"How is that possible? Are you sure you didn't missee? Lord Chenxi just returned." Another maid asked, puzzled.
"Did I missee? Impossible, I couldn't possibly mistake Lord Chenxi."
It was because the Dragon Palace rarely had male deities who liked to wear such ethereal, flowing clothes.
"You must have misseen. Lord Chenxi just returned, didn't he? You probably just saw things. I told you, don't read storybooks with the lights on at night."
"Really? I don't think I misseen..."
The maids gathered together, chattering amongst themselves, and prepared to leave.
As Qi Yu brushed past them, overhearing their discussion, her footsteps faltered. She then grabbed the maid's wrist, "What were you just discussing? Say it again."
The maid was startled by Qi Yu's sudden voice and all of them fell to their knees with a thud.
Qi Yu rubbed her temples, signaling them to rise, and then asked them to repeat what they had said.
The maid who had spoken earlier blinked in confusion. Then, she carefully recounted everything she had just said to Qi Yu, word for word.
After finishing, she added, "Your Majesty, I swear I really saw Lord Chenxi go in. If I lied, may lightning strike me down."
That was a serious oath.
The other maids hadn't seen anything and no one dared to speak.
Qi Yu looked at Yan Hua.
Both of them felt a lurch in their hearts.
Immediately, they turned and rushed towards the innermost part of the Dragon Palace.
At the same time, in Qi Yu's room.
The Nightmare Demon had already perfectly mimicked Qi Yu's appearance, step by step, not missing even the slightest detail in her eyes.
Once disguised, the fake Qi Yu lifted the hem of her skirt and cautiously, step by step, walked towards Si Qing.
Qi Yu ran through the long corridors of the Dragon Palace, her heart filled with anxiety.
Yan Hua and Chenxi followed closely behind.
"That Nightmare Demon has definitely infiltrated the South Sea Dragon Palace. We've been guessing who the instigator is, but we forgot that there's someone who can control Nightmare Demons!" Qi Yu stopped short of explaining further. Instead, she summoned the Yan Zhen Mirror, tapped her foot, and entered the mirror, vanishing from the spot.
Seeing her urgency, Chenxi's heart also grew anxious. However, his mind couldn't keep up with Qi Yu's thoughts. So, as he ran, he asked Yan Hua, "Where did Qi Yu go through the mirror? And what did she mean by what she just said? Who can control Nightmare Demons?"
Chenxi suspected his intelligence was lacking, otherwise, why couldn't he understand even half of what she said?
"...Even if I explained, you wouldn't understand. In short, this might be the doing of those two from the 13th Heaven," Yan Hua frowned deeply.
If it truly was the work of the Heavenly Dao and the Laws, then he understood their intentions even less.
It was true that heavenly punishment occurred in this world.
However, heavenly punishment and the Heavenly Dao and Laws acting out of personal vendetta were two entirely different matters.
Yan Hua's mind was in a mess, filled with a strong sense of unease.
He grabbed Chenxi's arm, a flash of inspiration striking him. They vanished from the spot together, using their spiritual power to keep pace with Qi Yu ahead.
Qi Yu had no time to look back. She rushed to the main hall of the South Sea Dragon Palace at her fastest speed and pushed the door open with both hands.
Inside the hall, the fake Qi Yu was inching closer to Si Qing, who was in the midst of cultivation.
Si Qing was currently circulating his spiritual energy through several major acupoints in his body. Even a slight distraction could cost him half his life.
Qi Yu originally wanted to call out to him, but upon seeing this, she closed her mouth and rushed forward at top speed, attempting to grab the fake Qi Yu.
However, the fake Qi Yu, seeing Qi Yu charging towards her, did not dodge. Instead, she revealed a cunning, strange smile. Then, her left hand transformed into black blades, and she lunged fiercely towards Si Qing!