[The Emperor's Resolve]
Night hung heavy over the Ten Thousand Scales Palace. The wind howled outside, but inside, the silence was suffocating.
Si Chengjing (The Emperor) sat alone upon the imperial throne, his black-gold robes sprawling across the jade steps. He slowly turned a Yao-etched seal ring in his hand. Beside him stood Zhao Wei, the elder shadow guard.
"He said... he is no longer your blade," Zhao Wei reported in a low voice. "He also said that if you touch that woman again, he will turn his hand and... pierce your heart."
A deathly silence followed. After a long while, the Emperor placed the seal back on the desk. The movement was light, yet the pressure felt like a mountain.
"That child... has finally learned to say 'I'," he said calmly, though his tone was more chilling than a roar. "I thought he would understand. A life saved from the Death Row Camp does not belong to oneself."
He looked into the shadows. "Thirteen when he killed his first, eighteen when he turned the Shadow Army—so much blood and scheme. If he were just a blade, he wouldn't know pain. Unfortunately, he does."
His gaze sharpened. "He feels pain because of that girl. Then... we shall sever the root of that pain."
The Emperor turned to Zhao Wei. "Three days until the Ask-Yao Assembly. Let Yirou strike first and force the girl into the game. If he insists on protecting her, he shall watch his own helplessness. If he dares to act... he shall personally shatter the beliefs he thinks he holds."
He rose, turning his back to the palace lights. "He can cease to be my blade... but if he chooses to be my enemy, then I, the Imperial Sword, shall personally break my son's rebellious spirit."
[The Queen's Shadow]
In the Yunhua Palace, Queen Mu Yao sat by her incense burner. Her tea had gone cold. She had just heard the Emperor's command to turn the Assembly into a trap of love, fate, and blood.
Over the years, she had seen through the iron and calculation in the Emperor's heart. He had made her Queen to stabilize the realm, but she knew it was merely a projection of his obsession with the late Mu Yun-zhao. There was no room left in that man for love—only the throne.
She no longer sought his gaze. She had long known she did not belong to "affection." But she could not let go of two people.
One was Prince Moyan. He was kind and gentle, but too soft-hearted. She feared he would be crushed by the coming waves.
The other was Si Yirou—her only daughter. She had poured all her unachieved glory into Yirou, teaching her to read power and hide her heart. But now, the appearance of the girl from another world had shaken everything.
"If emotion is a flaw, then I shall sever it," Mu Yao murmured to the moon. "But Yirou... if you believe that too, you will never become a true Saintess."
[The Mother and Daughter]
Si Yirou entered her mother's chambers, her steps light yet cold. "Mother, you sent for me?"
Mu Yao looked at her daughter. Yirou was smarter and prouder than she had ever been. "The Ask-Yao Assembly is at hand. It is not just a trial for that girl, but... a trial for yourself."
"I understand," Yirou said coldly. "She only relies on a watch and sweet words to win the Five Yao. Such a person is easily broken."
"Do you really think she won their hearts with just 'sweet words' and looks?" Mu Yao's tone held a hint of reprimand. "If she were that shallow, the Yao-world would have torn her apart long ago."
"Then... you believe her too?" Yirou's voice faltered with a hint of bitterness. "You said emotion is a flaw."
"It is a flaw," Mu Yao looked at the moon. "But that is why it is the hardest to defend against. I taught you to hide your heart because deep emotions lead one astray. But Yirou, I severed my feelings because I had no choice. You are different. If you view emotion as an enemy, you will merely live as my shadow."
"I don't want to lose," Yirou whispered.
"Neither do I," Mu Yao's gaze softened. "But victory does not come from imitating me. You are not me... so do not live like me. In the Assembly, be steady and firm. If Gu Xingyu is truly the chosen one, she will survive this storm. If she is not, she won't last. If you defeat her, it is your destined glory; but if you don't, do not be in a rush to destroy her."
[The High Priest's Mirror]
In the Youguan Hall, Feng Mian watched the water mirror. A message charm dissolved into green smoke.
"Si Yirou... is holding the Ask-Yao Assembly?" He laughed, a sound that would make one's heart skip a beat. "To strike at Gu Xingyu, you would even bring out this ancient rite. You truly will stop at nothing."
He pushed the surface of the mirror, revealing the figures of the Five Yao and Gu Xingyu. "The Ask-Yao Assembly was originally a secret temple rite to test if a soul can bear the Yao-force. If she fails, her name as Saintess will be questioned by the entire realm. But if she succeeds... hah, Si Yirou, you will have personally pushed her to the highest throne."
His fingers touched the star chart. "Gu Xingyu... let me see if you can truly step into the title of 'Saintess' through this interrogation."