Jiang Zhaoxue got up from the floor, putting on clothes while finding a table to sit at. After taking out the voice transmission jade tablet, she began sending messages to Ye Tianjiao.

Knowing it was Pei Zichen, she had no more scruples. She transmitted her voice openly and freely.

In no time at all, Ye Tianjiao received her message and immediately said: “Sis! Did you succeed?!”

“No.”

Jiang Zhaoxue sat cross-legged on the ground, speaking honestly: “He seems to have created a fake duplicate body.”

Jiang Zhaoxue recalled today’s events and confirmed: “He used that duplicate body to trick away my medicine.”

Ye Tianjiao froze. After a moment, he murmured: “Alright… alright then. No worries, I still have this medicine. Let’s try again!”

“Aren’t you worried about me at all?” Hearing this, Jiang Zhaoxue laughed coldly: “I drugged Li Xiuji and now I’ve been caught. Aren’t you the slightest bit worried Li Xiuji will kill me?”

“Hey, don’t worry,” Ye Tianjiao said immediately. “He’d sooner kill himself than kill you.”

“Ye Tianjiao,” hearing his tone, Jiang Zhaoxue confirmed he knew everything. Grinding her teeth, she said: “Is there something you haven’t told me?”

“No… nothing,” Ye Tianjiao said guiltily. “I’ve said everything I should.”

“Fine, then let me ask you something,” Jiang Zhaoxue said coldly. “Who is Li Xiuji?”

Ye Tianjiao didn’t respond.

Seeing him play dead, Jiang Zhaoxue shouted sternly: “Explain clearly to me—is Li Xiuji Pei Zichen or not?!”

“Oh dear,” seeing he couldn’t keep pretending, Ye Tianjiao said frankly: “You’re already asking me this—why don’t you go ask him?”

“If I could ask him, would I be asking you?!” Jiang Zhaoxue said immediately. “Tell me clearly—is he or isn’t he?”

Jiang Zhaoxue asked seriously. The other side fell silent. Jiang Zhaoxue pressed her lips together and asked once more: “Is he Pei Zichen or not?”

“Yes.” Seeing her persistence and knowing if he didn’t answer her she’d go on endlessly, Ye Tianjiao could only steel himself: “I told you he was in the Jiuyou Realm…”

Jiang Zhaoxue’s eyes trembled. Her eye sockets grew sore. Yet gripping the voice transmission jade tablet tightly, her voice carried not a ripple of emotion as she said calmly: “Why would he be here? Whose spiritual body is he inhabiting? Why… does he act strangely, as if he doesn’t completely remember me?”

“What do you mean by ‘acts strangely’ specifically?”

Hearing her say “acts strangely,” Ye Tianjiao immediately spoke up.

Seeing he wouldn’t answer, Jiang Zhaoxue reminded: “Answer my first two questions first.”

Hearing this, Ye Tianjiao sighed and spoke helplessly: “Sis, it’s not that I don’t want to tell you, but this matter involves the Jiuyou Realm. No matter what, I’m still a person of the Jiuyou Realm. If I speak, I’d be a traitor. If you really want to know, you should resolve Pei Zichen’s issue and ask him yourself.”

Ye Tianjiao spoke sincerely. Jiang Zhaoxue fell silent, knowing what he said wasn’t wrong.

After easing for a moment, she said softly: “Then what must I do to be able to ask him?”

Thinking of Pei Zichen’s state, she frowned: “He won’t talk to me at all right now. We just fought, and now he’s left. I don’t even know when he’ll come back.”

Recalling the frustrating scene from just now, Jiang Zhaoxue couldn’t help but feel somewhat aggrieved, pressing her lips together: “He wasn’t like this before.”

“Don’t blame him either.”

Ye Tianjiao sighed and reminded: “Sis, the divine shell on his body belongs to Li Xiuji. I told you before—Li Xiuji was condensed from resentment energy. He fundamentally cannot bear beautiful things. So back then he gave me a pill to help him when he awakened, to quickly condense the power of heaven and earth, allowing him to have space to store beautiful emotions and memories, restoring his sanity.”

“But you didn’t make it in time.”

Jiang Zhaoxue recalled what Ye Tianjiao had said when he tricked her into coming to the Jiuyou Realm, thinking: “So what you call Li Xiuji’s awakening wasn’t an awakening at all, but Pei Zichen’s soul entering his divine shell. And because you didn’t make it in time to have him take the pill, what Pei Zichen entered was a body unable to bear beautiful memories and emotions?”

“Correct.”

Ye Tianjiao responded, saying patiently: “Normally, with his soul fusing with the divine shell without taking the pill, he would immediately become an evil entity. But coincidentally, you were summoning his soul.”

“What’s wrong with that?” Jiang Zhaoxue didn’t understand.

“Your repeated soul-summoning meant his soul and divine shell never completed total fusion. He still had a portion of goodness remaining in the unfused soul, so he wasn’t completely devoured into becoming an evil entity.” Ye Tianjiao explained, sighing: “But he’s still in the divine shell after all, suffering erosion by the shell’s resentment energy day and night. If we don’t think of a way soon, sooner or later he’ll completely fuse with this divine shell and become the evil entity Xin Luoyi expects.”

Hearing this, Jiang Zhaoxue’s heart sank as she understood: “So you had me come to the Jiuyou Realm to have him take the pill Li Xiuji gave you back then, allowing him to normally enter the divine shell instead of degenerating into an evil entity?”

“Uh…” Hearing this, Ye Tianjiao’s tone obviously changed, saying guiltily: “Sort of… I guess.”

“What do you mean ‘sort of’?” Jiang Zhaoxue reacted. Keenly she said: “What went wrong with that pill?”

“Well,” questioned by Jiang Zhaoxue, Ye Tianjiao spoke guiltily: “It’s not a big deal. It’s just that the pill Li Xiuji gave me was a bit fragile. When I was being chased and fleeing from Xin Luoyi…”

“It dissolved?”

Jiang Zhaoxue instantly understood what that puddle of mud-like thing in the first box Ye Tianjiao had opened was.

Ye Tianjiao laughed awkwardly.

Jiang Zhaoxue closed her eyes.

She pressed the surging anger in her chest, forcing herself not to get angry at this time. Yet she held back again and again but still couldn’t help asking: “Ye Tianjiao, what exactly have you been doing this past thousand years?! With such good talent, aren’t you ashamed to be chased and hunted by Xin Luoyi?!”

“Sis, don’t be angry,” Ye Tianjiao felt somewhat indignant and retorted in a low voice: “Everything has a price. Who could live her kind of life, opening her eyes and only cultivating single-mindedly?”

Not defending himself would have been better. Once he defended himself, Jiang Zhaoxue covered her chest, feeling it ache.

But she also knew that since Ye Tianjiao still had the mood to bicker with her, he must have another plan. She could only set aside scolding him for now and said through gritted teeth: “So what is the medicine you gave me, since Li Xiuji’s is gone?”

“It’s a supplement to help him temper his power and shape his divine core.”

Ye Tianjiao sighed and said patiently: “Li Xiuji’s pill was actually his divine core. In this world, there are evil gods and true gods. Their difference lies in their different hearts for entering the Dao. Only a sufficiently persistent Dao heart can become a final deity. The divine core is what’s produced when obsession reaches a certain degree, bearing such powerful willpower. Back then, Li Xiuji worried his divine core would be invaded by resentment energy, so he preserved it separately and sealed it in that pill. Theoretically, after his return, with his divine core returning to his body simultaneously, the resentment energy would be suppressed by his divine core. Then he would naturally absorb the power of heaven and earth, purify the resentment in the divine shell. Given time, he could possess a normal divine shell. When a divine shell with a divine core fuses with a physical body, he could become a true god.”

Ye Tianjiao said this, then gnashed his teeth: “But it was destroyed by Xin Luoyi!”

“So now if Pei Zichen wants to completely fuse with the divine shell, he must regenerate a divine core to possibly avoid entering the evil path after true fusion. Otherwise he’ll either become an irrational evil entity or become an evil god who destroys the world?”

Jiang Zhaoxue sat cross-legged, tapping her knees, understanding Ye Tianjiao’s meaning.

Ye Tianjiao nodded: “Correct. My medicine helps him shape his divine core.”

“He eats it and has a divine core?!” Jiang Zhaoxue felt it couldn’t be that easy.

Ye Tianjiao denied it, saying softly: “The divine core ultimately still requires him to have sufficient power to form one. My medicine is just a supplementary function.”

“Then where would he get such strong power in a short time?” Hearing this, Jiang Zhaoxue immediately realized the problem: “Currently, even the strong resentment energy in his divine shell can’t form a divine core. What power could allow him to possess one?”

“In this world, aren’t the fastest and strongest of all powers sourced from the human heart?” Ye Tianjiao leisurely reminded: “Resentment comes from the heart. Doesn’t love as well?”

These words stunned Jiang Zhaoxue. In an instant, she understood Ye Tianjiao’s true intention in having her come.

“Sis, don’t you understand yet why Pei Zichen can still preserve a portion of his soul from being eroded by resentment energy, from being fused by the divine shell?” Seeing her dull expression, Ye Tianjiao said somewhat helplessly: “Do you think your soul-summoning technique could recall a soul from within a divine shell?”

Hearing this, Jiang Zhaoxue’s fingers curled lightly. She heard Ye Tianjiao say: “What preserved Pei Zichen’s kind heart wasn’t your soul-summoning technique, but his love for you.”

“Then you…” Jiang Zhaoxue’s heartbeat quickened somewhat. For a moment she didn’t dare speak, yet had to speak: “But a person’s life isn’t only about romantic love. You had me come—are you certain you can reshape his divine core for him?”

Ye Tianjiao didn’t speak. He thought for a moment and only asked: “Do you think he has sensation when he touches you?”

Hearing this, Jiang Zhaoxue thought and confirmed: “Yes.”

“Can he distinguish the scent on your body?”

“He can.”

“Can he tell what color clothes you’re wearing?”

“Naturally he can.” Jiang Zhaoxue was somewhat puzzled: “What about it?”

“Haven’t you noticed he has no five senses?”

Ye Tianjiao asked back. Jiang Zhaoxue froze.

In that instant, she belatedly realized. She heard Ye Tianjiao confirm: “A spiritual body formed from resentment energy won’t perceive beautiful things. The five senses are precisely the source of all beautiful perception for humans. The sounds he hears are converted by power entering him. The things he sees have no color. In his world, he can only see your colors, only truly hear your voice, only feel your touch, only smell your scent… Sis.”

Ye Tianjiao was rarely serious: “Other people’s lives may have many things, but Pei Zichen’s world has only you.”

Hearing this, Jiang Zhaoxue’s heart surged with tides of emotion. She remained silent.

Actually, she knew of Pei Zichen’s affection. But this was the first time hearing it from another person’s mouth—so clear and detailed a perception.

Ye Tianjiao also knew her temperament and understood Pei Zichen would never tell her these things. Sighing, he said: “Sis, when I was brothers with him back then, I knew very clearly—he fundamentally didn’t want to live. He lived on for you. When he was seventeen, he secretly hid a handkerchief of yours. In those years you weren’t there, he kept it carefully at his chest every day. One morning I saw him washing the handkerchief. I went over wanting to look—he nearly killed me with a sword strike. He’s liked you—it’s never been a momentary impulse, but many years with you always in his heart. Later at the Lingjian Immortal Pavilion, he even gave you the five divine artifacts. His affection for you…”

Ye Tianjiao fell silent for a while, pressing his lips together: “If even this can’t allow him to condense a divine core, then he only has the path of becoming an evil god.”

Hearing this, Jiang Zhaoxue’s heart grew bitter. Her eye sockets grew sore.

Thinking of the young Pei Zichen, she suddenly felt some regret. If back then she could have let go of many things earlier, seen things more openly, perhaps…

But life has no “perhaps.”

If she hadn’t fallen for him, hadn’t lost him, no matter how many times over, she would never give up the Tianji Lingyu, nor could she trust him.

“Then,” Jiang Zhaoxue’s voice was dry, “what should I do?”

“I don’t know either,” Ye Tianjiao probed: “How much do you think he remembers about you now?”

“I’m not clear either.”

Jiang Zhaoxue frowned: “He seems very resistant to me now. Today…” Jiang Zhaoxue said with some difficulty: “He pressed me down going crazy for a while, saying he’d kill you all, saying something about having me teach him about intimate matters between men and women to spare your lives…”

“That intense?” Ye Tianjiao’s tone was full of shock. After speaking, realizing what he’d said, he quickly coughed lightly and said softly: “Continue.”

With Ye Tianjiao’s heartless interruption, Jiang Zhaoxue’s bit of awkwardness also disappeared. She said numbly: “Then I actively kissed him, and he pushed me away and ran off.”

“Oh…”

Hearing this, Ye Tianjiao’s desire to share instantly rose to its peak. He wished he could find Qingye, Dielan, Diewu, even Xin Luoyi and Shen Yuqing right now to share this explosive news with them.

They kissed.

They kissed!

Ye Tianjiao forced himself to stay calm, coughing lightly: “Then it seems that portion of his soul preserved his ability to love you. As for memories, they may not be completely…”

“Definitely not complete!” Thinking of it again, Jiang Zhaoxue grew somewhat angry and couldn’t help saying: “He still thinks it’s his first time, wanting me to teach him. He’s already… sigh.”

“Well,” hearing this, Ye Tianjiao scratched his face, analyzing with some difficulty: “Actually, this is understandable.”

“What’s understandable?” Jiang Zhaoxue didn’t comprehend: “I can see he hasn’t forgotten everything. What standard is he using to forget things?”

“It’s like this,” Ye Tianjiao coughed lightly, trying to explain more academically: “He won’t remember beautiful emotions. So for any event, only when negative emotions exist will he remember, and then only remember the negative emotions at that time. If he had no negative emotions about something at all, then he probably can’t remember it at all.”

With these words out, the whole place fell silent.

After a moment, A’Nan summarized in shock: “So Pei Zichen doesn’t remember you slept together because during that process…”

A’Nan spoke, turning around. His bean-sized eyes met Jiang Zhaoxue’s.

It was too good.

Though these words weren’t spoken aloud, Jiang Zhaoxue already knew.

She glared fiercely at A’Nan and cursed in a low voice: “Shut up!”

“I haven’t even opened my mouth yet.” A’Nan felt wronged.

Jiang Zhaoxue ignored him and continued inquiring: “So what effect will his incomplete memories have?”

“Then his resentment will only grow deeper.” Ye Tianjiao said immediately: “A person’s mind is constructed from their memories. If everyone in his memory is bad, then he’ll only think in bad directions. Won’t his resentment grow deeper and deeper? The resentment from his own self is definitely the strongest power. Devouring his soul is just a matter of time, isn’t it?”

“Then if he could remember…”

“If he could remember past events and feel love, then the love he himself produces would naturally also be very strong power.”

Ye Tianjiao contemplated: “Actually, theoretically speaking, since he has a soul bearing affection for you, he shouldn’t forget so easily. The reason he forgets so easily is most likely because he himself gave up. That’s why,” Ye Tianjiao said curiously, “what exactly happened between you two? Why would he give up this relationship himself?”

Hearing this, Jiang Zhaoxue’s heart sank. She pressed her lips together and said slowly: “I placed a Spirit-Locking Formation on him, wanting to take the five divine artifacts. Though I eventually discovered taking the artifacts would kill him and I tried to force him to leave, he still found out about this…”

“So that’s why you married Shen Yuqing, and he went to the Lingjian Immortal Pavilion to give you the five divine artifacts and sever the marriage bond?”

Ye Tianjiao understood and gasped: “I wondered why he didn’t care about his life. Good thing the artifacts ultimately recognized their master…”

“What did you say?”

Jiang Zhaoxue keenly questioned. Ye Tianjiao immediately shut his mouth, saying vaguely: “Mm, so essentially it’s just that he’s uncertain you like him, so he actively gave up the relationship himself. Then your urgent matter is proving your feelings for him to him…”

Ye Tianjiao spoke, slapping his thigh, saying excitedly: “Listen to me—go find him right now. Just go over and hold him and kiss him. Say ‘I love you’ a hundred times a day. He has to first believe you love him and be willing in his own heart to fight for you. Only then can we talk about the future.”

“With his current mind,” Jiang Zhaoxue was somewhat uncertain, “will he believe it?”

“Believe it or not, at least he has you in his heart right now,” Ye Tianjiao said immediately. “Don’t worry about anything else first. First make his mind think of beautiful things—the more beautiful the better. Best if they’re things he’s completely forgotten!”

With these words out, Jiang Zhaoxue knew what Ye Tianjiao was talking about.

She fell silent.

Ye Tianjiao said in a small voice: “It’s just a suggestion…”

Hearing this, Jiang Zhaoxue thought for a while, took a deep breath and said: “Fine. I understand. It’s just coaxing a man.”

Jiang Zhaoxue’s mentality slowly improved. She pressed her lips together: “I’ll try.”

“You can definitely do it!” Seeing her mood improve, Ye Tianjiao immediately began flattering: “Sis, you’re beautiful and speak nicely. If you just coax him a little, won’t it be easy as pie? Listen to me—don’t look at how he seems like an upright person. Actually, all men are the same! Later, you go find him first. Hold him and cry. After crying, if he doesn’t respond, tell him through tears you won’t disturb him and you’re leaving. Then take three steps and look back once. When you turn to look at him at the door, deliberately fall down…”

“Enough.”

Hearing him speak gave Jiang Zhaoxue a headache. She quickly stopped him: “I’ll think of my own way. Don’t get involved.”

“Fine.” Seeing her mood wasn’t good, Ye Tianjiao also didn’t ramble. He only said: “Anyway, if you need anything, find me. With our deep sibling affection, we’ll definitely save Pei Zichen!”

Jiang Zhaoxue remained silently quiet.

She lowered her head to look at the brocade patterns on the bed. After thinking for a long while, she took a deep breath and said: “I understand. Go to sleep.”

Saying this, she cut off the transmission with Ye Tianjiao.

After the room quieted down, she sat alone in her original position. After easing for a moment, she lay down on the bed, looking at the canopy above.

A’Nan beside her jumped over, asking curiously: “Master, aren’t you going to find Little Pei now?”

Jiang Zhaoxue glanced at him without immediately speaking. A’Nan tilted his head: “Sending a message would be good too.”

Jiang Zhaoxue still didn’t make a sound. She hesitated for a long while, turned over, and said carefully: “A’Nan.”

“Hm?”

“I’m wondering…” Jiang Zhaoxue frowned: “Why did you suddenly appear?”

These words shocked A’Nan. He blinked: “Master, why are you suddenly asking this?”

“I’m just thinking about what Ye Tianjiao said just now,” Jiang Zhaoxue contemplated. “Pei Zichen can return to Li Xiuji’s body. They all take for granted this is ‘awakening.’ Li Xiuji even prepared medicine for condensing his divine core upon awakening—meaning all this was already calculated by Li Xiuji. And Pei Zichen’s entire journey—from obtaining the Tianji Lingyu in Wuyue Forest for Mu Jinyue’s Lingxiao Flower, to getting the Suguangji at the Lingjian Immortal Pavilion with demon cultivators’ help, to me entering the seventh realm of Fate Masters and knowing this is a book then going to help him… all of this ultimately pointed toward him obtaining the five divine artifacts.”

Jiang Zhaoxue pressed her lips tight and couldn’t help saying: “If everything was arranged by Li Xiuji, then my entering the seventh realm of Fate Masters—was it truly my ability?”

Jiang Zhaoxue spoke, turning to look at A’Nan: “The Heavenly Dao you and I glimpse—we think this is a book. Is what we see truly the truth, and not what someone else let us see?”

A’Nan was stumped by her question. He looked at Jiang Zhaoxue in shock, saying somewhat bewildered: “So… so what if it is?”

A’Nan didn’t understand: “No matter how much he calculated, he still died, didn’t he?”

“Then now,” Jiang Zhaoxue lowered her eyes, her heart tightening slightly as she said in a low voice: “The one who’s alive—is it Pei Zichen or Li Xiuji?”

Li Xiuji’s soul reincarnated as Pei Zichen. Afterward, the soul returned to Li Xiuji’s body. So this person—was he Pei Zichen or Li Xiuji?

Li Xiuji had planned everything with one hand. Perhaps even her going to help Pei Zichen seize the five divine artifacts was within his plan.

Did such a person count as Pei Zichen?

She remained silently quiet. A’Nan beside her watched. After hesitating for a long while, he said softly: “But Master, according to what you said, didn’t Li Xiuji want the divine artifacts?”

These words made Jiang Zhaoxue freeze. A’Nan reminded: “But Pei Zichen gave all the artifacts to you.”

What Li Xiuji wanted were the divine artifacts. Yet in the end, Pei Zichen chose to give the artifacts to her.

They were souls who made completely different choices.

“And now this person—the artifacts are on your body, but he’s never had designs on them, has he?”

With A’Nan saying this, Jiang Zhaoxue’s heart began pounding.

A’Nan sighed and couldn’t help saying: “Master, you just think too seriously about everything. But sometimes, with many things in the mortal world, you have to trust your intuition. Look—when he wore the mask, you felt he resembled Pei Zichen. When his mask shattered, you never doubted his identity at all. You even kissed him, didn’t you? If you truly felt he wasn’t Pei Zichen, how could you do such a thing? You must trust your heart.”

A’Nan jumped onto Jiang Zhaoxue’s knee, raised his hand to place it on Jiang Zhaoxue’s chest, and said with a smile: “With matters of the heart, you cannot use your brain. Don’t think now. Just close your eyes. Think carefully—if Pei Zichen stood before you without a face, what would you feel?”

Hearing this, Jiang Zhaoxue looked down at A’Nan’s dark eyes. A’Nan encouraged her: “Go ahead and think.”

Jiang Zhaoxue looked at him. After struggling for a moment, she slowly closed her eyes.

She tried hard to think of Pei Zichen, to think of how it felt being with him, to think of the palpitations when she touched him, to think of the joy when she embraced him, to think of every sensation her body had for him.

The person before her, evolving all the way from a youth to the Demon Lord’s bearing—she suddenly realized…

If not for that familiar feeling in her body and bones, she wouldn’t have been so frivolous when looking up at that young man on the solitary boat;

She wouldn’t have allowed the other party to carry her back when pretending to be drunk;

She wouldn’t have had her body react and palpitate uncontrollably when realizing he visited late at night…

All the restraint she gave that “Emperor” came from her body’s familiarity with Pei Zichen.

The moment she realized this, Jiang Zhaoxue felt her eye sockets grow sore. She looked at the back of the figure standing alone on the solitary boat and finally confirmed.

She had found Pei Zichen.

“I want to save him.”

Realizing this, Jiang Zhaoxue slowly opened her eyes and said firmly: “I want him to become a god.”

“Good!”

Sensing her emotion, A’Nan immediately jumped to her shoulder: “Master, do your best! Make him feel love! Come, while you’re passionate and stirred.”

A’Nan flew to the desk, grabbed paper and brush in his mouth, came back, and spread them before Jiang Zhaoxue: “Write a love letter and let him feel your sincerity!”

Hearing this, Jiang Zhaoxue looked at each other with A’Nan and couldn’t help saying: “This… what should I write?”

“Just write your true feelings at this very moment.”

A’Nan said seriously: “Only sincerity will be moving.”

Thinking about it, Jiang Zhaoxue took a deep breath, picked up the brush, and transformed her full heart of affection into a concise, passionate, love-filled letter. Then she held it at her fingertips and said softly: “Heaven’s Will summons—”

She smiled with pressed lips: “Transmit message, Pei Zichen.”

Saying this, the letter paper disappeared.

When she was writing the letter, Pei Zichen was in the prison interrogating Shen Yuqing.

From the moment he left the door, Jiang Zhaoxue and that disciple called “Ye Chen” had been transmitting voices without any avoidance, as if he were dead.

He sensed their voice transmission, sitting in the shadows watching Zhou Shan interrogate Shen Yuqing.

Zhou Shan didn’t understand Shen Yuqing and interrogated a bunch of useless things. Pei Zichen listened with a headache. Already irritable, after a long while he finally couldn’t hold back. He raised his hand to have Zhou Shan leave, saying in a low voice: “Let me.”

As these words emerged, Shen Yuqing keenly raised his eyes.

He knew someone was there but had never seen the face clearly. Hearing the other party speak, Zhou Shan hesitated for a moment and respectfully withdrew.

Only Pei Zichen and Shen Yuqing remained in the prison. The only fluorescent light fell on Shen Yuqing. Shen Yuqing looked at the person deliberately hiding in the shadows and said coldly: “Things have already reached this point. Why must you play tricks, Your Excellency? Why not appear openly for a talk? Kill or torture as you please—I’m at your disposal.”

Hearing these words, Pei Zichen couldn’t help but laugh. He said softly: “Immortal Lord Shen is truly of iron will and admirable character. But this seat is truly curious,” Pei Zichen sized up the young man in blood-stained clothes in the light, somewhat unable to understand: “How has Immortal Lord Shen’s cultivation fallen to this state?”

Hearing this, Shen Yuqing confirmed the other party’s identity in his heart and said coldly: “Does the Emperor wish to use this matter to humiliate me?”

“Just asking.”

Pei Zichen’s tone was flat. Thinking of Shen Yuqing’s thoughts, he seemed to say casually: “How about this—this seat doesn’t wish to make things difficult for Immortal Lord Shen. I can answer what Immortal Lord Shen most wants to know, and Immortal Lord Shen can also answer what I want to know. How about it?”

Shen Yuqing fell silent. He pondered for a long while before actively speaking: “What do you want to do to Jiang Zhaoxue?”

Hearing these words, Pei Zichen raised his cold eyes.

For a moment he found it funny. He curled his lips in mockery but asked back: “What do you think I’ll do?”

“There are countless women in this world,” hearing this, Shen Yuqing recalled the look in this man’s eyes when he grabbed Jiang Zhaoxue as he chased over. He knew this look very well—this man’s thoughts about Jiang Zhaoxue were clear as day. He forced himself to suppress his emotions and spoke as respectfully as possible: “Many admire the Emperor. Why must the Emperor force others against their will?”

“Force others against their will?” Pei Zichen laughed coldly: “What—does Immortal Lord Shen think that by keeping Immortal Lord Jiang here, I want to possess her, make her my forbidden treasure?”

Shen Yuqing’s face paled slightly. He said immediately: “Emperor…”

“Don’t say this seat doesn’t have such thoughts,” Pei Zichen interrupted his plea, extremely tired of the two of them worrying about each other like this. Impatiently he said: “Even if I did, what status are you? Is it your place to interfere?”

“The Emperor’s words are mistaken,” Shen Yuqing pressed his lips together: “Even if we’re not husband and wife, I promised A—Immortal Lord Jiang that no matter what, I would protect her for life.”

“That’s still not your place!”

Hearing him speak, Pei Zichen raised his hand to support his forehead. His aura grew agitated. Feeling murderous intent boiling, only wanting to quickly end this conversation, he restrained his emotions: “I don’t plan to do anything to her. Trapping her in the Jiuyou Realm is also to protect her life. If you truly want to protect her, then honestly answer this seat one question.”

These words stunned Shen Yuqing. He couldn’t help saying: “What question?”

“Is the Book of Fate still at the Lingjian Immortal Pavilion?”

Pei Zichen spoke directly. Shen Yuqing’s expression changed slightly.

Seeing his expression, Pei Zichen knew the answer clearly and continued pressing: “It’s still there. Specifically where?”

“I don’t know what the Emperor is asking about.” Shen Yuqing spoke coldly.

Too lazy to say more to him, Pei Zichen suppressed his murderous intent and stood up, rubbing his head: “If you don’t know, then think slowly. But I’m telling you—the Book of Fate is spying on Jiang Zhaoxue.”

These words made Shen Yuqing’s expression grow stern.

Pei Zichen turned his eyes to look at him in the shadows, reminding: “Fate Masters are the only existence that can escape the Book of Fate’s control, and also the only ones in this world who can truly terminate the Book of Fate. What do you think the Book of Fate will do to a Ninth Realm Fate Master? Shen Yuqing,” Pei Zichen lowered his voice, “if you truly want to protect her, think for yourself what you should do.”

Saying this, Pei Zichen turned and walked out. After walking a few steps, Shen Yuqing suddenly spoke: “Emperor, I haven’t finished speaking.”

“Xin Luoyi is Mu Jinyue.”

Pei Zichen spoke directly, obviously already knowing what Shen Yuqing wanted to ask. He said indifferently: “She’s been the Jiuyou Realm’s spy from the beginning. Anything else you want to ask?”

The person behind him made no sound. Pei Zichen impatiently wanted to leave. But just as he raised his foot, he heard Shen Yuqing say softly: “That’s not what I meant.”

This surprised Pei Zichen somewhat. He turned to look and saw Shen Yuqing kneeling on the ground, saying somewhat tiredly: “I wanted to tell the Emperor—Immortal Lady Jiang is a very good person. When she likes someone, she likes them wholeheartedly. Now that her heart belongs to someone, forcing won’t produce results. If you truly like her, you cannot force—you can only wait.”

“Wait for what?” Pei Zichen took it as a show of force and mocked: “Wait for you, her beloved, to die?”

Hearing this, Shen Yuqing froze, seeming somewhat dazed.

After a moment, he smiled bitterly: “I’m no longer her beloved.”

These words left Pei Zichen somewhat confused. He frowned. Then he saw Shen Yuqing raise his head, looking at the void, saying with difficulty: “The person she likes is my disciple. His name is Pei Zichen.”

Pei Zichen stood frozen in place, hearing Shen Yuqing murmur: “Pei Zichen is dead. She killed my master. Between her and me, there’s no possibility. As long as the Emperor waits a bit,” Shen Yuqing raised his eyes solemnly: “There will come a day when the clouds part and the sun emerges.”

Pei Zichen didn’t speak. He stared fixedly at the person trapped in the formation.

He realized that everything Shen Yuqing said was actually tactfully trying to dissuade him, fearing he was truly a “demon lord” who would use force to harm Jiang Zhaoxue.

For this, he brought up “Pei Zichen,” spoke of Jiang Zhaoxue’s temperament, advised him to “wait”—all to make him treat Jiang Zhaoxue better.

But he didn’t know any of these things, had never heard them before.

He didn’t know Jiang Zhaoxue had killed Gujun, didn’t know Jiang Zhaoxue and Shen Yuqing had separated.

He stared at Shen Yuqing, wanting to force himself not to ask, telling himself these were all traps.

This was perhaps a trap Shen Yuqing and Jiang Zhaoxue had laid together for him.

Yet at this moment, he still couldn’t help but continue asking: “Why did she kill your master?”

“She wanted to avenge Pei Zichen.” Thinking of that day, Shen Yuqing smiled bitterly: “She wanted to kill all the murderers who besieged Pei Zichen, wanted all disciples who participated in besieging Pei Zichen to sever one arm themselves. That day she became enemy to the entire immortal path, nearly destroying the entire immortal dao.”

“Then she was finished too.”

“Yes.” Shen Yuqing smiled bitterly: “But at that time, she probably didn’t even want her life anymore.”

“Pei Zichen was that important?”

Shen Yuqing didn’t answer this question. Pei Zichen examined his expression. Shen Yuqing seemed to endure for a moment before advising: “Emperor, Jiang Zhaoxue is like flowing sand. If you insist forcefully, you’ll grasp nothing. But if you can wait, if she’s willing, what she can give is her everything.”

Hearing this, Pei Zichen didn’t speak.

Shen Yuqing waited for a long while. Seeing the other party not responding, he raised his head to look—the room was pitch black.

Pei Zichen walked out from the prison, his entire being in a daze.

He felt he shouldn’t believe Shen Yuqing’s words. Which of Shen Yuqing’s words seemed true?

He just wanted to deceive him, deceive him together with Jiang Zhaoxue.

He walked alone in the corridor, feeling lamplight fall on his shoulders. The night wind blew coldly. He suddenly felt spiritual power vibrating around him. Then he heard a voice tear through space.

“Heaven’s Will summons—transmit message, Pei Zichen.”

The moment the sound fell, a letter abruptly leaped out from space, instantly transforming into golden characters appearing before Pei Zichen.

These characters bounced and jumped. The moment they appeared, they began reading aloud: “Pei Zichen, I know you definitely don’t want to listen, so I’ve decided to read it to you. Your current spiritual body has problems—it’s condensed from resentment energy and can’t bear beautiful memories, but our past was so much better than what you remember! I love you more than you think, I like you more than you think. When I think of you being alive, I especially want to say these words to you—”

Saying this, the golden characters disappeared, replaced by the next page. Pei Zichen heard the woman’s voice ring out, repeating over and over in the night:

I like you I like you I like you

I like you I like you I like you

I like you I like you I like you

I like you I like you I like you

I like you I like you I like you

…

Pei Zichen, I really like you so much!!!

Pei Zichen didn’t speak. He quietly watched the golden characters.

After a long while, he extended his hand. Those golden characters rushed eagerly into his fingertips.

Then he turned around and walked directly out of the Demon Palace.

He came to Cangdu’s Baishe Pavilion, which specialized in handling commissions, and casually found a young man.

“Help me with something.”

He extended his hand—it held the highest grade demon crystal.

This was the currency circulating in the Jiuyou Realm. Seeing the demon crystal, the other party froze and quickly said: “Please give your orders, my lord.”

“I’ll send you people on a trip to the True Immortal Realm. Go help me investigate clearly—after the Lingjian Immortal Pavilion disciple Pei Zichen died, what exactly did the Penglai Lady, current Immortal Alliance Leader Jiang Zhaoxue, do?”