“He Qiu, there is no need to be so reserved. Relax a little. I know your abilities and will not make things difficult for you.”
Seeing the extra vigilance in the young man’s cold gaze, Nangong Qiongxiao softened her attitude somewhat.
In the past, she would have found it amusing, but today, facing He Qiu, being looked at like this made her very uncomfortable. She had meant well and wanted to help cultivate He Qiu. She did not want him to look at her warily, as if she were an outsider.
“It is fine, Master. Please speak.”
“Very simple. Recently, the Demon Sect has made some new moves. Undercurrents are stirring in Tianxin City. I want you to go down the mountain and investigate.”
“Where exactly should I investigate?”
He Qiu had no sense of direction. He had never even been to Tianxin City at the foot of the Longyin Mountain Range, so he needed more details.
“Specifically, Tianxin City, around the Old Cross Street area. The crowds there are dense, the terrain is complex, and because it is an old street, the vendors are outdated and oversight has been lax for years. Naturally, it is the favorite dwelling place of those gutter rats of the Demon Race.”
“……”
Seeing the young man fall into thought, Nangong Qiongxiao continued.
“Recently, our sect has received quite a few reports saying that, late every night, someone has been spotted around Old Cross Street. It is suspected that a certain Demon Sect base has already formed there… But because it is an old street, the connections are complicated, and corrupt officials are colluding with one another. If the city lord sends his own subordinates to investigate thoroughly, word will easily leak and the grass will be alerted.”
“Therefore, it is best to rely on the people of our Longyin Sect to investigate.”
“He Qiu, listen carefully. You are only going there to investigate, investigate… The time limit is very generous. You only need to go to that street, keep watch, record any suspicious people or matters, then confirm the specific hiding places of the Demon Sect. Come back and report to me. That is all.”
“It sounds… not difficult. You will not even need force?”
After hearing it all, He Qiu hesitated several times before muttering.
Nangong Qiongxiao nodded and smiled leisurely.
“Of course. This is the first time I have assigned you a mission down the mountain. Naturally, it cannot be dangerous.”
She had received word of this last night and had already sent many subordinates to investigate in secret. As for He Qiu’s part, it was purely because she wanted to find something for him to do, so she had him go down the mountain to investigate as well. She did not expect him to discover anything meaningful at all.
Therefore, Nangong Qiongxiao’s true intention was not the mission itself, but to let He Qiu experience the thrill of “completing a mission and obtaining a new technique,” making him trust her for the first time. Only then would she slowly increase the difficulty of the missions and have He Qiu continue practicing and growing.
This was the protagonist cultivation plan Nangong Qiongxiao had conceived.
She felt that simply giving He Qiu techniques for free, with his comprehension, could indeed allow him to develop monstrously in a short time.
But a Child of Destiny cultivated that way would be too deformed. Having never come into contact with the outside world at all, he would be nothing more than a flower raised in a greenhouse, unable to withstand a single blow.
Therefore, Nangong Qiongxiao needed to formulate an exquisite plan so that he could go out and be tempered, continuously obtain techniques to study, and at the same time further stimulate his desire and motivation for cultivation.
That way, having He Qiu go down the mountain to complete missions while she rewarded him was simply the best model, was it not?
After many years, the young man would not only become stronger and grow into a hero of his region, but would also become increasingly dependent on his master, Nangong Qiongxiao. The “missions” would gradually transform into the form of “orders,” strengthening his trust in her, his sense of belonging, and his obedience.
In the future, Nangong Qiongxiao would be able to gain a vital subordinate.
This could not be called using He Qiu as a chess piece. It was mutually beneficial cultivation. The Empress was cultivating a right-hand man, or even a successor, for her future court.
This was a very normal model.
Nangong Qiongxiao liked the current genius youth He Qiu very much. She believed he had that potential. She felt that he, like herself, would be someone capable of great things in the future. So she wanted to invite him into her camp and, when the time was ripe, conspire together for a great undertaking.
Of course, this relationship had to be led by Nangong Qiongxiao. Her position had to be one head above his because she had cultivated him. Therefore, he had to listen to her orders, and naturally, he also needed to submit to her.
However, that was another premise, one concerning Nangong Qiongxiao’s desire for control ever since she had declared herself Empress.
“How about it? Have you thought it over?”
Nangong Qiongxiao withdrew from her thoughts and looked at the young man still hesitating before her. The corners of her lips curved slightly upward.
She could tell that he was greatly shaken. He had been moved by her proposal.
This was a very good beginning. Once he relied on his own efforts and obtained rewards from her, once he tasted the benefits she offered, he would never be able to escape her control again.
“All right, Master. I accept this mission.”
“……!”
In the end, He Qiu nodded and agreed.
Seeing this, the smile at the corners of Nangong Qiongxiao’s red lips became even more obvious. Her plan had succeeded. It was as if she could already see the future scene of He Qiu being cultivated by her into a legend of his generation while also submitting beneath the Empress’s command.
Nothing gave Nangong Qiongxiao more anticipation than this kind of “sense of achievement.” A Child of Destiny like He Qiu could only be encountered by chance, not sought. She had to grasp the opportunity before her and make him her own.
“Very good, child. You have not let down my expectations of you…”
As she spoke, the long-skirted fairy took out several more technique manuals and handed them to He Qiu.
“In the afternoon, study the techniques here with me first. Then, once night falls, go directly down the mountain to act. All right?”
“Yes. Thank you, Master.”