“All of you, withdraw.” Mu Shaoqi waved at the servants and dancing girls below. After those who realized trouble was brewing had all fled, only the banquet guests with grave expressions communicating through glances remained in the vast feast hall. He straightened his robes and resolutely replied: “In answer to Your Highness, yes.”

Whispers arose everywhere. No one could have imagined he would jump into the fire pit so decisively.

Xue Yu narrowed her eyes, carefully examining this middle-aged man of extraordinary courage, asking: “Where is the dragon’s breath?”

Having reached this point, with her personally present, the dragon’s breath had to be handed over. Hiding and concealing wouldn’t work at all. The Sacred Lands had ten thousand years of foundation, having interrogated countless people, demons, and ghosts. As long as they wanted, they had countless methods to pry open his mouth.

Mu Shaoqi wasn’t someone who hadn’t seen storms. On the contrary, his stable hold on the city lord position was inseparable from his intelligent mind.

The eight people Qiu Tong felt confident entrusting with dragon’s breath were all trusted confidants who obeyed Qiu Tong’s orders and agreed with Qiu Tong’s ideals.

At this moment, Mu Shaoqi thought of many things. He knew that with this admission, he couldn’t keep the dragon’s breath, and might not be able to keep his life either.

He had already considered these possibilities when he heard the other four were caught. So-called gains and losses—if this plan succeeded, the human race would prosper for thousands of generations. That was the gain. Their lives were lost.

The Sacred Lands naturally couldn’t be of one heart with them. They were high and mighty, revered as ancient immortals. Without mortal realm demons causing trouble and mortals’ desperate circumstances as contrast, how could they display their heaven-shaking abilities and compassionate hearts?

Ridiculous.

How could the Sacred Lands possibly plan for the human race?

Mu Shaoqi straightened up, hearing himself speak very calmly: “In the hidden compartment of the rear courtyard study. I’ll have a servant fetch it for Your Highness.” Even at this time, his words carried scholarly refinement.

Qiu Tong was meticulous. He had envisioned the day when one of those holding the dragon’s breath would be exposed before the Sacred Land’s successors. To prevent total collapse and being caught in one net, he had never summoned all eight together.

The four led by Su Prefecture and the four led by Northern River City were divided into two small teams, isolated from each other. Except for the four in their teams, they didn’t know of the others’ existence.

Cloud Mist City’s lord was an accident. He and Mu Shaoqi were life-and-death friends, childhood companions who could understand each other’s thoughts with a glance. Both had the same ideas about the Human Emperor and the human race’s future, so after several meetings, they also knew Mu Shaoqi was doing the same thing.

Such understanding between friends was originally good, but in the hands of Sacred Land successors, it became a breakthrough to uncover the remaining four city lords.

To avoid being completely uprooted, this line had to be completely severed at Mu Shaoqi.

Xue Yu looked at Mu Shaoqi, not naive enough to think this Northern River City lord, who could be entrusted with dragon’s breath by Qiu Tong, would suddenly defect or start favoring the Sacred Lands to save himself when facing death.

Mu Shaoqi’s calm performance probably had only one reason—he didn’t want Xue Yu to implicate others, or rather, his family.

Today was his daughter’s full-month celebration.

Xue Yu’s fingertips moved slightly. She stood beside an empty small table like a flexible yet sharp rose, her figure slender, stretched thin and long by the remaining moonlight from the window. She appeared delicate yet pressed the entire room into silence, everyone speechless.

She didn’t wait long before seeing a trembling servant bring in a small box and respectfully present it to her. Xue Yu flicked the small lock above, and with a “crack,” roughly crushed the protective array on it. Her palm scooped out a small black bead that rolled into her palm.

It was indeed fragmented dragon’s breath.

“Mu Shaoqi.” She looked up: “Come with us.”

But Mu Shaoqi slowly smiled. Looking at Xue Yu, wrinkles piled at his eye corners as he shook his head: “The Sacred Lands have obtained what they wanted. I won’t go with Your Highness Xue Yu. Rather than dying under the Sacred Lands’ torments, I’d rather…” He suddenly opened his eyes wide in fury, raising his palm to strike heavily at the back of his head.

No one expected this.

Including Xue Yu.

But she reacted quickly with fast movements. Snow threads shot straight from her fingertips like arrows, wrapping around Mu Shaoqi’s striking palm. That hand, accustomed to martial arts for years, was pulled violently to one side by this tremendous force, but even so, it still flattened half his head.

Blood and flesh flew everywhere.

The entire hall was horrified. Xue Yu supported herself on the table and agilely leaped half a circle in the air, quickly landing beside Mu Shaoqi.

Her expression was very ugly, but her movements didn’t stop. When everyone thought she would finish him off by directly snapping his neck, she quickly grabbed his chin and opened it, placing two life-saving pills into Mu Shaoqi’s mouth.

Xue Yu naturally had no such kindness for stubborn enemies.

Mu Shaoqi’s final words before death seemed to provide the best excuse for his death. Indeed, rather than being tortured to death, it would be better to end things himself. But Xue Yu felt something was wrong.

He was afraid—afraid of falling into Sacred Land hands because he had something that absolutely couldn’t be pried open.

With the dragon’s breath already produced, what else couldn’t be said?

The answer was clear.

For this bit of uncertain speculation, she had to keep Mu Shaoqi alive.

Seeing this, Shan Shu and Shen Jingshi immediately went down to help. Shan Shu channeled some pure Northern Wasteland Buddhist power into Mu Shaoqi and carefully examined him thoroughly, then shook her head slightly at Xue Yu: “The injury is very severe. If we forcibly preserve his life, we can keep him alive, but to reach the state where binding curses can be applied will require a long recovery period—three months minimum, possibly longer.”

“Alive is better than dead.” Xue Yu touched her forehead: “Take him back. I’ll stay to intimidate the rest.”

“Alright.” Shan Shu and Shen Jingshi disappeared with Mu Shaoqi.

Xue Yu curved her knuckles and rhythmlessly tapped twice on the table that had been knocked askew, her expression terrible and mood at rock bottom. She looked like an executioner wielding a giant scythe to harvest lives. The fat merchant nearest to her had all his flesh trembling, sweat beading on his nose.

“Everyone present serves the court loyally and also works for the Sacred Lands, receiving the title of city lord. Your duty was never to favor one side and assist tyranny.” Xue Yu articulated clearly, giving a slow, methodical warning: “From ancient times to now, Sacred Lands never kill good people indiscriminately, but that doesn’t mean Sacred Lands don’t kill.”

The merchant covered his mouth, the flesh on his neck shaking like chaff.

The huge commotion at Northern River City’s lord’s mansion quickly spread to the rear courtyard. Banquet guests arrived splendidly and left dejectedly, without even the inclination for polite conversation, quickly disappearing into darkness.

In the brightly lit rear courtyard of the city lord’s mansion, two or three people dressed as servants hurriedly entered a small courtyard lit only by weak flames, knocking on the study door.

Song Heng’s poor health during this period was real. In the ten years at Feiyun Summit, among secret manual comprehension and cultivation advancement, he had chosen the most foolish method. Several ancestors had forcibly poured their lifelong spiritual power into his body, allowing his strength to reach its peak in a short time, but obviously providing no benefit for future cultivation, even causing great obstacles.

In the words of those Sacred Land successors, it was pulling up seedlings to help them grow, severing prospects.

But Song Heng actually had no other choice. In the current situation, Sacred Land successors led by Xue Yu and others were friendly with Jiu Feng, Human Emperor Qiu Tong had died of illness, Prince Zhao’s consort’s child was still in the womb, and Shen Jingshi… he had followed Shan Shu for many years.

This was equivalent to the Sacred Lands having connections with both the demon capital and the court simultaneously.

The Sacred Lands’ reach was too long.

Most importantly, they had matching strength and reputation.

He knew Xue Yu had no other intentions, but the Sacred Lands weren’t just Yedu alone. Over tens of thousands of years, even Qiu Tong was dissatisfied with the current tripartite division. What about the Sacred Lands? They styled themselves “ancient immortals”—were they waiting for such opportunities to gradually erode other races’ strength, and in time, completely shed their disguise to tower above all beings?

Song Heng couldn’t help thinking this way. He had entered a strange vicious circle, becoming more confused the deeper he went, harder to turn back.

“Young Master Song Heng.” The first “servant” to break through the door adjusted his crooked hat, breathing rapidly under the dim lamplight: “The dragon’s breath in Northern River City Lord Mu Shaoqi’s hands has been taken by Xue Yu. To prevent the Sacred Lands from prying information about the other three cities from his mouth, Mu Shaoqi attempted suicide, but was stopped by Xue Yu when he struck. Her movements were too fast for anyone to see clearly. Now he’s been taken away.”

Another person wiped tears from his eyes, showing a weary face as he choked out: “Though Mu Shaoqi struck viciously, as long as there’s a breath left, the Sacred Lands have ways to keep him alive.”

After speaking, he opened up in incomprehension and dejection: “Logically, city lords are second-rank officials appointed by the court. Though they don’t need to attend daily court sessions in the Golden Luan Hall, they are indeed under the jade seal’s protection. Why would the one from Cloud Mist City expose Mu Shaoqi?”

“City lord positions are also controlled by Sacred Lands. Soul searching doesn’t work, but if binding curses are forcibly applied, they cannot resist.” Song Heng pushed back his chair and stood, facing the window. His eyes merged into silent stillness, his entire person appearing oppressive and heavy: “Continue. How is the situation outside?”

“With Mu Shaoqi taken away, presumably Sacred Land people will soon arrive to take over the city lord’s mansion. This place is no longer safe and shouldn’t be lingered in.”

The leader looked warily out the window, then used peripheral vision to observe this young master of noble bearing, high ability, and firm stance with the human race. Taking a deep breath and exhaling turbid air, he said: “Young Master, His Majesty’s bones are barely cold, yet the demon capital and common people led by those rumors are all silently celebrating. Others don’t understand His Majesty’s good intentions, but we understand, and Young Master understands too. To change the situation of thousands of years requires taking the most difficult first steps. No one wants to be the villain, but His Majesty chose to bear such infamy for our sake.”

Song Heng had complex feelings about Qiu Tong.

In his youth, rash and impulsive, he had circled in Qiu Tong’s hands, falling directly into a trap tailor-made for him, pressed onto the judgment platform, barely escaping death. Through all the twists and turns to now, what Shen Jingshi could perceive, he could too.

Qiu Tong wasn’t a good person. His every action could be said to be for himself, but one thing was undeniable—the path he chose for the human race was indeed the most suitable and correct.

“Young Master, you have no time to hesitate further.” The third person stepped forward, whispering: “Sacred Land successors move too quickly. In just these few days, all four cities of Su Prefecture and Luo Prefecture have fallen. Once Mu Shaoqi awakens, they’ll immediately trace to the other three cities.”

Song Heng turned back, his gaze calm as water. Looking at the subordinates of other city lords standing before him disguised as servants, he spoke in gentle tones: “I have temporary concerns.”

“I didn’t enter the Secret Realm Abyss in Feiyun Summit, but I heard many young prodigies speak of the many events in those ten years. Regardless of whether the images the Fusang Tree provided were intentional or not, we must arrange carefully and consider long-term.”

“We’ve also heard of that matter.” Fearing inability to persuade this young master pure as clear wind and bright moon, one of them swallowed and bowed persuasively: “Young Master, consider—the ancient mistake was completely exterminating the demon race, but we haven’t. We’re only targeting the part in the mortal realm that hinders our lives. The demon capital still has so many great demons alive—we can’t speak of ‘extermination’ at all. Moreover, now only three portions of the dragon’s breath remain outside, insufficient to attract vast demon floods. We only want to choose places where great demons gather most, lure them over, and eliminate them root and branch. That’s enough. The rest can be handled slowly, gradually.”

“Besides Young Master Song Heng, who is also of Human Emperor lineage, we old ministers who have devoted our hearts to the court truly don’t know who else to trust.”

Each word struck at the heart’s weakest points—this was a top-level persuader.

Song Heng said nothing. He returned to his desk and used the still-wet ink brush to outline powerful characters on white paper. His writing wasn’t smooth, sometimes stopping to fall silent before frowning and continuing. But that final stroke couldn’t fall.

He held the brush suspended as he spoke: “Tell the three city lords to remain calm. The Sacred Lands are now watching everyone’s movements. Acting now would be walking into a trap. Have them find an appropriate opportunity and excuse during the Three Realms Grand Assembly to have their attendants deliver the three portions of dragon’s breath to me. After success, the attendants will end themselves. Soul searching and binding curses cannot obtain useful information from several dead people. This line of clues ends here, buying us as much time as possible.”

“When Qiu Tong was alive, who served as host to give the mortal realm the great demon the Jade Green Pill?” Someone doing such things definitely wouldn’t be Qiu Tong himself—with his short lifespan, after a hundred years of death, the great demon would retaliate.

“It was Bright Mirror City Lord. He controls that great demon.” The leader stole glances at the characters on paper, knowing their request had hope, and hurriedly said: “Young Master, rest assured. When the time comes, he will cooperate with you to carry out His Majesty’s final wishes.”

Song Heng nodded: “Good. After obtaining the three portions of dragon’s breath, I’ll choose one city as a trap, having Bright Mirror City Lord assist me. Using the Jade Green Pill, I’ll have that great demon lure out the other eight great demons ruling in the mortal realm, simultaneously bringing their thousands upon thousands of capable subordinates into the city. Haven’t they always planned to counterattack the human race?”

His tone rose slightly, carrying bone-chilling coldness: “—At that time, this city will be their burial ground.”

Thus, the greatest problem plaguing the court would be solved, and the remaining weak demon races wouldn’t be a cause for concern.

But this certainly couldn’t be accepted by Xue Yu. The Sacred Lands were destined to intervene.

Sometimes Song Heng thought he had completely understood Xue Yu, but she could always act unexpectedly, like how she would save Su You and be with him, or how she could leave a thread of life for utterly evil ghosts yet ruthlessly pursue court ministers.

Mu Shaoqi had just become a father, with a daughter still in swaddling clothes and a sickly wife. Xue Yu turned a blind eye to all this.

Song Heng held his breath long, then continued instructing: “Xiao City sits at the easternmost edge of Xihe’s territory, vast and resource-rich, backed by a hundred-thousand deep mountains. That was already half a demon lair. Even large-scale demon gatherings wouldn’t attract much attention—it’s the most suitable battlefield.”

The human race’s sacred object separated from the Fusang Tree, remembering its mission to prioritize human wishes. When the time came, it would act, sweeping through to crush all demon races gathered in that city to ash.

“Young Master, there’s another situation. His Majesty said before death that the sacred object would act at the appropriate time. If the sacred object considers our chosen timing inappropriate, then we…” would waste all previous efforts and be discovered by the Sacred Lands.

Thus, they couldn’t wait for the next planning opportunity.

This was also the greatest uncertain factor.

Though anyone with slight intelligence knew when the optimal timing was, applied to sacred objects, it was really hard to say, because no one had contacted sacred objects. They held extreme fear toward these naturally born and raised objects.

“If it doesn’t act, I will.” Song Heng spoke decisively, staring at the brush in his hand: “I have ancient arrays for sealing demons. Using one hundred willing human predecessors as the array core, it can suppress and strangle up to a hundred thousand demons.”

This was the ancient array he had brought from his ancestors’ inheritance site. If his speculation was correct, it manifested to deal with ancient “demons,” but its effectiveness against demon ghosts was also quite good.

In his previous life, the hundreds of mountain peaks of Yedu’s Baizhong Mountain and over a hundred thousand demon ghosts were suppressed by such an array. If not for the Yedu lord desperately supporting it, causing him to hesitate and not dare increase power, those things would have had no chance of survival.

This life had no hundred thousand heavenly soldiers, but adding over a hundred human predecessors with peak cultivation, at worst, he could sacrifice himself—it would be enough.

Song Heng had been outstanding since childhood, his family proud of him, his mother’s gaze carrying indescribable comfort. He knew what he would live for in this life—he was a descendant qualified to compete for Human Emperor lineage. He lived for the human race.

In this respect, he and Qiu Tong were the same.

Song Heng looked down at the paper on his desk, so he would become enemies with Xue Yu, meeting with blade edges.

He didn’t want this. Long ago, Xue Yu had once lowered her cold facade and given him much guidance and care.

She was always like this—as if bearing the titles of Sacred Land successor and Yedu princess meant she had to hide all soft, kind aspects and become a high, cold, ruthless ruler.

He had used all his strength but couldn’t tear through that cold veil, couldn’t get closer to her.

But why weren’t they considered a couple in the world’s eyes? Hadn’t she once been moved by him?

Was it that pulling her down from the throne would work? Then she would show slight weakness, learn dependence, and with nowhere to go, could only stay by his side always.

So he needed to become strong, extraordinarily strong, growing to a degree even Yedu would need to look up to.

Song Heng had harbored such base thoughts that even he found dirty and disgusting upon reflection. But after time restarted and walking that path again, he discovered it seemed meaningless—without her by his side, life proceeded routinely and tediously.

He had searched half his life, seemingly living for only two things.

First, to obtain her. Second, to protect the human race.

But Xue Yu no longer wanted him. She had too many choices—with a crook of her finger, different men would approach, whether romantic and dissolute or gentle and lovely.

As long as she was willing.

And in fact, she had indeed made completely different choices from her previous life.

But still, he was unwilling.

Still wanted to try to retain her.

Song Heng slowly set down his brush, drawing heavy lines through the characters he had just written, as if completely negating his previous meticulous plan. Meeting those three men’s uncomprehending gazes, he calmly took his seat under the lamp, his expression showing silent, invisible sternness: “Wait a bit more.”

“I’m going to the Three Realms Grand Assembly.”

The day before the Three Realms Grand Assembly began, evening, fierce winds blew through the demon capital. Long-haired small demons on the streets held their heads and scurried about, while scale-armored demons moved slowly and steadily, unmoved. Red lanterns hanging before various taverns danced wildly, their original colors invisible in the dust.

Jiu Feng went to the Sui family.

She was now a regular visitor. The gatekeeper steward smiled as he welcomed her in, simultaneously speaking in an elderly, kindly tone: “Your Highness comes at an unfortunate time. The eldest young master has gone out on business…”

“Spare me.” Jiu Feng smiled ambiguously as she pushed away the steward’s guiding hand, taking a familiar path onto another route: “The Three Realms Grand Assembly starts tomorrow. Do the dozen young masters and misses in your mansion have the leisure to run around outside? I won’t speak of others, but Sui Jinyu, who wishes he could revolve around his younger brother—could he not be watching when Su You emerges from seclusion for the first time?”

Her expression said, “Do you think I believe that?” and “Do you think I’m as brainless as Sui Jinyu?”

The honest steward laughed awkwardly, quite startled as he rubbed his hands, unable to find words to smooth things over.

Right on target.

Sui Jinyu was avoiding Jiu Feng for a reason. The young miss had been following them around, making merry during this recent period, and countless memorials piled up on her desk—hundreds upon hundreds needing review. Besides that, there were various secret letters and correspondence. Without exaggeration, stacked together, they were higher than mountains.

That was the kind of sight that made one’s vision go black.

Jiu Feng had split the bill with Sui Jinyu, righteously claiming these were things Su You would have to handle in the future. Since he was currently in ancestral grounds receiving inheritance, having his elder brother handle them was acceptable.

Sui Jinyu was much better than other demon capital noble family young masters.

Like the Qiongqi Qin family—that was a naturally brainless race. Qin Mu now constantly fretted that the Human Emperor died too easily, causing them to waste so many spirit stones. As for Qin Qingchuan, this unreliable second young master remained obsessed with the thin-skinned buns sold in Yedu’s main city, greatly inclined to re-enter Baizhong Mountain for a stay.

But this didn’t mean Sui Jinyu could tolerate the incomprehensible nonsense submitted by demon races—ugly things that seemed designed to murder his eyes from afar.

Three days—just three days, and Sui Jinyu felt his head exploding inside and out. One afternoon with harsh sunlight, he slammed the indecipherable scribbles from some uncultured small clan onto the desk with a “smack,” his patience exhausted. Meeting Jiu Feng’s amused gaze, he said: “I’m going out to calm down.”

This calmed him, and he never visited the Jiu Feng clan again. Not only that, but whenever Jiu Feng came to the Sui family to catch him, he was never there.

Bypassing the magnificent front hall, hanging flower arched gates, and a huge artificial lake, they reached the spacious training ground for the Sui family youngsters’ competitions.

Jiu Feng glanced up and indeed found everyone present, all dragging chairs to sit, either holding spirit talismans to converse or bowing heads in closed-eye contemplation. Sui Jinyu sat at the front with drowsy Sui Yu beside him. In the rising fierce wind, the dozen-plus Sui family members looked like disheveled fools blown by the wind.

“What are you looking at?” Jiu Feng had good relationships with them all and needed no steward’s hospitality, pulling an empty stool to sit between Sui Yu and Sui Jinyu. She sneered: “Playing dumb? Think playing dumb will let you escape? Don’t you remember how you bothered me when searching for your brother?”

Sui Jinyu made a pause gesture at her: “Fine. Half a spirit mine to the Jiu Feng clan this year. Let those things that should pass, pass. Don’t make me look at things I absolutely cannot understand anymore—I’m nauseated by the sight.”

Those simply weren’t things humans could comprehend.

“I know your Sui family is wealthy.” Jiu Feng accepted this half spirit mine with peace of mind: “I didn’t come for this today. When do you plan to depart for Penglai Island? The Three Realms Grand Assembly starts tomorrow.”

“Waiting for Nineteen to emerge.” Sui Jinyu pointed at the array floating with magnificent demon power over the empty ground: “Calculating the time, it should be about ready.”

“Right, I also came to see him.” Jiu Feng met Sui Jinyu’s examining gaze and curled her lips, rolling her eyes irritably: “What are you looking at me for? This is also my first time seeing a true Tianao. Demon races, especially one like Su You who never awakened—before and after entering ancestral grounds, must be quite different.”

“By the way, I tested the attitude from the Yedu lord’s side for you.” As Jiu Feng’s words fell, even the dozing Sui Yu silently opened his eyes, obviously extremely concerned about this topic.

Shortly after finding Su You and thanking Xue Yu, Sui Yu had also contacted the Yedu lord as a Sui family member, incidentally testing that side’s attitude toward the two possibly being together.

But the Yedu lord smiled throughout, appearing very polite—only polite. He didn’t even accept gifts, just officially cut off the spirit talisman.

It seemed neither approving nor opposing.

“I also went to thank them a few words in the demon capital’s name, congratulating them well, saying Xue Yu had good judgment, picking out our demon capital’s top bloodline in one try. The Yedu lord only said eight words.”

Jiu Feng counted on her fingers, telling them word by word: “Yedu’s empress will never marry out.”

Sui Jinyu first sighed in relief, then, as if remembering something, slowly covered his face dejectedly: “Not marrying out—Nineteen thought of this early and we’re prepared on our side, but… he’s only been home how long? Hasn’t even called ‘brother’ many times.”

“Really?” Jiu Feng laughed half-truly, half-falsely: “Abandoning the demon capital ruler position to become Yedu’s imperial consort?”

Exactly.

Sui Jinyu slowly opened his mouth: “…It’s my fault. If I had found Nineteen even twenty years earlier, we wouldn’t have reached this point.”

As his last syllable fell, the restless wind in the air suddenly stopped, and the demon power dancing throughout the room was pressed still in mid-air by an indescribable force.

That array connecting to Tianao ancestral grounds, wide enough for only one person to pass, was torn open from within by a pale, slender hand. Surging white light completely occupied Jiu Feng’s vision.

Black hair with feather crown, floor-length robes—still the same person with unchanged appearance, but the aura was completely different from the previous Yedu young master.

To truly describe it, the youth before entering ancestral grounds had sharp edges but deliberately restrained them. When meeting his beloved, he would still act docile, smiling charmingly and harmlessly like a clever, well-mannered fox.

Now, after true Tianao baptism, his eye color had changed from pure deep black to the brilliant golden yellow of flowing gold on his wings, like scattered flowing gold. Standing there casually, completely unable to restrain the sharpness flowing throughout his body.

This was a natural sovereign bearing.

This scalp-tingling sense of danger—as the only person present who could still maintain composure in her original posture, Jiu Feng slowly stood from her chair, her eyes lighting like flames, showing eager intent to clash.

“Don’t go crazy.” Sui Jinyu’s gaze couldn’t move from Su You. He pressed down on Jiu Feng’s knee, warning quietly: “The Three Realms Grand Assembly is tomorrow. Don’t do anything mutually destructive, and besides, my Sui family can’t withstand you two fighting.”

“I know.” Jiu Feng licked her dry lips, slowly abandoning her battle stance: “I originally thought that since he so willingly offered everything to his beloved so early, if Xue Yu bullied him in the future, he’d truly become pitiful, but now—”

She was quite looking forward to seeing such scenes.