My Wife Turns Out to be an Empress of the Dynasty

Under the allure of the golden mountain, Li Xiong's eyes were both blinded by the golden light.

The glittering gold ingots piled up, and he felt as though his intense fear of crowds had been cured!

Struggling to swallow, he said, "Consecrator, you seem to underestimate me, Li Xiong."

"You should know that the Misty Rain Building is like a child I raised from scratch, akin to my own flesh and blood. The inhabitants of the building are not mere assassins but my brethren, my beloved kin!"

"And so?"

Gu Lan arched an eyebrow, somewhat surprised that Li Xiong had hardened his stance.

A golden mountain couldn't sway this old fellow?

For a moment, Gu Lan almost doubted his judgment.

A hint of emotion flickered on the faces of the many assassins of the Misty Rain Building.

They hadn't expected their leader to resist the temptation and regard them as brothers.

But at times like these, even blood brothers could be bought.

"And so—more money!" Li Xiong's expression turned solemn, radiating a sacred aura.

Gu Lan's lips curved into a faint smile. Wasn't one golden mountain enough?

Li Xiong seemed quite greedy.

Nonetheless, it didn't matter; as long as there was greed, there would be the drive to work.

Trading this material wealth for information about the continent was well worth it!

With another wave of his hand, he tossed out another mountain of gold of the same scale.

Such wealth was but a drop in the bucket for him, hardly worth mentioning.

"Will this suffice?"

Gu Lan's tone remained calm, but the eyes of the Misty Rain Building's members widened.

Their eyes held no other color as they fixated on the mountain of gold.

With a thud, Li Xiong knelt directly on the ground, his face flushed.

"From now on, the Misty Rain Building is the sword in the hands of the Consecrator. I'll strike wherever you point!"

Two mountains of gold— he couldn't amass such wealth even if he worked until retirement!

Moreover, according to Gu Lan, they could continue their lucrative profession as assassins in their spare time.

Gu Lan smiled. That was more like it.

What couldn't be bought with money? At most, one just needed to pay more.

Without asking Li Xiong to rise from the ground, Gu Lan said meaningfully, "I detest those who are fickle and traitorous. Do you understand?"

Li Xiong nodded repeatedly. The sum of money was enough to make him submit.

Plus, he knew how formidable Gu Lan was; his small arms and legs naturally couldn't match up.

"But rest assured, submitting to me will also bring you many benefits. You'll see in the future."

"I have matters to attend to today. First, tidy up the Misty Rain Building. As for this mountain of gold, distribute it among yourselves!"

"Thank you, my lord!" Li Xiong quickly changed his tune, eliciting a satisfied smile from Gu Lan.

Without dismounting from Little Qi's back, the phoenix let out a joyous cry and departed.

After Gu Lan had gone far, the members of the Misty Rain Building crowded around eagerly.

"Boss, these mountains of gold..."

Li Xiong smiled broadly. "One of these mountains belongs to me, and you'll split the other!"

"Thank you, boss!" The group rejoiced.

They hadn't expected Li Xiong to be so generous as to give up one mountain of gold!

Truly, he was a man who regarded them as brothers, kin, and friends!

Gu Lan was unaware of how the Misty Rain Building would divide the wealth, nor did he care too much.

Soon, the phoenix landed on East Straight Street, and with a slight movement, Gu Lan returned home.
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"Brother Gu!" Zhongren was the first to notice Gu Lan's return and eagerly greeted him.

During this period, he felt the impending retribution of heaven drawing near.

Only by staying by Gu Lan's side did he feel a shred of safety.

Unfortunately, Gu Lan rarely stayed at home, often leaving him unable to find him.

Gu Lan nodded to him. This time, he had come back to find this young Taoist.

"You've been at the Tianji Pavilion for so long. Do you know about the Shadow Palace?"

"Yin God Palace?" Zhongren furrowed his brows slightly.

"The name sounds familiar as if I've seen it somewhere, but I can't recall where."

Gu Lan sat down and took a sip of tea, smiling gently.

"It's okay, take your time to remember. I'm not in a hurry."

Having learned about the Yin God Palace from an elder of the Blissful Immortal Palace, and knowing it to be an opposing force to the Blissful Immortal Palace, if he encountered someone from the Yin God Palace, he could observe before deciding if they were friends or foe.

Zhongren thought for a long time, but his brows remained tightly knit.

"It seems I read about it in a book in the pavilion. I need to go back to Tianji Mountain's library to look for it. Brother Gu, why don't you accompany me back to Tianji Mountain?"

Gu Lan thought for a moment.

Madam in the palace might still be stubborn for a while, so he nodded.

"Very well, let's go together!"

Although Tianji Mountain was not close to the capital, Gu Lan simply said, "At this moment, Zhongren and I are near Tianji Mountain!"

Instantly, they appeared at Tianji Mountain.

Gu Lan smiled. With his profound knowledge of the Dao, his words had power.

This level of backlash could be almost negligible, and since he hadn't directly mentioned being inside Tianji Mountain, it could avoid the backlash from various powerful formations within Tianji Mountain.

With Zhongren, the chief senior brother of the Tianji Pavilion, the two of them entering the Tianji Pavilion was as simple as returning home.

No need for announcements; soon Zhongren led Gu Lan into the pavilion, heading straight for the library...

Meanwhile, at Tianji Mountain, outside the pavilion in the rear mountain.

Veils of mist lingered, refusing to dissipate, while in the distance, a waterfall cascaded down, its roar echoing.

Yunlong, the head of the Tianji Pavilion, frowned as he stood on the rear mountain, surveying the tranquil landscape.

"I have at most three years left. My end is approaching," Yunlong, a man of profound strategy, was well aware of his own lifespan as he probed those within the Mysteries.

Despite his peak cultivation, he had exhausted his potential.

Without some extraordinary opportunity, reaching the Saint Stage in this lifetime was impossible.

And without breakthroughs, his lifespan had reached its limit.

It was an unsolvable predicament, even as the head of the Tianji Pavilion, he couldn't reverse it.

"I wonder if in these three years, the Tianji Pavilion can cultivate a successor capable of leading independently."

Yunlong's thoughts were varied as he thought of his only disciple sent to Gu Lan's side.

A satisfied smile crept onto his face. Zhongren's performance had been outstanding, and his talent exceptional.

Under Yunlong's arrangements, the Tianji Pavilion had tied itself to Gu Lan. With this extraordinary expert occupying the position of Consecrator at the Tianji Pavilion, they could be worry-free for at least a millennium.

Yunlong smiled with contentment.

With Gu Lan's presence, even after his departure in three years, the Tianji Pavilion would likely face no issues.

With someone to carry on, and with Gu Lan's name suppressing any ill-intentioned forces eyeing the Tianji Pavilion in recent years, there would be no daring moves against the Tianji Pavilion.

"Hmm? Why are these two back at the Tianji Pavilion at this time?"

Soon, Yunlong sensed Gu Lan and Zhongren's presence.

After all, he was the head of the Tianji Pavilion, and the two didn't conceal themselves on Tianji Mountain, so naturally, he would sense them.

Yunlong furrowed his brows slightly and headed towards the library in Tianji Mountain...