Chapter 172 Chapter 172 "You are even less qualified than me. ...

Without Jiu Zhao as a burden, Lan Qi moved quickly and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Beneath the majestic palace gate, we are the only ones left.

Zhu Yan was a foreign official, and when his mission of accompanying the emperor on the trip was over, he should have taken his leave.

But he stood alone, half holding a carved basket, his eyes gleaming as he looked over, a hint of anticipation in his expression.

Since Lan Qi said it was up to them, the decision of whether Baihu stayed or left was now in Jiu Zhao's hands.

No, it’s not just about whether the white fox stays or leaves.

He was looking forward to something else.

Jiu Zhao has always known that Zhu Yan is a rare beauty in heaven and on earth.

Her raven hair is like light clouds, and her eyes are like water.

He loves light colors and remains unchanged even after falling into the sea of ​​burning karma.

Standing among a group of dark and serious-looking demon ministers, he looked even more outstanding.

Even the most stubborn and cold stone would soften its heart under the intense and focused gaze of such a beauty.

Once upon a time, Jiu Zhao was a soft-hearted stone.

Lying in his fragrant arms, her fingertips entwined with his long, soft hair.

One moment they looked at each other in silence, the next they smiled at each other.

…

Jiu Zhao did not avoid his gaze.

After a moment, her wandering thoughts came back to her senses, and she said calmly, "I know what you're thinking."

Then, Zhu Yan's pupils lit up again.

Seeing that he seemed to have misunderstood something, Jiu Zhao continued, "The two words I reminded Lan Qi of were also meant for you. The past is the past, and the present is now. Whether you truly can't let go of the days we were together or you have other motives, it's impossible for us to be together."

She spoke with remarkable fluency, unlike other people who made important decisions and were always hesitant and reluctant to speak.

The hopeful emotion was still condensed in his pupils, but Zhu Yan's face had turned pale.

He smiled bitterly and said, "Do you still hate me?"

He thought that since Jiu Zhao did not resist his advances and approach during their night out today, her attitude should have softened a little.

"No, I don't hate you."

Jiu Zhao shook his head without even thinking.

She tilted her face slightly, like a young bird new to the world, curious about everything around it. "Does separation have to be filled with hatred or love? We're no longer lovers, nor friends. Wouldn't it be nice to be strangers living under the same sky?"

Before she finished speaking, she felt that this statement was inappropriate. She curled her knuckles and touched her forehead, then added carefully, "Oh, stranger is not right either. Lan Qi is about to marry me, and you are Lan Qi's subject - so, from now on, we should live in peace and be a pair of monarch and subject, isn't that good?"

"Why, why are you willing to start over with Lan Qi?"

If Jiu Zhao abandoned everyone, he would certainly still be heartbroken.

But it is better than watching them talking and bickering as if no one is around, and imagining the scenes of them getting along with each other in the Jiwu Palace.

Unconsciously, Zhu Yan forgot his identity as a subject and the taboo of not addressing the monarch by name, and asked in a hoarse voice.

Jiu Zhao lowered his head and looked at Xue Bao, who had bitten him not long ago, with an inclusive look. A smile curled his lips. "What does that have to do with you, a subject? Can you speak out in opposition, or raise an army to resist? There is no point in persistently exploring a fact that you cannot change."

Tonight, Jiu Zhao spoke to Zhu Yan more words than he had spoken in the past month combined.

Looking up at the huge and lonely full moon, she covered her mouth and yawned softly, finally feeling tired.

Immediately after the yawn, Zhu Yan finally heard Jiu Zhao's order to temporarily hand over the white fox to him for raising.

However, the secret desire to use pets as a connection to promote the restoration of their relationship had already been exposed and cut off by Jiu Zhao in the previous conversation.

After giving the order, Jiu Zhao didn't even glance at him again, turned around and left without any regrets - just like that day in the peach forest, she was in chaos and gave him a look mixed with disbelief and pleading from afar, but he chose to grit his teeth and ignore it, following behind his father and turning against the heaven.

…

The night in the Burning Sea grows colder as it deepens.

The cold wind whistled through the open palace, blowing the sleeves of people's clothes and making a rustling sound.

With magical powers protecting him, Zhu Yan shouldn't feel cold.

His heart seemed to be immersed in an ice field, with no spring in sight.

He stood there for a very long time, and Jiu Zhao never looked back.

It started snowing at some point, and the glittering snowflakes silently piled up on his shoulders.

An umbrella, half tilted, appeared above Zhu Yan's head.

At the same time, a pair of boots embroidered with gold dragons stopped at the edge of his vision.

"You should think more about King Chongli's words and stop being so sentimental and involved with old friends."

Lan Qi doesn't like coldness. With the true blood of the Phoenix flowing in his body, he is always surrounded by a layer of warmth.

The heat rises up the umbrella through the hand that touches the umbrella handle, melting the frost and snow on the top.

Drop by drop, it flowed down along the inclined angle and seeped into the top of Zhu Yan's head.

He shuddered for no reason, raised his eyes filled with pain and jealousy, and looked at Lan Qi levelly: "Father has abdicated, and the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan is under the sole authority of this minister. I should have some opinions of my own. If I only obey orders and have no plan when encountering things, how can I serve you as your Majesty?"

The address changed from full name to "Your Majesty", and his thin lips also showed a humble and restrained smile.

The hypocritical mask covered his face again, and Lan Qi heard a subtle threat in the tone of the young man in front of him.

Nearly half of the thirty-two city lords in the Burning Sea do not support the complete capture of the Three Pure Heavens.

On the one hand, they were short of resources, and had invested countless manpower and material resources in the three thousand years of fierce fighting. They had finally won the three fertile lands of Yiqingtian. They should seize the opportunity to reproduce and strengthen the power of the Ye clan, so that the people of the Ye clan, who had suffered for thousands of years, could live a good life.

On the other hand, the ancestor god Qionghuang was more fond of the immortals and secretly taught them several powerful spells before passing away.

Although some of the gods in Sanqingtian were dead or injured, and their strength was greatly reduced, as long as they had a breath left, if they were forced into a desperate situation and launched an indiscriminate attack of self-destruction at the cost of their souls being scattered and never returning to heaven and earth, then both sides would be in an irretrievable situation.

What's more, the immortals are very talented.

The Fenye Navy Army has achieved its current results by taking advantage of the timing, location, and people that have never been seen in ten thousand years.

Unless their entire clan is wiped out, he will make a comeback.

The opposition from the ministers was overwhelming, and only with the support of the most powerful Phoenix Clan and Nine-tailed Fox Clan could Lan Qi's plan continue to move forward.

With his own strength and the status of an ally as a support, Zhu Yan's threat was indeed effective.

Taking a step back, no longer letting the snow slide down the umbrella, Lan Qi said expressionlessly: "Don't forget, she is the daughter of the enemy who killed your mother."

“I haven’t seen my mother since I was born.

"All I have is a father who, in the name of loving me, allowed me to be bullied by Meng Chu and the Goddess Princess for ten thousand years."

Zhu Yan's eyes flashed with deep sarcasm, as if directed at Lan Qi, but also at himself, "For three thousand years since I rebelled against the Heaven, I have been thinking every day and night that the purest warmth I have ever received in my life was given by Jiu Zhao. Your Majesty ordered me to stay away from her, but what about you, Your Majesty?

"You don't understand that a broken mirror can never be mended, do you?"

"I only want the Phoenix Blood."

The word "reconciliation" suddenly stirred up the corner of my heart that I didn't want to touch.

Lan Qi's brows drooped, casting a deep shadow. "Only if we two cultivate the highest level of Nirvana Phoenix Fire together and merge together can we withstand the power of the Supreme God's self-destruction. This is the most crucial point for us to capture Sanqingtian. Why are you adding to my resistance?"

"If it was truly all about the Phoenix Blood, why didn't Your Majesty grant my request? After we've married and successfully mobilized her power, why didn't you set Jiu Zhao free and allow her to come to my side? Your Majesty wants the position of Overlord of the Three Realms, and I only wish to be with Jiu Zhao forever. There's no conflict between the two!"

"If I don't stay with her, how can I ensure that she won't be captured and killed by other traitors who secretly oppose me?

"If she dies, the Nirvana Phoenix Fire loses its effect, and the True Blood Power randomly generates in new Phoenix Clan members, then wouldn't our efforts be in vain?"

Lan Qi retorted.

"Well, after you have annihilated the Immortal Clan and the Supreme God is able to perform the self-destruction of his spirit, can you grant Jiu Zhao to me as my wife?"

Zhu Yan took another step back and softened his tone.

Lan Qi remained silent for a moment.

Zhu Yan quickly revealed a look of seeing through everything, and sneered, "See, you just can't bear to let go.

"There's clearly more than one way to seize the truth about the Phoenix. You could even kill her yourself, absorb her heart blood, and complete the fusion of the two bloodlines. Yet, in order to prevent Wu Shao from harming Jiu Zhao, you forced Wu Shao into a deep sleep, even at the cost of damaging his soul.

"Your Majesty, you want to go back on your word, don't you? You want to seize power, but you also want to force Jiu Zhao's people to stay.

"But you can't have your cake and eat it too!"

Zhu Yan's words were not only pressing but also true.

Lan Qi turned his gaze slightly in silence, and suddenly said in a deep voice: "I really owe her a lot."

Zhu Yan's expression was as strong as steel: "Then don't keep her by your side anymore. You don't have the qualifications."

The white fox, which had just calmed down, sensed the murderous intent surging between the two men and began to whimper and cry again in the cage.

Lan Qi finally woke up from his guilty thoughts.

He squinted his eyes and looked at Zhu Yan's face again.

From the furrowed brows, to the angry pupils, to the quietly tense jaw.

We are all selfish and unfaithful in relationships.

Carrying so-called hatred, you hurt your lover who actually has nothing to do with hatred.

Zhu Yan seemed to be righteously accusing——

What qualifications do I have?

Recalling the conversation between the two people that he overheard after leaning against the corner of the palace wall.

Lan Qi tasted a kind of pain that he could empathize with. Besides the pain, he also felt the joy that no one could ever get from the love of their life.

He stared at Zhu Yan.

It's like staring at a clown who refuses to face his own failures, so he raises his voice and deliberately attacks the weaknesses of others.

He smiled and said, “Before I knew I was Wu Shao’s vessel, I always held the most sincere expectation and yearning for her birth.

"And you, from the very beginning, used love to weave a lie.

"What about the rescue in youth, what about the secret love that lasted for thousands of years? There is not a single truth in it, nor is there any sincerity at all.

"Zhu Yan, are you still unwilling to recognize yourself?

"It's true that I'm not qualified, but you're even less qualified than I am."