This came as a complete surprise. Su You’s spine, which had bent slightly to accommodate her, stiffened from head to tail. Before the suddenly approaching body, the pain on his lips quickly dissipated into another kind of meaning.

She used her sharp little teeth to bite that small piece of flesh, grinding it once, then biting again.

Completely different from her usual effortless manner of doing things, in this matter, she was clumsy and inexperienced.

She knew nothing at all, yet naturally assumed she knew everything.

When she bit for the fourth time, Su You hissed, lifting his chin slightly, revealing a line of restless and sharp Adam’s apple. Immediately after, his palm fell almost unbearably on her graceful waist, lifting and lowering, and she easily sat on the desk piled with memorials.

Their lips separated, and his breathing became heavy.

Xue Yu looked up, her gaze falling on his crimson lips that seemed to have been nourished and were in full bloom. After a moment, she slightly raised her index finger, her cool fingertip pressing against them, grinding neither lightly nor heavily.

She seemed completely unaware of what such an action meant.

“Wrong.”

He gripped her fingertip, pressing down heavily.

She was initially stunned and didn’t move, even her breathing was as light as could be, until his soft lips awkwardly pressed in a little, and she unconsciously hooked with the tip of her tongue, vaguely sucking.

This attempt, which should have progressed gradually and stopped at a mere taste, from this point became utterly uncontrollable.

After a long while, the two separated their breathing. She sat quietly with her long hair draped, her fingertips unconsciously pressing at her lips, her almond eyes filled with a layer of steaming heat, leaving only five or six parts of the calm color within.

Clearly in the latter half, she was the one who was taken advantage of, leaning back her head to endure, but now as their four eyes met, the candle flame “popped” and burst into a shower of sparks. He stood in the lamplight, yet looked like the one who had been bullied.

His spacious clothing had slipped down halfway, revealing two undulating collarbones like flying peaks, his skin showing a cold, pale color. His sleeves were wrinkled by her touch, making the tiny blood bead at the corner of his lips appear particularly vivid.

No matter how you looked at it, he appeared deliberately indulgent, allowing others to do as they pleased.

Xue Yu stared at that small wound for a while. Seeing this, Su You curved his lips and bent down to approach naturally.

“It’s broken.” After wiping away the blood stain, her fingers that seemed immersed in ice water still lingered on one side of his cheek. She looked again and again as if examining, saying in a low voice: “Like a demon.”

In such an atmosphere, such words were simply unbearable to hear.

Su You couldn’t resist her tone, closed his eyes and smiled, then pressed against her forehead asking: “Demon enough?”

He was like a flower clinging to her, damp and fragrant. When speaking to her ear, he had an irresistible, rich, magical power: “A Yu, do you like it?”

In the Demon Capital, the aristocratic family mansions were built on mountain tops shrouded in heavy clouds and mist, with immortal gold paving the roads and silver silk filling the sky. The courtyards were so large that one could ride mounts in circles, everywhere displaying the transcendent status of the Demon Capital’s great families.

Their taste was indeed lacking, but they couldn’t help but naturally love these golden, glittering things. Every time they competed for spirit veins and stone mines, they were the most active.

At this time, in the Nine Phoenix family’s great hall built like an immortal palace with a layout resembling where kings held morning court, representatives from the top fifteen families had all arrived. Most were elderly with white hair, now each holding tea cups, listening to the Nine Phoenix family head speak about what happened in Feiyun Peak this time.

When he mentioned someone had plotted to steal the Nine Phoenix’s life essence and caused injury, three of the top five families angrily slammed down their tea cups in shock and rage.

The remaining one was Sui Jinyu, who remained unmoved and didn’t even lift an eyelid.

“What do you all think about this matter?” The Nine Phoenix family head stood on the high platform with hands behind his back, looking down and scanning around as he asked.

The Qiongqi Qin family head looked grave and was first to speak: “These years, we’ve had no dealings with the court. Human emperors have short lifespans, changing every few decades or even years. I never imagined that the one currently sitting in the Golden Throne Hall would have such audacity.”

“He even wants to throw dirty water on the Sacred Lands, planning to make us fight each other so he can sit back and watch tigers fight?”

“In my opinion, it’s time to take action and teach him a lesson.” On the right side, a burly man said in a muffled voice: “We don’t cause trouble, mostly staying quiet in the Demon Capital, remaining on our own territory to do our business. But I see that those human storytellers and sect elders have started spreading rumors that our strength is inferior to before, completely suppressed by the Sacred Lands.”

At this, he slammed his fist on the table with a “thud”: “Let them see who the Demon Capital fears, and who exactly is suppressing whom.”

“From ancient times to now, our Demon Capital has never been schemed against and provoked like this!”

An elder coughed and stroked his beard as he spoke: “Everyone, please remain calm. Even if we really want to fight, we need a plan. We can’t just talk today and lead troops to the capital gates tomorrow. That way, even justified actions become unjustified.”

Nine Phoenix wore a white long dress with fur collar today. The color was plain, but couldn’t suppress her bright and beautiful face. Standing half a step behind the Nine Phoenix family head, when she looked down, she already had the bearing of the demon race’s future leader, whose single word could determine heaven and earth.

“Those words are correct.” Unable to sort out the inexplicably strange five-star mission from the Heavenly Mechanism Book, but dealing with these matters, Nine Phoenix felt no pressure: “The three territories are balanced. The Demon Capital has no right to depose the Human Emperor, nor can it. The world’s prejudice against the Demon Capital has never faded. Acting rashly, they won’t trust us, but will instead think the Human Emperor’s lineage cannot cultivate and is in a weak position. In the end, we become the ones bullying the weak.”

Every time this was mentioned, everyone in the Demon Capital felt a restless sense of powerlessness rise in their hearts.

Having a bad reputation had this disadvantage – even when truly bullied, no one would believe it.

“Compared to the Demon Capital, they trust the Sacred Lands more.” Nine Phoenix said, “First, spread the news that I was plotted against and severely injured. The part about detaining human cultivators in Feiyun Peak before has probably already spread. When the discussion and dissatisfaction reach their peak, then drag out the Human Emperor.”

“The Sacred Lands may not stand with us.” The Qin family head grinned: “Those old saints only have common people and mortals in their eyes. If we do something, they’ll be the first to jump up in opposition.”

“No.” Nine Phoenix’s gaze paused slightly: “The Human Emperor’s actions have reached a point where they must intervene. The Sacred Lands won’t allow him to continue his evil deeds.”

“What the Sacred Land successors say doesn’t count.” The Qin family head continued: “It still depends on those old fellows’ intentions. If, after weighing pros and cons, they feel the turmoil from deposing the Human Emperor exceeds turning a blind eye, the outcome is truly unknown.”

At this, he narrowed his eyes and emphasized: “The current Human Emperor is over forty. Even if he could live to a hundred, he only has sixty years left. For us, sixty years pass in a blink, but establishing a new ruler would cause great controversy.”

“Tonight, I will contact the six lords of the Sacred Lands.” The Nine Phoenix family head made the final decision, then looked at Nine Phoenix: “After dragging out the Human Emperor, what then? How do we proceed?”

“No need for any elegant methods to make it sound realistic. Various rumors will do, with just one point – they must spread so everyone knows and discussions never cease. Then add fuel to the fire describing how the Demon Capital is now furious and preparing to deploy troops below the capital.”

“With people’s hearts unstable, constant turmoil, and citizens talking endlessly while the Sacred Lands remain silent without comfort, this silent fire won’t take long to burn in the hearts of everyone with a sense of justice.”

“Next, Father enters Xihe Sacred Land, in the name of the five Demon Capital families, jointly with the Sacred Lands, to truthfully report to the Fusang Tree what Human Emperor Qiu Tong has done.”

Before the Fusang Tree and Heavenly Mechanism Book, even the Demon Capital wouldn’t dare to falsely report.

At that point, no more words needed – the truth would be clear.

“Why take such a roundabout way? Whatever we do, do we need to explain everything to the world? I say, if they believe, they believe. If they don’t, no one’s begging them to.” A hot-tempered demon family head slammed the table hard and said in frustration.

“Zhang Ning.” The Nine Phoenix family head looked over with the indulgent gaze of looking at a fool: “I’ve told you many times that we demons have suffered losses from our mouths before. This kind of thinking must be changed now. Who doesn’t know hypocritical methods, moving the tongue tip’s meaning, right?”

“If they’re fake, we’ll be faker than them, making them speechless.”

“Why voluntarily endure curses we shouldn’t have to take, rushing to be pelted with rotten eggs?”

Feiyun Peak swayed for ten years, while the mortal world happened to be in spring. Gentle winds blew, broken sunlight scattered brilliantly, and life force accumulated for a year burst forth vigorously in wave after wave of rain, occupying all vision before the eyes in just a few days and nights.

In the capital, within the towering palace halls, those serving left and right felt as if in an ice cellar.

“This is what you’ve accomplished?” Qiu Tong slammed the table and rose, his sleeves sweeping violently, immediately scattering brush, ink, paper, and inkstone to the floor. The kneeling people were silent as cicadas in winter. In the entire inner hall, the air almost stopped flowing, everyone deliberately keeping their breathing low and slow, afraid of becoming the bird that sticks its head out.

The man in his prime, sitting high on the throne, had long shed his youthful sharpness, replaced by absolute, unquestionable authority. But his body was truly too poor, able to support himself until now entirely by the priceless spiritual treasures and medicines in the national treasury. At this moment of anger, he immediately couldn’t hold on.

Earth-shaking coughing sounds spread oppressively. Qiu Tong wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, balled up that patch of deep, vivid blood, and threw it hard on the ground. Gasping, he said: “Foolproof? Hm?!”

In his great fury, not one of those who had been ordered ten years ago to investigate Tao Zhi and Su Yun escaped. Under his wrathful brows and eyes, they were dragged away by the Golden Guards on both sides, their pitiful pleas for mercy trailing into a long echo.

After the rage, Qiu Tong’s head spun, and his limbs felt heavy and powerless. Bai Su bent over to help him sit on a chair, asking in a low, small voice during the latter’s abnormally rapid breathing: “Your Majesty, what do we do now?”

Qiu Tong took a long time to recover before reaching for that stack of registers on the desk, his fingertips trembling when he touched them.

That stack of registers – he had looked through them many times, so many that every name on them held a familiar meaning.

This was the list of those qualified to enter the Secret Realm Abyss when Feiyun Peak opened this time.

Every person on it had either shown early promise or came from distinguished families, outstanding since childhood.

Heaven’s favored ones, spirited and ambitious.

How enviable indeed.

Qiu Tong looked for a while, then threw the register far away in a fit of uncertain mood. It landed with a “clang,” the motion using all his strength. Bai Su was used to this and stepped forward to gently stroke Qiu Tong’s emaciated back that rose and fell constantly.

These ten years, as his condition worsened, Qiu Tong increasingly couldn’t control his emotions. This register had been thrown and picked up, picked up and thrown again. Each time he looked, he got angry, but next time he still had to look.

It had become a kind of heart demon.

“What can be done?” Qiu Tong didn’t even have the strength to curve his lips, dragging his diseased body, he could even smell death’s scent: “What should be tried, what shouldn’t be tried – all have been tried. Tell me, what else can be done?”

Speaking of these ten years that had relatively few constraints and seemed relatively relaxed, even Bai Su, who had such a disposition from long service at the ruler’s side, suffered unbearably.

Dragon’s Breath was critically important and couldn’t leak half a message, so those who knew about this matter were all Qiu Tong’s trusted ministers, loyal and righteous men who had served the Qiu family for generations. The civil officials in court had been made foolish by reading sage books – ask them to impeach someone or engage in verbal battles and they’d accept righteously, but when it came to such crucial matters, not one could be relied upon.

The rest were clan heads and elders of various aristocratic families.

Speaking of famous orthodox sects, when it came to those horrifying unorthodox evil techniques, each was more excessive than the last.

Dragon’s Breath originally required large amounts of blood and qi for nourishment. Now lacking the crucial strand of life essence, the light on it was weaker than Qiu Tong’s body, causing daily and nightly anxiety, fearing it might completely dim someday.

For this, some said that since ancient times, children’s blood was purest, and nourishing with large amounts of children’s blood and qi might be effective.

Others said that since the original power was lost, the problem should be solved from the source. Since the Azure Dragon belonged to the demon race, and they temporarily couldn’t obtain the Nine Phoenix’s life essence, what about other demon races – whether powerful or weak, if the numbers were piled up, wouldn’t it have some effect?

These methods that sounded insane upon hearing, Qiu Tong tried them all in his desperation.

Over three hundred children born in the capital with decent fates, some not yet able to speak and only babbling while chewing their fingers, were thus blown into blood mist while sleeping.

The legendary pure blood and qi wrapped around Dragon’s Breath didn’t restore even a bit of its luster, but instead made the black patterns coiled within even deeper.

If Qiu Tong still retained a trace of reason when trying the first method, then when targeting the demon race, he truly showed no mercy at all.

The demon race in the mortal world wasn’t as powerful as those in the Demon Capital. As they say, persimmons are picked soft – they belonged to the bottom layer of bullied existence. Qiu Tong ordered mountain and sea searches, and in one night, over a thousand demon race members lost their lives.

Because the numbers were too many and the methods too absolute, after this incident, small beast tides began erupting wave after wave in various places. They spent several years barely managing to whitewash the peace and suppress them all.

“Targeting Nine Phoenix was a mistake.” Qiu Tong lived up to being Qiu Tong – he immediately clarified the worst consequences this entire affair would produce: “Taking desperate risks back then, I naturally assumed I could push this matter onto Xue Yu, onto Yedu. Even if we couldn’t obtain the life essence, we could make the Sacred Lands and Demon Capital erupt in major conflict, leaving some preparation time for our subsequent actions.”

“But I forgot that the ministers sent out were unreliable, and Xue Rong was even more unreliable.”

He laughed with a “heh” sound, his eye sockets gradually heating up. To the person beside him he said: “Bai Su, do you still remember the feeling of being targeted by Xue Yu?”

Bai Su respectfully replied: “This servant remembers.”

Three cities and four provinces, massive deployments all abandoned. Their movements became extremely difficult, forcing them to recover for a full three to four years.

She was the woman mentioned most frequently in Qiu Tong’s words to date, and with the most praise, though from beginning to end, the two were in blatant opposition.

“Good that you remember.” Qiu Tong laughed hoarsely: “Next, we might have to experience it again.”

Bai Su dared not make a sound.

“What has Qiu Ren been doing lately? Is his health good?” Qiu Ren was Qiu Zhao’s son, only ten years old this year, treasured and pampered by the two Qiu brothers like a precious pearl, famous in Chang’an City as an untouchable little tyrant.

Bai Su: “I heard he’s been learning chess with his teacher recently. Your Majesty, rest assured, the imperial guards are watching openly and secretly. The young prince is well in all respects and won’t have accidents.”

Compared to his father Qiu Zhao, Qiu Tong was more tender toward this nephew who grew like the rising sun, even to an incomprehensible degree.

Two years ago, Qiu Ren competed in horseback archery with three other young masters of similar age from marquis households in the capital. Midway, he got into an argument with someone and suddenly raised his whip. The horse, in pain, galloped wildly. Being young, he couldn’t steady himself and soon rolled off the horse. His head hit a stone, leaving a patch of bruising.

When Qiu Tong heard of this, he was already unwell and had gone to bed. Upon learning the details, he flew into a thunderous rage. Not satisfied with punishing people, he insisted on supporting his heavy body to leave the palace in the rain to visit.

The world said Qiu Tong’s protective love for Qiu Ren came entirely from having no heir of his own, thus treating his brother’s child as his own.

Only Bai Su, who served at Qiu Tong’s side, knew – what protection?

What Qiu Tong had his eye on was clearly that fresh, healthy body.

Hearing this, Qiu Tong nodded. His gloomy face was full of fatigue and gravity as he said: “Ten years of indulgence, allowing him to do whatever he wanted. Now, the time has come, and it should be repaid.”

“Bai Su.” Qiu Tong suddenly called him. Not knowing whether expressing his ambitions or convincing himself, he said: “One hundred years, just give me one hundred more years.”

“Within the four seas, there will be no more demon race, no more displacement and family separation, and no more Sacred Land people visible everywhere looking down from above.”

As he spoke, blue veins bulged on his pale hand backs, these words seeming to exhaust all his strength: “The mortal world will definitely not be as it is now.”