Chapter 1601: An Internal Contradiction

Word that Ye Zichen was the Master of the Emperor Star was no secret to the great emperors, but they’d yet to announce it publicly. Within the group chat, due to the Divine Arbiter’s presence, they addressed Ye Zichen as “Alliance Head Ye.”

When he opened his celestial eye, they’d used Xue Tie to disguise Ye Zichen’s status. No matter how you looked at it, they’d concealed it perfectly.

But now the Divine Arbiter seemed so certain that Ye Zichen was the Master of the Stars! All of them were shocked, but on the surface, they showed no sign of any reaction.

“Hah…” In the face of their deception, the Divine Arbiter simply covered her mouth and laughed. “There’s no need for you to act like this. Your deception might have tricked the unintelligent, but it wasn’t enough to fool me. I’ve always known that that Xue Tie kid is just there to pull the wool over our eyes. The true Emperor Star is Ye Zichen, no doubt about it.”

“What are you trying to say?” asked Xuan Ji.

“I am clearly well aware that Ye Zichen is the Master of the Emperor Star, yet I went ahead and told the God Emperor that the Emperor Star was most likely Xue Tie. Isn’t that enough?” Even in the face of the great emperors’ direct gazes, the Divine Arbiter didn’t hide or shrink back at all. Furthermore, everything she said now was true; she had no guilty conscience, nor did she feel any fear. 

“I hid the truth of the identity of the Emperor Star for you. Isn’t that enough proof of my sincerity? You ought to know that the God Emperor has been searching for the Emperor Star’s whereabouts all this time.”

All of them looked at the Divine Arbiter standing at the center of  their group, their faces showing a wide range of expressions.

If it was really as she said, then they really did owe her an enormous favor. There was no way they’d question the God Emperor’s faith in the Divine Arbiter. If she said Ye Zichen was the Emperor Star, then the God Emperor would act against him without hesitation.

The Divine Arbiter going along with their deception had saved them an enormous amount of trouble. However, Xuan Ji’s expression was still dark.

This didn’t seem like the Divine Arbiter she knew. That is to say, this didn’t seem like the Divine Arbiter who’d always been wholeheartedly devoted to the God Emperor.

The Divine Arbiter was Zhou Wu’s most beloved. They were master and subordinate, but in private, they were lovers. The Divine Arbiter was unwaveringly loyal to Zhou Wu, and she’d give everything she had to complete missions for him. Furthermore, she aimed to complete them perfectly.

So why was she acting like this now?  

Simply because Zhou Wu’s behavior scared her to the point that she started hiding things from him?

“What good does this do you?” asked Xuan Ji. “I still can’t believe that you…. The Divine Arbiter, would hide anything from Zhou Wu, or do anything disadvantageous to him.”

“I said it already, I will never betray him. I’m doing this to save him.” The Divine Arbiter whipped her head around and stared intently into Xuan Ji’s eyes. “He’s gone completely insane. What I’m doing now is to save his life, letting him stand on his last legs a little longer. As for whether or not you trust me, I don’t care at all!”

Then, she fixed her gaze on Ye Zichen. “Since you’re the Emperor Star, they’ll naturally go along with your wishes. I’m here simply because I want you to promise me something.”

“What kind of promise?” Ye Zichen furrowed his brows.

“If Zhou Wu really goes down a twisted path and falls at your hands, I ask that, for my sake, you leave him a chance at life.” The Divine Arbiter’s gaze was intent and sincere. “That’s all I ask. So long as you agree, I can tell you anything you want to know. And you… You don’t need to trust me. I don’t need your trust!” 

Silence. 

Her eyes blazed like torches, but Ye Zichen felt rather hesitant. He could sense she was showing true emotion, but he couldn’t tell whether her words were true or false.

“It’s fine, just agree.” 

To his surprise, just as he was hesitating, Xuan Ji’s voice rang out in his sea of consciousness. 

She’d been the one to ask the most questions about the Divine Arbiter, and she was the one who harbored the deepest suspicions. But in the end, she was also the first to urge Ye Zichen to agree.

Once he heard Xuan Ji’s advice, Ye Zichen made up his mind.

Actually, even without her chiming in, he was about ready to agree. Xuan Ji’s transmission had just firmed up his resolve. 

“Alright,” he said. “I agree.”

When she heard that, the Divine Arbiter was so happy, tears streaked down her cheeks. She looked at Ye Zichen, eyes bloodshot, and bit her lip. She could barely speak; all she could manage was a “thank you.” 

The Jade Pool Palace Master couldn’t help but ask, “What exactly is Zhou Wu up to, to make you act like this?”

The Divine Arbiter coldly refused to answer. “My apologies, but I can’t tell you that. I said it; I won’t betray him. I can provide you with all kinds of intelligence in the future, but I can’t touch upon his personal secrets.”

After refusing to answer the Jade Pool Palace Master’s questions, she turned to Ye Zichen, smiled, and nodded. “I didn’t come in vain. I’ll trust Shen Yu and Little Shi to your care. Train them well. They’ve been clever and talented from a young age, and they won’t disappoint you.

“But I’m afraid I can’t linger too long. The God Emperor’s trust in me is no longer what it once was. If I stick around, he might discover me. I’ll take my leave, then.”

The sky above them shattered like a glass mirror, and the Divine Arbiter slipped in between the cracks, disappearing before their very eyes.

Even after she left, the great emperors stood there in silence for quite some time. 

In the end, Zhao Qianhe was the first to speak. “Don’t you think what she said was an internal contradiction?”  

“Little sister, you’ve never been in love. You just don’t understand.” The Jade Pool Palace Master patted her on the shoulder, then looked up at the almost-healed patch of sky with pity. “She’s… a pitiful woman. Nevermind her words; her very heart is at odds with itself.”

“I really don’t know what Zhou Wu did to make the Divine Arbiter so devoted to him,” said Great Emperor Bi’an.

“I’m actually more curious about what exactly Zhou Wu is up to,” said the Ocean Emperor. The others nodded their agreement; all of them were curious. How dark and insidious must it be to scare the Divine Arbiter so badly? 

“Alright, don’t worry about that.” Xuan Ji gestured for them to move on; there was no need to bring it up again. “With her supplying information, our situation will improve a little. Whatever Zhou Wu’s up to, we’ll just have to counter it one step at a time. Our current situation doesn’t allow us to waste too much time and energy on him.”

With that, Xuan Ji turned her attention to Ye Zichen. “The Divine Arbiter knows that you’re the Emperor Star, so you’ll have to be even more careful in the future. I’ll finish reforging your Yiyuan Soul Pearl in the near future and give it back to you. I’ve delayed all this time because I was trying to find a way to preserve its memories. Anyway, the young talents are here, and both the Upheaval Alliance and the Profound Pavilion have fled here. What are you planning after this?”

“My plans?” Ye Zichen laughed. “I have far too many!”