CH 227

Villainous Emperor (27)

In the following months, Song Xu Yi remained secluded, immersed in a state of forgetfulness, completely unaware of the passage of time. During this period, a great turmoil swept through the Three Realms.

Overnight, Lin Xiang and others, who held significant power, fell seriously ill and slipped into a coma, causing a chaotic situation. At this critical moment, the newly enthroned Emperor took command and skillfully resolved the various problems plaguing the country. After the Emperor’s ascension, there were frequent strange occurrences in the Jiang Kingdom, and the voices from the people claiming the emperor was divinely guided grew stronger. The common folk became increasingly convinced of Jiang Ruoyu’s abilities, to the point where they believed that the serious illness of Lin Xiang and others was a result of them offending the divine and suffering heavenly punishment.

Jiang Ruoyu swiftly and thoroughly took control of the Jiang Kingdom, and by the time Lin Xiang and others regained consciousness, they realized they had lost their power and the overall situation had been decided. Jiang Ruoyu had become the true ruler of the Jiang Kingdom.

Originally, the changes in the state of a country wouldn’t disturb the Divine Realm. However, at this moment, the male protagonist, Jiang Bai, while undergoing his own tribulation in the Jiang Kingdom, his loyal small deities under his command kept a close eye on his tribulation from time to time. Through this, they naturally discovered the extraordinary atmosphere pervading the entire Jiang Kingdom.

The cause of all this lies with the Emperor of the Jiang Kingdom.

A small deity couldn’t resist the urge to investigate the Imperial Palace. As a divine being, he was used to looking down upon all living beings, and when he entered the palace, he didn’t deliberately conceal his aura. However, not long after, he was horrified to discover that he was enveloped by an unknown force, rendering him unable to exert even a trace of his divine power!

Amidst the pitch-black and dense fog, he saw the rumored Emperor of the Jiang Kingdom.

The Emperor had an exquisitely beautiful face, but her eyes were extremely cold. Her icy gaze fell upon the small deity, and she mockingly curled her lips, saying, “Indeed, my palace seems like an uninhabited realm to you gods…”

The small deity didn’t know precisely what the Emperor meant by these words, but he could clearly sense her hostility. He instinctively felt fear, wanting to escape subconsciously. However, under the grip of that power, he gradually lost the ability to move…

In the following days, after experiencing the methods of the Emperor, the small deity finally understood what unimaginable power she possessed—

Even as a divine being, he was easily led by the Emperor to reveal the impurities in his heart, and his Dao heart began to collapse. He could hardly control himself and divulged everything he knew.

When he disclosed that Lin Xiang’s daughter was the Wick of the divine artifact, the Heavenly Lamp, the expressionless face of the Emperor finally showed a hint of a crack, and she repeated his words thoughtfully, “You mean, Lin Zhu is the Wick of the Heavenly Lamp?”

After receiving confirmation from the small deity, the Emperor halted her interrogation of him and turned around, striding away.

Jiang Ruoyu didn’t know how she had spent this period of time.

After failing to find Liu Yi, Jiang Ruoyu looked back on the past few days with the ittle palace maid and realized how little she truly knew about her. Just then, she received a report from the spy she had sent to investigate any connections between Liu Yi and Lin Xiang. The news was that Liu Yi’s background was all false, and there was no connection whatsoever between her and Lin Xiang.

Jiang Ruoyu once again felt an ominous and strange sensation in her heart.

She sought out Lin Zhu, considering that the little palace maid claimed that Lin Zhu owed her a favor. The only request the little palace maid had made to Jiang Ruoyu was to arrange a marriage between Lin Zhu and Jiang Bai.

Unexpectedly and expectedly, Lin Zhu didn’t know the little palace maid, and there was no truth to the little palace maid’s claim that Lin Zhu had ever shown her any kindness…

Initially, Jiang Ruoyu thought that nothing else could shake her after Liu Yi’s disappearance. However, upon learning this revelation, Jiang Ruoyu still experienced a feeling as if a thousand arrows had pierced her heart—

She had always believed that the little palace maid was abducted by someone, but at this moment, she suddenly realized that it was highly possible that the little palace maid left on her own accord.

The little palace maid was nothing but a little fraud!

Her identity was false, her experiences were false, and even her name was false…

Jiang Ruoyu even had a feeling: the little palace maid deliberately approached her because of Lin Zhu—

Jiang Ruoyu placed Lin Zhu and Jiang Bai under house arrest. She felt that she should hate the little palace maid because the little palace maid deceived her and left after a brief fling. However, even though she was unwilling to admit it, Jiang Ruoyu found herself still jealous of Lin Zhu: jealous that Lin Zhu received special treatment from the little palace maid, while she herself was discarded like a worn-out shoe. At this moment, she even found herself hoping to use Lin Zhu to bring the little palace maid back!

Jiang Ruoyu redecorated her own sleeping quarters.

She adorned the sleeping quarters with utmost luxury and comfort, yet she infused her divine power into every corner of the chambers and designed various clever mechanisms…

Without Jiang Ruoyu’s permission, no one could freely leave Jiang Ruoyu’s sleeping quarters.

This was the most luxurious cage.

Jiang Ruoyu secretly made a firm decision: once she found the little palace maid, she would forever lock her within the sleeping quarters, allowing her to be nowhere else except by her side.

However, even after she had placed Jiang Bai and Lin Zhu under house arrest, several months passed, and the little palace maid did not reappear…

Until this day, when she captured the impulsive small deity who had trespassed into the Imperial Palace, Jiang Ruoyu learned about Lin Zhu being the reincarnation of the Wick of the Heavenly Lamp.

It was also at this moment that Jiang Ruoyu understood that among the immortals, there were various bonds and connections.

The small deity intruded into the palace out of concern for Jiang Bai. So, could it be that the little palace maid didn’t actually deceive her, and Lin Zhu did save her? Perhaps it was the previous Lin Zhu, who was the Wick of the Heavenly Lamp, who saved the little palace maid, rather than the present human Lin Zhu?

Could the little palace maid also be… a deity?

Apart from this speculation, Jiang Ruoyu couldn’t find any other explanation. She had almost searched through both the Mortal and Divine Realms but had not seen the little palace maid’s figure…

What kind of deity could the little palace maid be?

Recalling the experiences she had with the little palace maid: the sense of instant familiarity the little girl gave her, the tender affection that made her deeply enamored and dependent, those familiar heartbeats…

Jiang Ruoyu felt as if something was about to surface in her mind, but perhaps due to her subconscious unwillingness to believe it, she deliberately ignored this speculation and began searching in the Divine Realm.

Jiang Ruoyu started her search by looking into the gods who were close to Lin Zhu—

The small deity attendants responsible for guarding the Heavenly Lamp, the deities in the places where the Heavenly Lamp had been relocated over the years, and the local gods protected by the Heavenly Lamp…

As Jiang Ruoyu roamed the Divine Realm, her extraordinary attention to the Heavenly Lamp naturally caught the notice of many deities. The significance of the Heavenly Lamp was immense, and Jiang Ruoyu being the Divine Attractor alarmed the entire Divine Realm.

There were restless and impulsive gods who perceived Jiang Ruoyu as having malicious intentions, and they took the initiative to provoke her. Initially, Jiang Ruoyu tried to explain that she was searching for someone, but when those gods asked whom she was looking for, Jiang Ruoyu couldn’t even articulate it. Consequently, those gods assumed she was making excuses and attacked her without hesitation…

In the past, Jiang Ruoyu might have endured and avoided conflict with the Divine Realm to preserve the face of her Divine Goddess Sister. However, at this moment, Jiang Ruoyu felt utterly hopeless and desolate. The Divine Goddess Sister hadn’t contacted her in many years, and she couldn’t afford to be patient anymore.

Jiang Ruoyu defeated those gods effortlessly.

This was only the beginning.

The defeated gods naturally couldn’t accept losing to Jiang Ruoyu, so they resorted to threats and clamor, and once again, the Divine Realm sent other gods…

The Divine Realm faced repeated defeats and battles, and with each struggle, Jiang Ruoyu became even stronger, and her temperament grew more unruly.

At this time, the Divine Realm’s most powerful combat force, the Divine Lord Jiang Bai, who had once defeated the Divine Attractor, was undergoing reincarnation in the Mortal Realm. There was almost no one in the Divine Realm who could withstand the might of Jiang Ruoyu. Even though she hadn’t shown any aggressive behavior towards the Divine Realm at present, everyone in the Divine Realm still felt threatened.

This restless atmosphere naturally spread to the gathering place of the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan.

Thus, after Song Xu Yi’s one-year seclusion, her father woke her up…

Song Xu Yi’s expression looked extremely bad. Currently, Jiang Ruoyu was distributing portraits everywhere, asking if anyone in the Divine Realm had seen the woman depicted in the portrait. However, the woman in the portrait was unknown to others, so how could Song Xu Yi, who was behind the creation of that woman, not recognize her?

After much contemplation, and with the situation becoming increasingly uncontrollable, Father Song decided to wake Song Xu Yi up..

“Xu Yi, if Jiang Ruoyu continues like this, it’s highly likely to bring calamity and chaos to the Three Realms, provoking the wrath of countless beings,” after explaining the current situation to Song Xu Yi, Father Song sighed deeply as he observed her stunned expression. “Xu Yi, this matter originated from you, and you should shoulder the responsibility—”

Song Xu Yi never expected the situation to develop into this state, but seeing that the Three Realms were on the brink of turmoil, despite her fear, she approached Jiang Ruoyu.

Of course, Song Xu Yi could no longer continue as Liu Yi. She restored her original appearance and appeared once again in the divine statue within Jiang Ruoyu’s palace.

In Song Xu Yi’s mind, only a short time had passed, but Jiang Ruoyu’s sleeping quarters underwent a tremendous transformation. The entire chamber was decorated extravagantly, adorned with various brilliant and dazzling jewels and ornaments, exuding an air of extreme opulence. However, what made Song Xu Yi uneasy was that the whole room was filled with Jiang Ruoyu’s intense aura. At the foot of the bed and beneath the tables and chairs, one could see long, shimmering chains made of Mystical Iron…

Mystical Iron was the number one Divine Weapon in the Three Realms, and even gods could not break free from such a chain.

Jiang Ruoyu was not present in the sleeping quarters.

The more Song Xu Yi looked around, the more peculiar the surroundings seemed to her. Subconsciously wanting to escape, she was horrified to discover that she could no longer leave Jiang Ruoyu’s sleeping quarters—

Almost as soon as Song Xu Yi entered, Jiang Ruoyu sensed that someone had intruded into her chambers.

In the beginning, Jiang Ruoyu didn’t pay much attention to it because during this period, there were gods attempting to assassinate her at irregular intervals. It was only after handling official matters that she spared a trace of her consciousness to investigate who had intruded into her sleeping quarters.

In the dim light, there she was, accidentally knocking over the ink on the table. However, when Jiang Ruoyu saw Song Xu Yi clearly, her emotions became incredibly complex…

The Divine Goddess Sister had come!

In her heart, Jiang Ruoyu had actually been anticipating that the Divine Goddess Sister would come looking for her during this time, and she felt overwhelmed with guilt: the Divine Goddess Sister had raised her, but she had turned against her and her entire race…

Despite the overwhelming complexity of her emotions, Jiang Ruoyu immediately returned to the palace.

Regardless, the Divine Goddess Sister was still her benefactor, and Jiang Ruoyu couldn’t treat her with indifference.

Jiang Ruoyu originally thought that she had already set her heart on someone else, and seeing the Divine Goddess Sister wouldn’t stir any waves in her heart. However, after getting closer to the Divine Goddess Sister, Jiang Ruoyu realized that her heart was uncontrollably beating rapidly again, as if she had returned to the state of wanting to stick to the Divine Goddess Sister when she was young…

Was she really such an indecisive person?

Jiang Ruoyu despised herself immensely, yet her gaze couldn’t help but stick to Song Xu Yi, refusing to move away.

Due to feeling guilty, after the initial pleasantries, Song Xu Yi didn’t dare to meet Jiang Ruoyu’s gaze. With a lowered head, she straightforwardly explained her purpose, essentially advising Jiang Ruoyu not to continue being enemies with the Three Realms.

However, for a good while, Jiang Ruoyu didn’t respond.

Unable to bear it any longer, Song Xu Yi raised her head, but Jiang Ruoyu had already composed herself. She didn’t agree to Song Xu Yi’s words, keeping her head low, and her tone even carried a hint of inexplicable indifference: “Sister Xu Yi, after a long separation, let’s not discuss irrelevant matters.”

Song Xu Yi didn’t expect Jiang Ruoyu to have such an attitude. It was the first time Jiang Ruoyu had refused Song Xu Yi’s request.

Could Jiang Ruoyu be so deeply obsessed with that ‘Liu Yi’?

Song Xu Yi felt even more guilty.

Song Xu Yi didn’t dare to chat with Jiang Ruoyu for too long. Before long, she had Jiang Ruoyu undo the restrictions and return to her cave through the divine statue. Before leaving, Song Xu Yi couldn’t help but turn back to take one last look. Jiang Ruoyu’s head was lowered, and the sunlight shining on her made her appear incredibly desolate. Suddenly, Song Xu Yi couldn’t bring herself to look anymore.

Feeling guilty, the next day, Song Xu Yi sought out Jiang Ruoyu once again.

This time, Song Xu Yi’s intentions were not as obvious. She accompanied Jiang Ruoyu to the garden beside the palace to relax. In the garden, flowers were in full bloom, and Jiang Ruoyu stood out like the most splendid blossom. Song Xu Yi gazed at the now even more vibrant Jiang Ruoyu, and though she knew she shouldn’t, her heart started beating rapidly once more…

However, Jiang Ruoyu remained somewhat indifferent to her, and Song Xu Yi didn’t mind. In fact, Jiang Ruoyu’s attitude reassured Song Xu Yi: It proved that Jiang Ruoyu didn’t recognize her.

Persistently, Song Xu Yi went to dissuade Jiang Ruoyu day after day. Thanks to her father’s mediation, other deities, aware that Song Xu Yi had recently been in contact with the Divine Attractor, didn’t come to attack Jiang Ruoyu. As long as Jiang Ruoyu let go of her obsession, peace would return to the Three Realms.

Every day, Song Xu Yi worried about Jiang Ruoyu, and in the end, she decided to stay in Jiang Ruoyu’s shrine, watching over her as she slept and handled political affairs on time…

As long as she didn’t mention convincing Jiang Ruoyu to give up on finding ‘Liu Yi,’ Jiang Ruoyu would comply with everything else.

Song Xu Yi was determined to help Jiang Ruoyu get back on her feet. She had been avoiding the topic of ‘Liu Yi,’ but after taking care of Jiang Ruoyu for about half a month, Song Xu Yi felt it was time. After preparing a bowl of soup for Jiang Ruoyu, Song Xu Yi watched her earnestly drinking it and softly spoke up, “Ruoyu, there are plenty of good things beyond the horizon. That palace maid abandoned you, and who knows what her reasons were. Don’t let yourself be trapped in it—it’s just holding you back.”

“I won’t let her go.” However, Song Xu Yi didn’t expect Jiang Ruoyu to remain as stubborn as ever, saying, “She is mine.”

“She belongs to herself!” Song Xu Yi was both anxious and angry, unable to help but retort, “And she’s not all that great either. In fact, she’s heartless and unfaithful. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have left you right after sleeping with you—”

Jiang Ruoyu’s hand holding the spoon paused, and her body became visibly stiff. Song Xu Yi thought she had touched a sore spot and, after calming down, felt some regret. Just as she was about to change the topic, Jiang Ruoyu suddenly raised her head and, for the first time since their reunion, looked directly into Song Xu Yi’s eyes. It was then that Song Xu Yi noticed that Jiang Ruoyu’s eyes were brimming with tears—

“You are right. She is heartless and unfaithful, treating my sincere feelings like a worn-out shoe, full of lies and not a single word of truth. I was blind, and it’s only now that I realize it—” Jiang Ruoyu spoke slowly, enunciating each word, and locked her gaze onto Song Xu Yi’s eyes.

The author has something to say:

Sob, sob, sob, I still haven’t finished writing. I’ll continue to work hard on it and try to finish it tonight. If I accidentally fall asleep, I’ll aim to release the grand finale of this little world before 10 a.m. tomorrow.