The moon was full, and the stars were bright over the imperial city of Heavenly Gate . The city was neat, elegant, and solemn but seemed a little lethargic.
After exiting the tunnel, Ye Anping and the others followed Hongyu along the waterfront path to the backyard, toward the Eternal Bliss Palace at the rear.
Xiao Yunluo did not know why the Empress of the Central Region sent them an invitation, as she was unfamiliar with the Empress and had never met her before. However, she had a vague feeling that something big was about to happen.
On the other hand, Si Xuanji, who was walking on the other side, looked at Ye Anping from time to time with her yin and yang eyes, showing a hint of curiosity.
She couldn't help but remember how surprised she was when she first saw the ' Reverse Star ' in the sky.
Each person in the world corresponded to a star in the sky, and by deducing the star's path, one could roughly know what people one would meet and what one would accomplish in the future.
However, Ye Anping's Reverse Star was different.
His star was not like the other stars that would follow a fixed trajectory. Instead, it drifted erratically in the sky, making it impossible to predict its movements.
And not only that. When it approached other stars, it actually changed the trajectory of those 'normal stars'.
The Water Spirit Star , which would originally collapse after encountering the Demonic Poison Star , was saved by Ye Anping's Reverse Star .
The Big Dipper Heavenly Pivot , which symbolized the Mandate of Heaven , was now traveling with Ye Anping's Reverse Star .
The Dragon Jewel Star , which was bound to step into death, was pushed away from the original path by Ye Anping's Reverse Star .
The three Cloud Spirit Triple Stars , which were originally heading toward destruction, were likewise pushed on another track by Ye Anping's Reverse Star .
And now...
Walking on the water pavilion corridor, Si Xuanji raised her head and looked up from the eaves of the pavilion toward the stars in the sky.
The Reverse Star representing Ye Anping was now hiding behind the moon. In other words, Ye Anping's Reverse Star was subtly pushing her own Destiny Star forward.
And looking at this scene, Si Xuanji couldn't help but feel a little afraid of Ye Anping.
For thousands of years, no one had ever been able to shake her Destiny Star .
Yet, now it was happening.
In other words, Ye Anping was the only person in the past thousand years who could interfere with her fate, and he was also the only person who had the ability to kill her.
Perhaps sometime in the future, her life and death would end up being decided by Ye Anping.
Si Xuanji turned back to look at Ye Anping, who was walking beside her. She narrowed her yin and yang eyes slightly and said, "Master Ye, you are really elusive."
Ye Anping looked back and suddenly felt there seemed to be a hidden killing intent in Si Xuanji's eyes. He didn't understand why the old woman looked at him like this. After thinking about it, he asked, "Elusive?"
"Yes." Si Xuanji smiled. "Master Ye, it seems that you came to the Central Region not only to take my sister and me back but also for other purposes?"
After hearing this question, Ye Anping understood why Si Xuanji was now showing hostility toward him.
---Si Xuanji suspected the reasons behind his actions.
Because he knew what was going to happen in the Central Region , he sent Liang Zhu from the Hundred Lotus Sect to the Imperial Sect in advance to set up the situation. However, according to common sense, there was no way for him to predict the Imperial Sect's affairs, and naturally, it was impossible to prepare in advance.
But now, the sudden invitation from the Central Region Empress made Si Xuanji realize that he had already made full preparations secretly when he left the Black Star Sect.
If Si Xuanji's question was asked another way, it would probably be: ---" Why do you know what I want to do? "
Ye Anping was silent for a moment before replying, "Miss Xuanji, the reason why I came to the Central Region is indeed because Sister Qiu entrusted me to bring Sister Xiao and you back to the Black Star Sect. However, a few years ago, I met a rogue cultivator named Liang Zhu, who had an adopted daughter named Liang Ating."
"So? What about them?"
"Brother Liang rescued the Second Princess of the Imperial Sect, who was lucky enough to survive the Heavenly Sacrifice ten years ago and came to the Western Region incognito. So, since I came to the Central Region to look for you and Sister Xiao, I thought I'd help her and this brother of mine to bring closure to this old matter."
So it was a coincidence? ... After hearing this, Si Xuanji nodded slightly and praised him. "Master Ye, you are really a person who values loyalty and righteousness."
Yeah, if you don't count Second Brother and the others ... Ye Anping smiled back and said, "Brother Liang is really a good person and has helped me a lot. So I want to help him in return."
"I see..."
Ye Anping looked at Si Xuanji, and when he saw that she turned to look toward the garden again, he was secretly relieved. It seemed that she had believed him.
Xiao Yunluo was listening from the sidelines to the conversation between the two, and she couldn't close her mouth. "Eh? What has the Imperial Sect's Second Princess to do with Big Brother Liang? What Heavenly Sacrifice ten years ago? What's going on here?"
Si Xuanji looked at Xiao Yunluo when she heard her voice, shook her head, and sighed, muttering in her heart: Why can't this girl keep up? She wasn't actually that stupid, but who knew what was in her mind all day long?
Seeing the disappointed look in her mother's eyes, Xiao Yunluo closed her mouth, lowered her head with a sour face, and bit her lips lightly.
"Sigh--"
Ye Anping sighed just as they reached the gate of the Eternal Bliss Palace .
In front of the magnificent palace gate, dozens of maids lined up on one side, waiting for the three to walk up the steps. Pushing open the thick mahogany palace door, they welcomed the three into the palace.
Inside the hall, there wasn't much decoration, just some scrolls of poetry and landscape paintings hanging on the walls. In the middle of the hall, a plump middle-aged woman with a phoenix crown was leaning on the imperial couch.
---Tong Zilan, the Empress of the Central Region , in the middle stage of Core Formation .
On either side of the imperial couch, two men in Justice Division robes stood solemnly. The one on the left was Liang Zhu and the one on the right was Yue Xuanming.
When Liang Zhu saw Ye Anping walking into the hall, he nodded slightly and conveyed with his eyes: I have done what you asked me to do.
Ye Anping nodded in response and walked further inside the hall. Just as he was about to salute, Tong Zilan from the imperial couch suddenly said, "Master Ye is a little different from what I imagined. Although his appearance is indeed handsome, he doesn't fit the name of 'Ye Tianchong'. He looks so young."
Hearing this, Xiao Yunluo froze for a moment and turned to look at Ye Anping. Even Si Xuanji raised her eyebrows and glanced at him.
Feeling the questioning gazes of the two 'sisters' behind him, Ye Anping suddenly shivered, looked at Liang Zhu out of the corner of his eyes, and asked with his eyes: Brother Liang? What did you say to her?
Seeing Ye Anping's gaze, Tong Zilan covered her mouth and chuckled. "Young Master Ye, don't blame Officer Liang. It was me who insisted on asking about you. I have been confined to this place since I entered the Eternal Bliss Palace , and normally, I depend on these kinds of romantic stories to relieve my boredom."
Ye Anping did not know how to answer that.
In all honesty, he was not familiar with Tong Zilan. In the game, she was just a background character, without even a narrative.
Still, according to the background story, his impression was that Tong Zilan should be a motherly, graceful, and dignified woman, but this...
Her appearance was indeed, very maternal, with her phoenix crown and huge breasts...
But deep down, he was still doubtful.
"Your Majesty is joking. Master Liang Zhu is exaggerating. How can I be as famous as the master of the Moon Shadow Sword Sect?"
"Really? But Officer Liang told me that there are countless beauties around you, and all of them are fresh and delicate. Don't you have two rare beauties beside you even now?"
"..."
Do you seriously want to continue this topic considering the situation? ... Ye Anping's eye twitched, and his face turned suddenly a little green. He looked up at the Empress, protesting with his eyes.
Seeing Ye Anping's look, Tong Zilan pursed her lips and nodded apologetically. "Looks like I went a bit too far with this joke. I just wanted to lighten the mood. I apologize for putting Young Master Ye in a difficult position."
After a moment of silence, Ye Anping said bluntly, "It's good that you know."
As soon as these words fell, Xiao Yunluo's eyes widened, while Yue Xuanming, who was standing by Tong Zilan's side, immediately frowned and scolded him. "How dare you! The one before you is Her Majesty, the Empress of the Central Region ."
"It's okay." Tong Zilan immediately waved her hand to stop him. "It's true that I went overboard with my jokes just now."
With that said, she stood up from the imperial couch, took off the phoenix crown on her head, and walked down the steps to Ye Anping, bowing her head formally. "Young Master Ye, thank you for taking in my second daughter."
"Your Majesty, you give me too much credit. At first, I didn't know where Ating and Brother Liang came from. If you want to thank someone, you should thank Brother Liang."
Tong Zilan exhaled softly, looked at the maid Hongyu who was standing behind everyone, then said, "Back then, the Emperor went crazy trying to refine the Heavenly Reverse Pill . He even wanted to throw his own flesh and blood into the alchemy furnace to form the pill essence. I didn't know it at first, but after seeing it with my own eyes, I realized that the person I married years before had already changed."
"..."
"Hongyu, although it has been ten years, I still want to apologize to you."
Hearing this, Ye Anping suddenly understood something. He turned to look at the maid, who was standing aside without saying a word.
Liang Zhu had said before that in order to save Ating, he replaced her with a dead baby, and only then did he manage to conceal her and fool everyone.
Was it possible that the "dead child" Liang Zhu spoke of was born to this maid named Hongyu?
Hongyu nodded slightly and replied, "Empress, is alright. That child should not have been born in the first place, and being able to save the Second Princess can be regarded as her good fortune."
Tong Zilan nodded slightly, looked back at Ye Anping again, and asked, "Young Master Ye, let's get back to business. What do you want?"
"I have two requests."
"Tell me. As long as I can do it, I will not refuse."
Ye Anping took a deep breath before stating, "First, I hope that when the Demon Clan approaches the gate of Heavenly Gate City , Your Majesty will take the initiative to open the gate and let the Demon King enter the city."
As soon as he said this, Yue Xuanming frowned again and interrupted him. "If you let the Demon King enter the city, what will happen to the cultivators inside? The Demon Clan will definitely massacre everyone when they enter the city. Blood will flow on the streets, and hundreds of thousands of cultivators will die without a whole body."
"You are mistaken." Ye Anping raised his head to meet his gaze. "The Demon King won't kill human cultivators during this trip. Mr. Yue, you are the Deputy Commander of the Justice Division , so you should have gotten the news. In the Jade Pass and Tiger Pass cities that the Demon Clan passed through, except for the guards who opposed them, they did not attack ordinary cultivators after entering the city."
"...But how can you guarantee that after the Demon King enters Heavenly Gate City , he will also spare the hundreds of thousands of cultivators here?"
Because Si Xuanji is here ... Ye Anping replied secretly, but since she was present, he couldn't say this out loud, otherwise, it would only make her have more suspicions about him. Therefore, he had to change the topic. "Until the Emperor is removed, there will be no stability in the Central Region , and the fate of the Second Princess will never be settled."
"Still, we cannot put the hundreds of thousands of people in the city into such a dangerous situation."
Tong Zilan also nodded. "Young Master Ye, it is true that I also want that old man to die. If he doesn't die, I will never be free from the cage, and my second daughter will always bear this fate. However, letting the Demon King into the city... is indeed... Is there no other way?"
Ye Anping was in a quandary. He was thinking about how to convince these two people to agree to allow the Demon King into the city, but at the moment, other than telling them about Si Xuanji, there really was no other compelling reason.
But while Ye Anping was in a difficult position, Si Xuanji took the initiative and said, "Don't worry, you two. I can guarantee that the Demon King will never massacre human cultivators inside the city after coming in."
"Oh? How can you guarantee it?"
Si Xuanji glanced at Ye Anping, then said, "I will send a message back to the Black Star Sect today, asking my mother to come and take charge of the overall situation. If she knows that the Emperor of the Central Region has become a demon, she will never let him live in this world."
"Your mother?" Tong Zilan frowned slightly. "You mean Red Moon Immortal Matriarch? But... will she come? I heard that she never takes the initiative to interfere in anything other than Black Star Sect's affairs."
Ye Anping hurriedly added, "The Red Moon Immortal Matriarch can be trusted to manage any situation magnificently. She is generous and virtuous, and she will definitely not sit idly by when she hears about the situation between the Demon Clan and the Emperor of the Central Region ."
"Yeah." Si Xuanji smiled, pursing her lips. "My mother is the most righteous and pure Immortal in the world. She will never hesitate to act when she sees an evil spirit."
"Haha!! Hehe!!"
Suddenly, a golden-crowned parrot flew in through the window and landed on Ye Anping's shoulder, causing everyone present to be instantly on alert. But, seeing that it appeared to be Ye Anping's spirit pet, they relaxed again.
Tong Zilan looked at Si Xuanji, and after a moment of silence, she said: "Since I have your promise, I will agree to this matter. When the Demon Clan besieges the city, I will have Master Yue Xuanming open the city gate and let them in."
"Good."
Ye Anping nodded and then continued, "Then, there is the second thing. Young Lady Xiao wants to find something, and she hopes that you will help her find its whereabouts."
"May I ask what it is?"
"The Nine Dragon Heavenly Seal ."
Tong Zilan frowned slightly when she heard this and glanced at Xiao Yunluo, but after thinking for a while, she nodded. "I only know that the old man placed this item in a secret vault under the main hall of the palace. I cannot guarantee that it can be retrieved."
"I understand... Now that we know where it is, leave it to me to figure out a solution."
Ye Anping nodded and then cupped his hand to bid farewell. "I won't be staying any longer today, so I'll say goodbye now."
"Hongyu, send our guests out of the palace."
"Yes, Your Majesty..."