She Absolutely Hates Gu Changge's Guts — It Was Mutual Consent to Begin With
She Absolutely Hates Gu Changge’s Guts — It Was Mutual Consent to Begin With
The heavens trembled, and the mountains quaked! A rumbling roar came crushing down, like thousands upon thousands of troops and horses charging in for the kill.
A dark, dense army descended from beyond the horizon, murderous aura billowing, intimidating all eight directions.
This was an elite force—even their mounts were pure-blooded ferocious beasts, with scarlet eyes, immense strength, and fur like silk that radiated dazzling divine light.
“Kill!”
From the moment this army received the news in the imperial palace to their arrival at this place, only a short while had passed.
Her Majesty the Empress had been attacked—this matter shook the entire court and enraged everyone.
After all the imperial troops rapidly assembled, they rushed to the Black and White Academy through the Transportation Arrays.
At this moment, they charged forth like a torrent, beginning to encircle and exterminate the many assassins who had yet to escape.
In an instant, a massacre began, with wails and screams everywhere.
The tide had turned. No matter how unwilling the assassins were, it was useless—they began fleeing in all directions.
But their speed of escape ultimately could not match the pursuing army’s speed.
Many, seeing that escape was impossible, chose to self-detonate on the spot, body and soul annihilated, blood mist scattering—truly ruthless beyond measure, leaving no survivors behind.
“It’s over. These... assassins are all retreating now, they’re all fleeing outward.”
“We held on. That was truly a false alarm. Thank goodness Young Master Changge held back the Night Demon, otherwise the consequences would have been unthinkable.”
“Indeed. Without Young Master Changge, Her Majesty the Empress would truly have been more likely to die than live this time.
It’s simply unimaginable—to assassinate Her Majesty the Empress, they prepared so many methods, and even brought out the weapon of the former Solar Demon Overlord...”
“That was a Nirvana Grade Artifact! Fortunately, Young Master Changge still held the Tower of World Domination in his hand, otherwise even he would likely have had trouble blocking it.”
The many high officials of the Demon Race, watching this scene, all let out sighs of relief and relaxed, their hearts filled with endless emotion.
In the battle just now, they too had sustained no few injuries.
But compared to these wounds, they were more worried about how the poison afflicting Her Majesty the Empress was faring.
If the poison was potent, the entire Demon World would likely fall into chaos in short order, throwing the people into panic.
This assassination attempt would likely implicate many great figures.
Even a Sacred Emperor Realm expert like the Night Demon, charging in with the Solar Heavenly Blade in hand—even Her Majesty the Empress at her peak would likely have had difficulty dealing with him.
“Hmph, that man got away.
A coward who hides his head and shows his tail, never daring to reveal his true face!”
“But since Her Majesty is unharmed, we can rest easy.”
High in the sky, the Quelling Chaos King, the Grand Tutor, and the others all descended, their bodies covered in blood and wounds, some places injured to the bone—their injuries were extremely severe.
Their opponents had been very strong; some of them were even stronger than they were.
Had it not been for their superior numbers, they would likely have been defeated and killed long ago.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!!! Soon, without even time to recover from their injuries, everyone transformed into divine rainbows and headed toward the peak of the Sacred Mountain.
“Wonderful, we held out, the assassins have all fled.”
Seeing that this assault had finally ended, joy appeared on the faces of the many young prodigies, and they let out long sighs of relief.
Many even collapsed limply to the ground—they had been holding on by sheer force of will.
“If we failed this time, there’s always a next time.”
Jun Fan closed his eyes, imitating the other young prodigies, sitting cross-legged in place to rest and recover from his injuries.
Thick unwillingness surged in his heart, but at this moment, no one noticed such things...
“Your Majesty, are you alright?”
Song Youwei, her body also stained with blood, hurried over from the foot of the Sacred Mountain and asked respectfully.
“We are fine...”
Empress Yao Xi shook her head.
She stood at the mountain’s peak, gazing toward the outer domain. With her current ability, she could not sense the battle taking place there.
Although she knew Gu Changge was very strong, until the result came out, she could not be certain.
The opponent was, after all, the Night Demon—a figure who had roamed the Demon World unchallenged six thousand years ago, and now wielding the Solar Heavenly Blade, like a tiger given wings, practically invincible.
And just as Empress Yao Xi was pondering this in her heart...
A faint fluctuation suddenly came from the outer domain, and then the void before her blurred—Gu Changge’s figure emerged from within it.
His expression was calm and composed, his robes as good as new, untouched by a speck of dust.
Empress Yao Xi and Song Youwei were both slightly stunned, somewhat unable to believe that Gu Changge looked so at ease.
He appeared to have no problems whatsoever—no injuries visible on his body, his aura steady, without the slightest disturbance.
Had they not personally witnessed his great battle with the Night Demon just now, no one would have believed this was what Gu Changge looked like after a major battle.
“Thank you for your assistance, Young Master Changge. Are you alright?”
Coming back to her senses, Empress Yao Xi cupped her hands toward Gu Changge and asked.
Song Youwei also wore an expression of disbelief as she looked Gu Changge over.
How did this look anything like someone who had just been through a great battle? “I’m naturally fine.”
Gu Changge waved his hand casually, then said in a somewhat regretful tone, “That fellow was... clever, though. He suddenly fled at the end. I was worried about this side, so I didn’t give chase.
Rather... are you alright on your end? I see the assassins have all retreated.”
“The Night Demon fled?”
“So that’s why these... assassins escaped.”
Song Youwei felt a sudden understanding in her heart, and her admiration for Gu Changge grew even deeper.
“Thank you for your concern, Young Master Changge. I’m fine.”
Empress Yao Xi shook her head, though she actually didn’t quite believe what Gu Changge had said.
She felt this matter was probably not as simple as Gu Changge made it out to be.
The Night Demon likely hadn’t fled—he had been killed by Gu Changge.
If the Night Demon had truly escaped, Gu Changge probably wouldn’t be wearing this expression. By now, she had come to understand him at least a little.
So the Solar Heavenly Blade should now be in Gu Changge’s hands as well.
However, since Gu Changge didn’t mention it, she tactfully refrained from asking.
For today’s events, she already owed Gu Changge a great debt of gratitude.
Although the Solar Heavenly Blade was precious, to Gu Changge it probably amounted to nothing much.
Back when the Purple Mansion was destroyed, the vast majority of its accumulated resources fell into his hands.
One or two Nirvana Grade Artifacts might be treasured beyond measure by ordinary sects and great teachings, but Gu Changge even possessed immortal artifacts like the Tower of World Domination.
What she was somewhat curious about now was... just how exactly had Gu Changge killed the Night Demon.
“As long as you’re fine.”
Hearing this, Gu Changge smiled, appearing quite concerned.
Just as Empress Yao Xi had guessed, after the Night Demon died, the Solar Heavenly Blade naturally fell into his hands.
Besides that, there was also the Night Demon’s Sacred Emperor Source.
It was just that such matters—if he didn’t speak of them, Empress Yao Xi should be smart enough not to ask too much.
Gu Changge’s trip to the Demon World, while it carried the intention of searching for the Demon Overlord’s son and Bai Lian’er...
If he encountered something like a Sacred Emperor Source, he naturally wouldn’t let it slip by.
It wasn’t that Gu Changge intended to conceal the news of the Night Demon’s death.
Rather, he had discovered that the Night Demon hadn’t left behind anything like a Life Talisman. If word of his death spread, Jun Bufan might well panic.
He still planned to use Jun Bufan to draw out the big fish behind him, so he naturally didn’t intend to startle the snake in the grass just yet.
And based on the current situation in the Demon World...
Empress Yao Xi was indeed merely a chess piece. The true player remained behind the scenes, yet to reveal themselves.
Even the Fortuitous One Jun Bufan was the same. If one wanted to intervene in this game, one would first have to draw out the big fish behind the curtain.
“The true player should be the six Demon Overlords who disappeared back then. Just what secret are they hiding?”
Gu Changge was quite interested in their so-called secret.
Such a secret boiled down to nothing more than... two possibilities: one involving the Demon World, the other involving themselves.
“So it’s either related to the Demon World, or related to themselves. Bearing the Fortuity of the Demon World—could they be planning to ascend the world? Or perhaps to break into the Celestial Realm?”
Gu Changge found this rather intriguing.
Afterward, a crowd of ministers hurried over. Seeing that the Empress was unharmed, they breathed sighs of relief while expressing their worry and alarm one after another.
Honestly, this assassination attempt had frightened many people badly; they still hadn’t recovered their wits.
That Empress Yao Xi could survive this calamity was already a matter of great fortune.
Had Gu Changge not suddenly come to the Demon World, after today, there would likely be no Empress Yao Xi left in this world!
“Regarding this rebellion, I wonder if Your Majesty has any idea of what’s behind it?”
Gu Changge had been watching Qing Zhu’s and Jun Bufan’s expressions all along.
Compared to Jun Bufan’s calm composure, Qing Zhu’s face was much paler, somewhat anxious and uneasy. Presumably, without him needing to say anything, Empress Yao Xi had already noticed the problem.
“Thank you for your earlier warning, Young Master Changge. I was foolish and arrogant, and was betrayed by someone close to me.”
“This sort of thing will not happen again from now on.”
Hearing this, Empress Yao Xi sighed deeply. She naturally knew what Gu Changge was referring to.
Gu Changge smiled and said, “Then Your Majesty had better move quickly, or soon there’ll be no one left alive to testify.”
“No one left alive to testify?”
Empress Yao Xi was slightly taken aback, then realized what Gu Changge meant, and her expression grew even colder.
“Men, bring Qing Zhu before me.”
Her voice was ice-cold, containing immense majesty.
Gu Changge glanced with great interest at Jun Bufan in the crowd.
Truly worthy of being the Fortuitous One—his actions were quite meticulous.
In his view, the reason Jun Bufan could still maintain his composure was that he wasn’t worried about Qing Zhu exposing his true identity.
That being the case, he must have already prepared his escape route.
After all, in this world, apart from... the dead, there was no one else better at keeping secrets.
However, what Gu Changge was somewhat curious about was how Jun Bufan controlled Qing Zhu’s life and death. A Life Soul technique? Or gu worms and poison? If it was with Qing Zhu’s knowledge, then it would certainly be a Life Soul or some technique, since that way her life and death could be controlled at any time.
Generally speaking, the activation time of gu worms and poisons could not be controlled at will.
But there were exceptions to everything—he just didn’t know exactly how ruthless Jun Bufan was.
And hearing these words, the expressions of everyone present first froze, then, realizing what they meant, changed drastically.
Her Majesty the Empress had been poisoned—apart from those closest to her, who else could have done it? And from the looks of it, it was actually the female officer Qing Zhu?! Everyone found it somewhat unbelievable. Her Majesty’s four female officers were practically her right and left arms, having accompanied her for hundreds of years.
When many people met Her Majesty’s female officers, it was almost like meeting the Empress herself.
And now they were learning that Officer Qing Zhu had actually betrayed Her Majesty the Empress?! This was too shocking—they couldn’t believe it.
“What...”
“How is this possible? Qing Zhu, she...”
Qing Mei, Qing Lan, and the others widened their eyes even more, unable to believe that the sister who had accompanied them for hundreds of years had actually betrayed Her Majesty the Empress?! This was simply a fantasy out of thin air.
But seeing Qing Zhu’s pale face and trembling lips, they fell silent, and had no choice but to believe it.
Amid the crowd, Jun Fan maintained a calm facade, but inwardly he was profoundly shaken.
According to his original plan, if the assassination failed, he would detonate the poison inside Qing Zhu before Empress Yao Xi could uncover who had betrayed her, reducing her to nothing—body and soul—and destroying all evidence.
But in his estimation, that should still have taken some time.
He refused to believe Empress Yao Xi could identify the traitor immediately; there should have been a process of elimination.
Yet from the current situation, Empress Yao Xi had known almost instantly who had betrayed her.
And Qing Zhu’s behavior now left nothing to be said—she might as well have written the word “traitor” across her face.
This had far exceeded his expectations.
“I overestimated Qing Zhu’s composure, and underestimated Yao Xi...”
Jun Fan’s brow furrowed. Fortunately, the poison he had administered was no ordinary poison—it could be controlled by him.
If things turned sour in a moment, he could only steel his heart and detonate the poison within Qing Zhu, ensuring she would never expose his identity.
Thinking of this, he felt somewhat reassured.
“Gu Changge again. If he hadn’t warned Yao Xi just now, none of this would have happened. I have no grudge against him, yet he ruins my plans time and time again...”
Glancing at Gu Changge, Jun Fan’s expression darkened.
At this moment, everyone watched the scene in silence.
Qing Zhu was escorted before Empress Yao Xi by several guards. Her face was pale, her lips trembling, her entire being consumed by dread and terror.
“I ask myself whether I have treated you poorly. Seven hundred years ago, you were still an ordinary green bamboo, nearly swallowed whole by a bull demon. It was I who saved you then, and brought you back to the palace...”
Empress Yao Xi’s expression was perfectly calm, her emotions without a ripple, showing no trace of fury.
She did not ask Qing Zhu why she had betrayed her. She simply spoke, casually recounting matters of the past.
In her eyes, Qing Zhu had grown from an ordinary bamboo with a faint trace of spiritual awareness, cultivating step by step until she took human form, and then maturing to where she stood today.
Though she was a court lady, the affection invested in her was beyond what ordinary people could compare to.
If anything, she was less a servant and more like a child the Empress had watched grow up.
The heartache of being betrayed by her could hardly be described by the simple word “pain.”
Hearing these words, everyone fell silent.
“How could Lady Qing Zhu betray Her Majesty the Empress...”
“Why on earth would she do this?”
Even Song Youwei felt the scene before her was utterly surreal.
Amid the crowd, watching Empress Yao Xi’s demeanor, Jun Fan suddenly felt a twisted sense of satisfaction rise in his heart.
Back when he had suffered Yao Xi’s betrayal, hadn’t he felt exactly this way? All of this—wasn’t it simply Yao Xi reaping what she had sown, tasting the bitter fruit of her own making?
“Your Majesty, please kill me.
I have wronged you.”
Hearing this, Qing Zhu’s face filled with anguish as she collapsed to her knees.
“Kill you?”
Empress Yao Xi turned to look at her, an unreadable emotion in her eyes.
In truth, she should have been on guard after questioning Qing Zhu that night.
At the time, she had thought the matter trivial—once she had spoken to Qing Zhu, Qing Zhu would surely follow her instructions.
But she had overestimated Qing Zhu’s loyalty.
“Please kill me, Your Majesty. I wronged you. I should never have poisoned your meals.”
Qing Zhu’s expression was one of utter agony as she knelt on the ground.
Empress Yao Xi shook her head and said indifferently, “Tell me, who ordered you to do this? Moreover, you were not the only one who administered poison.
The imperial wine was poisoned as well. Only when the two poisons combine do they erupt.”
At this, Qing Zhu shook her head violently. “Your Majesty, please just kill me. I cannot say.”
“Foolish.”
Empress Yao Xi’s brow furrowed. She had not expected that even now, Qing Zhu would still protect the person behind her.
“I think, Your Majesty, questioning her like this won’t get you anywhere. Why not simply perform a Soul Search? It would be much faster.”
At that moment, Gu Changge, who had been watching the show from the sidelines, suddenly spoke with a smile.
He knew Empress Yao Xi was soft-hearted and could not bear to do it.
But as an empress, how could she afford to be soft-hearted over such a small matter? Since she instinctively resisted it, then he would gladly play the villain and say it for her.
“Gu Changge...”
Seeing this, Jun Fan’s expression shifted slightly. In his heart, he hated Gu Changge to the bone.
Hearing this, Empress Yao Xi glanced at Gu Changge, then nodded. “Young Master Changge speaks reason.
Qing Zhu, since you refuse to speak, I shall have no choice but to have someone perform a Soul Search on you.”
She had not expected Gu Changge to push her like this.
But since even he had said so, she had no grounds to refuse.
Soft-heartedness was not something she should possess.
“Your Majesty, I’ll talk...”
Qing Zhu’s face turned deathly pale, utterly terrified. She knew full well what a Soul Search entailed.
It was a torment comparable to torture, unbearable agony that could annihilate one’s soul at any moment if one failed to endure it.
If Empress Yao Xi insisted on the Soul Search, the secret between her and Jun Fan would surely not survive.
“It was the Night Demon who found me and made me cooperate with him...”
At this moment, she still clung to a sliver of hope that Jun Fan had some way to save her, so she concocted an excuse, intending to muddle through and buy time.
“Foolish indeed.”
Gu Changge could not help but chuckle, his expression carrying a trace of mockery.
“Silence. Even at this point, you still refuse to tell the truth and continue to deceive me.”
Empress Yao Xi’s face turned cold. How could she not see through Qing Zhu’s intentions?
There was some anger in her heart, but more than that, there was ice.
Yet in the very next instant, Qing Zhu’s eyes suddenly went wide, as if in disbelief, and then black blood gushed from the corner of her mouth.
She seemed unable to believe this was real. She twisted her head, straining to look toward some spot below, but the light in her eyes finally faded, and she perished on the spot—body and soul annihilated.
“This was not suicide out of guilt. It seems the other side left themselves a way out.”
“The one directing Qing Zhu from behind the scenes must be near this Sacred Mountain. They have not gone far.”
Empress Yao Xi’s expression did not change in the slightest. Since Qing Zhu had chosen this path, she naturally had to bear its consequences.
In her current view, everyone present was now suspect. By tracing those Qing Zhu had previously come into contact with, she could greatly narrow the search.
Seeing this, Gu Changge smiled. “Indeed. I believe Your Majesty will surely drag the mastermind out into the open.”
Qing Zhu’s death was within his expectations.
Jun Bufan would never allow anyone to search Qing Zhu’s soul—otherwise his current identity would be exposed beyond doubt.
For now, Gu Changge had no intention of letting Jun Bufan’s identity be revealed so quickly. He was still waiting to use this bait to lure Bai Lian’er out.
If his guess was correct, the contents of that Brocade Bag likely concerned the secret of the whereabouts of the Six Demon Overlords of the Demon World.
Jun Fan watched all of this calmly, his heart having already settled. The immediate crisis was resolved for now, but there were still loose ends to deal with afterward.
Very quickly, the events that transpired at the Sacred Mountain of the Black and White Academy shook the entire Demon World, and even many sects in the Beyond caught wind of the news.
This assassination attempt was the largest in scale in six thousand years.
A Sacred Emperor Realm expert had even appeared in person, wielding the Solar Heavenly Blade that once belonged to the Solar Demon Overlord, overwhelmingly powerful.
As for assassins at the Perfect Prodigy and Sacred Lord Realm levels, there were quite a number of them as well—terrifyingly strong, striking down many.
Many great clans of the Demon World suffered heavy casualties in this assault. Among their attendant servants, many suddenly rose up in revolt, slaughtering indiscriminately.
Beyond that, many young prodigies also perished here, falling to the vicious hands of the assassins.
But what shook people most was the attack on Empress Yao Xi herself—that the person closest to her had poisoned her meals.
Although the poisoner had since been executed and perished, the matter was far from over.
Empress Yao Xi began a thorough investigation of everyone around her, purging the entire court from top to bottom.
Not a single official responsible for the imperial wine escaped—regardless of their reasons for betrayal, their entire families were executed.
The whole Demon World was plunged into a storm of blood. Many great clans lived in fear, terrified that Empress Yao Xi might suddenly turn her blade on them.
Of course, in this rebellion, while some were purged and executed, others received commendations and rewards.
The Quelling Chaos King, the Grand Tutor, and others had fought valiantly against the enemy in this rebellion. Empress Yao Xi saw it all and naturally bestowed upon them many treasures and divine artifacts.
The same was true for many young prodigies. Not only did they make their names known across the land, they were also richly rewarded for their merit in protecting Her Majesty the Empress.
After purging the court, Empress Yao Xi began sending people to keep watch in all directions, intending to track down Jun Bufan’s whereabouts.
She also set about investigating Qing Zhu’s previous movements and activities, trying to find clues among them.
With a change of perspective, many things became clear.
Since Jun Bufan was very likely a Remnant Soul reborn, he must have family in this life. She had completely overlooked this point before—and now, many people she knew inside and out had become highly suspect.
Moreover, Jun Bufan’s parents in this life were very likely kept in the dark by him—or perhaps were his accomplices.
With this lead, Empress Yao Xi was not worried about failing to find him. It was only a matter of time. Of course, during this period, to thank Gu Changge for saving her life, she naturally honored her promise and truthfully told him about the many events of over six thousand years ago.
Handling all these matters left her rather weary in body and mind.
Fortunately, the poison she had been afflicted with was not serious. Under the treatment of many physicians, the toxicity began to recede after a few days, and she could once again wield her magic power.
At this moment, within the palace, in a bath carved from bluestone, steam rose like immortal mist, with many flower petals floating upon the water.
An infinitely beautiful body, as if condensed from the finest immortal jade, soaked within, dark hair cascading loose, eyes half-lidded, murmuring softly.
“Is this you being willing to help me, or is it purely a transaction between you and me?”
“If I had refused back then, would I not be here now?”
What the reason truly was, even she could not say.
Gu Changge was simply impossible for her to fathom.
The perfection he displayed was nothing more than the side he chose to show, the side he wanted others to see...
At the very beginning, she had regarded Gu Changge as a junior she could converse with—one might even say a kindred spirit.
Because Gu Changge understood her many intentions and the painstaking care she had devoted to the Demon World.
But the deeper her understanding of Gu Changge grew, the more she discovered that every word he spoke and every move he made carried a strong sense of purpose.
Such a person was indeed worth relying on—provided one had value to be used.
Without value to be used, that reliance could be ruthlessly destroyed by him at any moment.
He only revealed the side he wanted seen... which was why he seemed perfect to the point of being unreal.
With such a person, one could never hope to know what he was truly thinking inside.
“You shouldn’t put it that way. Where do all these ’ifs’ in this world come from?”
“Besides, I don’t think it matters at all. It was a matter of mutual willingness from the start.”
“Don’t you agree, Your Majesty the Empress?”
Outside the bath, separated by a curtain.
Hearing these words, Gu Changge raised his white jade wine cup to his lips, took a light sip, and smiled with perfect composure.
“Indeed. It was... a matter of mutual willingness.”
Empress Yao Xi nodded. Accompanied by the sound of splashing water, she rose and walked toward him.