A moment ago, on the other side.
The room was unlit, and Yan Xue sat by the bed, stroking her soft, black hair.
In the darkness, a figure slowly appeared.
Yan Xue let go of her hair, bowed her head, and knelt down. "Master."
The figure gradually materialized, and Bai Ran emerged from the shadows.
She casually sat on a nearby chair, clasped her hands, and looked at the person kneeling before her.
"I received your letter. Can you tell me what's going on?"
Yan Xue nodded, stood up, and touched her face with slender, fair fingers.
She peeled off a layer of skin, removing the disguise to reveal her true face.
It was Qing Xue!
"Six months ago, I arrived here. The first time Zhuo Yu saw me, he harbored ill intentions," Qing Xue said slowly.
"I didn't take it to heart at first, but by chance, I discovered Zhuo Yu's secret."
"He's a demonized person," Bai Ran said, propping her chin, the black energy swirling around her revealing her identity.
Qing Xue nodded. She had never encountered a demonized person with self-awareness before.
"His strength is immense, and I'm no match for him. So, I agreed to stay by his side and lie low."
The fake Zhuo Yu's strength was at the sixth stage of the Golden Core realm. Even with Qing Xue's diligent cultivation, she had only just reached the ninth stage of Foundation Establishment, completely unable to contend with him.
"He's not the real Crown Prince. The real Crown Prince has been imprisoned by him."
Bai Ran tapped her fingers on the table. "In other words, he impersonated the Crown Prince, transformed into Zhuo Yu's appearance, and became the new Emperor."
A demonized person with special abilities...
And with self-awareness...
This was indeed troublesome.
"What is his objective?" Bai Ran asked.
Qing Xue looked up at Bai Ran, her eyes filled with anger. "To turn humans with outstanding talent into demonized people."
"He is the leader of the demonized people in the Vermilion Bird Kingdom. After the demonized people were annihilated, he hid in the Black Tortoise Kingdom. After becoming Emperor, he has been unrestrained in turning humans into demonized people."
Qing Xue gritted her teeth, her heart burning with rage.
Bai Ran stood up and gently stroked Qing Xue's head. "You've worked hard."
Bai Ran saw everything she had done.
Qing Xue's eyes were filled with resentment and grievance. To get close to Zhuo Yu, she had to pretend to be that way.
It also allowed her to send messages to Bai Ran when he wasn't paying attention.
Even though she felt disgusted inwardly, she remained alluring and clingy on the surface. Only by doing so could she lower Zhuo Yu's guard and extract so much information.
"It is Qing Xue's honor to be able to share your worries, Master," she said, lowering her head.
A gentle breeze blew through the window, softly caressing Qing Xue's face.
"You've done very well," Bai Ran's voice was gentle. In the darkness, her figure once again became indistinct.
In the grand hall, the tense atmosphere was about to erupt.
Fang Tianhui shot Qin Mu Bai a look, "What should we do?"
Qin Mu Bai understood Fang Tianhui's thoughts, and his body was already stiff with tension.
"Well, have you thought about it?"
Zhuo Yu sat lazily on the throne, propped his chin, and looked condescendingly at the two surrounded individuals.
"Don't even think about it! We will never agree!" Qin Mu Bai shouted through gritted teeth.
Zhuo Yu's face instantly turned gloomy.
"You refuse the toast and insist on a beating. It seems I've been too patient," he stood up and looked down at them.
Zhuo Yu raised his hand and waved. The guards immediately drew their swords and approached the two.
Qin Mu Bai drew his spear, and Fang Tianhui, holding her jade-bone fan, was about to make a move.
"Your Majesty has such good taste," a clear and melodious female voice called out.
Zhuo Yu was startled and looked around. "Who!"
He turned his head and saw an extremely beautiful woman leaning against the imperial chair.
"Who are you?" Zhuo Yu asked warily, looking at Bai Ran. He couldn't sense her strength at all.
In such a situation, either she was wearing a treasure that concealed her strength, or her strength surpassed his, making him unable to sense it.
But Bai Ran possessed both.
"Sister Bai!" Fang Tianhui exclaimed excitedly.
If not for the guards surrounding them, the two would have almost rushed forward.
"The one who will take your dog life," Bai Ran smiled, looking at Zhuo Yu with interest.
She slowly straightened up and walked step by step in front of Qin Mu Bai and Fang Tianhui.
"It seems these guards have all become demonized people," Bai Ran said, looking at the hundreds of guards with vacant eyes before her.
Demonized people! Fang Tianhui's veins bulged, and her hand holding the jade-bone fan tightened.
How did she know!
Zhuo Yu clenched his fists. What did this person know!
"Kill this woman for me!" he yelled at the guards.
The guards, with vacant eyes, brandished their swords and mechanically slashed towards Bai Ran.
Fang Tianhui lowered her head and walked to Bai Ran's front.
"Sister Bai..." her heavy words seemed to be seeking Bai Ran's consent.
Bai Ran nodded. "Kill them."
The guards, already demonized, could not be restored. Death was the best outcome.
Fang Tianhui turned around, her head suddenly raised. Her beautiful face was filled with hatred as hundreds of guards charged at her.
She fanned her jade-bone fan with all her might.
"Wind Control Art."
Instantly, the air vibrated, and the gentle breeze transformed into highly aggressive wind blades, hurtling towards the enemy.
As the fan danced, omnipresent wind blades severed the heads of the guards one by one.
"So... so powerful..." Qin Mu Bai swallowed, watching the scene before him.
On one hand, he was shocked by Fang Tianhui's explosive power, and on the other, he felt heartache for her in such a state.
He saw her eyes were red, bloodshot, and she continuously brandished her fan.
At this moment, Qin Mu Bai truly understood how deep Fang Tianhui's hatred for demonized people was.
However, Fang Tianhui, alone, facing the desperate attacks of hundreds of guards, was still somewhat overwhelmed.
Her hands trembled incessantly, but she still gritted her teeth, controlling the fan.
"I'll help you," Qin Mu Bai said and rushed out, standing beside Fang Tianhui to fight together.
"Seeking death!" Zhuo Yu twisted his wrist, and a thin needle shot out.
The tiny needle threaded through the air, flying rapidly towards Fang Tianhui.
Bai Ran raised an eyebrow. "A petty trick."
She flicked her finger, and a silver needle shot out, knocking away Zhuo Yu's needle. It didn't stop and continued to fly rapidly towards Zhuo Yu.
He was startled and tried to dodge, but the silver needle was extremely fast and shot straight into his shoulder, piercing his flesh deeply.
Her strength was above his!
Zhuo Yu knew something was wrong. He clutched his injured shoulder and tried to escape.
"Trying to run?" Zhuo Yu trembled at the voice from behind him.
Bai Ran, with her arms crossed, stood behind him.
"You like needles? Then I'll let you have your fill," she snapped her fingers, and countless silver needles materialized in the air.
The Nine Twisting Death Needles originally consisted of only nine. However, under the control of spiritual energy, they could be replicated infinitely.
"Wait! Spare me!" Zhuo Yu trembled and knelt down.
"I! I can provide you with information!"
Upon hearing this, Bai Ran stopped her actions. Zhuo Yu knelt, a sinister smile spreading across his face.