With Nanyuan gone, the remaining demons were no longer a threat, and they probably knew this as well, so they all withdrew from Qinghui territory.
Reports came from all over that the demon race had rapidly retreated, likely suffering severe losses. The various sects pressed their advantage and secured the greatest victory since the start of the war.
Meanwhile, the mastermind, Lu Zhaozhao, was sitting quietly inside the ancestral hall, waiting.
She looked at the wooden plaque on the table, the candlelight illuminating the words on it.
It refers to every leader of the sect since the founding of the sect by Emperor Huizong of the Qing Dynasty, as well as those who have made great contributions to the sect.
The tablets were arranged in nine layers, densely packed together. In the center was the memorial tablet of the Celestial Immortal, and next to it hung a portrait of him when he ascended to heaven.
Lu Zhaozhao quietly examined the painting.
She first saw this person in a dream, witnessing his heroic figure before his ascension. Later, she saw an identical portrait in the stone chamber where Elder Cangjiong and Yunxian were in seclusion.
As a typical example of successful ascension in the cultivation world, the Heavenly Gang Immortal has always been the most revered figure in the hearts of Qinghui disciples, and everything they have heard and heard since entering the sect has been based on him as a role model.
For thousands of years, countless people have followed one another in the yellow earth and withered bones, yet none can compare to him.
Lu Zhaozhao was also extremely curious about this predecessor.
The candlelight flickered as if blown by the wind, then immediately returned to normal.
Lu Zhaozhao sat quietly for a long time before footsteps sounded behind her.
She didn't turn around, and the person behind her didn't make any other move. They simply walked to Lu Zhaozhao's side and looked at the painting with her.
"When I met an old friend, this was the scene I saw."
Lu Zhaozhao clearly wasn't referring to herself as this old friend; it could only be the person in the painting.
Ancient texts recount that Qinghui Tiangang, along with many others, slew the Demon Lord in the wilderness. Who would have thought that there would be a scene of old friends turning against each other during this time?
Lu Zhaozhao spoke, her tone laced with sarcasm.
The person beside her was Wei Zhanjie. In addition, there was another person standing outside, whose aura suggested he was Wen Sheng.
Wei Zhanjie ignored her sarcasm. He paused for a long time, skipped the topic, and turned to look at Lu Zhaozhao.
"You knew I was coming, so you waited here? Aren't you afraid I'll kill you?"
Lu Zhaozhao stood up and looked at him.
"If you wanted to kill me, you would have had many opportunities before, why wait until now?"
It must be admitted that Wei Zhanjie did indeed provide Lu Zhaozhao with a lot of help, including the book "Zhili Yi," which saved her many times in critical moments. Putting aside his personal motives, Wei Zhanjie taught her even more than Yun Xian.
Wei Zhanjie sighed. He always appeared spirited and confident in public, but only he knew that after a thousand years of vicissitudes, his state of mind was no longer what it used to be.
Now, upon seeing something related to that time, my thoughts immediately drift back a thousand years, and I can't help but feel a sense of loneliness.
Lu Zhaozhao had already sent everyone away; if they were still there, they would likely not have survived. So tonight, she would be all alone, waiting for her unknown fate.
"What should I do? Seeing this painting reminds me of what happened before, and I suddenly don't want to keep you around anymore. We must nip this in the bud, otherwise it might leave us with hidden dangers."
Wei Zhanjie suddenly spoke, his tone serious, not feigning seriousness.
Hearing this, Wen Sheng walked in from outside and stood between the two. He looked at Wei Zhanjie with dissatisfaction in his eyes as if accusing him of breaking his promise.
Lu Zhaozhao turned her gaze back to the painting and said calmly, "I have already made all the preparations for today. If you want to kill, then do it."
That's what she said, but she knew that Wei Zhanjie wouldn't actually do it. He had been planning for so many years, and he wouldn't let all his efforts go to waste because of this little bit of emotion.
However, her attitude ultimately displeased Wei Zhanjie, and as a result, she was slapped from behind in the next second and completely lost consciousness.
When she woke up again, her surroundings immediately made her realize that she had been taken to the Western Region.
She lay on a bed, the scene before her eyes extremely familiar. Looking around, she realized this was her dwelling in her illusion.
She got out of bed and ran her hand over the surrounding walls. They were exactly the same as those in the illusion. It seemed that the illusion was indeed built based on reality.
She wanted to go out and take a look, but as soon as she opened the door, she was stopped by the demon army guarding the entrance.
They said that Lu Zhaozhao was not allowed to go out unless summoned.
After observing the surroundings and assessing the number and strength of the demon army present, Lu Zhaozhao abandoned her plan to force her way in and went straight back inside, finding a comfortable position to sit down.
Now that she's been brought here, there's bound to be some action. She's not in a hurry, since she's not the one who's orchestrating this.
"Knock knock knock".
A sound came from the windowsill, and Lu Zhaozhao got up curiously, went over, and opened the window.
The first thing you see is Wen Sheng's face. It's the snowy season in the Western Region, and in the vast snow, he looks like a furry little animal in the snow, alert and agile.
"Demon King? What are you doing here?"
Lu Zhaozhao hadn't forgotten that this person was present when she was knocked unconscious, so naturally she wouldn't give him a friendly look.
Wen Sheng's expression darkened for a moment, then immediately brightened again. He raised his hand, revealing what he was holding.
It was a bamboo basket, emitting a rich aroma; it looked like some kind of pastry.
Wen Sheng placed the items on the windowsill, and a plate of exquisite pastries appeared before Lu Zhaozhao.
"Heh, do demons also have things like this? Is it filled with corpse parts or something?"
Lu Zhaozhao's tone wasn't very friendly, even a bit hostile, but Wen Sheng seemed oblivious. He quickly shook his head and said, "I brought this back from the human race. The two races are too different, and I was afraid you wouldn't be used to it. I heard that eating snacks can make people happy, and I thought you would like it..."
Seeing this, Lu Zhaozhao felt like teasing her. She leaned out and rested on the eaves, saying, "It's easy to make me happy. Just let me go back. Would you help me?"
Wen Sheng was stunned, then hesitated and shook her head.
Lu Zhaozhao chuckled, took the plate away, and said, "I've accepted the food. You can leave now."
After saying that, he closed the window.
Wen Sheng was met with a cold shoulder and stood there for a long time, feeling lost and confused, before finally leaving with a heavy heart.
Lu Zhaozhao tossed the plate aside and sat down.
She was very familiar with this pastry; it was the style from the Qinghui area, and the smell was familiar too. It seemed that Wen Sheng had bought it on purpose.
She picked up a piece, examined it under the light for a long time, but couldn't figure it out. She sighed, put it in her mouth, and ate it.
The soft pastry melts in your mouth, filling your mouth with a sweet aroma.
It truly is a taste that evokes nostalgia, but this memory doesn't belong to her; it belongs to Lu Zhaozhao from the original book.
When he was young, all children loved sweets, and Ying Che would bring back this pastry every time he went down the mountain.
Before her memories could flash through her mind, Lu Zhaozhao suddenly composed herself and her expression turned serious.
When I took my second bite, a note appeared among the remaining pastries.
She first looked around to make sure it was safe before carefully taking out the note.
"With the matter settled, I hope you are well."
The signature is "Brother".
Ying Che's note.
Lu Zhaozhao was somewhat shocked, but then she thought that Wen Sheng must have been discovered by him when he bought pastries, so he pulled this stunt. However, this method was far too risky.
Lu Zhaozhao clenched the note tightly, and in an instant, the note turned to ashes in her hand.
After the matter was over, all the plans she had made before leaving were arranged.
She sat down heavily, breathed a sigh of relief, stared at the candlelight, and chuckled softly.
"Are you happy? Shouldn't you be afraid or worried?"
Wei Zhanjie's voice suddenly rang in her ears, startling Lu Zhaozhao so much that she jumped back a few steps.
She frowned and looked at the person who came in with dissatisfaction. Why did this person come in so quietly?
Then I was relieved that I had destroyed the note beforehand.
Ignoring her gaze, Wei Zhanjie sat down on his own. He looked at the pastries on the plate, picked one up, and put it in his mouth to eat.
"It really is delicious, no wonder you're so happy."
"What instructions does the Demon Lord have?"
Lu Zhaozhao's tone was unfriendly.
Wei Zhanjie looked at her, gestured for her to sit down, and said, "Don't be so nervous, I won't kill you. Just now, Asheng came back looking dejected, and I thought something had happened. But when I came over, it seemed nothing had happened. Asheng is simple-minded, don't scare him."
Lu Zhaozhao laughed in exasperation and said bluntly, "Isn't it a bit ridiculous for the Demon Lord to say that?"
Wei Zhanjie looked at him, did not refute, and smiled.
Instead, Lu Zhaozhao's expression immediately changed, and she asked, "What exactly do you want to do?"
Wei Zhanjie ate another pastry slowly and deliberately, without answering.
There were only five pieces of pastry on the plate. She had already eaten two pieces, but then an uninvited guest came and ate two more. Lu Zhaozhao was furious and snatched the last piece and ate it immediately.
The speed was so fast that I almost choked.
Wei Zhanjie hadn't expected her to react this way. His hand remained suspended in the air for a long time before he slowly lowered it.
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