CHAPTER 165
The Truth
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"But you never imagined a six-year-old child could slip through your inescapable net."
It was obvious: had she not joined the Lingxian Hall, even if she'd escaped with her life, she'd have no way to seek vengeance.
She had once heard another version of her life through her master's thoughts. In that version, she joined the Celestial Path Pavilion. Although Cheng Liang was willing to help her, he was actually using this as an excuse to unify the Northern Realm.
In that version, Ye Chenmeng was a fool. Not only did she willingly become part of his harem, but she also forgot her blood feud at Cheng Liang's mere words, letting many escape.
Ye Qinghan didn't know what kind of ending was good, but she knew her master had never harbored any selfish motives—everything was for her sake.
She was grateful to be Ye Qinghan, not that Ye Chenmeng.
Her master was a man without grand ambitions, his greatest dream being to strike it rich so he could buy groceries without haggling.
Even knowing her master acted for her sake, she still yearned to uncover the truth behind it all—to know the answer she shouldn't have known.
Leaning back in her chair, Ye Qinghan felt her body had never been so utterly exhausted. Even facing endless waves of ferocious beasts had never weighed so heavily upon her.
She knew the truth lay just beyond the door, yet an instinctive fear surfaced in her heart at that moment, leaving Ye Qinghan unsure how to broach the subject.
Asking the question would likely yield the answer she sought, but that answer might not satisfy her.
"Tell me what you know."
Using a woman's last remaining flesh and blood as leverage to coerce her—that wasn't Ye Qinghan's style.
But Ye Qinghan couldn't be bothered to think about it now. She wasn't some saintly maiden, nor was she a doormat. All she wanted was the truth and revenge!
Once all this was done, she only wished to spend every day cuddling with her Master, snuggling close, and serving him as he practiced calligraphy.
The woman glanced at the kneeling girl beside her, paused in thought, then finally spoke.
"Your Highness, how much do you know?"
"If you choose not to speak, I have other means to obtain answers."
She had no choice but to confess.
Her name was Su Yan. Back then, she was merely a maid under the Demon Emperor, her daily duties limited to serving him.
Years ago, the Empress had gone hunting when she witnessed a man falling from the heavens, gravely wounded. She rescued him and brought him back to the Demon Capital.
The man was an immortal from the heavens. Having fought a mortal and been defeated, he had shattered the barrier between the two realms, risking the forbidden to flee here.
Her subjects all warned the Demon Empress that this man possessed extraordinary power and might be difficult to control, fearing he could turn the tables on her.
Yet the Demon Emperor was still young, gifted with extraordinary talent and formidable power of his own, driven by his own ambitions and ideals.
His vision was for humans and demons to reconcile, achieving mutual prosperity.
Su Yan did not believe such a thing possible. In the eyes of the Demon Clan, the human race was inherently untrustworthy.
Likewise, none of the Demon Emperor's followers believed such a thing could be achieved. At that time, the wars between humans and the Demon Clan raged on year after year, never ceasing.
The Northern Frontier General's army maintained a permanent garrison along the border, where friction was constant. Compounding this were the demon clans and various immortal sects stirring up trouble.
Reaching an agreement and shaking hands? How could that be so easy?
To the Demon Clan, it was nothing more than the Demon Emperor's unrealistic, childish fantasy.
Returning to the celestial being who had descended from the heavens, this presented the Demon Emperor with a breakthrough opportunity. With such a divine being's aid, the task could surely be accomplished with half the effort.
The Demon Emperor believed that by starting to embrace the human race herself and setting a good example, she could better promote this idea.
Years of relentless warfare had left the Demon Clan in dire straits, its people struggling to survive. She yearned for her subjects to know prosperity, to lead them out of this land of hardship and cold.
"But reality proved the human race untrustworthy."
Ye Qinghan's icy tone echoed the biting cold, devoid of any emotion.
The Demon Emperor had promised high office and generous rewards, treating the man well. At first, he had indeed been kind.
But as everyone knows, doing something once is easy; the real challenge lies in sustaining it over time.
When the Human Clan, Demon Clan, and various Immortal Sects learned of the Immortal's descent, they initially feared his power and vied to curry favor.
Yet, just as quickly, their true colors emerged.
Soon, the immortal failed the test, falling victim to the enemy's scheme to sow discord, leading to mutual suspicion between him and the Demon Emperor.
But think about it: who could endure the scorn of an entire race?
An ordinary mortal might endure it, but this man was an immortal from the heavens. How could he bear the scorn of all?
Even though the Demon Emperor treated him with great kindness, the rift in their hearts remained unbridgeable.
This occurred during a sensitive period when rival factions lurked menacingly. Ultimately, the immortal was successfully turned, and Su Yan followed suit.
His personal attendants, civil and military officials—all harbored treacherous intentions. The Demon Emperor became truly alone.
Twelve powerful Demon Clan beings holding key positions all harbored rebellious thoughts, joining forces with foreign tribes to ignite a revolution.
In Su Yan's eyes, the true rebels were not them, but the Demon Emperor himself!
By the time the immortal realized he had been used, it was too late. The banners of rebellion had already been raised—a campaign against the Demon Emperor himself.
Such a weak Demon Emperor was not what the Demon Clan needed.
From top to bottom, the Demon Emperor's confidants were systematically eliminated, all to utterly isolate him.
All who sided with the Demon Emperor had their entire families slaughtered. This was the revolution of the times—the Demon Clan had no need for a weak ruler.
Of course, Su Yan remained an exception. She must continue monitoring the Demon Emperor, providing cover for the others.
As Su Cheng had said, this was not the work of any individual, but the will of Heaven.
Yet it was not merely that.
Immortals also perished in that rebellion, though on a different battlefield, confronting the true mastermind behind it all.
That mastermind made a promise: as long as everyone kept the Demon Emperor occupied, he could suppress that immortal.
Beyond that, he made other promises: after the Demon Emperor's death, the celestial treasures formed from his corpse would be divided among the group, greatly enhancing their power.
The only commendable thing was that the mastermind kept his word. He delivered on everything.
Whether it was suppressing the immortal or handing over the Demon Emperor's body, he delivered.
Where there's a will, there's a way. The human race and the Immortal sects also lent their aid. However, facing a Demon Emperor with only twelve people's strength was still a bit inadequate.
The addition of four great Human Realm experts turned the tide. With the Soul-Sealing Array and the Demon-Slaying Sword suppressing him, even the Demon Emperor gradually faltered.
Moreover, prior to this, Su Yan had administered a slow-acting poison. While it remained dormant under normal exertion, exerting full power would cause the toxin to spread throughout his body in an instant.
Thus, both the Demon Emperor and the Immortal perished. The twelve great Demon Clan beings transformed, becoming the rulers of twelve Sacred Realms.
The four great human cultivators also obtained what they sought.
"Who was the one behind it all?"
Su Yan shook her head. She too had never seen the mastermind behind it all, knowing only that this individual possessed power sufficient to suppress immortals.
Ye Qinghan remained silent. Such tales stirred nothing within her; vengeance was her sole purpose.
"Finished?" Ye Qinghan's expression remained utterly blank, betraying not a shred of emotion.
Seeing Su Yan nod as if resigned to her fate, Ye Qinghan raised her hand, drew the Dragon Abyss God-Slaying Blade, and severed the head with a single stroke.
Her gaze then shifted to the girl standing nearby.
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