Outside the window, Heroine Yue hung upside-down from the eaves of the waterside pavilion, gnashing her teeth in rage. As expected, there’s a dog! The window paper was silently pierced, and a thin tube snuck in, puffing in a cloud of knockout smoke. With a wave of her hand, the heroine summoned a swarm of mosquitoes to surge through the pipe, a thick black cloud of them buzzing forward. In a flash of red, she vanished into the darkness. From afar, Ling Ruoyu, who had secretly trailed behind to observe and learn, was struck speechless in awe. Is this really my master? Alas, this little stunt of spite had no real effect on the adulterous pair inside. The knockout smoke was ineffective, and the mosquitoes nurtured by the Spirit Tribe could not approach. Zhao Changhe swept them all away with a single thought. All it achieved was a moment of loud buzzing and the declaration that their affair had been exposed. That alone should have been satisfying enough, as it should have created a bit of discomfort that would kill the mood and interrupt their entanglement. Or so Yue Hongling had thought. Unfortunately, the shameless couple within could not care less. They swatted the mosquitoes dead and carried right on. To Zhao Changhe, tonight’s dual cultivation held a significance far beyond mere intimacy with the long-neglected Wanzhuang. Earlier that evening, he had felt the weight of the passing years, a rare resonance with the rhythm of cultivation. Yet, amid chaos, he had not found time to settle down and reflect. Now, with all quiet and still, that fleeting moment of clarity was rekindled. He had touched time itself through the Heavenly Tome, and he had even traversed the great river of time and fate. But none of it compared to this—this visceral, immediate realization. One moment asleep, and old comrades were now white-haired elders surrounded by their grandchildren... Meanwhile, Wanzhuang stood unchanged, serene and radiant. That brief heartbeat of insight was something that no page of the Heavenly Tome could have provided. It was like the depth of wisdom carried by the old—something no youth could glean from mere pages. One must live it to know it. Perhaps the true value of his thirty years of slumber was not the return to one’s original nature, but the quiet sediment of months and years that had gone by. Tang Wanzhuang breathed heavily, her eyes half-lidded and in a haze. She could feel the energies flowing between them through dual cultivation growing more potent than ever. Zhao Changhe’s strength was still climbing, and along with it, so too were hers and Baoqin’s. More incredible still was the surrounding scene. The bed rocked violently under their fervor, and yet a white mist swirled silently around them. The world outside this haze was absolutely still. A circle of mosquitoes hovered on the edge of the mist, suspended mid-flight, motionless. Or rather, half was still, and half still flowed. Wanzhuang’s body trembled. She was on the verge of climax. But Zhao Changhe suddenly paused, his voice sounding in the quiet. “Still going to leave me hanging?” Tang Wanzhuang gritted her teeth. “You’re seriously bringing that up now?” Aren’t you supposed to be cultivating? Is multitasking without any loss of focus really what the third layer of the Profound Control Realm is all about? Zhao Changhe pressed, “Well? Yes or no?” “No... no more hanging...” Tang Wanzhuang bit her lip, murmuring softly, “Changhe... I missed you so much...” His pace surged in one final assault. Tang Wanzhuang felt as though her spiritual sea had been struck by lightning; her thoughts were shattered, and her voice was gone. Zhao Changhe scooped up Baoqin, preparing for another round. Baoqin moaned, “Young master... I haven’t rested enough...” Zhao Changhe tapped her lips. “Then use your natural talent.” Baoqin gave him a look that was half shy, half begrudging, and sank beneath the sheets. Tang Wanzhuang, having caught her breath, glanced over. Where did this little vixen learn to do this... Oh right, we used to study those diagrams together. Never mind. Watching Baoqin’s devoted service, Tang Wanzhuang hesitated briefly, then leaned forward and placed a kiss upon Zhao Changhe’s chest. Zhao Changhe looked down at her. This revered, elegant, and peerlessly admired prime minister now lay half-dead, her cheeks now a flushed pink. He could not look away. Her voice was no louder than a mosquito’s hum. “Stop staring... I don’t even know how to face them tomorrow...” “As long as we’re not embarrassed, the awkwardness belongs to someone else.” Tang Wanzhuang thought so too. If Baoqin isn’t embarrassed, then I don’t need to be either. After a moment of silent service, she slowly slid downward... and joined Baoqin. But he was simply too powerful. The two of them together still were not enough. The next morning, the extensive household gathered in the rear courtyard for breakfast. Everyone, whether they meant to or not, kept sneaking glances at Tang Wanzhuang and her ever-devoted maid. Ling Ruoyu kept peeking at the trio, who had been subjected to the mosquito barrage the night before, checking intently for any suspicious welts or bite marks. In the end, she found nothing. There were no strange expressions nor swelling on their faces. Aww. She had really looked forward to the mental image of three people knocked out cold, left lying there to feed the mosquitoes. Still, Ling Ruoyu thought that maybe she could try that trick someday during her own adventures in the jianghu. Aside from Yue Hongling and her disciple, no one had been bold or bored enough to extend their divine senses to check whether anyone had snuck off for a midnight snack. All they knew for sure was that Zhao Changhe had spent the night in Baoqin’s quarters. Tang Wanzhuang did not make any explicit declarations about being the one who had broken the truce and taken a bite of the forbidden fruit, but her rosy glow and radiant complexion—soft as crabapple blossoms in full bloom, kissed by the spring breeze—told a tale of their own. She looked breathtaking, mesmerizing. Yet since she was not admitting anything outright, no one could confront her about it. They just kept stealing skeptical glances. The only one blatantly flaunting things was Baoqin, shameless as ever. She sat right next to Zhao Changhe, helping him pick out food. “Here, Young Master, try this one...” Huangfu Qing’s chopsticks suddenly broke in half for no reason. Baoqin was carrying out her young master’s orders, openly flaunting their affection in front of this crowd of old grumps. After all, even back when she was still a newbie, she had never backed down even in the face of Huangfu Qing, and now she had even less reason to. So no matter how loud the chopsticks snapped, Baoqin did not even blink. She continued sweetly, “Shall I feed it to you with my mouth, young master?” Then, she actually held a pastry in her lips and leaned over toward Zhao Changhe. Zhao Changhe bit the other end, and the couple shared the treat in a haze of flirtatious intimacy. Several more pairs of chopsticks met their end. The Tang Clan truly suffered grievous financial losses that morning. Finally, Huangfu Qing could no longer bear it. “In broad daylight? In front of everyone? Aren’t you supposed to be the esteemed chief secretary to the prime minister? Have you no shame?” Baoqin blinked at her as if in honest confusion. “I am indeed the chief secretary to the prime minister. I don’t answer to the inner palace.” Huangfu Qing was livid. “So the empress dowager has no authority over officials of the Great Han anymore?” Baoqin replied serenely, “Your Majesty should focus on managing your own palace’s wet nurses.” Huh? Did she just call me a wet nurse? Lady Three slammed her hand on the table. “We all agreed to leave him hanging, and you couldn’t last a single night?” “You all agreed, because you’ve tried it before,” Baoqin said matter-of-factly. “I’ve waited for my turn for thirty years, so why should I wait even longer?” Ye Jiuyou pounded the table. “If you’re going to act like a slut, go do it in private! Don’t disgrace yourself in front of us!” Baoqin shot back, “This is Tang Clan property. I can disgrace myself wherever I want here. Who are you, a guest, to say otherwise?” Piaomiao slammed the table too. “All under heaven belongs to the sovereign! What Tang Clan property!” Baoqin smiled faintly. “Our young master is the sovereign.” Yue Hongling struck the table with a loud thud. “Do you really think that no one here can rein you in?” Baoqin gave her a sidelong glance. “If anyone could, it wouldn’t be some tired old woman stuck raising a grown-up child.” Zhao Changhe, who had been playing his role just to provoke the group, nearly broke character. Damn, Empress Baoqin really is just another breed! She’s basically just an ordinary woman faced with a whole courtyard of demon gods, yet she’s still managing to hold her own! Hell, she even seems to be winning! Even I wouldn’t dare try doing something . If all of them really got angry at me at once, they’d end up flattening Gusu before I finished my sentence. Just then, footsteps sounded outside the courtyard. Cui Yuanyang arrived, sword in hand. As she reached the table, she shoved Baoqin aside—completely unintentionally, of course—and reached for a pastry. “I spent the whole night chasing down thieves and handling cleanup while you lot were here enjoying a feast, I see.” She munched away as she stared straight at Tang Wanzhuang. “Prime Minister, I’m short on personnel. I’ll need to borrow a few people from you.” Tang Wanzhuang could only nod. “Of course. Whoever you require.” Cui Yuanyang promptly grabbed Baoqin by the arm. “The esteemed chief secretary has long served you. She’s experienced and familiar with the workings of the Demon Suppression Bureau. I’ll take her.” “Wait, wait just a second—” Baoqin barely got her words out before she was swept away. Her feet left the ground, even while her hand was still clutching a piece of pastry. All the women turned as one, watching Baoqin get dragged off. Every single one of them wore a look of deep satisfaction. Let’s see how you sneak into Tang Wanzhuang’s bed now. Hah! Yue Hongling picked up her own disciple like a rag doll and yeeted her right out. “Yangyang, take her with you. She needs training. And Yu’er, remember not to use River of Stars in regular fights.” I still wanted to watch... but well I guess that’s that. With the chief secretary gone, the show’s over. Zhao Changhe, too, had only one thought. Well, Baoqin’s been banned... I guess that’s game over... “Hm... Since when was Yangyang so competent?” “Ahem.” Tang Wanzhuang cleared her throat. “The Demon Suppression Bureau’s major affairs have been under Yangyang’s command for years. She’s carried no small burden.” “Then why won’t she even look at me?” “Because she’s hanging you out to dry too,” Piaomiao said coolly. “Aside from that Bao girl who just got dragged off, no one else has been quite so shameless.” Tang Wanzhuang muttered, “...Actually, Baoqin’s surname is Tang...” Yue Hongling stood up and tapped the table. “All right, now that the nuisance is gone... Changhe, come with me. We need to discuss our child’s education.” Everyone else raised a hand reflexively, then slowly lowered them. Each had a perfectly valid excuse to pull Zhao Changhe aside, but in the end, no one could argue with rearing a child. They could only sit there and watch helplessly as Zhao Changhe got hauled off by Yue Hongling. “Why does something feel off?” Lady Three leaned in and whispered to Huangfu Qing. “You don’t think we’re getting played, do you?” Huangfu Qing cast a discreet glance at Tang Wanzhuang, uncertain. “It shouldn’t be... Tang Wanzhuang’s always so proper and composed, and Yue Hongling’s proud to a fault. It stands to reason they wouldn’t...” Lady Three tried to reassure herself. “True, they’re not like Baoqin. If anyone’s likely to sneak around, it’s me, not those two...” Tang Wanzhuang kept her head down and continued eating. Meanwhile, in the secluded courtyard residence where Yue Hongling lived, Zhao Changhe was slammed against the wall by the collar, both hands raised in surrender. “Wh-what are you doing?” Yue Hongling ground her teeth. “What do you think I sent Yu’er away for?” And here I thought I was the one who sent the child out to buy soy sauce. “We all agreed not to steal a taste! Tang Wanzhuang, dignified Prime Minister of Great Han, admired by all, yet she’s the first one to sneak a bite!” Yue Hongling was fuming. “If even she can sneak a bite, then why can’t a swordswoman like me do the same?!” Zhao Changhe laughed helplessly. He was just about to speak when her lips were suddenly sealed with hers. All the noise faded away. The storm in her chest softened beneath the heat of their kiss. The strength in Yue Hongling’s hands ebbed away; she slowly released his collar, letting her arms fall and then circle around his waist. Zhao Changhe embraced her in return. Still locked in a kiss, the two stumbled inside. The door slammed shut, sealing away all the thunder and fire within. “All these years, raising Yu’er by my side,” Yue Hongling whispered, breathless. “I’ve always thought... when will I have one of my own... a sweet, obedient little girl just like her....” “Then let’s make one of our own...” Thunder raged within the house when Ye Jiuyou’s voice rang out from the void, “Since Ruoyu and River of Stars have already reunited, we can trace the location of the Night Palace from her. Once that’s done, we can resume our research into how to properly raise her, but there isn’t any—wait, what in the world are you two doing?!” From atop her steed, Yue Hongling turned her starry eyes in a haze. “Hm? We’re talking about rearing a child... Just not Yu’er.” Ye Jiuyou was so furious her hair ignited with the infernal flames of the Underworld. “Humans are impossible to reason with!” She was about to vanish when suddenly, she found herself unable to move. Time itself seemed to freeze in some strange, inexplicable stillness. Ye Jiuyou’s heart stirred. The strange temporal suspension that she was subjected to was naturally something that she could easily break free from if she tried hard enough. But in the instant she lingered, a man’s strong arms had already wrapped around her. “For thirty years, how many times did you sneak up to touch me, to kiss me? I know that the others are only acting tough and pretending to ignore me, and I know you’re the same...” All it took was that moment of hesitation and she ended up in his arms. His voice whispered softly at her ear, like a warm breeze stirring the heart, “You’ve come this far. Don’t tell me you don’t want to.” Ye Jiuyou bit her lip. Of course, she wanted to. That was not the problem. She just was not used to doing it with others. Ye Jiuyou always thought herself above the world. She was aloof and untouchable. She had never imagined she would be in a situation . Part of the reason she had hidden him away was precisely to avoid such... complications. And yet, now that it was happening, she realized that she did not resist it at all. On the contrary, a quiet anticipation stirred within her. Because before this man, she always revealed the part of herself that defied common sense. But then again, what was common sense for a literal god of chaos? Zhao Changhe’s hand slipped under her violet robes. Ye Jiuyou’s gaze drifted to the sight of Yue Hongling going at it like nobody’s business, and then, her thoughts drifted even farther. What if that was Ye Wuming instead... What kind of scene would that be? Just the thought of it made her feel as though she were about to faint. That vision... was more intoxicating than any chaos or void. Then her man kissed her, and her thoughts scattered like smoke in the wind. Lady Three and Huangfu Qing took turns eyeing Yue Hongling, then Ye Jiuyou, and finally Tang Wanzhuang. It had only been a single morning. And yet, now Yue Hongling and Ye Jiuyou both carried that same radiance as Tang Wanzhuang. That same enchanting, blooming aura—the flush in their cheeks, the sparkle in their eyes, the way the spring breeze seemed to follow wherever they walked. Then, they looked over at Piaomiao, and they found that she looked ready to pick a fight. As a demon god, Piaomiao was not usually sensitive to these things. Her emotional landscape was generally tranquil. But when the other party was Ye Jiuyou, things were different. Every tiny shift was like a blade across her skin and impossible to ignore. So we’re the clowns, huh. All that “let’s keep him hanging,” yet it turns out that we just offered him up to you on a silver platter. What made Piaomiao feel even worse was that she had been the very first to find him when he awoke. If anyone was going to make a move, it should have been her. However, she had held herself back. She held herself back so much that she ended up dead last. The fury in her chest rivaled the betrayal she had once felt at Ye Wuming’s hands. Great. The two of you really are sisters. You both just love stabbing me in the back, huh? The three were practically filled with a bellyful of rage. They exchanged glances. Finally, Huangfu Qing spoke with a calm voice, “The situation here is handled. The Demon Suppression Bureau can handle the cleanup. It’s time we considered our next move. Now that Changhe has awakened, it’s also time for the Night Emperor’s return. The Four Idols Cult needs to hold a ritual. Changhe, come back to the capital with us. You should also visit Chichi.” The reason was sound and respectable. Zhao Changhe did not overthink it and simply nodded. “Alright. If there’s nothing else in Gusu, then it’s indeed time for me to make a trip back to the capital.” Piaomiao added, “Didn’t Jiuyou say that now that River of Stars has awakened, we can trace the location of the Night Palace?” Ye Jiuyou gave a light cough. “Right... but that’ll take some preparation.” Piaomiao gave her a cold look. “Then go prepare. You don’t have anything else to do, do you? What business do you have in the capital?” Ye Jiuyou: “...Fine. You all go to the capital. I’ll get everything ready and join you shortly.” Zhao Changhe felt a strange tension hanging in the air. He cleared his throat and changed the topic. “What about that method of locating the Heavenly Dao that Sisi mentioned she might be able to use?” Tang Wanzhuang and Yue Hongling, both satisfied and thoroughly fed, were in a remarkably good mood. “That’s already something we were working on, with Baoqin too. We’ll take the trip ourselves. It’s been a while since we last saw Sisi.” “Alright. I’ll head to the capital, and once that’s done, I’ll come find you in Miaojiang. Stay safe, both of you.” “In the current world, aside from those beyond this world, there’s hardly anything left that can threaten us.” Ye Jiuyou ground her teeth. “You’re the one who needs to be careful. Try not to get eaten alive, bones and all.” Her words barely faded when she disappeared from sight as though fleeing under Piaomiao’s murderous glare. Tang Wanzhuang and Yue Hongling rose gracefully to their feet. “We’ll head southwest, then. You lot enjoy yourselves in the capital.” The once-crowded rear courtyard quickly emptied out. In the end, only three figures remained: Piaomiao, Lady Three, and Huangfu Qing. All three were glaring daggers at Zhao Changhe. Zhao Changhe took half a step back. It really felt like they were going to flay him alive. The fragile alliance that had held for a single day... crumbled in spectacular fashion, all because of Her Majesty Baoqin.