Princess Ata was about to find paper, an inkstone, a brush, and ink, but Xiaosuisui stopped her.
"I canât give them the cultivation technique now; I canât expose my dreamland space. Wait until we bring them back to Yunhang, Sister A Ta, then you can give it to them!"
Princess Ata considered this. It seemed like a good idea, so she nodded and said, "Alright!"
"By the way, the situation in Yunhang is tricky. You mentioned earlier wanting His Majesty, your adoptive father, to send ships to rescue the people of Wangwu Mountain. Iâm afraid that canât be arranged for now."
Upon hearing this, Xiaosuisui blinked and asked, "Is the situation really that tricky? Are there many bad people in Yunhang County?"
Princess Ata then recounted what had happened before Ji Youzhi arrived.
After hearing this, Xiaosuisui thought for a while and said, "Right, Sister A Ta, didnât you tell me before that you suspect the Great Wizard has cultivated to become a Witch God?"
Princess Ata nodded. "Indeed, thatâs my suspicion, but Iâm not certain. You see, a Witch God hasnât appeared for thousands of yearsâan existence even more advanced than an Immortal. If the Great Wizard has truly cultivated to become a Witch God, he would be unmatched in the world. He should be free to roam the heavens and earth. However, his current display of power seems limited to controlling puppets assimilated by Witch Power. He turns those at Half-Step Grandmaster level or higher into vessels for his manipulation."
Upon hearing this, Xiaosuisui tilted her head and pondered for a moment, mumbling her analysis to herself.
A mighty Great Wizard should be free to roam the heavens and earth, invincible. Yet, he hasnât revealed himself to the world, nor has he declared himself the supreme being. Instead, he resorts to covert schemes and manipulations, controlling others from behind the scenes. Itâs quite perplexing.
Watching Xiaosuisui tilt her head in deep thought, Princess Ata blinked and followed her line of reasoning. "Could it be that heâs simply unable to move freely?"
"Unable to move freely? Could there be someone in this world even more formidable, someone he fears?"
"Itâs hard to say. Doesnât the proverb go, âThereâs always a taller mountain and a stronger personâ? Perhaps there truly is someone in this world even more powerful than the Great Wizard."
"Is Sister A Ta suggesting that the Great Wizard also has someone heâs wary of? Is that why heâs resorting to sneaking around and orchestrating these petty schemes from the shadows?"
Princess Ata wanted to nod, but she herself couldnât imagine who in this world could be more powerful than a Witch God.
"Who could be more formidable than the Great Wizard?"
Xiaosuisui tilted her head to ponder. "Could it be my eldest maternal uncle?" The little girl looked at Princess Ata with a smug expression.
This made Princess Ata not know whether to laugh or cry. "Although your eldest maternal uncle is a Grand Master, he only rose to prominence in recent years. If the Great Wizard is truly a Witch God, he must be an incredibly formidable individual. So, his desire to move freely and make the entire Tianling Continent submit to him would certainly be within his capabilities."
Princess Ata quickly dismissed this line of thinking.
"Then who could it be?" Xiaosuisui couldnât think of an answer and pouted, feeling unhappy.
"If you canât figure it out, donât dwell on it. Letâs focus on resolving the Yunhang situation first. Afterward, we can all put our heads together and come up with a plan." Princess Ata pinched Xiaosuisuiâs little cheek, thinking that her deeply contemplative expression was just like her eighth uncleâs.
"Okay! I wonât think about it anymore. Sister A Ta, let me send you out! If you stay in here too long, the pretty lady will probably get worried."
Waving her hand, Xiaosuisui directly sent Princess Ata out.
When Princess Ata woke up, the first thing she saw were Xie PanâErâs large, worried eyes.
"Princess Ata, youâre awake! Have you been feeling unwell these past few days? This is the second time youâve fainted! And the National Master still said you were fine, just asleep."
Xie PanâErâs question made Princess Ata feel a pang of guilt. Both times she had fainted because Xiaosuisui had pulled her into the dreamland space.
"Iâm so sorry to have troubled you," she said softly to Xie PanâEr. "Thank you for taking care of me."
Xie PanâEr waved her hand. "Please, donât mention it. I was just worried about your health, seeing you faint so often."
"Thank you for your concern. I fainted so suddenly earlier. I even missed the National Master dealing with Li Yanyanâwhat a show that must have been! Quick, tell me what happened. Did Li Yanyan learn her lesson?"
Xie PanâEr blinked, a helpless expression on her face, and said, "Oh, she was definitely thrashed soundly. Her backside was all bloody. I reckon she wonât be able to get out of bed for at least ten days to half a month." She lowered her voice considerably as she said this, terrified the perpetually stern-faced National Master might overhear.
"That severe! Did the National Master say anything else?"
"He did. He said that once this matter is settled and they return to the Capital City, after the New Year, sheâll be sent to the Royal Academy. Apparently, itâs a boarding school, so sheâll be cut off from the Li Family. The National Master said her current disposition is a result of the Li Familyâs upbringingâthat her shallow, selfish, and self-centered nature is detrimental to cultivation. He intends to correct her temperament. Otherwise, if her cultivation advances but her personality remains unchanged, sheâll cause significant trouble in the future!"
"That might be for the best. Li Yanyan is still young. If the National Master puts in the effort, itâs quite possible her character can be reformed."
"Thatâs what His Majesty the Emperor said too."
"By the way, let me tell you something," Princess Ata pulled Xie PanâEr closer and whispered, "I didnât actually faint just now. I went to see the Crown Princess."
Xie PanâErâs eyes widened in astonishment. She exclaimed excitedly, "What did you say? Say that again!"