Wei Zijue truly loved her in the past. Over those hundreds of years, he was her most loyal attendant by her side, lighting lamps and keeping watch for her, casting spells and vanquishing enemies on her behalf. When his clear eyes looked up at her, it was like gazing upon a deity.

But emotions are such things—seven or eight years of one-sided passion is manageable, but seven or eight hundred years simply won’t work. Even the most scorching Flaming Mountains would be thoroughly soaked by day after day of cold rain. So when Wei Zijue lifted that bowl of Meng Po’s soup back then, what he told her was to never remember the past again.

Indeed, he no longer remembered. But now, the way this person looked at her—how was it any different from back then in the Ten Thousand Demons’ Cave?

Ruyi lowered her eyes and moved away his obstructing hand, slowly and bit by bit smearing the ash from her fingertips onto his brow.

“Commander, you must be tired too,” she said gently. “Sleep for a while. Just sleep, and it will be better.”

Wei Zijue tried to struggle but couldn’t break free from her hand. Where the ash fell, his unwillingness and grievance all dissipated along with his consciousness. His body tilted and fell, barely caught by her.

Ruyi patted his back and helped him into the temple, placing him together with the others. As she stood up, she saw that the three rows of divine statues in the main hall of the temple all had bodies but no stone heads. She glanced again at the large cauldron in front of the courtyard—empty and bare. Forget about incense offerings; there wasn’t even soil filled in yet.

Shen Qiyuan wasn’t wrong. This was indeed a new temple with no deities residing in it yet.

Someone nearby groaned in pain during their sleep.

Ruyi snapped back to attention and followed the sound. She saw that the deputy general from earlier was lying on the hemp sacks, moaning. She reached out to turn him over and was slightly startled.

Half of his face that had been contaminated by the green demon’s mucus had already swollen up. The smooth flesh bulged until it nearly covered his facial features, with openings split open beside it, oozing pus.

Ruyi suddenly looked down at her own hands.

Earlier, when she had wiped the dirt from his face, she hadn’t noticed anything wrong at the time. Only now, looking down, did she discover that a drop had also contaminated her wrist. At some point, it had split open, but there was no bleeding—it just looked like a deflated mosquito bite.

So this was the cause of the illusion?

But that wasn’t right. When she arrived, the green demon had already turned into a pool of blood and lost its life. How could it still cast illusions on her?

Ruyi couldn’t figure it out no matter how hard she thought.

Meanwhile, Shen Qiyuan had already returned to the city and entered the palace. His loose black hair was bound up again, his court robes arranged properly—still the Lord Zongzheng who appeared stern on the outside but lenient within.

However, this time the emperor seemed far less agreeable than before. He threw his wolf-hair brush at Shen Qiyuan’s feet and scolded: “Even an imperial decree can’t summon you anymore!”

Shen Qiyuan bowed his head in acknowledgment of his fault.

On his way here, he had learned that this morning, right after he left, the palace attendants had brought an imperial edict to the Shen residence to summon him. Although it wasn’t about anything major, the emperor had already been dissatisfied due to the Nine Rivers wall construction and his repeated contradictions. This final straw brought down thunderous fury.

After listening to reprimands in the great hall for a full hour, Shen Qiyuan finally accepted his punishment and returned to his residence.

On the road, Song Zhenshan felt very embarrassed: “If I had gone one incense stick’s time earlier as your master instructed, you wouldn’t have had to endure that scolding.”

“It was bound to happen sooner or later.” Shen Qiyuan waved his hand dismissively, though he found it puzzling. “Although His Majesty has a heavy temper, Master has already reached the Ninth Heaven. How could he send you a message over such a trivial matter?”

“The old gentleman was probably worried about you, too.” Song Zhenshan sighed. “You control the mortal realm’s incense offerings, so all the gods above must avoid suspicion with you. He was afraid of giving others something to gossip about, so he didn’t send you a message directly and only had me inform you. Who would have thought that just as I reached the door today, Zhaoying would faint?”

How could an immortal delay important matters just because a mortal fainted? But Puhua hadn’t anticipated that this Lord Song was simply too fond of his wife. He couldn’t bear to see her suffer even the slightest mishap, so he immediately stopped caring about any Shen Qiyuan or Shen Qijin and carried Zhaoying to find a doctor first.

“Just missing by one incense stick’s time.” Song Zhenshan pinched his thumb and index finger together, clicking his tongue and shaking his head. “If only you had left one incense stick later.”

Left one incense stick later?

Shen Qiyuan clenched his hands.

Today’s events were indeed quite coincidental. Nothing seemed particularly suspicious in any regard, but thinking carefully, what if, as Song Zhenshan said, he had left one incense stick later?

He would have received the palace attendant’s imperial edict. Even if delayed by other matters, with Song Zhenshan coming personally, he would have rushed to the palace. Then Liu Ruyi would have killed everyone around her in her illusion. When he arrived later, what he would have seen were piles of corpses and her, holding Wei Zijue’s body, not knowing what to do.

What should he have done then? What should she have done?

His spine went cold. Shen Qiyuan shook his head. Fortunately, it was one incense stick earlier.

“By the way, what did His Majesty just say that made your expression look so terrible?” Song Zhenshan asked.

Bringing up this topic, Shen Qiyuan lowered his eyelids.

Due to his dual positions in the Bureau of Imperial Clan Affairs and the Ministry of Justice, he had never gotten along well with court officials. Yet His Majesty insisted that he persuade the court ministers to donate grain—ten shi per household for those of fifth rank and above, two shi per household for those below fifth rank—to be used for the relief of refugees and replenishing the national treasury.

On the surface, it was for the benefit of refugees, but in reality, it was guarding against him, fearing that his refugee relief efforts would win too many hearts.

Shen Qiyuan found it absurd. He was merely a minister assisting the ruler—so what if he won hearts? Could he possibly threaten the imperial throne? The current sage didn’t even trust him, let alone those generals who were preparing to support the Nine Rivers border.

This war between the Great Qian and the Great Xia absolutely could not be fought. Once it began, with such a ruler, Great Qian would certainly be defeated.

“Zhenshan,” he said in a heavy voice, “regarding the wall construction at Nine Rivers, I’m afraid you’ll need to make the trip personally.”

Within the limits of mortal capability, they wouldn’t easily use magic. But for Shen Qiyuan to make this request at this time, it wasn’t just to have him supervise construction.

Song Zhenshan’s expression grew serious: “Are you certain, my lord?”

“I trouble you with this.” Shen Qiyuan cupped his hands toward him.

Song Zhenshan nodded without saying much. Immortals could travel a thousand li in a day, so his journey would naturally be swift. However, the city outskirts were currently a troubled area, and he would have to take that same road to leave.

“May I presume to ask,” he raised an eyebrow, “what is the current situation between you and Miss Liu?”

Shen Qiyuan frowned: “What situation could there be? Everything she does goes against me.”

“Then what if she comes to stop me this time, too?”

His aura became agitated. Shen Qiyuan’s gaze darkened, and after a long silence, he said: “What do you think she’s trying to accomplish by doing this?”

“Naturally, she seeks the interests of her demon clan, just like you, maintaining the dignity of the immortals.” Song Zhenshan said. “With different standpoints, we have no reason to say she’s wrong.”

Shen Qiyuan sighed silently.

Somewhere, his divine consciousness suddenly stirred, and he raised his head.

“The previous messengers all failed to get the message out. Elder Sister, please, I beg you—just escort me out of the city outskirts.”

“It’s just ahead.”

His divine consciousness, spread throughout the heavens, heard every word of this lowly demon. Shen Qiyuan inwardly cried out in alarm, pushed open the carriage door, and said to Zhou Tingchuan outside: “Quickly return to that temple.”