Chapter 52: Inner Struggle

I sat in the master’s seat at the center of the main hall, at a loss, not knowing what I should do. I had sent Jin and Yin away mainly because I was afraid they would cause trouble, always dragging me to play this or that. Big Brother’s words kept echoing in my ears—“Women are always the last victims.” I grabbed my own hair with both hands, elbows braced on my thighs. The guilt made me feel unbearable inside.

I didn’t know how much time passed before a gentle voice sounded. “Your Highness, what’s wrong?”

“Ah!” I looked up. It was Bai Jian. I forced a smile. “Didn’t we say you should call me by my name? How is Mother?”

Bai Jian’s face flushed slightly. Lowering her head, she said, “Lei Xiang, Mother is fine. She’s already fallen asleep.”

“Oh, that’s good. Jian’er, if you have time in the future, I’ll have to trouble you to keep her company more. Mother suffered too much in the past. I don’t want her to be hurt again.”

Bai Jian nodded. “I will. Also—this is for you. It’s too valuable. I really can’t accept it.” She held up the amethyst I had stuffed into her hands.

I frowned. “What are you doing? Since Mother has taken you as her goddaughter, we’re family now. It’s only a stone—there’s nothing precious about it. Keep it. Besides, don’t you want to learn magic? It will help you a lot.”

Bai Jian said, “I… I…” Her face suddenly turned bright red. It was just a gift—did she really need to react this strongly? I gave her an encouraging look. “Take it.”

Bai Jian seemed to make some major decision. A trace of determination flashed in her eyes. She tucked the amethyst into her clothes and said, “Then thank you, Lei Xiang.” This time, when she said my name again, it wasn’t as awkward as before.

“What’s there to be polite about? You’re my older sister.”

“Were you upset about something just now? You looked like you were in a lot of pain.”

I sighed. “Yes. It’s really too shameful to even say.”

“Then tell me. Once you say it out loud, you’ll feel much better. And I can help you think of something. Our white fox clan is very smart.”

I looked at her and pointed to the chair beside me. “Sit. Standing is tiring.”

Bai Jian murmured a response and sat on the chair next to me. She didn’t urge me, only looked at me quietly.

I opened my mouth several times, wanting to speak, but couldn’t say anything. How could I possibly bring myself to say something like this?

“Is it hard to say?” Bai Jian asked.

I nodded and said bitterly, “It’s hard. It’s more or less like this: there’s a girl who has nothing to do with me, and I hurt her. What do you think I should do?”

Bai Jian smiled. “What’s so hard about that? When men and women get along, it’s inevitable someone gets hurt. Just explain it clearly, isn’t that enough? Do you like her?”

I smiled bitterly. “The key is that I can’t explain this at all. And I don’t even know whether I like her. I already have someone I like. This relationship with the girl I hurt makes me feel awful—it makes me feel like I’ve wronged the one I like. What should I do?”

Bai Jian’s face suddenly turned a little pale. “Does the girl you hurt like you?”

I shook my head blankly. “I don’t know. The first time we met, we were on opposing sides. Back then, to save a friend of mine, I injured her. Later, her people killed one of mine, and I killed her people. At the time I really hated her and wanted revenge. One day she came to find me and tried to harm me several times. I lost my head in anger and hurt her. I never felt like she liked me. It seemed like she only hated me.”

Bai Jian froze too. “That’s so complicated. No wonder you’re in so much pain. I suggest you go see her once and explain everything clearly. That might be better.”

“Will she really listen to me?” Thinking of Mo Yue’s gaze when she left, a chill ran through me.

Bai Jian asked, “Why are you so dejected? How exactly did you hurt her, that it’s made you this torn up?”

I looked at her, my face full of embarrassment.

Bai Jian’s eyes suddenly widened. She covered her mouth. “Could it be… could it be you… No way. You…”

Seeing her shocked expression, I knew she had already guessed. Since it was like this, there was nothing left to hide. I smiled bitterly. “Exactly what you guessed. I don’t even know why I did that back then. Do you think I’m terrible?”

Bai Jian’s face was full of horror. “You… you really…”

I nodded firmly. “That’s why I’m in so much pain. I really feel like I’ve wronged her.”

All the color drained from Bai Jian’s face. She pulled out the amethyst I had just given her, set it on the table, and said flatly, “Sorry. I can’t accept your gift. I’ll go now. If you need anything, call for me.”

Bai Jian’s reaction hit me hard. I knew that in her eyes, I had probably become a despicable, shameless scoundrel. If even Bai Jian—this girl I had just met—reacted like this, then if Zi Yan and Zi Xue found out, their reaction would be even stronger. I had no grounds to keep Bai Jian. I watched her stride quickly toward the main door.

At the doorway, Bai Jian suddenly stopped. With her back to me, she said, “Since you did wrong, you have to face it and take the responsibility you should take. Otherwise…” She didn’t finish and went out.

I knew what she wanted to say: otherwise, you’re not a man. She was right. Since I did wrong, I had to face it bravely. I would explain everything clearly to Zi Yan and Zi Xue. I would also go find Mo Yue. Even though I knew she hated me, I would take responsibility for her. As for Zi Yan and the others, I could only hope they would forgive me. If they couldn’t, then I could only accept it. The word “love”… really…

………

Demon Imperial Palace.

“Your daughter pays respects to Father Emperor.” Mo Yue knelt gracefully and saluted the Demon Emperor.

The Demon Emperor laughed loudly and came down from his throne. He helped Mo Yue up, looked her over, and said, “My good daughter, why have you gotten thinner? Did you go too wild on this trip?”

When Mo Yue heard her father ask that, she couldn’t help thinking of that scene in the forest. Her face reddened, and she pouted. “Dad—”

The Demon Emperor laughed. “Alright, stop acting spoiled. Go back to the inner palace first. I still have things to discuss with your Uncle Gu Chuan.”

Mo Yue nodded. “Yes, Father Emperor.” She turned and left.

The Demon Emperor stared at the way she left, momentarily dazed. This didn’t seem like the usual Mo Yue. Normally she would cling to him and refuse to leave—she wouldn’t be so obedient.

The Demon Emperor turned back and asked Gu Chuan, “What’s wrong with Yue’er? She seems like a different person.”

Gu Chuan smiled bitterly. “I don’t know what’s going on with her either. The night before we negotiated with the Beastmen, Yue’er slipped out on her own. After she came back, she became like this. I failed to protect the princess. Your Majesty, please punish me.”

The Demon Emperor shook his head. “That girl is too crazy. Forget you—even I can’t control her. It’s fine. As long as she came back safely. Don’t blame yourself too much. You handled this matter very well. I’m very satisfied. Did you meet the Beastmen side’s few leaders? Were they really as powerful as Su Cha said?”

Gu Chuan nodded heavily. “Your Majesty, it seems the Beastmen race will never again be under our control. The Beastmen who led troops to ambush us this time were the Behemoth King Lei Ao and his third son Lei Xiang, along with a two-headed werewolf and a nine-headed snake-man. Aside from the Behemoth King, the others all possessed considerable strength—especially that youth named Lei Xiang. He has a human appearance, and I actually couldn’t see through him. He once joined forces with the nine-headed snake-man and the two-headed werewolf to resist my attack. Although the nine-headed snake-man was severely injured, I also suffered some injury.”

The Demon Emperor uttered an “Oh.” “So they all have strength no weaker than a Four-Winged Fallen Angel.”

Gu Chuan replied, “Yes. On the surface, the nine-headed snake-man seems the most frightening, but I feel the greatest threat is actually the Behemoth King’s third son, Lei Xiang. He always gives the sense of unfathomable depth, and he truly has intelligence no less than a human’s. According to our scouts, this raid was precisely his idea. After the battle ended, they returned to the Beastmen Kingdom, and the Beastmen King actually handed the position of commander-in-chief of the Beastmen army to this youth not yet twenty. It’s obvious he must have something extraordinary about him. We must prepare early.”

The Demon Emperor pondered. “Is there any possibility of buying this person over?”

Gu Chuan shook his head. “The Beastmen King, in order to win him over, took him as an adopted son and granted him the title of prince. Buying him over will likely be extremely difficult. Also, Your Majesty, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I noticed the princess’s cultivation seems to have increased a great deal.”

The Demon Emperor said in surprise, “Is that so? Yue’er’s cultivation hasn’t improved for a very long time. I’ll go check on her later. As for the Beastmen matter, we’ll leave it for now. Right—Xian-di, do you know how I dealt with Su Cha?”

Gu Chuan smiled. “He lost this time, but I think you certainly didn’t punish him heavily. After all, he still has many followers, and now isn’t the time to fall out with him.”

“You’re right.” The Demon Emperor said. “I didn’t punish him heavily. I only told him to go home and reflect. At the same time, I stripped him of his military authority. He’s probably gnashing his teeth in regret himself.”

The Demon Emperor and Gu Chuan looked at each other and smiled. In truth, if Su Cha hadn’t been too careless back then, with the two hundred thousand troops he led, even if he couldn’t break Stru Fortress, he wouldn’t have suffered such heavy losses. It could only be said that he had fallen for the Demon Emperor’s trap.

The Demon Emperor told Gu Chuan to go rest. He returned alone to the inner palace to find Mo Yue. He had more than ten sons and daughters, but the only one he cherished this much was Yue’er. Though she was mischievous, the Demon Emperor could always see the shadow of his beloved consort in her.

“Yue’er, Yue’er.” The Demon Emperor walked into Mo Yue’s sleeping chambers.

Mo Yue was sitting on the bed, lost in thought. In her mind, scenes from the forest kept replaying. She clearly remembered that for a while, the meridians in her body felt like they were about to explode, but that person fed her something, and after she woke up, she discovered her cultivation had advanced greatly.

Mo Yue’s emotions at this moment were no less complicated than Lei Xiang’s—perhaps even more so. Lei Xiang’s main feelings were regret and shame, but for Mo Yue, it wasn’t only hatred. There was also some strange feeling mixed in. Even she couldn’t explain it. Lei Xiang’s resolute, handsome face simply would not leave her mind.

“Dad, why did you come?”

The Demon Emperor smiled. “I came to see my good daughter. Why are you being so well-behaved today, staying in your room? That doesn’t seem like you. Are you tired from going out this time?”

Mo Yue shook her head. “I’m not tired.”

The Demon Emperor suddenly lifted his left hand and grabbed toward Mo Yue’s right shoulder. Mo Yue was startled. Instinctively, her body swayed in a strange way, and a force rose from her shoulder, diverting his grab aside. The rebounding force made the Demon Emperor’s palm go slightly numb.

The Demon Emperor was immediately shocked inside. Although he had not yet returned to the Four-Winged state, the Heavenly Demon Art had recovered to the sixth layer. That seemingly simple grab had actually sealed all of Mo Yue’s routes of evasion, yet it ended like this.

Mo Yue pouted. “Dad, what are you doing?”

The Demon Emperor asked in astonishment, “Yue’er, what layer have you cultivated the Heavenly Demon Art to?”

Mo Yue shook her head. “I don’t know. It seems I improved quite a bit.”

“Hold out your hand. Let Dad take a look.”

Mo Yue held out her left hand. The Demon Emperor placed three fingers on her pulse and slowly applied force, using dark magic power to probe her body. He found Mo Yue’s dark magic power was exceptionally abundant, not inferior to his own current condition. Her pulse was steady and strong, her meridians broad and resilient—this was clearly the sign of reaching the sixth layer realm.

No one understood the Heavenly Demon Art better than the Demon Emperor. Cultivating this technique could only progress step by step, and after the fifth layer, it became extremely difficult. Yet Mo Yue had made a huge leap within just one month. He was astonished.

The Demon Emperor frowned. “What is going on? Yue’er, your Heavenly Demon Art has already reached the mid-stage of the sixth layer. How is that possible? How is that possible? Tell Dad quickly—did you encounter some fortuitous chance? For example, did you eat some heavenly treasure?”

Mo Yue’s heart ached. She knew very clearly that this was the result of coupling with Lei Xiang. Though Lei Xiang took the most precious thing from her, he also made her cultivation advance greatly—perhaps this was the meaning of gain and loss. How could she possibly say such a thing out loud?

If she told her father she had been raped by Lei Xiang, her father might go after Lei Xiang at all costs. Yet right now, she didn’t want to hurt Lei Xiang again. That subtle feeling made her face burn hot. In the end, she could only fabricate a lie.

“I… I don’t know either. That day I ran out to play. In a forest I suddenly felt very sleepy, so I fell asleep. After I woke up, it was like this. I checked that forest—there was nothing unusual.”

The Demon Emperor froze. “Could it be… could it be the old Lord Demon God descended to pass power to you? Otherwise, you couldn’t possibly skip the fifth layer and directly enter the sixth.”

At the time, the enormous energy produced when Lei Xiang and Mo Yue joined yin and yang split in half and entered their bodies. Lei Xiang’s foundation was far deeper than Mo Yue’s, and he was relatively conscious at the start, guiding and circulating the merged dark magic power on his own for a time, absorbing more than Mo Yue. That was why he broke into the sixth layer realm and reached the early stage of the seventh layer. Mo Yue also benefited greatly. Compared to Lei Xiang, she was even luckier—she not only changed her physique, but her dark magic power also advanced by leaps and bounds, breaking through in one stroke to the mid-stage of the sixth layer.

“Dad, is that bad?”

The Demon Emperor shook his head. “It isn’t bad—it’s too good. I was originally worried your physique wouldn’t be able to continue cultivating profound demonic arts, but after this, the meridians in your body have completely adapted to dark magic power. I believe you can definitely become the youngest to break through the sixth layer realm and reach Four Wings. When you break through to Four Wings, Father Emperor will announce you as my successor. I believe that under you, the demon race will surely flourish even more.”

Mo Yue exclaimed, “How can that be? I have several older brothers. They won’t agree.”

The Demon Emperor snorted coldly. “Who told them to be so useless? Up to now, only your eldest brother has reached the fifth layer of the Heavenly Demon Art. As for the rest, not a single one has even broken through to Two Wings. How can I trustingly hand over the demon race to them? Don’t worry, child. In the imperial clan, strength is everything. Originally, this throne shouldn’t even have been mine—Su Cha is the previous Demon Emperor’s legitimate son. But when the previous Demon Emperor’s body aged, he held a public competition among all imperial clansmen who could transform into Fallen Angels. The final victor was me, and Su Cha didn’t even make the top three. That is why I can sit in this position today, and also why Su Cha has always made trouble for me but I don’t strike him. After all, this throne should have been his. In a few years, I will also learn from the previous Demon Emperor and hold the same kind of martial contest. Your Uncle Gu Chuan has no interest in this position, and he’s older than I am. Among the younger generation, those who reach the sixth layer are extremely few. So long as you overwhelm all your peers, no one will be able to say anything. But for now you must keep this secret. From now on, you are Dad’s secret weapon.”

“But Dad, I’m a woman. In the demon race’s history, there’s never been a female Demon Emperor. And my desire for power isn’t strong. If I sit in your position, how will I play around in the future?”

The Demon Emperor laughed loudly. “Silly girl. Isn’t that simple? Find yourself a satisfactory husband within our imperial clan. When the time comes, let him be the Demon Emperor, and you support him—just like your Uncle Gu Chuan supports me. Let me think. Among our imperial clan, who is worthy of my good daughter?”

Because the demon race’s genes were special, close relatives could marry without affecting the next generation. Especially among the imperial clan, in order to keep the bloodline pure, they often married within the clan. As long as it wasn’t one’s own full siblings, there were no restrictions.

Mo Yue’s small face flushed red. Turmoil surged in her heart. She thought: she had already lost her precious chastity—who would marry her? Besides, there really wasn’t anyone in the imperial clan she liked. Unconsciously, she compared these imperial youths who could transform with Lei Xiang. In the end, she found that not a single one could compare to that despicable, filthy mixed-blood—yet she knew Lei Xiang and she were of two different races. In the past, demons and beastmen could still intermarry, but now the two sides hated each other.

Mo Yue covered her burning face and thought: How could I think like this? He raped me back then—and he already has someone he likes. Thinking of this, Mo Yue’s heart turned bleak.

The Demon Emperor thought his daughter was being shy and laughed. “Silly girl. Marriage and children are major matters in life. Don’t worry. Dad will definitely find you the best.”

Mo Yue murmured, “Dad, I won’t marry. I want to stay with you.”

Warmth rose in the Demon Emperor’s heart. He said kindly, “How can that be? Dad knows you’re filial, but a girl always has to marry. And after you marry, you can still stay by Dad’s side. Dad will definitely make you the happiest person in the world. Dad promises you: unless you take a liking to him, I absolutely won’t force you. Is that alright?”

Hearing this, Mo Yue secretly let out a breath. Tilting her head, she said, “If you want me to marry, fine—but I have two conditions.”

The Demon Emperor said with interest, “Oh? Tell me.”

Mo Yue counted on her fingers. “First, I want him to be about my age.”

The Demon Emperor smiled. “That’s easy. What’s the next?”

Mo Yue said, “Second, I want him to have strength equal to or above a Four-Winged Fallen Angel.”

The Demon Emperor said in shock, “What? How is that possible?”

Mo Yue said, “Why is it not possible? If he doesn’t have strong strength, how can he protect me? And if his skill is even worse than mine, how could I be willing to marry him?”

After saying that, Mo Yue thought to herself: I wonder ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠if Lei Xiang’s cultivation improved after he… with me. Ah! Why do I keep thinking of him? What is wrong with me?

Mo Yue tried hard to think about other things, wanting to sweep Lei Xiang’s shadow away, but that human face stayed wrapped around her heart. No matter how she tried, she couldn’t drive it out.

The Demon Emperor scratched his head. “My good daughter, aren’t you giving Dad a hard problem? Where am I supposed to find someone like that for you? Not only do we not have one in the demon race—maybe even the Dragon God Empire doesn’t. Think about it: those Dragon Generals are all over fifty. I’ve never heard of any new-generation experts appearing.”

Mo Yue puffed her cheeks. “I don’t care. I’m sticking to these two conditions. Otherwise, I’ll never marry in my life.” She thought miserably: she was no longer a virgin. Not marrying might be the best choice for her. Her eyes reddened as she thought this.

The Demon Emperor couldn’t stand seeing his daughter cry and quickly coaxed her. “Alright, alright, alright. You’re still young anyway. We won’t rush, we won’t rush.”

Mo Yue nodded with a pout. “Then you can’t force me.”

“Of course. Didn’t Dad say it already? Unless you’re willing, Dad absolutely won’t force you. Come—are you hungry? Dad had them prepare your favorite food.”

Mo Yue smiled through tears. “Okay!” She hugged the Demon Emperor’s arm and walked out with him.

………

Three months passed. Panzong and Jin and Yin still hadn’t come out of closed cultivation. I hadn’t been idle these days either—during the day, I cultivated Berserk Battle Energy; at night, I cultivated the Heavenly Demon Art. The dark magic power in my body was already extremely abundant. In this period, I could successfully master dark magic below level seven. At the same time, I could also handle the four elemental magics—water, fire, earth, and wind—up to around level six. Although I still couldn’t use advanced magic, my strength had still taken a big step forward. However, up to now I still hadn’t tested the power of a Four-Winged transformation. Because every time I wanted to transform into Four Wings, I would think of Mo Yue. Without her, I couldn’t have achieved this second qualitative leap.

Ever since that day when Bai Jian learned about my matter, she had always avoided me. I was too embarrassed to go looking for her again. We kept our distance, as if there was an unbreakable barrier between us. Even now, I didn’t understand why I told her back then. Though she was smart, if not for what I said first, she wouldn’t have understood either. Maybe… I needed someone too badly to confide in.

Fortunately, Bai Jian was not the type to talk. Even though she kept her distance from me, she never told anyone about it. It became a secret in both our hearts.

“Lei Xiang, Mother asked you to go over.”

As I was thinking about her, she arrived, standing at my doorway. Her voice was still crisp and gentle, but it carried distance. I lifted my head, looked at her, and nodded. “I understand. I’ll go right away.”

Bai Jian nodded to me, turned, and left. I straightened my clothes and went to Mother’s chambers. I knocked lightly. “Mom, it’s me.”

“Come in.”

I pushed the door open and walked in, only to suddenly hear Mother shout, “Take this!” A small water projectile flew at me. I was startled. A faint layer of black mist surfaced over my body. When the small water ball entered the black mist, it vanished silently.

Mother froze. “What kind of skill is that? Is it magic?”

I smiled. “It’s magic. Mom, congratulations—you can already use magic now.”

I had originally promised to let Yin teach Bai Jian magic, but Jin and Yin went into closed cultivation, so I could only write an introductory magic book myself and give it to Mother, having Mother and Bai Jian learn together. I didn’t give it to Bai Jian directly because I was afraid she wouldn’t accept it. In her heart, perhaps I was a despicable and filthy person. Mother calling me over this time clearly meant she wanted me to show the results.

Mother said proudly, “Mom’s comprehension isn’t bad, right? I can use first-level water magic and first-level wind magic now.”

I went to Mother’s side and kissed her cheek. “Mother is the smartest person in the world. Of course learning magic is fast. Before long you’ll surpass me.”

Mother smiled and scolded, “Alright, stop feeding me sweet talk. You know what? Bai Jian’s talent is even better. She can already use second-level fire magic now, and she can use first-level in the other elements too. She studies very seriously. Every day, aside from keeping me company, taking care of everyone’s daily meals and living needs, she’s almost always cultivating.”

“Oh—so she really wants to gain power.”

Mother nodded. “Probably. Their white fox clan must get bullied often. This child must want to rely on her own strength in the future to help her clanspeople become stronger.”

If she had accepted my amethyst, maybe she would improve even faster. But now I couldn’t give it to her again. I didn’t want to be rejected a second time. I knew she definitely wouldn’t take it.

At this time, Bai Jian walked in, holding a plate of fruit. Seeing her enter, I said to Mother, “Mom, eat some fruit. I’ll go back to cultivate. When you cultivate magic, it’s best to choose only one element—then it’s easier to focus, and your progress will be much faster.”

Mother gave an “Mm” and reminded me, “Don’t be too impatient in cultivation, understand?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be careful.”

“That’s good. Go. Jian’er can keep me company here. Recognizing this daughter is the happiest thing for me. With Jian’er keeping me ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠company and chatting with me often, I feel like I’ve become much younger.”

I nodded at Bai Jian. “I’ll leave Mother to you.”

As she watched my departing back, Bai Jian’s eyes looked a little absent. With Mother’s sharpness, she naturally caught that momentary abnormality. Smiling, she said, “What’s been going on between you and Xiang’er lately? It feels a bit off. I took you as my daughter, so naturally you two are elder sister and younger brother. Being so distant isn’t good. This child Xiang’er was lonely from childhood. I was never able to give him the warmth of a mother…”

“Your Highness.”

Not long after I left Mother’s room, a guard stopped me. I asked, “What is it?”

“Someone from the palace has come. They say His Majesty wants to see you.”

“Oh. I understand.”

The Beastmen King wanted to see me—what could it be? Logically, there shouldn’t be anything requiring me right now. Could something have happened to Meng Ke? Ever since the Beastmen King announced that Meng Ke would take over my bandit-suppression mission, Meng Ke had led a group out, and there had been no news up to now.

I changed clothes and brought four lion guards into the palace. “Father Emperor, you called for me.”

The Beastmen King put down the memorial in his hand. “You came quickly. Sit.” Ever since he granted me the title of prince, he required that I not stand on too much ceremony when seeing him. I sat on the chair beside him and asked, “Father Emperor, did something happen?”

The Beastmen King smiled. “If nothing happens, can Father not call his son over to take a look? Silly brat.”

I said respectfully, “It is this son’s fault. I should come to the palace more often to pay my respects.”

The Beastmen King said, “I did call you here this time because there is something I need you to do personally. According to our agents inside the Dragon God Empire, lately at night there have often been five-colored radiant lights appearing within Dragon God Empire territory, as if some treasure is about to emerge. The agents say the Dragon God Empire has already sent people to search for the places where the radiance appears. The demon race has also begun to move. Since their appearance is very similar to humans, their information is even more well-connected. They’ve already sent people to the Dragon God Empire. That proves there truly is something drawing them. So I want you to make a trip to the Dragon God Empire and see what it is that has the Dragon God Empire and the demon race taking it so seriously.”

“I know that within the Dragon God Empire, obtaining that thing is almost impossible. I only want you to go take a look. If it’s just gemstones or the like and has no impact on us, then forget it. But if it does have an impact, you must find a way to destroy it. You absolutely cannot let them use that thing against our race. I originally didn’t want you to go in person, but I thought it over and over—only you are most suitable for this mission. Go make the trip.”

I had been stifled at home anyway, so going out for a trip would be good. Since I was going to the Dragon God Empire this time, I could also take the opportunity to explain everything to Zi Yan and Zi Xue. If they couldn’t forgive me, then after I returned Mother to the duke’s side, I would never see them again. They were still young. Without my interference, maybe they would have better choices.

Mo Yue was someone I could not give up. After I completed this mission, I would personally go to the demon race. If Mo Yue would not forgive me, I would rather die by her hand. If she would forgive me, I would definitely make her my wife. Bai Jian was right—what I did, I had to take responsibility for. After I figured out where I would ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠belong in the future, I felt much lighter.