Chapter 14: The Chaotic Millstone

“The Path of the Celestial King?” Yè Tóng clearly didn’t understand what Lì Fēngshuǐ was talking about.

Lì Fēngshuǐ raised his eyebrows and said, “You don’t know? Oh, that’s right, maybe you’ve never heard the evaluation from the Extreme Pointer King.”

Next, Lì Fēngshuǐ briefly recounted the final battle at the Unfallen City and the Extreme Pointer King’s evaluation of Qian Ye.

Then, he rubbed his hands together, emphasizing each word, “So, I want this, the Path, of, the, Celestial, King!”

Yè Tóng just smiled faintly.

Lì Fēngshuǐ was not discouraged and said, “Don’t say it’s impossible. Let me put it this way, I have carefully studied all of Qian Ye’s battle records, and those are not the kind of results a normal human can achieve. Moreover, Qian Ye’s advancement speed is unbelievably fast, and his combat power far exceeds the expected level for his original force. If it were before, I might think the Empire had another true genius. But now, since I know the woman by his side is you, the princess of the Monroes, do you think I would still think the same?”

“I’m not clear about Qian Ye’s affairs; he has never told me anything about his cultivation.”

Lì Fēngshuǐ stared intently into Yè Tóng’s eyes and, after a while, sighed, saying, “This matter is enough to exchange for your freedom. Think about it carefully, there’s still some time. But my patience is limited; don’t push me to do things I don’t want to. Alright, next, we can talk about something else. For instance, why are you going to the Twilight Continent? Is there something you want to do, or something you plan to retrieve?”

“Just going back to see.”

“Is that all?”

“Yes.”

Lì Fēngshuǐ once again stared at Yè Tóng for a long time, then said, “Miss Yè Tóng, I said, don’t test my patience. Perhaps you don’t yet understand the real weight of the Fifth Department, or what we do. Let me put it this way, even if you add up the First to Fourth Departments, their combined weight is less than half of the Fifth Department. Furthermore, in the Empire, we have the most methods to deal with dark races, especially… the Bloodline.”

Yè Tóng remained calm and said, “Really?”

“On this point, there is no need to doubt.” As he spoke, Lì Fēngshuǐ flicked his finger, and a strand of primordial force struck the long nail on Yè Tóng’s left wrist.

The long nail, stimulated, suddenly made a cracking sound, its surface layering open, revealing a core like a red-hot iron rod. A wisp of smoke immediately rose from Yè Tóng’s wrist as the intense primordial force of dawn burned her flesh, causing pain far beyond what a Bloodline body could bear. Instantly, Yè Tóng convulsed, her blood nucleus contracting to the extreme. She let out a scream and lost consciousness.

After an unknown amount of time, Yè Tóng slowly woke up, finding herself no longer in the simple cabin but in a stone-walled cell. The room was still cold and damp, with chains and iron rings nailed to the walls, stained with rust and dark, ominous spots. With the Bloodline’s acute senses, Yè Tóng knew at a glance that those spots were bloodstains, and they contained many fragments of flesh.

With a creak, the iron door opened, and Lì Fēngshuǐ walked in.

“Where are we now?” Yè Tóng asked. When she spoke, she surprisingly found her voice extremely hoarse, as if her throat was filled with hot sand, making it unbearable to speak.

“We are on the Void Floating Land, right in the middle of the battlefield, inside the Unfallen City. This is a secret military base, but the term ‘secret’ is somewhat misleading because everyone knows it’s military territory.” Lì Fēngshuǐ gave a reserved smile and continued, “Even if others know you are here, who would dare to attack military territory and capture a Bloodline?”

Yè Tóng’s heart sank slightly. She had read the Empire’s history thoroughly and understood the general system. This was a semi-public military base; attacking here would be tantamount to attacking the Empire’s military, equivalent to treason. Unless all the informed people were silenced, even with the support of a high-ranking family, the mastermind would be exterminated along with all their relatives.

But the dejected mood quickly passed, and Yè Tóng said coolly, “I don’t intend to leave alive.”

Lì Fēngshuǐ was taken aback and laughed, shaking his head, “It’s too early to think that way. We still have time to talk.”

As he spoke, he pulled a chair and sat in front of Yè Tóng, saying very seriously, “Now, let’s talk about what you plan to offer in exchange for your freedom.”

“Freedom?” Yè Tóng sneered.

“Freedom, true freedom. No harm, no hidden wounds, no pursuit afterward. You come in and go out the same way. That kind of freedom!” Lì Fēngshuǐ seemed exceptionally serious.

“Alright, what price do I need to pay to get this ‘freedom’?”

“The Path of the Celestial King, or something of equal value,” Lì Fēngshuǐ replied.

At that moment, a knock sounded. Lì Fēngshuǐ frowned and said impatiently, “Who is it? Come in!”

A trusted subordinate pushed the door open, saw Lì Fēngshuǐ’s displeased expression, and hesitated. Still, he walked in and whispered something in Lì Fēngshuǐ’s ear. Lì Fēngshuǐ’s face changed, glanced at Yè Tóng, nodded, and waved the subordinate away.

He sat down in front of Yè Tóng again, but now his brows were furrowed with gravity. After a long, heavy sigh, he said, “There’s a not-so-good piece of news. Do you want to hear it?”

Yè Tóng smiled faintly, “Sure, why not? Could there be any worse news than this?”

Lì Fēngshuǐ forced a laugh, “Indeed, and it’s terrible. A big shot from the Evernight side sent a message, wanting to take you back.”

“A big shot?”

“A true big shot, a Dark Sovereign. But I don’t know which one.”

Yè Tóng was stunned, unable to guess which Dark Sovereign wanted her so much. Although she had awakened the Ancestor’s blood of the Black Wing King, it was just potential. From the perspective of the entire Bloodline, she wasn’t particularly important, certainly not as significant as Hābùs, the Fire Crown, who had lit the Blood River Mark.

However, Yè Tóng was surprised that the Evernight had such deep ties with the Imperial Military, capable of making such a deal.

Lì Fēngshuǐ was silent for a moment, then said, “Originally, I thought we had more time, but now it seems not. The messenger this time is a true big shot in the military, at least much bigger than me. The price the Evernight is willing to pay is beyond imagination. In my view, such a price is enough to trade for a princess, even adding a Saint Son. So, I must ask, why would they pay such a high price for you?”

Yè Tóng smiled bitterly, “Do you think I would know?”

Lì Fēngshuǐ nodded, “Let’s believe you for now. What’s useful to the Evernight may not be to me. However, you should know that falling into the hands of the Evernight won’t end well. All they want is a living you, or rather, a complete blood nucleus. But now, there’s still an opportunity for you. If you follow our plan, we will release you. Your future destination will be up to you.”

“Is there such a good thing?” Yè Tóng didn’t believe it.

But Lì Fēngshuǐ was earnest, “I swear on my future that I will keep my word!”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Prove that Qian Ye and the Zhao Family protected and hid you in the Evernight.”

“Just that?”

“Just that!” Lì Fēngshuǐ affirmed firmly.

Yè Tóng pondered for a moment and said, “That alone won’t bring down the Zhao Family.”

Lì Fēngshuǐ looked surprised, “You really understand the Empire well! But no one wants to destroy the Zhao Family completely. A heavy blow, stripping them of most of their territories, ensuring they can’t recover for decades, would suffice. If they could be reduced from a noble family to a high-ranking family, that would be even better.”

“What’s in it for you?”

“Not much, but it benefits the big shots above. But with your existence now known, many things are out of my control.” Lì Fēngshuǐ sighed.

“What about Qian Ye?”

Lì Fēngshuǐ said, “Him? Colluding with the Bloodline, he will naturally be executed. But he is in a deep sleep, with no sign of life. Who can save him now? It doesn’t make much difference whether he is executed or not.”

Yè Tóng immediately replied, “I won’t agree to this.”

Lì Fēngshuǐ was taken aback, almost disbelieving his ears, “What?! Why? For… Qian Ye?”

Yè Tóng closed her eyes and did not answer.

Lì Fēngshuǐ frowned and persuaded, “Why be like this? Qian Ye is already in a hopeless situation. We’re just using him as bait to strike down the Zhao Family. To give up your chance at survival for someone who is doomed, is it worth it? You are a Bloodline princess, with at least a thousand years of life ahead if you grow up.”

Yè Tóng, like sleeping, showed no reaction to his words.

Lì Fēngshuǐ took a deep breath and said, “If that’s the case, I won’t be polite. The Fifth Department has a secret art called the Chaos Grinding Plate, specifically for the Bloodline. What grinds in the plate is not other things but the Bloodline’s soul! The pain of a soul being crushed is much worse than these two nails. And every day spent in the plate, more of the soul is ground. Eventually, you’ll not only forget Qian Ye but even forget who you are. By then, even if you agree to cooperate, it will be too late. I have mastered this Chaos Grinding Plate to the seventh level, allowing your soul to be ground for seven days before dissipating!”

“Seven days?” Hearing this, Yè Tóng actually smiled.

Lì Fēngshuǐ instinctively felt something was off, as if he had overlooked something. But now, he had no time to play psychological games. Any further delay, and the big shots in the military might step in, and then he’d be in trouble.

Lì Fēngshuǐ’s face darkened, and his right hand reached out, gathering a ball of gray, dead primordial force, spinning continuously.

Yè Tóng closed her eyes, ignoring it.

Lì Fēngshuǐ finally gritted his teeth and pressed his right hand on Yè Tóng’s head!

A sharp, piercing scream instantly broke through the dungeon, echoing far and wide. The hearts of everyone in the military base were clenched by some force.

Under the night sky, a high-speed floating ship landed in the Unfalled City. Sòng Zǐníng stepped out, boarded a military vehicle, and headed straight for the Zhao Family’s camp.