Chapter 166: The Unpredictability of the Human Heart

Soon, the voice of the gaming system resounded in Song Ye's mind:
"Ding! Congratulations to the player for completing the encounter quest [Heaven Rewards Diligence]."
"Ding! Congratulations to the player for receiving the quest reward: Guardian Summoning Ticket."
"Ding! Congratulations to the player for receiving the quest experience reward: 300,000 points."

With the experience gained from this encounter quest, Song Ye's level rose to 136, and an extra Guardian Summoning Ticket appeared in his inventory. The last time he had obtained a Guardian Summoning Ticket was five years ago.

Song Ye immediately used the ticket. As golden light blossomed across the guardian summoning interface, a stream of information flashed through his mind:
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for summoning the Gold-grade Guardian [Ji Xuanqing]."

[Guardian Character]: Ji Xuanqing
[Grade]: Gold-grade
[Background]: A member of the Hongyang Ji clan, proficient in the clan's exclusive secret technique, "Dust-Glass Thousand Seals Art."
[Cultivation Realm]: First Tier of the Void-Breaking Realm.
[Skills]: Dust-Glass Heavenly Burial Seal.

Song Ye felt a surge of secret joy. Another Gold-grade guardian had appeared. Out of the four times he had drawn altogether, he had secured three Gold-grade and one Purple-grade. Such defying luck was almost unbelievable to anyone who heard of it. However, having too many Gold-grade guardians wasn't necessarily a good thing, because he was starting to find them a bit too expensive to maintain. After all, there were already two other women in the Guardian Homestead waiting to be provided for.

Song Ye had heard that the Hongyang Ji clan was once the most powerful faction in the Demonic Path, but after the Fifth Immortal-Demon War, the entire clan seemed to have vanished into thin air. What kind of person Ji Xuanqing specifically was remained unclear to Song Ye; her background introduction merely stated that she was a member of the Hongyang Ji clan.

Since Ji Xuanqing was a Gold-grade guardian, she was naturally qualified to move into the Guardian Homestead. At that moment inside the homestead, Yu Muqiu had changed into a cool, translucent plain gauze dress and was soaking in a hot spring in the courtyard. Wearing clothes while soaking in a hot spring—it was anyone's guess who she was guarding against. Meanwhile, the Wine Immortal, Cheng Wanting, had passed out under a gazebo, heavily intoxicated with flushed cheeks and a somewhat vacant gaze, while several small birds rested beside her.

Within the homestead, these two female residents, Yu Muqiu and Cheng Wanting, had almost no communication, rarely even getting the chance to cross paths.

However, the Guardian Homestead was soon to welcome its third female resident. Song Ye saw a tall woman clad in a long red robe and holding a cyan wooden staff appear out of thin air within the courtyard. Strange black inscriptions were carved onto both of her shoulders and collarbones, and her pitch-black hair was so long that it cascaded all the way down to her lower back.

At that moment, Cheng Wanting under the gazebo seemed to sense something, instantly sobering up by thirty percent. Ji Xuanqing also appeared to be guided by some invisible force as she walked toward the gazebo where Cheng Wanting was, and Cheng Wanting accordingly stepped out of the gazebo.

The two women stood outside the gazebo, their eyes locked on each other, yet both remained completely silent.

Seeing this scene, Song Ye couldn't help but wonder: Could this Wine Immortal and Ji Xuanqing be old acquaintances?

***

After returning to Xuyu Mountain from the Spring and Autumn Pavilion, Qin Xuanxi contemplated making another trip to the Netherworld Interstice Realm. Last time, she went there to find the Flute Immortal, but this time, her objective was to find a demonic tree named "Boundless."

She knew that searching for anything within the Netherworld Interstice Realm would consume a considerable amount of time, so she needed to set about handling the matter immediately. After all, a few months later, she would have to devote even more time to nurturing her unborn child.

"This is this deity's and Song Ye's first child, this deity naturally must take good—no! That's not it!" Qin Xuanxi hurriedly shook her head and thought, "It's for Master. This deity is doing this for Master. This pregnancy might just be Kui Ying reincarnated, and there is bound to be a profound connection between Master and Kui Ying. As long as Kui Ying can successfully reincarnate, it should help uncover the truth behind Master's death."

There were three thousand minor worlds within the Netherworld Interstice Realm. To quickly locate the Boundless Demonic Tree among them, Qin Xuanxi intended to have her five disciples—Lu Xian, He Yixin, Luo Yunshuang, Zhang Qiuyu, and Bai Ruoling—accompany her into the Netherworld Interstice Realm to search for the demonic tree separately. They were the people Qin Xuanxi trusted most. Of course, Qin Xuanxi did not tell them why she was searching for this demonic tree. Meanwhile, her eldest disciple, Qi Xinyue, had to remain at the Brahma Abyss Sect to act as the temporary sect master and handle crucial affairs.

At that moment, Lu Xian said to Qin Xuanxi, "Master, the covert agents in the capital of the Li Kingdom have reported that the traitor of our sect, Luo Ziyin, was spotted within Luocheng. Should this disciple first make a trip to Luocheng to kill that Luo Ziyin, and then rush to the Netherworld Interstice Realm to rendezvous with Master?"

Qin Xuanxi wore a disdainful smile as she replied, "In this deity's eyes, Luo Ziyin is nothing more than an ant. His life is worthless. Searching for the Boundless Demonic Tree is of the utmost importance. Once you have found the Boundless Demonic Tree, you can go to Luocheng."

Seeing that Qin Xuanxi had spoken thus, Lu Xian had no choice but to answer, "As you command, Master!"

***

Meanwhile, in Luocheng, the capital of the Li Kingdom, inside the emperor's bedchamber, Emperor Li Qianshi of Great Li was sitting cross-legged on the bed, cultivating. Faint traces of demonic cultivation Qi swirled around him. He had already become a demonic cultivator, and his master was none other than the Brahma Abyss Sect traitor, "Demonic Venerable Qianxing," Luo Ziyin.

Five years ago, Li Qianshi had heeded the words of Imperial Noble Consort Wei and lured his own elder sister, Li Xiuling, from the northern frontier back to the Luocheng imperial palace. At that time, in order to hide within the palace, Luo Ziyin had already colluded behind the scenes with Imperial Noble Consort Wei. It was Luo Ziyin who had secretly made a move to subdue Li Xiuling within the palace and ultimately placed her under house arrest. Ever since then, Imperial Noble Consort Wei had instigated Li Qianshi to take Luo Ziyin as his master.

Now, Imperial Noble Consort Wei had ascended to the rank of Empress, while Luo Ziyin still lurked within the palace, enjoying a life of imperial luxury and occasionally helping Empress Wei execute unspeakable, dirty tasks. Within the palace, apart from Imperial Noble Consort Wei, no one else knew his true identity, while Li Qianshi simply believed that Luo Ziyin was a reclusive demonic cultivator named "Meng Tian."

Separated by a beaded curtain, a commander of the Purple Feather Guards reported to Li Qianshi, "Your Majesty, the whereabouts of the Eldest Princess have been discovered."

Li Qianshi suddenly opened his eyes. "Speak quickly! Where is she?"

"The Eldest Princess's figure has appeared in the northern frontier, and her destination seems to be Yancheng. According to secret reports, General Pang is also quietly rushing toward Yancheng. Your subordinate suspects that they have long been secretly conspiring in private and intend to meet in Yancheng to plot a rebellion."

Li Qianshi shook his head. "No, Sister would never plot a rebellion. She would never betray Us, absolutely not!" He refused to believe under any circumstances that Li Xiuling would launch a rebellion and attempt to pull her own younger brother down from the throne.

At that moment, Empress Wei whispered in Li Qianshi's ear, "Your Majesty, people's hearts are unpredictable. That sister of yours probably coveted your throne long ago. Didn't she always think that Your Majesty lacked the makings of a great ruler and was unworthy of the throne?"

"Besides, Your Majesty placed her under house arrest for a full five years; resentment must have deeply rooted itself in her heart. Once she finds the opportunity, she will definitely charge back into the palace to exact revenge on Your Majesty—her own younger brother—and this concubine!"