Coming out of Jiu Feng’s place, Xue Yu walked straight into her room. She preferred quiet and had requested a room on the innermost side of the third floor.

Xiaonan Mountain was in early spring at this time. The windows were half-open, and outside, two or three apricot trees had their branches covered with blossoms, like layers upon layers of dense, soft pink clouds. When a breeze passed by, it was as if a tender, lingering apricot rain had fallen, gently and gracefully hiding in her eyes.

The desk faced the outer window directly. Xue Yu stood in a pool of soft light and shadow, her features beautiful and refined. She pressed the stack of papers with her fingertips, stood for a moment as if making some kind of decision, then said to Chao Hua: “Go notify the other Sacred Land inheritors and have them all come here.”

Chao Hua nodded and agreed. Chou Li looked around, personally tidying up a space that could accommodate six or seven people for discussion, arranging stools and chairs in order. After being busy for quite a while, she held the flickering spirit talisman and tiptoed out through the door.

Half an hour later, the Sacred Land inheritors gathered together. The materials concerning the Human Emperor’s rebellion passed from Shan Shu’s hands to Lu Qin’s hands. If there had been casual smiles on their faces when they arrived, after reading through everything, those expressions had completely disappeared without a trace.

“Has the court gone mad?” Yin Ling thought for a moment, realizing she had no impression of the current Human Emperor, so she lowered her eyes and flipped to the last page of the materials. After seeing that name, she pressed her lips and said: “What is Qiu Tong trying to do? Provoking the Demon Capital – does he intentionally want to trigger a great war between the two places?”

When it came to dealing with Qiu Tong, aside from Xue Yu, there was Lu Qin, who had been tricked so badly that he couldn’t show his face for over a month. Now with new grievances added to old hatred, he gritted his teeth and accused: “I told you all back then that this person has a vicious mind and is extremely patient, enjoying setting trap after trap for people, but you didn’t believe me. Look, now the evidence is irrefutable.”

Speaking of Qiu Tong, speaking of that four-and-a-half-star mission, it was simply Lu Qin’s lifelong humiliation, an unspeakable pain.

When the last person put down that stack of materials with a grave expression, Xue Yu looked toward Lu Qin and said: “Human Emperor Qiu Tong was born sickly and weak, relying entirely on medicinal tonics to sustain himself. Do you still remember this? Everything he has done is to activate dragon breath and unlock his spiritual meridians.”

How could Lu Qin not remember? Back then, he had been deceived by that sickly appearance, left completely unguarded, spinning around like a fool. He curled his knuckles and asked: “Then regarding this matter, what does the Demon Capital say?”

The Worldly Lamp and Luozhou Feitian Map mission had been taken by Xue Yu and Shan Shu together. Recalling those abnormalities from back then, they remained vivid in memory. Shan Shu put down the tea cup in her hand, shaking her head: “The Demon Capital reveres Jiu Feng. The purer and more powerful the bloodline, the harder it is to bear offspring. Successive generations of the Jiu Feng clan’s direct lineage produce only one person. The Human Emperor’s actions are tantamount to cutting off the Jiu Feng family’s future path.”

Yin Ling was more open-minded about it. She held an ink brush and drew a circle on the paper, saying straightforwardly: “The Human Emperor plotted harm first, so he must have prepared to bear the consequences. Since that’s the case, then let’s fight.”

“Look at these years – for the human race, for the court, how many times have we openly and secretly blocked the Demon Capital, yet in the Human Emperor’s eyes, we’re harboring ulterior motives anyway, having other schemes. Right, no matter if he pokes holes in the sky, it’s still the Sacred Lands who will take the blame with the Demon Capital while he just sits back and reaps the benefits. So clever – he thinks he’s the smartest person in the entire world.”

Shan Shu let out a low sigh.

If a real war broke out, with mortal beings suffering, who could remain unaffected?

Among those present, most frowned in contemplation, Yin Ling raised her head in sullen anger, while only Lu Chengze’s mouth curved with a bitter smile. He and Xue Yu were people who had truly experienced that kind of chaotic fighting situation – it was a hundred times more cruel and tragic than imagined, and that was just the beginning.

One could imagine that if this time the Demon Capital took the lead, the demons and monsters in the mortal world would inevitably rise up accordingly, like people grasping at a lifeline, erupting with all their accumulated energy.

“Based on these few incidents, Qiu Tong’s position as Human Emperor cannot be preserved.” Xue Yu explained each matter clearly: “The Qiu imperial family has continued for ten thousand years since ancient times, with many court officials and deep foundations. Once this matter comes out, even with irrefutable evidence, claims like ‘the Sacred Lands and Demon Capital joining hands against the court, wanting to support a puppet emperor’ will still be common. Therefore, we need to have countermeasures.”

Lu Chengze looked at Xue Yu with deep meaning and asked: “You mean to find that family that was designated by the Fusang Tree in ancient times as having the qualifications to inherit the Human Emperor’s position?”

“This is the only reasonable way to solve the problem.”

Lu Chengze saw her unmoved appearance and couldn’t help but be seven or eight parts certain that she didn’t know Song Heng’s identity.

“First, they may not be willing. Second, if, when found, they have considerable cultivation and have already established themselves, how would they ascend to the imperial throne?” he asked.

“When that time truly comes, only the Six Sacred Lands’ sovereigns can unite and petition Xihe to awaken the Fusang Tree’s divine spirit.” Xue Yu responded frankly: “What we need to do now is two things.”

“Persuade Jiu Feng to release the human cultivators.” After saying this, she frowned, pondering for a long while before adding: “Yu Qingdan has considerable connections with Yedu. I need to investigate the truth to eliminate future troubles. I’ll go speak with them about this matter.”

After speaking, Xue Yu stood still for a while, then reached out to take several case files from Su You’s hands. She lowered her eyes slightly, her eyelashes casting long shadows that created some darkness, contrasting with the light. “The human race and even the Sacred Lands’ prejudice against mortal demons and monsters has become increasingly severe, making it difficult for them to survive. Many of those who can survive have established themselves. They endure patiently, watching for opportunities to retaliate, dedicating themselves to opposing the human race and cultivators.”

“You’re not unaware of this situation – neither my sovereign nor I are bringing this up for the first time.”

“To put it bluntly, Yedu only serves in a custodial capacity. The mortal demons and monsters will ultimately be handed over to the Demon Capital, but now the Demon Capital simply won’t take them.”

Hearing this, Yin Ling couldn’t help but say: “The Demon Capital’s attitude – they claim it’s because we misjudge and wrongly judge cases, but honestly, we’re not gods. With so many matters to handle every day, occasional misjudgments are completely unavoidable. They simply don’t want to take responsibility. Haven’t they also not taken the Heavenly Book’s missions seriously?”

Calculating everything, it was the Sacred Land inheritors who lived the most difficult lives, having to manage everything, do everything, and often being caught in the middle with neither side satisfied.

Xue Yu rarely laughed mockingly in front of everyone, throwing that stack of case files in front of her and Lu Chengze, her voice cold and shallow, emphasizing each word: “Among the Sacred Lands, Chi Shui and Yedu have the most extensive contact with demons and ghosts, jointly handling the most cases. Look for yourselves – of the over eight hundred cases Chi Shui transferred to Yedu last year, four hundred and thirty-five were wrongly judged.”

“Calling them wrong judgments is even being polite. Cases where any random person could tell right from wrong at a glance – with a stroke of the pen and a stamp of the seal, they immediately turn black into white, making it the human’s innocence and the demon’s fault?”

Yin Ling’s expression changed dramatically. She grabbed two pages to read, her brow furrowing tighter and tighter. Finally, she took a deep breath, slammed them in front of Lu Chengze, and asked bluntly: “These are all things you were responsible for. What’s going on?”

Lu Chengze was completely bewildered.

Yes, undeniably, like all immortal cultivation sects and noble families, he harbored private feelings, always thinking that the human race was intelligent and understood righteousness, and when it came down to it, they shared the same origin as them, so he often showed favoritism.

But having personally witnessed how the demon race retaliated in the previous life, having seen rivers of blood and withered mountains and rivers, any person would be moved and reflective. Coming again, although he couldn’t use thunderous methods like Xue Yu to discipline his subordinates and forcibly change their thinking, in handling human-demon disputes, he had truly put effort in – calling it repeated orders wouldn’t be excessive.

How could over half of eight hundred cases be wrong?

Lu Chengze puzzledly grasped that neither a thin nor a thick stack of case files. As he read, his eyes grew darker.

These were all cases he had given to Song Heng to handle.

Over these years, Song Heng’s cultivation used first-class resources. Lu Chengze considered it friendship and loyalty among peers – it didn’t matter to him, but there were always criticisms within the clan. Combined with Song Heng’s requests, he wanted to have him do some work to silence the gossip. Since Song Heng would eventually go out to establish his sect, giving him some core important matters wouldn’t be appropriate, so he assigned this area to him.

He was a Heavenly Emperor – such matters shouldn’t be beyond his capabilities.

In this regard, Lu Chengze still trusted him greatly.

But the result? In front of these several people, Lu Chengze scanned through rapidly, and by the end, the anger in his chest was about to explode, his fingers trembling almost imperceptibly.

What kind of thing was this?

What kind of bullshit situation – even these could be wrong.

If they hadn’t known each other for a thousand years, based on this stack of papers alone, he would think this was his enemy plotting against him.

The Young Master of Tai Hua pressed against his brow bone, his black and white distinct eyes looking at Yin Ling, then at Lu Chengze, whose expression was unpredictably dark, saying in a light voice: “Recently, all kinds of resentful and evil qi in the mortal world have been increasing together. Tai Hua has been so busy that our feet don’t touch the ground. If the Sacred Son truly can’t even judge cases properly, he can switch with Tai Hua. I’ll go judge cases – I’d be extremely happy to.”

“I’m truly fed up. I’m asking you two as a favor – don’t add to the chaos. Thank you.”

Yin Ling’s face turned red and green alternately from being scolded. Her own family had made mistakes and implicated two other families – she couldn’t blame others. She looked toward Xue Yu and said sternly: “I apologize. This matter is Chi Shui’s fault.”

After speaking, her gaze was like a knife, cutting across Lu Chengze’s face. The latter took a deep breath and also said, “Such mistakes will never happen again.”

Everyone left Xue Yu’s room with heavy hearts, only Lu Chengze lingered, hesitating again and again. Finally, unable to restrain himself, he walked to Xue Yu’s desk.

But before he could say half a sentence, Su You moved to block him sideways without any obvious motion.

In the bright daylight, the wariness and hostility in his eyes were undisguised, almost about to flow and spill out like water, yet not harsh on the eyes. Instead, they showed a kind of gorgeous, flamboyant intensity. Lu Chengze couldn’t help but lift the corners of his mouth, saying rather helplessly: “Song Heng didn’t come. I want to discuss serious business with your young lady.”

“What do you want to say?” Xue Yu had no good expression for him at all. She casually lifted her eyes, sparing words like gold: “Speak.”

“This incident wasn’t my doing.” Speaking of this, Lu Chengze’s head was as big as a barrel. He steeled himself and said, “I handed it over to Song Heng to handle. Xue Yu, I equally don’t want to see a great war. If it can be avoided, then avoid it. I know what should be done.”

Xue Yu put down her brush and said, “I don’t care who handled this matter. Chi Shui’s oversight is a fact.”

“Yes, I can’t deny this.”

Lu Chengze choked, hesitating indecisively for a long time. Finally, he clenched his fist, raised his head, and opened his mouth as if making a firm decision: “I came to tell you something.”

“Song Heng probably hasn’t told you.” He had never done this kind of thing – betraying a good friend – but given the current situation, if he didn’t speak now, by the time he emerged from seclusion in ten years, heaven and earth would have changed. “In ancient times, the Fusang Tree designated two families as qualified to sit on the Human Emperor’s throne. The Qiu family was one branch, and there was another branch surnamed Yuan who lived in seclusion afterward. They changed names several times in between, and by this generation, they split into two branches, surnamed Shen and Song respectively.”

Hearing that surname Song, Xue Yu’s movements paused slightly. She looked up at Lu Chengze, who gave her a definitive answer: “Yes, Song Heng is a descendant of that lineage.”

“Song Heng’s previous life, this life, the opportunities he gained at Feiyun Peak, and that Heaven-rank secret manual that perfectly suited him – all came from his ancestors.”

“I also only learned of this matter recently.”

The brilliant light seemed to dance absurdly before her eyes twice. Lu Chengze saw her remain silent and steeled himself to continue: “Regarding the matters between you two, it’s not my place to comment, but setting aside personal affairs, we are fellow Sacred Land inheritors with significant responsibilities. The future situation is not something one person can change. If you have anything on your mind, don’t keep it bottled up – you can discuss it with me in advance.”

“After all, many things are only known to us.”

After saying this, he turned and left Xue Yu’s room, even thoughfully closing the door behind him as he crossed the threshold.

Xue Yu pressed her hand against her temple.

A thousand years of cultivation – regardless of personal feelings, those flowing elixirs and miraculous medicines, those heavenly materials and earthly treasures were real, and that guidance in handling affairs, that patient teaching was also real. Yet today, she learned that he had always harbored ulterior motives.

So many puzzles found their explanation at this moment. Why Song Heng’s kindness was only toward the human race, why he viewed the demon race as a thorn in his eye, why he would unhesitatingly seal Yedu’s Baizhong Mountain – because his identity destined that nothing she said or did would make any difference.

He was the legitimate imperial bloodline, naturally, he would only side with his people.

At this moment, even though Xue Yu knew such thinking was too absolute, she still couldn’t help but speculate about Song Heng with the greatest malice.

She thought, so he was like Qiu Tong – both craving to stand at the pinnacle of power while reluctant to give up longevity and cultivation abilities, so he had schemed to stay by her side, using various illusions to deceive her into leaving Yedu and accompany him in establishing the Heavenly Court.

Looking back now, his repeated calls of “A Yu” – every word, every sentence had been premeditated.

A thousand years.

Being kept in the dark felt terrible, being thoroughly used felt even worse. Xue Yu leaned back in her chair and slowly closed her eyes.

In a moment, she opened her eyes, stood up, took up her brush, and wrote. After a while, she folded the paper and called Chao Hua, who was guarding outside, instructing: “Contact our people and do as written above.”

Chao Hua immediately agreed.

After completing all this, Xue Yu set down her brush and looked toward Su You, who had been standing not far away throughout. He had grown before her eyes step by step into his current appearance – looks, presence, and strength all gathered in one body. He was far more outstanding and excellent than Song Heng.

But for an instant, she felt how similar they were.

Su You almost immediately sensed her change. She said nothing, yet that one glance was cold and indifferent. Those traces of tolerance, closeness, and trust that he had worked so hard to cultivate were all withdrawn and put away, leaving only a thin shell that was transparently icy.

He walked before her, the lines around his eyes clean and sharp, his lips tightly pressed, calling to her in a low voice: “Young Lady.”

His voice carried rare uneasiness.

Xue Yu rubbed her brow, was silent for a moment, then said: “I have never asked you why you believe yourself to be a demon-ghost.”

Since he rose to fame, very few people mentioned his background in front of him, but seeing her ask, he still answered in detail, nearly dissecting himself before her eyes: “I have some vague impressions of the past. I remember what kind of aura the person who always held me had. Later, after leaving Yunxi Town, I encountered a malevolent ghost that had formed a solid shape – it gave me the same feeling.”

“After I was taken back by the Xuan family, a famous old cultivator from town came to see me and said I was half-demon, half-ghost bloodline – confirmed without doubt.”

Xue Yu continued asking: “Have you ever seen your original form?”

Su You pressed his lips, saying in a low voice: “No.”

He had always avoided this topic at all costs.

Xue Yu nodded, explaining her thoughts in detail: “I have seen many demons and ghosts in Yedu. Even the direct second son of the Qiongqi family cannot match you in cultivation and comprehension. This is not something an ordinary race could achieve.”

Much less when he was half-demon, half-ghost.

Such matters – suspicion was suspicion, but words couldn’t be spoken too absolutely.

Xue Yu pondered for a long while, looked toward Su You, and said: “Let me see your wings.”

She seemed to speak to everyone this way – with faint detachment, no great emotional fluctuations – but Su You still immediately heard the difference.

She was deliberately being cold to him.

Because of those few words Lu Chengze had said, because of Song Heng.

That man, who had also been cultivated by her, but very likely brought her tremendous harm.

Su You stood quietly, his raven-feather-like long lashes drooping, casting a refreshing shadow in the sunlight.

He remained silent for a long time. Seeing this, Xue Yu was about to say: “Forget it—”

“Alright.” Su You exhaled extremely softly, saying: “Whatever Young Lady wishes to see, it’s all possible.”

Xue Yu raised her chin and flicked her sleeve, casting out a barrier.

The next moment, Su You no longer controlled himself. He freely circulated his aura, demon qi so thick it became like tidal water, wave after wave surging toward both of them. Those wings flickered with flowing light, their wing tips moving restlessly and uneasily under Xue Yu’s gaze.

Much larger than ten years ago, with much more complex patterns as well.

When the wind blew, it was as if golden fragments flowed before her eyes, like flowers with intricate golden borders, shyly and quietly blooming before her.

So beautiful it was dizzying and mesmerizing.

Xue Yu focused intently, studying them for a long time. Her cool index finger slowly pinched the longest feather that extended diagonally from his wing bone. It was particularly eye-catching among all the brilliant, dazzling light, with ancient patterns seeming carved into every piece of down, like flowing molten lava, yet cool to the touch with a metallic texture.

Just as she traced along the patterns inch by inch, Su You tensed his fingertips and trembled slightly, letting out an uncontrollable, muffled sound from his throat.

Xue Yu hesitantly stopped and asked: “Does it hurt?”

Su You shook his head. Forced by wave after wave of piercing, troublesome itching that left him at a loss, he gripped his sword sheath and said softly: “It’s nothing.”

Xue Yu had seen countless demons but had never witnessed such a peculiar, dazzling sight. She even felt that even if Jiu Feng revealed her true form, before him, it would only be evenly matched.

She hooked the tip of that feather, stroking it up and down, searching through her memory for one or two races that bore some tenuous similarity.

Su You felt like he was a ball of fire about to burn to her fingertips, and also like he had become a pool of water that she gathered up and then poured back down.

His lean body silently slid down along the sword sheath.

Xue Yu was startled and was about to speak when she saw him turn his head slightly, his gaze following her eyes as he looked over.

When their four eyes met, she saw he had quietly changed appearance. In his originally extremely deep and alluring brows and eyes, a bright feather was outlined, with deep rouge color extending silently from both ends of his eye corners, like red flushed from high fever, or like blooming, enchanting flowers. His lip color was rich, and the expression on his face was indescribably between endurance and sweet suffering.

Xue Yu sensed something and looked toward the feather resting peacefully in her palm.

Su You’s lips moved, his eyes seeming to steam with indescribable heat: “Young Lady, I’m different from him.”

“Whatever Young Lady tells me to do, I will do.”

“I’m obedient.”