As his final syllable fell, all around became silent, even the wind that had been howling constantly seemed to recognize the situation and cease its rampaging actions.

Song Heng’s eyes were about to split with rage. He panted heavily, his fine upbringing and the unruffled composure he had naturally learned after ascending to the high position were all no match for the blood flowing backward in his chest at this moment.

He could not imagine what kind of situation would develop in the future with such a person who so brazenly harbored ill intentions toward her remaining by Xue Yu’s side.

The person before him wore an extremely deceptive face, daily speaking submissive, sweet words, and honeyed phrases.

What made it even more difficult to feel at ease was that she valued him so highly.

Song Heng gritted his teeth tightly, forcing out a sentence through his clenched teeth: “You are presumptuous.”

Su You looked at him like looking at a wild beast trapped in a hunter’s net, struggling helplessly. He moved his wrist carelessly, the sword tip like a swallowing cold gleam, ruthlessly pressing against Song Heng’s neck, creating a very humiliating red bloodline. He tilted his head and asked softly: “Do you dare?”

Song Heng’s breathing hitched slightly.

He didn’t dare.

He truly didn’t dare.

Setting aside whether Xue Yu would believe him now, even if she did, he couldn’t gauge Xue Yu’s attitude toward this matter, toward this person.

Just as Lu Chengze had said, as the future empress of Yedu, she had too many choices. As long as there was even a little hesitation or doubt, whether about Su You’s face or his current strength and ability to handle affairs, she could still keep a place for him by her side.

He couldn’t pierce through the window paper.

Therefore, Su You knew this clearly in his heart and acted without fear.

Song Heng’s nails almost dug into his flesh. He looked at Su You’s extremely flamboyant features and said coldly, “Wishful thinking, what gives you the right?”

In his previous life, no matter how high he climbed or how far he could see, when standing together with Xue Yu, sometimes even he felt they were not well-matched.

That emotion grew heavier day by day, trapping him until blood flowed everywhere, yet he could find no solution. Day after day, year after year, until later, what Xue Yu meant to him exactly, even he himself was unclear.

She was cold as ice; he needed enormous courage just to hold her hand once. In this relationship, he was cautious, always at a disadvantage.

Yet words of exclusive possession, a demon ghost could easily speak them aloud.

What gave him the right?

Su You sheathed his sword and stood, looking down from above, taking in all his wretchedness and anger. Hearing this, he leaned down slightly, his thin lips moved slightly, becoming sinister and menacing: “By the fact that today, her commanding officer is me, the one standing by her side is me, and the ‘Nineteen’ she calls out is also me.”

If the first two sentences could still allow Song Heng to deceive and comfort himself, those two words “Nineteen” were like a knife stabbed directly into his heart.

In his previous life, that thousand years.

Even when he sacrificed himself to help her preserve the three thousand original residents of Yedu and awakened again, when she was moved and rarely softened her expression, softly saying thanks to him, she still called him Song Heng.

Thinking carefully, she had never given him such special, obviously preferential treatment that could be seen at a glance.

Not even once.

This was the real reason he lost control and reason.

The Imperial Palace’s efficiency was extremely high. Qiu Tong’s orders were passed down, and in just two days, by the time the sun rose on the third day, there was news.

Qiu Tong had just finished the morning court session when he heard Bai Su’s report. His gaze sharpened slightly, and his steps unconsciously quickened. The emperor’s crown swayed accordingly, making clear and rhythmic collision sounds all the way.

The people sent out were already waiting in the imperial study.

Qiu Tong walked around the screen, Bai Su lifted the pearl curtain in advance. The two or three people waiting inside saw that familiar and bright imperial yellow robe corner with its fierce dragon patterns dancing with claws bared. They all kept their eyes straight ahead, respectfully stepped aside, bowed, lifted their robes, and knelt.

“We ministers inquire after Your Majesty’s sacred well-being.”

“All rise.” Qiu Tong hadn’t even had time to change out of his court robes. He sat at the head and asked in a deep voice: “How is the situation?”

“Reporting to Your Majesty, this is a letter sent from Shanhai City.” The person kneeling at the front hurriedly pulled out a sealed letter from his sleeve, handed it to Bai Su, who then presented it to Qiu Tong. The latter frowned and tore it open, pulling out the paper to scan downward carefully.

The vast inner hall could only hear people’s breathing for a moment.

After a long while, Qiu Tong pressed that thin layer of paper, thinking about the content written on it, closed his eyes to calculate in his mind, his fingertips falling one after another on the clean inkstone.

“You have the ability.” After an unknown amount of time, he spoke with indiscernible joy or anger: “Investigated for two days and couldn’t even find out their names.”

The leader immediately touched his head to the ground, repeatedly saying: “It is this minister’s incompetence, Your Majesty, please quell your anger.”

Hearing this, Bai Su observed Qiu Tong’s uncertain expression for a couple of circles, then spoke in a low voice: “Your Majesty, the demon capital has always been mysterious, rarely revealing names to outsiders. The Nine Phoenix clan is probably even more so.”

Qiu Tong pressed his throbbing temples, gave a neither light nor heavy “mm” sound. After a while, he opened his eyes again to look at that paper several times.

“Strange personality, arrogant and domineering, supremely self-centered.” He recited these idioms word by word: “The consistent nature of great demons in the demon capital, nothing surprising.”

“This peach blossom demon.” Qiu Tong pointed at the simply sketched portrait on the second paper and asked: “How did he become acquainted with Nine Phoenix?”

“Reporting to Your Majesty, this matter is related to the Nine Phoenix Sea near Shanhai City. That sea was originally called Su Sea, taking the meaning of bountiful harvests year after year. A hundred years ago, it was claimed by some ancestor of the Nine Phoenix clan as a place of rest and recovery. Nine Phoenix planted many spiritual plants at the bottom of the sea and set up numerous restrictions. After recovering his health, he returned to the demon capital. Since then, every few years, people from the demon capital would come to open the restrictions and retrieve mature spiritual plants from the sea. The current direct lineage young miss of the Nine Phoenix clan originally came for this matter as well.”

That person related the whole story in detail: “Twenty-one years ago, thunder suddenly arose in Nine Phoenix Sea. The locals called it so much that the sea was renamed Thunder Sea. At that time, the Nine Phoenix found the instigator and reached a deal with a great demon called Yun Lai. Before the matter involving former Shanhai City lord Chen Jianxi was implicated, she lived at the bottom of the sea for most of half a year.”

“She became acquainted with that peach blossom demon living near Nine Phoenix Sea during that time.”

“Where did you investigate all this from?” Qiu Tong asked warily.

That person answered truthfully: “That sea is remote, and those living locally are all ordinary villagers who speak unclearly. Much of what they say is made up on the spot, fabricated nonsense. This minister didn’t dare to be careless and believe lightly, so we questioned the servant who attended Chen Jianxi. Because of his younger brother Chen Huainan, Chen Jianxi paid considerable attention to that sea during his tenure, which is how we got the above statements.”

This matter was difficult precisely because the location was remote and hard to investigate, with hearsay and mixed human words making it difficult to distinguish truth from falsehood.

Finally, hearing something reliable became a life-saving straw.

Chen Jianxi – Qiu Tong had an impression of this person. Because of his brother Chen Huainan’s matter, he was directly stripped of his city lord position by Xue Yu and was still being held in Yedu’s prison, his life or death unknown.

“What’s said can indeed all match up.” Qiu Tong narrowed his eyes and asked: “What is this demon’s personality, and what is his relationship with Nine Phoenix like?”

“It’s said to be not very good.” That person straightened his chest and replied neither humbly nor arrogantly: “Nine Phoenix is domineering, the peach blossom demon is weak, often driven to do some errand work. But because of his good personality, when Nine Phoenix is bored, he can also exchange a few words.”

“So what truly makes this Nine Phoenix look upon him with special regard is this young man?” Qiu Tong turned to look at Su Yun’s portrait and said: “This kind of great demon looks upon a human youth with special regard?”

“Yes.” That person responded: “Your Majesty, the information obtained is true. This young man’s current sect membership and status as a personal disciple of an elder were all personally arranged by Nine Phoenix, who generously threw out tens of thousands of spirit stones.”

“Human race.” Qiu Tong repeated in a low voice twice. Shortly after, he pushed those two papers forward and said: “Find a safe place to confine this person and demon. Don’t worry about the peach blossom demon, but explain the stakes to that young man. Whether he agrees or not, feed both of them the Jade Green Pill.”

“Prepare an appropriate identity for me and pick a suitable face. I will personally make a trip.”

After speaking, Qiu Tong seemed to think of something and paused, asking: “Feiyun Peak has opened, and these past two days, those cultivation sects have been quite stirred up, right?”

Bai Su lowered his head and confirmed it was so.

“To enter Feiyun Peak, there are only two methods: either complete a Tianji Book mission or pay considerable spirit stones. These two people – one is a poor young man without a penny, whose tuition fees depend on Nine Phoenix, the other is a demon who avoids the world and has no need for such things.”

Qiu Tong leaned back and quickly made his decision: “Go find two young people who have only taken one-star Tianji Book missions and barely qualify to go to Feiyun Peak. Deal with them secretly, seize their scrolls, and prepare them. When the three meet, just say the scrolls were obtained by the peach blossom demon through murder and robbery.”

Indeed, compared to the first condition, a peach blossom demon who had lived for hundreds of years, killing two naive sect youth would be something completely reasonable and needing no careful thought in the eyes of a great demon like Nine Phoenix – something that could be explained no matter how you put it.

After giving these instructions, Qiu Tong stood up, gazed out the window with concentration, and said: “Whether this matter succeeds or fails, whether Dragon’s Breath can be saved, all depends on two months from now.”

After a while, Qiu Tong tapped the table surface again and asked Bai Su beside him in a heavy voice: “How is Zhao Prince Consort’s pregnancy being cared for by the palace imperial physicians?”

“Reporting to Your Majesty, everything is normal.” Bai Su replied: “Several imperial physicians are prescribing medicine according to ancient methods. The little prince will surely be born healthy and lively.”

“Lively is good.” Qiu Tong threw the ink brush in his hand onto the table surface and said: “If Dragon’s Breath becomes completely useless, I can only resort to this desperate measure.”

Whether Nine Phoenix’s life essence could be obtained, and whether it would be useful after obtaining it, were still unknown. He couldn’t place all his hopes on that.

Qiu Tong pressed his forehead hard. His body was getting worse and worse. He didn’t know how much longer he could hold on, much less whether Xue Yu would catch any fatal weakness of his.

If he reached the point of no way forward, utterly desperate, his last and only method would be to shed his shell like a golden cicada and burrow into his still-young nephew’s body.

This way, he would gain several more decades.

Half a day later, Qiu Tong secretly arrived at Shanhai City through a teleportation array. He had changed his face to one that looked particularly young. Whether it was the elongated eye corners or the slightly flattened nose tip, all left deep impressions and generated not half a thought of doubting authenticity.

He wore many spirit rings ostentatiously on his hands, displaying them as if showing off. Several brocade pouches hung from his waist, with beautiful jade hanging from the pouches. The intersecting luster could easily attract everyone’s attention.

With this appearance, walking on the street, he was undoubtedly a wealthy young master, a dandy young lord that no one would suspect.

Qiu Tong specifically went to see Su Yun, who had been intercepted while walking on the road, then confusedly locked in a sunless black room and fed the Jade Green Pill.

It must be said that Qiu Tong’s acting skills were extremely good. Before ascending the throne, his persona as a sickly dandy prince had been deeply rooted in people’s hearts, not only fooling those three incompetent brothers, but even Kunlun’s young sect leader, Lu Qin, had fallen for it.

With just a few words, he explained all the consequences of taking the Jade Green Pill. Looking at Su Yun’s cowering, pale appearance, his eyes withdrew with satisfaction.

Not long after, he leisurely rose from his chair, twisted the spirit ring on his middle finger, and pushed a small, delicate dagger in front of Su Yun. A cruel smile appeared: “You picked the right moment. Just slash open her back and use the hand gesture I just taught you, and the task will be complete.”

“Feiyun Peak – there are so many dangerous secret realms inside, so many competitors from hidden families from all over. The demon capital is already disliked by the righteous sects. When attacked by groups, getting injured is perfectly normal, isn’t it?”

He patted Su Yun’s stunned face and said softly: “I’ll only wait two years for you, understand?”

Qiu Tong was ninety-nine percent confident about this matter. He was using a false identity. Whether investigating this courtyard or this face, nothing could be found. But could Su Yun and the peach blossom demon afford to gamble?

If they didn’t do this, there was only a dead end.

With Feiyun Peak opening, all the potentially dangerous scenes that might appear inside were excellent opportunities for them to act. If they could pin Nine Phoenix’s injury on Sacred Land successors, that would undoubtedly be the most anticipated result.

Qiu Tong turned and left the courtyard, also waving to take away all the hidden guards concealed around the small courtyard.

Su Yun, tremblingly holding that dagger that seemed to weigh a thousand catties, took a deep breath and pushed the door open. The moment he saw daylight again, he turned his head and made eye contact with Tao Zhi, who had also burst out of his door.

When the wind blew, Su Yun took a few steps forward, grabbed Tao Zhi’s sleeve, and began dry-crying: “What kind of people are these?”

From beginning to end, Tao Zhi hadn’t been questioned much. Except for someone forcing him to swallow that pill from a distance, only one person had come in to coldly and mechanically repeat the warnings given when he was first captured. Besides that, there was nothing else.

He frowned, patted Su Yun’s shoulder, and asked: “Did they bully you?”

When Tao Zhi spoke, whether his expression or tone, everything was incredibly gentle, like a fine peach blossom rain falling after early spring.

This temperament had remained unchanged for over ten years.

Su Yun looked up, his hand holding those two Tianji Book scrolls trembling as he forced a smile and said tearfully: “They came to me and said a whole bunch of things, saying that when we enter Feiyun Peak, I should tell Nine Phoenix sister that you got these scrolls by killing two newly-entered cultivators.”

“When Nine Phoenix sister hears this, the first thing she’ll ask when we meet is whether I’ve cultivated my brain into mush after ten years of cultivation.”

Su Yun raised that gleaming dagger again, took a deep breath, held it up and shook it once, then again: “That person also told me to take this thing and go fight with Nine Phoenix sister.”

He swallowed hard, as if imagining some unbearable scene, and very painfully wiped his face: “Are these people sick? Are they lacking in virtue?”

“Even if I have to die, I should choose the method with the least suffering, right?” Su Yun made an exaggerated gesture: “Making me stab Nine Phoenix – Nine Phoenix! Is he crazy?”

Tao Zhi couldn’t help but laugh, calculated the time, and comforted: “Don’t be afraid. Your Nine Phoenix sister is incredibly capable and will root out the person. We won’t die either.”

Xue Yu’s group boarded the teleportation array at noon the next day, heading to Shanzhou.

In just about half an hour, spirit light blazed, arrays interwove, mountains moved, and seas shifted. When brightness returned to their eyes, they were already in a foreign land.

From the bustling Shanzhou city all the way south, crossing mountains and rivers for two hours, a small town hidden among towering peaks gradually revealed its outline in the brilliant light of evening clouds.

Glancing over Su You’s taut lip line and the subtle emotions he deliberately hid but still revealed telltale signs in an instant, Xue Yu faced the sunset glow to examine the town’s outline and asked: “Have we arrived?”

“Yes.” Su You stood behind her, also looking over with a complex expression, saying in a low voice: “This is Yunxi Town.”

“Ji Tingxi arrived this morning. With a full day, he should have investigated the events of that year quite thoroughly.” Xue Yu pinched the spirit talisman in her hand: “If progress goes smoothly, tomorrow or the day after, we can set off back to Yedu.”

Hearing this, Chen Longzhi finally breathed a sigh of relief and smiled: “Time is urgent. We’re truly sorry to trouble Your Highness and the Commander.”

Traveling with him was Feng Shangyu, who wore his hair in a casual low ponytail, languidly fanning a jade fan. He rarely spoke and rarely observed the surrounding mountains and waters, presenting an appearance of lacking interest and unable to muster any spirit.

But his powerful aura couldn’t be ignored – both Xue Yu and Su You had cast appraising glances his way once or twice.

Silently crossing the final earthen slope, they saw two figures in the distance. When they came close enough for Ji Tingxi’s figure to become clear, Xue Yu stepped forward, and the two groups officially met.

“Your Highness Xue Yu.” Ji Tingxi made a proper but casual bow to Xue Yu: “You called me here before dawn, but you arrived quite early yourself. In another half hour, the town will start lighting its lamps.”

“Did you find out clearly?” Xue Yu looked at him expressionlessly, not picking up his previous words at all, getting straight to the point: “You didn’t just stand here all day, did you?”

“Don’t worry about this small matter.” Ji Tingxi spread his palms, looking back: “Let me first recognize everyone. Oh, isn’t this our little Chao Nian?”

Chao Nian’s face flushed red, looking somewhat pained as he bowed: “Greetings to the Holy Son Your Highness.”

Looking further back, Ji Tingxi’s gaze passed over Chen Longzhi and landed on the displeased Feng Shangyu, asking with some surprise: “Why are you here?”

“Are you performing magic tricks?” Feng Shangyu looked up: “Just passing through, mind your own business.”

This was the most common scene when Sacred Land successors and demon clan noble families encountered each other – calling it fire and water, with gunpowder filling the air, wouldn’t be excessive.

Chen Longzhi feared they might start fighting here, so he quickly cast Feng Shangyu a look to stay calm, then turned to bow to this newly appointed but already famous Xihe Sacred Land successor, following with his introduction.

“Ji Tingxi.” Xue Yu could roughly guess Feng Shangyu’s identity. She looked into the distance, frowning: “Get to business.”

“Why the rush? I haven’t finished recognizing the last one.”

Ji Tingxi’s gaze turned to Su You’s face. The latter acted as if unaware, bowing to him with just the right amount of smile: “Greetings to Xihe Holy Son.”

Right, that face, that smile.

He understood why Xue Yu was willing to travel so far to clear his name.

If he were a woman, he’d be willing too.

Ji Tingxi cast a meaningful look at Xue Yu before saying leisurely, “Let’s go. I’ve handled everything for you quite well, and I understand the general situation.”

Seeing the small town right before them, like a scroll slowly unfurling between mountains and waters, Xue Yu couldn’t help but pause, glancing at Su You.

Today, he seemed particularly silent.

“You all go ahead.” Xue Yu stopped walking, pointing at Yunxi Town ahead, nodding forward: “Nineteen, come here.”

The group walked away, their figures melding into the twilight.

Xue Yu sat on a flat boulder. Su You stood before her, his figure upright and slender as winter bamboo. She patted the space beside her: “Sit down and talk.”

After he sat down, with the two close together and looking into each other’s eyes, she could see all the emotions in his eyes.

After a long silence, Xue Yu’s voice softened slightly as she asked: “Are you nervous?”

Nervous?

Su You wasn’t nervous.

He was just thinking of his confrontation with Song Heng, thinking of his hypocritical face and disgraceful strength, and also thinking of his own exposed, bone-deep words that he had never spoken half a word of to others.

Xue Yu could never be exclusively his. She carried too much on her shoulders, focused on too many and too heavy things. She was a treasure cultivated by the Sacred Land for this world. In her heart, everything was worth attention and respect.

He was just a tiny, insignificant part of it all.

But he had to admit that those words – the latter half was false, but the first half was undeniably, word for word, true.

He wanted her attention, her pity, to make her soft-hearted, and step by step increase his importance.

Whether showing weakness or pitifully seeking sympathy.

He couldn’t help but want to try.

Su You smiled very lightly, his fingertips moving uncontrollably as he said in a low voice: “Not nervous.”

But Xue Yu easily saw through those eyes the confusion and fragility inside, like a cracked crystal.

This was the first time he had so openly presented his true emotions before her, inevitably moving her heart.

Xue Yu took a deep breath: “No matter what happens later, you’re not allowed to speak, not allowed to plead.”

With that, she stood and walked away, remaining silent until the town entrance. When she rejoined Ji Tingxi and the others who had been waiting for quite some time, the frost in her eyes was several degrees heavier than before.

“What’s this about?” Ji Tingxi looked at her with surprise several times, touching his face: “Who provoked you?”

“Ji Tingxi.” Xue Yu looked at the dusty ground. Taking advantage of Feng Shangyu and Chen Longzhi’s absence, she suddenly called his name and asked: “Ten years ago, Xihe Sacred Land’s people arrested someone without investigating the cause. Do you acknowledge this?”

Ji Tingxi lowered his voice: “I’ve investigated this matter.” In front of outsiders, he at least saved some face for his people: “Indeed… it was unfair.”

“The people in prison abused their power privately, taking pleasure in tormenting people. Do you acknowledge this?”

Ji Tingxi awkwardly narrowed his eyes. After a while, he said softly, “Everyone’s here. Give me some face, alright? Let’s discuss this later.”

“I brought the person responsible for this matter. Whatever should be done will be done, according to the rules. Is that acceptable?”

“Fine.”

Xue Yu’s eyelashes fluttered slightly upward. She raised her head, her clear black and white eyes meeting Ji Tingxi’s gaze, enunciating clearly: “This matter was very excessive. The Sacred Land shouldn’t and cannot conduct business this way.”

“I am somewhat angry right now.”

“So don’t do anything like covering up or pleading for favoritism later.”

As these words fell, silence reigned all around.

Whether Chao Nian or Ji Tingxi, both had rarely, or could even be said to have rarely, seen her like this.

She was naturally emotionally detached, facing any matter with calm composure. Even when capturing rampaging great demons while bearing shattered wounds, her face remained without ripples, cold as frost.

At a not-too-close, not-too-far distance, Su You suddenly raised his chin slightly, his fingers taut as several straight lines.