"Ha, what are you waiting for, young lady?"

"Would you like to take a guess?"

Shen Zhao's folding fan pillow.

"There are only two possibilities for a woman waiting for someone here in the middle of the night: either she is having a secret rendezvous with her lover, but I have no relation to the young lady, so it's unlikely to be the first possibility."

Then only the second possibility remains: the girl's face was cold, and her eyes held a hidden murderous intent; she must have come to take my life. Was I right?

After burning the last piece of paper money, the girl stood up and turned her back to Shen Zhao.

"You guessed correctly, Chu Liuxiang. Do you know why I want to kill you?"

"I'm pretty sure it's all because of Di Feijing. Am I right? Empress Song Yanran of the Dragon Han Dynasty!"

As he spoke, Shen Zhao had already unfolded his folding fan, ready to fight at any moment.

“Smart. You are the first person to remain so calm even though you know I am the Empress of Longhan.”

"Your Majesty flatters me."

"I'm giving you a chance to live. If you sincerely kneel before the Prince of Jing and admit your mistakes, I might consider letting you go."

Otherwise, the paper money we just burned was prepared in advance for your journey to the underworld.

Upon hearing this, Shen Zhao sighed softly and shook his head helplessly.

"Sigh, if only the Empress had told me this sooner."

"What's the meaning?"

"When I beat Di Feijing, I swore a solemn oath in front of everyone inside and outside the Nuanxiang Pavilion."

From now on, I'll beat him up every time I see him. A gentleman's word is his bond.

I don't consider myself a good person, but I am very committed to keeping my promises.

Song Yanran smiled slightly: "It seems you really want to push yourself to the brink."

"A dead end? Your Majesty, have you ever heard of a common saying?"

"What did you say?"

"There is always a way out; one must be put in a desperate situation to survive."

"Is that so? Then I'd like to test you today, to see if there's truly no way out, and how you can turn the tide and survive."

As soon as she finished speaking, the lantern in Song Yanran's hand began to spin, emitting bursts of spiritual light.

In an instant, a barrier was erected over a radius of hundreds of miles.

At the same time, the scene caused by the two suddenly changed, and in the distortion of space, they found themselves on a cliff.

"The realm of thought?"

"Insightful."

With a swift palm strike, Song Yanran unleashed a boundless surge of Daoist principles that shot straight towards Chen Zhao's back.

Shen Zhao was prepared. The moment Song Yanran made her move, he stepped into the air and used the Water and Wind Steps to quickly turn around and avoid the attack.

He then spread his hands and unleashed the "Finger Flicking Divine Skill".

Song Yanran neither dodged nor avoided the blows, and her finger strikes, aimed at Song Yanran's three-foot protective aura, failed to cause the slightest ripple.

But Shen Zhaoyi intended to restrain him; after a few feints, he immediately leaped away and fled into the distance.

"The Emperor's majesty cannot be desecrated. Chu Liuxiang, leave your life behind."

How could Song Yanran let Shen Zhao escape? She immediately transformed into a beam of light and chased after him.

Between the cliffs, the two chased each other, one after the other.

"Come and chase me! If you catch me, I'll let you have me, hahaha—"

Within the realm of thought, Shen Zhao's mocking voice filled the air.

"Chu Liuxiang, don't let me catch you, or I'll make you wish you were dead!"

"Then catch up with me first."