

Fortunately, Russell's blindness is a very distinctive trait. Everyone in the world knows him. The blind man beside Fan Xian, the poet, is the newly promoted Grandmaster.

There are even folk tales that Fan Xian and Luo Su, one a scholar and the other a warrior, are the reincarnations of the God of Literature and the God of War, which is why Daqing was so prosperous overnight.

Although this legend may seem uncommon, it enjoys widespread acceptance among the common people.

Finally, the moment of bowing to heaven and earth arrived. In the main hall, Fan Xian, full of joy, and Lin Wan'er held the two ends of the red silk ribbon, looked at each other affectionately through a red cloth, and bowed gently.

After that came the ceremony of paying respects to her parents. Aunt Liu finally became the principal wife and received tea from Fan Xian and Lin Wan'er.

Following this, imperial edicts and decrees from the various concubines of the harem arrived one after another.

Russell sat on the roof, with Wu Zhu standing beside him.

"Fan Xian has finally settled down in this world. Once I've pacified the other grandmasters, nothing in the world will be able to threaten us anymore. What are you going to do then?" Russell asked.

Wu Zhu shook his head: "I don't know."

He protected Ye Qingmei when she was alive, and now that Fan Xian is here, he protects Fan Xian.

Russell's appearance relieved Fan Xian of his worries, but he was now somewhat confused.

Unlike other robots, he is a highly intelligent AI that has developed emotions. In the context of a fantasy world, he would be called a puppet that has developed a spirit, possessing feelings, knowing love and hate, and capable of thinking.

Fan Xian is only twenty years old now and has many years to live, but what will he do after he dies?

Perhaps, I'll find a sunny spot to sit down, and then...

"Then we'll smoke, drink, and get perms together," Russell interrupted Wu Zhu's daydream, speaking earnestly.

"Do you know what I'm thinking?" Wu Zhu turned his head in surprise to look at Russell's position.

"Pretty much the same," Russell nodded.

Since advancing to the Grandmaster level, his Mind's Eye has evolved once again, and now he can hear the sounds of all things.

Human hearts are too complex, and he still doesn't quite understand them, but he can always tell what Wu Zhu is thinking.

“Fan Xian is right, you really are not human,” Wu Zhu said earnestly.

"You..." Russell opened his mouth, but in the end he didn't say anything. He wasn't going to argue with a robot.

"You were still alive back then?" Wu Zhu continued to ask, referring to what Russell had just said about smoking, drinking, and getting perms, although he didn't know what perms meant.

“If nothing unexpected happens, I’ll still be alive even if you die,” Russell said.

"That's good." Wu Zhu breathed a sigh of relief, then asked in the same tone Russell had used earlier, "And what about you? What will you do after we're all dead?"

“As for me,” Russell said, pointing to the brilliant night sky above, “my goal is the stars and the sea.”

Amidst joyous music, the marriage between the Fan and Lin families was finally settled. The newlyweds were led to their bridal chamber, and the guests began to leave. Russell and Wu Zhu also disappeared into the night.

And so time passed quietly, another half month went by.

There is only one month left until the Mid-Autumn Festival, which the world looks forward to.

Neither the Southern Qing, the Northern Qi, nor the Eastern Yi City had the Mid-Autumn Festival, so many people had already settled in Ming'an Township at this time.

Chen Pingping chose a lake island nestled against the mountains and beside the water as the location for the martial arts competition.

The island in the middle of the lake is neither too big nor too small, and it is quite a distance from the shore, but just enough for the people on the shore to watch the battle on the island.

But during those two weeks, a major event also occurred.

The news that Fan Xian was Ye Qingmei's son and Emperor Qing's illegitimate son spread throughout the entire Qing Kingdom, and even Haitang Duoduo, who was far away in Northern Qi, had heard about it.

The human heart is a wondrous thing. Before anyone thinks of something, they will naturally not connect Fan Xian with the Ye family for no reason. But once someone starts it, the seed of suspicion will be planted in the heart, gradually take root and sprout, occupying the entire heart, thus turning a rumor into a universally acknowledged understanding that no one dares to say out loud.

With the combined efforts of various forces, the news went from being a rumor to being accepted as a fact by the public in less than ten days.

Although it was the first time Fan Xian had learned about his origins, he wasn't worried about it.

As I said before, I'll talk to Russell and Wu Zhu again.

And ever since the wedding, it seems that his father-in-law, the prime minister, the dean, and his father Fan Jian have formed a subtle alliance, secretly plotting something.

As for our Emperor of the Great Qing Kingdom, although his expression was somewhat unpleasant, it was still within a tolerable range.

Compared to Fan Xian's identity being exposed, the news Ye Liuyun brought him was even more exciting.

Ye Liuyun's words were simple: he had found the person who was killing people all over the southern coastline.

That person also agreed to cooperate with him to deal with Wu Zhu.

Therefore, even if Wu Zhu doesn't make a move, although the number of Grandmasters on both sides is three to three, Ye Liuyun is a hidden pawn. With his cooperation, the battle can be turned around instantly if the three of them work together to eliminate one of them, Luo Su, Si Gu Jian, or Ku He.

Ming'an Township, Ming'an Township, is indeed a good place to be buried.

This applies to him, and to everyone else as well. (End of Chapter)