Who is the demon princess? 

Wait a minute! 

Did she just say that her trash husband who caused chaos in the Nine Provinces has a relationship with the demon princess? 

And the Emperor of Humanity is a half-human, half-demon hybrid? 

Xuan Ji felt like he was filled with question marks above his shoulders, and his limited knowledge of history turned to ashes. 

He looked at Sheng Lingyuan in confusion.

Sheng Lingyuan's smile remained unchanged on his face, like a decoration etched onto his skin. 

Black mist swirled around him, mixed with damp water vapor. 

He lowered his eyebrows and looked like a sinister demon god from the side. 

He reached out to straighten the queen's crooked hairpin and tucked a strand of her white hair behind her ear, softly saying, "Mother, why are you talking nonsense?" 

Xuan Ji's bewildered gaze returned to the Empress Dowager as he suspected that she may have suffered from the loss of her son and political struggles, causing some cognitive impairment. 

Suddenly, Sheng Lingyuan leaned in close to her ear like a spoiled child and whispered something. He used a whispering gesture to "send a message directly," with no sound escaping and the surrounding guards unable to hear a word. 

Only Xuan Ji, who was close to him, understood the lip reading. 

Sheng Lingyuan spoke, "Your Majesty, it's a pity for men in this world. When a child is born, no one is willing to put the father's name on their head, and they easily make mistakes. But women are different. They know whether the child is theirs or not, and where the child comes from. If I was forced upon you, why didn't you say so? Why did you give birth to me? As an empress, even if you lose your country and your family, would you still become a tool for surrogacy?"

Empress Chen trembled imperceptibly, and Sheng Lingyuan's hand, lightly resting on her shoulder, felt like an unbreakable shackle. 

Xuan Ji felt her struggling, but she couldn't move at all. 

"Because the child was not given to you by someone else, you stole him," Sheng Lingyuan laughed, his fingertips brushing over Empress Chen's skin like a faint black mist. "I have a story too, would you like to hear it, Your Majesty?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a thin layer of black mist erupted from his hand, filling the entire palace like a storm and trapping the "mother and son" inside. 

The guards were all kept outside, but Xuan Ji reacted quickly and slipped inside before the black wind closed in.

"Back when the demon capital was hit by an earthquake and the spiritual energy dried up, many demon clans fled. The demon king, Jiu Xun, had ambitions. Jiu Xun had a half-sister named 'Wan Fei'," Sheng Lingyuan continued. 

"Her mother's clan was the Vermilion Bird Clan, and she was expelled from the clan for having an affair with the outsider demon king. However, the girl she gave birth to is still regarded as a half-god by the old demon king and is loved dearly. 

"The Vermilion Bird clan could not bear to have their bloodline scattered, so they often let the imperial princess stay in the Nanming Valley. The demon clan has always been ruthless and treats their children like poison, but she is the only demon princess who has been given the title of princess for generations.

"This spoiled princess is very arrogant and was influenced by Jiu Xun. She first supported him to ascend to the throne, and then secretly plotted to provoke a war between the two clans. In those years, she indulged in pleasure in the imperial city, playing with the noble and wealthy, and Father was infatuated with her. He ordered the expulsion of the demon clan from the territory and sent troops to Chiyuan, causing a great disaster." 

Empress Chen stared intently at Sheng Lingyuan's face, as if she could see someone's shadow in his features. 

Through gritted teeth, she spat out, "Despicable person."

Sheng Lingyuan paid her no mind and instead turned his back, pacing a few steps in place before continuing, "The princess had a good idea. The divine bird clan has always refused to use the power of the Chiyuan to save the dwindling spiritual energy of the Demon Realm. They even rejected her. 

"But as long as the human and demon races are at war, Nanming Valley is conveniently located between the human world and the demon realm. If the divine bird clan wants to stop the war, they have no choice but to set Nanming Valley ablaze.

"She succeeded and was extremely pleased with herself, thinking her strategy was unbeatable. Unfortunately, she underestimated Jiu Xun. 

"Jiu Xun was incredibly greedy. He coveted not only the land beyond the demon realm, but also the power of the gods and demons sealed within the Chiyuan. Taking advantage of a worship ceremony, he wielded his sword to slaughter the gods, ignoring the wrath of heaven and seizing control of the Chiyuan. 

"The princess realized she had become a laughingstock. So, she sacrificed herself and used half of her Vermilion Bird blood to write the Vermilion Bird clan's forbidden spell, the 'Great Light Sacrifice.' She channeled the anger and resentment of the extinct divine bird clan into the Vermilion Bird statue that had been worshipped by humans for thousands of years. 

"The statue, already imbued with spiritual energy from years of worship, responded to the Great Light Sacrifice and transformed into a demon, born from her long-standing wish... Unfortunately, the Great Light Sacrifice went awry.

"In the Great Light Sacrifice, this most mysterious set of rituals is not like the Yin Sacrifice that require the slaughter of thousands of animals. The offerings in this sacrifice are relatively cheap, as the sacrificer only needs to offer their own life. However, since ancient times, no one has ever witnessed it because the other conditions for the Great Light Sacrifice are extremely harsh. 

"The deity statue used in the sacrifice must have been worshipped for a thousand years and fed with incense. Additionally, the sacrificer must have the bloodline of the deity's clan, and it must be the last bloodline.

"The human and demon races do not intermarry, and mixed-blood offspring are extremely rare. So the princess never expected to have a burden in her belly... Who knew what it was thinking, maybe there was no other womb to hold onto, so this one clung to her stubbornly. This child took the power of the Vermilion Bird, causing the failure of the Great Light Sacrifice. 

"The princess only got a faceless, powerless, and invisible remnant of the god statue, while she became a living dead person - her seven orifices closed, her spiritual energy scattered, her five senses lost, her flesh rotting, but still alive because of the fetus that took the power of the Vermilion Bird in her belly." 

Xuan Ji was so horrified that his hair stood on end, and she could barely keep up with taking notes. 

"In this world, how could there be such a burden, as if it came specifically to oppress her, to go against her. All the fortunes in the world seem to harm her, causing her cultivation to be completely destroyed and her appearance to be unrecognizable. She hates that she can't just cut it out and eat it raw." 

Sheng Lingyuan chuckled strangely, "But the Vermilion Bird's power was swallowed by the fetus, how could she be willing to waste it like this? So, she conspired with the rubbish statue and quietly released a prophecy, a prophecy that later became the lifesaving straw for millions of people, leaving her dying self to your exiled mother." 

"Back then, when Mother was pregnant with the late Emperor's posthumous child, you accidentally caused the death of my half-brother. Perhaps due to your age and the sudden tragedy, you came up with a brilliant plan upon hearing the prophecy. 

"You used the secret technique of 'grafting' to transfer the unborn child of the female demon into your own body, as the demon's child was born with congenital defects. After the stolen child was born, you 'offered' him to the world... The eighty-one foolish cultivators were in awe of your selflessness and were willing to die for you. They used the sacred artifact of your human race, the 'Heaven and Earth Cauldron,' to refine a worthless being who was neither human nor demon into... me, the most powerful and venomous sword of your Sheng family.

"Mother, do you remember the expression on the face of the demoness when you had her cut open to take out the child? Did she smile?" 

Sheng Lingyuan looked at the woman with a pitiful and regretful gaze. 

"Because you were deceived. Also, have you ever thought about how coincidental it was that your child had died at that time?"

"What? Done with the job, and now you want to take my life? The demon king's body is not even cold yet, and you are already eager to break my sword, lure the Mountain king into madness, and make us both suffer... Isn't this the plan you and my old teacher came up with? Tsk, you clever people who think you have everything figured out."

Empress Chen let out a scream that sounded inhuman, and the black mist surrounding her dissipated suddenly. 

The coffin of Prince Ning burned to charcoal and collapsed with a loud bang.

Sheng Lingyuan raised a finger to his lips and laughed silently. 

"The demon will always turn on its master." 

Afterwards, he briskly rolled up his sleeves and said, "Someone come! The Empress Dowager has lost her eldest son and is now in a state of madness. It pains me to see her like this. Quickly take her away and have someone look after her properly. Don't let anyone disturb her." 

The Empress Dowager Chen rushed towards him like a madwoman, but was held down tightly by the mixed-blood guards. 

The blood vessels in her eyes were like spider webs, and she looked like she was about to burst with anger. 

In this dark world, who wouldn't go insane? 

Empress Dowager Chen howled, "Stop! Stop right there! Sheng Xiao, you... mmm..." 

The mixed-blood guards, who had no respect for her, expressionlessly covered the Empress Dowager's mouth. 

Sheng Lingyuan turned around a few steps away, his face filled with exaggerated concern, and said, "Mother, rest assured. I will search for a famous doctor and find a good medicine to restore your peace as soon as possible." 

Empress Chen understood the hidden meaning behind his words and suddenly stiffened. 

"As the country is just beginning to stabilize, there are still many matters to attend to. It may take some time," Sheng Lingyuan smirked, "Please allow me, Your Majesty, to have a little more patience." 

The person he wanted to kill had not yet been killed, and his hand did not yet cover the sky.

After finishing his words, Sheng Lingyuan bowed respectfully to the Empress and bid farewell, like a flawless performance of etiquette... which was something the Empress had forced him to learn since childhood, from walking to sitting to lying down, he could not afford to make any mistakes.

Then he turned and walked towards the Ice Palace, the smile on his face disappeared, and the guard holding the baby hurriedly followed. 

Sheng Lingyuan didn't even look at the child pulled out of the fire, and coldly said, "Didn't I tell that little thing to stop crying? Why is he still making noise?" 

"If he doesn't stop, I'll crush him," he threatened. 

Outside the palace, the sky was clear and the sun was shining brightly. 

The world was vast and boundless, and the willow buds had already turned into fresh green leaves. 

However, the snow at Du Ling Palace was still as unmelted as ever. 

Xuan Ji, the ghostly messenger, tried to catch up to his figure that was colder than the snow, but he only caught a handful of broken light.

Suddenly, Xuan Ji opened his eyes and was almost blinded by the sunlight. 

Unknowingly, he had spent the whole night there. 

By now, the sun was already high in the sky, and the staff at the hospital were bustling about. The nurses were used to seeing all kinds of people with special abilities, so they didn't bother him when he was performing some kind of ritual. 

Instead, they quietly cleaned the ward and opened the curtains, replacing the flowers in the vase with fresh ones.

The new bouquet was still dewy, and the window facing the south of the ward overlooked the sea. The vast expanse of sea and sky was beyond imagination. 

Xuan Ji suddenly sat up from the sickbed, pretending to be a corpse, and was about to run out. 

Despite his legs being numb from sitting cross-legged all night, he didn't care and his mind was still stuck in the past three thousand years ago. 

He stumbled out, like a crippled tornado.

Finally, Sheng Lingyuan's heavy mystery was lifted by him. 

As the prince of the human race, why was he pinned to the bronze cauldron like a sacrificial offering? 

Why did his "birth mother" still live, yet the young prince had to wander around with the emperor's teacher? 

Why did they make the youngest brother the protagonist of the prophecy, when the eldest brother was still alive? 

And why did the emperor, who had just defeated the demon king and reclaimed the human world, face rebellion from his court before even settling into his palace? 

Why did Dan Li use such a roundabout method to destroy the people of Mountain, deliberately luring King Wei Yu into demonic possession, as if just to make the Emperor take action... 

If it weren't for Sheng Lingyuan knowing his own identity beforehand, if it weren't for Prince Ning switching sides in battle, would the Emperor's life have been as brilliant and fleeting as a shooting star, stopping at the moment when he expelled the foreign races and entered the Mountain palace, with his brothers, nephews, and descendants inheriting the throne and burying the dirty secrets in the Vermilion Bird Temple forever in the annals of heroes? 

No wonder no one had pressured him to marry and have children after he came of age, even when the war with the demon race was so intense. 

Dan Li and the Empress Dowager never thought of having a "backup plan" to leave some blood and bones for the human race. 

It turns out that he was always just a dangerous weapon. In this world, the only thing that belonged to him was a sword that died prematurely. 

"What kind of life is this?" Xuan Ji suddenly stopped in his tracks and saw Sheng Lingyuan talking to a few Wind God special agents at the entrance of the hospital. 

The Wind Gods had been beaten up by the clones of King Wei Yu on the sea that day, and they didn't hear the part where he forced Zhi Chun to death. 

They thought the old demon was Captain Yan's benefactor, and they were all in tears, grateful beyond words. Sheng Lingyuan had a pile of gift boxes under his feet, filled with all sorts of things that could be sold at a New Year's market in the urban-rural junction. 

Zhang Zhao, the naive boy, immediately opened the back of his stopwatch and took out a turtle shell talisman, handing it over to Sheng Lingyuan with great solemnity: 

"Brother, this was left to me by my parents when they passed away. My family is a very powerful clan, and this turtle shell was left by our ancestors to protect our lives... Although I don't know how to use it, it's definitely a valuable antique that can be infused with special abilities. This is the most valuable thing I have, so I'm entrusting it to you. If you need me, just call and I'll come running from anywhere in the world."

The old demon had neither guilt nor shame, and since Zhang Zhao dared to give it to him, he accepted it without hesitation: "Thank you."

Xuan Ji's emotions were in turmoil, and a hole was suddenly revealed. 

Just then, Sheng Lingyuan sensed his presence and turned around to give him a smile that was anything but friendly. 

Xuan Ji's face darkened as he limped over to the wall and snatched the turtle shell talisman back from Sheng Lingyuan, tossing it to Zhang Zhao. 

"It's not necessary," he said.

"It is necessary!" Zhang Zhao stood up straight, his eyes wide open as he solemnly handed the talisman back to Sheng Lingyuan. 

He even pressed down heavily on Sheng Lingyuan's hand, saying, "Captain Yan is the bottom line of our Wind God. Saving Captain Yan is like being the parents of all of us in the Wind God!"

Xuan Ji's eyelids twitched as he watched this live version of recognizing the thief as one's father. 

Zhang Zhao noticed that something was off with him and thought he understood what was going on. 

He quickly let go of Sheng Lingyuan's hand and awkwardly hid his own behind his back, saying, "I just wanted to express my gratitude...just a friendly touch, Director Xuan. Don't give me that look, I won't...won't touch your sword spirit again."

Xuan Ji: "..."

These Wind Gods were all crazy. 

Their former leader had an inappropriate relationship with a spirit, and now they were all wearing the "inappropriate relationship" filter, making it seem like everyone with a sword spirit was guilty of something!

Sheng Lingyuan put away his turtle shell talisman and glanced at Xuan Ji. 

"Good morning. I thought you wouldn't be able to wake up so early after last night's hard work."

The Wind Gods were shocked by his words and didn't even have time to cover up their previous tears. They quickly coughed and tried to disperse.

Xuan Ji said, "No, let me explain..." 

Zhang Zhao chuckled, "You guys chat, haha, don't mind me - oh, Director Xuan, the aftermath department has sent people over. Right now, Old Luo and the others should be dealing with the matters on the sea. They know you haven't been discharged yet, so they'll handle it first and come see you later... I'll tell them to come later!"

Xuan Ji: "..."

What the hell are you asking them to come later for! 

The Wind Gods dispersed with laughter, and Sheng Lingyuan's business-like smile faded with them. He and Xuan Ji knew each other's secrets and didn't feel like putting on a show.

Sheng Lingyuan could tell at a glance that Xuan Ji had already erased the spell that led to his trance, and he seemed to be in good spirits, not like he had been through a lot of trouble. 

It was clear that this guy had excellent aptitude, coupled with a unique inheritance, so he could learn anything with half the effort. 

It was evident that he had not been seriously practicing before. 

"Your colleague is interrogating the blind man, go take a look," Sheng Lingyuan said, stepping over the scattered gift boxes without a care for others' intentions.

Xuan Ji could only pick up the boxes and carry them for him, hanging them all over his body and moving them to the guardhouse for safekeeping.

The gift boxes were packaged in various styles, from luxurious mountain delicacies and nutritional supplements to trendy electronic products. There was even a pair of gemstone cufflinks from some stylish and refined Wind God, worth far more than the regulated amount. 

Xuan Ji roughly scanned through them, feeling overwhelmed - this was not a thank-you gift, but rather a heavy burden of money and the deceived emotions of the Wind God.

The person who had deceived them had already left, abandoning the gifts like old shoes. 

"Director Xuan, take a look at this..." The guard at this hospital was also a retired special ability user, and was helping him count the items when a hard paper card fell out of a gift bag. 

The guard held up the card and aimed it at the sunlight, revealing a flash of gold and a hidden symbol on the card. 

"This is a 'paper shield'." 

Xuan Ji was taken aback as he took the card and felt a subtle energy wave as soon as his fingers touched the surface. 

"This was something I was lucky enough to have when I was young," the gatekeeper said with a hint of nostalgia. "Using a special device to extract one's own special abilities, like extracting bone marrow, and then drawing protective symbols on paper cards. If someone carrying the paper shield encounters an emergency, they can tear open the shield and the owner of the shield can help share some of the burden. 

"However, the help that can be provided is limited. It can only withstand minor accidents like bumps and bruises. It's useless against mithril bullets, and if it falls into the wrong hands, it can easily cause trouble for oneself. This is a small gift with great meaning. Director Xuan, you can store the items, but please take good care of the paper shields and don't let them go to waste."

Xuan Ji looked down and saw that almost every gift box contained a "paper shield."

Just how popular was Yan Qiushan when he was in the Wind God team? 

He cherished the paper shields he had collected and caught up with Sheng Lingyuan, presenting them to him: "Your Majesty, wait, these are from my colleagues..." 

Sheng Lingyuan picked up one, glanced at it, and without waiting for him to finish, flicked it away with a casual gesture. 

"Unsteady strokes, leaking spiritual energy. How can you even have the face to show me such a poorly drawn talisman?" 

Xuan Ji hurriedly caught the paper shield and angrily retorted, "You..." 

Sheng Lingyuan had already walked ahead, leaving only a tall and straight back - the same back that Empress Chen had beaten with a ruler. Xuan Ji choked up for a moment, but after a while, his expression changed several times and his anger gradually subsided as he silently followed behind. 

"I am the delusion of the people." 

That was how the person introduced himself when he first met him at Chiyuan. 

This Emperor of Humanity, without such heartlessness and ruthlessness, how could he have endured a life of loneliness and madness?

Xuan Ji absentmindedly pulled out his phone, logged onto the internal network, and opened the full liability agreement that he had secretly read several times before...

"The scar-faced worm took advantage of the chaos and ran away, and the puppet self-immolated as soon as it reached the shore, leaving only one... What are you doing?" the voice interrupted Xuan Ji's thoughts.

Xuan Ji remained silent as a line of text appeared on his phone screen: "Fingerprint signature recorded, full liability agreement uploaded."