The improved female villains regained their memories.

The tavern was empty, and the twilight outside was deep. Su Murong was a little dazed and looked up at the person in front of him: "You, who are you?"

"Pretending to have amnesia, a new trick you've learned?"

"?"

She looked at her hands and found they had shrunk, making her look like she was only a teenager.

"No, you, who are you, you......"

She wanted to say those words, but her body acted them out automatically.

"Hey you foreigner, why did you hit me on the head?!"

"Hey, that's normal now, that's more like it. You scared me just now, I thought you were possessed by a ghost."

"Hehe, even if you possess me, it's impossible for me to be possessed by a ghost."

"Stop joking around, hurry up and memorize a mnemonic rhyme, and I'll give you today's wages."

"I've been memorizing this since I was a child, and I'm tired of it."

"hurry up."

"Hmph, I'll memorize it then. Circulate your Qi; when it's deep, it accumulates; when it accumulates, it extends; when it extends, it descends..."

-------------

"Here, take this."

"what is this?"

"This book is the culmination of my life's research on popularity. You've laid the foundation; it's time for you to get involved in these areas. As for the money... hey, you're just taking the money!"

"Hahaha, thank you, foreigner. Consider these things a gift from your master to my new disciple. I'll celebrate with my mother when I get back, and then I'll study with you properly!"

"You bastard, take the book away from me!"

-------------

"Mother, rest in peace. I will study hard with my master and will certainly live up to your expectations."

---------------

"Hahaha, the sky is high enough for birds to fly freely, and the sea is wide enough for fish to leap freely. From now on, I will be free from all constraints!"

---------------

“Master, don’t feel aggrieved. In my eyes, you are the greatest one.”

---------------

"Hmph, what is Guan Hongyi? I don't even respect her father, let alone her. Her family is nothing but a dog brainwashed by so-called royal glory."

---------------

"Hahahaha, Bargu, I've taken over your hometown, why don't you surrender now?"

---------------

what is this?

Su Murong stared blankly at his other self on another timeline, with only one question remaining in his mind.

What are these?

Chapter 708 Where can we find brave warriors to guard the four directions?

"Something seems to be coming." Yang Pingsheng looked at the golden cocoon below, as if he had a premonition.

He released all the true traces of the Great Dao to protect the two sisters, thus blocking the fate that was extending towards the three of them.

Amidst the fluttering silk threads, the palace maid's true appearance slowly emerged.

She wore a plain palace dress, the fabric of which seemed to be woven from moonlight, radiating a faint, cold light. Her face was like exquisite porcelain, fair and delicate, without a single flaw. Her eyes were like bottomless pools, deep and mysterious, with black pupils that seemed to hold endless stories, and occasionally, as if threads of fate were weaving through them.

Her eyebrows were long and curved, like two willow leaves gently falling on her eyes, revealing a faint sorrow. Her nose was straight, like the ridge of a snow-capped mountain, standing proudly. Her lips were a pale cherry color, slightly pursed, as if guarding some secret, or as if gently pulling on those unseen threads of fate.

Her black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, held up with a simple jade hairpin. A few strands of hair fell beside her ears, swaying gently with her slight movements. Her ears were small and exquisite, with rounded earlobes, like finely carved jade.

Her fingers were slender and long, as if made of mutton fat jade. A faint light seemed to shimmer at her fingertips, controlling countless threads of fate. The threads were wrapped around her fingertips, yet they were also one with her.

"Yang Pingsheng, you're back." She rose into the air, her eyes sweeping over the three of them before finally settling on Yang Pingsheng.

“I don’t think I know you very well,” Yang Pingsheng said. With the help of the Great Dao True Mark, he easily saw through the palace maid’s true nature. “The spirit of the tenth-grade magic artifact, the Fate Bureau. I didn’t expect Ye Buxin to be so at ease leaving you here.”

The palace maid smiled gently: "So, would you like to try and win me over?"

Yang Pingsheng shook his head: "I have already seen through your true nature. Ye Buxin actually took out a part of her own essence and merged with you. In that case, you are no different from your master."

The palace maid said with distress, "That's troublesome. You seem to dislike me."

Yang Pingsheng said, "I hate both of you. Even if you don't have Ye Buxin's true nature, I still hate you."

A tenth-grade magic weapon is too dangerous; a good magic weapon is one without a spirit.

The palace maid grinned and asked, "Where are Wen Shihan and Shi Guijia? Didn't they come with you?"

Yang Pingsheng looked at her: "Do you need so many people to solve this?"

The palace maid shrugged indifferently: "I know you used the Life-Covering Technique to conceal their tracks, but whether it's a sneak attack or a feint, it doesn't matter to me."

She reached out and pointed to the golden cocoon below, saying, "If I die, the thousands of people connected to me by fate will also die. Yang Pingsheng, is this the outcome you want to see?"

Before Yang Pingsheng could speak, Xu Anyin angrily said, "You're threatening my Grand Tutor?"

Xu Anlu slapped her on the head: "Pingsheng hasn't said anything yet, what did you say?" She glared at her younger sister, then quietly pulled her behind Yang Pingsheng.

Yang Pingsheng suddenly laughed: "What do you want?"

The palace maid let out a sigh of relief: "I don't want anything, Yang Pingsheng, let's make a deal."

"What deal?"

"In exchange for all the people of this city, plus Su Murong, you can have one thing."

"what?"

"Half of your essence."

Yang Pingsheng looked at the palace maid and understood.

The palace maid tilted her head: "Hmm?"

Yang Pingsheng sneered and decisively refused: "Impossible."

The palace maid sighed, "That's such a pity. Not only will you never see Su Murong, but all these people will lose their lives because of your words."

Yang Pingsheng smiled and said, "Then please go ahead."

The palace maid squinted; this fellow was even more ungrateful than she had imagined.

-------------

In the original storyline, Su Murong and that other Su Murong became one.

The emperor, who was gradually approaching death, never married and used her life to fulfill her promise.

She sat there, her youthful energy gone, her spirits waning, like a dying old dragon.

"How is the making of my coffin coming along?"

Those below exchanged bewildered glances. Someone said, "His Majesty is blessed with longevity, living as long as Heaven itself... this coffin..."

"Go to hell! What do you mean by living as long as the heavens? If I really wanted to live as long as the heavens, I would have opened the seal. With so much spiritual energy, I would have lived as long as the heavens long ago. Why are you here spouting empty words?!"

An aged emperor is still an emperor; when she gets angry, no one dares to speak to her.

Looking at the heads hanging down below, she felt exhausted and waved her hand listlessly, telling them to leave.

In fact, she already felt powerless.

The people below huddled together where she couldn't see them, and few around her could tell her the truth. It was as if she were facing countless younger versions of herself—all so shameless, standing there with an air of elegance, saying things that went against their conscience.

If she were still young, she certainly wouldn't be afraid, but not now, she's old.

This was the price she paid for refusing to let the strategist absorb spiritual energy. All life will die and grow old; the world will belong to the young.

It wasn't that she was reluctant to give up her power, but she was worried about who should be given the house that she had worked so hard to build.

She had no husband, no children, and no relatives. Some of her comrades who fought alongside her to conquer the country were dead, while others were still in their prime. Everyone was wondering who she would pass the throne to, so they all wore smiles, their humility so obvious that she could hardly see them.

The closer one is to the center of power, the more ambitious people there are. She understood that there were those who coveted this position, and even more who coveted the Spirit Spring.

It was fine when she was around, but once she's gone, the house will be in no condition to be left in her hands.

-------------

Su Murong stood up and walked out of the palace gate step by step.

The moonlight in the sky was bright and round. She looked up slightly and squinted at it.

It looks beautiful, but it's never as intense as sunlight.

-------------

The morning light appeared in the sky.

The aging emperor, under the guise of touring the world, left the city for the last time.

She felt she didn't have much time left and wanted to see the house she had built with her life's work one last time.

She returned to the north, to the town where she was born, Liuyun City.

Although Liuyun City is a border town, it has been free from war for many years, and being the birthplace of the emperor, it has developed exceptionally well.

The city gate gradually came into view, its mottled walls bearing the marks of time. Upon seeing this grand procession, the guards on the gate tower quickly sounded their horns; the long, drawn-out sound echoed through the air, as if announcing Su Murong's return to the entire Liuyun City.

Upon hearing that Su Murong had returned to his hometown, the people of the city flocked to the streets. The narrow streets instantly became incredibly crowded, their faces filled with awe, anticipation, and curiosity. Even the vendors, neglecting their stalls, craned their necks to look in the direction of the queue.

The procession slowly made its way through the street. The houses on both sides remained much the same as before, only bearing the marks of time. Some houses had vines climbing their walls, their tender green leaves swaying gently in the breeze. Children weaved through the crowd, laughing and playing, their eyes filled with wonder.

Arriving at her old home, Su Murong dismounted. The gate was somewhat dilapidated, the lines on the door panels like wrinkles etched by time. She slowly pushed open the gate, the familiar courtyard layout stirring complex emotions within her. The old locust tree in the yard still stood tall, only its branches were thicker and its leaves more lush. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, creating dappled patterns, as if telling stories of the past.

As was customary, Su Murong first paid respects at the graves of his mother and master, then led his entourage through the city, accompanied by a group of officials.

She stopped and looked into the alley where children were playing.