I am Guhuoniao, not an umbrella demon, please do not disturb me.

This empress can be truly ruthless when she gets angry.

He could guess why those two unlucky guys died. They must have been sitting so high up, talking and insulting the Divine Phoenix, thinking they were so powerful, able to control everything, and even facing a great demon without batting an eye.

Little did they know that they were listening to everything and were just waiting for an opportunity to get revenge on the two of them.

"Yuan Lang, give the Demon Book to the Divine Phoenix Goddess, then kowtow and admit your mistake!"

Xu Yuanqing, carrying his worn-out book box, came to Xu Yuanlang, his eyes filled with a mixture of disappointment and frustration.

Even at this point, he was still thinking about his junior brother.

Hand over the Demon Book, kowtow and apologize, and promise never to do it again. Given the gentle nature of the Divine Phoenix Lady, she might choose to spare his life.

If he continues like this, he will surely die.

"You have no right to interfere with me. If the Divine Phoenix hadn't come today, I would have killed you!"

Xu Yuanlang's hateful gaze made even his senior brother, Xu Yuanqing, feel somewhat unfamiliar with him.

He looked directly into Xu Yuanlang's eyes. "You want to kill me?"

"I've already arranged for my men to ambush you on the way into the city. Do you know why? If I kill you, this country will be beyond saving. Then, everything can be started anew. What is the Grand Tutor? Does it feel good to be trampled underfoot? I will become king!"

His face was twisted so horribly that if it weren't for Hongfei's power holding him back, Xu Yuanlang would have already pounced on Xu Yuanqing and perished together with him.

Xu Yuanqing was silent for a moment, his eyes no longer troubled but returned to calm, a deathly calm, "You poisoned Master?"

"You're only just realizing this now? You really are a good-for-nothing!"

“Your master raised you for more than ten years. Without him, you would have died long ago.”

“He deserves to die! Why didn’t he give me the Demon Manual? Why didn’t he let me cultivate all those techniques he knew? I’m still a failure today, all because of him!” Xu Yuanlang glared. “He clearly had the ability to make me stronger and help me advance further.”

"You feel that Master hasn't given you enough, is that right?"

"If he is willing to give me everything and let me control the dragon vein, I can control the Divine Phoenix, and everything will be different when I establish a new country."

Xu Yuanqing stopped speaking and walked up to Hongfei. "Peak Master Hong, do you have a sword I can borrow?"

Hongfei understood Xu Yuanqing's meaning, but he still took out a fine sword.

"Here you go, remember to return it to me when you're done."

"Thank you, Peak Master."

Taking the sword, Xu Yuanqing carried it with one hand and approached Xu Yuanlang.

"Master is dead, isn't he?"

"Yes, so what?" Xu Yuanlang's eyes were full of sarcasm.

Given Xu Yuanqing's weak character, would he dare to kill him with a sword?

And as soon as he finished speaking...

With a swift movement of his sword, Xu Yuanqing ripped off a large human head, some of which splattered onto his face with warm blood.

That was the blood of his most beloved and cherished junior brother.

As the head rolled down, you could almost see the incredulous expression on the face.

Just as he never expected Bai Qingyu to come, he never expected Xu Yuanqing to actually dare to kill him.

Mingming, Xu Yuanqing was the best to him, always giving him light in his darkest moments.

When his master punished him, Xu Yuanqing pretended to be stupid and took the punishment for him. He ran away from home and encountered bad guys. Xu Yuanqing hid him in the bushes and went to lure the bandits away by himself. When he returned, he had a broken arm, but he still smiled and told him that he was fine and safe.

There are so many memories like this.

until that day.

The master gave Xu Yuanqing a letter, instructing him to go down the mountain to the capital and become the imperial advisor.

Xu Yuanqing wiped the blood from his face, faced Bai Qingyu, and knelt down on both knees.

“Goddess Shenhuang, I apologize to you on behalf of Yuanlang. As the eldest brother, I have failed to teach him properly.”

Please vote for me, sob sob sob.

Volume 1: Chapter 145 Bai Qingyu by Day and Bai Qingyu by Night

The book box behind him was dilapidated. After countless days of wind and rain, some parts of the book box had turned white and rotten, just like the old, wrinkled robe he was wearing. Even so, he still kept himself clean and dignified, which contrasted with Xu Yuanlang, who was lying on the ground in a silk robe.

Xu Yuanqing had his head down, so his expression was not visible.

Bloodstains were still visible on the longsword in his hand; they were the blood of his junior brother.

"Get up, Xu Yuanlang's matter has nothing to do with you."

Bai Qingyu used her demonic power to help Xu Yuanqing up, unsure of what to say. She was determined to kill Xu Yuanlang; how he died wasn't important, the important thing was that he was dead—that was enough.

However, she really didn't expect Xu Yuanqing to actually kill someone. She thought that at most, he would just teach her a lesson by wielding a sword, or cut off an arm or something like that.

Furthermore, even if the real goal was to stop Xu Yuanqing from taking action, it shouldn't have been her, but Hongfei, who was closest to him.

Hongfei was standing just three meters away from the opening, and with such formidable strength, he could have stopped him with a single thought, but Hongfei did not do so.

Xu Yuanqing carried the longsword to Hongfei and returned it to him with both hands.

Hongfei gave Xu Yuanqing a deep look without saying a word. He knew clearly in his heart that the entire burden of the country's future rested on this young man's shoulders, and only he could save this country that was constantly declining.

"Wait, this is a gift for you. I hope you will remember your original intention."

Seeing that Xu Yuanqing was about to leave, Hongfei took out a jade pendant and handed it to him.

Hongfei didn't say what the jade pendant was for, but just looked at him with an encouraging gaze.

After apologizing to Bai Qingyu and thanking Hongfei, Xu Yuanqing finally approached the Human Emperor.

"Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

The Emperor half-opened his eyes. "Xu Yuanlang plotted a rebellion and should have been beheaded long ago. You only killed him for me. What crime is there to discuss?"

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Bai Qingyu casually crushed the last person to death and threw him down like trash.

Now that things have come to this, she can leave.

One purpose of her trip was to kill Xu Yuanlang, but the main purpose was to deter the villains in the world and keep them from disturbing her life. Otherwise, if she dared to cause trouble in the capital today, she could appear in front of any sect's gate tomorrow.

As for the Demon Book, she didn't really think much about it, nor did she expect to get it directly from Xu Yuanlang.

Unexpectedly, after searching Xu Yuanlang's body, Xu Yuanqing actually found an antique book made of some unknown material.

The book had no name, but it caught Bai Qingyu's attention as soon as it appeared.

The demon book that Yunru took out back in the valley was almost identical to this demon book.

"This demon book was obtained by my master when he was young and traveling the world. It was obtained by chance from a demon. There is nothing particularly special about it. It just records some demon races."

Xu Yuanqing spoke up, "I have no use for this book anymore, so I will present it to Your Majesty."

Xu Yuanqing could certainly take the Demon Book himself, and Bai Qingyu wouldn't say anything more.

His concern was that he was just an ordinary person, and if he possessed such a treasure, someone would surely come looking for him after today's events. Holding onto it would only bring him trouble and might even lead to his death. It would be better to hand it over to Bai Qingyu, which could also be considered a gesture of goodwill.

The nation's destiny cannot be separated from Bai Qingyu's help, and the dragon vein needs someone to manage it.

Besides that, he also wanted to express his gratitude to Bai Qingyu for helping him get rid of the two most stubborn thorns in his side. Otherwise, dealing with them would have required a tremendous amount of effort, and there was no guarantee of success in the end.

These two are deeply entrenched in the capital and hold considerable influence in His Majesty's eyes, making them difficult to deal with.

Xu Yuanqing didn't think Bai Qingyu killed these two people simply to vent his anger. If that were all, there were too many officials in the capital to kill, so why pick these two?

Bai Qingyu accepted the Demon Book using her demonic power without refusing.

With this incident, Xu Yuanqing will be unable to protect the Demon Book.

Even though it might seem a bit hypocritical, Bai Qingyu still spoke up.

"Thirty years from now, whatever the outcome, I will return this book to you."

Xu Yuanqing was taken aback for a moment, but quickly understood Bai Qingyu's meaning. "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Now that things have come to this, it's basically over.

Hongfei cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Bai Qingyu, "Is the Divine Phoenix satisfied?"

"I wouldn't say I'm satisfied; I just want an explanation for my child."

"Alas, if similar things happen again in the future, please, Divine Phoenix, never do it again. We can sit down and discuss things slowly."

"We'll talk about next time. I'm leaving now."

Bai Qingyu swung her wings, engulfing several small demons on the city gate tower in her demonic power. Before she could leave, Xu Yuanqing spoke again.

"Your Majesty, please wait!"

"Hmm?" Bai Qingyu lowered her head.

Xu Yuanqing strode up to a fox-eared girl, grabbed her sleeve, and forcibly pulled her in front of Bai Qingyu.

Now that she was facing Bai Qingyu up close, Xiao Lan felt dizzy and unsteady on her feet.

She actually got to see the Divine Phoenix Lady up close!

Seeing that Xiao Lan's legs were weak and she was trembling as she walked, Xu Yuanqing said helplessly, "Goddess Shenhuang, her name is Xiao Lan. She is a fox demon. I met her on the way and she has been protecting my safety along the way. She has no karmic burdens and has never killed anyone. She is gentle and kind. Moreover, Xiao Lan has admired Your Majesty for a long time. I wonder if Your Majesty would be willing to accept her?"

"No, no, no, that's fine." Xiaolan snapped out of her daze and waved her hands repeatedly.

Xu Yuanqing couldn't help but look at her, his eyes clearly filled with doubt.

Didn't this guy always want to stay by the side of the Divine Phoenix Lady? Why is he unwilling now that it's crucial?

Bai Qingyu glanced at Xiao Lan and then at Xu Yuanqing, and immediately understood.

Instead of accepting Xiaolan, he looked at Hongfei.

“Master Hongfeng, this demon is indeed without any karmic burdens, and her cultivation is not profound. The capital is currently in dire straits, and it may be difficult for Grand Preceptor Xu to deal with some villains who intend to rebel on his own. How about letting her stay by Grand Preceptor Xu’s side?”

Xiao Lan is not yet at the Golden Core stage, so being so weak, it is indeed harmless for her to stay in the capital.

Bai Qingyu's words make sense. The capital is indeed dangerous now. Xu Yuanlang has been raising so many demons in full view of everyone without being discovered. Other ministers may be doing the same.

"Yes, but no one may be killed. I will send my disciples to supervise regularly." Hongfei nodded in agreement.