Tantai Jin had been inside for a long time without emerging.
Wei Xi had no choice but to summon Ye Chu Feng.
Everyone in the palace was currently in a state of self-preservation, and there were even rumors among the common people that Tantai Jin was inherently ill-omened, which was why the winter weather had become so bizarre.
Yang Ji had always prioritized his own safety and was completely unreliable in such times. Now, the only one with both courage and capability left was Ye Chu Feng. It was said that there was some kind of contract between Lord Ye and His Majesty, so even if he were informed of the matter, he would not betray the Emperor.
"To be frank, Lord Ye, these past few days, a faint... odor has been emanating from His Majesty's palace. The young lady's body cannot be preserved. Since she has already passed, why not let her rest in peace?"
Ye Chu Feng nodded. "Thank you for informing me, Lord Wei."
Having rushed back from Linwei City, Ye Chu Feng had not expected that after more than a month, Tantai Jin still had not buried his third sister's body. No wonder the palace servants looked both terrified and tight-lipped.
In this era where the deceased were held in the highest regard, Tantai Jin's behavior sent chills down one's spine.
Wei Xi sighed.
He hadn't dared to elaborate to Lord Ye about what else His Majesty had done.
Wei Xi knew very well who the true master was. The power of life and death over everyone ultimately remained in Tantai Jin's hands.
As Ye Chu Feng approached the palace, he too caught the faint scent Wei Xi had mentioned.
Incense had been placed in the room to slow the corpse's decay, but delaying to this point was already the limit.
Wei Xi whispered uneasily, "His Majesty entered this morning and hasn't come out since. My eyelids have been twitching all day, Lord Ye. Could something have happened?"
Ye Chu Feng said, "Have someone open the door."
"But..."
"I'll take responsibility if anything goes wrong."
Only then did Wei Xi comply. Soon, the palace doors were pushed open. Neither Ye Chu Feng nor even Wei Xi had expected to witness the scene before them. Wei Xi's legs gave way, and he forgot even to bow, scrambling out on his knees.
Ye Chu Feng's face turned ashen as he strode forward and seized Tantai Jin's collar tightly. "What are you doing?"
The young tyrant in black robes chuckled softly. "Keeping her with me, forever."
Blood flowed from Tantai Jin's body, staining the Ruoshui beneath him. Around them were several ritual tools left by the old Taoist priest.
Tantai Jin, pale-faced, smiled with pleasure as the Ruoshui formed a thin layer of ice crystals.
Ye Chu Feng looked at his third sister's corpse and recalled Tantai Jin's earlier actions. Shivering with horror, he gritted his teeth and said, "You actually intended to seal yourself and her together in the Ruoshui!"
Tantai Jin was seeking death. He might not survive himself, and his third sister would not be able to depart with dignity.
Staring into Tantai Jin's crazed, stubborn eyes, Ye Chu Feng suddenly remembered the time when he had hosted a banquet for Tantai Minglang's officials in the great hall.
Back then, everyone had thought it was merely intimidation and deterrence. Only today did Ye Chu Feng realize that Tantai Jin was an utter madman, capable of anything.
Tantai Jin said coldly, "Who gave you the audacity to enter? Get out!"
"You're completely insane. I'm taking Third Sister away," Ye Chu Feng declared, moving to lift the cold corpse from the bed.
A hand shot out as Tantai Jin struck with his palm.
"You dare touch her?" Tantai Jin said icily.
Ye Chu Feng's expression turned extremely grim. In that moment, he disregarded any contract or the distinction between ruler and subject; he didn't even think of Pian Ran. All he felt was absurdity.
The two men began to fight. One possessed a nine-tailed fox's Demon Core, the other had just obtained the Divine Marrow, yet neither used their powers, trading blows fist to flesh.Tantai Jin's expression was bone-chilling.
Ye Chu Feng couldn't bear the thought of his third sister remaining disturbed even after death. He raised his hand, and a ball of flames shot toward the corpse on the bed.
Tantai Jin's gaze froze instantly. Without a second thought, he threw himself over the corpse.
The flames scorched his back, but he seemed oblivious, frantically yet carefully extinguishing the sparks that had landed on the girl's body beneath him.
Ye Chu Feng watched helplessly. After a long moment, he closed his eyes.
"If Third Sister knew how you are now, she would be disgusted."
The word "disgusted" made Tantai Jin stiffen completely. The corners of his eyes turned a terrifying crimson, yet a faint glimmer of tears welled in his left eye.
Ye Chu Feng said, "I beg you, and I beg you on her behalf too—let her go, allow her to leave."
Ye Chu Feng closed his eyes. "What you gave, she didn't want. What she wanted, you never allowed her to have." All she wanted was to leave you, and she paid such a heavy price for it. How could you not understand?
Tantai Jin's tears fell onto the girl's face. He knew he was right, yet everyone in the world thought he was mad, hoping he would relent.
By evening, Chief Eunuch Wei Xi brought good news.
Wei Xi said with relief, "His Majesty has agreed to bury the young lady."
Ye Chu Feng was taken aback, recalling the young tyrant's red-rimmed eyes.
Tantai Jin still refused to let anyone touch Su Su.
That day, he meticulously cleansed her body, adorned her hair with beautiful hairpins, and placed an insect-repelling pearl in her mouth. He personally carried the girl's corpse into the imperial mausoleum that originally belonged to him.
Beneath the mausoleum lay the Spiritual Vein of an entire dynasty.
He ordered the tomb sealed and never entered it again.
When spring arrived and the snow ceased, the Hidden Dragon Guards attempted to rescue Ye Bingshang. Tantai Jin trapped thousands of them and ordered them shot to death with volleys of arrows.
He made Ye Bingshang watch.
Ye Bingshang was confined inside a sealed jar, soon to be turned into a "human pig." She watched in despair as her rescuers fell one by one, screaming uncontrollably.
After more than half a year of relentless torment, she had lost all her spirit. Recalling her past life by Xiao Lin's side, she realized it had been the most peaceful time of her life.
The man in black beside her smiled like an Evil Ghost.
Tantai Jin had once sought to possess this power, but now that he had the chance, he slaughtered them with his own hands.
Ye Bingshang did not survive until the following spring.
When Tantai Jin received the news, he was watching a monster in a cage said to have three lives. Upon hearing it, he didn't even lift his eyelids.
"Just throw it away if it's dead."
He raised his hand and killed the monster. Suddenly, he felt that the world had lost its meaning long ago.
In the summer of the second year of Jinghe, the clip-clop of horse hooves halted outside a courtyard.
Ye Chu Feng reined in his horse and turned back, sighing inwardly. "Your Majesty, would you like to accompany me inside?"
Tantai Jin shook his head.
Ye Chu Feng saluted him and entered the courtyard alone.
Faintly, voices inside could be heard asking about "Xiwu." Tantai Jin gazed distractedly at the silk trees blooming vibrantly beyond the fence.
Ye Chu Feng emerged quickly and sighed. "Your Majesty should have let Third Sister know back then that you saved Grandmother."
Tantai Jin let out a cold laugh.
He snapped the branch in his hand.
For the first time, Ye Chu Feng was uncertain whether Tantai Jin's feelings for Third Sister were rooted more in love or hatred.
But death extinguishes life like a lamp—surely, he must have given up by now.No one knew when all manner of monsters began appearing across the land, when the world became overrun with Chimei Wangliang, no longer an era dominated by mortals.
An ordinary immortal now held status surpassing even the emperors of the mortal realm. The jade palaces and marble towers of Penglai Immortal Mountain—how could any imperial palace compare?
Immortals—what divine and wondrous beings they were.
They existed high above, where a single moment for them spanned an entire mortal lifetime. The Immortal Sect's gates had swung wide open, and everyone hoped they possessed the innate talent to follow an immortal elder to cultivate on the sacred mountains.
Tantai Jin extended his hand, catching a falling silk tree blossom in his palm.
"Let's go," he murmured, crushing the flower between his fingers, staining his pale fingertips crimson.
What he had pursued from the very beginning was power—the kind that would make thousands kneel and bow before him. He ought to tear out this superfluous love thread, forget that figure standing atop the city walls.
His fingers curled into claws as he smoothed over the countless self-inflicted scars hidden beneath his sleeve. A cold smile twisted Tantai Jin's lips. His path would never allow him to die for that love thread that tormented him day and night, nor for the woman who had never loved him.
He would live—live for thousands upon thousands of years, defying this very heaven and earth!
Time flowed like a white steed galloping past a crack, and the silk tree bloomed and withered through countless cycles.
Another spring arrived in the mortal realm.
"Today, I shall speak of a hidden tale," an old storyteller began, stroking his beard before slapping the wooden block on his table. "They say five hundred years ago, the Zhou Kingdom witnessed a strange snowfall. The emperor at that time wasn't any recorded in the history books, but a mad ruler who reigned briefly before burning all records of his reign."
"His past turned to ashes, leaving behind only speculation. Some say he once loved a peerless Lady Ye, waging wars across multiple kingdoms just to bring her to his side."
"Others claim an unknown woman appeared in his life. She held no title, her name lost to time. All that's known is that after that great snow in Zhou Kingdom, no one ever saw her again."
Someone from the audience shouted, "The emperor must have loved Lady Ye! Otherwise, why wouldn't he grant that nameless woman any title?"
The old man didn't refute the listener, smiling as he replied, "Honored guests, please listen to this old man's detailed account. Five hundred years ago, during the mad emperor's reign, though wars raged, his power intimidated all surrounding lands. By rights, he should have unified the realm. Yet not long after, he abruptly vanished from this world."
"Some say he died of old age as a common mortal. Others claim he was slain by swordsmen rising against the tyrant. But... there are those who speculate he journeyed to the legendary River of Wailing Ghosts in the Underworld."
The moment "River of Wailing Ghosts" was mentioned, someone immediately protested, "You old fool, spinning tales again! Who would go to the River of Wailing Ghosts? Everyone knows it's a place that devours mortal souls. Would the mad emperor seek death there? What Zhou Kingdom from five hundred years ago? What mad emperor not in the history books? This person probably never existed! Am I right, everyone?"
This declaration drew immediate agreement from many. "He's right!"
"Why keep telling these boring old stories? If you've got skill, talk about the Immortal Sect opening its gates and recruiting disciples!"
"Yes! If not about the immortal realm, then tell us about the demon and monster realms!"
The old storyteller shook his head.
Since ancient times, mortals had always yearned for immortal cultivation, even when none possessed the Spiritual Root to embark on the Immortal Path. They remained endlessly curious about spirits and Demonic Beasts, yet whenever monsters actually caused trouble, everyone feared for their safety.
Since the story had become mere history, and his audience had already dispersed like music fading after the final note, the old man ceased telling this tale.
After all, even he didn't know what truly happened five hundred years ago."There are five realms in the world: the divine, the immortal, the mortal, the demonic beasts, and the Underworld. The Gods have long since fallen, and the Demonic Beasts need no further explanation for their cruel deeds. So today, let's talk about the century's routine Immortal Sect competition. Who do you all think will take the crown this time?"
"Need you ask? Of course, it's the top Immortal Sect, Hengyang Sect!"
...
The storytelling hall buzzed with excitement once more.
In a corner on the second floor, a woman in green robes curled her lips disdainfully.
"That's not certain. This year, Hengyang Sect is sending mostly new disciples. Do they think everyone is as monstrous as Gongye Jiewu, breaking through to mid-stage Nascent Soul from Golden Core in just thirty years? Just wait—I'll beat them to a pulp!" A smirk tugged at her lips as she recalled something. "I heard the Hengyang Sect's Leader Li has a useless daughter who just turned a hundred and came of age. I’d love to meet her!"
Beside her, a man in matching green robes, Ying Zhuang, rubbed his temples in frustration. "Junior Sister, our master said we’re participating in the Immortal Sect competition for experience. The Cangyuan Secret Realm will open soon, and we need to connect with capable allies to handle what’s ahead. You’ve had enough of these mortal amusements—let’s hurry and use Sword Control to reach Hengyang Sect. It’d be impolite to arrive late."
The green-robed woman snorted but knew there was no time to waste. Reluctantly, she rose with the man to join their sect.
Their faction was called "Chixiao Sect," distinguished by their blue satin robes and the teardrop-shaped hairpins worn by female disciples. The founding patriarch had once been a disciple of the Shangqing celestial realm’s Demigod, Ming Ye.
With many inheritances from Shangqing, Chixiao Sect had become the second-largest Immortal Sect after Hengyang.
"Junior Sister Cen, do you need me to carry you?"
Cen Mixuan didn’t even glance back, already soaring away on her sword. Watching her receding figure, Ying Zhuang offered a wry smile.
Junior Sister Cen had every reason to be proud. At just over a hundred years old, she had reached mid-stage Golden Core. As the daughter of Chixiao Sect’s leader, she was noble in status and stunningly beautiful.
But her temperament was truly hard for others to bear.
Thinking of the Hengyang Sect leader’s daughter, who was rumored to still be at late-stage Foundation Establishment at a hundred years old and likely to face his junior sister, Ying Zhuang let out a deep sigh.
Even before the competition began, he found himself pitying that untalented Fairy.
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