"You are truly pitiful, betrayed by your closest kin," Yuan Cang said to Ling Ruo with a look of pity, pinching her chin. "However, after I introduce you to the Dragon King, what benefits will you give me?"
Ling Ruo looked up, her expression one of surprise. "From now on, Ling Ruo will be at your disposal."
"There's no need for you to help me with demolitions. What use is a mere fairy maiden like you to me?" Yuan Cang pondered. "How about this? You change your clothes later and go to the Dragon King's sleeping chambers for me to do something."
Ling Ruo hesitated.
Qi Yu watched this scene unfold silently, having already rendered the nearby maidservant mute.
Seeing Ling Ruo's prolonged silence, Yuan Cang immediately showed a bored expression. "You're asking me for a favor, but you can't even do this small one? Whether as friends or more, we should help each other. If you can't help me, why should I help you?"
"It's not that," Ling Ruo crawled forward on her knees. "Your Highness Yuan Cang, it's not that I won't help, it's just that I've never done anything like this before. What do you want me to do in the Dragon King's sleeping chambers?"
Qi Yu was also curious.
"Just put some stuff in his incense burner," Yuan Cang smirked. "It's not a big deal. Help if you want, or don't. I'm not desperate for you."
"I'll help," Ling Ruo gritted her teeth and nodded.
Yuan Cang handed a brown paper package to Ling Ruo.
Qi Yu raised an eyebrow. After the two left, she released the maidservant and asked, "Where is your Dragon King's sleeping chamber? Is there another way to get there without running into those two?"
The maidservant trembled. "Yes, there is such a path, but we are not usually allowed to take it."
Qi Yu didn't understand.
The maidservant curtsied. "Each of us has a designated palace and cannot go to other places arbitrarily. Please forgive me, noble one."
Qi Yu thought for a moment. "Alright, forget it. Then please lead me there first."
The maidservant nodded.
When Qi Yu arrived at the inner chambers, Yu Zhen and Li Yu were already there, drinking tea and chatting.
"Oh, you're finally awake," Qi Nian waved at Qi Yu. "Senior Brother saw you sleeping so soundly earlier that he didn't dare to wake you. He carried you back."
"We were going to start without you, but we waited for you, so we've just been eating here," Si Qing said, looking up and seeing Qi Yu's messy hair. He reached out to smooth it down. "Brother, where did you go? Did you just wake up? Why does your hair look like it's been blown by the wind? Did you go out?"
Qi Yu hummed and slowly picked up a peach from the table. "I did go out. I overheard a huge piece of gossip, a really big one."
As she spoke, she took a bite of the peach and looked back at Yue Zhiyin, who was dressed as the Dragon King. "Do you want to hear it?"
Yue Zhiyin looked surprised. Since Qi Yu said so, he definitely wanted to hear it. "What gossip did you hear?"
"I heard Ling Ruo begging Yuan Cang, and then agreeing to put something in your incense burner," Qi Yu said, looking at Yue Zhiyin. "Your brother is getting restless."
"Isn't the point that Ling Ruo approached Yuan Cang?" Yue Zhiyin was unconcerned by Yuan Cang's petty actions.
"The position of Dragon King in the Dragon Clan is determined by who cultivates the Dragon Pearl first. I cultivated immortal techniques and passed the tribulation to become king before Yuan Cang, so his troublemaking is limited. However, if he were to join forces with Ling Ruo, it might be detrimental to you."
"It won't be detrimental to me if the two of them join forces. I just think it's easy for them to join forces and damage the brotherly bond between us," Qi Yu said, resting her chin on her hand. "After all, if I eat him, it will make things difficult for you."
"I don't mind that," Yue Zhiyin said indifferently when mentioning Yuan Cang. "As long as you don't make the first move, if Yuan Cang causes trouble for you, and you defend yourself and accidentally kill him, who can be blamed?"
Qi Yu nodded. "With you saying that, there's no problem. By the way, let's start quickly. What kind of magical artifact is the Floating Life Mirage?"
Yue Zhiyin called out.
Immediately, several shrimp soldiers and crab generals carried in a jade screen.
The screen was made of white jade with delicate patterns, looking quite luxurious, but not like a magical artifact.
"Hmm... this is it?" Qi Yu looked skeptical. "This screen is pretty, but is it really a magical artifact? How do you use it?"
Ming Lou also squatted down to examine it closely.
"After the prisoner is brought up, drip the prisoner's blood onto the screen, and you will immediately see the prisoner's life story," Yue Zhiyin said, putting down his tea cup. "Bring the prisoner forward."
The shrimp soldiers and crabs quickly complied, bringing forward the 'fake Jade Pavilion Master'.
They collected some blood from the 'fake Jade Pavilion Master' and dripped it onto the screen.
Immediately, the jade screen began to emit a dazzling halo, and the patterns beside it also flashed with spiritual light.
Following that, scenes unfolded before everyone's eyes.
"This thing was originally used as a torture device in the Northern Sea," Yue Zhiyin said, watching the images on the jade screen. "It's not being mistreated now to investigate the identity of this 'fake Jade Pavilion Master'."
Qi Yu nodded.
Yue Zhiyin looked at the useless content on the jade screen and waved his hand.
He adjusted the scene to the้้ป they wanted to see.
Qi Yan and the others watched intently.
On the jade screen, the human man who the 'fake Jade Pavilion Master' had mentioned as being knowledgeable in evil arts indeed appeared.
Just as the fake had said.
The man was wearing a black robe, black gloves, pure black boots, and his face was so dark that his features were indistinguishable.
Yet, even so, they could hear the man's voice.
"This man's voice is too hollow, as if he's speaking in a confined space," Yue Zhiyin frowned. "This body is likely not his true form, but an empty shell he's occupying."
"Not his true form?" Ming Lou's voice was surprised. "If he's just occupying an empty shell, then what happened to the original body's face?"
Qi Yu poured herself a cup of tea and said slowly, as if she had thought of something.
"I recall a legend from tens of thousands of years ago about an evil god born from the convergence of all worldly evil thoughts. He had no physical body, so he often occupied other people's bodies. However, because such an evil god could only occupy ordinary human bodies, and human bodies could not withstand the power of an ancient evil god."
"Therefore, after the ancient evil god occupied a human body, the possessed human would not only lose their facial features but also develop purple-blue scars on their body."
"Although it is said that the former Heavenly Emperor has already suppressed that evil god, over so many years, the suppression seal should have long since loosened."
Sui You's voice became serious. "Qi Yu, are you suggesting that this faceless man before us could be the ancient evil god who has escaped his seal?"
Qi Yu nodded.
Just then, a maidservant's voice was heard from outside. "Your Majesty, His Highness Yuan Cang requests an audience."