Inside the exquisite jade box sat a small wooden box.
Beneath it, a letter seemed to be tucked away.
The letter did not catch Blue Ling’er’s attention.
Instead, the small wooden box emitted a faint, deep sense of resentment that made her skin crawl.
‘Open it, or not?’
This question stood before Blue Ling’er.
‘If it contains something ominous that only Master can suppress, wouldn’t it be dangerous for me to open it? But as a disciple, how can I not help Master eliminate potential threats?’
Blue Ling’er fell into a state of hesitation.
However, her internal conflict did not last long.
A sudden gust of wind swept through the Sky and Earth.
It acted like a signal, announcing someone’s return.
The three of them looked up at the sky together.
Sure enough, they saw the Fengshen Litter returning on the wind.
But as they looked closer, they noticed something — “Why are there three people on it?”
Besides Yu Yi and Su Cheng, who could the third person be?
As the Fengshen Litter slowly descended from the high altitude, Blue Ling’er and the others hurried to surround it.
Each of them knelt on one knee and gave a respectful salute.
“We welcome Master back. May Master find eternal peace!”
Only three people were kneeling to Yu Yi, but it was important to remember that these were three Martial Kings!
Yun Qianxue, still on the Flying Chariot, felt their auras.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she became incredibly nervous.
During the journey from Cangzhou to Among the Colorful Clouds, Yun Qianxue had finally realized Yu Yi’s identity.
Strangely, when she learned that Yu Yi was the Demoness who terrified the world, she felt more surprised than afraid.
However, because Su Cheng had completely toyed with her during their previous encounters, Yun Qianxue had developed a certain sense of “Fear” toward Yu Yi’s disciples.
“Rise.”
Yu Yi stepped off the Fengshen Litter.
“Why are the three of you here?”
In the past, Blue Ling’er would have definitely said, ‘Because I sensed Master’s return and came to welcome you in advance.’
But because a special situation had just occurred, Blue Ling’er answered honestly, “A moment ago, someone tried to break the formation to lure Master out. The person was named Liu Mingyan, claiming to be the fourth disciple of the Sword Pavilion. Based on the Sword Intent she displayed, she is indeed from the Sword Pavilion.”
“What was the result of your battle?”
Yu Yi asked indifferently.
“I was slightly superior,” Blue Ling’er replied.
“That Liu Mingyan showed a contemptuous attitude toward Among the Colorful Clouds from the start, claiming only Master was qualified to accept what she brought. But after I taught her a small lesson, she tactfully left the item behind and departed quickly.”
After speaking, Blue Ling’er presented the exquisite jade box with both hands.
Su Cheng, standing behind, glanced at the jade box and spoke thoughtfully, “Master, this jade box might have come from the Imperial Family. The imperial medallion Jiang Hanshan carried was made of the same material as this box.”
“In other words, this is a gift for me from the Imperial Family of Great Yan? Interesting,” Yu Yi said, her eyebrows arching slightly.
“Master, I was worried there might be a trap inside, so I opened it,” Blue Ling’er admitted.
“Inside the jade box is a small wooden box and a letter. I haven’t opened either, but the wooden box emits an ominous aura. I fear there is lingering resentment within.”
Yu Yi nodded slightly and opened the jade box to see the small wooden box inside.
Just as Blue Ling’er had said, the wooden box radiated an ominous feeling, as if it contained someone’s grudge.
Yu Yi did not overthink it and opened the small wooden box.
In that instant, she seemed to hear a wail echoing from the box before it vanished.
Looking closely, she saw that the box was filled with a pile of ashes.
“These seem to be someone’s remains,” Yu Yi said calmly.
“Ashes?”
The disciples were extremely surprised.
The pile of ashes emitted a deep sense of resentment.
It was hard to imagine what kind of torture this person had endured before death.
Yu Yi closed the wooden box and took out the letter tucked beneath it, handing it to Blue Ling’er.
Understanding the silent command, Blue Ling’er took the letter and opened it.
Rows of elegant handwriting met her eyes.
Blue Ling’er then read aloud: “Lord Yu, I have heard that rebels have used my name to offend your disciple multiple times. I deeply apologize for this and have identified the mastermind. It was the former State Preceptor of Great Yan, and the participants included the Governor of Yizhou, Jiang Hanshan, and his clan, the Ouyang Clan.”
“I have learned that the Ouyang Clan of Cangzhou has been exterminated, and I suspect it was Lord Yu’s doing. To save Lord Yu the trouble of traveling to the capital, I have personally carried out a severe punishment on the sinners within the Palace. I hope Lord Yu can view this matter as a misunderstanding and will not hold a grudge against Great Yan.”
When Blue Ling’er reached this point, everyone realized that the box actually contained the ashes of the former State Preceptor of Great Yan!
“The former State Preceptor… wasn’t he the meritorious official who advised the late Emperor and repelled the Foreign Tribes? Why would he target Sixth Junior Sister?”
Blue Ling’er and the others, who did not know what had happened in Cangzhou, spoke with confusion.
Yu Yi then informed the three disciples who had stayed at Among the Colorful Clouds about the conspiracy between the Ouyang Clan and the official to awaken the Forbidden Power hidden beneath Cangzhou.
“The ones targeting Su Cheng were Jiang Hanshan and the Ouyang Clan. The former State Preceptor was unaware of that. His grave crime was touching the forbidden Wuxiang Demonic Art.”
“That Demonic Art had already caused heavy damage to the Imperial Family of Great Yan once before. The former State Preceptor knowingly broke the law, which was enough to earn him a death sentence.”
Yu Yi continued indifferently, “The Yan Emperor pinned the crime of targeting Su Cheng on him as well to give him a more cruel punishment. He likely did this to curry favor with me.”
Feeling the Yan Emperor’s calculation, the disciples fell into silence.
“Ling’er, is that all the letter says?”
Yu Yi asked.
“No, there is more below,” Blue Ling’er replied.
“But the tone seems to have changed. It doesn’t sound like the Yan Emperor’s words anymore.”
“Continue reading.”
“Yes.”
Blue Ling’er cleared her throat and continued, “Master of Among the Colorful Clouds, it has been a long time. I wonder if you still remember the promise we made back then? It is time to return that ‘wooden sword’ I lent you.”
“The signature at the bottom says… Ji Hongye. This letter seems to have been written by her, and she even ghostwrote the Emperor’s words at the beginning. No wonder the handwriting is so elegant; it didn’t look like the Yan Emperor’s writing at all.”
After reading the name, Blue Ling’er asked in confusion, “But Master, who is this Ji Hongye? She actually referred to you as the Master of Among the Colorful Clouds? That’s quite a rare thing. Anyone who can address Master that way must be quite old, right?”
Yu Yi fell silent, saying nothing.
She didn’t know how to answer.
‘Ji Hongye… who was that again? I can’t remember at all, damn it!!’
In times like these, the well-informed Su Cheng had to “step up” to break the impasse for Yu Yi.
“Second Senior Sister, you don’t even know who Ji Hongye is? You have to ask Master about something like this?”
Su Cheng gave a devilish smile.
After silently mocking Blue Ling’er, she explained, “The current Master of the Sword Pavilion, the world-renowned Sword Emperor… her real name is Ji Hongye.”