"Must our children suffer the same fate of swallowing their pride for a lifetime?" Dugu Jue demanded.

Tang Haoran said gravely, "Our children will find their own fortunes. Don't overthink it... However, mutual destruction is not a good strategy."

"Then what should we do?" Dugu Jue sneered.

Tang Haoran pondered for a moment. "How about we spread the word that we're both dead? Then we go into hiding and watch things unfold slowly?"

"Will that work?" Zhao Huairen hesitated, shaking his head with a sigh. "If we truly do that, we'll never see the light of day again!"

Dugu Jue mused, "In my opinion, it's unnecessary. Let's play a game of truth within falsehood, and falsehood within truth, so he can't figure things out!"

"What kind of truth within falsehood and falsehood within truth?" Zhao Huairen quickly asked.

Tang Haoran looked at him too. Dugu Jue chuckled, "We'll announce that we're fine and even show ourselves to outsiders, acting completely normal."

"This way..." Zhao Huairen and Tang Haoran fell into thought. They were both clever, their minds racing as they tried to grasp Dugu Jue's intent.

Dugu Jue didn't wait for them to guess. He stated directly, "If we do this, the Emperor will actually disbelieve us, thinking we are staging a performance, that our real selves are already dead! ... He must put great stock in the God-Shattering Arrow, correct?"

"Hmm, very likely!" Zhao Huairen clapped his hands in agreement.

Tang Haoran laughed. "Brilliant! ... Confuse truth with falsehood, and falsehood with truth—true and false mixed—he won't be able to discern the reality, and naturally won't dare to act rashly."

Dugu Jue snorted. "Nine times out of ten, he thinks we're dead and that a substitute is holding the fort. He'll play along, naturally letting down his guard, and won't pay much attention to the younger generation, right?"

"Yes, that's right," Zhao Huairen concurred. "While the youngsters have potential, they aren't ready yet; they lack experience and aren't fully formed."

"Against these youngsters, he might even show leniency, to avoid leaving any justification against him," Dugu Jue sneered coldly. "That man values his reputation. In the future historical records, will he dare to be documented as the one who scattered the Four Great Families, violating the ancestral injunctions?"

"Indeed, indeed!" Zhao Huairen nodded vigorously. "He will ease up; he won't push too hard!"

Tang Haoran frowned. "And then what? ... Brother Dugu, do you really intend to depose him?"

Dugu Jue gave a cold laugh. "If we don't depose him, how can we survive?"

"That might not be easy..." Tang Haoran shook his head and sighed. "The Zhu family is currently..."

Dugu Jue smiled coldly. "Without Consort Zhu, does the Zhu family still dare to step into the Imperial Palace?"

"Then we can only try to win over the Zhu family," Tang Haoran slowly nodded. "That fellow Zhu Lang is difficult to sway; he's utterly impervious to influence!"

"Old Tang, I'm leaving it to you!" Dugu Jue snorted. "You've always been allies."

"...Fine, I'll try," Tang Haoran conceded helplessly.

When Li Muzhan awoke, someone was lying beside him. The sight of the dark, glossy, unbound hair and the faint, delicate fragrance told him it was Dugu Jinghua.

Looking up at the intricately carved ceiling, Li Muzhan smiled. This time, he had taken a risk, saving the three of them, preventing the Four Great Families from completely disintegrating, thus maintaining pressure and preventing the Emperor from having an easy time.

Li Muzhan had always harbored hatred for the Emperor, but his current strength was insufficient for revenge; he could only endure for now. Becoming a Grandmaster meant unparalleled prowess, but for the Emperor, a Grandmaster was not everything. Protected by Sacred Artifacts and guarded by numerous Imperial Palace masters, he was practically impregnable.

No matter how formidable Li Muzhan was, he was only one person. A Grandmaster was helpless against a Sacred Artifact—merely a slightly stronger (Zongshi/Master). Trying to break through hundreds or thousands of Imperial Palace assassins to kill the Emperor was pure fantasy.

Li Muzhan knew this was unrealistic. The only way was to break free from the suppression of the Sacred Artifacts, to be able to suppress them in return, and only then could he truly avenge himself and achieve genuine freedom.

The path to escaping the Sacred Artifacts' suppression lay only one way: increasing his strength to advance to the next level, becoming an existence that surpassed the Grandmaster realm.

Li Muzhan had already found the method: Faith Power. As long as he accumulated enough Faith Power to surpass the Faith Power imbued in the Sacred Artifacts, he could remain free from their suppression while retaining the might of a Grandmaster.

His sole mission now was to expand his influence, preach the Dharma, and develop more believers, making their faith purer and stronger, which would, in turn, make his own Faith Power more solid and powerful.

However, this path could not be rushed; it required a step-by-step accumulation of time. Time's influence was crucial for true faith. Without temporal accumulation, Faith Power would be limited and shallow. Only after enduring the tests of time would the Faith Power become increasingly refined.

He was merely at the beginning, his influence small—only covering a single town, not even an entire city yet. Although he urgently desired power, he suppressed the impulse to advance too quickly. Sudden rise was certainly legendary, but it couldn't instill a sense of reliability, and the Faith Power wouldn't be pure or steadfast enough.

Expanding slowly, bit by bit, building a solid foundation, allowing it to grow like a snowball—that was the fundamental way forward.

He had plenty of time and could not afford to be hasty, lest haste ruin the endeavor.

Unable to take revenge immediately, he chose patience, yet he could not stand idly by while the Emperor enjoyed himself. Thus, he expended his spirit to save lives, manufacturing trouble for the Emperor.

This single act had altered the situation. He wondered what Dugu Jue and the others would do—would they resort to mutual destruction? He shook his head; they lacked that level of audacity.

As he shook his head, Dugu Jinghua woke up with a jolt, sitting up abruptly. Two red marks pressed against her smooth forehead, her eyes languid; she had clearly dozed off.

Her dazed gaze focused, and seeing Li Muzhan, she quickly exclaimed, "You're awake?!"

Li Muzhan smiled. "Awake. How many days has it been?"

"Three days." Dugu Jinghua huffed, her face darkening. "Sir, why did you have to push yourself so hard? You scared us to death!"

For three days, Li Muzhan had remained motionless, appearing deeply asleep, unresponsive to all calls, terrifying her with worry that he had over-exerted his spirit, causing lasting damage.

Li Muzhan smiled. "Are they alright now?"

"Their martial arts are all gone, right?" Dugu Jinghua asked.

Li Muzhan nodded. "Yes, their martial arts were crippled. Trading their martial arts for their lives was a way to preserve a sliver of hope for them. Are they well now?"

"They have all recovered. It's truly miraculous!" Dugu Jinghua nodded. "They are immensely grateful, and they don't know how to repay you, telling you to name any condition!"

Li Muzhan smiled. "Forget it. If I can help, I will. No need for conditions."

"That makes them even more uneasy!" Dugu Jinghua pursed her lips and smiled. "They were expecting you to ask for the moon. The debt of saving lives is too great!"

Li Muzhan pondered for a moment. "In that case, let me see their armory. I only need a few days to look; I won't make copies."

"That..." Dugu Jinghua hesitated, then thought for a moment. "I dare not promise. The armory is the secret core of everyone; they might not agree."

Li Muzhan said, "Then forget it. I'm not interested in anything else."

Dugu Jinghua huffed, "Then I'll go talk to them!"

Li Muzhan smiled. "You're exhausted too. You should rest well."

"I'm fine. Do you have any lingering issues?" Dugu Jinghua gazed at him anxiously.

Li Muzhan shook his head and smiled. "Fortunately, I had the Three Pure Pills. They are truly marvelous; otherwise, I wouldn't have woken up yet!"

"The Three Pure Pills are rarely used by everyone. If you like them, I'll try to get more," Dugu Jinghua said cheerfully.

Li Muzhan nodded. "That would be best."

The Three Pure Pills could replenish spiritual energy expenditure, making them far beyond ordinary elixirs. While useless to most people, they were incredibly valuable to him.

The bodies of ordinary people weren't strong enough; even if their spirit was boosted, the fatigue in their bodies couldn't be removed, requiring conscious effort to recover. Li Muzhan's body was different; it was exceptionally robust, many times stronger than a normal person's. While his spirit was also powerful, it couldn't be squandered indefinitely. With the Three Pure Pills, he didn't need to rely on the Limitless Brightness Heart Sutra or the Heaven and Man Illumination Sutra to restore his spirit, saving considerable time.

Given his current physical prowess, he could function for over ten days without sleep, which was limitless compared to ordinary people, but his spirit would lag, causing fatigue; even immense spiritual power couldn't compensate.

With the Three Pure Pills, his spirit could rapidly recover, allowing him more active time. When tired, circulating his Qi a few times could dispel physical exhaustion—it was truly miraculous.

Li Muzhan surmised that the true utility of these pills was unknown to most people, perhaps even the Dugu family itself; they likely viewed it merely as a tonic for nurturing the spirit—a terrible waste of heaven's treasure.

Dugu Jinghua looked him up and down, then glanced at his chest. The wound had healed; unless examined closely, one could barely tell he had been injured. He looked more like he had rested for thirty days than three.

Li Muzhan looked down and smiled. "It's healed, right?"

Dugu Jinghua exclaimed in admiration, "It's truly magical."

Her dark hair fell forward. The faint, delicate fragrance drifted into Li Muzhan’s nose. As she looked up, her flawless, snow-white face was startlingly close. Li Muzhan couldn't resist leaning forward and gently kissing her red lips.

Dugu Jinghua lightly patted his shoulder, rendered speechless with shyness. Although they often shared intimacies, every time it happened, her face flushed crimson, and she became exquisitely bashful.

Li Muzhan smiled. "My injuries are fine. Don't worry."

Dugu Jinghua chided playfully, "Don't do that again next time! ... They have decided to employ a strategy of mixing truth with falsehood to confuse the Emperor."

Li Muzhan’s eyebrows lifted slightly. After Dugu Jinghua relayed their decision, Li Muzhan slowly nodded and smiled. "That is indeed a good idea; it can confuse him for a while."

"Alas... things won't be peaceful from now on," Dugu Jinghua sighed, shaking her head.

Li Muzhan said, "Come back to the Cloud Heaven Sect with me."

"Go with you?" Dugu Jinghua’s delicate brows furrowed, and she shook her head. "If I leave, it might be disastrous for Elder Brother... Now that he's lost his martial arts, the situation will become difficult. If there's no one left to consult..."

Dugu Jue snorted, "If he marries you off to the Zhu family, won't you be without someone to consult then either? ... So, he doesn't actually need your advice, Jinghua. Stop staying in the Dugu family!"

"I really can't leave him in such a state," Dugu Jinghua sighed.

Li Muzhan asserted, "You are now considered a daughter-in-law of the Li family, a member of the Li family, no longer of the Dugu family. I will speak to the Family Head about taking you away."

"Sir, I had better stay here in the residence," Dugu Jinghua shook her head stubbornly. "If I go to the Cloud Heaven Sect, how will I get along with the others?"

Li Muzhan smiled. "You're overthinking it. They are all women of broad minds."

Dugu Jinghua retorted with a huff, "Hmph, no matter how broad their minds, women absolutely do not want to share a man with others! ... If it weren't absolutely necessary, I wouldn't step into this mess!"

Li Muzhan grinned slyly. "It's too late to say that now! ... Fine. Since you insist, stay here for the time being, but don't get too deeply involved!"

Dugu Jinghua huffed, "You’re afraid Elder Brother will use me, but actually, you’re afraid he’ll use you, aren't you?"

Li Muzhan replied, "Your Elder Brother is absolutely capable of that!"

"Fine, I'll be careful," Dugu Jinghua said playfully. "Although Elder Brother can be cold, he does it for the sake of the family, not for his own selfish desires!"

Li Muzhan smiled. "If that weren't true, you wouldn't forgive him so easily, would you?"

Dugu Jinghua nodded lightly and sighed. "Yes, I am actually quite angry with him, but thinking of his responsibilities, I can understand him."

Li Muzhan patted her delicate shoulder. "Alright, as you wish."

On the morning of the fourth day, Li Muzhan and Dugu Jinghua were practicing together when his expression suddenly changed. "Jinghua, I need to go back for a moment."

"What is it?" Dugu Jinghua turned to ask.

The moon-white silk wrapped around her graceful figure, making her appear even more delicate. She looked at Li Muzhan, puzzled.

Li Muzhan explained, "Someone is in danger; I need to go over quickly. It won't take long."

"Mmm, go then. Be careful," Dugu Jinghua knew that if the jade pendant had shattered, he needed to leave immediately, so she didn't press him, though her eyes held deep reluctance.

Li Muzhan waved dismissively with a smile, vanished abruptly, and reappeared in the Mo Li Palace, where Xu Suxin stood waiting.

Xu Suxin, clad in a white gown, breathed a sigh of relief when he materialized. "You're finally here!"

Li Muzhan asked, "What happened? Where is Palace Mistress Li?"

"Master is downstairs, holding off the enemy!" Xu Suxin replied.

Li Muzhan frowned and scanned the area. The other women were gathered in the main hall, anxiously watching him. Seeing Li Muzhan suddenly appear, they all looked at him with curiosity.

"Who?" Li Muzhan was in no hurry; his Void Eye was already open, allowing him to see the battle below the mountain: Li Yubing fighting an old man, the two of them creating chaos, a fierce battle with no clear winner yet.

"It's a Grandmaster invited by the Lu family!" Xu Suxin explained.

Li Muzhan's eyebrow twitched. "A Grandmaster?"

Xu Suxin said, "Master told me not to summon you over, saying that if she were to lose, he still wouldn't let us off, so she told me to call you then."

Li Muzhan nodded. "Then who is this Grandmaster?"

"We don't know," Xu Suxin shook her head. "Master gave us a couple of instructions and then started fighting him."

Li Muzhan asked, "How long have they been fighting?"

Judging by the intensity of the battle and the surrounding environment, they must have been fighting for quite some time.

"Two days and two nights," Xu Suxin answered.

Li Muzhan nodded slowly. "Mmm, I understand. You did the right thing!"

"Hurry down and help Master!" Xu Suxin urged.

Li Muzhan shook his head and smiled. "No rush."

Xu Suxin paused, "What if Master... Although Master likely won't lose, since the Lu family invited him, they must be confident, right?"

Li Muzhan replied, "I'll stay here for now. If the Palace Mistress truly runs into trouble, it won't be too late for me to intervene. If she wins, I can leave immediately."

Xu Suxin considered this and slowly nodded. This was a good idea; it saved Master face, and she would avoid a scolding, plus his presence offered them a sense of security.

While Li Muzhan and Xu Suxin were talking, the other women kept staring at him, sizing him up with bold gazes.

Li Muzhan pretended not to notice, managing a helpless, bitter smile inwardly. These women seemed reserved and shy, but the moment he turned his back, they became bold, their eyes burning with intensity.

Xu Suxin asked, "Sir, this instantaneous arrival—what kind of technique is this?"

Li Muzhan laughed. "Great Teleportation. It's considered a secret art. What, do you want to learn it?"

Xu Suxin's bright eyes lit up. "Can I?"

Li Muzhan shook his head. "Your cultivation is insufficient; you cannot learn it. Furthermore, if you learned it and used it, the backlash would be dangerous."

Xu Suxin huffed and gave him a sidelong glance, implying that if he wasn't going to teach it, he shouldn't make excuses.

Li Muzhan didn't bother explaining, smiling blandly. "However, I can teach you Minor Teleportation."

"...Isn't that inappropriate?" Xu Suxin was momentarily startled.

Li Muzhan smiled. "It's nothing. Palace Mistress Li taught my disciple the core methods; I'll teach you a set of Minor Teleportation in return for the favor to the Palace Mistress."

"Then I must report to Master." Xu Suxin said.

Li Muzhan shook his head and smiled. "Then forget it. I'm in the mood now, so teaching you is fine. If you don't learn it now, I won't teach it later."

"...Alright, I'll learn," Xu Suxin considered for a moment, then gritted her teeth.

Li Muzhan smiled. "That's more like it!"

His smile abruptly vanished. He touched Xu Suxin's brow with his left index finger. Xu Suxin instantly stiffened, her body frozen, her bright eyes closing. After about two blinks, Li Muzhan withdrew his hand, smiling at Xu Suxin. The others were watching her, knowing he wouldn't harm her, so they didn't immediately move.

Li Muzhan asked, "How is it?"

Xu Suxin slowly opened her eyes, deep in thought. Her figure suddenly flickered, appearing ten yards away. She flickered again, appearing three yards away, then flashed once more, returning to her original spot.

The other women cheered. This lightness skill was truly exquisite; flickering in and out, making her seem to vanish—it was beautiful and perfectly suited for dealing with swarms of enemies.

"Thank you, Young Master Li!" Xu Suxin cupped her fists and smiled.

Li Muzhan waved his hand. "It's nothing. You can go outside to deal with the incoming people now!"

"Who is coming?" Xu Suxin asked, surprised.

Li Muzhan said, "It should be the Lu family. They are using the Grandmaster to occupy the Palace Mistress while sending others to deal with you all."

"Hmph, shameless!" Xu Suxin tightly pressed her red lips and sneered. "Then let them see the might of our Mo Li Palace! ... Junior Sisters, set up the formation!"