These events were by no means something this impostor could have accomplished alone, yet when Lu Qingwan asked, her answer remained as firm as ever.
"Yes, it was only to fulfill the Palace Master's command."
This answer surprised Lu Qingwan somewhat, but there was nothing she could do.
Given the impostor's state, she was unlikely to be lying. It only meant her authority wasn't high enough and she didn't know much.
"One last question: who is the Palace Master of Wuan Palace? Is the headquarters on an island called Shuiyun Jian? And have you heard of the True Dragon Token?"
Impatient with the mechanical questioning, Lu Qingwan threw out the most crucial questions and was ready to hand the person over to Li Su.
The impostor, completely unaware of Lu Qingwan's growing impatience, continued to answer questions woodenly.
"The Palace Master's identity is mysterious, and we do not know his name. The headquarters is indeed in Shuiyun Jian. I have heard the Palace Master mention the True Dragon Token; it seems to be related to the former Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Daqian. I know nothing else."
"The True Dragon Token is related to Crown Prince Cheng'an and the Crown Princess?"
Lu Qingwan suddenly leaped to her feet. Li Su also exclaimed, "Princess, could it be that when they previously desecrated the tombs of Crown Prince Cheng'an and the Crown Princess, they weren't threatening or retaliating against His Majesty, but were actually searching for the True Dragon Token?"
"You continue interrogating. Ask every question you can think of," Lu Qingwan said, taking out paper and brush to write a letter to Si Fengming and his wife with practiced speed. If the other party's goal was the True Dragon Token, then Si Fengming and Yan Ruozhao would be in extreme danger. As long as the True Dragon Token was not obtained, their safety would be in jeopardy.
Li Su took the person aside to continue the interrogation, while Liu Xunran also calmed down. Hearing about the situation, he chimed in, "The King of Ten Thousand Phoenixes, the True Dragon Token, and the Blood Crow Token are all being targeted. It seems the Palace Master of Wuan Palace is a discerning individual."
Lu Qingwan was pondering why these three items would cause the Palace Master of Wuan Palace to go to such lengths when she heard Liu Xunran's words. She then asked him, "It is said that the King of Ten Thousand Phoenixes is the token of the楼主 (Master of the Building) of the Sansheng Tower, personally created by the Empress Qinghuang of the past. And the True Dragon Token is the token of the 掌门 (Sect Leader) of the Hanxiao Hall of the Guoyun Guoshi of Nanxuan. Speaking of which, these two individuals have quite a connection with our ancestors of the Samsara Hall, don't they? I had the current hall master of the Wufeng Hall inquire. The Samsara Hall and Sansheng Tower have been in seclusion for many years, and even Wufeng Hall cannot find them. Do you have any leads on them?"
The tokens symbolizing their own prestige were being fiercely pursued, yet the people of these two families were as good as dead, not even making a ripple. Lu Qingwan felt as if she were holding a hot potato. If she threw it away, she feared these two items might be used against her. If she kept them, she would be constantly targeted by villains. And these weren't ordinary villains; being targeted by them was truly troublesome. Lu Qingwan was utterly exasperated.
Liu Xunran, being a seasoned veteran who had weathered many storms, looked at Lu Qingwan's agitated state with remarkable composure. "The Hanxiao Hall and Sansheng Tower did not go into seclusion; they were disbanded."
Liu Xunran spoke with the calmest tone, delivering the most astonishing news. "Empress Qinghuang and Guoshi Nanxuan initially established the Sansheng Tower and Hanxiao Hall for self-preservation in times of chaos. However, by the later years of Empress Qinghuang's reign, the world had already been unified and peace prevailed. The imperial court only needed to follow established procedures to maintain peace. By then, the Sansheng Tower and Hanxiao Hall had grown too powerful, earning a reputation akin to a secondary court in the world. Empress Qinghuang, fearing that these two forces would become uncontrollable and endanger the peace after she and Guoshi Nanxuan passed away, specifically ordered the dispersal of the disciples of Sansheng Tower and Hanxiao Hall."
Lu Qingwan's eyes lit up as she listened, feeling that Empress Qinghuang was incredibly magnificent. She unilaterally declared herself a fervent fan of Empress Qinghuang. However, despite her excitement, she still needed to ask the important questions. "Since they were disbanded, why were these two tokens kept? Wasn't that superfluous?" People were gone, so keeping a dead object to cause trouble was definitely cause for her to "unfollow" them for a while.
"The Sansheng Tower and Hanxiao Hall could be dispersed, but these two items could not be destroyed." As Liu Xunran said this, Lu Qingwan was surprised to see a hint of envy in the eyes of this old man who appeared to have achieved enlightenment. He murmured, "Because the King of Ten Thousand Phoenixes and the True Dragon Token are not only the tokens of the leaders of Sansheng Tower and Hanxiao Hall, but also the love tokens of Empress Qinghuang and Guoshi Nanxuan. These two small rings carry the unwavering love of Empress Qinghuang and Guoshi Nanxuan."
His wistful tone made Lu Qingwan reluctant to interrupt him. He hadn't strayed from the topic, and despite his mixed emotions, he had explained everything that needed to be said. "Moreover, the reason for disbanding Sansheng Tower and Hanxiao Hall was that there was no longer a need for them in a peaceful world. However, as a precaution, Empress Qinghuang left instructions: if the people of the world were ever in mortal danger, the holder of this token was to summon all disciples to rescue them from their plight."
After much explanation, the last sentence was the most critical. Lu Qingwan wanted to banter with Liu Xunran a bit, but seeing the old man in a rare moment of melancholy, she felt awkward about disturbing him. She silently took out a small notebook to record her findings: the Palace Master of Wuan Palace was going to great lengths to seize the True Dragon Token and the King of Ten Thousand Phoenixes for the powerful legacy left by Empress Qinghuang and Guoshi Nanxuan. However, she couldn't help but quip, "I've read history books. The ancient Gu Yan Kingdom has a history of at least fifteen hundred years, right? Are you sure that even if someone produced the King of Ten Thousand Phoenixes and the True Dragon Token, the disciples of Sansheng Tower and Hanxiao Hall would actually respond to the summons?"
Things from fifteen hundred years ago were like antiques in China, displayed in museums for research and viewing. If someone were to claim they could rally troops with a jade seal, people would think they were insane, and the result would be either jail time or a mental institution. The fact that someone was going to such lengths over these two relics, and had repeatedly endangered her life, made Lu Qingwan feel a strange sense of amusement.
"Empress Qinghuang and Guoshi Nanxuan have indeed become legendary figures in history, so your question is understandable. However, that's because you haven't witnessed their charisma." Liu Xunran's eyes were full of longing. "Gu Yan Kingdom is over a thousand years old, and I cannot prove to you how powerful they were. But think about it this way: fifteen hundred years have passed, and people are still fighting to the death over their minor relics. Doesn't that perfectly prove the immense influence they possessed?"
Lu Qingwan had to admit that his words held considerable truth.