Chapter 366: Classic Case of Screwing Myself Over
The flowing waters faded away.
Looking at the now-tranquil surface of the pool, a slightly dazed expression crossed the Empress's face, followed by a helpless sigh.
She had miscalculated.
The consumption of her mental energy had exceeded her original expectations. The remaining energy left to use on the second stage of the Imperial Pool's "Heart Mirror" technique had only allowed her to ask one more question, not two.
(Originally, I was planning to ask whether he minds if his Dao Companion is quite older than him... Oh well, perhaps it's for the best, it saves me from hearing something difficult to respond to.)
Just getting answers to those two questions had made the use of the Heart Mirror technique worthwhile.
At the very least... she could still continue trusting him.
"Turns out, everything aligns with my original suspicions."
"Putting the timeline together... The Demon Sect Holy Saint must have known of the Netherkin's plans from the start. The origin of the information probably comes from the Demon Sect Master, and is likely the real reason he came to the royal capital. The Demon Artifact Pavilion was merely a cover."
"He has his own motives for doing this, perhaps an enemy of his is among the forces behind this upcoming incident. That likely involves the Netherkin's Netherking as well."
"Compared to me, he identified the true enemy from the start, targeting the Netherking specifically, and he even secured an alliance with the Netherqueen... That must be linked to his first visit to the Red Blossom Pavilion. Though my Mortal Alter Ego didn't catch him that night when he went in, he most likely encountered the Netherqueen's avatar—Yao Ji the Courtesan—at that time."
The Empress spoke softly to herself as she walked across the surface of the pool, finally arriving at its edge.
She thought for a moment, then gathered up her palace gown slightly, slipped off her embroidered shoes and silk stockings, and sat on the stone by the poolside, dipping her snowy jade-like feet into the water.
Though the Imperial Pool was a rule-based artifact, when its powers weren't being actively invoked, it behaved like any ordinary space—and the water felt just like normal water.
Coolness spread from her toes upward, and the tangled thoughts that had filled her mind since earlier began to melt away.
Her thoughts gradually became calmer and more focused as she resumed her analysis.
"There are two possibilities here."
"One: The Holy Saint had long known of the Netherqueen's true identity, and the act of meeting her at the Red Blossom Pavilion was part of his plan. Two: Rather than a planned act, the Holy Saint just wanted to spend a good time in that brothel and made contact with the Netherqueen avatar by accident, but later on, he's able to connect the dots between the Courtesan and the Netherqueen…"
"The process doesn't matter. The result is that he was involved in the battle at Ascending Immortality Lake where the Netherqueen's seal was broken—and he acted as the wildcard that shattered the sealing formation. That's also what led me to momentarily distrust him."
In the end, it all stemmed from the fact that her interactions with that man were still too limited, so learning this had briefly shaken her.
It wasn't until she saw him yesterday, going all out to slay the chicken Netherkin—even to the point of exhausting all of his spiritual energy—that she snapped out of the doubts that had plagued her.
She still didn't know the Netherking's ultimate goal, but no matter how she looked at it, that chicken Netherkin had made it crystal clear that he and the Holy Saint of the Demon Sect were mortal enemies.
As for the possibility of the Chicken Netherkin doing an act to fool the Immortal Nation? Don't be ridiculous. The Netherkin didn't have that kind of brainpower.
The longer lifespans and various innate powers of the Netherkins came at a cost, their intelligence.
Most Netherkins were never particularly smart.
(Which is exactly why it's so surprising they managed to come up with a plot against the royal capital and hide for three full years… That's completely beyond what their average intelligence level should be capable of.)
Shaking her head, the Empress playfully kicked her feet in the water like an ordinary young girl, watching the droplets splash.
"After our conversation in the pavilion earlier, I've come to understand that... In order to counter the Netherkin's current scheme, freeing the Netherqueen wasn't necessarily a bad thing for the Immortal Nation."
"Only she could have provided such detailed intel on the Netherkin Nation..."
"Since she's at odds with the Netherking, then she's likely now in the Netherland, vying to reclaim her place as the Monarch of the Netherkin Nation."
"That's why Luo Wusheng said earlier that the Netherking doesn't have time, that he would act during or right after the Human Immortal List, and why he was certain the Netherqueen wouldn't intervene."
A faint smile bloomed on the young woman's face.
This time, the alliance between her Immortal Nation and the Netherqueen's camp was essentially formed through a single individual, all without them making any direct communication.
"I just don't know what kind of attitude he holds toward the Netherqueen… After all, they met in a brothel. Could it be that…"
Hmm, that probably didn't happen.
While Netherkins were generally not known for their intelligence, the Netherqueen had clearly reached a far higher level—there's no way she'd be so easily seduced.
Besides, considering the longevity of a Nine-Tailed Fox Netherkin, that woman had probably lived for centuries at the very least… and now she wants to pounce on some human youth?
How shameless.
The Empress, who was particularly sensitive about her own age, couldn't help but snort softly when she recalled how the rumors surrounding the Wandering Immortal Inn incident involved that particular courtesan as well.
And when she thought about how yesterday, the Holy Saint had journeyed to Qifeng City accompanied by not one but two seventeen-year-old girls in the bloom of youth, a conflicted look reappeared on her face.
But she quickly gave her cheeks a light slap.
(I've already stopped caring about the fact that he's younger than me, but…. would he have a problem with my age?)
(Even though the thoughts in his mind… are bold enough to make me want to slap him to death, when he pushed me down, he didn't hesitate one bit…)
With those thoughts, the Empress raised her hand, red sleeves fluttering.
A jade bangle glowing with moonlight and starlight reflected on the surface of the pool.
"If one day I told him that I never had a sister, that Ji Yanyao was me, and Kirin was me as well… I wonder what he'd think then."
"Ah—speaking of which, before I return to imperial robes and continue dealing with Netherkin-related messes, there's still one more thing I need to take care of."
She gently tapped her temple with one finger.
———
On a side path outside the Immortal Life Pool.
The Demon Sect's Holy Saint and Holy Maiden walked with Miss Kirin along the path out of the palace.
Back when the Empress had somehow altered the question posed by the water-formed avatar in the Imperial Pool, Luo Wusheng had sensed something unusual.
From the moment he projected his consciousness into the water construct, he had felt his awareness split in two, with his main consciousness entering the water avatar, while a secondary consciousness remained in his real body to provide simple responses. Thankfully, this setup prevented his Junior Sister from noticing anything amiss.
But after that mysterious change, he suddenly felt the two consciousnesses swap roles, his awareness flipped.
And seeing that his water-avatar self was now solemnly declaring himself the Empress's "partner," Luo Wusheng decided to seize the opportunity and quietly leave the palace—just in case the Empress's attention returned to the pool and she made any connections.
After all, just a few playful remarks from his water-avatar self had nearly gotten his kidneys crippled for a month. If she learned he had actually been present and listening the entire time…
She'd probably drag him into a mutual annihilation on the spot.
Thus, the current scene played out.
Luo Wusheng walked behind the always-cool and aloof Miss Kirin, deep in thought.
(She really looks like she has no idea what happened in the Imperial Pool… which means I was right, her "Trinity of Pristine States" avatars don't have a real-time memory sync?)
The thought had barely formed when he suddenly felt her aura tremble.
Miss Kirin's steps briefly faltered, but she barely managed to maintain her composure and keep walking.
Only… her pace suddenly sped up.
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