2 - Crazy! Criticizing the Prime Minister for Being a Servant

【……】 At the end of the Celestial Stairway, a grand hall stood tall and imposing. A white-haired woman seated high up, suddenly swayed slightly, almost imperceptibly, and furrowed her brows as if sensing something. The woman managing the proceedings from beside her noticed the anomaly and asked softly, "Younger sister, are you feeling unwell? You can rest for a while; there is still some time before the ceremony begins." The white-haired woman half-opened her eyes, a glimmer flashing in her hand as a folding fan appeared. She sat for another moment before nodding slightly, "I will step out for a bit, I leave this place in your care, senior sister." Holding the now folded fan in her hand, she tapped lightly behind her ear. It seemed like she had just experienced a ringing in her ears? A jumble of half-intelligible voices had emerged from nowhere, creating an irritating noise in her head. However, taking this opportunity to sneak away from the dull hall was not such a bad thing. Meanwhile, halfway up the Celestial Stairway, Ning Songwu had been praying for a long time without any response, not even a breeze. Above her, the burning sun blazed down, before her lay a seemingly endless staircase, and the starting point had long vanished into the sea of clouds behind her. 【This really is the perfect beginning to a nightmare. Will the next moment have those people on the steps turn into zombies and bite me, or into something even more messed up? Anyway, this must be a dream, right?】 The earlier words lingered quietly in her mind, seemingly urging her to climb the steps and reach the end of the Celestial Stairway. The term "Celestial Stairway"... why did it feel somewhat familiar? Unable to wake herself by slapping her face and finding prayer futile, Ning Songwu gathered her breath and began climbing. In any case, this stairway must have an end, standing here was not a viable option, perhaps climbing up might return her to reality. After struggling up twenty steps, she paused to catch her breath and looked back—Not bad! Quite spirited! For a college student who spent most of her time in bed and considered the annual physical fitness test her maximum workout, this was already quite impressive. Ning Songwu sighed and continued climbing. 【In this day and age, are disciples still tested by climbing stairs? Does climbing higher mean you’re stronger, and failing to climb mean you’re weaker? When I’m awake it's all about academic qualifications, and now when I'm asleep it’s all about physical strength... Ah, if I roll down now, will I wake up?!】 High above, layered clouds, a white-haired woman in purple clothes was watching the people struggle upward with interest, her brain echoed with this train of thought. The faint smile on her lips faded, and she touched the side of her head with the fan once more. This time, she was sure it wasn't just a ringing in her ears; there was indeed someone speaking in her mind. Strange indeed, had someone among these mere mortals already mastered the technique of telepathic communication? On closer inspection, apart from a few outer sect trainees, most were ordinary individuals who hadn’t even embarked on the path of cultivation. But this person had a point. She too thought that testing disciples by making them climb stairs was tiresome and boring. Next time, a good fight might be a better test. The woman chuckled lightly; her white hair, tied back, fluttered in the wind, the silver strands glistening in the sunlight, subtly adorning her with a silver edge. After watching for another moment, she found it tedious, and as she was about to leave, a commotion arose from the stairway, as if someone had fallen. Falling from here could be fatal. The woman couldn’t delay, she pressed the clouds beneath her feet, halfway through casting a spell, when the voice from her mind echoed again— 【Lord in Heaven! I was just wondering if falling could wake me up, and now I really did fall, why am I still not waking up? Am I going to die from this fall...?!】 The voice grew fainter and more distant, inexplicably making her anxious, as if some rare treasure was about to slip away, agitating her further. She promptly switched spells and summoned a Vermilion Bird to dive down from the clouds. The woman gracefully landed on the steps, while the Vermilion Bird brought up the trembling girl. The girl, small and thin, had long black hair tied up, a few wisps loose over her forehead, appearing about fifteen or sixteen, dressed in the pale moon white robe of an outer sect disciple, already ripped by the wind. Her cultivation was shallow, having just entered the Foundation Establishment stage. Despite having no sign of fear on her face, she stared at the woman in a daze. So, the one who had been muttering all along, was this little girl? As the Vermilion Bird loosened its grip, the girl was dropped onto the steps, sitting there in a daze, seemingly not yet comprehending what had happened, but her eyes remained fixed on the woman, filled with incredulous wonder. 【Lord in Heaven, such beauty! Is it even possible to dream of someone this beautiful?!】 As the woman touched down gracefully on the stairs, the observing crowd knelt in reverence, except for the girl, who watched intently, even swallowing slightly. Ran Fanyin understood immediately, confirming that the incessant mutterings came from this girl, she lifted the corners of her lips slightly, and tapped the girl’s head with her fan before leaving with poise. So what if she could hear? If she couldn’t climb the Celestial Stairway, their interaction would end here. Such an interesting little creature, work hard. After the woman left, those kneeling finally let out a sigh of relief. Ning Songwu swallowed, lifting her still numb arms. Her body was stiff, and pained; the terror of falling from such a height was overwhelming, even after sitting there for a while, her limbs remained numb, unable to move. Moreover, that silver-haired woman... her beauty was simply stunning, with silver hair and purple robes, holding a fan with golden edges and white surface, her phoenix eyes gleaming—such majesty mixed with a hint of calmness. As the fan tapped her head, it sent shivers through her, filled with incredible fear and astonishment. The Celestial Stairway, silver-haired woman, golden-edged white fan... Aren't these straight out of that terrible book she was reading before falling asleep?! The girl gulped, her already bewildered heart left with one thought—This can't be real. Several people came over to help her up, jolting her back to reality. Her eyes gradually regained focus, and the buzzing in her ears turned into coherent sentences. "Was that just Elder Ran? Oh my, she’s actually been watching the Celestial Stairway all along?"