Chapter 128

When news broke that Ling Qingxiao was going to Wuyou City, the entire court was stunned. A flood of memorials arrived immediately:
“Your Majesty must reconsider. Wuyou City may not answer to the Demon King, but it is still within demon territory. With the war hanging on a knife’s edge, your presence there could provoke suspicion or ambition from our enemies.”
“We implore Your Majesty to think twice!”
Ling Qingxiao knew full well how inappropriate this was. He wasn’t worried for his safety, his cultivation now surpassed most beings in the Six Realms. Neither Wuyou City nor the Demon Realm could touch him.
What gnawed at him was his own conscience.
Delegating this task was easy. He had loyal subordinates, a realm full of capable spies. The Celestial Court’s affairs were numerous and demanding. The battlefield needed leadership. These were his responsibilities. How could he abandon them to chase down leads in a place like Wuyou City?
Even he found himself wondering, had he gone mad?
That day, when Luo Han had suggested it, he’d agreed as though in a trance. Long after she left, he was still trying to understand why. What exactly was he doing?
But Ling Qingxiao was not someone who broke his word. If he gave a promise, he would see it through.
“A mere City Lord of Wuyou is of no consequence,” Ling Qingxiao said coldly. “My will is decided. You need not advise further.”
If Luo Han was to go to Wuyou City, then Ling Qingxiao would personally see her there. He couldn’t entrust her safety to anyone else. If something were to happen on the road to the Heavenly Dao, it wouldn’t be a small matter.
As for whether they were traveling deep into enemy territory...that had never been part of Ling Qingxiao’s consideration.
The officials saw his unwavering stance and no longer dared object. They could only scramble to prepare security for the journey. Yet even then, Ling Qingxiao refused to take a full guard. In the end, he selected only ten people, light, efficient, silent.
The ministers of the Three Pure Heavens were practically in mourning. For years, their emperor had been steady and rational. What possessed him to act so recklessly now? While gloom hung over the Heavenly Palace, Ling Qingxiao worked tirelessly for days, sorting urgent matters and carving out a brief window for their journey.
He didn’t want a grand procession. The less attention, the better. His own safety didn’t matter, but Luo Han’s did. The world was still at war, and Luo Han’s identity was far too sensitive. She wasn’t yet strong enough to protect herself, and secrecy was their best shield.
On the day of departure, Ling Qingxiao stood by the gates waiting. When Luo Han emerged, she spotted him immediately and trotted over with a bright smile.
“All ready! Let’s go!”
Her tone was too casual, too familiar, as if they had known each other for years. The guards behind her paused, stunned. Even Ling Qingxiao found himself momentarily taken aback.
Then, like a tide crashing in, a memory surged through his mind, delicate palaces rising on either side, maidservants bustling past, a wooden door creaking open behind him. He turned instinctively, catching someone mid-fall, not even needing to look.
A soft voice teased him as a warm hand wrapped around his fingers. “Did I keep you waiting? I’m ready now. Let’s go.”
He couldn’t make out her face, but her silhouette felt so achingly familiar. Back in the present, Luo Han stood one step away from him, not falling, not clutching his hand. The vision shattered.
Ling Qingxiao blinked, trying to ground himself. What is happening to me?
He smoothed over his brief lapse and said calmly, “No matter. I arrived early. Miss L-”
Before he could finish, Luo Han shot him a warning glare.
Ling Qingxiao, remembering their earlier agreement, reluctantly changed course: “Miss Luo Han, shall we?”
Although Ling Qingxiao had already arranged every detail of the journey, caution was still paramount. Along the way, they obviously couldn’t go around calling each other “Celestial Emperor” or “Heavenly Dao.”
At Luo Han’s insistence, he agreed to call her by name.
The first time Ling Qingxiao spoke the name “Luo Han,” a strange sense of familiarity stirred within him. As though it were a name he had known for lifetimes, spoken countless times in dreams, echoing softly from some hidden place within him that had always been calling out for it.
Though Luo Han wasn’t thrilled with him still tacking on “Miss” when addressing her, the fact that he was now using her actual name was already progress. She let it slide and smiled. “Let’s head out, then.”
Ling Qingxiao nodded and gestured for her to board the flying vessel first. He followed, with guards bringing up the rear. Luo Han had always suspected the Heavenly Palace was wealthy, now she was sure of it.
The vessel used for the Emperor’s discreet inspection tour was a luxury beyond her imagination. Its speed and comfort far surpassed anything she’d seen before. From the outside, it looked modest, but inside, it was vast and sophisticated. There were sections for rest, administration, meetings, even cultivation, and naturally, no shortage of entertainment devices.
Being rich is so nice, Luo Han thought.
She had her own private room. No one disturbed her along the way. With no Ling Qingxiao breathing down her neck to study or meditate, she even managed to play with her spiritual tablet for a whole hour and was shocked she got away with it.
Maybe she was just used to being under supervision. Now that she had a taste of freedom again, it actually felt…unsettling. After completing her routine system tasks and tapping through every interface in boredom, Luo Han wandered out in search of Ling Qingxiao.
After all, they had spent so many years practically joined at the hip, sudden distance didn’t sit right.
—
Ling Qingxiao was in the study, working through memorials.
His suite was spacious and elegant, equipped with everything: a cultivation chamber, a private bedroom, and this study. Not that he used the others, Ling QingXiaolived in the study. As he wrote, he heard a familiar set of footsteps. Few dared disturb him, and fewer still would dare come at this hour. Only one person fit both.
With a sigh, he set his brush aside just as a soft knock came at the door.
“Ling Qingxiao? Are you in there?”
With a wave of his sleeve, the door opened on its own. He stepped into the outer chamber. “What matter brings the Heavenly Dao to my study?”
Luo Han raised a brow. “What did you just call me?”
Ling Qingxiao paused, then corrected himself with a touch of restraint. “Miss Luo Han.”
Satisfied, she strolled into his room like she owned the place. A quick glance told her he had been working, ink and brush still freshly placed.
She didn’t know what to say at first. Being hardworking was good, but this...was he taking it too far? Ling Qingxiao seemed to have no life outside official duties, he’d let them swallow everything else. That couldn’t be healthy.
Looking around at the sterile, lifeless space, Luo Han asked, “It’s nearly noon. Have you eaten?”
Ling Qingxiao raised a brow, visibly caught off guard. One look at his expression told Luo Han the answer. She sighed. “Work is important, but even emperors need a life outside of scrolls and seals.”
As she spoke, she reached forward to take his hand, but stopped abruptly when her fingers brushed the edge of his sleeve. Both froze, the moment turning awkward. Ling Qingxiao moved to pour tea, casually smoothing over the misstep.
Luo Han withdrew her hand, letting out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. She kept slipping up, forgetting this version of him didn’t know her, not like her Ling Qingxiao did. But how could she help it? They were the same man.
She’d seen who he became after thousands of years of life. Now, seeing him here, so near, yet a stranger, was like living inside a memory that hadn’t happened yet.
Ling Qingxiao set a jade cup before her, choosing not to mention the awkward moment. “You haven’t eaten either?”
“Nope,” Luo Han replied brightly. “I’m starving. Let’s eat together.”
Such a simple request.
Ling Qingxiao had long ceased to think about meals or sleep, those mundane concerns were meaningless to someone like him. But Luo Han was still young. She needed nourishment. After a brief internal struggle, he nodded. “Very well.”
—
When the guards were notified that His Majesty would be taking a meal, they nearly fainted. No one dared take it lightly. The palace kitchen scrambled to prepare the best, delivering dishes straight to the Emperor’s quarters.
The lead bodyguard entered with a solemn face, incense burning in his hands as if attending a sacred rite. He knocked with the gravity of an imperial rite. “Your Majesty, your meal is ready.”
A few moments later, a cool and composed voice responded from within. “Enter.”
He stepped inside with reverence only to freeze. There was someone else in the room.
That mysterious woman. The one whose identity no one knew, who had followed His Majesty from the beginning of this strange journey. She was still here.
The guard was stunned. He quickly lowered his gaze and retreated. Behind him, the attendants moved like clockwork, setting down tea, plates, and dishes with practiced grace.
Ling Qingxiao hadn’t paid attention when the menu was chosen, but now, seeing the spread before him, he noticed something odd.
Half of the dishes were exactly to his taste.
It wasn’t public knowledge, he had deliberately concealed every personal preference since the day he ascended the throne. Even his closest guards didn’t know what he liked. But Luo Han did.
The attendants finished laying out the food and silently withdrew.
Luo Han picked up a white jade bowl of Wutong dew soup and placed it in front of him. “This is the best season for phoenix tree nectar. Try it, it’s fresh.”
The bodyguard had been about to exit but halted, frowning. He opened his mouth to object then watched, stunned, as His Majesty took the bowl from her hands and set it before himself.
He didn’t refuse. He didn’t flinch. The jade cup she had touched now sat calmly in front of him. The bodyguard nearly dropped his sword.
Wasn’t the Emperor famous for his detachment? For refusing contact with anything touched by outsiders? And now he’d just accepted a drink she’d handled?
Reeling from shock, the guard stood frozen until Ling QingXiaolifted his gaze with a quiet glance. Snapping back to reality, the man bowed deeply and retreated, silent as a ghost.
Once the attendants had left, Luo Han relaxed, growing more casual in her speech. She noticed Ling Qingxiao set the phoenix dew aside and asked, “What’s wrong? Don’t like it?”
Caught under her gaze, Ling Qingxiao gave in and picked up the cup, taking a small, perfunctory sip. He hadn’t intended to drink more than that, but the moment the dew touched his lips, he was genuinely surprised. It was...quite good.
Luo Han, who knew him far too well, caught the subtle shift in his expression instantly. She beamed. “Not bad, right? I got the recipe specially from Feng Yujia. This brew is the most authentic you’ll find.”
The mention of that name gave her pause. Something flickered in her memory. She asked, “Feng Yuchen...does he have an older sister named Feng Yujia?”
Ling Qingxiao, ever disciplined, never allowed himself indulgence. Even if he liked something, he wouldn’t go back for seconds. He set the cup down and replied calmly, “Yes. The phoenix clan has a prince and a princess. The elder daughter is named Feng Yujia, the younger son Feng Yuchen.”
Luo Han made a thoughtful sound as she picked at her food. Then, with careful nonchalance, she asked, “What do you think of Feng Yujia?”
Ling Qingxiao considered it. He had seen the phoenix royals only once at his coronation. The queen had brought both children to attend, and he had spared them only a passing glance. Neither left much impression. It wasn’t until Feng Yuchen threw his lot in with the demon race over Yun Menghan that the name had stuck.
“I’ve met her once. Don’t know her well. Why do you ask?”
“I was thinking,” Luo Han said, her tone deceptively light, “since Feng Yuchen holds himself so far above the mortal realm and sees the Celestial Realm as unworthy of his oh-so-pure love, perhaps we should relieve him of his worldly duties. Let him go chase his love without distractions.”
“…Hmm?”
“Strip him of his title as Crown Prince of the Phoenix Clan,” Luo Han said plainly. “Let Feng Yujia inherit the throne. She’s steady, kind, and thoughtful, much more fit to rule than he is.”
For Ling Qingxiao, such a decision was as simple as a single word. He nodded. “Very well. I’ll have someone monitor Wuzhou. If Feng Yujia is willing, then the phoenix clan shall have a new heir.”
The Phoenix Queen and Feng Yuchen had both been treading on thin ice. Ling Qingxiao didn’t particularly care about some minor princeling from Wuzhou. Out of regard for their dwindling numbers, he had tolerated Feng Yuchen’s reckless fraternization with the demon race.
But every emperor’s patience has its limit.
He had waited for the Phoenix Queen to rein in her son, but nothing changed. In truth, she had tried. But years of indulgence had left Feng Yuchen arrogant and defiant. He’d never listened to her, why would he start now?
In that case, it was time for a change in leadership. Hopefully, the next Phoenix Princess would be more perceptive and more capable.
Feng Yuchen remained blissfully unaware that, in the span of a single conversation, he’d lost his crown.
Luo Han, satisfied at having “taken care” of him, was in good spirits. Pity that Feng Yujia in this timeline didn’t recognize her. Even if she visited Wuzhou now, they’d pass each other like strangers. What a strange and lonely thought.
Ling Qingxiao, on the other hand, wasn’t particularly concerned about Feng Yuchen. What piqued his curiosity more was why Luo Han had said such things. He caught the subtle change in her expression and asked, “You know Feng Yujia?”
“Yes. I met her during my travels,” Luo Han replied, then sighed. “But she doesn’t remember me. A lot of people don’t.”
She cast a sidelong glance at Ling Qingxiao, the worst offender of all. He dropped his gaze, and unbidden, the words of Xiezhi echoed in his mind.
You and she are bound by karma.
Could it be...in her story, they had once known each other too?
Luo Han noticed him spacing out, eyes fixed on his untouched dishes. Worried, she coaxed and cajoled him into eating at least a little.
More and more, she realized that a person’s nature truly did persist through time. Even after millennia had passed, even if he had changed beyond recognition, as long as she was persistent enough, Ling Qingxiao still couldn’t refuse her.
And the moment she discovered this loophole, Luo Han began to exploit it mercilessly.
Whenever she guessed it was time for him to rest, she would show up uninvited, dragging him into conversation and conveniently sharing his meals. With food this good, how could she resist? Ling Qingxiao barely ate; most of the spread ended up in her stomach.
The imperial guards aboard the vessel had gone from shock to numbness. They had long since accepted it: their cold, untouchable, godlike Emperor was soft toward a particular girl. He not only dined with her, he accompanied her. Willingly.
Every time they delivered food, the sight was the same: His Majesty seated beside her, silent but present.
It was a good thing, really. At least now he ate something.
Before this, Ling Qingxiao had been a force of nature, more divine than man, seeming to require neither food nor rest. That sort of detachment won the admiration of the masses, but among those who served him daily, it was concerning.
He was powerful, yes, but still mortal. No being could go on forever without pause.
Ling Qingxiao was not blind. He could sense the subtle shift in his retinue, and he could only feel...helpless. He wasn’t an easy man to sway. But this was Luo Han, the Heavenly Dao herself. He couldn’t scold her. Couldn’t fight her. Couldn’t throw her out.
He still remembered the time he failed to respond to her “good night.” She’d sulked for days. Even in her dreams, she complained. What else could he do but give in?
Strangely enough, the more she showed up, the more accustomed he became to her presence. Eventually, he found himself adjusting his schedule, pushing back memorials, delaying urgent responses.
Almost like clockwork, the sound of familiar footsteps would arrive.
Without realizing it, he had carved out a place for “Luo Han” in his day.
The journey itself was smooth and uneventful. Before long, they reached the exclusive airspace of Wuyou City.
A hub of underground dealings, Wuyou was independent in all but name. It lay beyond the Demon Realm’s control and operated under its own lawless authority. Even now, in the midst of a war between the realms, Ling Qingxiao’s vessel slipped seamlessly into demonic territory.
Wuyou City was just ahead. Luo Han gathered her things, ready to disembark. Ling Qingxiao was already waiting at the door, and just before she left, he handed her a veiled hat.
Luo Han stared at the familiar object in surprise. “Why are you giving me this?”
Ling Qingxiao said, “Wuyou City isn’t exactly a safe place. It’s best to keep your face hidden—just in case.”
That same line. Not a word different. Luo Han sighed inwardly and took the hat, pulling it over her head.
Ling Qingxiao’s way of expressing concern was...unconventional. For him, this was as good as saying “Take care.” Luo Han had worn this veil for a long time in the past. Slipping it on again felt oddly natural.
He had already arranged their lodgings. When they arrived, Luo Han took in the elegant, orderly courtyard and caught a whiff of a very familiar scent.
She asked, “You bought this place?”
Ling Qingxiao gave a quiet nod. She had nothing left to say. As expected—it reeked of money.
They had just arrived in Wuyou City. Today would be for rest; tomorrow they’d begin gathering information.
As soon as she entered the courtyard, Luo Han flipped her veil up and looked around. “No wonder it’s as renowned as Da Ming City—definitely prosperous. But everyone has their specialty. Wuyou may be bustling, but when it comes to brothels and gambling halls, it still falls short of Ming City.”
She sounded dead serious. Ling Qingxiao glanced at her as they walked through the corridor. “You’ve been to Da Ming City?”
Brothels and gambling halls?
“Of course.” Luo Han answered without thinking. “Don’t you remember-”
She caught herself mid-sentence. The one who’d gone with her...wasn’t this version of Ling Qingxiao.
She swallowed the rest of her words and murmured, “Forget it. I must be remembering wrong.”
Ling Qingxiao didn’t press the slip. He simply said, “No wonder you were so eager to visit Wuyou City. Couldn’t stop you if I tried. You’re young, why do you always end up in places like this?”
Luo Han didn’t like that tone. She immediately pushed back, righteously: “Who said that? We were on a mission, for the peace of the Six Realms! We found the Demon-Sealing Stone in Da Ming City, remember? I had to tail someone, and the brothel was the only way in. And besides, I wasn’t alone!”
That last bit gave Ling Qingxiao the answer he hadn’t asked for. So...it was the same person she’d been longing for. Her so-called destined partner from the future.
A strange feeling rose within him. She’d been chattering nonstop by his side lately, and he’d grown used to it, almost comforted by the noise. But it turned out, the person in her heart...had never been him?
Ling Qingxiao fell silent.
Luo Han didn’t notice. As they strolled through the corridor, she recalled the times they had traveled together in the past. Back then, Ling Qingxiao had also purchased estates everywhere they went, refusing to stay in inns. She smiled at the memory and said lightly, “When I traveled with a friend, he used to do this too. He wouldn’t stay in guesthouses, always bought a house instead. And not just any house, it had to be big. We once stopped in a small city in the middle of winter. There was this beautiful lake that never froze, and after snowfall, irises would bloom along the banks. The city was called…”
She trailed off, unable to recall the name.
Ling Qingxiao supplied smoothly, “Lingjiang City.”
Luo Han paused, startled. “How do you know?”
Ling Qingxiao hesitated, then answered mildly, “I’m the Celestial Emperor.”
“…Oh.” Luo Han knocked herself lightly on the forehead. She’d almost forgotten, of course he knew. As ruler of the entire Celestial Realm, how could he not be familiar with every corner of his domain?
She sighed. “It must be nice, knowing so much. You’re just like him.”
‘Just like him.’ Ling Qingxiao caught it immediately.
So her so-called fiance was also well-versed in astronomy and geography?
Being compared to an unknown man, especially one Luo Han so clearly admired, was not a pleasant feeling.
And truth be told, Ling Qingxiao had seen his share of so-called geniuses in the immortal world. But those with knowledge and memory rivaling his could be counted on one hand, and that included ancient beings like the Xuan Turtle. If this mysterious fiance truly had such breadth of knowledge...there was no way Ling Qingxiao wouldn’t know him.
Then, with a strange twist in his chest, he asked coolly, “You bring up your fiance often. May I ask, how old is he?”
As if someone like that could be compared to me?