A few days later, in the most prestigious theater in Yunjing City — Tianyun Tower.
With its flying eaves and painted rafters, this was usually an elegant place where a ticket was hard to come by.
But today, the usual crowd was nowhere to be seen. Only the owner of the theater and several workers stood with their hands at their sides, seemingly waiting for a distinguished guest.
Before long, a bright yellow phoenix carriage, surrounded by eight palace maids, slowly approached the building.
A maid stepped forward and gently lifted the curtain.
A slender, jade-like hand reached out, leaning on the maid’s arm as a woman dressed in a gold and red phoenix robe stepped down.
She had an exquisite figure and a charming face, yet her hair was silver as snow.
Atop her head sat a pair of fluffy white beast ears, and a soft white tail swayed slightly behind her.
“We humbly welcome the Empress!”
The owner led the group in kneeling and shouting.
“Rise.”
The woman spoke, but her voice was not as seductive as her appearance suggested. Instead, it carried a hint of coldness.
“Thank you, Your Majesty!” The owner rose quickly, his face full of smiles.
“The Heaven Number One private room has been prepared with incense for you. Will Your Majesty… be watching the same play today?”
“Yes.”
Bai Zhi responded flatly.
‘This Demon Empress is truly strange,’ the owner grumbled inwardly, though he dared not show it on his face. ‘She comes to listen to the play every month, yet she always orders this same one. Is she really not tired of it?’
He bowed to lead the way. “Yes! This way, Your Majesty — !”
Once Bai Zhi was seated in the private room, an assortment of exquisite fruits and tea snacks was immediately brought out.
A maid carried a teacup and handed it to her. Bai Zhi lifted the lid, blew away the floating foam, took a small sip, and set it down.
At that moment, a crisp wooden clapper sounded, and the music of silk and bamboo instruments leisurely spread through the silent hall.
The play had begun.
……
The play neared its end.
After a clamor of gongs and drums, an actor with heavy face paint and black armor raised his voice to sing.
“Hah! Think of me, Xiang Yu — “
The music followed the tone. Beside him, an actress in elegant palace attire and a moon-white cloak danced gracefully to the sorrowful melody.
“My strength plucked mountains, my spirit covered the world. But the times are against me, and my steed will not run. If my steed will not run, what can be done? Oh Yu, oh Yu, what will become of you?”
Bai Zhi rested her cheek on her hand, quietly watching the stage. The embracing Overlord and his concubine, the parting in a desperate situation — it all fell into her eyes.
Emotions swirled deep within her gaze, making it difficult to discern her mood.
“You may all withdraw. Allow me to rest alone for a moment.”
As the play ended, a maid stepped forward to assist Bai Zhi, but the Empress waved her away.
The maids glanced at one another before respectfully retreating as ordered.
Bai Zhi was left alone in the room.
“Fellow Daoists, if you have important business, you might as well show yourselves and speak to me directly. There is no need for such secrecy.”
Bai Zhi held her teacup, her eyelids lowered as she spoke calmly toward the empty room.
As her voice fell, two figures slowly manifested from the air.
……
Two days later, at night, in the Imperial Palace’s Cold Palace.
This place had always been remote and desolate, damp and dark, with cold winds piercing the walls.
In recent years, many newly promoted concubines had offended the favored “Demon Empress” and been cast here, falling into an abyss from which they could never again see the light of day.
No, perhaps it would be more accurate to say it was impossible for them to ever see the sun again.
“Soon, it will be soon…”
Inside a secret chamber beneath the Cold Palace, there was no light source, yet a figure stood before a pool of blood that shimmered with a weird luster, muttering to himself.
The scene in the chamber was horrifying: mountains of white bones were piled high.
A close look at the number suggested there were dozens of times more remains than the concubines and palace servants who had been sent to the Cold Palace over the years.
“It won’t be much longer…”
A strange smile appeared on the man’s face, his gaze deep and unpredictable.
Swish!
An ancient longsword pierced through the air, aiming straight for his heart!
The man rolled away in a disheveled manner, but his right arm was still sliced open by the blade.
“Who is it! How dare you sneak attack this Emperor!”
The man shouted in anger. Looking closely now, he was wearing a bright yellow dragon robe.
He was a handsome middle-aged man whose face, usually majestic and stern, was now filled with rage and ferocity.
“I didn’t expect that you would also resort to a sneak attack.”
A playful voice sounded. A bright red-haired girl in ornate clothing stepped slowly out of the shadows.
She looked at Zhao Mingyuan — who was clutching his arm and glaring at her — with a half-smile, showing no intention of answering his question.
“When purging evil and demons, one must do everything in their power. There is no such thing as a sneak attack.”
Another cold voice followed. Another young woman appeared in the secret chamber. She had white hair, white clothes, and held that ancient longsword.
Blood dripped from the tip of the blade — clearly, she was the one who had struck.
“Well, you still didn’t succeed with your sneak attack.”
Hua Yan continued to tease.
“My sword did not conceal its breath enough. I will be more careful next time.”
Before her voice could fade, Yun Xuechang moved. Like a white rainbow piercing the sun, her sword tip pointed directly at Zhao Mingyuan’s face!
“Hmph! A mere two Late Nascent Soul Stage cultivators dare to break into the palace alone to seek death!”
Zhao Mingyuan snorted in anger. He flipped his hand to summon a Xuanhuang Panlong Jade Seal and shouted, “Suppress!”
An invisible profound yellow light crashed down, and a weight as heavy as a mountain instantly enveloped the two of them.
“Heh, if you are willing to honestly confess how you found this place, I will give you a quick death!”
“You old fogey! Why are you putting on such airs? So what if you reached the Deity Transformation Stage?!”
Hua Yan gave a sharp cry as an array disk circulating with five-colored light flew out from her sleeve.
It expanded abruptly in the air, instantly turning a thick, earthy yellow.
Pure Earth Spiritual Power surged out, directly shattering the yellow gravitational pressure around her!
And on the other side —
Yun Xuechang seemed completely unaffected by the suppression. A chilling sword light had already reached Zhao Mingyuan’s eyes!
Flash!
Zhao Mingyuan dodged clumsily again. This time, his shoulder was severely slashed, the wound deep enough to see the bone.
“The Autumn Water Sword… You are Yun Xuechang! You are Jiang Changge’s disciple!”
“So what if I am.”
Upon hearing her Master’s name, the cold light in Yun Xuechang’s crimson eyes sharpened, and her sword strikes became even faster.
“You’re looking for death!”
Zhao Mingyuan roared, pulling out a dark black halberd. The shaft was covered in dark gold dragon scale patterns, radiating a piercing chill.
Clang!!!
Halberd and sword clashed. The Spiritual Power of the Late Nascent Soul Stage and the Deity Transformation Stage collided violently, erupting in a terrifying shockwave.
The impact instantly leveled the Cold Palace and a large portion of the surrounding palace buildings.
The strange thing was that such a commotion would normally be enough to shake half of Yunjing City.
Yet right now, it was confined within the palace grounds.
Furthermore, the palace attendants and servants seemed to have vanished into thin air, as not a single cry of alarm could be heard.
“Tsk, you even set up a Sealing Grand Array in advance… You certainly came prepared.”
Zhao Mingyuan flew out from the falling stones and rubble.
He glanced at the faint array patterns surrounding the palace, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and wore a grim expression.
‘Curse it! To think they set up a grand array in advance… Judging by the patterns, it will be impossible to break through for a while. I have to find a way to kill these two girls first!’
With a thought, his body suddenly erupted with a blazing golden light, and his aura became overwhelming.
Golden dragon scales covered his arms, and the wounds inflicted by the sword healed at a visible speed.
At the same time, he tossed an ancient copper coin into the air.
“I am the Chu Emperor! By my imperial command! Discover their flaws!”
As his solemn voice fell, a strange rhythm rippled through the air.
The copper coin rotated slowly, and the light in Zhao Mingyuan’s eyes suddenly surged.
He saw it!
The muscles in his arms bulged as he swung the heavy halberd in a terrifying arc.
Carrying the power to collapse mountains and shatter the earth, he smashed it down toward the incoming Yun Xuechang!