[Wuxia] The Legend of the Heavenly Soul (Complete) - 10-12

Chapter 84 of The Legend of the Heavenly Soul:

A wisp of fragrant soul lingers at the end of life, refusing to dissipate because of lingering attachments.

Qianfan strained to open his eyes, looking at Yiquan, and smiled sadly: "I've always... tried so hard... I haven't let him down..." Those few words seemed to have taken all his strength to utter. His clear, cold eyes held no resentment, no regret, only reluctance.

Yiquan felt a pang of heartache, lowering her eyelashes to hide the tears welling up. She felt her arm being gently tugged, and looking down, she saw Qianfan's blood-stained hand clenched tightly under his sleeve. She suddenly understood, opening her palm and placing it in Qianfan's. Something warm fell into her hand.

Yiquan stared in surprise at the ring on her palm. If she wasn't mistaken, the ring was made of rare and precious gold refined from meteorites, said to be meltable only by the flames of hell. Who has the ability to forge such a large piece and craft it into a ring?

"I'm lucky to have it... but alas... it will never truly belong to me..." Qianfan smiled bitterly, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth with each word. "He always said I was stupid, but actually... he was the real fool... I'm so useless, how could I possibly be worthy of... being with him?" Qianfan closed his eyes, gasping for breath. He had never felt the air so thin, as if no amount of breathing was enough. "The ring... please, my lord... return it to the young prince, don't tell him I'm dead... just say I... hated that he took a princess and left... left this place..." He looked at Yiquan pleadingly, "Please... burn and bury my body... don't let him see it. Okay? Will you promise me?"

"It's your fault!"

Yiquan suddenly cried out. She cried, trying to harden her heart, but found that it had already been softened by the affectionate person before her.

"You shouldn't have appeared! You shouldn't have bewitched the young prince! He carries the fate of the entire demon race, he is the only hope to lead our people back to glory. His whole being belongs to the demon race! How can you possess him alone?" Yi Quan lifted Qian Fan's body, her arm wrapped around his neck to his front, pried open his teeth, and with her other hand tilted the bottle, pouring poison down his throat.

The naive Qian Fan only understood Yi Quan's purpose at this moment. Now, he had no strength to resist. The poison fell down his throat into his stomach, the cold, eerie feeling like the indifference and cruelty of the world. The image of that child flashed through his mind, and his soul was redeemed in that instant, his heart warmed, as if he had woken from a beautiful dream he didn't want to wake up from.

Finally, she had not disappointed Lord Wei Chen's expectations... She had made her move!

Yi Quan suddenly woke up, pushed away the body in her arms, and stared blankly at the empty bottle in her hand. After a long while, she screamed hysterically again and threw the bottle away. She picked up the person on the bed and examined them closely. The person's eyelashes were tightly closed, and their face was peaceful as if asleep. She quickly checked their carotid artery; it was flat and there was no pulse.

"Thud!" A muffled thud came from behind her. Yiquan turned around and saw a small shikigami standing blankly in the entryway, holding a set of clean clothes that had fallen to the floor, seemingly unaware of its presence.

Seeing the limp, lifeless body lying on the bed, the shikigami suddenly let out a furious roar, its originally handsome face instantly becoming eerie and terrifying. With a flick of its wrist, a long sword shot out from its sleeve, cutting a bright line of light, heading straight for Yiquan.

Yiquan turned and dodged from beside the bed.

The small shikigami leaped onto the bed, picked up the person, looked at them, and gently shook them, but the person did not respond. Xiao Er, unwilling to give up, stroked Qian Fan's face and repeatedly touched his temples with his forehead, desperately trying to wake him. However, no matter how hard it tried, his gradually cooling body remained motionless. Had he... never smiled gently at him again?

The shikigami, created by magic, was connected to its master's heart. It was heartbroken and buried its face in Qian Fan's chest, wailing loudly. The shikigami could not make a sound, nor shed tears, making it look quite comical, but who would find its actions laughable?

Yi Quan covered her mouth, tears streaming uncontrollably from her eyes. Had she done something wrong? Heavens, looking at this heartbroken little shikigami, she couldn't even imagine how heartbroken the young prince would be after learning the truth. She was so foolish! Only now did she realize that she had not only hurt this person, but she had also deeply hurt the young prince. We were wrong, Lord Wei Chen, we were all wrong!

Xiao Er pulled the sword from the bedside, turned sharply, and stabbed at Yi Quan without hesitation.

Yiquan quickly regained her composure from her grief. Things had reached this point, beyond repair; further regret was futile. The only option was to proceed according to the original plan. "No! I can't fight you now." She had to quickly remove the corpse and clean up the scene; she couldn't let the young prince return to see this.

But Xiao Er wouldn't listen to her. He glared at her, looking at her as if she were his mortal enemy, attacking her relentlessly.

After all, it was the young prince's shikigami; Yiquan dared not be careless. In the exchange, if she was even slightly careless, she would be the one to lose her life.

There couldn't be any trace of a fight left in the room! Moreover, to successfully deceive the young prince, this shikigami couldn't be allowed to live.

While dodging Xiao Er's attacks, Yiquan gradually guided it out of the room and outside.

Chapter 85 of The Legend

of the Heavenly Soul: The wedding vows were suffocating. Princess Liu Jia's gaze swept briefly over the princes and ministers seated below. A myriad of faces, some joyful, some pious, some offering blessings—how many of those fawning, ingratiating faces were truly sincere? They were all merely masks of hypocrisy, born from a baser's mercenary nature. Hypocritical, and cold-blooded. Bored,

she fiddled with her fingers, then glanced out of the corner of her eye and saw a pale hand resting on the armrest of the seat next to her. A playful impulse struck her, and she boldly placed her own small hand on it. The other person didn't resist, and she smiled happily, "That's wonderful, cousin. We'll be together from now on. I'll always be with you." Her shy gaze lifted, but then froze. "Cousin, what's wrong?" she asked, her hand frantically touching Ming Ye's face.

Touched by her, Mingye jolted as if burned, turning his head to look at her blankly, as if waking from a dream: "Ah? Is something wrong?"

"Cousin, you..." Liujia was surprised that he hadn't noticed: "You cried?!"

Cried? Mingye touched his face in confusion, finding his hand covered in tears.

"Is something wrong?" Liujia asked anxiously, "Should we call the imperial physician?"

Mingye shook his head: "It's strange, I don't understand why... I'm crying?" At such an important celebration, he couldn't lose his composure, so he desperately tried to wipe away the heart-wrenching, inexplicable tears with the back of his hand. However, the tears continued to flow, no matter how much he wiped them away.

"Why... does my chest hurt so much? It feels like it's been suddenly hollowed out, it hurts so much..."

Suddenly, a mournful cry echoed in his mind, and Mingye's face changed drastically—his shikigami! My shikigami... is dead?!

Qianfan?!

His body jerked up from the chair, but at that moment, a hand landed on his shoulder, gently pressing him back into his seat:

"The ceremony isn't over yet, where are you rushing off to?" Wei Chen's voice rang out beside him, devoid of any emotion.

"Cousin..." Liu Jia looked worriedly at his increasingly pale face and his uncontrollable trembling.

Qian Fan must have been in trouble!

Ming Ye had already sensed something, closing his eyes to hide his surging anxiety and heartache, whispering in a tone that was both threatening and pleading: "Don't hurt him... Grand Master Wei Chen... please, don't..."

His tears were destined to flow only in his heart. Today was his big day. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he, the young master of the Demon Clan, could not leave his seat, could not cause trouble, could not cry, could not disgrace the royal family. In this moment of heart-wrenching pain, he could only put on a triumphant smile and let everyone witness the glory of Prince Ming Ye...

The autumn dusk painted the sky a blood-red hue.

His hurried steps halted abruptly outside the palace gates. The truth, so close, dared not be revealed. "

Qianfan, I'm back..." He

looked up at the cold, imposing palace—his bedchamber.

In the past, it was merely a vague shadow. When busy, he preferred to nap in his study rather than return. It was just a place to sleep, what difference did it make? Later... later things changed. Because Qianfan was there, that vague shadow began to take shape. He suddenly realized how tall the pillars were, how this color the walls were, how warm it was, how comfortable it was to sleep in his own bed... So... so...

so you had unknowingly entered my heart, become my refuge...

He pushed open the door. Everything in the room was as before, neatly arranged, except for the absence of that person's clothes and belongings. A chilly autumn breeze rustled the bed curtains. He searched and searched, but couldn't find that figure anywhere.

Mingye lay on the bed, his mind blank, devoid of any emotion. He was listless, unsure of what to think or do. The snow-white sheets held no trace of familiar scent. Mingye wearily turned over, burying his face in his hands and softly calling out, "I'm back, Qianfan." After a while, he repeated, "I'm back, Qianfan." Wait a minute, then say again, "I'm back..." He hoped that gentle voice would eventually respond, so he repeated it again and again, tirelessly.

He didn't know how much time had passed when a palace maid came in urging him, "Your Highness, the banquet is about to begin. Please bathe and change as soon as possible."

Mingye turned his back to her, remaining silent.

The maid thought he was asleep and went to wake him. But when she got closer, she found his eyes wide open, as if he had lost his soul, his expression blank. Fearing for his health, the palace maid hurriedly tried to help him sit up, but her lifeless eyes suddenly turned mechanically towards her, followed by a chilling aura of murderous intent. The maid's hand trembled, and she immediately knelt down, begging for mercy, before retreating out of the room in a panic.

He didn't have to wait long; the person who could give him an answer finally arrived. "Why aren't you ready? What kind of childish tantrum are you throwing?" A cold reprimand rang out as Wei Chen Taifu approached the bedside, his face expressionless.

Mingye lazily turned his head to look at him, a faint smile playing on his lips: "What do I have to do for you to give him back to me? Tell me, I'll do whatever you say." (

Chapter 86 of *The Legend of the Heavenly Soul*)

Seeing him so distraught over a male concubine, Wei Chen was furious. He lunged forward, grabbing Wei Chen by the collar and dragging him off the bed: "Look at the state you're in! I've taught you since childhood that acting on emotions is a grave taboo for a ruler. You have no spare energy to waste on someone unrelated! Don't you understand? You have no right to be willful!" After shouting this, his face flushed, he threw the child back onto the bed like a rag doll. Wei Chen calmed himself, his voice returning to its usual coldness: "Get up! Hurry up and get ready. The banquet starts in an hour. Don't cause any trouble on a day like this!"

He finished speaking and was about to leave when the child grabbed a corner of his sleeve. The child's bangs obscured his eyes, so Wei Chen couldn't see his expression.

"I've always put my responsibilities first. Any obstacle to the demon race's development, I will do everything in my power to remove, even if it's my brother!" His calm tone began to falter, like claws slowly peeling away a long-standing scab. "My brother... died by my hand. The sword pierced his chest. Do you know, that hurt more than if it were my own flesh..." His heart was filled with bitterness, unspoken, and unheard. He had kept it hidden, letting the wound fester and rot.

"I've already gone this far... what more do you want from me?!" Mingye raised his head, staring directly at Weichen: "I'm just a person! Not a machine. I have a heart that feels cold and warmth!"

A vulnerable expression appeared on his usually proud and arrogant face. Weichen narrowed his eyes, unwilling to look any longer. He hadn't expected the child he had personally raised to be so vulnerable. With a hardened heart, he flung Mingye aside, a cold smile playing on his lips, and walked away without looking back.

"Taifu!" Mingye rushed off the bed to stop him. "Please give Qianfan back to me! It was my fault, I was useless. Punish me, please let him go..."

"I don't understand what you're talking about." Weichen turned around. "There's never been such a person in the palace. Wake up."

The meaning behind those words chilled Mingye to the bone. "No!" he exclaimed, desperately grabbing Weichen. "You didn't hurt him, did you? Tell me, he's still here, isn't he?"

Yiquan, who had been hiding outside the door and heard everything, could no longer hold back. She rushed in and hugged Mingye tightly.

"Your Highness... Your Highness! Please, don't do this." She knelt on the ground, pleading with tears streaming down her face.

Mingye pointed at the figure disappearing into the entrance hall, crying as he asked the lady beside him, "How could he do this to me? He might as well have killed me!" His legs gave way, and Mingye collapsed to the ground. “Yiquan, tell me, what should I do?” He stroked the gold ring on his ring finger. “I promised him we’d be together… I can’t even protect the one I love. Actually, I knew long ago that Weichen didn’t like Qianfan. I should have guessed that he would eventually harm Qianfan. But I still believed in him, that he wouldn’t be so cruel to me…”

“Your Highness…” Yiquan hugged his shoulders, sobbing uncontrollably.

Mingye fell silent, his tears dried. He sat quietly, thinking, and finally looked at Yiquan resignedly, a slight smile playing on his lips: “Will I never see Qianfan again?”

He didn’t need an answer; he was just trying to convince himself to face reality.

Yiquan saw the light in his eyes slowly fade. Gone was the mischievous glint in his eyes; he returned to the stagnant, lifeless state before he met that person, devoid of any emotion.

The child who had already lost everything, this time, even his heart.

Nothing mattered anymore…

Mingye stood up, dusted off his robes, and summoned the palace maids outside to bathe and groom him.

Yiquan watched him with alarm; his reaction seemed to indicate he had perked up, but it also seemed even more abnormal. “Your Highness…you…”

The palace

maids filed in, carrying the clothes and accessories the prince had worn at the banquet. Yiquan followed closely behind them, extremely worried, sensing something was wrong with the child, and she dared not leave his side. She watched anxiously as the prince stepped into the bath, his long, silver hair shimmering and tangled in the water.

In the past, it was always Qianfan who served him baths and washed his hair. Mingye habitually stood in the water, waiting. Until a palace maid by the pool spoke up, “Your Highness, please come over here so we can help you wash your hair.”

Yiquan saw him shudder, but didn’t move. She thought he was about to cry again, but he didn’t.

He smiled.

"What a troublesome thing." Mingye moved his feet, but instead of heading towards the palace maids, he walked towards the place where clothes were displayed.

With a "clang," he drew his sword, holding the gleaming blade against his delicate, white neck. His eyes flashed with a sharpness colder than the sword's light, insidious and ruthless, expressing a chilling hatred, as if he would sever his own throat without hesitation in the next second.

"Your Highness!" the crowd exclaimed, kneeling in panic.

Yiquan stared at him in terror, completely forgetting to react. She had watched this child grow up, knowing every little habit of his. So she knew that His Highness was truly contemplating whether or not to bring down the sword.

In just a few seconds, Yiquan vaguely felt that her heart was about to stop beating.

If he could discard everything, end this dull and lonely life with a single sword stroke, that would be exhilarating.

He chuckled self-deprecatingly, knowing it was just wishful thinking. He had things to do, things only he could accomplish! Only after he finished

them could he leave. He grabbed his long hair from behind, twisted his wrist, and with a flick of his wrist, the blade lightly brushed against the nape of his neck. His silver hair, which had never been trimmed since birth and almost reached the ground, was instantly cut short, reduced to shoulder length. He said, "Such entanglement is better left undone."

The demons are extremely vain, especially treasuring their hair. When Mingye appeared at the banquet, everyone was stunned. His short, shoulder-length hair, without a single adornment, clashed somewhat with his formal robes. But his handsome features and noble bearing, without his long hair, diminished his feminine allure, gaining instead a sharp, decisive, and masculine air.

Since that day, he never set foot in his own palace again. Everyone said the young couple were exceptionally affectionate, with His Highness spending all his time in the Princess Consort's Siyu Palace. Liu Jia, upon hearing this, was truly speechless with bitterness. Her cousin did indeed stay overnight at Siyu Palace every day, but he only locked himself in his small study to handle state affairs, never even stepping out of the door, let alone showing affection to her.

If one wasn't deaf, one would inevitably hear some of the palace gossip. It was said that His Highness used to have a favored concubine, but for some unknown reason, that person suddenly left. Liu Jia initially naively rejoiced, thinking that her cousin had sent the woman away specifically for her sake. However, after a few days, Ming Ye's attitude towards her became extremely distant and cold, ignoring her completely, shattering her illusions.

One evening, Liu Jia finally couldn't resist and tiptoed to the small study. She had only stood at the door for a short while when she heard shouting and cursing coming from inside. Peeking through the crack in the door, one could see His Highness angrily berating the officials of the Military Affairs Department, accusing them of incompetence, slow progress, and exceeding budget.

The officials hung their heads, not daring to utter a sound.

They had been working tirelessly for days and nights, exhausted and dizzy, barely managing to meet the deadline, yet still failing to satisfy His Highness. His Highness pointed out every flaw in the project and ordered them to advance the deadline. The older officials, their bodies trembling with exhaustion, stood there, seemingly about to collapse. The younger ones were inwardly groaning. Good heavens, His Highness seemed to have inexhaustible energy, dragging them through the night to meet the deadline. If they fell even slightly behind his pace, they would be met with a merciless reprimand.

While His Highness had been strict in the past, he had at least shown some kindness and consideration for his subordinates. Several times, he and the experts had discussed technical issues in detail, going back and forth until dawn. His Highness would smile apologetically, say "Thank you for your hard work," and then give them a day off to go home and rest. Unlike now, the unapproachable Prince Mingye pointed to the report on the table and issued an ultimatum: "Tomorrow, I want to see a reasonable budget! If there are any overspending issues, it will be deducted from your salaries to make up for it. Understand?"

Tomorrow?! That meant no sleep tonight. The ministers were crestfallen, full of resentment, but dared not utter a sound, meekly taking their leave, afraid that if they were a step too late, His Highness would make even more unreasonable demands.

After everyone left, the small study fell silent.

It was eerily quiet…

Mingye loosened his collar, suppressing his outward temper. Actually, he wasn't angry at all; the ministers had already done their best. His nitpicking was simply because he dared not be quiet. Every night, he summoned ministers from various councils to take turns keeping him company through the night, simply because he felt the nights were endless and he didn't know how to pass the time without working. Like now, it was so quiet, a quiet that made one uneasy, a quiet that made one's mind wander.

Mingye slowly sat down, picked up the budget report again, and carefully reviewed it. Someone approached timidly beside him.

"It's so late, aren't you resting?"

Mingye looked up at the person, not recognizing for a moment which palace maid she was; she had no manners whatsoever, daring to disturb him.

Knowing he had forgotten her, Liujia's heart sank to the bottom; pitifully, she didn't even have the chance to wallow in melancholy. Seeing her cousin's face gradually turn cold, she quickly introduced herself before he could get angry, saying in a wronged tone, "I am Liu Jia, your... Princess."

Ming Ye was initially taken aback, but his expression softened. He beckoned to Liu Jia, bringing his neglected little cousin to his side, and gently squeezed her cold hand. "Shuntian City is located on high ground, and the night wind is quite chilly. You should wear more clothes when you come out." A few words of concern were already more than enough. "I have indeed been quite busy with official duties lately, please don't mind. If you are tired, go to sleep quickly, you don't need to wait for me."

He released Liu Jia's hand and refocused his attention on the documents.

His clear, cold silver eyes, no matter how focused he pretended to be, always revealed a suppressed bitterness and loneliness.

Looking at that exquisite profile, even though his gaze never lingered on her, Liu Jia felt that as long as she could be close to him, silently watching him like this, she would be content.

She knelt obediently at Mingye's feet, nestled against him in the deep darkness outside the window. Her thoughts were as clear as still water, but the glass bottle holding that water suddenly shattered.

"Cousin, how can I love you?"

she sighed softly, her heart filled with sorrow. Liujia chuckled softly, "I know you have someone in your heart." She didn't dare look up to see Mingye's expression. She waited for a long time, but all was quiet. She seemed to be talking to herself; there was no response.

Liujia blinked.

Fine, she'd just say it. She had wanted to wait for her cousin to find out, but he wouldn't touch her. So she had to confess herself, no matter the consequences. She didn't intend to deceive the one she loved.

She stood up, loosened her sash, and took off her clothes in front of Mingye. "Cousin, look at me." She smiled and cupped Mingye's face, making him look directly at her body.

His usually calm eyes finally stirred after scanning the princess's body. Mingye narrowed his eyes, his gaze sharp as a knife: "You..."

"As you can see, Your Highness, I am not a girl. Your uncle, Lord Iru, has no daughter; he has deceived everyone."

"And I am his youngest son—Liujia."

Chapter 88 of The Legend of the Heavenly Soul

"Marrying his son to me as my princess, haha, how absurd! Is my uncle out of his mind? This is a crime punishable by death, a crime that could lead to the extermination of one's entire clan. Is he so sure I wouldn't dare to touch him?" The surprise in Mingye's eyes quickly disappeared, replaced by cold sarcasm and a hint of anticipation for a good show.

He didn't erupt in anger as expected, which eased Liu Jia's mind slightly. She knelt down before him again: "Father is a pitiful man. He only ever chased fame, fortune, and power. He doesn't realize that he has lost the most precious thing in his life, yet he remains stubbornly deluded."

"Hmph, you certainly know how to defend him." Ming Ye leaned lazily against the armrest, glancing sideways at the person kneeling beside him: "So, what role did you play in his conspiracy? Did he send you to my side to spy on me? Or did he have other plans..."

Before Ming Ye could finish speaking, Liu Jia raised her small hand and gently placed it on his lips: "Cousin, don't be angry. Listen to me tonight, okay?"

Glancing at the effeminate boy with disgust, Ming Ye pursed his thin lips, leaned back in his chair, and rubbed his forehead: "Go ahead and tell me."

It seemed that she didn't please her cousin.

Liu Jia sadly realized this, and after adjusting his dejected mood, he said, "Father was desperate to strengthen ties with the royal family through marriage in order to enhance the power of the family. So he always hoped that his concubines could give him a daughter. Unfortunately, as you know, the birth rate of pure-blooded demons is too low. He had no choice but to find human women to bear children for him."

At this point, Liu Jia chuckled self-deprecatingly, "He never expected that after all the hardship he went through to get a woman pregnant with his child, it would be a boy. Father decisively abandoned my mother and me, and went to find other women to help him realize his ambitions. So, several more years passed, and the good news he wanted never came, until the Demon Lord arranged a marriage for my cousin Heng Ye. After learning that my cousin Heng Ye was going to marry a human woman, Father panicked. He had no patience to wait any longer, so he ordered someone to find me and bring me into the palace to be raised as a girl. He originally planned... planned..."

Liu Jia frowned, seemingly finding it difficult to speak. He hesitated for a moment, then finally gritted his teeth and said, "He originally planned to have me undergo surgery to modify my body when I was a little older. But then, there were rumors about you, my little cousin, and... the second prince of the Heavenly Emperor... Father gave up the idea of performing surgery on me and let me keep my boy's body." After finishing in one breath, Liu Jia seemed relieved and relaxed slightly, and a burst of wild laughter came from above.

Mingye laughed uncontrollably: "Knowing I like men, your uncle married you off? Did you think I'd treat you any differently because of your looks?" He solemnly lifted Liujia's chin, staring at her flushed face for a long time before bursting into laughter again. "You dare compare yourself to Kui? Don't make me laugh to death."

Each laugh made Liujia so embarrassed she wanted to disappear into the ground. "I... I never dared to dream of being able to compare myself to Prince Kui!" Liujia prostrated herself on the ground, bowing deeply. She raised her voice to drown out the heartbreaking laughter: "But, a long time ago, when I first saw my little cousin, I already... I... I just..." She couldn't finish her sentence, afraid that if she revealed her feelings, she would be subjected to another round of merciless ridicule. Sweat dripped onto the back of her hands, her eyes reddened, and her body trembled slightly, whether from the cold or something else. He only hoped that, in his humiliating, unspoken words, his younger cousin would understand his unspoken meaning.

Unexpectedly, the world spun before his eyes, and his hair was mercilessly yanked.

Mingye scooped him up from the floor and shoved him onto the desk.

Liu Jia's head slammed heavily against the hard wooden surface, tears welling in his eyes from the pain. He was in pain, but he silently endured it, not daring to utter a sound, nor could he bear to. His cousin lay on top of him, silently gazing at his face as if trying to see through him. The two were extremely close, their breaths mingling. Mingye's gaze slid across his face, gradually settling on his naked body. Liu Jia's heart pounded, his body felt hot, and he shyly wanted to cover his private parts with his hands, yet he also wanted to hold onto the other's gaze, to let him see him clearly.

However, giving him no room for illusions, Mingye's words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly sobering him up:

"Regardless of what you think of me, I'll tell you frankly, your father's ambition will never be realized."

Liu Jia shrank back: "I... know. I don't agree with my father's actions either. But... Your Highness, please, no matter what, leave a way out for my father and my family."

"Oh? Judging from your tone, you seem to be on my side. What? Are you planning to betray your loved ones to help me?"

Liu Jia took a deep breath before firmly saying, "Yes!" His words were resolute and decisive: "I don't want to be used by my father, and I don't want to do anything detrimental to you. This is my true thought!"

Mingye laughed at his naivety: "Political contests are always a gamble with life as the stake. If you win, you're above all others, commanding the world. If you lose, you can't even save your own life. Can you guarantee that when that time comes, you'll still put aside your family and stand on my side, regardless of your father's life or death?"

"I..." Liu Jia opened his mouth, knowing that this kind of question allowed no hesitation, no offhand answer. An answer that had been carefully considered was no longer believable. Liu Jia wasn't naive; he had asked himself the same question countless times. At this moment, he finally answered, a sincere answer for Ming Ye, and for his own heart—

"I will! I will! I will stand by your side, as long as you don't despise me, as long as you believe in me!"

An unexpected reward! His cousin smiled, a warm smile blooming on his handsome yet weary face, like spring cherry blossoms, summer rain, autumn wind, and winter snow. So radiant, so beautiful, so alluring.

“Good boy.” Ignoring the amazement in his eyes, Mingye said calmly, “Let me watch how you fulfill the promise you made tonight.”

His thin, cold lips pressed down, lightly kissing Liujia’s flustered lips…

Chapter 89 of The Legend of the Heavenly Soul :

Recently, a prophecy has been widely circulated in the Heavenly Realm—

the embodiment of extreme evil—the Dark Star—is awakening, and the Three Realms will face a cataclysmic calamity; the only one who can stop its evil deeds is the Radiant Star, the source of extreme good. However, of the three planets guarding the Radiant Star, two have already fallen. The Shadow Mist, which can influence the movements of the two stars, is currently in a state of mystery…

Prophecies have always seemed unfathomable because few people can understand what they are saying.

Everyone is baffled, yet they talk about it with great interest, because they have heard that this prophecy came from the Star-Seeing Family, the Heavenly Palace's official astrologer, and its credibility is absolutely high. Thus, following the demon clan's grand wedding, "Dark Star Awakens, Doomsday" became a hot topic in the city, sparking heated discussions and widespread panic...

The Heavenly Emperor, his face dark, appeared at the Illusion Moon Water Palace of the Xingjian family. Palace Master Xingmei knew then that something terrible was about to happen.

Holding her whimpering youngest son in her arms, Xingmei gave the Heavenly Emperor, who had come to interrogate her, a helpless, bitter smile: "Please forgive me, Your Majesty, Xingya is just a child and doesn't understand the gravity of the consequences."

The Heavenly Emperor's face turned cold: "Can such things be casually spread around? Now that it has caused panic among the people, how can he bear the blame? As a member of the Xingjian family, this child has no self-awareness at all?" The Heavenly Emperor's face was grim, his stern gaze glaring fiercely at the little boy in the Palace Master's arms, who was cowering in fear.

Feeling threatened, Xingya leaned closer to his mother, seeking protection. His soft little body trembled like a frozen chick, filling his mother with pity.

Alas, how could he have known things would turn out this way? Ever since he witnessed his mother performing astrology that day, he found it amusing and secretly tried it himself a few times. Normally, his third eye wasn't open, so he shouldn't be able to see celestial secrets. Perhaps he truly possessed a bit of innate talent, and by sheer chance, he managed to activate the Celestial Palace Chart. Although it was only for a short time, in those few glances, he had already taken in the orbits of the stars. Children can't keep secrets, and with this major discovery, Xingya immediately ran to tell his fellow gods, excitedly showing off his abilities. And the result? Predictably, the prophecy spread like wildfire…

The Heavenly Emperor, hands behind his back, complained to Xingmei, who was fiercely protective of her youngest son, "This child acts too rashly. As his mother, instead of properly guiding him, you only protect and indulge him! If you hadn't suggested letting him observe and learn that day, none of this trouble would have happened!"

Xingmei smoothed her youngest son's soft white hair, kissed his tender little face, and said with a hint of pride, "Hehe, who would have thought our Xingya would be so talented?" She glanced at the Heavenly Emperor's bulging veins, his cool face practically contorted with rage. Xingmei quickly and tactfully toned down her approving tone, sighed heavily, and changed her words, saying, "Who knew anyone would believe what Xingya said?"

The Heavenly Emperor, still furious, pointed at the Palace Master of Xingjian Palace and coldly ordered, "This disaster was caused by your son. I order you to clean up the mess! For one month, I must not hear anyone discuss 'Dark Star's Destruction.' If the rumors cannot be quelled, this child must be sent to the Heavenly Palace to cultivate his character. He cannot be allowed to act so recklessly any longer."

"Sent to the Heavenly Palace?" Xingmei's beautiful face turned pale.

The Palace Master of Xingmei was known throughout the Heavenly Realm for doting on her youngest son; separating her from Xingya was undoubtedly a cruel punishment.

The fourth prince, standing beside the Heavenly Emperor, couldn't stand it any longer. Xingmei was his childhood friend, and he had no reason not to help: "His Majesty was just joking. Palace Master, don't take it to heart. As long as you put in a little effort to divert people's attention, the rumors will surely disappear on their own." As he spoke, he ignored the Heavenly Emperor's slight resistance and forcibly pulled him outside. "There are matters to attend to at the Heavenly Palace. Your Majesty should not linger here any longer. Please return to the palace immediately to handle these matters. Palace Master Xingmei need not see you off."

The Heavenly Emperor was reluctantly pulled away, his pent-up anger finding no outlet. Once they were in the carriage, with only the two of them remaining, he disregarded the proper etiquette between ruler and subject, glaring angrily at the other man, his first words filled with resentment: "Why do you always side with others?"

"Side with others? Why would I?" The Fourth Prince chuckled: "You know Xingmei's temperament. She seems gentle, but she is actually stubborn. She is not easily swayed and cannot be forced. As intelligent as she is, she understands the consequences of the prophecy being leaked. She will find a way to smooth things over for you, so you can rest assured. If you use her son as a threat, and she becomes displeased, 'affecting' the accuracy of astrology, wouldn't you be at a disadvantage?"

"Hmph, you always have a point." The Heavenly Emperor leaned back against the chair, feeling a slight headache: "Her youngest son is truly a handful!"

"He's just a child, don't expect too much." The Fourth Prince was clearly more optimistic than him.

"A child? If I remember correctly, he should be about the same age as your little apprentice. If it were your little apprentice who caused this trouble..."

Before the Heavenly Emperor could finish, the Fourth Prince's face darkened, and he quickly interjected, "I'd slap him to death!"

"See!" The Heavenly Emperor shrugged smugly.

"How is that the same?" The Fourth Prince looked out the window; the sunlight was too dazzling, and his golden eyes narrowed slightly. A meaningful smile appeared on his lips: "Mingye, he's different."

The Heavenly Emperor propped his head up with his hand, gazing fondly at his profile.

This man was always magnanimous and humble when facing those he didn't care about. Only those he cared about could anger him.

The sounds of people seeing off the Heavenly Emperor could no longer be heard outside. Xingmei wiped away the tears from her youngest son's face. "Everyone's gone, my darling, don't cry."

Xingya sniffed, then smiled broadly and suddenly asked, "Mother, is the Heavenly Palace fun? Every time I go, I just have a meeting and come right back. I've never really explored it properly."

"You want to go?" Xingmei's expression suddenly turned serious as she stared intently at her son.

Xingya was startled and stammered, "I...it's not that...it's just..."

His mother's warm hand stroked his face, and Xingya saw an emotion in her smile that he couldn't understand, a kind of sorrow.

"Fate cannot be defied. Since it is destined, Xingya, go."

Leaving these words behind, Palace Master Xingmei left her youngest son behind and walked alone into the Astrology Hall.

The hall doors closed with a dull thud, and Xingya suddenly felt an indescribable feeling welling up in his chest: "Mother..."

All her doting love stemmed from Palace Master Xingmei's vision of her youngest son's future—

one day, Xingya would leave her to follow his destined "monarch."

One day, the once closest mother and son will stand on opposing sides, each serving their own master, exhausting their life's cultivation in a brutal battle.

Seeing the future makes us cherish the present even more—this invaluable time together, this simple happiness.

At that time, Xingya…

Chapter Ninety of *The Legend of the Heavenly Soul

*, the aerial fortress used by the Demon Clan royal family, smoothly and silently sailed towards its destination.

According to custom, the ruler of a vassal state, within a month of their wedding, must accompany their new spouse to the Heavenly Palace to pay homage to the Heavenly Emperor. This "honor," which should have been reserved for the head of a clan, was bestowed upon the Demon Lord's younger brother by a decree from the Heavenly Emperor. On

his first visit to the Heavenly Palace, Liu Jia's face, like his mood, remained gloomy. In the hearts of every Demon Clan subject, a deep-seated hatred resided for the gods of the Heavenly Palace. Despite his resentment, Princess Liu Jia maintained a composure befitting her noble status. She sat quietly beside Ming Ye, saying nothing, only occasionally glancing furtively at her cousin, who was buried in his work.

"If you feel bored, you can go to the window and look at the scenery," Ming Ye suggested, his gaze never leaving the documents in his hands.

"Hmph! What's so interesting?" Liu Jia straightened her back, a rare display of impatience on her usually submissive side towards Ming Ye.

Mingye glanced at him with surprise: "The area the celestial warship is currently passing through is the most fertile region of the Celestial Realm. Powerful gods are vying to build their palaces on this land. And the palaces of different gods each have their own unique characteristics. Not everyone has the opportunity to overlook the scenery below from the airspace above this land."

Upon hearing this, Liujia's expression changed drastically. His eyes blazed as he stared at Mingye, and he suddenly lowered his voice and said resentfully, "Cousin, do you want to trample this 'land' under your feet? I'll help you! If that's your wish, I'll help you fulfill it!" Although his voice was soft, it had a resounding clang, and his gaze was fiery, revealing an undisguised ambition.

Compared to the tempting suggestion in his words, Mingye appreciated more the masculine boldness he displayed at this moment, a far cry from his usual delicate and demure demeanor as a daughter of a high-ranking official.

Without showing any emotion, Mingye turned his gaze back to the documents and calmly said, "These kinds of things shouldn't be said in public or private; they'll cause trouble."

Liujia, quick-witted, immediately realized that he had misspoke. He suppressed his burning sharpness, biting his lip and lowering his head, fiddling with his sleeve. His eyes darted anxiously towards Mingye, but he couldn't detect any emotion on that handsome face.

"Cousin, are you angry with me?" he said, his eyes welling with tears. After nearly a month together, Liu Jia had more or less figured out Mingye's temperament. He knew that his cousin, though seemingly cold, was actually extremely soft-hearted and very good at taking care of others. As they became more familiar, he couldn't bear to continue ignoring him. Even if his tone was cold, he would politely respond, avoiding making things too awkward.

Liu Jia knew he was beautiful, considered a beauty even among demons; otherwise, his father wouldn't have taken him back and raised him as a girl. He also knew that showing vulnerability at the right time would arouse a man's protective instincts.

Unfortunately, he had chosen the wrong person. Mingye was too clear-headed, too busy with work, and had no interest in playing dumb or engaging in flirtatious games.

Mingye raised the document in his hand and lightly tapped it on Liujia's head, making a "smack" sound.

"Ouch! That hurts!" Liujia clutched his head, tears welling up in his eyes.

Glancing at him, Mingye said bluntly, "You're a boy, so you're not allowed to dress up as a woman in front of me anymore. It's disgusting!" His

words were a wake-up call: That's right! My cousin doesn't like women; no wonder I've never been able to win his favor.

Liu Jia hesitated, "But...but, I've never...I don't know how boys should be."

Ming Ye teased him, "You should be more boisterous, more unrestrained, not so shy, and don't speak so softly."

"Is...is that so?" Liu Jia suddenly raised his voice, shouting at Ming Ye in a very "unrestrained" and "boisterous" way, "If I become like a boy, will you sleep with me!?...Mmmmmmmm"

He quickly covered Ming Ye's mouth with his hand, and Ming Ye scolded, "You don't know when to speak. There are people guarding outside the room. If the servants hear you, you'll get into trouble again."

"It's because you...you've never touched me." Liu Jia deliberately stuck out his little tongue and gently licked Ming Ye's palm.

Before Mingye could retract his hand, it was firmly grasped by Liujia, who slowly guided it to his buttocks. Liujia pressed his body against Mingye's, whispering in his ear, "Cousin, let me serve you, okay?" His petite body was almost entirely pressed against Mingye's. The

boy's buttocks were firm and pert, incredibly alluring to the touch.

Liujia slightly parted his legs, took Mingye's hand, and slid it into the crevice between his thighs. His lips remained close to Mingye's ear, his soft voice seductive, "My body... is very warm, very comfortable... do you want to try it? Hmm?" He pressed Mingye's fingers down, forcefully pushing them against his own rear, an electric-like pleasure coursing through his body, a passionate moan escaping his cherry lips: "Ah..."

"Liujia." Holding the warm, soft body in his arms, Mingye's body remained unresponsive, his voice devoid of any lust. He gently, yet resolutely, pushed away the boy who had thrown himself at him.

Liu Jia stared at him blankly, her face full of disappointment: "Why? Why can't I?!" Her wounded gaze only earned her a cold laugh.

"While I still have a shred of conscience, Liu Jia, stay away from me!" Her silver eyes flashed with a cold light, as cold as ice and frost. "This is the last piece of advice I can give you. If you insist on following me, one day, I will drag you down to hell with me! Before my heart is completely swallowed by darkness, you..."

Liu Jia leaned forward and kissed those pale purple lips, stopping him from saying any more words of rejection.

"You are not me, how do you know that being by your side is hell for me? Even if it really is hell, as long as I can be with you, I will be willing!"

05-07
Heavenly Soul Chronicles Chapter Ninety-One

Before the wedding, Liu Jia had received the strictest education, mastering the art of serving her husband.

She clung to Ming Ye, writhing and coiling like a snake, rubbing their sensitive parts, using her sweet and soft body to seduce him with utmost tenderness, trying to melt his frozen heart. His body exuded the fragrance of a virgin, and his moans were melodious and beautiful.

Mingye let him play around, showing no intention of rejection. With

Mingye's tacit approval, Liujia's small hands boldly slid inside his clothes, caressing and teasing him. The skin below was incredibly tender and smooth, even Liujia himself felt inferior. He explored the body he was so fascinated by yet so unfamiliar with with delight.

This was his cousin's body!

Just thinking about it made him feel hot all over, his desire for sex rising higher than ever before, and he began to pant slightly. He couldn't help but spread his legs wide, letting his private parts press against Mingye's penis, rubbing back and forth. "Cousin, your body temperature is low, let me help you warm up, okay?"

Mingye gave a smile devoid of any emotion, just like at the wedding ceremony that day...

"Lord Weichen, you cannot enter."

Weichen Wangyue was blocked at the door by the guards, and was even forbidden from knocking. He seemed somewhat taken aback; given his status, he never needed to announce himself to see His Highness. But the surprised expression was fleeting, quickly replaced by his usual formulaic indifference. "Get out of the way!" he said coldly, ignoring the guard's obstruction.

The guard remained unmoved, standing ramrod straight before him. "His Highness has ordered that he sees no one. Lord Wei Chen, please return."

Wei Chen paused again before adopting his official demeanor: "I have urgent business to report. If things are delayed, can you bear the responsibility?"

The guard didn't even frown, merely bowing slightly, repeating the same words: "My lord, please return."

Wei Chen knew the boy was still angry with him. He sighed almost imperceptibly, then turned and slowly walked back to his room, where a similarly worried female official knelt.

Seeing his expression change from anticipation to dejection as he entered, Yi Quan said softly, "Is that so? The young prince still refuses to see the lord."

Wei Chen walked to the window and sat down, gazing absently at the clouds drifting by outside, lost in thought.

"What should we do?" Yi Quan lowered her head. "The young prince refuses to see the lord, and he won't see me either. The palace maids who serve him say that he discusses matters with different officials in the council halls until dawn every day, and then rushes to the Heavenly Palace for court at daybreak. He's been working tirelessly for so many days, without sleep or rest. Does he want to work himself to death?" Yi Quan covered her mouth, suppressing her sobs. "Why did it turn out like this? Is he threatening us? He'll keep torturing himself to threaten us unless we return that person to him!"

Upon hearing this, Wei Chen finally smiled faintly. "You've served him since childhood, yet you still don't understand him." He glanced down at the kneeling female official, his expression instantly turning serious and sharp. "Let's not talk about that now. I'll ask you one more time: that day, were you really sure that person was dead?"

Speaking of that day, Yi Quan was filled with remorse. If she had known she would drive the young prince to this point, she shouldn't have acted so ruthlessly. But now it was too late.

Wei Chen carefully observed the changes in her expression, and his deep suspicions gradually faded amidst her unstoppable tears. "You really gave that

person 'Tu Mi'?"

Yi Quan nodded. "I forced it into his mouth. He couldn't resist at all. The poison entered his stomach, and a mortal's body would die in less than half a second..."

"Then why did the body disappear later? Can a completely dead person just run away?" Wei Chen stared at her coldly. He had no doubt about Yi Quan's methods, but he was afraid that this woman might have a moment of weakness and secretly let that person go without telling him. In the Demon Palace, there were plenty of good actors. "Tell me the events of that day in more detail, and see if there are any details you've overlooked." If it was a lie, repeating it over and over would inevitably reveal its flaws.

Both were shrewd people; how could Yi Quan not know that the other party suspected her? If possible, she hoped that at this moment she could feel guilty, rather than feel deep remorse and self-blame for doing something irreversible.

The events of that day were extremely strange.

“That man had no pulse. I checked it myself; there’s no mistake.” She blinked, composed herself, and recalled the events of that day. “He really was dead, and his body temperature was gradually dropping. I couldn’t bear to kill the person His Highness loved with my own hands. I… I lost my mind for a moment. Then I heard a sound behind me. It was His Highness’s shikigami, staring blankly at me… At that moment, I was in a state of turmoil, only thinking that His Highness couldn’t know that I did it. So, I decided to kill the shikigami as well to silence it. I lured it into the courtyard… It took me about twenty minutes to kill it. I didn’t dare delay and immediately returned to the palace to clean up the body, but when I got back, the body was gone!”

“So you mean someone broke into the palace and stole the male concubine’s body?” Wei Chen smiled knowingly, lost in thought.

“Lord Wei Chen!” Yi Quan knelt before him, tugging at his robes. “This is the truth. I truly haven’t lied in the slightest. Please believe me! Instead of continuing to doubt me, why don’t you put some effort into finding the body…”

Wei Chen flicked his sleeve, brushing her aside. “What a joke. Why would I need to find a body?” He changed the subject. “However, this is a good opportunity to test him…” He leaned back comfortably in his chair. “We don’t even need to search for it ourselves. The truth will soon come out.”

Huh? Yi Quan was confused, looking at him with suspicion.

Wei Chen seemed confident. “Don’t you think we’ve been seeing some unfamiliar faces around us lately, secretly monitoring our actions? Those people are very natural in their actions; they’re clearly trained.”

Since that day, Yi Quan had been living in self-blame and worry, but even with her keen observation, she hadn’t noticed these anomalies. “You mean…”

“That child isn’t as weak as you think,” Wei Chen said softly, his tone carrying a hint of indulgence and pride he himself didn’t realize. “He’s very strong. As long as he hasn’t seen the body with his own eyes, he won’t believe the person is dead, nor will he give up on finding him. Even you and I haven’t fully grasped the child’s capabilities. I always thought he was only acting under my guidance and assistance, but in reality, he’s been secretly cultivating his own power behind our backs. Watch, his spies are already lurking around everyone he suspects; our every move is under his watchful eye. If, as you say, the body was taken away by someone else, I believe the moment he uncovers the truth is just around the corner.”

Wei Chen pursed his lips, his features softening: Your Highness, should I perhaps play a little trick to make the game a bit more interesting? Your beloved, ill-fated male concubine has only been in the palace for two months. In such a short time, how many people could he possibly know in the palace? And of those, how many can move freely and familiarly in Your Highness’s bedchamber?

Wei Chen pondered this in his heart, and at this moment, even the corners of his eyes and brows couldn't help but be tinged with a smile...

Chapter Ninety-Two of The Legend of the Heavenly Soul

"Cousin... ah... so... so comfortable... ah... slow... slower..."

Liu Jia was held in Ming Ye's arms, his skirt was lifted up, his panties were pulled down to his thighs, and Ming Ye was holding his delicate jade stem in his hand and stroking it. He was pressed against Ming Ye's neck, his small body limp like a pool of spring water, panting continuously. He didn't expect that his passionate teasing would have no effect on his cousin. No matter how he caressed him, his cousin's body remained cold, and even the look in his eyes was equally cold, chilling to the bone.

His cousin refused to enter him, only using his hand to help him, which made Liu Jia feel very disappointed. The two of them were so close, he only needed to tilt his small face up to kiss his cousin's earlobe, but his heart was forever hidden in a place that Ming Ye could not see or find, preferring to be closed off in solitude rather than let him touch it.

The unease in his heart made his body's reaction sluggish. The penis, which had been poised to climax, suddenly went limp. Confused, Mingye asked softly, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

The little head nestled in his neck shook, and Liujia said in a trembling voice, "The one who's feeling unwell is you, cousin." His hand stroked

Mingye's cheek. "What can I do to make you happy? Tell me."

Mingye stopped moving. It was the first time he'd used his hands to pleasure someone, and he lacked confidence in his technique. A silver ring was on the small, pink penis in his hand. Mingye asked疑惑地问道, "Why is there this thing on the base? Will you still be able to ejaculate with it on?"

Liujia bit his lip, and after a long pause, whispered, "Father married me off to serve you, not to please myself. My past training taught me how to make men lose their minds, but I must never let lust control me or make me lose my reason. That's why this silver ring is on me… They won't let me take it off…"

"So, you've never ejaculated before?" How cruel this was to a growing boy.

Liu Jia nodded sadly in his arms.

Ming Ye was surprised, but couldn't help feeling pity. "You won't need this anymore, I'll take it away for you."

"No!" Liu Jia shook his head frantically. "I've tried secretly removing it, but it only gets tighter."

Ming Ye scoffed. "I don't believe it." He carefully began to twist the silver ring at the base of his penis, turning it upwards.

"Ah! No, cousin, it hurts! No!" Liu Jia screamed, twisting his body. He looked back at Ming Ye, his eyes filled with terror.

Mingye spoke sarcastically to his panicked little cousin, "Anyway, once you've put this on, you're basically useless. Why not give it a try? If you succeed, you can live like a man from now on. If you fail... ha!" He deliberately pinched his penis hard, causing Liujia to cry out in pain, then mischievously whispered in his ear, "If you fail, your little darling will be gone, and you'll become a real transvestite..."

Liujia was so frightened that he started crying, wiping his tears with the back of his hand, repeatedly saying, "Waaah... little cousin, you're so mean... you bullied me... waaah... I hate you..."

Mingye got goosebumps, thinking that this little guy was hopelessly effeminate. He pushed the little body in his arms unhappily, "Don't cry! Always acting like a woman, if you cry again I won't want you anymore!" Unexpectedly, this was quite effective, and Liujia immediately stopped crying, just pitifully sobbing.

"Even if it really broke, what difference would it make? You can't ejaculate anyway, so this manhood is useless on you! Humph, you don't even have the courage to take a gamble, you might as well not be a man!"

Liu Jia, tears still wet on her face, turned back to glare at him angrily, silently accusing him: Don't you even think about who I became like this for?!

Ming Ye understood the meaning in his eyes and glared back without backing down: "It's not my fault! Blame your old man, he

's blinded by greed! People say even tigers don't eat their cubs." This made Liu Jia sad again, and he turned his head back to continue crying silently.

Ming Ye nudged him again: "Alright, stop crying. This silver ring has to be removed sooner or later, do you want to wear it for the rest of your life?"

Actually, to remove the ring, you don't necessarily have to pull it off, you can just melt it down. Mingye, wanting to test Liujia's strength, said, "I'll melt the silver ring with high heat in a moment. You release your own cold air to protect your body from my heat."

Liujia gasped, pointing to his jade stem and asking his cousin, "You mean, use cold air... to freeze 'it'?" Receiving an affirmative answer from Mingye, Liujia shook his head defiantly, "No way! What's the difference between freezing it and having it cut off?"

Finally speaking like a boy, Mingye kissed his cheek approvingly. "Melting this silver ring will only take half a second. If we coordinate well, you won't even feel pain, let alone get frozen. I'm confident I can do it. What about you? Do you believe me?"

Liujia, still reeling from the kiss, didn't hear a word Mingye said.

Seeing his lack of reaction, Mingye assumed he was still hesitating and continued, "You must trust me completely. If you have any doubts or can't be in sync with me, even a slight difference in the timing of our power release will have unimaginable consequences!" Seeing him staring intently at him, Mingye's face darkened. "Hey, did you even understand? Give me some feedback! Don't blame me if you burn your little brother!"

Liujia snapped out of his daze, blushing and scolding, "I understand! Let's get started, stop with the nonsense!"

"Alright, let's get started!" Mingye's fingers lightly touched the silver ring. "Let's begin." His silver eyes narrowed, his concentration sharp.

Liujia glanced over discreetly and saw his cousin's face was solemn. Aside from when he was reviewing official documents, this was the first time he'd seen his cousin so serious. Was he doing this for me? Liujia lowered his eyelids, a gentle smile, like autumn water, spreading across his face. (

Chapter 93 of *The Legend of the Heavenly Soul*:

Are there really such hateful people?!)

After his bath, Liu Jia sat before his dressing table, his legs still trembling. He cursed inwardly: "My cousin is a complete devil!"

Several trusted maids he'd brought from home had already dressed him. The head maid checked the time and urged, "Your Highness, it's time to go. The celestial warship has landed; we can't keep His Highness waiting."

How could Liu Jia not know? But he dared not rise, afraid his unsteady gait would become a laughingstock among the servants.

They had agreed to work together to remove the silver ring; the process was quick and went smoothly—

"See! It's gone! Just like that, wasn't I right?" his cousin said smugly. "I told you not to be so nervous."

Liu Jia glared at him irritably: "You make it sound so easy, because the silver ring isn't on you!" Even if he laughed at her for being a coward, she was genuinely terrified just now, her teeth chattering and her heart nearly leaping out of her mouth.

Afterwards, instead of calming her frightened heart, her wicked cousin immediately subjected her poor little brother to inhumane torture. No matter how much she cried and begged for mercy, the devilish cousin wouldn't stop. He didn't realize how terrible his technique was, and how much force he used, almost rubbing a layer of skin off her little brother. After a long while, he finally managed to ejaculate, and the great demon king actually laughed and boasted: "I succeeded on my first time using my hand! Hehehehe..." He only cared about having fun, completely ignoring the fact that her brother was exhausted and sore from his torment!

The first ejaculation all sprayed onto her cousin's hand, and Liu Jia couldn't help but feel secretly delighted at the thought.

He summoned a maid to help him up. His body was as slender as a willow swaying in the breeze, his steps unsteady yet graceful. With the support of others, he managed to walk steadily, avoiding looking too awkward.

The honor guard was already waiting at the exit of the celestial ship, ten men and ten women, all young men and women carefully selected from noble families, outstanding in appearance and ability, dressed in matching pure white formal attire, a very pleasing sight.

Seeing him emerge, Mingye rose from his throne, walked to his side, and frowned: "You took a hot bath, and you still feel unwell?"

Liujia gave a soft hum, saying in a voice only the two of them could hear: "How dare you ask?"

"Who would have thought you were so weak, unable to withstand even such a small thing." Mingye bent down and picked Liujia up in one swift motion, causing Liujia to exclaim: "No! Cousin, this is improper, put me down quickly."

Mingye had already stepped out of the ship's cabin, where a welcoming party from the Heavenly Palace was waiting. Upon seeing the spectacle below, Liu Jia's face paled slightly. She quickly whispered in Ming Ye's ear, "Your Highness, please put me down. I can walk."

Ming Ye never cared about the opinions of others and only did what he liked. “You’re my queen, what’s wrong with me carrying you? The way you waddle around like a little duck, doesn’t that damage the image of our demon race?”

“Hey! I don’t look like a duck! Back home, the etiquette teacher always praised my graceful and elegant walk.”

Mingye chuckled, glancing at Liujia’s crotch. “That’s because he doesn’t know your ‘secret.’ Otherwise, seeing a boy walk like that, they’d be too disgusted to even think about vomiting.”

Liujia retorted, raising an eyebrow. “Don’t always laugh at me. In public, you’d better cooperate and let me be a gentle and virtuous lady. This ‘secret’ isn’t just mine, it’s yours too. If it’s discovered, the clan elders will definitely arrange another woman to be your queen. Then, hmph! Let’s see if you still dare to be so arrogant!”

Mingye deflated, immediately trying to appease her. “Yes, yes, my beloved queen is so thoughtful.”

Liujia wrapped her arms around his neck, laughing happily.

Joy turned to sorrow. Caught off guard, Liu Jia's hand loosened its grip on her skirt, causing the long dress to trail on the ground. Ming Ye stepped on it, causing her to stumble and nearly fall forward. Fortunately, Ming Ye reacted quickly and steadied her. The two exchanged a glance,

both drenched in cold sweat. For the head of state to fall in public was a grave breach of decorum.

The people of the Heavenly Palace stifled their laughter. The Demon Clan's honor guard watched with bated breath.

"I'm sorry! It's all my fault," Liu Jia cried, blaming himself for his momentary lapse in judgment. He lowered his head, avoiding Ming Ye's gaze, afraid of seeing anger and reproach in his eyes.

Something warm and soft landed on his forehead. "Cousin?" Liu Jia was overwhelmed with gratitude, his eyes filled with tears.

Mingye, neither angry nor upset, kissed him gently, his face full of a warm smile, not taking the recent scare to heart at all, nor holding a grudge against him: "Silly boy, why are you crying? Such a small thing, what's there to apologize for?" Sunlight shone on his face, reflecting a dazzling brilliance. For a moment, Liujia felt he couldn't look directly at that noble air.

The young demon lord laughed heartily: "Even if we really fall, we can still get up and walk forward with our heads held high."

Liujia nodded sincerely, secretly making up his mind: Cousin, I won't let you down!

"What a disgrace!" someone in the honor guard suddenly muttered.

Everyone in the guard heard it, but everyone tacitly pretended not to hear, following behind the young lord without looking to the side.

No one dared to restrain the person's words and actions, because his family was very powerful. This arrogant boy, about the same age as the young lord, was named Guiyi, the nephew of Lord Chenglong, one of the three great nobles and in charge of the military affairs department.

In Chapter 94 of *The Legend of the Heavenly Soul*

, outside the Imperial Palace where the demons were to meet the Heavenly Emperor, a line of maids blocked their path. The head maid stepped forward and bowed: "His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor wishes to meet with the Princess Consort alone first. Your Highness and the others, please follow me to the side hall to wait."

Mingye immediately sensed something amiss: "Summoning us separately? Why?" He instinctively tightened his grip on the small body in his arms. But he knew this group wouldn't give him an answer.

Sure enough, the maid stepped forward, her attitude still humble, but her tone more forceful: "This is His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor's decree, Your Highness, this way please!"

Damn the gods, what conspiracy are they plotting now? Mingye's mind raced, trying to decipher the Heavenly Emperor's intentions. He couldn't directly disobey the Heavenly Emperor's decree, but he was also worried about letting Liujia go alone. He didn't move, and the two sides were momentarily frozen in place, the awkward silence becoming increasingly difficult.

“Cousin?” Liu Jia shook his arm.

Ming Ye used telepathy to tell Liu Jia, “If you pretend to be sick now, we can slip away.” He thought to himself, if we escape this time, we must be fully prepared if the Heavenly Emperor summons us in the future! But he smiled bitterly. What good would preparation do? Would it be of any use?

Liu Jia received the message from Ming Ye. He didn’t know such advanced telepathy, so he wrapped his arms around Ming Ye’s neck and whispered in his ear, “You don’t need to worry. At this stage, I don’t think the Heavenly Emperor would harm me. After all, I am His Highness Ming Ye’s lawfully wedded queen. Unless the Heavenly Emperor intends to break ties with the Demon Clan.” He looked up at Ming Ye and gave him a sweet smile: “I’ll be fine. If you’re still worried, give me a talisman.”

“A talisman?” Ming Ye didn’t understand.

Liu Jia gave him a big kiss on the cheek with a “smack,” then broke free from his embrace and stood up. "Hehe, got it!" Liu Jia was very proud. With this talisman, he was afraid of nothing. Even if he had to go to see the ruler of the Heavenly Realm alone, even if he didn't know what the outcome would be, he was not afraid at all.

He lowered his head and slightly adjusted his formal attire, then raised his chin, gesturing for the Heavenly Palace maid to lead the way. "I'll go in first."

"Liu Jia!" Ming Ye pulled him back, lowering his voice, "If something happens, I might not be able to get there in time to take care of you. You have to be careful and keep your eyes open."

Liu Jia winked at him playfully, "Don't worry, I have your talisman. I'll return it to you when I get back."

This little devil! Ming Ye rolled his eyes at him. At a time like this, he still wanted to take advantage of others! "

Okay, we'll talk about it when I get back." Liu Jia smiled broadly, tapping Ming Ye's lips with his finger, "It's a promise, I'll still be here!"

Ming Ye always felt uneasy about letting him go to see the Heavenly Emperor alone. After waiting in the side hall for a while, he became increasingly agitated and instructed the guard of honor: "I'm going to take a walk in the courtyard outside. You don't need to come with me; just wait here."

"It's probably not appropriate for Your Highness to go out alone. It would be safer to have a guard with you." A haughty voice suddenly rang out from the crowd. Everyone looked in the direction of the voice. Even without looking, they knew that who else could dare to speak so disrespectfully to His Highness but the young master Guiyi, who came from one of the three noble families?

Mingye wasn't angry, but he glanced at the man a few more times, not remembering ever seeing him before. He nodded slightly: "In that case, come with me."

Guiyi didn't stand on ceremony and immediately said, "Then I'll gladly comply."

Mingye was very familiar with the layout of the Heavenly Palace. He attended the morning court every day and was often ordered around by the Heavenly Emperor or the Four Princes. He knew the Heavenly Palace better than his own backyard.

Guiyi quietly followed behind him, glaring at the young demon lord walking in front of him with ill intent.

He had heard his uncle, Clan Chief Chenglong, discussing political affairs with the other elders and they had been speaking ill of this young prince. They never addressed him respectfully as "Young Prince," only contemptuously calling him "that brat." In fact, not only the Chenglong clan, but other nobles were also very dissatisfied with "this brat's" governance, because he had been using various means to weaken the power of the nobility.

What a fool! Doesn't he know that without the support of the nobles, the royal family's position would be threatened?

And just now, in front of the gods of the celestial realm, what kind of behavior was that? As a representative of the demon race, he actually flirted with his little wife in public! He doesn't care about his own reputation, but he still cares about the subjects of the demon race! Embracing and being intimate with a woman in public without regard for the occasion is simply shameful and disgraceful!

However, Guiyi approached Mingye not only out of curiosity, but also for another purpose.

His uncle—the Chenglong clan chief—had recently given him a task: to find a way to obtain a drop of blood or a strand of hair from this brat. After issuing this inconceivable task in

Chapter 95 of *The Legend of the Heavenly Soul* , the eldest uncle remained silent. Gui Yi repeatedly inquired, but he refused to reveal the reason. "Hmph, if he won't tell me, do you think I won't investigate myself? There are no secrets that stay hidden forever !" Gui Yi bribed several servants who served the clan leader, hoping to glean some clues from them about what his eldest uncle had been busy with lately. Little did he know, what he learned was shocking! He discovered a completely different story—it turned out that his eldest uncle had brought home a new favorite from somewhere, treating her like a precious treasure, keeping her in his room and indulging in passionate lovemaking every day, completely neglecting his many beautiful concubines. The servants also secretly told Gui Yi that this new lover's health wasn't good; he could often hear violent coughing coming from the room from afar, and the bedsheets had to be constantly changed, each time stained with horrifying bloodstains. The clan's most skilled physicians were summoned by the clan chief and ordered to live next to that man's room, ready to serve at any time. His uncle, who never spent much time on a bed partner, was unusually adamant this time. Gui Yi, driven by curiosity, insisted on seeing the man's face, but his uncle, usually so accommodating, resolutely refused. The man's room was heavily guarded, and even the servants sent to attend to him were his uncle's trusted confidants. Each time he came, his uncle showed him no respect, refusing him entry. Perhaps once he completed his current task, his uncle would grant him a special favor. Gui Yi made up his mind, quickening his pace to close the distance with Ming Ye. How should he proceed? He hesitated. Should he pretend to accidentally injure him and then take his blood? Or should he pretend to remove a leaf from his head and secretly pluck a few strands of hair? A sinister smile played on his lips as his right hand slid into his sleeve. When he pulled it out, his index finger was encased in a hard, sharp nail, its tip gleaming coldly like a scorpion's tail. Simple enough, he'd just make a small cut on this idiot, a little blood would suffice. Judging by his frail frame, injuring him shouldn't be difficult. Without a sound, he approached his prey step by step, his movements swift as the wind— "Ouch!!" Without a doubt, the one screaming was none other than our little devil. Gui Yi's hands were twisted behind his back, rendering him powerless. The scenery changed too quickly for him to react. His foot slipped, and he lost his balance, falling forward. His chin slammed against the ground with a "thud," nearly biting off his tongue. Even on the soft grass, the pain made him see stars. A foot stomped down on his back; the person hadn't used much force, but he was completely restrained and unable to move. "You're quite agile, but you don't know how to conceal your killing intent." Mingye felt sorry for him. "You just said that it's not safe for me to go out alone and that I need to bring guards?" A cold laugh followed. "Such words are fine to say in public, but you must never take them seriously, or you'll truly be beyond saving." How terrifying! Only after exchanging blows did he realize that he was no match for him at all. Filled with shame and anger at the mockery, Guiyi had never suffered such an insult before. "Let go! You're the one who's beyond saving!" The other party didn't let him suffer for long, quickly releasing his hold on him. "You deliberately spoke rudely to get my attention and take the opportunity to get close to me. What was your purpose?" Guiyi refused to back down, struggling to get up from the ground and straightening his back. His jaw ached, his arms ached, his back ached, his legs ached, his whole body ached. But he stood straight, appearing completely relaxed. "For no reason other than to verify if you're really the idiot everyone says you are!" The last two words were deliberately emphasized, sounding like an insult even without being a direct insult, as if to vent his resentment. Mingye smiled instead of getting angry, "And the answer?" He turned and strode forward, completely ignoring the person behind him, as if he was certain that the person would follow. Admittedly, Guiyi had no other choice but to follow. Getting lost in the Heavenly Palace would have consequences far worse than losing face. His proud nature prevented him from admitting defeat, at least verbally: "Hmph! Everyone says you're an idiot, and they must have their reasons." Taking advantage of the other's inability to see, Guiyi frantically rubbed the aching spots on his body. Spoiled since childhood, he felt like his whole body was falling apart, wincing in pain: it seemed that ambushing him was impossible. Mingye simply smiled and ignored him. He knew all too well the flaws of aristocratic children. If he hadn't experienced so much, he would probably be just like him now—ignorant of the world, oblivious to sorrow, unaware of the wickedness of people, ignorant of human suffering, and equally incapable of appreciating what he had. He'd live each day happily, aimlessly, and willfully, causing trouble everywhere, hiding behind adults to get their help when he got into trouble… His aged heart had lost the impulsiveness and youthful vigor of a young person. His indifferent reaction to the insults truly surprised Gui Yi. He provoked his opponent, throwing a punch, but the opponent remained unmoved; his punch seemed to have hit nothing but air, utterly futile. "Hey! Are you really an idiot? Being insulted like that, and you don't even say a word in response?" This topic wasn't worth the effort to argue about, Ming Ye shrugged indifferently: "They're right, I am an idiot." Huh? Gui Yi's punch missed again; his opponent had gracefully left, refusing to fight him at all, leaving Gui Yi with no opening to attack. The two walked silently for a while, one after the other. Every now and then, several Heavenly Palace attendants passed by. They recognized the Demon Clan's young prince and bowed to him, a few of them subtly shaking their heads at Ming Ye. Ming Ye walked past them expressionlessly, continuing forward, his face growing increasingly grim. Nothing! Still nothing! No news from Shuntian City, nothing from the Heavenly Palace. Where could he be? Could he really be…?

A chill ran down his spine, and Mingye dared not think any further. His fists, clenched white beneath his wide sleeves, felt as if his heart were sinking into a bottomless abyss of quicksand, endlessly drifting away, until he lost all hope. He

had already mobilized all his manpower; if the operation escalated further, the identities of these informants would likely be exposed. All those years of painstaking work, laying down a dense network of covert networks, could not be destroyed for his own selfish reasons.

But, I want to see you, Qianfan… My heart aches so much, please come back? Please smile at me again, please? I miss you so much, I long to hear your voice… Wherever you go, take me with you, don't leave me all alone…

All this time, I've wholeheartedly protected my people, and yet, in their eyes, I'm nothing but a fool. Perhaps without me, they would be better off, they wouldn't need me at all. If you really leave me, Qianfan, without you in this world, is there any point in me staying…?

“Hey, what's wrong?” Guiyi looked at the person beside him with concern.

Mingye looked up at him and smiled, "I'm fine."

"If you're fine, why are you spacing out?" He approached Mingye and lowered his voice, "There's a woman following us for a long time, didn't you notice?"

Mingye

stopped and turned around upon hearing this.

Seeing the people in front of her stop, the girl also stood still, neither taking a step forward nor turning to run away. She stared intently at the two people in front of her, thoughtfully observing them. A gentle breeze blew through her long purple hair, carrying a medicinal fragrance; it was the Imperial Physician Princess, Shui Xinsha.

"Do you know her?" Guiyi asked, whispering in Mingye's ear.

"No." He coldly replied, and the young demon lord continued on his way.

Mingye felt no liking for the girl who had suddenly appeared. That day, when he mistakenly entered the Imperial Physician's palace, if she hadn't deliberately made things difficult, Qianfan's condition wouldn't have worsened.

They hadn't taken more than a few steps when a girl's clear voice reached their ears: "There's something I'd like to ask you for help with."

Shui Xinsha didn't understand the nature of the demons, but her elders had always warned her that demons were inherently cruel and unpredictable, and that she should stay away from them. She remembered this teaching and would not have any dealings with demons unless absolutely necessary.

Gui Yi glanced at the person beside him strangely. The girl had spoken, and although her voice wasn't loud, the young prince had clearly heard her but showed no intention of paying attention.

"Tap tap tap," came the sound of running footsteps, and a fragrant breeze blew by. Shui Xinsha blocked their way. She grabbed Ming Ye's sleeve. "Let's talk in private." She used a little force, trying to pull him aside.

"Please speak here." Ming Ye refused to move.

The princess was rebuffed and felt annoyed, but there was nothing she could do; she needed his help. Glancing at Ming Ye's attendant, she thought, "The young prince only brought this person with him; this person must be his confidant." Releasing her hand, Shui Xinsha stated her purpose directly: "I want your help to find someone."

"Find someone?" Mingye feigned surprise.

The girl's pale face flushed, and she looked away: "You must have heard about the theft of the Sacred Heart Fruit, right?"

Mingye remained unblinking, feigning complete innocence: "What does that have to do with me?"

"To be honest, I fought with the thieves who stole the Sacred Heart Fruit that night!"

The seriousness in her eyes almost made Mingye burst out laughing. "In that case, why did you let them go?"

"There were two of them!" Shui Xinsha's eyes widened: "One of them was a demon!"

Ah? The little demon king's heart pounded. He had concealed it perfectly; how could he have given himself away? He quickly composed himself—Damn it! I'll deny it to the death, and you have no evidence, what can you do to me? He raised an eyebrow, asking with a hint of provocation, "How do you know they're demons? Did you see what they looked like?"

Gods and demons have always been irreconcilable enemies, and Shui Xinsha had anticipated that he would protect his people. So she took out a necklace from her collar, opened the crescent-shaped pendant to reveal a shimmering silver hair, and presented this evidence to Mingye: "I found this at the scene, and it's been verified. It's a hair, silver hair, a symbol of demons."

Mingye's expression changed slightly upon seeing it. Although he had used illusion magic to change the color of his hair, once it was separated from his body, it was no longer affected by the magic. This silver hair must have been accidentally cut off during the fight. He scoffed, "Hmph, what silver hair? It looks white to me."

Shui Xinsha didn't argue with him, closed the pendant, and put it back into her collar. "Whether it's demon hair or not, a quick check will tell. I know this won't be easy, but I hope you can cooperate."

"Cooperate?" Mingye sneered, "How?"

"Please help me collect as much hair as possible from your clansmen. As long as the genes match, that person is the culprit who broke into the Qishou Palace at night!"

Guiyi, who had been silent all along, suddenly had a flash of inspiration upon hearing this. His uncle had ordered him to find a way to obtain Prince Mingye's hair or blood. Could it be for the same purpose? But... he couldn't understand why his uncle wanted to verify the little prince's genes. -- Was it because the little prince was too stupid and always liked to oppose the nobles, so his uncle suspected he wasn't a descendant of the royal family and wanted to verify his identity?

Mingye leaned closer, grinning, "Then, Princess, would you like to examine my hair first?"

I want it! Guiyi almost shouted out loud.

Shui Xinsha's face immediately turned cold: "Your Highness, please don't joke! This matter concerns the reputation of the Imperial Physicians' clan." She glanced at Ming Ye: "The two men that night were tall and adult. They sneaked into the Longevity Palace to steal the Sacred Heart Fruit. I suspect one of them is suffering from an illness."

Ming Ye was surprised that she had guessed correctly. Thinking of that frail woman, his heart ached. He immediately retorted sarcastically, "Eating that fruit can cure all diseases? Hmph, I doubt it. I think this is just a lie you made up to elevate your own reputation." Qian Fan returned to the palace, but her condition had worsened. It was absurd that those damned gods dared to exaggerate the fruit like a magic pill. Bah!

Provoked by him, the princess's habit of acting like a royal physician resurfaced. When she was angry, she would laugh heartily: "Hehehe, what do you, an outsider, know? The Sacred Heart Fruit is the most powerful medicine in the world, capable of curing diseases and resisting poisons. Calling it a panacea wouldn't be an exaggeration. From the moment it takes root, the Sacred Heart Fruit grows on the blood of its owner. My Sacred Heart Fruit drank my blood for fifteen years before finally bearing this one fruit." Shui Xinsha smiled coldly, her eyes flashing with malice: "Simply taking the Sacred Heart Fruit as medicine won't have any effect. Unless, it has my medicinal guide."

"What's the medicinal guide?" Ming Ye asked somewhat impatiently, arousing suspicion in the other party. "Why are

you asking this?" The cunning little devil, under the probing gaze of the other party, remained unfazed. He changed direction and walked back towards the Imperial Palace, saying as he went, "The princess suspects that demons have broken into your palace and wants my help to find the culprit. But it's unreasonable to expect me to go to such lengths to collect hair from all my people for you to examine based on just one hair that I don't know where it came from. I also find it difficult to explain to my people." Shui Xinsha was a smart woman and understood immediately; there's no such thing as a free lunch. "Then what does Your Highness consider reasonable?" He sighed with difficulty, "This is a difficult matter. The demon race currently has about 30,000 subjects, and a considerable number of them are adult men. To collect genetic samples from all of them and send them to the gods for your research? No matter how you look at it, this is harmful to the demon race. Besides, even if I were to do you a favor and help you with this, can you guarantee that you can find the culprit among these people?"

He was absolutely right, and that was exactly what Shui Xinsha was worried about. But the silver hair in her hand was the only clue. Besides seeking help from the Demon Lord, she couldn't think of any other way. "Since that's the case," she said, "I have no choice but to report this matter to His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor and let him decide."

Besides the demon, the other person who broke into the Qishou Palace that night was also from the Shayunluo clan. If this matter reached the Heavenly Emperor, it would have far-reaching consequences and be difficult to resolve peacefully. Shui Xinsha had come to Mingye without informing her elders, hoping to resolve the matter privately and not let the Heavenly Palace intervene and make things uncontrollable. Unfortunately, the Demon Lord refused to cooperate. In fact, if things escalated, the demons would likely be the ones most affected. Shui Xinsha refused to believe that Prince Mingye wouldn't see this. "

Good bastard, daring to threaten me!"

Mingye wondered. Why didn't this girl report the evidence to the Heavenly Court? Instead, she came to him. What was she up to? To be honest, the Little Demon King was extremely unwilling to involve the Heavenly Palace in the investigation, yet he didn't want to lose the initiative in the contest. With the Imperial Palace right before him, he casually said, "If the princess wishes to inform the Heavenly Emperor, please do so."

"You!" Shui Xinsha hadn't expected this reaction and stomped her foot in anger. The closer they got to the palace, the more palace maids and guards appeared around them. In a panic, Shui Xinsha grabbed Ming Ye's sleeve and whispered, "Let's talk this out. What do you want in return for your cooperation?"

Ming Ye didn't beat around the bush. "I can help you, but regardless of whether you find the culprit or not, you'll owe me a favor. You'll have to repay it someday."

"I won't help you harm anyone!" Shui Xinsha stated bluntly.

"Not harming anyone, but saving someone is possible, right?" Ming Ye stated his conditions clearly: "You owe me a life."

When it came to saving lives, the Imperial Physician was best at snatching people from the jaws of death. Shui Xinsha breathed a sigh of relief: "That's easy, I promise you. If you ever need my help in the future, just ask, and I'll do my best."

"It's a deal!" Ming Ye was relieved. Just as he was about to give Shui Xinsha a high five to seal the deal, a petite figure suddenly rushed out of the Di Yun Palace and crashed into Ming Ye's arms.

"Liu Jia?"

After finishing his meeting with the Heavenly Emperor, Liu Jia had just stepped out of the Di Yun Palace when he saw a beautiful purple-haired girl standing next to his cousin outside the palace. What a vixen, daring to get so close to his cousin?! Without saying a word, he threw himself into Ming Ye's arms and subtly pulled him away from the woman.

Liu Jia raised his beautiful face, blinked his big eyes a few times, and before he could speak, tears fell. "Cousin..." Tears streamed down his face, and he looked pitiful. Not to mention the two boys present, even Shui Xinsha couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

05-07
The Legend of the Heavenly Soul, Chapter 98.

"What's wrong?" Mingye's expression changed drastically. "They bullied you? Did they, Liujia? Don't cry, tell me clearly."

The Little Demon King loved his people very much. He could tolerate any excessive things the gods did to him, but he couldn't bear to see his subjects suffer.

Just now, when he was meeting the Heavenly Emperor in the Di Yun Hall, something did happen. Liujia recalled it and couldn't help but feel sad, crying even more bitterly.

Seeing him crying like this, Mingye gritted his teeth. "Damn it! I'm going to confront them!" He released Liujia, angrily pushed aside the Heavenly Palace maids blocking his way, and was about to rush into the inner hall.

"Cousin!" Liujia quickly grabbed him, saying urgently, "I'm fine, nothing happened."

Guiyi also helped pull him back. "Calm down, don't be impulsive!"

In the struggle, Mingye suddenly felt nauseous, his legs went weak, and he fell backward. The exhaustion accumulated from nearly a month of sleepless nights suddenly overwhelmed him.

"Cousin!"

"Your Highness!"

Exclamations rose and fell as his body was caught before he hit the ground.

Mingye was still groggy and delirious, only vaguely aware that someone had picked up his left hand. Shui Xinsha placed two fingers on his wrist for his pulse. Liu Jia, unwilling to let another woman touch her cousin's body, immediately shouted, "What are you doing? Let go!"

"Shut up! Don't interfere with me taking his pulse," Shui Xinsha snapped back. If it weren't for the fact that the Demon Clan's young master had just made an agreement with her, she wouldn't have cared about his life or death.

"I don't need you!" Liu Jia hugged Mingye tightly, suddenly screaming hysterically, "You gods are all up to no good! Who needs your hypocritical..."

"Your Highness, please calm down." A clear voice rang out, and the entire room immediately fell silent.

The Fourth Prince emerged from the inner palace and nodded slightly to Shui Xinsha.

Shui Xinsha understood, clearing her mind of distractions and focusing on taking the pulse of the Demon Clan's young master.

The red-haired, golden-eyed man before her was someone Liu Jia had seen earlier in the palace; this man stood beside the Heavenly Emperor, his gaze sharp, like a dagger mercilessly dissecting. Despite Liu Jia's resentment, she dared not show it in front of the Fourth Prince.

The Fourth Prince knelt beside Ming Ye, his gaze softening. He placed his hand on Ming Ye's forehead, slowly channeling spiritual energy into him.

Ming Ye quickly regained his senses, opening his eyes to find himself surrounded by people, their gazes filled with worry, curiosity, schadenfreude… a myriad of strange looks staring at him. He was initially taken aback, then remembered fainting in public earlier. His face flushed, and he quickly withdrew his hand from Shui Xinsha's grasp, scrambling to his feet. He coughed lightly and straightened his clothes. "I've been quite busy lately and haven't slept well. I just took a short nap."

The Fourth Prince smiled. "Go in quickly. His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor is waiting to see you."

Mingye glared at him and pulled Liujia aside. "Did they bully you? Don't be afraid, I'll go and get justice for you."

"It's nothing." Liujia shook his head. He couldn't bear to tell Mingye the details, so he forced a cheerful smile. "I was just crying because I was happy. His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor encouraged me, saying that I'm the only one by my cousin's side now, and that I should hold onto your heart tightly."

The Heavenly Emperor would say such a thing? Mingye didn't believe it at all. He gently wiped away the tears on Liujia's face with his fingers and smiled helplessly. "Still so prone to crying. Everyone's watching you, aren't you ashamed?"

Liujia was heartbroken. He lowered his face, hiding the unspeakable sorrow in his eyes, and urged, "Cousin, go in quickly."

Mingye didn't delay any longer. He glared at the Fourth Prince warningly and turned to walk into the inner hall.

Watching his retreating figure, tears welled up in Liu Jia's eyes again. The prophecy made for him by the Heavenly Palace's official astrologer—the Lord of the Star Palace—kept echoing in his mind. He didn't want to believe it, yet he couldn't ignore it: What should he do? Cousin, I don't want to leave you, but... how should I conduct myself?

The Fourth Prince approached Shui Xinsha and whispered, "That child is usually so energetic, why did he suddenly faint?"

Shui Xinsha bowed respectfully, "To be honest, Your Highness, when I took his pulse just now, I found that the young prince's condition... is very bad!"

The Fourth Prince's heart skipped a beat. He led Shui Xinsha away from the crowd to a secluded corner, demanding, "Tell me, what exactly happened?"

"If Your Highness examines closely, you'll notice that the young prince's lips and nails are a pale purple, not naturally so, but a sign of poisoning. His subcutaneous blood vessels are dark, indicating the poison has penetrated deep into his bones and blood." Shui Xinsha secretly observed the changes in the Fourth Prince's expression, "The young prince seems to have some unresolved issues lately, his qi and blood are extremely disordered. Perhaps his busy schedule with official duties, irregular eating and sleeping habits, have led to mental and physical exhaustion. If he isn't treated promptly, once the poison takes effect, then..."

The God of War from the Heavenly Realm turned pale. "Do you know what kind of poison he's been given?"

"I don't know. Perhaps a blood test could reveal the answer."

The Fourth Prince sighed with his eyes closed, "I will arrange it." He opened his golden eyes, coldly glaring at the Imperial Physician Princess: "You must keep this a secret. You cannot mention it to a third person." His hand firmly pressed on Shui Xinsha's shoulder, the oppressive feeling instantly chilling her entire body. "Not even His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor can reveal a single word, understand?"

Shui Xinsha trembled, nodding in panic, "Understood...understood." After the God of War left in

Chapter Ninety-Nine of The Legend of the Heavenly Soul

, Shui Xinsha was covered in cold sweat, her legs stiff, and she stood there for ten minutes before recovering.

In the incident of the stolen Sacred Heart Fruit, the person she fought could use fire magic, and his Heavenly Soul power was extremely strong, likely a member of the Sha Yunluo royal family. But in front of the Fourth Prince, Shui Xinsha dared not mention this guess. It wasn't that she was afraid the Fourth Prince would favor his own people. In the Heavenly Realm, it was common knowledge that those under the God of War were always just, impartial, and incorruptible. But Shui Xinsha dared not approach him; it was as if spending even a moment longer by his side, speaking even a single word to him, would cause her heart to freeze, unable to beat. "

I should start with the Demon Prince," her woman's intuition told her. "

Today has been full of unexpected events!" Gui Yi cursed inwardly. In the Demon Clan's ceremonial guard, everyone was in a frenzy—Princess Liujia was missing! They had just seen her whispering with the young prince; how could she have vanished so quickly?

The guards were all young and inexperienced, but full of ideas; some were timid, but others eager to claim credit. Someone suggested, "Let's search the surrounding area. If we lose the Princess, His Highness will blame us for not taking good care of her."

"Yes, there's no time to lose. Let's split up and search. Whether we find her or not,

we must be back here in half an hour." "We must find her quickly. We can't afford to take responsibility if anything happens to the Princess!"

Everyone chimed in, making the atmosphere even more tense—the more anxious they were, the more they worried.

"Shut up! All of you shut up!" someone in the group shouted, silencing the crowd.

Everyone quieted down when they saw that Young Master Guiyi had spoken.

"None of you are familiar with the Heavenly Palace. Where are you going to look for her? What if you get lost yourselves? Who will we send to find you?"

Everyone agreed with his point. "But we can't just sit here and wait, can we?"

Guiyi shot a cold glare at the speaker: "At a time like this, we can't act rashly. This isn't Shuntian City!"

His reminder made everyone realize the seriousness of the situation. If they searched everywhere for the princess, they might be arrested by the divine guards as spies before they even found her.

"Everyone, wait here. If the young prince comes out, tell him what happened and see how he handles it."

Another voice of reproach arose from the crowd: "The princess is missing, but you won't let us take any action, just wait here. If the young prince blames us for not doing our job well, are you going to take the blame for us?"

Gui Yi was petty and immediately memorized the man's face: Dare to challenge me? You little brat, I'll make you pay when we get back!

He sneered: "Fine! I'll take full responsibility. If the prince blames me, the responsibility will be on me, not on any of you. Is that alright?"

The noble young master from a prestigious family did indeed have some backbone. The people below looked at each other and then there were no more objections.

The commotion caught the attention of a palace lady-in-waiting. "Esteemed guests," she approached, bowing respectfully, "please do not hesitate to ask if you require any assistance."

Gui Yi stepped forward and returned the bow. "Our Queen Consort has gone outside for a stroll. If you see her, please bring her back here."

The lady-in-waiting agreed, saying nothing more, and led her maids away. Their submissive attitude puzzled Gui Yi; something felt off. He couldn't sit still and decided to try his luck outside, hoping to find the troublesome little Queen Consort. He

had just walked around the area with Prince Mingye and had a general idea of the terrain, so he wouldn't get lost. Feeling somewhat reassured, he slipped out of the Imperial Palace alone.

Liu Jia had never been a willful child; if she were, she wouldn't have been recognized and chosen as the Prince Consort by the elders of various clans.

He knew he shouldn't wander off, but from the moment his cousin turned and left, his feet seemed to have a mind of their own, leading him out of the Imperial Palace and deeper into the Heavenly Palace. A strange melody echoed repeatedly in his sluggish mind, like a fairy's song, a sweet, ethereal melody bewitching and guiding him. The power was too strong; his own consciousness had lost control of his body. One by one, sprites with transparent, fluorescent wings emerged from the forest, giggling at him and pointing to the pure white palace hidden deep within the woods.

"There... hurry... it's right there... we've been waiting for so long! Master... he's been waiting for so long..."

No! He couldn't go! He retained only a sliver of reason, knowing that someone was controlling him with powerful magic. He tried to resist, but only slowed his progress; his feet continued, step by step, straight towards that direction.

How terrifying! The one who cast the spell was like a venomous spider that had spread a web, luring him into a trap. He had no idea what awaited him ahead. In the

novel *Heavenly Soul Chronicles 100*

, he passed through the trees and arrived before a magnificent white palace. Climbing the steps, the gate opened for Liu Jia. Entering the palace, the atmosphere was eerily strange. Despite the bright sunlight, a chilling coldness permeated the air. The corridors were deserted, yet he felt countless eyes watching him from unknown places. He wanted to escape, but he was powerless to resist. At the end of the corridor was a garden, a garden long abandoned and untouched. Here, trees were not trees, flowers were not flowers, only withered branches and leaves scattered everywhere. "

Come...come...

" a voice kept guiding him. With each step Liu Jia took, the withered grass and trees crunched rhythmically, one after another, like the heartbeat of the garden. The arrival of a vibrant life had restarted the garden's pulse. "

Come...come...

no! I don't want to! Who are you?" "What are you trying to achieve by leading me here?"

A room flashed in his mind. Yes, this was where he was going. Ryuga knew a monster awaited him there. A lonely, twisted, ugly soul, after a long slumber, was about to awaken. Filled with endless hatred for the world, with a raging desire to destroy, it would ignite war and engulf the world, it would recreate the purgatory within its heart in reality. Its awakening needed nourishment, and Ryuga himself was its chosen food.

Ryuga's thoughts seemed to overlap with the master of this palace, information flowing into his mind, mixed with fragmented pieces. In a dark and cold world, a flash of silver light stirred a warm current. A child's clear, bell-like laughter faintly drifted in—"

Little monster, can I kiss you? "

"Huh? Why?"

"A kiss is an expression of liking."

"Does not kissing mean I don't like you?" "

Yes, has anyone ever kissed you since you were little?"

Hmm… Father and Mother don’t seem to, but my brother always kisses me on the cheek before I go to sleep.

Is that so? Your brother… Hmph! …Little monster, come here.

Okay… Wow! Aoi, why did you kiss me on the lips?

Don’t you like it?

Well… no, it just feels weird…

“Your Highness! Wake up, hey, Princess Ryuga!”

The scene in her mind was interrupted, and Ryuga’s confused eyes turned to the person who suddenly appeared beside her, gradually regaining their clarity.

Gui Yi shook his shoulder, and seeing his slow reaction, simply raised his hand and slapped Liu Jia twice across his pretty face, making him cry out.

Enraged, he disregarded all ladylike manners. Liu Jia grabbed Gui Yi's collar: "How dare you hit my face, kid, are you out of your mind!" This face was meant to bewitch her cousin.

Both from prestigious families, Gui Yi's temper was no less arrogant than Liu Jia's. He forcefully pulled Liu Jia's hand away, angrily saying, "You're the one who's out of your mind! You dare wander around the territory of the gods? The honor guard is in chaos because of your disappearance. Besides, what are you doing here? This place is gloomy and terrifying..." A cold wind blew in from somewhere, like someone whispering a sigh in his ear. Gui Yi shivered. Only

then did Liu Jia see the other person's attire clearly—it was a member of the honor guard, one of their own! He calmed himself slightly: "It wasn't my idea to come here; someone invited me!" Ignoring the confusion in Gui Yi's eyes, he narrowed his eyes, raised his head, and roared at the void: "Who is it? Come out and see me!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a fierce wind arose, carrying sand and stones. The two hurriedly covered their faces with their sleeves, unable to even open their eyes.

After a while, the wind finally subsided. They were covered in dust from head to toe.

Gui Yi felt uneasy and suggested, "Forget everything else; this place is not safe to stay. Let's go back quickly."

Although unwilling, feeling like they had been tricked, Liu Jia dared not argue further and nodded.

When the two turned around, they were dumbfounded. There was no way back; the corridor they had come from was gone. All around were withered ancient trees, filled with a yellowish-black mist. The sky had darkened, a cold wind blew, withered branches swayed, and ghostly shadows loomed.

"This..." The two men tensed instantly, their fighting instincts causing them to stand back to back. "Who is it? What is your purpose in luring me here?" Liu Jia asked, unwilling to fight the gods unless absolutely necessary.

But their opponent was not having their way; the killing intent intensified within the thick fog, making their hearts pound and almost impossible to breathe.

Forced into a corner, the two activated their Heavenly Souls, preparing to fight this opponent who was hiding somewhere.

Suddenly, someone spoke: "Who are you?"

Looking towards the source of the voice, they saw a boy, about seventeen or eighteen years old, with a handsome face, but his bangs were too long, obscuring his eyes and making him look somewhat wooden. Liu Jia felt the man's face looked somewhat familiar, but before he could recall, the man introduced himself:

"I am the gatekeeper of this palace. Judging from your appearance, you must be from the demon race. Don't you know this place is off-limits?"

Liu Jia stepped forward and bowed: "We accidentally got lost. Please show us the way, and we will leave immediately."

The man seemed unconvinced, scratching his head: "Lost? How did we get lost here?" He looked at the two of them with confusion, then lowered his head to think, as if considering whether to let these two demons leave.

Gui Yi was anxious. This man was really stupid. Did he think they were interested in this godforsaken place? He put on a cold face: "This palace seems to have been abandoned for a long time. We came in out of curiosity and had no ill intentions or other motives." He just wanted to leave as soon as possible and didn't care about saving face. “If you don’t believe me, you can search us.”

The man blushed slightly upon hearing this. “That’s not what I meant.” He bowed as an apology, then chanted an incantation, and the misty forest vanished in an instant, reappearing before them in the long corridor. “Please leave quickly, lest I be in a difficult position.”

Guiyi glared at the dim-witted man. “We can do it without you saying so.” He pulled Liujia back the way they came.

Liujia kept looking back at the gatekeeper, still uneasy, her mind a jumble, unable to come up with any clues.

Walking along the corridor, the only sound was their footsteps. To ease the oppressive feeling in his heart, Guiyi started a conversation, asking, "What did the Heavenly Emperor say to you when you met him?" Liujia's

face darkened. "What does that have to do with you?"

"Tell me," Guiyi teased him. "Seeing you cry as soon as you came out made our little prince so distressed."

Upon hearing this, Liujia felt an indescribable sadness, and tears welled up again. "Within a month of the wedding of the head of a vassal state, the Heavenly Emperor summons the newlyweds to the Heavenly Palace for an audience, where the astrologer divines their future. This is the rule of the Heavenly Palace, and we are no exception."

Guiyi had anticipated the result: "The divination revealed something bad."

Liujia nodded but didn't want to say more.

The astrologer had just told him: his destiny star's brilliance was too intense, destined for a life of solitude; anyone who tried to approach him would be burned to ashes.

The woman in white, after her prophecy, pity him and advised: "If you leave that person, you will live a peaceful life; if you insist on following him, you will surely meet a bad end within three years. Even if you give everything for that person, you will still not receive his forgiveness in the end, and you will only die alone with regret." Entering the Emperor's Palace

in Chapter 101 of *The Legend of the Heavenly Soul*

, Mingye was somewhat surprised to see the gods standing side by side.

On the head seat sat not only the Heavenly Emperor, but also the rarely seen Heavenly Consort. Mingye curiously looked at them a few more times and noticed that the two sitting side by side looked somewhat alike. His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor's features were somewhat feminine, and the royal family was very particular about bloodlines; legend had it that the Heavenly Consort was his cousin, which explained their resemblance. Mingye remembered the first time he met the Heavenly Emperor, he mistook him for the Heavenly Consort and called her "Your Majesty" repeatedly, infuriating the Heavenly Emperor. Their only child—the current Crown Prince—was not present. His name was Shen Tianwang; he was of average appearance, unlike his parents, and Mingye had only seen him a few times, leaving little impression.

However, what was even more surprising was the presence of the seven people standing beneath the Heavenly Emperor. Mingye looked them over one by one, without missing a single one—the Seven Holy Envoys of the Heavenly Palace. They were the most capable warriors chosen from the seven great divine races, sacrificing themselves and their people to serve only the Heavenly Emperor. These seven all bore heavy responsibilities, assigned to various regions to monitor the Heavenly Palace and even the operations of the human, demon, and god realms, rarely gathering together. The sight of the Seven Holy Envoys gathered together was truly rare.

Even that woman, Lan Qin, was here. Mingye wondered if he possessed such influence; could something significant be about to happen in the Heavenly Palace?

He stood in the center of the hall and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty the Heavenly Emperor, Your Highness the Heavenly Consort, and all esteemed officials."

As the Holy Envoy of Shi Feng, Lan Qin, with her sweet and charming appearance and shrewd diplomatic skills, was frequently dispatched by the Heavenly Emperor to various countries ostensibly for exchange visits, but in reality, for intelligence gathering. Having been away from the Heavenly Palace for a long time, she hadn't seen her little disciple, Ming Ye, for quite some time and missed him dearly. Now, seeing him standing before her, he seemed to have grown considerably taller than the last time they met, his hair cut short, and his once impetuous boyish temperament now much more composed and reserved. He exuded a noble radiance from within. Lan Qin greedily gazed at him, her heart filled with immense joy.

The Heavenly Emperor raised a hand to Ming Ye, saying, "No need for formalities." Then, he nodded slightly in a direction below him.

The Heavenly Palace's official astrologer, Lady Xingmei of the Xingjian family, bowed and accepted the order. She was supposed to divine the future of the young demon prince, but instead of acting, she looked down lovingly at her youngest son, Xingya, who was clinging to her side.

Then, all eyes in the hall turned to the shy and timid Xingya. He froze, quickly shrinking behind his mother, looking up at her with confusion. His mother, who always doted on him, did not indulge him this time. Xingya saw the unyielding strength in her eyes. For the first time, Lady Xingmei looked at her youngest son with the eyes of a clan leader, not a mother. She commanded, "Xingya, go to the front. Use your power to open the Heavenly Star Palace Chart and show His Highness Mingye the orbits of the star palaces."

Xingya was terrified, shaking his head desperately, his eyes brimming with pleading tears: "No, I won't go! Mom..." His little hands gripped Lady Xingmei's robes tightly, refusing to let go.

Xingmei, her heart hardening, forcefully pried open his fingers and pushed him away.

Xingya trembled with fear, standing there helplessly, too afraid to even cry out loud, only sobbing and wiping away tears with his sleeve.

His mother, seeing this, softened. Palace Master Xingmei knelt down, reached out and pulled down the sleeve covering her son's face, gently wiping away his tears: "Xingya, my good child. You possess very powerful strength; show it to everyone." Xingya stopped crying, looked

at the bright red mark on his mother's forehead, then pointed to his own snow-white forehead, sobbing, "No, my third eye isn't open... my divinations won't be accurate... they'll laugh at me... boohoo." In the past, every time he made a prediction, he was mercilessly mocked by a group of friends, leaving him with a shadow in his heart and a lack of confidence in himself.

“No one here will laugh at you,” Xingmei continued to coax him. “Before your mother opened her Heavenly Eye, she was even worse off than you.” Her gaze swept towards the Heavenly Emperor, a faint smile playing on her lips. “Later, I met my destined master, and my Heavenly Eye opened, allowing me to activate the Celestial Palace Chart for the first time. But Xingya, you can now see through the secrets of heaven and activate the Palace Chart. You’re truly an amazing child!”

Xingya was delighted by the praise, blinking his teary eyes and nodding to his mother. “Xingya is amazing.”

“Yes, you must have confidence in yourself.” Xingmei handed her youngest son the staff symbolizing the authority of an astrologer, turning Xingya around so he faced the center of the hall. She whispered in her son's ear, "Child standing there, do you see him? That's Prince Mingye of the Demon Clan. He's the same age as you, but he's already a king in his own right. He can stand strong and proud before the gods. How can our Xingya lose to him?"

Her voice was soft, but everyone in the hall possessed extraordinary skills; surely no one could mishear her. Everyone couldn't help but chuckle.

Xingmei's gentle persuasion of her son made Mingye's eyes darken. He couldn't help but think of his mother, the deceased Demon Queen Shishu. His memories of his mother were pitifully few. When Demon Queen Shishu was alive, she was a scientist obsessed with military technology research. She had participated in the design of almost all of Shuntian City's current military equipment. Although her eldest brother, Liujia's father, Yilu, was the head of the Demon Palace's finance department, she herself knew nothing about economics; she was a complete scientific genius.

In Mingye's memory, his mother never spoke to him gently like other mothers. She spent all her time in the laboratory, neglecting state affairs and her family. She could design sophisticated control circuits, and could input commands into the computer at astonishing speed using only her mind, replacing the keyboard. But Mingye doubted whether she remembered what her child looked like. Every time he went to pay his respects, his mother would merely nod, then give him a cold glance before returning her gaze to the blueprints in her hands.

Mingye's eyes welled up with tears, and he lowered his head with a bitter smile. Just now, Xingya's mother praised him for his strength and pride. In truth, he had no choice but to be strong and proud. Because no one would be proud of him—not his clan, not even his mother. If his mother had ever told him, "You are a remarkable child!" then at this moment, Mingye thought, perhaps he wouldn't feel so lonely, so deeply inferior under that loving mother's gaze, unable to lift his head, and fleeing in disarray—

"Your Majesty the Heavenly Emperor," he bowed, "it's best not to force Prince Xingya. Actually, I've never really believed in prophecies. Let's just leave it at that today." Mingye spoke from the heart. In this world, things are determined by human effort; what is predetermined? What destiny is already arranged? He didn't believe it! He believed that as long as he was willing to work hard, he could definitely change everything.

"No!" It was Xingya who spoke up to stop him! He walked up to Mingye, puffed out his small chest: "You say you don't believe in prophecy? I warn you, never underestimate the authority of the astrologers. Since the beginning of time, every dynasty has relied on the prophecies of the astrologers to avoid misfortune and seek good fortune."

Mingye retorted: "If it's already predetermined, what's the point of seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune? Since destiny cannot be defied, what's the use of knowing it in advance?"

"This..." Xingya was speechless for a moment. At this moment, the astrological staff in his hand suddenly emitted a long howl.

"It's here!" Xingya's voice seemed to come from the void. "The destined moment has finally arrived." His expression was solemn, as if he had become a different person. The weak and timid expression he had shown before was nowhere to be found on his face. His white, transparent eyes slowly closed. Holding his scepter, he lightly touched the ground, and the clear starlight flowed and shimmered. The hall seemed to have no sky or earth, and everyone felt as if they were in a vast galaxy containing countless unknowns…

“Huh? How did we get here?” Gui Yi stood before a room, utterly bewildered. The corridor had no forks, only one direction. Following the corridor straight ahead should lead to the main gate of the palace, so why was the end of the corridor the entrance to a room? “Hey, isn’t this strange? Since we’re here, let’s go in and take a look.”

“No!!” Liu Jia screamed shrilly, his face ashen. He desperately grabbed Gui Yi’s clothes: “Don’t go in! Don’t go in! There’s something terrifying inside!”

He knew this place; it was exactly the same room that had appeared in his mind earlier. Someone had deliberately led them here.

Liu Jia suddenly realized—oh, he remembered! Why had he always felt that the gatekeeper was strange? Now he understood!

"Did you notice that person just now? What color were his hair and eyes?"

Guiyi asked, puzzled by his panic. "They were black. He should be human, right? What's wrong?"

"That's not right!" Liujia stared into his eyes. "Fool! How could a human be in the palace of the gods? And that person could use the power of the Heavenly Soul?"

Reminded by him, Guiyi suddenly froze, slapping his forehead. "My God! If he's not human, then the only one in the Heavenly Palace with black hair and black eyes is—" He gasped. "—The Heavenly Royal Family!"

Liujia nodded. "Right! That face, though ordinary-looking and rarely seen in public, I've seen it before. I remember him! We've fallen into a trap. He wasn't showing us the way out. I'm afraid the one who led us here is him! The Crown Prince of the Heavenly Palace—Shen Tianwang!"

A chill emanated from the room, as if something was writhing inside. Both of them were startled, staring intently at the door, their feet rooted to the spot, unable to move. Unbeknownst to them, they had already walked into the center of the spider web, where they awaited their fate as prey…

“So easily fooled, what an innocent and adorable child.” Standing in the garden, Shen Tianwang smiled, brushing his bangs back to reveal a pair of unfathomable black eyes gazing into the depths of the palace. “Xiao Kui, you’ve just woken up, you must be starving. Your brother has found you two snacks, and that girl in the middle… hehe, she’ll definitely suit your taste. Enjoy them slowly, don’t be shy.” In the Legend of

Heavenly Souls, Chapter 102

, the earth trembled, as if a thousand troops were rushing out from beneath the ground. Not only the Heavenly Palace, but even the mortal realm felt it.

Pedestrians on the streets panicked and fled to open spaces to avoid injury or death from collapsing buildings. However, they soon discovered that this was not as simple as tectonic movement—the blue sky above was suddenly obscured by dark clouds. Without sunlight, the ground was pitch black, and within the clouds, like three thousand crow feathers, lightning flashed and thunder roared like countless silver dragons in anger. Due to an extremely strong electromagnetic interference, all emergency lighting systems malfunctioned. The world, deprived of light, was shrouded in fear and despair. The sudden disaster left the weak mortals helpless. Before the ruler, they could only cry, shout, and pray, passively waiting to see who could restore their light, or who would push them into the abyss of hell.

"The Dark Star is about to awaken; the cataclysmic calamity cannot be stopped." With the prophecy of Xingya, the Heavenly Palace Star Chart was revealed before the gods.

Two extremely bright stars, one pure silver and one dark red, robbed the sun and moon of their brilliance, standing in opposition in the eastern and western sky. Around each of the two main stars, three planets guarded them.

Xingya pointed to the horizon: "Once three planets fall, their primary star will shift to another element." He looked at Mingye: "The silver one is called Yaoxing. As you can see, two of the three planets beside it have dimmed considerably. There are two possibilities: first, the planets have already fallen, and what we see now is merely their afterglow; second, the two planets haven't actually fallen, but are currently in a weakened and dormant state." He smiled knowingly: "Your Highness Mingye, which possibility do you think is more likely?"

Mingye hadn't paid any attention to what he had said earlier. From the violent tremors of the ground and the overwhelming, oppressive low pressure, he seemed to faintly sense a familiar and nostalgic aura…

"Your Highness!!" Guiyi cried out in alarm. Two ten-meter-high doors slammed shut in front of him, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't even open a crack.

He hadn't been dreaming! The door suddenly opened, in the blink of an eye. He saw something like a tentacle leap out of the room, grabbing Princess Liujia in an instant, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, before retracting just as quickly, leaving no time to react. Then, he heard the princess's screams from inside. Startled, Guiyi channeled his icy energy, condensing it into an ice sword, and slashed fiercely at the door.

The demon race was known for its eccentricities. At this moment, Guiyi's blood boiled, his desire to break down the door not entirely driven by loyalty to his master. Someone had so easily abducted the princess right before his eyes, completely disregarding him—how could he save face? Driven by youthful pride and a strong competitive spirit, he disregarded everything, determined to fight the monster inside.

With a "clang," the ice sword's power was deflected. The door was protected by a force, a dark crimson spiritual energy visible to the naked eye. Under his fierce attack, it gradually transformed into the shape of a hand, exuding a strong bloody smell, and reached out to grab him. The proud Guiyi refused to dodge, holding his sword horizontally in front of him, engaging in a head-on confrontation. Under his incredulous and astonished gaze, his ice sword shattered inch by inch, breaking into pieces. The regeneration of ice shards could not keep up with the speed of disintegration. Guiyi's chilling aura gradually became no match and was suppressed by the opponent. The large hand suddenly shoved forward, like a wave instantly engulfing a drowning person. Guiyi was slammed violently against the wall, creating a large dent. Several sounds of bones breaking, a piercing pain in his chest, almost made him faint.

His ribs must be broken!

He opened his mouth and spat out several mouthfuls of blood. The dark crimson force did not withdraw from him, nor did it harm him further; it simply pressed him firmly against the wall, rendering him unable to move.

As for Liu Jia, the room was like a black hole, silent and colorless. A thick tentacle was wrapped around his waist. He struggled to look down and found himself several feet off the ground. Although he couldn't see clearly, directly below him, there seemed to be a lump of rotting flesh writhing. This sight terrified him so much that he screamed. He had always been kept hidden away by his father, raised as a pampered young lady, his daily lessons consisting of learning how to seduce his cousin. He had never imagined that one day he would face such a life-or-death crisis. In his fear, the innate, defiant spirit of a boy, which had been deliberately suppressed, was forced out.

"Damn it!" After opening his mouth several times, he finally uttered a curse: "Damn it! How dare they ambush me?"

From shock to rage, his celestial soul emitted a silvery-white light, and a near-freezing cold filled the entire room, causing ice to form on the floor and walls. The tentacles wrapped around him recoiled, and a mocking voice rang out:

"Haha, not bad, you actually know how to resist. You may be rude, but you do have some redeeming qualities."

"Who are you? Why are you trying to harm me?" Liu Jia released all her spiritual power, causing the temperature in the room to plummet to near absolute zero. Spiritual power gathered in her palm, gradually forming a vortex, while a tornado appeared in the air. Liu Jia manipulated the mirror image in her hand: "I don't want to kill in the territory of the gods. Let me leave now!"

"Oh dear, what arrogance." The voice seemed unhurried, its tone provocative: "Very well, let me see what the demon prince's consort is capable of."

"You! Ah..." Liu Jia cried out in pain as the tentacles tightened their grip, their grip making her bones creak. It seemed the other party was determined to kill, so Liu Jia said no more. Driven by his power, the tornado intensified, transforming into a raging dragon, unleashing its killing intent—"Azure Waterfall Tornado!"

The mass of rotting flesh was at the eye of the storm. Liu Jia's fingers gradually clenched, the vortex in his palm closing in. The pressure within the storm's circle was enough to crush mountains and destroy rocks. However, a counterforce arose within the whirlwind; even with all his might, he couldn't immediately crush his enemy.

"Is that all?" The other party seemed quite dissatisfied. "So weak, how can you be worthy of being his queen?"

Liu Jia shuddered: "You…know my cousin? Who are you?"

"You don't need to know. A dying man is not worth my time."

Cold tentacles nearly severed Liu Jia at the waist and began to spread and roam over his body, reaching into his open sleeves, collar, and other areas, touching his skin. A terrifying thing happened. Liu Jia realized with horror that his spiritual energy was being slowly drained away by the tentacles through the points of contact. “Absorb…absorb life force? Are you also a demon…ooh!” His life force was draining away extremely quickly; he could no longer provide the spiritual power to sustain the “Waterfall Tornado,” and the spell was ultimately broken. “

I don’t want to die! I don’t want to die here!” Liu Jia cried out in his heart, never expecting Xingjian’s prophecy to come true so quickly. He wept bitterly, desperately calling out the name of the person he cared about most: “Cousin…cousin…”

“Shut up!” The voice suddenly roared: “If you dare call him again, I’ll make your death even more gruesome!”

Liu Jia was stunned for a moment, vaguely grasping a clue, a sense of vengeful pleasure rising within him. He laughed through his tears: “Why can’t I call him? He is my rightful husband, I am his only wife. If he knew I was dying here, he would never let you go!”

“You damned wretch!” Several tentacles shot out from the rotting flesh below, encircling Liu Jia’s limbs. "I'll make you die in the most shameful way, so he can see your ugly state before you die!"

"Wh...what? Ahh..." Liu Jia's legs were suddenly spread apart, and one of the tentacles was raised high between his legs, with a "whoosh" as a long, gleaming black sword sprouted from its tip. The tentacle swung, the sword blade swirling around his body, cutting open his clothes and revealing the boy's fair and slender body. His tender skin was slashed open by the sharp blade, blood dripping down, and a burning pain swept through his body. Soon, his upper body was completely naked, and the black sword began to attack his genitals.

Liu Jia twisted his bound body desperately—"No! No! What do you want to do?" In

the Heavenly Soul Chronicle 103

, in the Imperial Palace, the prophecy was complete. Xingya put away the Heavenly Star Palace Chart, and countless strands of starlight gathered again into the Astrologer's scepter. The gods' faces were solemn, their Heavenly Souls already poised to unleash their power, awaiting only a command. However, the Heavenly Emperor, seated on the throne, remained hesitant, his face grim, suppressing his anger.

The earth trembled, causing even the seemingly impregnable palace to shed dust.

The scent of longing gradually became clearer. Mingye, both surprised and delighted, paid no heed to the strange atmosphere in the hall. He vanished in a flash.

"Ah, wait for me, I'm coming too!" Xingya, unwilling to lag behind, lifted her snow-white robes and rushed out of the hall. Her mother's urgent calls behind her were carried away by the whistling wind. An astrologer's life, from birth, is a long wait, all for the chance to meet their destined one, and that moment is now upon them. Nothing can hold them back from their destiny.

Watching her youngest son's departing figure, the Palace Master of Xingmei's legs gave way, and she collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Your Majesty!" The seven envoys knelt before the Emperor, pleading for his return.

The Heavenly Emperor closed his eyes with difficulty, and after a long while, slowly opened them. His gaze was now completely different from before. Gone was the sorrow and hesitation; only the cold hardness of a heart of stone remained. "All of you, heed my command!" His deep, majestic voice echoed throughout the hall. "Do everything in your power to prevent the Dark Star from awakening, and do not allow it to bring disaster to the Three Realms. Anyone who resists will be executed without hesitation!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" the seven Holy Envoys responded in unison.

As they left the hall with the others, Lima, the Holy Envoy of Fire, couldn't help but glance back at the head of the throne. She saw the once calm and decisive ruler of the Heavenly Realm slumped against the back of his chair, as if all his strength had been drained away, powerless and helpless.

Yet, despite her heartache, she couldn't even go to comfort him. Lima smiled self-deprecatingly, shook her head, and quickly walked out of the hall. She had remained single all this time, staying by his side, devoting herself entirely, hoping only to share his burdens and earn a single glance of his approval or recognition. This affection, however, could only be hidden deep within his heart, for he was someone he could never touch; there was no place for him. He already had a woman by his side to support him—the Heavenly Consort—and in his heart, there was already someone he longed for…

The majestic and sacred palace was hidden within a dense sea of trees, once the most beautiful place in the Heavenly Palace…

Spring—an endless sea of flowers, fragrant blossoms filling the air, showers of pink rain falling.

Summer—lush green mountains, golden sunlight, and gentle breezes.

Late Autumn—red leaves like fire, trees laden with fruit, swarms of bees and butterflies, a rich fruity fragrance permeating the air, inexplicably sweetening the skin.

Winter—ah, there is no winter here. When fallen leaves carpet the ground, tender green buds sprout anew on the branches, another cycle begins, endlessly repeating.

Thus, the palace's master has never seen snow. So when he first saw snow, his eyes lit up with excitement: "Little monster, is this snow?! Really snow?! My goodness, it's so light and soft! Hehe, look! It melts completely in my hand, leaving no trace. So heartless!" He was unwilling to give up and opened his mouth to catch the falling snowflakes.

Mingye remembered being amused by his silly antics, laughing so hard he couldn't stand up straight, forgetting to tell him that snow was actually not good at all—cold and stuffy.

Memories flooded back, swirling in his mind. At this moment, the sky was dark, and a cold wind was blowing, but the white palace still radiated a soft, captivating light. Mingye suddenly heard someone beside him say,

"This palace is so beautiful, does it have a name?"

When Xingya arrived, he too was deeply mesmerized by the beautiful scenery before him.

Mingye glanced at him and replied, "Jingbikong, this place is called Jingbikong."

Xingya sighed, "Tsk tsk, such a holy and beautiful place, yet it houses an evil monster!"

Mingye retorted angrily, "What monster! If you dare to talk nonsense again, I'll smash your mouth!"

Xingya didn't care, and pointed his scepter forward, instantly revealing a scene in a room before their eyes.

"Liujia!!" Mingye was shocked by what he saw.

His poor little cousin was covered in black tentacles like seaweed. He was naked, covered in wounds, and bleeding profusely. He didn't even have the strength to cry out, and his eyes were vacant. If it weren't for the slight rise and fall of his chest, one would have thought he was already dead.

"Liujia!" Mingye couldn't bear to see him suffer and turned to ask Xingya, "What happened?" The other ignored his shock and anger, lazily put away his scepter, and the scene disappeared. Xingya smiled innocently and waved his hand, "It's nothing, it's nothing. That 'thing' slept for three whole years. When it woke up, it was hungry and thirsty, so of course it needed to find some food to replenish its nutrients. You don't need to make a fuss."

Mingye understood his words: "You mean that's... Kui? No! Impossible..." How could Liujia be here, and... how could that disgusting, black, gooey thing be Kui? It must be another trap set by the gods. He was eager to enter Jingbikong to verify.

"Don't go!" A hand landed on his shoulder.

Lima forcefully restrained him, preventing him from moving. The other six of the Seven Holy Envoys also rushed over.

"Such strong demonic energy, worthy of being called Dark Star!" The gods activated their Heavenly Souls, and a destructive power was brewing.

"No! What are you doing?" Mingye struggled. "Grand Tutor Lima! Let me go, let me in!"

"No!" The Holy Envoy Shi Huo's face turned cold, resolute and stern. "We must destroy this palace, along with the monsters inside!"

"You!" Mingye watched as the others continuously increased their Heavenly Soul Power, knowing full well that what she said was true. "Kui is still inside! You want to kill him? Grand Tutor Lima, Kui has only just woken up! He fell into a deep sleep entirely for my sake, he did nothing wrong! Grand Tutor! Grand Tutor... haven't you always loved him so much?"

Lima sadly closed her eyes, unable to meet those clear silver eyes. Her lips trembled slightly as she said, "It's His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor's order. Prince Kui is the destined Dark Star; if he doesn't die, he will bring devastating disaster to the Three Realms. We have no choice but to strike first—kill him!"

"Are you all insane? You're going to kill him just because of that stupid, ridiculous prophecy?" Mingye angrily accused, "Are you kidding me? Who is born destined to be the Dark Star? He was forced into it, forced by you!"

In the distant Imperial Palace, the Heavenly Emperor's hand suddenly trembled. Forced? So… that's how it is?

"Your Majesty!" The Heavenly Consort's warm hand covered his hand: "Don't worry, it's not the worst yet. We don't necessarily have to take his life. Don't forget, there's still the Thousand Gems Binding Curse; he might not be able to awaken." She raised her other hand, placing it on her chest; beneath her robes, a golden array shimmered as if etched onto her chest.

Looking at his wife's gentle and serene face, the Heavenly Emperor finally felt a little relieved: "You're right..." He paused, as if remembering something, and asked urgently, "Where's Yin Qi? Where did he go?"

The Heavenly Consort's eyes dimmed imperceptibly, then were covered by her gentle smile: "The Fourth Prince went out just now, and we haven't seen him yet."

"Oh no!" The Heavenly Emperor exclaimed in surprise, jumping up from his seat: "That fool wouldn't be thinking of joining in the fun, would he?"

"He's a man of principle, don't always treat him like a child." The Heavenly Consort covered her mouth with her sleeve and chuckled.

"No, you don't understand him. Whenever it involves that brat Ming Ye, he loses control and acts foolishly..."

"Who loses control? Who acts foolishly?" A sinister voice rang out from the other end of the hall. The Fourth Prince, with an unfriendly expression, crossed his arms and glared at the Heavenly Emperor. He thought to himself: You have the nerve to talk back? When it comes to things related to Kui, don't you also lose all your principles?

It was precisely because he was worried about something happening to him that the Fourth Prince had stayed by his side, instead of immediately following the Seven Sages to the Azure Sky.

Upon seeing him, the Heavenly Emperor was completely relieved, patting his chest: "Thank goodness, you're here."

"I was just about to go check on him." The remaining people in the hall were all familiar faces, and the Fourth Prince didn't bother with the formalities of a subject before a ruler. He walked past the Heavenly Emperor and headed straight for the palace gate.

"Hey, Yin Qi!" The Heavenly Emperor grabbed him, calling his name, his emotions completely genuine: "Don't go over there, it's dangerous!"

The Fourth Prince was dismissive, "That's precisely why I need to go. I am the guardian war god of the Heavenly Realm."

"Nothing will happen!" The Heavenly Emperor held him tightly, refusing to let go: "With Ming Ye here, Dark Star won't awaken! Trust me!"

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