This was his second time in Maple City, so Black Dragon had no trouble locating the city lord’s manor.
On countless occasions, Luo Wei had studied deep into the night, looking for ways to improve the people’s lives. Now, Black Dragon sat within his study and held a jade slip.
The writing desk and floor were piled high with similar jade slips.
Creak.
The door to the study swung open. In walked Li Min’e, her expression bitter.
“Your excellency, you were looking for me?”
“You’re here,” said Black Dragon.
He acknowledged her presence, yet didn’t even look up; his spiritual awareness was completely focused on the contents of the jade slip. Li Min’e didn’t disturb him. She simply stood quietly in the doorway and waited.
After a while, Black Dragon placed the jade slip back onto the table, then looked up at her. “Has Brother Su gone to sleep?”
The moment he brought up Su Yiyun, Li Min’e’s face clouded over with indescribable sadness.
She’d identified him back in the Modern World and had loved him ever since. She thought that if she passed that spiritual formation grandmaster’s inheritance onto him, she could grow old with him…
Who would’ve thought that that very inheritance would cost him life?
Over the past few days, Li Min’e had cried herself to sleep every night. She asked herself over and over again: am I to blame for Su Yiyun’s fate?
“He’s still awake. He said he doesn’t have much time left, so he has to buckle down and perfect his research on spiritual formations. When the time comes, it might be useful to you.”
Black Dragon was visibly moved. He lowered his head, then said, “Brother Su has sacrificed far too much for our demon race. It’s all because I’m too weak. I don’t have the ability to extend his life. It’s truly unfortunate; Brother Su’s attainments in spiritual attainments are so great, it seems even if the heavens themselves are envious.”
Li Min’e said nothing. Even now, she was unwilling to accept the fact that Su Yiyun’s days were numbered.
He gleaned some vague hints from her expression and sighed.
“Min’e,” he said, seemingly casually, “you met Brother Su back when I sent you to the Modern Realm to search for the Yellow Emperor’s reincarnation, right?”
Li Min’e’s pupils constricted. After a brief pause, she said, “that’s right.”
“Then it seems the two of you were truly fated to be together,” he said, then smiled faintly. “When you met him, he was already so accomplished in the art of formations and was even willing to work on our behalf…. We demons are truly lucky to have him. Then, back then, Brother Su…. his relationship with the Yellow Emperor……”
“Your Excellency, what do you mean?” Her expression instantly darkened. “Are you suspecting him? Don’t you understand how much he’s sacrificed for us over the past few years?”
Sensing her rising temper, Black Dragon hurriedly tried to soothe her. “How could I possibly suspect Brother Su? I was simply curious. Everything he does is for the demon race; that’s as clear as day.”
“He was once close friends with Emperor Ye.”
“How did he change so suddenly?” asked Black Dragon in confusion.
“When I first met him, I sensed that part of his memories were sealed off, so I broke the seal. After that, he ceased all contact with Emperor Ye.”
“So that’s how it was! It seems Brother Su was never an ordinary person.”
Black Dragon nodded, then smiled. “Good, that’s everything for now. Hurry back to Brother Su’s side. If you need anything, please let me know. So long as it’s in my power, I’ll do everything I can to help you.”
“Thank you, your excellency.”
Li Min’e bowed, then left the study. At the same time, Black Dragon turned and looked out the window, gazing up at the distant North Pole Star and its surrounding Auxiliary Stars.
“Emperor Star, Auxiliary Star….. Brother Su, don’t disappoint me!”
Li Min’e returned to Su Yiyun’s room.
“You’re back,” said Su Yiyun as soon as she walked in the door. “What did Black Dragon ask you about?”
“It went just as you expected it would,” said Li Min’e. She recounted everything they’d discussed, then snorted, “Hmph. Black Dragon is far too suspicious. He’s yet to resolve our grudge against Gu Li, yet still believes his attempts to slander you? To think he’d even suspect you!”
“I’m used to it,” said Su Yiyun calmly. He sat before a massive pile of roughly-sketched diagrams of various spiritual formations.
“You’re used to it? If he keeps on like this, who knows when he’ll start suspecting the Demon Sovereigns as well?” Li Min’e snorted angrily. In response, Su Yiyun simply smiled, then drew a few lines on one of his diagrams. Despite his calm demeanor, his hands trembled.
You ought to know that he was a cultivator. For his hands to shake…..
“Forget it, let him think what he wants. Let’s just wait for all this to blow over.”
…….
Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh.
The wind was deafening as Ye Zichen cut through the air. After leaving Maple City, he flew directly towards the Beast Region.
He spread out spiritual awareness, keeping a close eye on Gu Li and Black Dragon’s movements.
Suddenly, a transmission popped into his sea of consciousness. “Come visit the Dragon Race.” Ye Zichen instantly turned around then flew towards their territory.
After about an hour…..
Within the palace’s main hall, Ye Zichen frowned as he walked inside. His arm still hung limply by his side. The elder of the Dragon Race stood to the left. A bright-eyed old man in spiritual form stood in the centermost position.
Bang.
As he walked into the room, Ya Zichen said nothing. He simply knelt to the ground with a bang.
“Emperor Ye, what are you doing?” Everyone within the main hall froze in astonishment.
The grand elder stood, while the other elders and direct descendants dared not remain seated. They stood, arms to their sides.
Only the seated old man remained still. He smiled at Ye Zichen. “It’s alright. Stand up.”
“Dragon God, thank you so much for your help. If not for you, I truly don’t know what we would have done.”
“In truth, we are also at fault. If we’d sent reinforcements earlier, it never would have come to this. If you have something to say, stand up and say it. You are no longer just ‘Ye Zichen.’ Now, you are Emperor Ye of the Immortal Region. Look at them, so long as you kneel, they dare not sit down,” laughed the Dragon God. “Right, we’ve already sent those two women for medical treatment. That girl Keke is with them as we speak.”
“Thank you, Dragon God,” said Ye Zichen. He cupped his hands respectfully and let the grand elder help him to his feet.
“Emperor Ye, that’s your seat.” The grand elder pointed to the seat on the left. Ye Zichen nodded and sat down. Once he’d taken his seat, the others sat as well.
However, the moment he sat down, he said, “just now, the Dragon God brought it up himself, so I’d like to take this opportunity to ask you all: why didn’t the Dragon Race send reinforcements? It’s been so long since we sent the signal, yet until the very end, we didn’t receive so much as a single reinforcement. This… Can anyone explain this to me?”
“If I said we never got the signal, would you believe me?”
