The improved female villains regained their memories.

Alas, how vast and distant! I cannot live! Alas, how true and unfathomable! I cannot believe! — "The Drumming" from the Book of Songs (Bei Feng)

At the Ghost Valley Gate of Yunmeng Mountain, the morning mist had not yet completely dissipated, like a light veil shrouding the earth. Yang Pingsheng and Ye Buxin slowly climbed the cliff along the winding mountain path. One was tall and straight, his green robe billowing slightly in the morning breeze; the other was graceful and lithe, dressed in white, her beautiful hair dancing in the wind.

They stood on the edge of a cliff, with a bottomless valley below, from which the occasional clear bird song could be heard. The distant mountains appeared and disappeared in the morning mist, like a traditional Chinese ink painting.

Gradually, the sky began to lighten with the first hint of dawn, a faint blush spreading across the horizon. The sun, like a shy maiden, cautiously peeked out. At first, the light was soft, gilding the surrounding clouds with a golden edge. As time passed, the sun slowly rose, its rays growing stronger, dyeing the entire sky orange-red. The sunlight bathed them, draping them in a golden glow. Yang Pingsheng's face appeared even more angular in the sunlight, and Ye Buxin's eyes shimmered with golden light.

They can see such beautiful scenery every day, but what good is it? Their master doesn't agree to let them leave the mountain, so they can only stay here every day, memorizing these beautiful views over and over again.

“After we leave the mountains, let’s go see other places,” Ye Buxin said to Yang Pingsheng.

“There’s fighting everywhere, this place is already considered quiet. Is there anywhere you want to go?” Yang Pingsheng asked.

“Maybe there is, but even if there is, it would be too boring for just me to watch it.” She emphasized “just me” again.

She watched as the sun rose fully, dispelling the last vestiges of morning mist, and the darkness was driven into the corner. She dared not utter a single complaint.

She watched quietly. Yang Pingsheng, seeing her expression, knew she was moved by the scene, so he patiently watched along with her.

Her eyes no longer looked only at the light, but at the huddled shadows.

"I can't become the sun," she said suddenly, her voice breaking.

Yang Pingsheng looked at her with some surprise.

“I may be able to sit in the sun’s position, but I can’t become the sun,” she said, extending her hand.

Her true identity and her name have all become taboo.

She should have been in the shadows, but now she walks in the sunlight because she's wearing a disguise.

“You are you,” Yang Pingsheng said.

To him, Ye Buxin was simply Ye Buxin. They became confidants because their ideals aligned, and Yang Pingsheng didn't care what kind of monster she was.

Ye Buxin smiled, but she quickly suppressed her smile so that Yang Pingsheng wouldn't see it.

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Will we be lifelong friends?

"Of course, as long as we're still on the same path."

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Yang Pingsheng is gone.

He left no words, did nothing, and simply vanished from the world, leaving no trace even for Ye Buxin.

All the marks she left with him have disappeared. It seems that Yang Pingsheng knew about her methods all along, but had kept them hidden until now. He didn't even leave a farewell letter.

But Ye Buxin didn't think Yang Pingsheng wanted to break ties with her. She thought Yang Pingsheng was just angry, angry that she had lied to him, angry that she had done these things without saying a word, so he left in a fit of anger.

People get angry and they also calm down. Ye Buxin didn't mind giving Yang Pingsheng time to calm down.

She has now obtained the Fate Bureau and the Wuhe Flower. Once she has collected all four great treasures of heaven and earth, she will give Yang Pingsheng another surprise.

After dealing with the Ghost Valley Sect, Ye Buxin embarked on her journey back to the capital. Now that many things were clear, she could enter the court with dignity, and no one could hinder her anymore.

With Fusu voluntarily entering a deadly situation, Zhou Jinyu died, and Nangong Qingyang and Qi Pengju were all killed. The Jixia Academy was leaderless and in disarray. With Li Zhujun and Wang Jingxing pledging their loyalty and working with the avatars who had infiltrated the academy, Ye Buxin now had the power to do whatever he wanted.

But she still had reservations.

One is Bai Ze of the Guardian Heaven Sect. After the many divine beasts of the Guardian Heaven Sect fell into slumber, it was Bai Ze who maintained order. She had read intelligence about Bai Ze and knew that many things in the world could not escape Bai Ze's eyes. It was also one of the few people in the world who could influence the situation. The other is the immortal masters who are lurking in the capital. Among these people, there are still loyal ones, such as Meng Tian of the Meng family.

Although Ye Buxin has infiltrated his influence through his avatar, he doesn't dare to be too blatant yet. At least for now, he hasn't announced that the First Emperor disappeared in Taixu. If he did, it's hard to guarantee that the Li family, the Wang family, the Meng family, and other families wouldn't make some underhanded moves.

By posing as Zhao Gao, she has already gained a certain degree of influence. Now, what she should do is to continue infiltrating from the shadows and eliminate those loyal to Qin.

After returning to the capital, Ye Buxin got in touch with Li Si through Li Zhujun. She immediately saw through Li Si's ambition and began to find a way to cooperate with him again.

Li Si was also troubled by the attack on the First Emperor's procession by the Jixia Academy when he suddenly received an olive branch from Ye Buxin. After weighing the pros and cons, he chose to cooperate.

Supporting Huhai and suppressing Fusu became their consensus.

But Li Si could not have imagined that Zhao Gao was the reincarnation of Ye Buxin. Cooperating with Ye Buxin was either like dealing with a tiger for its skin, or dancing with a wolf.

The Qin state was now facing its shadow, with a demon lurking in its heart.

Time passed little by little, and after the New Year, it was another new year.

Ye Buxin waited patiently for the guest to arrive.

Finally, on another Spring Equinox, she got what she had been waiting for.

Bai Ze approached her.

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After returning to the capital, she bought a house and lived there. Apart from giving instructions to her avatar and Li Zhujun, she spent most of her time in her room continuing her research.

That morning, as usual, she pushed open the door and felt an invisible pressure rushing towards her. Looking up, she saw a woman standing in the courtyard, who was the incarnation of Bai Ze from the Guardian Heaven Sect.

This woman seemed like an elf descended from a snowy land, exuding an aura of pure and immaculate beauty. She wore a floor-length white dress, its whiteness like the purest first snow of winter, without a trace of impurity. The hem of her dress swayed gently in the breeze, as if snowflakes were dancing in the air. Over her shoulders, she wore a white fox fur cloak, its soft, fluffy fur shimmering with a crystalline luster at the tip of each hair, like frozen frost.

Her skin was so white it was almost translucent, as if you could see the pale blue veins beneath, like ice silk hidden beneath white jade. Her long, jet-black hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall, the ends of which were tinged with a faint white, as if gently touched by snow.

Her face was exquisitely beautiful, like a work of art meticulously sculpted by heaven. Her eyes were like deep, cold pools, clear yet exuding a chilling aura. The light gray pupils resembled a misty, icy lake, their movement suggesting the melting of ice and snow. Her eyebrows were slender and arched, as if outlined with white frost, conveying a cool, detached beauty. Beneath her high, straight nose, her lips were like vibrant red plum blossoms blooming in a snow-covered world, yet appeared somewhat pale due to her cold demeanor. Her slightly pursed lips carried an aloof indifference that kept everyone at a distance. She stood quietly in the courtyard, like a white statue radiating coldness, as if everything around her was sealed away by ice and snow.

As a divine beast, Bai Ze can transform into many human forms. Her choice to transform into this form to meet Ye Buxin clearly has a deeper meaning.

Ye Buxin didn't mind at all. She opened the door and smiled slightly: "Come in and have a cup of tea?"

Having obtained the Fate Bureau, Ye Buxin possessed the ability to completely control her destiny. Meeting Bai Ze was a scheme she had planned long ago.

Bai Ze did not refuse, nodded slightly, and entered Ye Buxin's room.

The two sat facing each other, and Ye Buxin served them tea.

Bai Ze picked up the teacup, looked at it, but didn't drink. After thinking for a long time, he put down the teacup and went straight to the point: "Ye Buxin, I'm here to discuss with you your joining the Guardian Heaven Sect."

As a divine beast that has lived from that time to the present, nothing in the world can escape Bai Ze's eyes. To be honest, Bai Ze does not like Ye Buxin. It knows Ye Buxin's true nature and her true form. Her life was stolen in a despicable way, not born and raised like others. It is indeed not satisfied that such a person becomes the protagonist and enters the Guardian Sect.

But it was a divine beast that obeyed the rules, and rules were rules. No matter how Ye Buxin became the protagonist, it had to uphold the rules to the end. So it continued, "I will be responsible for explaining the history of the Guardian Heaven Sect to you and transferring the power of the previous protagonist to..."

Its voice suddenly stopped.

Ye Buxin, sitting opposite him, remained silent, only offering a faint smile.

So Bai Ze swallowed his words and asked directly, "You knew everything?"

Ye Buxin nodded: "With the Fate Bureau, it's hard not to know about it."

Bai Ze nodded: "Since you know, then I won't waste my breath. You are now the protagonist of the main world, so you should naturally take on your mission. You are different from others, so you don't need to follow the rules. If you can restrain the villains, then do so directly."

The protagonist of this main world controls the power of destiny, and this protagonist will lay the decisive groundwork for the final battle between fate and human will. The original protagonist of the main world was Fusu, and the villain was Ye Buxin. Now that the two have switched lives, their identities are naturally different.

Bai Ze glanced at Ye Buxin. Now that Ye Buxin controlled the Fate Bureau and had also learned the power of fate, and that her power was above that of Fusu, he wasn't wrong.

Ye Bu thought to himself, "I have a great interest in studying the Taixu and the various small worlds, so I don't intend to maintain this identity."

Bai Ze looked at her with a puzzled expression.

Ye Buxin smiled, then quickly composed herself and slowly sipped her tea.

A glint of light flashed in Bai Ze's eyes. In that instant, it saw through many things. Its gaze turned cold as it said, "How arrogant you are. You actually want to interfere so far."

Ye Buxin blinked innocently: "If the ancient sages of the human race could do it, and my master could do it, why can't I?"

Bai Ze said, "The ancient sages of the human race used their bodies to maintain the anchor point of the Great Void, in order to prevent the Great Void from approaching and annexing everything in the future, but you actually want to break away and establish your own sect."

Bai Ze stood up, intending to leave.

Ye Buxin abruptly put down her cup, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Inside the room, a terrifying pressure descended instantly. The table where the tea set had been placed transformed into a stone table, from which strands of golden threads burst forth, blocking Bai Ze's path.

Ignoring the oppressive aura and the threads of fate, Bai Ze slowly turned around and looked at Ye Buxin: "Are you going to attack me?"

Ye Bu thought to himself, "I have already investigated that secret. Tai Xu will approach, and when Tai Xu approaches, it will be the time when the Heavenly Dao, the world, and all living beings die. Whether it was the ancient sages of the human race who sacrificed themselves and the Dao to create the world in Tai Xu, or our First Emperor who tried to control Tai Xu, it was all to prevent this."

She spoke slowly and deliberately: "And you, and those four monsters born from the Great Void, the five of you are the least worried about this matter, because you were born from the Great Void and gained intelligence by seizing the origin of the Heavenly Dao. The Great Void cannot destroy you when it gets close, but you are still afraid of death, so you moved your true bodies to the Netherworld to make your plans."

Bai Ze chuckled softly, admiring Ye Buxin's erudition. Humans did have records of these things, but most of them used metaphors. Ye Buxin's understanding of these things couldn't possibly be solely due to the Bureau of Fate; she had clearly conducted in-depth research on them.

"You've told me so much, so what do you want?" Bai Ze asked.

"I have no interest in playing the protagonist-villain game, but I am very interested in the outcome of this struggle and the fact that Taixu is getting closer." Ye Bu thought to himself, "That's what I need to do."

Bai Ze remained silent.

It pondered quietly for a long time before saying, "Tai Xu is not a place where people can stay for long. Heaven cannot protect people there. Once something happens, people can no longer be called people."

Ye Buxin asked, "Do you think I'm human?"

Bai Ze countered, "But haven't you always wanted to become human?"

Ye Buxin did not directly answer Bai Ze's question, but said, "Since the First Emperor is lost, I have already made initial contact with the Taixu Earth. Give me some time, and I can handle it."

Bai Ze saw clearly that Ye Buxin had firmly chosen this path and understood her true desires. So he asked, "Then, what kind of deal do you want to make with me?"

Ye Buxin withdrew the threads of fate and the oppressive aura, and sat down with a smile: "Let's have a cup of tea first."

They can talk slowly now.

The two chatted for a long time, until late at night. Even Bai Ze couldn't help but sigh that Ye Buxin was a shrewd person. No matter whether he made a profit or not, she would definitely not suffer a loss when he made a deal with her.

With things mostly settled, Bai Ze said, "If there are no problems, let's establish the rules. I will conceal all your information. When the divine beasts awaken later, they will not be able to find any information about you. Your name, background, and deeds will all be blank."

Ye Buxin nodded: "Very good, add Yang Pingsheng as well."

Just as Bai Ze was about to establish the rules, Ye Buxin's words almost made him throw up his back: "How come there's one more?"

Ye Bu thought to himself, "Add it, by the way."

Bai Ze laughed in anger: "You and he have done so many things, each one affecting the fate of the human race. I could have kept it from you alone, but now I have to keep it from both of you. Do you think 'deceiving the heavens and crossing the sea' is so easy?"

Ye Bu thought to himself, "Yang Pingsheng is supposed to be working with me. It's not good for him to just stand there and expose himself. If you really don't want to, I'll give you the [Friendship] too."

She tapped the table: "[Family], [Friendship], two sincere feelings, and so many well-refined [essences], you're not at a loss."

Bai Ze snorted coldly, which was taken as agreement.

Once the rules were established, Bai Ze said, "Since you've already made your decision, I'm not going to interfere anymore. Anyway, if you kill Fusu at this point in time, Heaven's Will will intensify its influence on the villains, and the next protagonist will have a headache."

Ye Bu thought to himself, "I will take good care of things. You don't need to worry. Yang Pingsheng and I are destined to reach great heights together."

Bai Ze hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.