"Which Lady Lan?" Zhao Zhifeng couldn't help but ask.

He had been away from the capital to the Kingdom of Jiyuan for several years and didn't know much about what was happening around his master. There were several official families with the surname Pei in the capital, the most famous of which were the Liangguo Duke's Mansion and the Changping Marquis's Mansion.

Although both families share the surname Pei, they are not related.

I don't know who has come to see Master today.

“She was the former Princess Rui. After divorcing the commoner Qi Yanchang, she returned to the Changping Marquis’s residence. Outsiders call her ‘Lady Lan’,” Qingyao said with a smile.

Zhao Zhifeng nodded upon hearing this.

"Please let her in!" Xie Peng said as he stood up. "Qingyao, Madam Lan likes to drink the tea grown in our Yunxiao Palace. Go and brew a pot and bring it over."

"Yes," Qingyao replied and quickly went to make tea.

Not long after, Pei Qinglan, accompanied by her maid and guided by two young Taoist boys, arrived at the waterside pavilion that Xie Peng had specially prepared for receiving distinguished guests.

"Madam Lan!" Upon seeing Pei Qinglan enter, Xie Peng quickly stood up and bowed.

"Greetings, Immortal Master." Pei Qinglan slightly bent her knees, then straightened up and sat down on a chair to the side.

She waved her hand gently, and the maids who had followed her left.

"The scenery of Yunxiao Palace is still as beautiful as it was before." Pei Qinglan smiled as she looked at the vast expanse of lotus flowers outside the pavilion.

By the end of August, the lotus flowers outside had long since faded, but at Yunxiao Palace, lotus flowers were still blooming in this season.

When she was a child, she visited Yunxiao Palace for the first time and was amazed to see lotus flowers in this season. She even clamored to become a female Taoist priest at Yunxiao Palace.

"May I ask what brings you here today, Madam?" Xie Peng asked with a smile.

“That bronze mask didn’t kill Qi Yanchang, but the person in the palace is very dissatisfied. I have received reliable information that Qi Yanchang is about to return to the capital. I don’t want to see him. I wonder if the Immortal Master has any way to stop him from returning to the capital?” Pei Qinglan asked bluntly.

"Not at the moment," Xie Peng shook his head.

He does have a solution, but he doesn't dare to use it.

Their Cloud Palace has been experiencing bad luck lately, so they shouldn't act rashly.

"The mistress in the palace said that as long as the immortal master helps us fulfill our wishes, she can help the immortal master become the national advisor of our Great Yan Dynasty." Pei Qinglan directly threw out the bait.

That person said that Xie Peng would definitely be tempted if offered the position of Imperial Advisor.

There are ten major Taoist sects in the capital. The other nine, though they are said to be righteous, are, in her opinion, just inflexible fools. They would never do anything to harm anyone in secret. Only Yunxiao Palace is somewhat like a heretical sect. As long as you pay enough money and give enough benefits, there is nothing Yunxiao Palace wouldn't dare to do.

They've collaborated several times already.

"Imperial Preceptor!" Xie Peng's eyes widened upon hearing this: "This...this probably won't work, will it? According to the rules of my Great Yan Dynasty, the only person in the world who can become the Imperial Preceptor is the sect leader of the Taiyi Sect."

Unfortunately, they don't care about the position of Imperial Advisor at all. Unless the world is in chaos, the leader of Taiyi Sect will become the Imperial Advisor to save the people.

Compared to others, he is far inferior, and Xie Peng is aware of this.

"It's all up to human effort!" Pei Qinglan said with a smile, "The Taiyi Sect is not what it used to be."

"How...how did you know?" Xie Peng asked, somewhat incredulous.

“We don’t need to worry about this Taoist priest. If he’s willing, he can help us get rid of that thorn in our side. If he’s not willing, we won’t force him. There will always be someone who wants the position of Imperial Preceptor.” Pei Qinglan said, standing up.

Xie Peng was speechless upon hearing this.

When this woman asked him for help, she called him "Immortal Master," but when she wanted to turn against him, she called him "Taoist Priest."

He had dealt with Pei Qinglan several times and knew this woman quite well.

She's a ruthless woman. She could take the life of her husband of over ten years. What wouldn't she dare to do?

"I can give it a try, but whether it succeeds or not depends on luck. To be honest, Madam, our Cloud Palace has been having bad luck lately, and some things... may not be able to be accomplished," Xie Peng said with some helplessness.

Pei Qinglan frowned deeply upon hearing this.

She heard from someone in the palace that among the ten major Taoist sects in the capital, Yunxiao Palace was the weakest. If she could bribe the other sects, everything would be much easier.

Unfortunately, despite sending out so many people and using so many methods, she still couldn't crack those tough nuts to crack.

Just wait, one day she will make these people grovel before her.

As for now?

They had no other choice but to go to the Cloud Palace.

"After this is done, I will give you 100,000 taels of silver. As for the position of Imperial Preceptor... I can assure you that it will be given to you within five years."

Pei Qinglan waved her hand, and a maid standing outside the waterside pavilion brought over a wooden box.

"There are 50,000 taels of silver notes here as a deposit. I will send someone to deliver the other half after the matter is completed." After Pei Qinglan finished speaking, she left with her maid.

"This woman is quite decisive, giving away 50,000 taels of silver without hesitation. I wonder... who exactly is this 'woman in the palace' she's talking about?"

Xie Peng couldn't help but start guessing.

Was it Consort Shu, the birth mother of the Second Prince and the Fifth Prince, or Consort Xian, the birth mother of the Fourth Prince? Or perhaps... Consort Yi, the birth mother of the Eighth Prince?

With the Empress gone, these three consorts were the only ones with real power and influence in the palace.

Especially Consort Yi, who was a princess of the Kingdom of Jiyuan.

More than twenty years ago, the Emperor suffered a serious illness and almost did not survive. Even the leader of the Taiyi Sect personally went down the mountain and could only prolong his life for a few months. Later, it was Consort Yi who returned to Jiyuan Kingdom and saved the Emperor with the national treasure.

From then on, Consort Yi was greatly favored and her status in the palace was second only to the Empress.

After the Empress passed away, Consort Yi took charge of everything in the palace.

"Zhifeng, you and Xiao Si and Xiao Wu prepare to set up the Seven Fiends Soul-Locking Array on the road Qi Yanchang will inevitably take on his return. I will then give you the vengeful ghosts that I have carefully trained over the years. If you can take his life, that would be best. If not... then so be it," Xie Peng said in a low voice.

Although 100,000 taels of silver was a lot, he had been accumulating wealth over the years, so he didn't care too much about it.

After losing two of his disciples, Xie Peng became more cautious.

"As far as I know, the little bitch who killed your senior brother is now Qi Yanchang's stepdaughter. They must have come back together. That little bitch is quite capable; ordinary ghosts and monsters won't pose a threat to her. Put in more effort. If you can kill her and Qi Yanchang together, that would be great. If not... then leave her for me to deal with slowly."

"Remember, once you've set up the Seven Fiends Soul-Locking Array, leave. Don't stay there. If anything happens to you again, even your master won't be able to live," Xie Peng instructed.

He only has five direct disciples; he can't afford to lose any more.

There will be plenty of time in the future. He will definitely skin that little bitch who killed his only son alive, tear her apart, cut her into a thousand pieces, and burn her soul for a hundred or a thousand years... so that she will never be able to be reborn.