With a warehouse full of supplies, I stood alone as king in this chaotic world, gun in hand.

"Bound by fate? A life-sustaining bond? Is there really such a sinister and harmful technique in this world?" Bei Chenyan was shocked, his face showing disbelief.

"How did you find out?"

"Perhaps it was my destiny to survive, and I also encountered a master who saved me and taught me some magic," Nangong Wu said, making up a story.

Her soul came from another world, so naturally she wouldn't tell him the truth.

Bei Chenyan looked at her, his eyes growing increasingly deep.

Nangong Wu took out a dragon-patterned compass and, based on Zhou Shaorong's birth date and time, performed a divination for him.

Bei Chenyan looked at the ticking pointer on the compass, and then at the constantly changing hand seals of her hands. For some reason, he felt like laughing.

"How is it?"

Nangong Wu looked at the divination result with a suspicious gaze. "The divination indicates that Zhou Shaorong is not dead."

Bei Chenyan was taken aback. "If your divination is correct, then Zhou Shaorong faked his death and escaped."

"That's what the divination shows, but my skills are still too shallow. I don't know if my calculations are accurate or not," Nangong Wu pondered, looking at the divination.

"That's easy, just check Zhou Shaorong's body and we'll know," Bei Chenyan suggested.

Li Shuang, who was driving outside, immediately asked upon hearing her words, "Your Highness, Zhou Shaorong's body has been temporarily sent to the mortuary. Should we send someone to investigate?"

"No, let's go to the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion first and pay a visit to this amazing Imperial Advisor." Nangong Wu's eyes flashed with a cold light.

Whether Zhou Shaorong is dead or alive, it's time to settle accounts with the Imperial Advisor.

"Yes." Li Shuang turned her horse around and headed down another road.

Bei Chenyan raised an eyebrow slightly. "You calculated that this matter is related to the Imperial Advisor?"

"It's not counted." Nangong Wu shook her head.

"The Prince Rui faction has already been defeated by us and is too busy to help themselves. Zhou Shaorong is just a sickly man on the verge of death. Who would risk being beheaded to help him fake his death and escape?"

"So it's only the Imperial Advisor, someone no one expected." Bei Chenyan was very puzzled. "But I don't quite understand, what exactly is the Imperial Advisor after for doing these underhanded things for the Zhou family?"

"We'll ask the Imperial Advisor about that when we see him," Nangong Wu said, also wanting to know. "Besides, doing such things might shorten one's own lifespan."

A little over two quarters of an hour later, Nangong Wu and Beichen Yan stood in front of the majestic Tianji Pavilion.

After getting to know him over this period of time, she learned that this imperial advisor was truly capable, able to foresee the future and discern the secrets of heaven. He was known as the number one diviner and was highly valued by the late emperor, who commissioned a large-scale construction project to build this six-story Heavenly Mystery Pavilion for him.

"Your late emperor of the Western Yan Kingdom really relied on this Grand Preceptor!" Bei Chenyan's tone was full of sarcasm.

"Aren't you from the Western Yan Kingdom?" Nangong Wu tilted her head to look at him.

"Ahem..." Bei Chenyan realized he had let something slip, "No, but that's not important."

"I'll knock on the door." He stepped forward and knocked on the two vermilion doors studded with copper nails.

I knocked for a while, but no one answered the door.

"It seems the owner here doesn't welcome me." Nangong Wu stepped forward and tried to push the door open with both hands.

The door was ajar, and she pushed it open.

Nangong Wu's eyes were cold and gloomy. She stepped over the stairs and went inside. She saw that the front yard was simply furnished and there was no one there.

"Grand Preceptor, I have come to visit today to ask you some questions." She spoke with a clear, cold voice that echoed throughout the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion.

"The Prince of Zhenyuan has graced Tianji Pavilion with his presence! What a rare guest!" A faint voice echoed down.

"Since you say I am a rare guest, why doesn't the Grand Preceptor dare to come out and greet me? Is this how your Heavenly Mystery Pavilion treats its guests?" Nangong Wu said coldly.

"Your Highness is too kind. I prefer quiet and rarely associate with officials in the court. But since Your Highness is here, please speak freely." This time the voice was clearer, as if it came from inside the main hall.

Nangong Wu took a step and walked towards the main hall in the center.

The door to this main hall was also ajar, but it opened easily when Bei Chenyan pushed it open.

Behind a ritual table stood a figure dressed in a blue Taoist robe, with his back to them.

"Although the Imperial Advisor claims to be uninvolved in court affairs, he has secretly interfered in them quite a bit. He is utterly hypocritical, and his shamelessness is beyond my comprehension." Nangong Wu slowly walked into the main hall.

The first floor of the main hall was very spacious, but apart from a ritual altar and props, there were no other items.

Her words were full of hostility, almost as if she was saying she was there to cause trouble, but the figure behind her just chuckled.

"Your Highness is quite the joker. It seems that I, the Imperial Preceptor, have caused Your Highness to misunderstand something?" Imperial Preceptor Xuan Qingzi slowly turned around.

He looked to be in his early forties, tall and thin, with a fair complexion, a short beard, and bright, piercing eyes. He carried a whisk in his arms, giving him the air of a reclusive sage.

Looking into his eyes, Nangong Wu felt inexplicably uncomfortable.

"Xuan Qingzi, where is Zhou Shaorong?"

She was trying to extort him with those words.

The divination indicates that Zhou Shaorong is still alive. If this is true, then Zhou Shaorong is very likely in this Tianji Pavilion.

Upon hearing her words, Yan Qingzi stiffened slightly. "Your Highness, what do you mean by that?"

"Don't try to fool me." Nangong Wu produced a pistol and aimed it at Xuan Qingzi.

"Xuan Qingzi, don't think you've covered your tracks perfectly. If you don't hand over Zhou Shaorong today, I'll make sure you die a horrible death."

Xuan Qingzi's gaze suddenly sharpened. "So, no matter how I explain, Prince Zhenyuan won't let me off the hook?"

"You? A wicked Taoist priest who harms people, do you think you're worthy to be the national advisor of my Western Yan Kingdom?"

Bei Chenyan also drew his sword. "Your Highness, since he refuses to talk, just kill him."

Nangong Wu pulled the trigger, "Bang!"

Xuan Qingzi was prepared and moved to dodge, but how could he possibly dodge the speed of the bullet?

But because he dodged it, the bullet missed and hit him in the upper right chest. Startled, he quickly crouched down and hid behind the desk.

"Bang! Bang!" Nangong Wu fired two more shots, the bullets grazing Xuan Qingzi's scalp.

Suddenly, "whoosh whoosh whoosh..." a mechanism on the wall opposite them fired a rain of arrows.

"Watch out!" Bei Chenyan hurriedly stood in front of Nangong Wu, swinging his long sword as he retreated.

When she reached the doorway, Nangong Wu took out a grenade and threw it behind the table.

"Get back quickly." She pulled Bei Chenyan and retreated to the side of the door.

"Boom!" A violent blast wave erupted from inside the door.

After a while, the hall quieted down, and it seemed that the hidden arrows had all been fired.

Hearing the commotion, Li Shuang ran in to see what was happening.

"Your Highness, are you alright?"

"We're fine, you can go outside and wait." Nangong Wu told her to leave.

Having too many of them would only cause trouble.

Seeing that they were truly alright, Li Shuang had no choice but to leave.

Once the thick smoke inside had mostly dissipated, Nangong Wu and Beichen Yan entered the main hall again.

The table was blown up, and the main hall was in a mess, but Xuan Qingzi's body was nowhere to be seen.

Bei Chenyan stepped forward to prevent any further attacks from hidden arrows.

The two walked around the table and discovered that there was a deep pit behind it.