"This is the second one already. Last time it was Blue Star, and this time it's the silly woman..."

Nan Xian slowly raised her eyes, gazing through the window at the deep night sky, and said softly, "Diao Yu, I'm worried. Will more people die because of me?"

Diao Yu's eyes were dark and unfathomable. He walked behind Nan Xian and placed his hands on her shoulders.

He leaned closer, his lips almost touching her earlobe, and whispered, his breath sweet as orchids: "My lord, you have protected countless lives for over a thousand years. How can the sacrifices of a few lives be compensated for? I have heard a saying among the people: 'Revolution sheds blood but not tears, life and death are commonplace without complaint.' Since they chose to follow you, they were already prepared to sacrifice themselves at any time, including me... You are destined to return to your divine position. For you, we would gladly die ten thousand times over."

Nan Xian was taken aback by what she heard. For the past twenty years, she had been taught that everyone was equal and no one had to sacrifice for anyone else. Hearing someone she trusted say such a thing, she was both surprised and uneasy.

She turned her head, about to retort, when Diao Yu smiled gently as if she had expected it, exhaling a wisp of pale pink smoke.

The smoke dissipated on Nan Xian's face. She only had time to utter the word "you" before she was instantly overcome by drowsiness, and her eyelids closed heavily.

Diao Yu caught her just in time, carried her into the guest room, and gently placed her on the bed.

Nan Xian slept peacefully, as if she were having a sweet dream, and a happy smile slowly curved her lips.

Diao Yu sat on the edge of the bed, resting her chin on her hand as she gazed at her, and unconsciously smiled.

"Knock, knock, knock," the wooden window frame was gently tapped.

Diao Yu raised her eyes, her gentle expression completely concealed.

The nightingale with its sharp beak stood outside the window and flapped its wings.

Diao Yu raised her hand and shot out a beam of silver light. The window opened automatically, and a sharp-beaked creature scurried in, landing on Diao Yu's shoulder. "Found it—"

Diao Yu gave it a warning glance and gestured for it to lower its voice.

The sharp-beaked creature shrank its neck, and only after Diao Yu left the guest room and closed the door did it approach his ear again.

"The Crow Clan does indeed have those skilled in puppetry, but because puppetry is a sinister art, it is not tolerated by the righteous sects and was banned many years ago. All the Crow Clan members who practiced puppetry have been exterminated. However, there was one who escaped the net, a Crow Clan member named Feng An. He inherited his father's skills and, using some unknown method, has become increasingly powerful over the years, with few rivals. Therefore, even though the Crow Clan knows of his existence, they dare not act rashly... Moreover, the information I obtained from the Yin-Yang Realm says that Feng An frequently visits White Cliff."

Upon hearing the last three words, a sharp glint flashed in Diao Yu's eyes, and her expression quickly turned cold and stern. Her dark eyes were filled with an undisguised ruthlessness and bloodlust, making her seem like a completely different person from when she was in front of Nan Xian.

"White Cliff was once the residence of the master. Even now I cannot get within ten feet of it. How dare he, a mere crow clan member,—" He gritted his teeth in hatred, clenching his fists until they cracked, his features twisted into a ferocious grimace, vaguely revealing the outline of a fox.

The curse power lurking within Diao Yu's body sensed his change and stirred again, reaching out its malicious tentacles toward his heart meridian. Diao Yu's expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly covered his chest, forcibly suppressing it.

The pain jolted him back to his senses.

"Outside White Cliff, there are forty-nine layers of barriers personally set up by the Master. Each layer is unbreakable. As long as the Master's soul remains intact, those barriers will not weaken in the slightest even after a thousand years. It is impossible for an outsider to break in unscathed! Someone inside the cliff must have deliberately colluded to let him in. Continue to investigate and find out the truth about Feng An—"

I want to see who's behind this!