Starting with a blind date with a female constable, you acquire the Nine Swords of Dugu.

Chapter 241 The Perfect Path of Ruthlessness

Today, the capital city is shrouded in dark clouds, as if a heavy rain is imminent. The sky hangs heavy overhead, the thick clouds obscuring all sunlight.

On the official road outside the capital, people came and went in a hurry. The wind swirled dust across the road, and the withered trees and grass along the roadside swayed.

Amidst the comings and goings of people, the goddess slowly walked from the end of the official road.

She was extremely beautiful, with an unparalleled face. Every move she made exuded an innate noble air, and her figure was graceful, with each step calm and relaxed.

Strangely, even though she was in the middle of a crowd, she seemed to be isolated in another space.

Passersby brushed past her, as if they couldn't see her at all; not a single person glanced at her.

The bustling world was right beside her, with cars and people nearby, yet everything in the world seemed to ignore her, and the surrounding noise did not affect her at all.

At a certain moment, two monks emerged from the city and stopped directly in front of the goddess. These two monks were none other than the Holy Monk Lianchi and Fuke Gyatso, who had come from the White Horse Temple.

The goddess remained indifferent, glanced at the two of them, and slightly turned aside to make way.

At this moment, Fuke Gyatso clasped his hands together and said, "Heavenly Gate Goddess, it's been a long time!"

The goddess stared at Fuke Gyatso and said, "I have never seen you before."

Fuke Gyatso smiled slightly and said, "We met four hundred years ago."

The goddess said calmly, "I have only been in this world for a little over twenty years."

After saying this, the goddess bypassed Fuke Gyatso and headed straight for the capital.

Fuke Gyatso turned and followed, saying as he walked, "Goddess, you have actually existed in the world for thousands of years. However, you are not a living being and do not have normal birth, aging, sickness and death. In order to prevent you from developing the seven emotions and six desires, you are destroyed and reshaped every fifty years. But you have always been you."

The goddess stopped and said, "You know a lot about the Heavenly Gate."

"I should know better than you," said Fuke Gyatso. "This humble monk would like to invite the Divine Mother for a chat."

"What are you talking about?" the goddess asked.

Fuke Gyatso said, "The right and wrong of the Tianmen concept."

In that instant, the Goddess suddenly struck out with her palm. This palm strike was unremarkable, without any magnificent fluctuations of true energy, nor did it stir up the energy of heaven and earth; it was just a simple straight palm strike.

But this palm strike was different in the eyes of Fuke Gyatso. He saw the ultimate truth of heaven and earth, the surging sea, and he was like a small boat.

"Amitabha!"

Immediately, Fuke Gyatso took a small step back.

With this step, he retreated from the deep sea to the shore, and then, he struck out with his palm again, just an ordinary palm strike.

However, in accordance with the same natural order, at that moment, he moved a mountain to stand in front of him, blocking the waves of the sea.

"Divine Mother," said Fuke Gyatso, "I have not ascended, nor do I have any plans to ascend. According to the rules of your Heavenly Gate, I am not a target for you to kill. I have no intention of fighting you; I simply want to discuss with you the conflict between the Heavenly Gate's ideals and the workings of the human world."

The goddess reached out and grasped the sword hilt, calmly stating, "The principles of the Heavenly Gate are beyond question!"

Fuke Gyatso glanced at the ancient, heavy sword in the goddess's hand, and his eyes immediately cleared. He thought to himself, "The Xuanyuan Sword!"

He immediately took a few steps back and said, "This humble monk will not say anything more, I will not say anything more. Sheathe your sword, sheathe your sword. Do whatever you want to do, this humble monk will not disturb you again."

The goddess released her grip, turned around, and continued walking towards the capital.

But at that moment, "Amitabha," the Holy Monk Lianchi suddenly spoke, "Divine Mother, this humble monk has a question."

The goddess stopped again, looked at the Lotus Pond Saint Monk, and said, "Great Bright Temple, Lotus Pond?"

The Holy Monk Lianchi said, "I cannot fathom how you knew me!"

The goddess said, "Ten years ago, I observed you and saw that you left without taking the path to ascension. Therefore, I know you, and I will give you a chance to ask a question."

The Holy Monk of Lotus Pond asked, "This humble monk would like to ask, do you wish to be a human or a god?"

The goddess stared at the lotus pond for a moment and said, "Alright, now I can talk to you."

Fuke Gyatso was slightly taken aback, his face showing doubt.

"Amitabha," said the Holy Monk Lianchi, pointing to a small pavilion by the roadside. "It's about to rain. We're inconveniencing others here. Why don't we go over there and take shelter from the rain?"

"it is good."

The goddess nodded slightly, took a step, and disappeared, reappearing in the pavilion in the next instant.

The Holy Monk of Lotus Pond walked away slowly.

Fuke Gyatso asked, puzzled, "Holy Monk, why did the Divine Mother agree to talk to you after just one sentence?"

The Venerable Monk Lianchi asked, "In your eyes, is the Divine Mother human, a god, a demon, or a monster?"

Fuke Gyatso thought for a moment and said, "She has no emotions or desires, she's more like a god, but she's not a god, nor is she a human."

demon."

The Venerable Monk Lianchi said, "Therefore, she is unwilling to communicate with you, because you yourself haven't figured out who she is, so what can you talk about?"

After pondering for a moment, Fuke Gyatso asked, "Then may I ask, in the eyes of the holy monk, what is the Divine Mother?"

The Holy Monk of Lotus Pond smiled slightly and said, "She is a Buddha!"

Fuke Gyatso trembled slightly, and then as if he had been frozen in place, he stood motionless.

The Holy Monk of Lotus Pond continued walking forward and soon arrived at the pavilion.

Just then, rain began to fall from the sky, drifting down in fine strands, and in an instant, it poured down in torrents.

Fuke Gyatso remained standing by the roadside, letting the heavy rain pour down, but he stood there without even blinking.

Inside the pavilion, the Holy Monk of Lotus Pond slowly sat down.

The goddess sat down opposite the holy monk in the lotus pond.

The heavy rain pounded on the pavilion, splashing up dense sprays of water.

The goddess glanced at Fuke Gyatso standing in the pouring rain and said, "Does he enjoy being in the rain?"

The Holy Monk Lianchi said, "He is attaining Buddhahood."

"Buddha?" the goddess asked. "What is Buddha like?"

The Holy Monk of Lotus Pond chuckled and said, "The Buddha has no form; all people are me."

"Am I also a Buddha?" the goddess asked.

"Yes, you are also a Buddha," replied the Holy Monk Lianchi.

The goddess said calmly, "I don't understand, but I don't want to understand either. Hmm, why did you ask me that question before?"

question?"

The Venerable Monk Lianchi said, "I see contradictions in you, a mixture of divinity and humanity. You must be feeling very conflicted right now, which is why I asked this question."

The goddess pondered for a moment, then said, "I am neither human nor god. From the moment I became conscious, my mission has been to prevent mortal cultivators from ascending to immortality."

The Holy Monk of Lotus Pond said, "This humble monk only learned today that the legendary Heavenly Gate truly exists."

"It has always been so," the Divine Mother said. "When cultivators ascend to immortality, they take away the fortune of the mortal world. If this continues, the mortal world will be destroyed. What we are doing is right."

The Venerable Monk Lianchi nodded slightly and said, "In worldly affairs, right and wrong are hard to distinguish, and this humble monk is also unable to comment."

The goddess said, "Then could you enlighten me?"

"This humble monk does not know," said the Holy Monk Lianchi, "but today you and this humble monk are destined to meet. If you are not in a hurry, you can chat with this humble monk for a while longer."

The goddess said, "You didn't come to stop me?"

"Stop what?" asked the Holy Monk of Lotus Pond.

"A cultivator recently emerged in the capital who has already achieved the cultivation level of ascension. I'm here to kill him," the Divine Mother said.

The Holy Monk Lianchi shook his head slightly and said, "I have broken the precept against anger by coming here today. I made a bet with the Venerable Fuke Gyatso to see who can quell your murderous intent."

"Even Buddha breaks precepts?" the goddess asked.

"This humble monk does not know whether the Buddha would break the precepts, but this humble monk will certainly break the precepts, because this humble monk is a mortal, not a Buddha," said the Holy Monk Lianchi. "This humble monk has not yet purified his six senses, has not completely let go of worldly ties, and cannot let go of the distinction between family and country."

"Because you are human?"

"Yes, because I am human."

The goddess was silent for a moment, then pointed to Fuke Gyatso, who was still in the rain, and said, "He is becoming a Buddha. If he truly becomes a Buddha, then isn't he no longer human?"

The Holy Monk of Lotus Pond said, "I don't know."

"How come you don't know anything?" the Mother Goddess asked.

"Because I am human," replied the Holy Monk Lianchi.

The goddess was slightly taken aback, and asked, "How does one become human?"

The Holy Monk of Lotus Pond smiled slightly and said, "It seems you are no longer contradictory."

The goddess said, "My dilemma has never been what I want to become, but whether I should. I have always wanted to become human, but I don't know if I should do so, because I have my mission, my mission is to protect humanity."

The Venerable Monk Lianchi asked, "What is the reason for protecting the human world?"

"I don't know," the goddess replied.

"Have you ever seen the human world?" asked the Holy Monk Lianchi.

The goddess shook her head.

"Do you love the human world?" asked the Holy Monk Lianchi.

The goddess continued to shake her head, saying, "I don't know what love is."

"Then do you know what the human world is?" asked the Holy Monk Lianchi again.

The goddess shook her head again.

"Then why don't you go and take a walk in the human world?" said the Holy Monk Lianchi.

"Which way?"

"Just go wherever you want to go!"

"Can this become a human?" the Mother Goddess asked.

The Holy Monk Lianchi calmly said, "Aren't you a human being now?"

"Why?" the Mother Goddess asked.

"Because I consider you a human being," said the Holy Monk Lianchi.

"I don't understand," the Mother Goddess said.

The Holy Monk Lianchi said, "I cannot answer this question for you, because I am only human, and I am not omniscient. Therefore, you must find the answer yourself and let the human world answer it for you!"

"Should I let the human world answer this for me?"

The goddess was stunned for a while, then slowly rose and bowed to the Holy Monk of Lotus Pond, saying, "Thank you for your guidance, Holy Monk. I know what to do now. The mortal world will provide the answer for me."

She turned her head slightly, looking at the city walls somewhat blurred by the torrential rain, and said, "I'm not going into the capital!"

After saying that, she turned and walked out of the pavilion, quickly disappearing into the heavy rain.

The Holy Monk of Lotus Pond sat quietly in the pavilion, his eyes slightly closed.

After a long time, the heavy rain was still pouring down.

After standing in the rain for a long time, Fuke Gyatso slowly walked over. At this moment, his demeanor changed. He still had the same face and was still wearing a magnificent robe, but he looked like a young monk.

He walked to the outside of the pavilion, clasped his hands together, bowed to the Holy Monk of Lotus Pond, and said, "Holy Monk, this disciple has attained enlightenment!"

The Holy Monk of Lotus Pond opened his eyes, smiled slightly, and said, "Congratulations, Great Monk, perhaps a new Buddha will be born in the mortal world."

Fuke Gyatso calmly replied, "What Buddha is there? All people are Buddhas. Holy Monk, I will not enter the city. I will depart now and return to the ancient kingdom of Tan Yue. I will do my best to persuade our king to abandon the war!"

"Great monk, please have mercy!"

Fuke Gyatso bowed again and said, "This disciple takes his leave!"

Immediately afterwards, Fuke Gyatso turned and walked into the heavy rain, gradually disappearing into the distance.

As the Venerable Monk Lianchi watched Fuke Gyatso's figure gradually disappear, a smile appeared on his face. He clasped his hands together and murmured, "Amitabha, from now on, there are two more people in the world—hmm?"

Just then, the Holy Monk Lianchi suddenly looked up at the capital city. He sensed two powerful opposing forces that had already stirred up the natural energy of the capital.

"That's Zhang Tianshi—" the Lotus Pond Monk said in a deep voice, "And the other one is—Liu Qingming? Are they about to make a move?"

Immediately, the Holy Monk Lianchi tapped his foot and instantly transformed into a streak of light, flying swiftly towards the capital. Soon, he arrived at the Imperial Observatory.

As soon as he flew into the Imperial Observatory, he saw Liu Qingming standing in a square, holding a cyan longsword. The rain falling all around him was shattered by the sword energy around him, turning into a misty rain, as if it had turned into huge waves.

Zhang Daoji stood under the eaves, holding a whisk in his hand, his face calm. Beside him was Xu Zhiwei, the vice sect leader of Tianyi Sect. She sat on the railing, holding a wine gourd in her hand, drinking wine.

Liu Qingming sensed the presence of the Lotus Pond Saint Monk, turned his head slightly, looked at the Saint Monk standing at the edge of the square, and smiled slightly, saying, "The Saint Monk has arrived too!"

The Holy Monk Lianchi clasped his hands together and bowed, saying, "I suddenly sensed that the energy of heaven and earth here is disordered, so I came to check on things. What's wrong with Pavilion Master Liu and Celestial Master Zhang?"

Liu Qingming smiled nonchalantly and said, "It is I who lost the debate on the Dao."

The Venerable Monk Lianchi asked, "Then why are you so hostile?"

Xu Zhiwei chuckled and said, "This old guy can't take a loss. He broke down after I said a few words to him."

Liu Qingming slowly sheathed his sword, cupped his hands and said, "Master Xu, I apologize. I did lose my composure just now, but I absolutely cannot agree to your request."

"My visit to you to discuss the Dao with Master Zhang is my personal matter, and I cannot represent Nanjiang. Therefore, I cannot agree to your request that Nanjiang prohibit its troops from appearing on the borders of Qian Kingdom for thirty years."

Xu Zhiwei pursed her lips and said, "Then why are you getting so worked up when I said you were putting on a show? I thought you had some kind of status in Nanjiang when you came here to discuss Dao with such arrogance the other day, but it turns out you're nothing special!"

Liu Qingming took a deep breath and said, "Master Xu, although I am no match for you in debate, I have some knowledge of swordsmanship—"

Xu Zhiwei chuckled and said, "Why are you telling me this? Aren't you the best fighter in Nanjiang? You, the Daoist fanatic, ranked fourth in the world, would you really come here to challenge an unknown person like me?"

Of course, if you're not afraid of losing face, you can also submit a challenge to me, and we can choose an auspicious day to fight each other fair and square in front of envoys from all over the world. Don't worry, I'm a magnanimous person, and I will definitely give you some pointers!

Liu Qingming was so angry that his face turned pale.

He was a renowned Daoist fanatic, ranked fourth on the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion's God Ranking, and the master of the Sword Pavilion, the sacred martial arts land of Nanjiang. If he truly desired Xu...

Zhiwei issued a challenge, and regardless of whether he won or not, he would become a laughing stock in the martial arts world.

"Master Zhang, do something about your junior sister! She's a young lady, and that sharp tongue of hers can really drive you crazy sometimes!" Liu Qingming said angrily.

Zhang Daoji smiled helplessly and said, "Sect Leader Liu, our Daoist sect is a place where reason prevails. You are no match for my junior sister in a debate, and I am no match for her either. What right do you have to discipline her?"

Liu Qingming turned around and left immediately.

"Please wait, Pavilion Master Liu!" said the Holy Monk Lianchi.

Liu Qingming paused slightly, cupped his hands in greeting to the Lotus Pond Saint Monk, and left the Imperial Observatory without saying a word.

The Holy Monk of Lotus Pond slowly walked to the eaves and said, "Daoist Xu, why offend Pavilion Master Liu like this?"

Xu Zhiwei waved his hand and said, "I just wanted to test Nanjiang's attitude. Liu Qingming is the master of the Sword Pavilion and has a very high status in Nanjiang. Even the emperor is his disciple. His attitude can reflect Nanjiang's attitude."

Judging from his reaction, Nanjiang is probably determined to wage war against our Great Qian this time. So, let them offend us; we'll be mortal enemies on the battlefield anyway, it's either him or me, so what's the difference?

"Alas!" sighed the Holy Monk of Lotus Pond.

Xu Zhiwei then asked, "What about the ancient kingdom of Tan Yue?"

The Holy Monk Lianchi said, "It can be basically confirmed that we will wage war against the Great Qian Dynasty. However, Fuke Gyatso has had an epiphany and has left the capital, stating that he will not enter the Central Plains again."

Xu Zhiwei asked, "Is this some kind of trick?"

"Probably not," said the Holy Monk Lianchi.

"That's good news." Xu Zhiwei turned to Zhang Daoji and asked, "By the way, Senior Brother, didn't His Majesty say he wanted to contact Jun Ziyou and Ye Wudi? Is there any news?"

Zhang Daoji shook his head and said, "The Jun family and the Ye family gave the same response: Jun Ziyou and Ye Wudi have been in seclusion for many years, and even the Jun family and the Ye family cannot contact them."

"Where is Alliance Leader Gu now?" asked the Holy Monk Lianchi.

Xu Zhiwei said, "I received a letter from the Six Doors half an hour ago. Gu Lang—Alliance Leader Gu is currently in Xianbei and has some matters to attend to, so he won't be back for a while. However, there is some good news. The Xianbei royal court was overrun by Alliance Leader Gu, and now a new Xianbei king with little strength has taken over. Currently, the Xianbei are preoccupied with their own internal affairs and will not pose much of an impact on our Great Qian."

"Amitabha," said the Holy Monk Lianchi, "This is indeed good news!"

Xu Zhiwei sighed and said, "What I'm most worried about right now isn't external enemies, but rather things within the Great Qian Dynasty itself. I'm afraid there might be someone with ulterior motives plotting against us from behind!"

Zhang Daoji sighed and said, "This is unavoidable. There's not much we can do. When the time comes, we can only see if His Majesty has any backup plans!"

"Your Majesty—alas!"

The Imperial Palace, Xianfu Palace.

Consort Rong was bathing in the bathtub under the moonlight, with two palace maids attending to her.

Suddenly, the two palace maids went limp and collapsed to the ground.

Hua Qianyue was startled and quickly prepared to get up, but a hand pressed her down. She turned her head and saw a beautiful woman in black smiling at her.

Hua Qianyue was startled and said, "Senior Sister, what brings you here?"

The woman in black was none other than Dai Lili, the Snake Queen, one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Heavenly Principle Sect, and also the eldest disciple of Xu Wuji, the sect's leader.

Dai Lili reached out and gently lifted Hua Qianyue's chin, saying, "She's truly beautiful, like a fairy. No wonder she could bewitch the emperor. Her face is so enviable!"

Hua Qianyue put on a fawning smile and said, "Senior Sister, you are the one who is truly stunningly beautiful. If Master hadn't doted on you so much and couldn't bear to part with you, how could I have had the chance to bewitch the Emperor!"

"Heh," Dai Lili chuckled lightly and said, "Alright, get up quickly and put your clothes on, Master is here!"

"Ah?" Hua Qianyue was shocked and quickly got out of the bathtub, hurriedly putting on her clothes while saying, "Master, why are you here?"

Dai Lili said, "The time has come, and your chance to avenge your family has arrived."

Hua Qianyue's eyes lit up, and she said, "Really?"

Dai Lili said, "Now, envoys from various countries have come to the capital, ostensibly to congratulate the emperor on his birthday, but in reality, they are here to investigate the situation. Master is preparing to take advantage of this opportunity to close the net, control the emperor, and declare war on all the countries in the world."

Hua Qianyue exclaimed in surprise, "Qian Kingdom's current national strength is insufficient to support wars with other countries. That will be troublesome."

"That's exactly what I want," Dai Lili said. "Otherwise, how can Master rightfully become emperor? Once the world is in chaos, we can then control the emperor and have him abdicate the throne to Master."

Hua Qianyue asked, "Then, Master, are you confident that you can defeat all the nations?"

"Of course," Dai Lili said, "Master's martial arts are unparalleled, and he has been planning for many years, secretly winning over many powerful families. Once Master ascends the throne, he can easily defeat all countries."

My master is invincible, his ambition is overwhelming, far surpassing that useless emperor Zhao Mingce. He will build the greatest nation ever, a nation where all nations pay tribute!

Hua Qianyue asked, "Then—then what about my grudge?"

"That's easy," Dai Lili said. "As long as we control the emperor, then set up an ambush in the palace, we can find a reason to lure Gu Guanqi into the palace. With Master's help, Gu Guanqi will be dead for sure, and your revenge will be complete!"

"Okay, okay, okay!"

Hua Qianyue's eyes lit up, and she couldn't contain her joy as she said, "Gu Guanqi is finally going to die!"

Afterwards, Hua Qianyue got dressed and followed Dai Lili out to the next room, where she saw a young man sitting in a chair.

This man was handsome, with a cold and stern face. His black hair fell to his shoulders and was tied up with a jade band. His dark eyes were indifferent. When he just opened his eyes slightly, the candlelight in the hall seemed to tremble in fear as if startled by an invisible aura.

This man was none other than Xu Wuji, the leader of the Heavenly Principles Sect. He looked to be only in his early twenties, but he was actually over fifty years old. He only maintained his youthful appearance because of his profound skill.

Upon seeing Xu Wuji, Hua Qianyue immediately knelt on the ground and kowtowed, saying, "Disciple Hua Qianyue greets Master!"

Xu Wuji's eyes were expressionless and extremely indifferent as he glanced at Hua Qianyue.

But that one glance sent a chill down Hua Qianyue’s spine, making her kneel on the ground, her body trembling slightly.

"Get up," Xu Wuji said.

"Thank you, Master!"

Hua Qianyue rose tremblingly, not daring to look up at Xu Wuji.

"Your senior sister just told you about the purpose of my visit," Xu Wuji said. "Did your plan to use the Life and Death Separation Divine Skill to control Zhao Mingce go smoothly?"

"It went very smoothly," Hua Qianyue said. "My 'Separation of Life and Death' technique has been perfected. I use it on Zhao Mingce day and night. He is now hopelessly in love with me. He won't even take any concubines for me, and he even lets me interfere in politics."

"Very well," Xu Wuji said, looking at Hua Qianyue, "I made the right choice in taking you as my disciple. I am very satisfied with you. Not only can I help you avenge your wrongs, but when I rule the world, I will also reserve a concubine position for you!"

Hua Qianyue quickly replied, "Thank you for your kindness, Master!"

Dai Lili, standing to the side, said, "Congratulations, junior sister! You're so lucky! I'm so envious!"

Xu Wuji glanced at Dai Lili and said, "Your contribution is also significant. I might grant you the rank of concubine."

Dai Lili immediately knelt down and said, "Thank you, Master. This disciple will certainly do my utmost to assist and serve you!"

Xu Wuji waved his hand, then looked at the flowers and the moon, and said, "Find a way to summon the emperor to your place."

"No need to think of a solution," Hua Qianyue said. "Zhao Mingce comes to this disciple's place for dinner every day at 7 PM, and then stays overnight after 9 PM. It's the same every day!"

Xu Wuji said, "Then I will wait for him here."

The capital city is located in the north, and it was September, so it was already quite cold. The daytime hours were also much shorter, and by the time of Xu (7-9 PM), the sky was already very dark.

Lanterns were lit everywhere in the palace.

Zhao Mingce came out of the imperial study and rode in a sedan chair directly to Xianfu Palace.

Consort Rong, accompanied by two personal maids, came out to greet them.

"Your Majesty, it rained today and the weather has turned cold. You are dressed a little too lightly!"

As Hua Qianyue spoke, she draped a cloak over Zhao Mingce's shoulders.

Zhao Mingce grasped Hua Qianyue's hand, smiled slightly, and said, "My beloved consort is so thoughtful!"

Hua Qianyue pressed close to Zhao Mingce and said, "I've already ordered a meal to be prepared!"

"good!"

Soon, the two arrived at the entrance of the main hall.

Zhao Mingce waved his hand lightly, dispersing the guards.

Hua Qianyue smiled faintly and said, "Let's go, Your Majesty. I even personally prepared ginseng soup for you today to nourish your body; you've been working too hard these past few days!"

Zhao Mingce lowered his head slightly, looking at the flowers and the moon, and said softly, "Thank you for your hard work, my beloved consort."

"It's not hard work," Hua Qianyue said. "I'm not capable enough, and there's so little I can do for Your Majesty. This is all I can do. I just hope Your Majesty doesn't find it offensive!"

Zhao Mingce reached out and gently smoothed Hua Qianyue's wind-blown hair. Looking deeply into her eyes, he said, "My beloved, these days I often think back to the first time we met. Many times, I've wished time could stand still at that moment!"

Hua Qianyue grasped Zhao Mingce's hand and said, "Your Majesty, we have finally overcome all hardships, and things are good as they are now. I am already very content!"

Zhao Mingce continued to look into Hua Qianyue's eyes, then suddenly sighed softly and said, "Before, when I was chatting with Minister Gu, I happened to hear him recite a line of poetry. These days, I often wake up from my dreams and think of that line of poetry."

"What poem is it?" Huaqianyue asked curiously.

Zhao Mingce said, "If life were only as beautiful as our first meeting, why would the autumn wind bring sorrow to the painted fan?"

"Hmm?" Hua Qianyue paused for a moment, then said, "Your Majesty, this poem is good, but it's too sorrowful and out of place!"

Zhao Mingce smiled slightly and said, "It's inappropriate; I won't recite it anymore!"

Hua Qianyue smiled faintly and said, "Alright, Your Majesty, it's cold outside, let's go inside!"

"it is good."

Zhao Mingce nodded.

Hua Qianyue led Zhao Mingce into the main hall, and then took him to a side room.

As soon as she entered, Hua Qianyue turned around and closed the door.

Zhao Mingce simply tilted his head slightly to look at Hua Qianyue, without saying a word.

When Hua Qianyue saw Zhao Mingce's gaze, her heart suddenly tightened, and she quickly took a few steps to the side.

Just then, two figures emerged from behind the screen: Xu Wuji, the leader of the Heavenly Principle Sect, and Dai Lili, the Snake Queen.

Xu Wuji sat down in the chair, glanced at Zhao Mingce, and said with interest, "I thought Your Majesty would see me..."

"I'm surprised, Your Majesty, to be so calm. Did you already know I was here?"

Upon hearing this, Hua Qianyue's face was full of surprise.

Zhao Mingce sat down in a chair, looked at Xu Wuji, and said calmly, "Xu Wuji, leader of the Heavenly Principle Sect, and Dai Lili, the Snake King, the head of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Heavenly Principle Sect. Your intelligence information was already on my desk when you two were still outside the capital!"

Hua Qianyue's eyes widened in surprise. "Your Majesty, you—"

Zhao Mingce didn't look at the flowers and moon, but said calmly, "Consort Rong, before I came in, I gave you a chance and recited 'If life were only as beautiful as our first meeting, why does the autumn wind bring sorrow to the painted fan' for you. But it still failed to make you think of even a trace of affection. I am very disappointed!"

Hua Qianyue swallowed hard, stammering, "Your Majesty, you—you knew my master was here all along, then you—"

So you—already knew my identity all along?

Zhao Mingce said, "I knew your identity before you entered the palace. I originally wanted to cooperate with the people behind you, but I didn't expect you to be so ambitious and actually tried to control me with evil arts. I knew then that there was no way to talk to you."

As he spoke, Zhao Mingce turned to look at the flowers and the moon, and said, "However, remembering the feelings we had for each other when we first met, I have always hoped that you would turn back to me. I have always hoped that you could understand, but in the end, I overestimated your feelings for me, or perhaps, you never loved me at all!"

Her heart was in turmoil, and she stammered, "I—I—I—"

"Your Majesty," Xu Wuji said with a slight smile, "I don't quite understand why you dare to appear before me alone if you know everything. Even if you set up a net outside Xianfu Palace, it will be useless."

Zhao Mingce shook his head slightly and said, "I did not arrange any ambushes."

"Hmm?" Xu Wuji asked疑惑地, "Does this mean you want to discuss cooperation with me?"

Zhao Mingce said calmly, "A rat from a stinking ditch dares to challenge me to a deal? I only wanted to give Hua Qianyue a chance, but alas, she has failed me. So, I'll send you all on your way!"

"Ha ha ha ha----"

Xu Wuji laughed loudly, "Interesting, very interesting. I never imagined that you, the emperor, would be so interesting. You—"

In that instant, Zhao Mingce suddenly reached out his hand, and the space froze instantly.

Xu Wuji's voice stopped abruptly, his eyes filled with fear, because he found himself completely trapped in an unfamiliar space, the terrifying pressure rendering him unable to move.

What terrified him even more was that Zhao Mingce seemed to be sitting on a dragon throne made of mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Zhao Mingce seemed to be sitting high in the clouds, his body vast and looking down on the world, while he was just an ant.

The next moment, Xu Wuji's body floated up. His neck was gripped by a mysterious force. As Zhao Mingce slightly raised his hand, his body slowly floated up.

"Who—who are you?"

Xu Wuji's face turned bright red, and he managed to squeeze out a few words.

"I am the Emperor, the ruler of the Central Plains!"

Zhao Mingce said something, then with a slight exertion of force, "crack!" Xu Wuji's neck snapped, and his head fell directly to the ground.

"Ah!" Hua Qianyue let out a terrified scream.

On the other side, Dai Lili's face turned pale, and she immediately tried to run away.

Zhao Mingce simply pointed a finger, and a bloody hole appeared in the back of Dai Lili's head. She immediately collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

At this moment, only Hua Qianyue and Zhao Mingce remained in the room.

Hua Qianyue's face turned deathly pale, her whole body trembled, and she collapsed to the ground, stammering, "Your Majesty—I—I know I was wrong, Your Majesty—I know I was wrong, I—"

Zhao Mingce gazed at the flowers and the moon, and said calmly, "I cultivate the Path of Heartlessness. You use that divine skill of separation of life and death to amplify my love for you. Theoretically, the more you make me love you, the closer you are to death."

However, I am still willing to give you a chance. I have thought it all through. If you had hesitated even a little today, I would rather the Great Way be flawed than not spare your life. But you have truly disappointed me!

Hua Qianyue trembled violently, pleading, "Your Majesty, I know I was wrong, I know I was wrong! Please give me another chance—I had no choice! I was controlled by the Heavenly Principles Sect, I couldn't go against their wishes, and—it's all Gu Guanqi's fault—if he hadn't killed my whole family, I wouldn't have ended up like this—I was blinded by hatred, Your Majesty—please give me another chance, I promise I will love you well, I—"

"Flowers and Moon, I love you. Even before you used your life-and-death separation technique, I loved you deeply. Now, my love for you has even shaken my resolve to change destiny, but you have betrayed me!"

Zhao Mingce walked up to Hua Qianyue, sighed softly, and slowly raised his hand to place it on Hua Qianyue's head.

Immediately, Hua Qianyue trembled.

The next moment, her body went limp and she slowly fell to the ground. There were no wounds, no expression of pain, just like when she was asleep. She lay quietly on her side, her face still retaining its peerless beauty.

Zhao Mingce slightly raised his head and whispered, "At this moment, my ruthlessness is perfect!"