Chapter 315: Old Loli, Star-Stepping Art (4000)
The moon was full and the stars were numerous. Inside Tianan City’s imperial palace, the surroundings were neat and elegant, solemn and majestic, yet also tinged with a sense of weariness.
After exiting the secret tunnel, Ye Anping and the other two followed Hongyu along the water pavilion and corridors at the rear of the imperial palace, heading towards Changle Palace.
Xiao Yunluo was puzzled by the sudden invitation from the Empress of the Central Domain. She wasn’t familiar with the Empress and had never met her before, only vaguely sensing that something significant was about to happen.
However, Si Xuanji, walking on the other side, looked at Ye Anping with her Yin-yang heteromorphic eyes, and a hint of curiosity appeared within them.
She couldn’t help but recall her surprise the first time she saw the “rebellious star” in the sky.
Every person in the world corresponded to a star in the sky. By deducing the trajectory of the stars, one could generally know who they would meet in the future and what achievements they would accomplish.
However, Ye Anping’s “rebellious star” was different.
Unlike other stars that followed fixed paths, it drifted unpredictably across the Sky Curtain, making its trajectory impossible to predict.
Furthermore, not only that, but when it approached other stars, it would even cause those “obedient stars” to change their trajectories along with it.
The “Water Spirit Star,” which was supposed to have been destroyed after encountering the “Demon Gu Star,” was saved by Ye Anping’s rebellious star.
The “North Star Tian Shu,” symbolizing destiny, was now traveling alongside Ye Anping’s rebellious star.
The “Dragon Ling Star,” which was bound to face a death tribulation, was pushed away from its original path by Ye Anping’s rebellious star.
The three “Cloud Spirit Tri-Stars,” originally heading for destruction, were also pushed onto a different stellar orbit by Ye Anping’s rebellious star.
And now…
Walking on the water pavilion and corridors, Si Xuanji looked up slightly, gazing at the celestial stars from the eaves of the pavilion.
The “rebellious star” representing Ye Anping was now hiding behind the moon. Ye Anping’s rebellious star was subtly influencing her own fate star.
Watching this scene, Si Xuanji couldn’t help but feel a sliver of apprehension towards Ye Anping.
For thousands of years, no one had been able to shake her fate star.
But now, someone had.
In other words, Ye Anping was the only person in the past thousand years who could interfere with her destiny, and also the only one capable of killing her.
Perhaps, one day in the future, her life and death would be decided by Ye Anping.
Si Xuanji turned her head back, looking at Ye Anping walking in front of her. Her Yin-yang heteromorphic eyes narrowed slightly, and she asked:
“Young Master Ye, you are truly unfathomable.”
Ye Anping looked back when he heard this. He suddenly felt a subtle hint of killing intent in Si Xuanji’s eyes. He couldn’t understand why this old woman was looking at him like this. After a moment of thought, he replied:
“Unfathomable?”
“Yes,” Si Xuanji smiled and asked, “Young Master Ye, it seems your visit to the Central Domain isn’t just to bring my sister and me back to Xuan Xing Sect, but you have other objectives?”
Hearing this question, Ye Anping finally understood why Si Xuanji was showing hostility towards him now.
Si Xuanji’s logical reasoning for his actions had become suspicious.
Because he knew what would happen in the Central Domain, he had Liang Zhu from Hundred Lotus Sect prepare in advance at the Imperial Sect. However, under normal circumstances, it was impossible for him to predict events at the Imperial Sect in advance, let alone make preparations.
Now, the Empress of the Central Domain’s sudden invitation made Si Xuanji vaguely realize that he had made thorough preparations in secret the moment he left Xuan Xing Sect.
If Si Xuanji had phrased her question differently, it would have been something like:
“Why do you know what I want to do?”
Ye Anping remained silent for a moment and replied:
“Miss Xuanji, the reason I came to the Central Domain was indeed because Senior Qiu entrusted me to bring Senior Sister Xiao and you back to Xuan Xing Sect. But by chance, a few years ago, I met a rogue cultivator named ‘Liang Zhu,’ who has a goddaughter named ‘Liang Ating’.”
“Hmm? What happened to her?”
“Ten years ago, Brother Liang rescued the Second Princess of the Imperial Sect, who miraculously survived the Heavenly Sacrifice from the Imperial Sect. He then went into hiding in the Western Regions. So, I thought since I was also coming to the Central Domain to find you and Senior Sister Xiao, I might as well help her and my elder brother resolve this karmic connection.”
So it was a coincidence?… Si Xuanji nodded slightly upon hearing this and praised:
“Young Master Ye is truly a person of great loyalty.”
“If you don’t count my Second Brother and the others…” Ye Anping replied with a smile. “Brother Liang is indeed a good person; he helped me quite a bit before. I’m just helping him out as a favor.”
“I see…”
Ye Anping glanced at Si Xuanji and saw her turn her gaze towards the garden. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he had managed to fool her.
However, Xiao Yunluo, who had overheard their conversation, was surprised and couldn’t help but speak up:
“Huh? What Second Princess of the Imperial Sect? Brother Liang? Heavenly Sacrifice? Ten years ago? What’s going on?”
Si Xuanji glanced at Xiao Yunluo and sighed, muttering to herself: How could this girl be so useless? It’s not that she’s stupid, but I don’t know what’s going on in her head all day.
Seeing the disappointment in her mother’s eyes, Xiao Yunluo quickly closed her mouth, lowered her head dejectedly, and bit her lip.
“Sigh—”
Ye Anping let out a light sigh. At this moment, they also arrived at the grand entrance of Changle Palace.
Before the magnificent hall doors, dozens of maids stood in a line. As the three of them reached the steps, the heavy red wooden doors were opened, and the maids stood on either side, welcoming them into the hall.
Inside the hall, it was neat and unadorned. Scattered on the walls were paintings of poetry and landscapes. In the center, a mature woman with a voluptuous figure, wearing a phoenix coronet, leaned on an imperial concubine’s couch.
—Tong Zilan, Empress of the Central Domain, mid Core Formation cultivation.
On both sides of the imperial concubine’s couch, two men in Xing Tian Division Daoist robes stood solemnly. The one on the left was Liang Zhu, and the one on the right was Yue Xuanming.
Upon seeing Ye Anping enter the hall, Liang Zhu nodded slightly, conveying with his eyes: I’ve handled what you asked me to do.
Ye Anping nodded in response and walked to the steps inside the hall. Just as he was about to pay his respects, Tong Zilan, leaning on the imperial concubine’s couch, suddenly spoke:
“Young Master Ye is a bit different from what I imagined. While your appearance is indeed handsome, it doesn’t quite fit the name ‘Ye Tianchong.’ You look so young.”
Hearing this, Xiao Yunluo was slightly stunned and turned to look at Ye Anping. Even Si Xuanji raised an eyebrow and cast her gaze towards him.
Feeling the gazes of the two sisters, one young and one old, behind him, Ye Anping’s back trembled. He glanced at Liang Zhu from the corner of his eye, questioning him with his gaze: Brother Liang? What did you tell her?
Tong Zilan, seeing Ye Anping’s gaze, couldn’t help but cover her mouth and chuckle softly, saying:
“Young Master Ye, don’t blame Minister Liang. I just asked him to tell me a little about you earlier. Since I entered the palace, I’ve been confined within this Tianan imperial palace. I usually rely on these romantic tales to relieve my boredom.”
Ye Anping didn’t know how to respond.
To be honest, he was not familiar with Tong Zilan. In the game, Tong Zilan was just a background character with no character model.
However, based on the background story, he had previously thought Tong Zilan to be a dignified and elegant woman who embodied the empress’s virtues, but now…
Her appearance was indeed quite queenly, with a phoenix coronet and ample cleavage…
But as for her being dignified, he had his doubts.
“Empress, you jest. Liang Zhu must have exaggerated. How could I possibly be as renowned as the Sect Master of Moon Shadow Sword Sect?”
“Is that so? But Minister Liang told me that you are surrounded by countless admirers, and each one is like a tender, dewy peach blossom. And you have two rare peach blossoms by your side right now, don’t you?”
“… …”
This is a formal occasion, and you still want to continue this topic?… Ye Anping’s eye twitched, his face instantly turned a little pale, and he looked up at the Empress, protesting with his gaze.
Seeing Ye Anping’s gaze, Tong Zilan pursed her lips, nodded apologetically, and said:
“It seems the joke went a bit too far. I was just trying to lighten the atmosphere. I apologize for putting Young Master Ye in a difficult position.”
Ye Anping was silent for a moment, then frankly stated:
“It’s good that you know.”
As soon as he said this, Xiao Yunluo’s eyes widened, and Yue Xuanming, standing beside Tong Zilan, immediately frowned and reprimanded, “How dare you! The person before you is the Empress of the Central Domain.”
“It’s alright,” Tong Zilan waved her hand to stop him, “Indeed, I went too far with my joke just now.”
Saying this, she stood up from the imperial concubine’s couch, removed her phoenix coronet, walked down the steps to Ye Anping, and bowed deeply:
“Young Master Ye, thank you for taking my second daughter in.”
“Empress, you are too kind. At first, I didn’t know about Ating and Brother Liang’s background either. If you want to thank someone, you should thank Brother Liang.”
Tong Zilan let out a soft sigh and looked at the maid named “Hongyu” who was standing silently behind them, saying:
“Ten years ago, the Emperor of the Central Domain was driven mad by refining the Rebellious Star Pill. He even wanted to use his own flesh and blood as the pill’s core, throwing it into the furnace. At first, I didn’t know, but after witnessing it with my own eyes, I realized that the King Consort I married had long since become a different person.”
“… …”
“Hongyu, even though ten years have passed, I still want to apologize to you.”
Hearing this, Ye Anping hesitated for a moment, then seemed to realize something. He turned to look at the maid who had been standing silently beside them.
Liang Zhu had previously mentioned that when he replaced Ating with a dead infant in a “clever ruse,” he had used a stillborn baby to swap with Ating at that time, thus managing to rescue her and escape notice.
Could it be that the “dead infant” Liang Zhu mentioned was born to this maid named “Hongyu”?
Hongyu nodded slightly and said, “Your Majesty is too kind. That child was never meant to be born. Being able to save the Second Princess is also her good fortune.”
Tong Zilan nodded slightly and looked back at Ye Anping, asking:
“Young Master Ye, let’s get back to business. What do you want?”
“Two requests.”
“Please speak. As long as I can do it, I will certainly not refuse.”
Ye Anping took a deep breath and said:
“The first matter is, I hope that when the Demon Race approaches the gates of Tianan City, the Empress will proactively open the city gates and allow the Demon Emperor to enter.”
As soon as these words were spoken, Yue Xuanming, standing to the right of the imperial concubine’s couch, frowned again and interrupted, “Allowing the Demon Emperor into the city, what about the cultivators in Tianan City? If the Demon Race enters the city, there will inevitably be a massacre, and blood will flow like a river. Tens of thousands of cultivators will die without a whole corpse.”
“That is incorrect,” Ye Anping looked up to meet his gaze and said, “The Demon Emperor will absolutely not slaughter human cultivators on this journey. Lord Yue, you are the Deputy Commander of Xing Tian Division, so you must have received the news. In the immortal cities of Jade Pass and Tiger Pass, which the Demon Race passed through, apart from the death of the city guards, they did not harm the ordinary rogue cultivators in the cities after entering.”
“…Then how can you guarantee that the Demon Emperor will spare the tens of thousands of human cultivators in Tianan City after entering?”
“Because Si Xuanji is here…” Ye Anping thought to himself, but with Si Xuanji present, he couldn’t say this out loud, as it would only cause Si Xuanji to have more questions about him. So, he changed the subject: “As long as the Emperor of the Central Domain is not eliminated, there will be no peace in the Central Domain, and the karmic debt of the Second Princess’s birth will never be resolved.”
“Even so, we cannot put tens of thousands of human cultivators in Tianan City in such a dangerous situation.”
Tong Zilan also nodded slightly and said:
“Young Master Ye, I do wish for that old man to die. If he doesn’t die, I will never be free, and my second daughter will forever carry this karmic burden. However, allowing the Demon Emperor into the city… it is indeed… Is there no other way?”
Ye Anping felt a bit troubled. He was contemplating how to convince these two to agree to let the Demon Emperor in, but other than mentioning Si Xuanji, there was no other convincing reason.
Just as Ye Anping was in a dilemma, Si Xuanji took the initiative to speak:
“Don’t worry, both of you. I can guarantee that the Demon Emperor will not massacre the ordinary human cultivators in the city after entering.”
“Oh? How do you guarantee it?”
Si Xuanji glanced at Ye Anping and said:
“I will send a letter back to Xuan Xing Sect in the next two days and ask my mother to come and take charge. If she learns that the Emperor of the Central Domain has become a demon, she will never let him live in this world.”
“Your mother?” Tong Zilan slightly furrowed her brows. “You mean Dan Yue Shang Xian? But… will she come? I heard she never interferes with anything outside of Xuan Xing Sect on her own accord.”
Ye Anping quickly added:
“Dan Yue Shang Xian is magnanimous, has a grand demeanor, and is benevolent and respectful of scholars. She will surely not stand by and do nothing concerning the Demon Race and the Emperor of the Central Domain.”
“Yes,” Si Xuanji pursed her lips and smiled. “My mother is a righteous immortal in this world, pure and unsullied. She will certainly not stand by without acting when she witnesses demonic behavior.”
“Hehehe!! Hehehe!!”
Suddenly, a Golden Crown Parrot flew in through the window and landed on Ye Anping’s shoulder, causing everyone present to become vigilant. However, seeing that it seemed to be Ye Anping’s spirit beast, they relaxed.
Tong Zilan looked at Si Xuanji and was silent for a moment, then said:
“Since you guarantee it, I will agree to this matter. When the Demon Race besieges the city, I will have Yue Xuanming go and open the city gates to let them in.”
“Mm.”
Ye Anping nodded and continued:
“And then there’s the second matter. Young Master Xiao is looking for an item, and I hope the Empress can help find its whereabouts.”
“May I ask what item it is?”
“The Nine Dragon Heavenly Seal.”
Tong Zilan frowned slightly upon hearing this and looked at Xiao Yunluo beside her. After a moment of consideration, she nodded and replied:
“I only know that the old man keeps this item in a secret vault beneath the main hall of the imperial palace. I cannot guarantee whether it can be retrieved.”
“I see… Well, since we know its location, I will figure out a way to get it.”
Ye Anping nodded slightly in greeting, then cupped his hands in farewell:
“I will not stay long today. Goodbye.”
“Hongyu, escort Young Master Ye and the others out of the palace.”
“Yes…”
… …
