Chapter 106: Forsaking Ancestral Legacy

“Ouxinya and Shan Qing’er have both changed their names and become members of the royal family of the Suzaku Kingdom,” Ye Zifei said calmly.

“Going undercover?” Ouxinlai raised an eyebrow. This was a common tactic among modern people, so hearing that Ouxinya and Shan Qing’er had done this didn’t strike Ouxinlai as particularly strange. “Oh, they’re in disguise, but don’t think I won’t recognize them!”

No matter when they met, how could she fail to recognize Ouxinya and Shan Qing’er? They thought they had found a protective umbrella, but in reality, they had just provided Ouxinlai with valuable clues.

Since Ouxinya and Shan Qing’er had acquired identities within the Suzaku royal family, those backing them were certainly no ordinary figures—likely closely connected to the royal lineage itself.

Previously, despite Ouxinlai’s long infiltration in the Suzaku Kingdom and her acquaintance with the entire Shan family, she had uncovered nothing significant. But this time, the actions of Ouxinya and Shan Qing’er gave Ouxinlai a very clear direction.

It seemed fate was at play. Just as Ouxinlai was pondering how to meet with Shan Qing’er, especially Ouxinya, an imperial edict arrived summoning her to the palace to pay respects to the emperor.

Ouxinlai realized she had been careless. When they had been in the Immortal Pool Ruins, Ouxinya had fought alongside her for the treasure. Although she hadn’t thoroughly examined the treasure after returning, with a half-wild beast by her side, Ouxinya certainly wanted that treasure desperately.

Since the treasure had ended up with Ouxinlai, Ouxinya would not let it go easily—she would surely try to retrieve it from her.

To ordinary people, who dares not heed the emperor’s command?

If Ouxinlai obeyed the imperial edict and entered the palace, she would face pressure from all sides. As an outsider in the Suzaku Kingdom, would she dare to confront the entire realm? She would be overwhelmed and suffocated by their disdain.

“Are you really going into the palace?” Ye Zifei asked after seeing Ouxinlai receive the edict.

“Of course, why wouldn’t I?” Ouxinlai smiled confidently. She intended to go.

Ye Zifei nodded without objection and let Ouxinlai follow the royal attendants into the palace.

Ouxinlai had never been to the palace of the Genbu Kingdom, but upon entering the Suzaku Kingdom’s palace, she immediately realized it was very different from the world she knew. In her world, people were ordinary; here, they all possessed extraordinary abilities.

Even the emperor’s palace was far grander and more imposing than the Forbidden City of modern times—red walls and green tiles, glazed eaves, white jade steps, pine and stone rockeries—an overwhelming spectacle. Ouxinlai, like a country bumpkin visiting the Grand View Garden, scanned every detail with her sharp eyes.

The attendant guiding her sneered coldly, thinking someone like Ouxinlai was too unsophisticated and ignorant to be taken seriously. Her rustic appearance was embarrassing and ridiculous—a complete embarrassment, especially since she wasn’t even from the Suzaku Kingdom.

Ouxinlai was well aware of the disdain in the attendant’s gaze but feigned ignorance, observing everything carefully without missing a single detail.

After winding through the intricate palace corridors, Ouxinlai’s head nearly spun, but she finally arrived at the main hall of the Suzaku royal palace. Fortunately, as a semi-cultivator, she had enough stamina to endure the long walk, though her flushed face betrayed the exertion she had just gone through.

Seeing her endurance, the guide silently nodded. He had been ordered by the emperor to deliberately take this unimpressive woman on a convoluted route through the palace—though the destination was close, he made her walk several extra loops, moving in circles toward the center.

Even so, he failed to wear her down. Judging by her stamina, this woman was not easy to handle. The guide himself had cheated by taking a spirit-restoring blue pill midway to maintain his energy without showing fatigue.

As they neared the main hall, Ouxinlai briskly stepped forward and lightly tapped the guide’s shoulder. “Sorry, too much walking—my legs are a bit weak.”

The guide was momentarily stunned but then expressed understanding and led her inside.

Once the guide began to leave, he felt an unbearable soreness in his legs, as if the earlier blue pill had been wasted. Gritting his teeth, he took another pill. Whether the first was defective or expired, he could not tell.

Ouxinlai smiled inwardly. Though she disliked carrying red or blue pills herself, living beings around her were her medicine. She had just transferred all her fatigue to the guide through yin-yang energy exchange, absorbing his abundant vigor in return.

“Greetings to the sovereign of the Suzaku Kingdom,” Ouxinlai said upon seeing Cao Xinshuo, bowing deeply but not kneeling. As a modern person and not a native of Suzaku, she was uncomfortable kneeling before a man of similar age.

The guide scowled at her attitude, itching to reprimand her, but Cao Xinshuo shook his head and solemnly turned to Ouxinlai. “Are you the girl who lives with the Shan family?”

“Yes,” Ouxinlai nodded. “You can guess.”

“Rumors say the Immortal Pool Ruins have been compromised, possibly sealed forever. Do you have anything to say about this, Miss Ni?” Cao Xinshuo regarded the woman known as “Ni Cai,” reputed to be very capable. She had an ordinary appearance, easily overlooked in a crowd, yet her eyes were striking.

With Ni Cai’s talents, serving as an imperial physician would be no problem, but she had refused. Otherwise, there would be no need for the emperor to summon her personally.

Recalling Ouxinya’s words, Cao Xinshuo resolved not to let Ni Cai go easily—he must find a way to obtain the treasure she had taken from the Immortal Pool Ruins. If the Suzaku Kingdom controlled this treasure, it would gain tremendous advantage in dealings with the other three kingdoms.

“I have heard of you before—you saved the Cao brothers last time, didn’t you?” Cao Xinshuo began politely.

“Yes, and all thanks have been given. There’s no need to revisit the past,” Ouxinlai replied, decisively closing the topic.

“Ni Cai, I know you are very talented. Our Suzaku Kingdom needs people like you. Would you be willing to stay here permanently and become a citizen? Of course, I would treat you well. If you agree, I could grant you an official position and endless wealth and honor.”

Cao Xinshuo dangled a grand offer, hoping to entice Ouxinlai.

But she shook her head. The bigger the prize, the heavier the price. Accepting such terms would cost her dearly—she refused.

“I am from the Genbu Kingdom. Even if I am here, I will return one day. I am, and always will be, a Genbu subject. I appreciate Your Majesty’s kindness,” she said politely.

The emperor’s efforts to gain the treasure were indeed painstaking, and his offer tempting. A person driven by ambition might have been swayed.

“Don’t be ungrateful!” the guide snapped angrily at Ouxinlai. “Know that this is the Suzaku Kingdom, and the emperor is gracious to inquire of you. If you harbor ill intent, it will cost you your life. Do you think you can return to the Genbu Kingdom?”

Since the emperor could not threaten her directly, his attendant did it for him.

“Step back!” Cao Xinshuo ordered firmly. The guide obeyed but cast fierce glances at Ouxinlai from the sidelines.

Ouxinlai smiled. This was a mix of carrot and stick.

“Good thing I refused. Even if I had accepted, with people like this around, life in Suzaku would be unbearable. In their eyes, I will always be an outsider. ‘Not of our kind, their hearts are strange.’ Why bother?” she bluntly exposed their hypocrisy.

Even if she had agreed and renounced her Genbu identity, how could the emperor be sure she wouldn’t abandon Suzaku for greater gains in the future? People who easily changed sides were the least trustworthy and the least likely to be entrusted with power.

“Actually, if you choose not to stay, that’s fine. But since you entered the Immortal Pool Ruins through Suzaku’s people, you must hand over the treasure you obtained,” Cao Xinshuo’s patience was exhausted—he spoke plainly.

“Why should I surrender what I found? If the roles were reversed, would you give it up?” Ouxinlai retorted with a smile.

Cao Xinshuo’s expression darkened. Since ascending the throne, no one had dared mock him like this. This woman was truly audacious.

“Hmph. If you refuse, don’t expect to step outside the borders of Suzaku!” He was done wasting words.

He hadn’t forgotten what Zhu Zixin said—that Ni Cai had acquired a great treasure in the Immortal Pool Ruins. If Suzaku possessed it, their people would dominate the Four Nations Conference.

For this reason, Cao Xinshuo was determined to extract the treasure from Ni Cai’s possession.

Ouxinlai touched her right hand, noting its smooth skin that subtly reflected light, different from her left hand.

No one knew what the treasure from the Immortal Pool Ruins really looked like.

In truth, the treasure Cao Xinshuo sought was right under his nose.

After obtaining it, Ouxinlai found the treasure had transformed from solid to liquid. When her right hand touched it, the liquid spread over her skin, forming a thin, transparent layer—like a second skin.

She constantly displayed this treasure before Cao Xinshuo, but he neither saw nor noticed.

“By the way, could you tell me who told you about this? Was it her?” Ouxinlai suddenly pointed at a woman hiding in the corner eavesdropping, then made a pulling gesture, drawing her out.

She recognized her immediately—it was Ouxinya.

But now, Ouxinya wore a crimson dress embroidered with a golden phoenix spreading its wings, captivating all eyes.

“Zhu Zixin, are you all right?” Cao Xinshuo asked, though he disliked Zhu Zixin (who was Ouxinya), he still feigned concern. The elders of the Feng family valued Zhu Zixin greatly, even considering making her empress.

Cao Xinshuo was displeased. Since the Suzaku emperor no longer bore the surname Zhu, why insist on a Zhu woman as empress? Was the Zhu family planning to restore the kingdom’s original name?

“Your Majesty, I am fine,” Zhu Zixin replied, shaking her head and then looking triumphantly at Ouxinlai. She didn’t believe Ouxinlai would dare enter the palace and still proudly refuse to hand over the treasure, unwilling to yield even to death.

If so, fine. When Ouxinlai died, she could retrieve the treasure from her body.

“Tsk tsk, changed your name and even abandoned your ancestors. So the emperor of the Suzaku Kingdom lured me here because there’s a shameless traitor like you in the Genbu Kingdom,” Ouxinlai said bluntly, tearing away Ouxinya’s false phoenix facade.

———End of Aside———