Chapter 184: The Princess

After a night of snow and wind, the sky over the Snow Domain gradually brightened.

But the post-snow cold mist was so thick that the streets were a blinding white.

At that moment, the demon merchants on Dengfeng Avenue suddenly heard the clinking of armor; they looked up and saw a group of imperial demon soldiers and officers escorting a crowd through the mist, heading toward the right peak of the towering Twin Peaks.

Thus, before the steaming steamers, the merchants paused their work and watched along the way.

Over a hundred people were being escorted; as they advanced, their figures gradually vanished into the mist, yet the clinking of their chains remained clear.

Then, the group marched against the knife-sharp snow and wind toward the mountain ridge.

The chieftains of the Scale Tribe and the Fang Tribe wore blank expressions, revealing no sorrow or joy.

They felt no regret—they were loyal to His Majesty.

The night's assassination and the allied forces' attack on Cold Iron Pass were no different; they fought for their tribes, and they knew His Majesty understood their hearts.

At this moment, the sun began to pierce through the cold mist; within the inner and outer cities of the Demon Emperor's City, rumors were already spreading.

Everyone knew the Scale and Fang tribes had attacked the Jade Garden's human envoys, but they knew none of the details or consequences—only that some had been imprisoned in the Cold Prison.

At this time, Ji You stepped out of his room, glanced at the crystal-clear icicles hanging from the eaves, then joined the others on the covered corridor, where Jin Guang slowly surfaced in his eyes.

The top of the right peak of the Twin Peaks housed the Demon Clan's Cold Prison—a dungeon that the demon race spoke of with dread.

It was not because of cruel interrogations or beatings within; merely the endless, unbroken white sight was enough to shatter one's mind during imprisonment.

Ji You used his spiritual sense to pierce the mist, watching as the Cold Prison's gates slowly opened and the participants of the assassination were led inside, then withdrew his gaze.

After the Jade Garden night raid, not a single human was injured; the Demon Emperor sent troops to arrest the Scale and Fang tribes; now came the time to make promises, after which they could return home.

Demon women have tails—a fact confirmed by the Demon Princess's rear, filling a major gap in human records about the demon race.

Additionally, they had found a wild knife.

But his hands could no longer move; he didn't know how long it would take to recover.

Moreover, something important had been seen by the Demon Princess's maid, and a bit of his purity had been lost.

Ji You silently weighed his gains and losses—and was still satisfied, for his greatest gain had been preventing the slaughter of Fengzhou's people.

But one thing was regrettable: he hadn't entered the legendary demon treasure vault.

Stealing violated professional ethics; Ji You, aspiring to be a fearsome bandit, only wanted to rob—and robbery meant taking something while someone watched, and they dared not make a sound.

But the vault belonged to the Demon Emperor; this might not be possible…

No matter; remember the location, train harder, and deal with it later.

"The demon-civilian alliance matter will likely be put on hold for now."

Ji You spoke softly: "But only for now—because the demon race's goal of returning to the Nine Provinces won't change. This escort of the Scale and Fang tribes up Snow Peak is probably meant for our eyes; they won't face real punishment."

Those on the corridor now also turned to gaze at the snow-capped peak, barely able to make out the figures trudging through the snow.

"People of the Demon Emperor's stature consider matters far more complex than we can grasp—we can't guess their motives, but fortunately, the outcome is what we wanted."

"It seems we can return…"

"Mm."

Ji You nodded, then lifted his gaze: "Has winter arrived in the Nine Provinces yet?"

Gongshu Chou nodded: "By now, it should be about time."

"After winter passes, spring plowing begins."

Ji You was still thinking about returning to coordinate joint land reclamation.

At that moment, a tall figure emerged from the morning mist—slender waist, graceful steps, carrying a medicine chest, gazing toward Ji You on the corridor.

【Serious Physician, Here for Follow-up】

Seeing this, everyone turned to look at Ji You.

The Demon Princess had rushed here yesterday, seeing only Ji You—and now, early this morning, she'd returned again, her face seeming weary.

Gongshu Chou, standing on the corridor, glanced at him: "This Demon Princess seems quite taken with you."

Ji You looked at him: "Merely a doctor-patient relationship. She, too, opposes war—our ideals align."

"I doubt it. If so, why would a princess of her stature be so eager toward you?"

"A serious physician cares for her patient, and also seeks to soothe them. After an assassination, the Demon Emperor's line must send someone to calm us—the Princess's status shows sincerity."

"Then why does this sincerity target only you?"

"Keep solving your cases—who could outdo you…"

Ji You dropped the remark, turned to Princess Fengyang, and said, "Please."

He still didn't understand why Gongshu Chou held goodwill toward him, but the man was forty—he should be mature, composed, and wouldn't spread baseless gossip.

But he didn't know that Gongshu Chou's desire to return to the Nine Provinces and tell stories masked behind a veil was already stirring.

For in this journey, besides Ji You, who found the wild knife, his gains were the greatest.

These gains weren't physical objects, but priceless, almost intangible cultural material.

Hand-to-hand combat with barbarians, sword-slaying of a general, turning the tables on a demon officer—he felt his credibility would skyrocket.

Now, if you added that the Demon Princess, awed by his bravery, secretly admired him—it would be even more extraordinary.

The first three were direct boasts, perhaps sounding exaggerated, but the last one subtly and powerfully amplified Ji You's valor.

【No wonder Gongshu Senior Brother】

【Can Gongshu Senior Brother really go toe-to-toe with such a person?】

Gongshu Chou stood with his hands behind his back on the corridor, gazing calmly at the distant white, unsure how he'd ever endure the praise after returning.

At this moment, Ji You had followed Princess Fengyang back into the room; she lifted his arm and bent it several times.

Perhaps recalling yesterday's act of showing him her tail through clothing now seemed too forward—this Demon Princess was unusually quiet today, speaking little, merely holding Ji You's palm gently, her expression serene and beautiful, her movements soft and slow, occasionally yawning.

Ji You, like a proper gentleman, kept his eyes on his nose, his nose on his mouth, his mouth on his heart.

But he still wasn't sure if a follow-up visit required hand-holding.

Meanwhile, Ye Han arrived at Princess Fengyang's palace.

After searching everywhere, he found no trace of his sister, so he summoned her personal maid, Xiao Rou: "Where is Fengyang?"

"The Princess has gone out."

"Gone out?"

"To treat a human patient."

Ye Han froze: "When?"

Xiao Rou glanced at the sky: "Your Highness, around the Mao hour—just as dawn broke."

Ye Han opened his mouth, unsure what to say.

Though Princess Fengyang appeared refined and cultured, she had one bad habit known only to family.

She had always been a heavy sleeper, with terrible morning temper, usually rising only at the Si hour—she had never woken so early for anyone…

Meanwhile, the follow-up visit in the Spirit Garden had ended; Princess Fengyang kept her small hand in Ji You's for a while longer before slowly withdrawing it, then shouldering her medicine chest and returning to the palace.

Ye Han had not left—he was still waiting in the palace.

Seeing her elder brother's piercing gaze, Princess Fengyang spoke first: "I went to treat a human patient."

Ye Han looked at her, pondered long, then spoke: "Do you know those humans are leaving soon?"

"?"

"After the Scale and Fang participants in the assassination were locked in the Celestial Prison this morning, the palace sent word: His Majesty wishes to summon the human envoy delegation. I think their mission is over."

Princess Fengyang fell silent for a long while, then nodded: "That's good. Since their arrival in our Snow Domain, chaos has followed. If they stay longer, who knows what might happen? Their early departure isn't bad."

Ye Han blinked in surprise: "Aren't you quite taken with that human?"

"I merely admire him—he's brave and clever, and I'm naturally curious. But it's not what you think."

"You… you've left me speechless."

Ye Han had always feared his sister might be swept away by the humans; he'd come to warn her.

Though current circumstances allowed peaceful coexistence, without resolving the core issue of the Nine Provinces, future war was inevitable.

How could a Demon Princess, the eldest direct heir, fall for a human?

Yet he hadn't expected her to be so indifferent to the human's imminent departure—as if it meant nothing to her—and it left him bewildered.

Princess Fengyang noticed Ye Han's expression, thought deeply, then spoke: "Brother, do you think I like him?"

Ye Han snapped back: "You changed clothes to meet him, woke up early for him—aren't those signs?"

"I only said I admire him—he's brave and resourceful, and I'm naturally curious. But it's not what you imagine."

Princess Fengyang murmured, not feeling she was lying.

She opposed war between the demon race and humans, but having heard so many tales of the Nine Provinces since childhood, curiosity was inevitable.

On the day the human delegation arrived, she'd joined the welcome out of curiosity; later, as a physician, she met the human named Ji You often, and her curiosity shifted entirely to him.

Then came the night of the assassination—his meticulous thinking and bravery in slaying Shu He had deeply impressed her.

But demons and humans are not the same race; as a Demon Princess, even from a status standpoint, she could never love a human man.

Even if she showed him her tail, it was through clothing…

Ye Han blinked, thinking, I never thought of that—and relaxed.

Then, the sun slowly rose, and the cold mist gradually dispersed.

A demon minister arrived from the Demon Emperor's Palace, hurried into the Spirit Garden, and delivered the Demon Emperor's decree: he wished to summon the human envoy delegation once more.

The humans promptly went to the Demon Emperor's Palace, remaining there until noon.

After dining in the palace, they hurried back to the Spirit Garden to pack their belongings.

It's over…

From Cold Iron Pass through the Wilderness to the Snow Domain, after countless trials, this matter had finally ended.

The Demon Emperor simply spoke, promising not to ally with the barbarians.

As Ji You said, figures at the Emperor's level think of the world, of their race's survival or demise—their stature is so exalted that their perceptions are beyond ordinary comprehension.

The sudden actions of the Lin and Ya tribes were merely riding the tide; the Emperor's choice not to fight must have other reasons.

But this matter has nothing to do with them; all they wanted was a peaceful outcome, and with that achieved, their mission was complete.

Beyond the Nine Provinces, every land is a nest of strife; even if peace holds for now, no one forgets that night's ambush.

Thus, for them, the longer they stayed, the greater the risk—better to leave early.

In truth, since leaving Han Tie Pass, none of them had a single day without longing to return home.

At this moment, Ji You sat in the carriage, hands hanging at his sides, gazing at the vast white snowfields.

The peace between humans and demons is only temporary; perhaps one day, war will reignite…

At this moment, Ye Han had left the Princess's residence and arrived at the Emperor's Palace, gazing at the great Emperor seated upon the throne.

He had learned of the Emperor's decision—that the human envoy would depart—and still felt confused, so he came to ask.

The Emperor now held a scroll, upon which was drawn a vast map of the demonic snowlands.

After the Ancient War ended, the demon race migrated south to north, settling here; initially, their territory was only a small patch beneath the Twin Snow Peaks.

At that time, the surviving demon subjects numbered no more than a few thousand.

Later, after a thousand years of growth and recuperation, they learned to dig for food in snow, to fish in the ice-bound Eastern Sea, to carve through snow-capped mountains and clear snow-filled valleys; only then did their lives gradually stabilize to what they are today.

But the Emperor's lineage had never forgotten the ancestral duty: to lead their people back to the Nine Provinces.

Ye Han bowed deeply and spoke: "Father, did you never intend to wage war against the humans from the start?"

The Emperor's gaze swept over the scroll, lingered long, then closed it, and looked up at Ye Han: "You are right—I never intended to wage war against the humans now."

"If so, why did you receive the barbarian envoys earlier?"

"Because the demon race is not mine alone—it belongs to all demons."

The Emperor lifted his eyes, voice grave: "After the Qiling incident, court ministers began voicing desires to return to the Nine Provinces, and the sentiment grew stronger. I could not suppress it forcibly, for sometimes public will cannot be quelled even by imperial will. Thus, if I wished to avoid war, someone had to make a mistake."

Ye Han was utterly baffled: "Father, why do you refuse to wage war? Are we truly to abandon the Nine Provinces?"

"Abandon? No—only the timing is not right."

"The human race's destiny is already faltering. I don't understand what timing we're waiting for."

"I already said: the shattered Dao should collapse on its own, a new Dao should arise to choose worthy ancestors, then bestow the race's destiny and ignite the Holy War. But now I see only lifeless stillness—I see no new destiny landing anywhere."

Ye Han frowned tightly: "Could the Qiling incident have been a misunderstanding?"

The Emperor shook his head: "No—it was a beginning, proving the humans have indeed faltered. The Dao has rotted from within, yet for some reason, it has not collapsed. And precisely because of this, we must not rush, for we cannot know if some deeper conspiracy lurks beneath."

"A deeper conspiracy…?"

"Like Qiling—those seeking Immortal Fortune became someone else's Immortal Fortune. That is a conspiracy. The humans have an old saying: 'The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.' That is precisely what I mean."

Ye Han raised his eyes: "So we just wait, doing nothing?"

The Emperor looked at him: "What's wrong with waiting?"

Ye Han clenched his fists: "Waiting means falling behind."

The Emperor chuckled softly: "That's only because you don't understand history. Don't forget—our demon race was the first to raise arms against the Legacy Clan. But what happened in the end?"

Ye Han paused, then spoke: "In the end, destiny belonged entirely to the humans, while our race remained trapped in these snowlands, never seeing clear skies."

"Precisely. Our race lost half its people, the people's resentment boiled over, and we failed to defend the azure heavens—only to become the humans' unwitting benefactors. Charging ahead is never the best path. This is why I have hesitated. My demon race cannot endure another upheaval."

"Then when will we wait until?"

"Two more years."

Ye Han's face showed confusion: "Why two years?"

The Emperor rose suddenly, descended from the throne, and walked toward the palace gates: "Because in two years, the old man of the Heavenly Book Academy will exhaust his lifespan."

Ye Han's eyes widened in shock: "The head of the Heavenly Book Academy is dying?"

"Soon. I suspect not just I, but many others await his death—or ascension. This old man has obscured the Dao for years, plunging all paths into chaos. But before his lifespan ends, he must choose: ascend or die. Only then will I see clearly."

The head of the Heavenly Book Academy, over three hundred fifty years old, had entered the Lin Immortal Realm a century ago.

Yet in those hundred years, he had never attempted ascension to the Immortal Realm—a matter that sparked countless speculations among humans, demons, and barbarians alike.

But only figures like the Emperor knew: he hadn't merely avoided ascension—he had obscured the Dao.

Yet lifespan has its limit. To the Emperor, two short years were nothing. Better to see clearly then than blindly charge into this Dao's trap.

"Father, just how strong is the head of the Heavenly Book Academy?"

The Emperor turned to him: "The strongest in this age."

Ye Han fell silent for a long while, then bowed: "I understand."

"Shu He is dead?"

"Dead. Killed by a man named Ji You."

The Emperor turned: "The one with seven swords?"

Ye Han was slightly surprised: "A mere Xuantong-level hermit cultivator—how could Father remember him?"

"There aren't many humans as interesting as him. He wrestled barbarians, slew a Warlord with his sword, and killed Shu He. I'm curious about his lineage."

"They say he's a hermit cultivator, living too hard, so he's been haphazardly practicing."

The Emperor fell silent for a long while, then waved his hand: "Enough about him. What of Feng Yang?"

Ye Han thought of his sister: "Feng Yang is probably giving free medical aid."

"Find craftsmen and repair the Jade Garden."

"Yes, Father."

Ye Han bowed, then left the palace. First, he gathered craftsmen to repair the Jade Garden, then went to see his sister.

To prove she didn't care for that man, Feng Yang hadn't gone to see off the human envoy—she had remained at her clinic, expression unchanged, showing no reaction to their departure.

Ye Han now arrived at her clinic, sat across from her: "Have you eaten lunch?"

Feng Yang shook her head: "Not yet."

"You must eat properly."

"I know. Let me finish with this patient first."

Ye Han looked at her calm eyes and realized he had overthought things—he had misunderstood his sister's feelings.

Having heard so much about the Nine Provinces since childhood, she was naturally curious about humans. He had been too anxious.

Soon, repairs to the Jade Garden began. The main hall, side halls, and connecting corridors crushed by the Lin and Ya demon generals were to be rebuilt; only the western courtyard had escaped major damage.

With nothing else to do, Ye Han often came to oversee the progress. But once, he saw his sister's figure nearby, which puzzled him.

The Princess's residence and the clinic were both on the south side of Dengfeng Avenue, opposite the Jade Garden. Normally, his sister never came here.

But he paid it no mind, assuming she was just strolling—until the next day.

The Jade Garden's repairs progressed swiftly; pavilions, towers, and halls gradually regained their former appearance. Ye Han came to inspect the main hall's restoration—but upon entering, he saw his sister.

She was wrapped in a cotton robe, sitting quietly in the courtyard, lips slightly parted, staring blankly at the second floor.

Ye Han froze, wondering why his sister had returned here. He casually called over a craftsman: "Why is the Princess here?"

"Your Highness, since the day before yesterday, the Princess has come every day, sitting for half a day facing the second-floor chamber. Sometimes she wanders the western courtyard for long stretches, as if inspecting the sword marks on doors and windows."

"?"

Ye Han's face turned stern: "Which chamber? Point it out."

The craftsman raised his hand, gestured toward the second floor, then stopped: "That one."

"Broken?"

"Not broken—just repaired."

Ye Han glanced at him, thinking: You know nothing. Then his gaze returned to his sister's blank silhouette, and he clenched his fists.

Good news: she wasn't taken away. Bad news: her soul might have been.

The imperial craftsman had no idea what the prince was thinking. He gathered his tools and a few men, heading toward the Emperor's treasure vault.

Someone had left a mark outside the vault—just giving them more work.

(Car fixed. Go pick it up. Request monthly votes.)

(End of Chapter)