Chapter 135

The group tensed as if facing death itself. But Ling Qingxiao’s expression remained cold. He didn’t spare them even a glance.
His gaze was fixed solely on Luo Han. He reached out a hand. She lifted her skirt hem with one hand and stepped into the moonlight, her movement graceful and familiar as she threw herself into his arms.
“You came.”
Ling Qingxiao grasped her hand and immediately pulled her behind him. Only then did he finally turn, sweeping a frigid, disdainful glance across the crowd.
“You dare lay hands on the Heavenly Dao. Bold, aren’t you?”
Luo Han quickly spoke up to prevent misunderstanding:
“I was just curious what they were plotting. I followed them out of interest, nothing more.”
Ye Zhongyu and the others looked like they’d just swallowed bitter medicine. Their faces contorted with disbelief, frustration, and speechlessness. Ling Qingxiao glanced over her from head to toe.
“Are you hurt?”
“Of course not.” Luo Han’s tone was dismissive. “They’re useless. Fighting them was boring.”
Ling Qingxiao nodded. “If you want a sparring partner, once we’re back in the Celestial Palace, I’ll practice with you.”
Silence. Complete and utter silence.
Ye Zhongyu and the others were boiling with the rage of betrayal and the sting of being dismissed outright. Even the guards who had followed Feng Yujia were frozen in disbelief.
Did they just hear what they thought they heard? Feng Yujia, however, had sharp instincts. A single glance told her it was time to retreat, lingering any longer might provoke the Celestial Emperor’s wrath.
She raised a hand, and a flash of crimson light shot from her palm, binding Feng Yuchen in a brilliant red ribbon. He didn’t even have time to react before the cord snapped tight around him. He thrashed furiously, but she remained unmoved, flicking her fingers and yanking him away from the group.
Her guards rushed forward to secure him. Feng Yuchen, once a pampered prince adored by all, had never been treated this way. He struggled wildly and shouted,
“Let go of me! I’m the Crown Prince! How dare you? Once I return, I’ll have Mother punish you all!”
If only he’d paid more attention to Wuzhou’s internal affairs, he might have noticed that half of the faces in the royal guard were new. The former guard had served the Phoenix Queen; now, they answered to Feng Yujia alone. The moment he spoke, the guards’ expressions darkened. Years of frustration resurfaced, the humiliation the Princess had endured to clean up his messes, now finally vindicated.
The lead female warrior sneered and gripped him tighter.
“The young master’s filial piety is touching, but as of today, Wuzhou has no Crown Prince. Her Majesty has ascended and named no heir. You are now a commoner. Her Majesty may still call you ‘brother,’ but you, sir, owe her a bow.”
“Silence.”
Feng Yujia’s gaze swept over them like frost, her presence regal and commanding.
“You are before the Celestial Emperor. Mind your manners. Take him away. Watch him closely. Don’t let him cause further disruption.”
The guards saluted in unison. Feng Yuchen tried to shout, but his mouth was sealed. Years of lax cultivation had left him powerless. He was dragged off, head bowed and humiliated.
Yun Menghan was stunned. She took a few steps after him in panic.
“What are you doing? Even if the Phoenix Queen has changed, he’s still your Crown Prince! How can you treat him like this?”
Before she could get far, a red ribbon shot out and blocked her path. Its end curled gently in Feng Yujia’s palm. Her voice was cool:
“Consort of the Demon King, please watch yourself. The Phoenix Clan has only one mate in a lifetime. Feng Yuchen is unmarried, but you are not. You belong to another. Please do not entangle yourself with him further.”
The words hit Yun Menghan like a hammer to the chest. Her face turned ghostly pale. Her body trembled from shame. Feng Yuchen, hearing his sister insult Yun Menghan, struggled even harder, his muffled cries furious but ineffective.
Yun Menghan stood frozen, humiliated and devastated. Her limbs barely held her weight. The Red Lotus Demon King narrowed his eyes and took a menacing step forward.
“The lowly Phoenix Clan dares to disgrace my Menghan? Very well. I will raze your nest to the ground and make you pay dearly for your insolence.”
Feng Yujia merely let out a soft chuckle in response. Her smile was poised and dignified as she nodded slightly to the Red Lotus Demon King.
“My, what bold words from the Demon King. In that case, I’ll be watching closely.”
The demon clans had never abided by any moral code. The Red Lotus Demon King, in particular, had always acted on whim. Seeing the Phoenix Clan maintain their dismissive calm only fueled the fire in his chest.
“I’ve said it before,” he growled, voice low and deadly.
“If anyone dares harm her, I will slaughter the world. You slight her with your tongues, then I shall burn the entire Phoenix Clan to ash!”
Luo Han gave a soft hmm, her smile pleasant.
“What was that? Care to repeat yourself?”
Before the words had even settled, Ling Qingxiao struck.
He moved with no warning, delivering a single palm strike that landed squarely on his chest. The Red Lotus Demon King hadn’t even had time to dodge. He was sent flying, crashing violently into a tree, coughing up blood on impact. Yun Menghan shrieked and rushed to his side in panic.
The rest of their group instantly tensed, drawing their best protective talismans and weapons, eyes glued to Ling QingXiaolike a pack of cornered beasts. Ling Qingxiao retracted his hand, his gaze calm and frosty.
“To disregard the lives of the people, whether celestial or mortal is to disrespect this sovereign. If you wish to harm those under my protection, you’ll need to get through me first.”
Feng Yujia quietly exhaled. When the King had threatened to destroy the Phoenix Clan, she hadn’t been fazed. Though not known for brute strength, the Phoenix Clan wasn’t helpless. But if the Yao King turned his wrath on isolated individuals...that could become a problem.
Fortunately, Ling Qingxiao didn’t act often, but when he did, it was decisive.
That single strike not only crushed the Red Lotus Demon King, but also served as a warning to Ye Zhongyu, and a great reassurance to the Phoenix retinue. The Phoenix Clan may not be warriors. But their Emperor certainly was.
Having seen all she needed to see, Feng Yujia stepped forward and bowed.
“Your Majesty, my younger brother has been foolish and caused you trouble. I’ve apprehended him and will keep him strictly confined. You need not worry.”
Ling Qingxiao responded without emotion.
“Since he cannot discern right from wrong, then don’t let him out again. Should he find his way back into demonic ranks, he may not escape the charge of treason.”
Feng Yujia froze slightly, then bowed deeper.
“Understood.”
Just a few words from the Celestial Emperor had already sealed Feng Yuchen’s fate. He would live the rest of his life confined within the palace, stripped of freedom. And the one in power...would be the very sister he once tried to dethrone. But he still had his life.
To Feng Yujia, that was already more mercy than most would have expected. After all, that same hand had just nearly shattered the Yao King with a single blow. If it had landed on Feng Yuchen…what she dragged home would not have been a prisoner, but a corpse.
Feng Yujia had no complaints. She bowed again to take her leave. As she turned, her gaze swept unconsciously toward the woman standing beside Ling Qingxiao. Their eyes met. The woman smiled.
Her eyes were stunning—breathtakingly beautiful—and in that instant, Feng Yujia felt a strange sense of familiarity, as though she were reuniting with a long-lost friend. But they had never met.
Perhaps...this was what mortals called “a meeting of souls.”
She didn’t have time to dwell on it. She noticed Ling Qingxiao’s eyes narrow slightly—clearly displeased with her looking at Luo Han for so long. Feng Yujia immediately lowered her gaze and left, dragging Feng Yuchen behind her.
As she departed, the rest of the group, seeing their chance, quietly slipped away, escaping in streaks of spiritual light, demonic aura, and phantom mist.
Luo Han watched them vanish into the night, then turned to Ling Qingxiao.
“You’re not going after them?”
Just letting them run? Ling Qingxiao took her hand and said calmly,
“No rush. Let’s go. We still need to head to the Underworld.”
Back at the River of Forgetfulness, things had changed.
This time, the opposite bank was crowded with souls.
At their head stood the Emperor of the Underworld. Upon seeing Ling Qingxiao, he immediately knelt with his host of spirits.
“Greetings, Your Majesty.”
Though Ling Qingxiao was the Celestial Emperor, the heavens, the mortal realm, and the underworld now all fell under the jurisdiction of the Celestial Palace. Just as mortal kings bowed before him, so too did the Ghost Emperor, despite ruling an entire realm.
Ling Qingxiao gave a slight nod.
“No need for ceremony. This is a private visit, no official matters. No need for fanfare. You may all return to your duties.”
The Ghost Emperor didn’t dare relax. Private visit? If we don't handle this properly, who among us will sleep soundly tonight?
Though the Celestial Emperor said not to cause a scene, the Ghost Emperor wouldn’t dare greet him too casually, nor could he go against his word. So, he chose a middle path: subtle elegance.
The boat Luo Han and Ling Qingxiao rode morphed into an ornate pleasure barge. The waters glistened with eerie clarity. Banks lined with vast fields of blooming red spider lilies. Ethereal spirits danced through the flowers, beautiful and silent.
The Underworld, it seemed, was a land of serene prosperity. Luo Han grew bored quickly.
She returned to the cabin to find Ling Qingxiao sipping tea, serene as ever. She sat beside him.
“Aren’t you here to inspect the Underworld in secret? Shouldn’t you at least look around?”
Ling Qingxiao swirled his cup slowly, his slender fingers elegant and precise.
“There’s nothing worth seeing. I’ve seen places like this a thousand times. I don’t need to step outside to know exactly what’s there.”
He raised the cup, only to find Luo Han staring at his hand. He paused, glanced at the cup. Simple porcelain. Plain glaze. Ordinary tea.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Is there something wrong with the tea?”
“No,” Luo Han said, gently taking his other hand.
“I was admiring your hands. Much prettier than any porcelain.”
Smooth-talking flirt. Ling Qingxiao’s face remained impassive, but a glint of amusement flashed through his eyes. He let her hold his hand without protest.
Meanwhile, far behind them, Ye Zhongyu and the rest had each burned through their life-saving treasures. They didn’t stop running until they were absolutely sure no one was chasing them anymore. Only then did they finally dare to breathe again.
During the escape, everyone had scrambled for their own lives. Only once they were safely away did someone finally ask,
"Red Lotus Demon King, how are your injuries?"
The Red Lotus Demon King shook his head, just that small movement caused him to turn and spit out another mouthful of blood.
The High Priest of the Wu Tribe immediately began casting a healing spell. But the difference in constitution between shamans and demons meant his arts had little effect, better than nothing, but far from enough.
This was the High Priest's first time witnessing Ling Qingxiao’s power firsthand. He looked at the King's battered state in disbelief.
“Did Ling Qingxiao use some underhanded trick during his strike? How could the damage be this severe?”
Ye Zhongyu let out a heavy breath.
“His cultivation has advanced again.”
The moment he said it, silence fell across the group. The High Priest frowned, still struggling to accept the truth.
“But we left so easily, he didn’t stop us at all.”
“Not because he couldn't,” Ye Zhongyu said darkly, “but because he chose not to. He was too preoccupied with seducing the Heavenly Dao to reveal his full strength. Our escape seemed smooth, but don’t get comfortable. For all we know, his forces are already on our trail.”
Everyone nodded quickly in agreement. Yun Menghan, wiping blood from the Red Lotus Demon King’s lips, looked up anxiously.
“But Feng Yuchen...he was taken. We can’t just abandon him, we have to rescue him!”
At her words, neither Ye Zhongyu nor the High Priest responded. Feng Yuchen was captured by his own sister. If one were to be blunt, it was a family matter. What did that have to do with them?
Yun Menghan had assumed the others shared her concern. But when she spoke, not a single person echoed her. Even the High Priest frowned instead and asked,
“Ling Qingxiao possesses tremendous power and absolute authority. I had hoped the Heavenly Dao would act as a counterbalance. But it seems...she has chosen to aid tyranny. What are we supposed to do now?”
Ye Zhongyu let out a cold laugh.
“The Heavenly Dao’s partiality is something I’ve long sensed.” He reached into his storage ring and pulled out a strange insect.
“Fortunately, I prepared for this. Since heaven is unjust and treats all creation like pawns, then I, Ye Zhongyu, shall rebel against it.”
“Demon Lord, you…”
Ye Zhongyu's smile was chilling as he released the insect. It vanished into the surrounding foliage in an instant.
“The move has already begun. The team sent to retrieve the artifact from the underworld, they should have reached their destination by now.”
Yun Menghan still looked dazed, not quite understanding. But the High Priest suddenly stiffened. He understood.
“You planned this all along.”
Ye Zhongyu had divided his forces from the start, one path in the open, following him to "rescue" the Heavenly Dao, and another in secret, slipping into the underworld to retrieve the divine weapon the High Priest had once mentioned.
He had never truly intended to rescue the Heavenly Dao. That entire operation had been a smokescreen, meant only to distract Ling Qingxiao and buy time for the covert strike team.
Winning the Heavenly Dao’s favor was merely a bonus. If it worked, good. If not, it was already expected. Because his greatest weapon had never been divine favor. It had always been himself. Relying on others was unreliable. Ye Zhongyu preferred to wield power with his own hands.
His expression twisted into a cold, certain grin.
“All's fair in war. Ling Qingxiao...you’ve been played.”
The High Priest looked at Ye Zhongyu and felt a chill spread through his chest. His people lived in isolation. Most of the Wu Tribe were simple and kind. Even he, raised as their spiritual leader and trained to be cautious, had a heart that leaned toward good.
To him, the world had always been black and white. Good was good. Evil was evil. Ling Qingxiao, with his tyranny and warmongering, was evil, so his opponents, naturally, had to be righteous. It had never crossed his mind that the ones he thought of as virtuous might also lie, cheat, and scheme.
Righteous armies were supposed to be noble and upright. It was villains, it was monsters, who plotted in the shadows. His beliefs shattered.
Yun Menghan, oblivious to the political scheming around her, was still focused on one thing.
“What about Feng Yuchen?” she asked again, distressed.
“We can’t just leave him there. We have to go after him.”
No one replied. Too much had happened tonight. With the Red Lotus Demon King badly injured, Ye Zhongyu soon found a safe place for the group to rest.
Yun Menghan continued to plead for Feng Yuchen’s rescue, but this time, the High Priest didn’t respond. Her innocence, once endearing to him, now felt like a bitter contrast to the storm inside his heart. He quietly slipped away and knelt in a secluded corner to pray.
This was his tribe’s daily ritual. But tonight, he couldn’t focus. His mind was in turmoil. After a long while, he finally drew a breath and retrieved his oracle bones. He began a divination, murmuring,
“Oh spirits, grant me clarity. Why is the Heavenly Dao unjust? Why does war persist? Why must my people suffer annihilation? This humble servant begs your mercy. Let peace return to the earth. Let hearts return to the purity of the ancient age.”
—
Meanwhile…
Luo Han and Ling Qingxiao continued their “private tour,” drifting along the river in search of the stone left behind by Nuwa. That night, they stayed in a fortress by the water’s edge. In the Underworld, there was no day or night, only endless shadow. The eternal river flowed, and amidst fields of burning-red manjusaka, the fortress rose like a spear into the sky, its spires sharp and mournful.
Even the doors groaned as they opened.
Luo Han disliked the gloomy architecture, but this was the Underworld, every building followed the same style. The Ghost Emperor had gone to great lengths to arrange their lodging. She didn’t feel it appropriate to complain.
Her room was on the upper floor. When she opened the window, she saw a sea of blood-colored blossoms and the blue-green flow of the River of Forgetfulness. It was eerie. If Ling Qingxiao weren’t just next door, she might not have dared stay alone.
After a full day on the boat, she changed out of her travel robes and prepared for rest. But just before sleep, she habitually opened her spiritual interface. And saw a strange prayer.
Luo Han looked at the sender’s name, and smiled faintly.
“Let’s see...who’s come to lodge a complaint against this official?”