"You don't need to apologize to me." Ye Yutian's voice was cold, and he walked away with a sulking heart.
Ye Lanshan had no idea what Ye Yutian was thinking. Right now, she only cared about one thing: becoming stronger. On this continent where the weak were prey to the strong, only by growing powerful could she protect her loved ones.
Someone once said that people had three great desires: first, endless longevity; second, supreme authority; and third, the freedom to do as they pleased without any constraints. She had no interest in endless life or supreme power. The only thing she sought was freedom—to act without anyone stopping her, not even the laws of heaven and earth. So, she had to become the strongest, making others too afraid to provoke her, achieving a state where no one dared to stand in her way.
If she couldn't quietly find her master and steadily cultivate to godhood, then don't blame her for turning this world upside down and plunging it into chaos.
At that moment, dressed in blue, her eyes held more human authenticity and less ethereal detachment, making Yue Shu stare at her in a daze.
"What are you doing out here? Don't you know your body can't handle the wind right now?" Ye Lanshan turned and immediately spotted Yue Shu.
"The room was stuffy and boring, so I came out for a walk. You're not going to deny me even that chance, are you?" Yue Shu's jade-like face and pure pupils made it impossible for even Ye Lanshan's hardest heart to stay firm.
"Fine, fine. If you're really that bored, I'll keep you company and chat." Ye Lanshan pulled Yue Shu back into the room.
"Are there really that many interesting things in the capital? I've never noticed before." Hearing Yue Shu talk about the amusing events in the capital, Ye Lanshan couldn't help but feel a spark of interest.
"Yes, that's why only the bloodline of the Yue family can sit in that seat of power. Otherwise, before the capital can even catch its breath, it would be swept up in another storm of bloodshed, and all those interesting things I mentioned would be gone forever."
Yue Shu said this entirely for Ye Lanshan's good. After all, the main branch of the Yue family in the Jade Soul Continent was a major clan, and no matter what, it wouldn't be weaker than Ye Lanshan.
"The Yue family's forces have been wiped clean. Aside from you and Elder Yue, almost everyone is gone. How could there be another storm of bloodshed? Unless you plan to avenge the Yue family?"
"It's not that I want to avenge them, but the Yue family originally wasn't from this continent."
"Oh, I know. The Yue family comes from the Jade Soul Continent. But so what? They can't come down here." Ye Lanshan said this very casually, confident they couldn't descend because of the Wu Jiao.
"No, you're wrong. They can come down, and they even have ways to bypass the laws of heaven and earth. You wouldn't stand a chance against them." Yue Shu shook his head, too familiar with all of this.
"Then it's simple—just take the seat yourself, and it's settled." Ye Lanshan shrugged. If he sat in that position, they wouldn't dare cause trouble.
"I can't take that seat. I'm not from that bloodline." Yue Shu shook his head.
"You mean... hahaha, I never thought that sly old fox Yue Jinghong would end up wearing a green hat!" Ye Lanshan laughed so hard she could barely catch her breath.
A flicker of embarrassment crossed Yue Shu's face. He cleared his throat and said, "This has nothing to do with Yue Jinghong. I was originally the legitimate son of the main family in the Jade Soul Continent. I came here only to find medicine to prolong my life."
"Oh? Didn't you say yourself that this poison has no cure?"
"At the time, we thought this lower continent might have someone who could cure my poison. But after searching for so long, there's still no effect. And because of some incidents, I can't go back, so I've had to stay here." A hint of dejection flashed across Yue Shu's face. He actually wanted to return early, but thinking about the infighting in the Yue family and the St. Valley's predatory gaze, he hesitated.
"I'm actually curious—who poisoned you?" Ye Lanshan only then realized that he wasn't Yue Jinghong's child but someone from above.
"It was the St. Valley." Yue Shu said this without any emotion, as if the poison wasn't in his own body.
"So that's it. That means the Yue family and the St. Valley have always been at odds. No wonder Yue Jinghong had the nerve to fight the Holy Land."
"Since that's the case, can you tell me the secrets of the Yue family? Or even the secrets of Cloud Island?" Ye Lanshan saw this as a perfect chance to learn about the Jade Soul Continent and Cloud Island.
"I'll tell you when your cultivation is higher. Telling you now would do you no good." Yue Shu gave a low chuckle, ultimately not revealing a single word.
"Is my cultivation really that bad?" Ye Lanshan walked along the path, feeling a bit frustrated. She, once hailed as the number one genius in the cultivation world, was now reduced to someone with such weak strength.
"Ye Lanshan, wait. I need to talk to you." Mu Ziming caught up from behind.
"Oh, what is it?" Ye Lanshan looked at Mu Ziming, her tone softening slightly. After all, he was still her comrade-in-arms, wasn't he?
"Our Mu family can't take the throne. Just give us the treasures from the vault, and you can find someone else for the crown." Mu Ziming's gentle and refined exterior revealed a hint of a merchant's cunning.
"I understand. Don't worry, not a single treasure will be missing from your share."
Ye Lanshan's mind began to race. The entire Yue family had been wiped out, except for Yue Shu and Elder Yue—there was hardly anyone left.
Meanwhile, Ye Yutian was restless in his room. He had heard that Ye Lanshan helped Yue Shu into her room and chatted with him for a long time before coming out. Could it be that Ye Lanshan had taken a liking to Yue Shu? If Yue Shu truly had feelings for Ye Lanshan, he would definitely be a formidable rival.
But Ye Lanshan was completely oblivious to Ye Yutian's anxious and tense mood. At that moment, she was discussing something with Yue Yinuo, eventually settling on a series of unequal treaties based on Yue Yinuo's concessions.
The throne would be inherited by Yue Yinuo's child, but they would have no real power. Authority would be dispersed among various ministers. In truth, Ye Lanshan had modeled this entirely after the British system.
This way, even if Yue Yinuo or her child wanted to harm the Ye family, they would be powerless.
After a day of running around, she finally got everything settled. From then on, everything would proceed smoothly according to her plan.
The new emperor ascended the throne, and Yue Yinuo leaped to become the Empress Dowager—something she had never imagined before.
Starting as a pawn, becoming a nameless widow, then a fake family head who couldn't act or claim her title, and finally the most honored Empress Dowager—it all felt like a dream.
Yue Yinuo walked dazedly onto the high platform, listening to the crowd's chant: "Long live the Empress Dowager, ten thousand years, ten thousand years of ten thousand years." She couldn't quite describe the feeling in her heart.