Qingfeng

The capital city remains as prosperous as ever, bustling with traffic and people.

The woman in blue robes and a bamboo hat walked through the bustling crowd, her aura no different from that of an ordinary female doctor. However, the fan pendant at her waist tapped lightly with each step, spreading out an almost imperceptible spiritual aura that drove away the surrounding filth and sickness.

She didn't rush into the city, but instead found a mixed-race restaurant and ordered a table of food and drinks from the next table. While waiting for the food, she closed her eyes and pretended to sleep, but her divine sense quietly spread out, searching for rumors, suspicious forces, and any clues about Yun Shu in the city.

What I heard was largely the same as what I had heard in the teahouse before: praising the emperor, pitying the fox spirit, and denouncing the demon lord. The sincerity of their words and the genuineness of their emotions made it seem as if I had seen and heard it with my own eyes and ears.

It seems a bit too deliberate.

"Sir, your food and drinks are ready."

"Yes, just put it down."

"Alright, please enjoy your meal, sir."

The waiter went off to the rhythm of the songs and drums. She listened intently and soon realized that the songstress's lyrics were also related to this matter, not to mention the storyteller tapping his folding fan.

From beggars on the street to princes and noblemen, from singers to young ladies in their boudoirs... everyone was talking about the fox spirit being attacked.

"...It's strange, but in the past, when I went to the Fox Fairy Temple, I always felt refreshed and relaxed. But these past few days, I've been inexplicably feeling palpitations..."

"That's right! My wife donated a lamp a few days ago, and when she came back she said she felt cold, like all her strength had been drained..."

"Alas, we only hope that the Fox Spirit will recover soon and bestow blessings upon us once more..."

Other topics, however, were few and far between.

That's very strange.

Unconsciously stroking the porcelain cup with his fingertips, Yunhe had no appetite whatsoever when faced with the dazzling array of food and wine.

She had met Murong Jin. The boy was eloquent and insightful, truly possessing the bearing of an emperor, and his feelings for Yun Shu were genuine. But to say that Murong Jin was willing to give up the world for Yun Shu… she didn't believe it. Taking a sip of tea, she recalled the look in Murong Jin's eyes when she left the Cold Palace.

Gratitude, joy... and hidden deeper, perhaps even unnoticed by Murong Jin himself, an obsession with the throne, or rather, with power.

Yun He's eyes flickered slightly. She temporarily stopped thinking about Murong Jin and shifted her thoughts to the person she cared about more.

The Demon Lord… She had seen the previous Demon Lord; he was an old codger who couldn't possibly be Yun Shu's disciple. It was this new Demon Lord…

The child Qiuqiu picked up? Did Qiuqiu get hurt?

Yun He frowned. She knew Yun Shu's temperament all too well. That fox cub seemed gentle, but in reality, he was insightful and had extremely high standards for accepting disciples—Yun He had raised Yun Shu for so many years, and Yun Shu's last and first disciple was three thousand years ago. By now, that fellow should have long since ascended to paradise, his physical body reduced to a handful of dust.

Those who were personally brought back to Yunhua by Yun Shu and carefully taught by her would never commit such a heinous act as killing their mentor. Although demonic energy can alter one's power, it is virtually impossible for it to overturn one's true nature.

And...after entering the Fox Fairy Temple, I felt weak and exhausted?

With his eyes slightly narrowed, Yunhe placed down enough silver coins, subtly lowered his bamboo hat a bit, and his figure blended into the crowd like wisps of smoke, heading towards the most popular Fox Fairy Temple.

The closer they got to the Fox Fairy Temple, the more pronounced the inexplicable oppressive atmosphere became. An ordinary person might only feel a sense of heaviness in their heart, but Yunhe could sense that the spiritual energy of the temple was being drawn away in an unusually slow way, eventually flowing into certain veins underground.

She slowed her pace, not entering the temple herself, but standing at the street corner, carefully examining the unusual activity amidst the flourishing incense offerings. Yunhe was highly skilled in setting up formations. Soon, she noticed extremely concealed traces of a formation beneath the temple's blue bricks. This formation was not of the orthodox Yunhua style, but rather mixed with evil curses and malevolent energy, using incense offerings as cover and faith as a medium to steal the essence of immortals and demons.

This was absolutely not Yun Shu's doing! And he would never allow anyone to use his name to commit such an evil deed!

Her pupils contracted sharply, and she was about to take another step when she keenly sensed a cold, sticky, venomous divine sense slowly crawling across the area. Someone was monitoring the entire imperial city, and their cultivation level was not low.

Concealing all aura, Yunhe naturally picked out rouge and face powder from a street-side shop. After about half an hour, the divine sense slowly receded, and no abnormality was detected.

The Imperial City... Is there such a dangerous person by Murong Jin's side?

We can't wait any longer... We must find Yun Shu as soon as possible and take her away from this dangerous place!

Just as she was pondering this, a butterfly landed on her fingertip. At the same time, an extremely faint yet exceptionally pure demonic energy suddenly entered the edge of her perception range. It wasn't violent or raging, nor did it harbor any malice. Instead... it carried a cautious probing, even a hint of ingratiation?

The butterfly fluttered its wings twice, then transformed into a wisp of divine consciousness and entered her mind: "Senior sister, please follow the demonic energy."

...ball?

But this demonic energy...

After a moment's deliberation, Yunhe still chose to risk meeting him. If it truly was her junior brother's intention, it would save her a lot of trouble. If it was a trap, she was confident she could escape unscathed.

She casually commented on the rouge and walked out of the shop. In a few breaths, the greenish-blue color vanished without a trace.

In a quiet corner of the city, there stands an elegant mansion.

This place, originally set up by Ye Xiuluo to gather information from the human world, has now conveniently become a meeting point for the Demon Lord and Sect Leader Yunhua.

Inside the main hall, Mo Yiheng sat upright. He had changed out of his usual imposing demon lord's black robes, wearing only a dark brocade shirt, and his long hair was neatly tied up with a jade crown, trying his best to leave a good impression on his master, whom he had never met before. However, the coldness brought on by his experience of bloodshed could not be completely concealed.

He counted on his fingers, feeling a powerful aura of immortality approaching. He immediately took a deep breath and stood up, making sure his attitude was sincere.

A short while later, the door was pushed open. A figure in green leaned against the doorframe. Yun He did not remove his bamboo hat, but his casual yet imposing gaze swept over Mo Yiheng.

"Demon Lord," she said definitively, "what brings you here through all this trouble?"

An invisible pressure permeated the air, instilling fear in people for no reason. Mo Yiheng met that gaze and took a step forward.

"Junior Mo Yiheng greets Senior Uncle Yunhe." He bowed with the utmost humility, "I have no choice but to invite you here today. If I have been impolite, I hope you will forgive me... However, this matter concerns the safety of our master, so please allow me to ask you to hear my opinion!"

"Master Uncle? Master?" Yun He walked in slowly, his expression unchanged. "How come I didn't know that Yun Shu had taken a Demon Lord as a disciple? And a... rebellious disciple who injured his eyes and stole his cultivation?"

As soon as he finished speaking, his gaze turned cold.

Upon hearing this, Mo Yiheng's face turned pale. He suddenly knelt on one knee, his eyes filled with extreme pain and injustice as he pleaded, "Master Uncle, please understand! I would rather suffer the most severe punishment of being torn to pieces than harm Master in the slightest! The incident at Wangyue Pavilion that day was truly a case of me being framed! I beg you, Master Uncle, to condescend to see the truth and evidence I have uncovered, to save Master from this predicament and to give me justice! If you do not believe me, Master Uncle, I can swear an oath to my heart!"

For cultivators, the oath of inner demons has extremely strong binding force; unless one is absolutely innocent, no one dares to make it.

Seeing the almost tearful sincerity in his eyes, Yunhe was already seven or eight parts convinced. She gently helped Mo Yiheng up and said coldly, "Tell me what you know in detail."

Mo Yiheng dared not delay and immediately recounted the events before and after the winter hunt, Liu Qing's formation, Murong Jin's actions, and Yun Shu's current situation. Finally, he also briefly informed Yun He of Liu Qing's background, for fear of forgetting any important matters.

Yunhe listened with his eyes lowered, his face calm. Only when he heard about "Liu Zhijun" and the connection between his parents and Yunhua did a look of understanding flash across his eyes.

“It was him, I had almost forgotten about that…” she murmured, then sneered, “Do you know why he left Yunhua?”

"This junior does not know."

Yunhe stroked his fan and sneered, "Those three were unwilling to be mere outer sect sweepers, but their aptitude was mediocre, and their progress in comprehending the mental cultivation technique was slow. Several years passed without them even grasping the first move... Thus, they strayed onto the evil path. Fortunately, the outer sect elders noticed their abnormal progress in time, investigated and stopped them, preventing a major disaster. Seeing that their schemes had been exposed, they had no face to remain in Yunhua and left on their own... I thought that lesson would be the end. Who knew that after so many years, those with wicked hearts would still remain incorrigible..."

At this point, Yunhe's voice deepened again, as if tempered by millennia of ice: "What a fine 'twined branches and winged wings'! What a fine Imperial Preceptor Liu Qing! What a fine Emperor Murong Jin! How dare you refine my Yunhua disciple, a symbol of good fortune in the world, as a longevity elixir! You've truly concealed the true name of 'Spirit Devourer' so completely and made it sound so grand and dignified!"

"Uncle-Master, please calm down!" Mo Yiheng quickly helped him to calm down. "Now, Master is trapped in the deep palace and his body is extremely weak. Although the formation has been temporarily broken, the foundation is still there, and Liu Qing will never let it go. Some time ago, I sent people to various fox spirit temples to destroy the formation points. Master ordered me to wait here for Uncle-Master's return, hoping that Uncle-Master could lend a hand and rescue him from his predicament."

That icy gaze fell upon Mo Yiheng once more, seemingly able to pierce through his skin and see into his very soul. After a long silence, Yun He's tone softened slightly: "Why are you so determined to save Qiuqiu... and Yun Shu from danger? Even if he misunderstands you and you're expelled from the sect?"

Without hesitation, Mo Yiheng raised his head and said resolutely, "Master has saved my life and raised me with kindness! Let alone misunderstanding, even if I were to risk my life for Master, Mo Yiheng would not hesitate for a moment, nor utter a single complaint!"

Yunhe remained silent for a moment, and the chill around him subsided slightly.

"Your heart is filled with more than just the desire to repay a debt of gratitude... Never mind." Her tone was calm. "Your affair with him can be discussed later. Murong Jin and Liu Qing... Ha, do you really think Yunhua has no one left?"

She gazed at the imperial city, her eyes sharp as a drawn sword.

"You should return to the Demon Realm and not act rashly. As for Yunhua's ancestral worship... I have my own arrangements."

"This junior obeys! Thank you, Senior Uncle!"

Yunhe nodded slightly, and the man in green vanished like a gentle breeze, as if he had never appeared.

Meanwhile, at the Imperial Preceptor's residence.

In the dimly lit chamber, the water mirror rippled, reflecting the green figure outside the imperial city. Liu Qing sat alone, watching Yunhe head towards the imperial city, a strange smile curving his lips.

"Yunhe... really is back. You really are... still as nosy as ever."

Beneath the wide sleeves, several smaller, almost transparent young snakes slowly swam out, their hissing sounds ringing out.

"Hmph, if it weren't for that day at the palace... I wouldn't have needed you." He muttered discontentedly, a flash of malice in his eyes. "Good children, go... go and add another great gift to our dynasty's 'auspicious omen'."

He lovingly stroked the venomous snake, the echo in the secret chamber sending chills down one's spine: "Your Majesty is soft-hearted, hesitating to complete the final step... then let this humble subject give Your Majesty a push. Having suffered the backlash of the formation, and now with this unexpected surprise... Yun Shu, how long can you still cling to life?"

The little snake silently burrowed into the ground and swam rapidly toward the imperial city.

"Your Majesty...you cannot let this thousand-year-old foundation and eternal peace...go to waste for the sake of one person, Xiangrui."

Inside Yilan Palace, Yun Shu was leaning against Murong Jin's chest, sipping the medicinal food he fed her.

The emperor's brows still held an unresolved weariness and worry, yet his movements remained gentle and meticulous.

"Xiaoxue, are you feeling any better today?" he called softly, his fingertips brushing against Yun Shu's increasingly thin face.

Yun Shu forced a smile and replied in a barely audible voice, "Hmm... it's better with A-Jin here..."

However, before he could finish speaking, a sudden change occurred!

Just as Yun Shu was about to lean against Murong Jin's arm and drift off to sleep, his heart suddenly skipped a beat. The demonic poison, which had been suppressed by the dragon's energy, erupted once again, more violently than before, without warning. Excruciating pain instantly swept through his body; he trembled violently, let out a muffled groan, and coughed up a mouthful of dark, foul blood, soaking half the brocade quilt. Then, as if all his strength had been drained, he lost consciousness and collapsed limply to the ground.

"Bang!"

The medicine bowl fell to the ground instantly. Murong Jin looked at the person in his arms covered in blood and grime, and hugged Yun Shu tightly in horror, only to find in despair that the fox spirit's body, which had been warmed up by the warmth of the blankets, was rapidly losing its temperature, becoming as cold as a corpse.

"Xiaoxue?!" He bent down to listen to Yun Shu's heartbeat, feeling the rapidly weakening and loss of life. His voice even changed in panic, "Imperial Physician! Quickly summon the Imperial Physician... no, summon the Imperial Preceptor! Summon Liu Qing to the palace!"