Chapter 206 She has no right to stand before me

Seeing his strange expression, the King asked, "What's with that expression?"

Unexpectedly, the cause of this matter fell on him. Bai Xiuming had no choice but to explain: "Some time ago, on my way to the wilderness, Achan and I passed through a village. The villagers had trapped a young dragon, and she couldn't stand it, so she released the dragon."

Upon hearing this, King Ming couldn't help but chuckle: "This girl is quite enthusiastic, better than you."

"Thank you for the praise, Father." Bai Xiuming accepted the praise from the King of Light without any hesitation on behalf of Achan, and then said, "However, such a small matter does not seem to be worth the White Dragon King's personal thanks."

King Ming nodded: "Regardless of his purpose, I will carefully consider this matter."

The emperor is keen to befriend the dragon clan. As long as the White Dragon King's intentions do not harm the interests of the Great Xia Dynasty, this matter has great potential.

Seeing Ming Wang's attitude, Bai Xiuming did not continue speaking.

Two days after the incident at the Marquis of Jinyang's residence, news gradually spread throughout the capital that the Marquis of Jinyang had been arrested for selling official positions. It was said that the Emperor was furious in court and demanded severe punishment. Rumors circulated among the common people that the Marquis of Jinyang would likely face certain death this time.

In the capital, officials were frequently executed and their families wiped out for various crimes. The common people had long been accustomed to this, and the news quickly faded from public attention.

Achan went out of her way to inquire and heard that the Marquis of Jinyang had implicated the entire Ji clan, and that members of the Ji family in Liangzhou had been brought to the capital.

These messages were only meant for outsiders. Even Achan, who knew the inside story, didn't pay much attention to them. Little did she know that news about Marquis Jinyang had already been spread by someone with ulterior motives, and after several twists and turns, it finally reached the territory of the demon race.

The demon race, Liujin Mountain.

There is a palace in Liujin Mountain called Wangu, which was once the residence of the Demon Emperor.

When the Demon Emperor died, his many descendants fought fiercely for control of the Eternal Palace, which eventually led to the intervention of several powerful demons to quell the conflict.

They agreed that whoever was the first among the Demon Queen's descendants to break through to the fifth realm would be qualified to take over the Eternal Palace.

Now, the Demon Emperor is a thing of the past, and of his many offspring, only one remains. Not long ago, the Eternal Palace also welcomed a new master.

Early in the morning, the Wangu Palace was unusually lively.

Several good-looking young men and women sat together, laughing and playing. They looked very similar and were obviously brothers and sisters.

After a while, two figures appeared hand in hand. The group immediately stood up and called out to the two men, "Father, Mother."

"Why are you up so early today?" The one who spoke was a beautiful woman who looked to be only in her early twenties. She had fair skin, delicate features, and an elegant demeanor, and did not look like a mother of five at all.

"Today is Mother's birthday, Father reminded us early on." A pretty young girl approached the woman, took her arm, and grinned at the tall man beside her.

The woman turned to look at the man beside her, her eyes full of smiles.

The man looked down at the woman, their eyes met, and their gazes were full of tenderness.

If Achan were here, she would definitely recognize at a glance that the man's appearance was very similar to that of the young Marquis of Jinyang in Ji Chan's memory, only more refined than before.

The woman spoke, her voice gentle: "Does my husband still remember my birthday?"

"I will never forget the day I met my wife." Ji Heng took the woman's hand. "These children have prepared a surprise for you. Why don't we go and see it together?"

His gaze swept over his two sons and three daughters. Most of the children looked like him, but only his youngest daughter resembled Xueyao the most.

"Mother, Father said that humans make longevity noodles when they celebrate their birthdays. We made noodles for you by hand, you must try them."

The youngest of the five children, a girl, only reached her older siblings' chests, but she was already very sensible. Holding her eldest brother's hand, she spoke earnestly to Princess Xueyao.

"Okay, Mother will go and try it now."

Several children surrounded the couple as they went to eat longevity noodles. The family was happy and harmonious, filling the ancient palace with laughter.

It wasn't until a dark shadow appeared, accompanied by the palace steward, that the family's mood was disturbed.

"Shadow Demon, what brings you here?" Princess Xueyao looked at the shadowy figure she had been brought with her, her beautiful brows furrowing slightly.

The Shadow Demon hesitated and didn't speak immediately. Princess Xueyao waved her hand, and her children who had been surrounding her immediately left, leaving only Ji Heng holding her hand and sitting beside her.

After the young masters left, Ying Yao spoke up: "Princess, something has happened to the junior who was sent to the capital of Great Xia."

"What happened?"

"My junior has been captured by the Great Xia Mingjing Division."

"How is that possible? Could it be that Bai Zhanhuang broke the contract and revealed their whereabouts?" Princess Xueyao's expression changed, as if she had thought of something, and she quickly glanced at Ji Heng.

To date, news of the death of the Northern Wilderness King has not yet spread. She is unaware that her partner has long since become a skeleton. All she remembers is that she placed the Shadow Demon's descendant in the Jinyang Marquis's mansion.

She knew that although her husband had changed his race without hesitation, he still cared about his blood relatives. That's why she had gone to great lengths to find a substitute to uphold the reputation of the Marquis's mansion for him.

Humans are particularly fond of collective punishment, so if the Marquis of Jinyang's mansion is implicated as a result, he will likely be displeased.

After a moment's hesitation, she still asked, "Do you know what happened to the Marquis of Jinyang's residence? Have they been implicated as a result?"

The Shadow Demon glanced at Ji Heng and said, "The news that came in says that the Marquis of Jinyang's entire clan has been arrested for selling official positions."

As soon as he finished speaking, not only Ying Yao, but even Princess Xue Yao felt a chill run down her spine.

Princess Xueyao turned to the side, her face filled with guilt, and said, "Husband, it was my oversight. I'm afraid the Ji family has been implicated because of me."

Seeing that he remained silent, she continued, "I don't think the Emperor of Great Xia will be so ruthless as to exterminate them for this crime. I can send people to rescue them, change their appearance, and resettle them."

After a long silence, Ji Heng finally said, "Forget it. They are just my obsessions. I should have let them go long ago, but they have made you worry about them until now."

“Husband…” Princess Xueyao’s pupils contracted slightly upon hearing his words, her heart seemingly filled with turbulent waves.

She wondered if he knew what she had asked Ji Mo to do.

But after her husband got together with her, he focused solely on cultivation, spending all his other time with her and never paying attention to matters concerning the Great Xia Dynasty. Perhaps she was overthinking it?

Ji Heng grasped her hand in return: "We don't need to concern ourselves with the Ji family's affairs. Life and death are predestined; it's all their fate."

"good."

"...Is that child still alive?"

These seemingly random words startled Princess Xueyao, and she almost instantly knew who Ji Heng was asking about.

It turns out he really did know everything.

Princess Xueyao's expression was somewhat stiff, but she still answered the question: "She is still alive."

She hadn't paid much attention to Ji Chan, but only learned about Ji Chan from Ji Mo when she sent someone over this time. The girl was very resilient and hadn't died.

Too much had happened in the past year, and she had no time to pay attention to Ji Chan, so she let the other person live on.

Ji Heng said calmly, "She is, after all, my first child. Let her fend for herself."

Princess Xueyao's eyes reddened slightly. She nodded and solemnly agreed, "Okay."

Ji Heng turned his head and saw her aggrieved look. He sighed softly, pulled her into his arms, and gently comforted her, "I know I've wronged you, but..."

Princess Xueyao gently shook her head: "I don't feel wronged. I'm just afraid that one day you will leave me and go back to them."

The "them" she was referring to were naturally Lin, Ji Heng's lawfully wedded wife in Da Xia, and their daughter Ji Chan.

Ji Heng's tone was full of helplessness: "You and the children are here, our home is here, how could I leave? To me, they are just like the Ji family, they have nothing to do with me anymore."

"What if you meet her one day?" Princess Xueyao still seemed uneasy.

“Without that day, she would just be an unqualified mortal with a lifespan of no more than sixty or seventy years. She has no right to stand before me, and you never need to take her to heart.” Ji Heng’s words were rational yet exceptionally cold.

Hearing these words of comfort, Princess Xueyao relaxed slightly, and finally seemed to be free from her anxieties.

That evening, the sky over the capital was overcast, and around 7:15 PM, it began to rain. Raindrops fell from the eaves like strings of beads.

It was a sweltering rainy day, so Achan opened the back window and felt a touch of coolness from outside.

After standing by the window for a while, she went behind the screen to take a bath. The sound of water in the bathtub echoed the sound of rain outside the window, masking the slight sound of the door opening.

After she stepped out from behind the screen with her wet hair gathered up, she realized there was another person in the room.

Bai Xiuming sat in front of the dressing table, still holding her comb in his hand, seemingly waiting to comb her hair.

Ah Chan slowly walked towards him, bringing a faint fragrance with her as she reached his side.

"Why are you here today? Have you finished investigating the case?"

"More or less," Bai Xiuming replied casually, his eyes fixed only on A Chan's figure.

She wore only a light purple undershirt and a matching long skirt underneath, with a thin outer blouse. When she raised her arm to wipe her hair, the sleeves bunched up at her elbows, revealing a section of her snow-white, lotus-root-like arm.

Bai Xiuming stared at her for a while, then reached out and grasped her forearm. The delicate and soft touch made him hesitant to use force. He simply pulled her gently onto his lap.

Achan was pulled into his arms and did not struggle; she simply adjusted herself into a more comfortable position.

Bai Xiuming gently dried her wet hair, combing each strand after it was dried to make it smoother.

Achan leaned lazily against him, already used to his service.

"Now that the case is almost solved, what's the answer I need?" She rested her head on his shoulder, not forgetting to ask about the important matter.

"Don't rush," Bai Xiuming said calmly. "I'll tell you everything you want to know."

Achan raised her head slightly: "Then let's talk about the princess first. Who is she?"

“Princess Xueyao is suspected to be the last offspring of the Demon Emperor,” Bai Xiuming replied succinctly.

"A descendant of the Demon Emperor?" Achan seemed unconvinced and asked him again to confirm.

"Um."

A strange light flashed in Achan's eyes; this was an unexpected gain. The Demon Emperor actually had descendants still alive.

"What about Ji Heng? How is he?"

"Ji Heng has changed his bloodline and become a half-demon, and recently successfully advanced to the fifth realm. He should be in the Liujin Mountain of the demon race now."

A hint of realization crossed Achan's brow as she murmured, "The Fifth Realm? That's quite unexpected."