Qi Yuan walked slowly through the Divine Light Sect, leading his kitchen cleaver on its leash.
Along the way, cheerful laughter drifted over from time to time, accompanied by occasional whispers of sweet nothings.
Such a world of cultivation was truly harmonious.
Leading his pet, he glanced up at the sky. "Time to head back to the peak."
It was still early; there was plenty of time to bring out his game jade slip and play a round.
By the time he returned to Seven Colors Peak, night had fallen.
Above the peak, a half-moon hung over the palace of white jade. Cold moonlight spilled down, and through the veil of night, an exquisite, shapely silhouette was faintly visible.
However, the graceful figure merely cast a glance at Qi Yuan before vanishing from sight.
Qi Yuan withdrew his gaze. Looking toward the thatched cottage Jiang Lingsu had built, he murmured inwardly, *If only we had these Immobilization Talismans back on Blue Star. Whenever an earthquake hit, those houses wouldn't collapse.*
After sighing over this, he led the kitchen cleaver back into his small courtyard.
The courtyard was quiet and empty, waiting only for Qi Yuan's footsteps.
He untied the rope from the cleaver's handle. "Now that we're home, there's no need to stay leashed. As long as you don't tear the place down, nobody's going to hit you."
Saying this, Qi Yuan stroked the tiny chip on the cleaver's edge, then began entering the world of the game jade slip.
Yet as he logged into the game, Qi Yuan froze.
"She's online?"
When he first obtained the game jade slip, Qi Yuan had treated it like a handheld console.
(PS: The protagonist's train of thought is abnormal, his behavior is abnormal, and he is neurotic.)
Back then, the game map had not yet unlocked.
Yet Qi Yuan had somehow added a friend to his friends list.
It was also the only friend he made after falling ill.
Ever since he took ill, he had lived entirely alone, with no one nearby to talk to.
That friend in the game became his companion.
Qi Yuan had also treated that person as a fellow gamer.
The two often chatted, talking about anything and everything under the sun.
Of course, Qi Yuan mostly listened to her talk.
Even so, she spoke rather strangely.
Words like "Imperial Guard" and "Prime Minister" would slip out of her mouth from time to time.
Qi Yuan had guessed that she was probably a wealthy heiress who had inherited a family business.
However, she had yet to gain full control of the corporation.
The two had talked about a great deal, and Qi Yuan had even said back then, "Let's party up in the game."
Unfortunately, once the game map refreshed, his friends list vanished.
He never saw her again, let alone teamed up.
Now, seeing her back on the list, he pondered for a moment and sent a message: "You there?"
Now that he had transmigrated to a cultivation world, there was no telling if she would even be around.
***
Steam drifted through the air, permeating the ink wash painting on the folding screen until long, narrow streaks appeared across the paper.
"Leave."
A cool, commanding voice rang out, and the palace maidens waiting in attendance bowed their heads and filed out.
Only after the maidservants departed did an expression of exhaustion surface on the breathtakingly beautiful face of the Empress of Southern Qian.
Ten years ago, the demons invaded.
Her imperial father fell in battle.
She became the Empress of Southern Qian.
At the time, she was merely seven years old.
The weight of an enormous empire fell entirely upon her shoulders.
Demons attacked, hostile kingdoms eyed them hungrily, and treacherous ministers defied the throne.
She had struggled for ten years.
By now, she could barely maintain the empire's balance.
Yet the pressure on her shoulders grew heavier by the day.
In fact, a single misstep could easily cost her her life.
Recently in particular, the powerful chancellor Sima Ting had almost ceased bothering to conceal his collusion with the Northern Han Court.
Her situation was more precarious than ever.
And three days ago, Aunt Qin—a King-level expert upon whom she relied the most—had been ambushed and gravely wounded by a group of assailants in black.
Although the origins of those men in black were carefully concealed, everyone throughout the imperial court knew full well who had dispatched the assassins.
Knowing exactly who the enemy was while remaining powerless to stop them—it was a wretched feeling.
She stood before the screen, dressed in a simple, elegant cyan gown embroidered with phoenix patterns in gold thread along the hem, a white jade belt cinched around her slender waist.
Unfastening the belt, she let her garments slip away, revealing skin that was naturally flawless, like polished, lustrous jade.
The empress was young, yet her figure was exceptionally proud and full, forming a striking contrast with her willow-thin waist.
Stepping into the bath, her delicate, snow-white shoulders rested above the water's surface, and through the milky bath, glimpses of creamy fair skin were faintly visible.
The empress closed her eyes, letting the fatigue slowly drain from her body.
Right at that moment, a ray of red light suddenly flashed from the table.
A spark of pleasant surprise flashed through Jin Li's eyes.
"Qi Yuan?"
Resting on the table was a rare treasure known as the Exquisite Jade Tide.
Rumor had it that this rare treasure was born as a pair.
Any two people who possessed them could communicate through the artifact.
In ancient times, such treasures were renowned.
Unfortunately, as times changed, treasures capable of long-distance communication were no longer rare.
The value of the Exquisite Jade Tide had plummeted, and it was eventually relegated to the imperial treasury.
A year ago, Jin Li had entered the imperial treasury, spotted the Exquisite Jade Tide, and taken it out on a whim.
Little did she expect that through the Exquisite Jade Tide, she would meet an intriguing person.
His name was Qi Yuan. His thoughts were whimsical and unconstrained, and he was always saying things she could not understand.
Because they did not know each other in person and seemed separated by countless mountains and rivers, she felt free to pour her heart out without reservation.
After all, as an empress, she could never show her vulnerability to anyone.
Unfortunately, half a year ago, for reasons unknown, Qi Yuan had suddenly gone silent.
At the time, she had felt a pang of loss and unease.
She never imagined he would actually be online right now.
The weight in her heart was lifted.
Picking up the Exquisite Jade Tide, she clutched it tightly. Looking at the message, she hastily replied, "I'm here."
Once the message was sent, Jin Li thought for a moment and added, "You've been gone all this time. Where did you go?"
"Last time, I was planning to invite you to farm some mobs together, but out of nowhere, I was pulled into a game map and couldn't contact the outside world."
"That must have been a very dangerous place, right?" Jin Li asked.
In her eyes, Qi Yuan was a free-spirited demon hunter.
What he referred to as "farming mobs" and "game maps" simply meant hunting demonic beasts.
On the other end, Qi Yuan shrugged. "We players are the Fourth Calamity. What's there to be afraid of? Those monsters are nothing more than bundles of EXP to us."
Seeing his familiar tone and reply, Jin Li felt peace wash over her heart.
Every time she chatted with Qi Yuan about anything and everything, even when he spouted complete nonsense, she felt at peace inside.
It was just like when she was a child, snuggling in her imperial mother's arms, listening to her hum a lullaby.
"Since you weren't around this time, I had to grind mobs alone for half a year to clear them all. Want to party up with me? Men and women working together makes the grind easy. With the two of us, we'd hit level 100 in no time."
Reading this, Jin Li replied, "I have family matters to deal with right now. I can't leave."
"That busy? Not even time to play games? Sigh, you rich, pretty heiresses work so hard despite having all that money. What are us poor folks supposed to do?"
Reading this, Jin Li couldn't help but smile.
"How about this: come farm mobs with me right now. I just changed maps, and there are tons of monsters here," Qi Yuan said. "I need support from the great beauty Jin."
Seeing his lighthearted tone, Jin Li knew he was in no danger.
A smile curved on her lips. "It's not very convenient for me right now."
"What are you doing? Inconvenient... Don't tell me you're working overtime?"
"I'm..." Jin Li hesitated for a moment before finally sending, "bathing."
On the other end, Qi Yuan stared blankly at the message.
His expression remained calm. "How about we meet up after you finish your bath?"
On her side, Jin Li read his reply and smiled wryly. "I can't come."
Then, remembering something, she asked, "Where are you?"
"I was in the Xuanyuan Forbidden Ground before, and now I'm on my way to the Robe and Crown Forbidden Ground," Qi Yuan answered without hiding anything.
He was currently standing in the game's teleportation array, preparing to teleport to the next map.
"The Xuanyuan Forbidden Ground? The Robe and Crown Forbidden Ground?" Jin Li froze in shock.
Weren't those among the Four Great Forbidden Grounds?
Rumor had it that even King-level experts would bleed if they entered, and Emperor-level experts would perish!
No, the Xuanyuan Forbidden Ground was a place that even Emperor-level experts couldn't enter!
Chapter 8