Returning to the city again, Yusang discovered the city was deathly silent, with no lights anywhere. The prosperous capital she had seen during the day seemed to have instantly lost all vitality. She held the lantern and rode forward, her horse’s hoofbeats extraordinarily loud on the streets. When she approached the palace area, a group of horsemen suddenly came straight toward her.

Yusang quickly pulled her horse into the shadows to hide. After watching the group of horsemen pass, she went to the palace walls. Because Yongze Palace, which had been used to arrange demon-suppressing formations in the palace, was destroyed, she easily cast magic to enter the palace.

Using the Soul Collector lantern to sense Yan Qige’s location at Chengqian Palace, Yusang hurried over. She saw that the place was brightly lit, with Imperial Guards and elite soldiers surrounding the steps outside the great hall.

The sound of clashing weapons came from within the great hall. Yusang saw the flame in her lantern flicker, and anxiety filled her heart. Not caring about anything else, she took out her white jade brush pen and leaped along the way, repeatedly striking down the elite soldiers blocking her path before breaking through the doors and standing in Chengqian Palace.

But unexpectedly, the people fighting inside did not include Yan Qige. Instead, it was Zhao Yirong and a general-like figure. Zhao Yirong slashed with his sword, and the general was splattered with blood on the spot. Then he sheathed his sword, and all the people standing in the hall knelt before him in unison.

As everyone knelt, the great hall immediately became quiet and spacious. Yusang stood at the doorway looking in and saw Yan Qige standing with his hands behind his back below the nine-step dragon stairs, his expression calm and indifferent, as if he hadn’t heard the slaughter that had just occurred.

Discovering Yusang’s presence, everyone turned to look at her. Yan Qige’s gaze also looked toward her over everyone in the great hall, but he showed little surprise. He slowly walked toward her, then suddenly leaped up while Yusang was still reacting and struck her shoulder with his palm. As severe pain spread throughout her body, Yusang was knocked out of the palace gates and fell to the ground.

“Kill this demon consort! Avenge His Majesty! Kill, kill, kill!” Earth-shaking shouts came from all around. Yusang saw a group of guards wielding weapons approaching her. She clutched her chest and struggled, immediately spitting up fresh blood. Everything before her eyes gradually became blurred. Looking at Yan Qige’s figure standing behind the crowd, she finally disappeared into the darkness.

When she awoke, Yusang was in a luxuriously furnished room. The wound on her shoulder had already healed completely without any discomfort—this was the advantage of being a demon, not as easily injured or killed as mortals.

Yusang got up and left the room, discovering she was in a courtyard filled with chrysanthemums. Imperial Consort Chen was sitting in the middle, making tea, just as she had seen her in the palace before.

“You’re awake. Come have some tea. Today, the new emperor ascends the throne. Prince Yan has gone to the palace.”

“New emperor?”

“The Prince of Huainan. Today, he ascends the throne as emperor.” Imperial Consort Chen said slowly as she stood up, raised her head, blinked her beautiful eyes, and walked around Yusang a few times, saying, “Indeed very similar to me, extremely similar. Having you die in place of me in Chengqian Palace’s great hall, then saving and reviving you, Prince Yan went through great trouble and effort.”

“What are you saying?”

“So you don’t know anything.” Imperial Consort Chen examined Yusang with what seemed like some surprise, then covered her mouth and laughed lightly, saying, “Then let me tell you. I had long planned to commit regicide. I sent an urgent message asking Prince Yan to return to the capital to save my life. Do you think Prince Yan brought you to Huadu? It’s only because you look like me, to have you die in my place before others.”

Hearing these words, Yusang remembered that palm strike Yan Qige had given her without explanation when she rushed back that day, and her face couldn’t help but turn deathly pale.

Seeing Yusang like this, Imperial Consort Chen continued laughing, “Prince Yan and I have known each other since childhood. We grew up together beside the Empress Dowager. If I hadn’t become an imperial consort, the position of Princess Yan would have been mine.”

Hearing such naked provocation, Yusang couldn’t help but feel anger rise in her heart. She smiled back sarcastically, saying, “Since you grew up with Yan Qige, you should know his temperament. If he truly intended to marry you, he definitely could have. If he didn’t marry you, then he was unwilling. Speaking like this, to put it nicely, is confidence, but to put it harshly is shamelessness.”

She thought such words would make any woman blush and eagerly refute, but unexpectedly, Imperial Consort Chen was not only not angry but seemed even more pleased, saying slowly with a smile, “Yan Qige left the city overnight the day I was brought into the harem, abandoning his good princely status to wander the world for several years without returning to the capital. Now that I’m in trouble, he returned without hesitation to help me. Isn’t this clear enough? You only received his care and favor because you somewhat resemble me. Do you think you carry any weight in his heart?”

The smile on Yusang’s face stiffened somewhat. Even though she tried hard to cover it with a smile, she still understood that she had lost in this conversation. Imperial Consort Chen had bluntly exposed that thorn in her heart, forcing her to face it directly—the truth was cruel.

Yusang turned to go into the room to pack her things. Seeing the Soul Collector lantern on the table, she picked it up, then hesitated and threw it back on the table before striding out of the courtyard.

As Yusang gradually walked away, from an inconspicuous corridor in the courtyard, Yan Qige quietly emerged with his hands behind his back, his expression characteristically calm but his eyes showing complex emotions.

Seeing Yan Qige’s appearance, Imperial Consort Chen showed no surprise. After the smile faded from her face, it was covered with a somewhat sorrowful expression. She sighed softly, “I told you long ago that she had fallen for you, but you didn’t believe it. Yet you still had me hurt her like this. Why was it necessary?”

Yan Qige looked at the doorway where Yusang had left, watching her figure disappear in the morning mist-covered street. Only after a long time did he say, “She shouldn’t be like this.”

“In matters of emotion, how can there be should or shouldn’t? You falling for her is also beyond your control.”

Hearing this, Yan Qige withdrew his gaze and looked sideways at Imperial Consort Chen, his brow slightly furrowing.

Seeing him like this, Imperial Consort Chen showed a slight smile. Before he could speak, she said, “Don’t deny it. I know who she is. Though I cannot know the full extent of your feelings for her, I can guess seven or eight parts. I said she received your care because she looks like me, but actually, it’s quite the opposite. Twenty-five years ago, when I was undergoing tribulation on the palace roof tiles, she saved me. I remembered her appearance and modeled myself after her when I achieved human form. The one who truly received your care because of resemblance is me. Just because I resembled her, you took extra care of me, even helped me become a consort, allowing me to use the true dragon emperor’s dragon breath to extend my life and cultivate. I was too greedy. Seeing another tribulation approaching, I foolishly tried to use the dragon’s breath to achieve enlightenment, instead harming the emperor’s life. Your condition of helping Prince Huainan succeed in seizing the throne to preserve my life was unnecessary for me. Having failed my tribulation, my life is already short…”

“I know, which is why I had Yusang fake your death. With your current spiritual power and magic, even ordinary swords could take your life and scatter your soul.” Yan Qige calmly and composedly turned to look at Imperial Consort Chen and took over the conversation.

Imperial Consort Chen frowned, looking at Yan Qige with confusion, “Then why did you go through such elaborate trouble?”

“I want your soul to enter the lantern.” Yan Qige raised his eyes to look directly at Imperial Consort Chen, his gaze indifferent, even carrying a trace of heartless coldness.