“Why make things difficult for her? We are truly short on manpower right now.” With a voice that carried a hint of wildness, an extremely tall woman appeared in the tavern and sat down in front of Qian Ye.
Qian Ye scrutinized her carefully and said, “There are few who can sit in front of me now. Your Majesty, Spider Empress, you should be one of them.”
The Spider Empress covered her mouth with a light chuckle and said, “Emperor Qian Ye, you aren’t as domineering in the rumors.”
“Why, when you’ve come here in person, can’t you bring Nighteye? Is this matter more troublesome than your visit?”
The Spider Empress smiled lightly and said, “It’s not really that difficult. It’s just that the Queen of the Night is very proud. She has already released Nighteye but refuses to say anything. Outsiders only believe that Nighteye is still in her hands.”
“She has already freed Nighteye?!” Qian Ye stood up abruptly and then slowly sat back down.
The Spider Empress said, “My words are true. I’m sure you have your ways to find Nighteye. But how to deal with the sun that the humans have brought, that is the most pressing matter for all of Evernight. Do you really wish for Evernight to be left with only you and her as the sole noble clans?”
Qian Ye’s eyes narrowed slightly, but he remained silent.
Suddenly, the Spider Empress raised her voice and said, “Friend over there, no need to hide. Do you think you can escape my sense, Rosynia?”
A figure emerged from the shadows, a bitter smile on his face. “Of course, I don’t think I can hide from you, but I didn’t expect the representative of Evernight to be the Spider Empress.”
The newcomer was Song Zining. Qian Ye didn’t seem surprised, as if he had known he was there all along.
Song Zining pulled up a chair and sat down, forming a triangular position with Qian Ye and the Spider Empress. Despite Qian Ye and the Spider Empress having much higher cultivation, Song Zining was not lacking in presence.
“Good, now that everyone is here, let’s talk,” Song Zining began.
The Spider Empress, however, said, “No rush, there is someone I want you to meet first.”
“Who?”
Before Song Zining could finish his sentence, a black shadow flashed in front of him, and a body pounced into his arms!
With a loud thud, Song Zining fell backward, crashing into the floor. For a moment, he was dazed, with all the stars he had memorized while practicing the Heavenly Mechanics Art dancing before his eyes.
“Mom!” The joyful, clear voice instantly turned Song Zining’s face black.
Qian Ye, looking exasperated, got up and pulled the girl off Song Zining, scolding, “Why are you always so reckless?”
Little Zhu Ji, now fully grown into a young woman, made a face and said, “I just haven’t seen Mom for too long!”
Song Zining’s face grew even darker. He grabbed Qian Ye’s hand and struggled to stand up.
“How are your bones?” Qian Ye asked with concern.
Song Zining hissed and endured the pain, saying, “Broken ribs.”
Little Zhu Ji exclaimed and hurried over, saying, “Where are they broken? Let me rub them for you!”
“No! Right now, it’s just one. If you rub, I don’t know how many more will break!” Song Zining quickly hid behind Qian Ye.
“Mom never treats me well,” Little Zhu Ji huffed, clinging to Qian Ye tightly.
Qian Ye’s breathing became somewhat uneven.
“Are you okay?” Song Zining looked at Qian Ye, a bit worried.
“I’m fine. Lucky my bones are strong. If it were a duke, they might have been strangled to death.” Qian Ye calmly sat down and rubbed Little Zhu Ji’s head casually.
The Spider Empress looked at Qian Ye and then at Song Zining, a strange expression on her face, as if she was pondering something.
Song Zining snorted, pretending to be calm, and effortlessly set his broken bone.
“Spider Empress, did you come here to use Zhu Ji as a condition to make me stand on the side of Evernight?” Qian Ye asked.
The Spider Empress replied solemnly, “Of course not. I just want you to understand that you have connections not only with the humans but also with family on the side of Evernight. Nighteye doesn’t seek you out because she doesn’t want to influence your decision. Otherwise, Lilith would have given her the blood coffin where she sleeps, directly elevating her to the rank of grandee. How could she not find you then?”
Qian Ye showed a slight emotion and said, “The Queen of the Night offered the sleeping blood pool?”
For the blood race, the blood pool is like a reservoir of origin power, incredibly important. Especially the blood pool of the Queen of the Night, which is undoubtedly the most valuable ancient blood pool for the blood race. If this blood pool were given to Nighteye, not only would it elevate her to the rank of grandee, but it would also enhance her future potential. In this way, Nighteye’s ascension to the Holy Mountain would also be greatly accelerated.
But now, with the new sun in the sky, does it still hold any meaning?
“If that’s the case, why wouldn’t the Queen of the Night say so openly?”
“She is very proud. If she said so, wouldn’t it seem like she was afraid of you?”
After a brief pause, Qian Ye asked, “So, what does the council mean?”
“We, in the name of the Three Holy Mountains, invite you to join the Evernight Council. Your seat will be on the Holy Mountain. And in the future, we will also reserve a place for Nighteye.”
In this way, the blood race would have three Holy Mountains, an unprecedented event in the history of Evernight.
The Spider Empress gave Qian Ye a deep look and continued, “Of course, with your status as the first drop of the River of Blood and your strength, even Lilith may not be able to surpass you, and she will fall short in the future. However, the Evernight Council has a thousand-year tradition. Although strength is respected, it cannot be arbitrary. The only thing we can promise is to treat Nighteye as a Holy Mountain in advance, giving her the authority of the Holy Mountain. This way, your voice in the council will match your status and strength.”
At this moment, Qian Ye suddenly remembered a past event. When he was young, holding Nighteye’s hand, he boldly declared, “I will send you to the Holy Mountain!”
At the time, he thought it was youthful arrogance or the madness of love, but in a blink, it had become a reality.
Qian Ye sighed inwardly.
But knowing that Nighteye was safe, he felt relieved. Her reluctance to appear now must be, as the Spider Empress suggested, her desire not to influence Qian Ye’s decision. If Qian Ye insisted on standing with the humans, she would rather burn herself in the dawn force than appear before him again.
Qian Ye looked at the Spider Empress and said, “Not long ago, the Demon Emperor still wanted to kill both of us. I haven’t settled that score yet. What do you think, how much confidence do I have in killing the Demon Emperor now?”
The Spider Empress sighed and said, “Since you brought this up, I’ll tell you what I know. You should already know that the Queen was aware when Kane acted to purify the blood race.”
“That’s right.”
“All because of a prophecy, an ancient prophecy: the reappearance of the River of Blood marks the beginning of the end for Evernight.”
“Killing the corrupted blood race can stop the reappearance of the River of Blood?”
“Yes. We found that these blood races have a stronger connection to the River of Blood than pure-blooded ones. And among all the blood races, only you and Nighteye have the ability to summon the River of Blood individually.”
Qian Ye’s body trembled slightly as he thought of a possibility. But this idea was too fantastic, even he didn’t believe it himself.
“A prophecy, enough to make you believe so firmly?”
“We believe because he was the only Holy Mountain Seer in the history of Evernight.”
Song Zining was surprised, “A Holy Mountain Seer? Isn’t that impossible? Seers, like Mechanic Adepts, cannot ascend to the rank of Grandee or Holy Mountain, right?”
“He might be the strongest Holy Mountain in the history of Evernight. Foresensing the approaching disaster, he temporarily changed roles to become a Grand Seer. He saw the end of Evernight and made the only and final prophecy of his life, recording it in the Book of Black. After completing the prophecy, he perished. Perhaps because the prophecy was too bizarre, and the Book of Black disappeared afterward, the prophecy gradually faded from memory. After the Lost Season, only a few faintly remember its content.”
Qian Ye’s heart chilled, and he said, “The Demon Emperor wants the Book of Black for this reason?”
“Yes.”
“What about An’dyu? Was he affected by the Lost Season?”
The Spider Empress spoke slowly, “Our consensus is that he is completely lost.”
Qian Ye nodded, deep in thought for a long while before lifting his head and asking Song Zining, “What do you want to tell me?”
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