As dusk gathered on all sides, the fire-cloud sky brightened instead. Today, the sunset glow within Qiongsang City seemed more vivid than usual, outlining a layer of pale red around the little loach opposite him.

A pot of Nine-Nine Return to Origin tea was nearly finished, and only one or two pieces of tea sweets remained in the crystal box. Shao Yi set down his cup and casually picked up a fallen leaf, placing it to his lips to blow. A halting little tune drifted away on the wind.

At first, he seemed to have forgotten the rhythm, but as he continued blowing, it gradually became smooth again. For some reason, the part that had been forgotten seemed to suddenly come back to him.

This was a tune that was pure and gentle, completely different from the gorgeous, extravagant melodies the deities favored nowadays.

Xuan Yi listened for quite a while, then unexpectedly became pleasant and agreeable: “Is this a tune from your era? It’s quite nice.”

Shao Yi rubbed the leaf: “It’s just an obscure little tune. I’m glad you like it.”

A smile appeared on Xuan Yi’s face: “Why don’t you tell me about things from your time? Back then, didn’t our two clans have a good relationship? As Emperor, you probably were going to marry a Zhuyin Clan princess, right? Or was there a Qingyang Clan princess who was to marry into Zhongshan?”

Shao Yi instinctively replied: “The Zhuyin Clan had no princess, but I had a younger sister…”

Halfway through, he suddenly stopped and raised his eyes to look at her. She smiled indifferently, as if saying: You clearly haven’t forgotten anything.

Shao Yi shifted his gaze away and released the leaf in his hand, letting the wind carry it far away: “When talking with this little loach, I always have to maintain eighty or ninety percent alertness. I truly don’t know whether it makes me annoyed or pleased.”

Xuan Yi said lightly: “Since you’re asking me to risk my life to work for you, you should at least tell me something. Why did you and my great-grandfather start fighting? Were you competing to become Demon King? Or was there some earth-shattering enmity?”

Shao Yi thought carefully and shook his head: “Neither. It was just evenly matched opponents who, in the end, couldn’t stop.”

The sunset glow gradually darkened. The newly risen silver moon cast everything in a hazy blur. He gazed quietly for a while. Perhaps the little loach was right—he hadn’t forgotten anything. No matter how many landscapes he saw, how many things he experienced, how many divine beings he encountered, there were always only a few worth keeping in his heart.

The sky back then had been more transparent than now. The Sea of Parting Regret in the far west was still azure and clear. Taihang and Kunlun hadn’t yet fallen to the Lower Realm. The upper and lower realms were peaceful and harmonious. The deities also didn’t yet have the rigid rule of having to find teachers for instruction and obtaining divine offices by the age of fifty thousand.

And he was merely a young Phoenix Lord who, just as now, lingered among romantic pleasures.

The Phoenix Lord of the Qingyang Clan possessed exceptional talent. In one dream of a thousand years, he slept for a full three thousand years. Hundreds, thousands of goddesses surrounded him—so many that he couldn’t even remember their names. Sometimes he couldn’t even remember their faces.

He truly had no need to remember their faces and names. The atmosphere in the divine realm had always been uninhibited. The long years made them rarely speak of genuine love. Playing roles in chance encounters, comforting each other—it was all perfectly normal.

After serving a full two hundred thousand years as a war general, he returned to Qiongsang City and ascended as Qingyang Emperor.

His first half of life was smooth and glorious. His talent was exceptional, rarely seen across generations. His parents and divine officials at home, his entire clan regarded him as paramount. He had his own pride, as well as the pride of being Qingyang Clan. At that time, the impression of the Qingyang Clan across the wilderness was mostly incidental beneath the Zhuyin Clan’s illustrious reputation. But he had the ability to elevate the Qingyang Clan higher, so they would no longer be overshadowed by the Zhuyin Clan.

The Zhuyin Clan, like dark clouds.

Shao Yi wasn’t clear how the previous Qingyang Emperors had tolerated the Zhuyin Clan’s arrogance. This generation’s Zhongshan Emperor was named Chang Yu. Probably because of his exceptional talent, his temperament was incomparably arrogant. The entire Qingyang Clan, from top to bottom, didn’t much like him. He liked him even less and was very unwilling to have the Qingyang Clan continue tolerating and accommodating the Zhuyin Clan as before.

In fact, by their generation, relations between the two clans were already much worse than before. Interactions were very rare. What they maintained between them was merely face. Everyone was a bit fed up. The deeply affectionate marriage alliance of his great-grandmother’s generation now seemed like a distant miracle.

By the way, Chang Yu’s marriage alliance partner was his younger sister. He still remembered her name—she was called Liu Sang. Because their parents had children very early, there was a large age gap between them. He was already Emperor, but she still hadn’t reached fifty thousand years old.

This was also a younger sister who was entirely too reckless.

Speaking of which, it seemed to be precisely on the day of his Qingyang Emperor ascension ceremony. Qiongsang City was unusually covered in fine rain. The great hall was somewhat dark. Shao Yi lit the candles and changed into his black ceremonial robes before the bright mirror, carefully tying the silk cord under his chin. He thoroughly disliked having his hair bound up. The golden crown pressed painfully on his head, and no matter what, he couldn’t tie that silk cord properly. It was very troublesome.

The door was suddenly pushed open. Liu Sang ran in lightly. Probably because she rarely saw him dressed so formally and properly, she teased him: “Dressed like this, you finally look somewhat like an Emperor—as long as you don’t open your mouth to speak with those goddesses.”

Shao Yi beckoned to her: “Come, help me tie this cord properly.”

Liu Sang moved forward, and while helping him tie the cord, she said: “The day before yesterday, Mother said that now that you’re ascending as Emperor, you should marry. If you see a goddess who suits you today, she’ll have Father discuss the marriage.”

Shao Yi laughed a couple of times and simply changed the subject: “Has that Zhuyin Clan Emperor arrived yet?”

At the mention of him, Liu Sang’s expression turned unpleasant: “I don’t know. I’m too lazy to look.”

In fact, she had almost never interacted with that Emperor Chang Yu. It was all arranged by the divine officials. She thought Chang Yu was an old scoundrel, and because from birth she knew she had to marry him, the marriage having no appeal, she instead became quite indulgent. All day long she only liked to laugh and play with the divine lords, until everyone outside knew that the Qingyang Clan’s son and daughter were both amorous deities.

Shao Yi said with a smile: “You should say a few words to him. If you truly dislike him, I can decline the marriage alliance for you.”

Liu Sang hugged his arm: “Decline it for me! I like refined gentlemen like the Third Imperial Son!”

He was satisfied with this answer.

That day’s ascension ceremony was grand and solemn. Vivid phoenix nirvana fire illuminated the entire night sky. After the ceremony concluded, a deity in blue lotus-colored robes suddenly came forward gracefully, elegantly offering him a toast. His black hair was like clouds, his complexion pale, his bearing pure and proud—it was none other than the current Zhongshan Emperor, Chang Yu.

Seeing him arrive, Liu Sang deliberately laughed and acted intimate with the divine lords, hoping to anger him into leaving.

Chang Yu’s expression was very cold. The Zhuyin Clan’s faces rarely seemed to smile. Shao Yi guessed he probably also wasn’t pleased about the marriage alliance. After exchanging casual pleasantries with him, he said: “My younger sister is extremely unruly. If the Emperor has a goddess he admires, there’s absolutely no need to insist on the marriage alliance.”

Chang Yu raised his eyebrows: “In that case, many thanks for the Emperor’s magnanimity.”

Probably his meaning of disdain was too obvious. Liu Sang was provoked to anger. She walked over with a frown: “What do you mean by magnanimity? How are you speaking? What’s wrong with me?”

This pure and handsome Zhongshan Emperor looked down at her, then suddenly smiled in a complete reversal of his usual demeanor. When he smiled, he appeared extremely spirited and radiant: “My words were improper. I beg the princess’s forgiveness.”

Liu Sang was stunned for a moment by his smile. Probably this wasn’t a beautiful smile that an old scoundrel could produce. Instead, she couldn’t speak. She mumbled and lowered her head, her ears suddenly turning red.

Shao Yi hadn’t expected that after canceling the marriage alliance, Liu Sang’s infatuation with Chang Yu would come so fiercely and suddenly.

She even left Qiongsang City, spending all her time mixed up with Chang Yu. The beautiful and alluring Qingyang Clan princess threw herself at him. With the Zhuyin Clan’s arrogance, how could they refuse? The relationship between the two became exceptionally good. Even Mother came to inquire whether they should restore the marriage alliance.

Shao Yi paid no attention. A marriage between the two clans was now impossible. A canceled marriage alliance he would absolutely never reinstate. The Qingyang Clan had already become glorious in his hands. He really didn’t want to revert to that previously restrained relationship because of her inexplicable infatuation.

He probably never believed in devotion. It was both useless and burdensome. Liu Sang was merely experiencing a momentary impulsive passion. Given time, it would naturally fade.

**