The sky was dim and a fierce wind swept across the land. On the barren mountaintop, shattered sand and stone were scattered everywhere. He floated in mid-air, clearly seeing that person, eyes shut tight, long hair in disarray, lying silently amidst the rubble.

A large, glaring patch of crimson spread out from behind him, like a Red Lotus blooming in a thousand-li-long dark river, threatening to swallow him whole and drag him into the bottomless Underworld.

"Emperor!"

Chi Lian woke with a start, sitting bolt upright in bed. Only then did he realize he had long since left that dark, terrifying courtyard. Outside the window, the morning light was just beginning to bloom, and the faint sounds of wind and birdsong could be heard. The room, however, was very quiet and warm, with only the sound of even, long breaths and his own pounding heartbeat.

He looked down and saw Wei Ming slumped over the edge of the bed, his head pillowed on his arm, fast asleep.

The silk quilt had slipped from his chest and was bunched up at his waist. Chi Lian stared blankly at Wei Ming’s sleeping profile. The heart-gouging pain from the nightmare had not yet fully dissipated, and he couldn't for the life of him understand how they had escaped. But Wei Ming was here, safe and sound. A man of his princely stature and tall frame, yet he was curled up aggrievedly in that small space at the edge of the bed, having watched over him for the entire night.

Chi Lian hesitantly reached out and gently placed his hand on his cheek.

Like a little animal scared out of its wits, his first reaction to this scene was not comfort, but an inexplicable fear.

He was afraid it was merely an illusion, a beautiful dream that would shatter at a touch.

Wei Ming's cheek was slightly warm, his skin fair and smooth. The all-nighter had not diminished his beauty, save for the faint dark circles under his eyes, and his tired appearance somehow made him seem more approachable. Chi Lian felt a sense of calm settle in his heart upon touching a living person. He couldn't help but smile self-deprecatingly, 'I'm really regressing with age.' Just as he was about to withdraw his hand, Wei Ming suddenly shifted in his sleep, tilting his head and nestling it into Chi Lian’s palm.

Then, he suddenly opened his one visible eye. "You're awake? Does the wound still hurt?"

Chi Lian: "..."

Being caught red-handed secretly touching someone's face was truly an embarrassing situation. Chi Lian tried to pull his hand back, and Wei Ming felt the force of his tug but didn't immediately let go, nor did he call him out. He simply maintained the posture, looking up at him with a hint of a teasing smile in his eyes.

Chi Lian was defeated by his gaze. "It's fine now. But what about Your Highness's injuries? How can you be so careless with your body? What if sleeping here put pressure on your wounds?"

Wei Ming slowly sat up from the bedside, stretched his shoulders, and nonchalantly dropped a bombshell. "Don't worry, Immortal Lord Gui Heng already healed me last night."

As expected, Chi Lian was like a cat encountering its natural enemy, all his fur standing on end in an instant. "Gui Heng?!"

"Mhm," Wei Ming nodded affirmatively. "At the critical moment, thanks to his timely intervention, he drove away Chou Xinwei. Not only did he save both of us, but he also helped heal our wounds. Oh, right, I also chatted with him last night about Emperor Cangze."

Chi Lian's memory was still stuck at the stage of Gui Heng yelling at the top of his lungs, "How dare you defile the Emperor's remains!" Combined with Wei Ming's meaningful expression, the chill that shot through his heart was no less than having been run through by Chou Xinwei.

"Your Highness..." he said with difficulty, "Please don't believe his words... That fool knows nothing, it's pure nonsense."

"Oh?" Wei Ming asked unhurriedly, "Which part are you referring to?"

Chi Lian: "The part where... he said you and Emperor Cangze... are somewhat similar..."

"I know," Wei Ming said. "He said you see me as a substitute for Emperor Cangze. Is that what you mean?"

He didn't seem angry, but the calmer he was, the more likely a thunderstorm was brewing. A chill ran down Chi Lian's spine. He summoned every ounce of caution and replied with restraint, "This subject holds absolutely no disrespect for Your Highness. The talk of a substitute is baseless."

In truth, Wei Ming's heart was pounding in his throat; he was relying entirely on a calm and composed expression to maintain his facade. He noticed Chi Lian had reverted to that formal tone between ruler and subject, so he deliberately asked in a leading manner, "But according to Gui Heng, I look seventy to eighty percent similar to Emperor Cangze. Anyone who has seen the Emperor would mistake me for him at first glance. So, how exactly do you see me?"

"Your Highness is Your Highness. No one knows better than I what kind of person you are," Chi Lian said resolutely. "You need not doubt this, nor worry about any talk of substitutes. This subject... has no improper thoughts about Emperor Cangze."

Wei Ming: "..."

He repeated stiffly, "'No improper thoughts'?"

Chi Lian lowered his gaze, his voice low but resolute. "Yes."

"Emperor!"

With a bang, the door was pushed open from the outside. Gui Heng strode in excitedly, shouting thoughtlessly, "I thought I heard you talking, Emperor. Is Chi Lian awake?"

Chi Lian: "..."

He stared at Gui Heng in shock. Like a wooden puppet with jammed gears, he turned his head bit by bit toward Wei Ming and repeated, "'Emperor'?"

Gui Heng: "Huh?"

Wei Ming stood up under their two hesitant gazes, straightened the hem of his robe, and said first to Gui Heng, "What Emperor? Address me as Prince." Then he turned to Chi Lian. "Your thoughts... I understand now. You two are reunited after a long separation and must have much to say. I'll take my leave first."

He walked out of the bedroom with perfect composure, thoughtfully closing the door behind him. Then, like a lost ghost, he drifted into the courtyard and sat down dejectedly on a small stone stool.

So, what felt even worse than being treated as a substitute was realizing his own wishful thinking...

He had misunderstood Chi Lian's intentions from the very beginning. The bond between Chi Lian and Emperor Cangze was one of life-saving grace, of profound appreciation, of years spent advancing and retreating together. Such feelings naturally transcended life and death. Yet he, with the shallow perspective of a mere mortal, had mistaken it for romantic love, presuming to gauge a devotion that had spanned millennia.

Now that Chi Lian had made his feelings clear and Wei Ming knew his own identity, the romantic fantasy he had harbored in his heart had finally reached a dead end. The moment it saw the light of day, it dissipated into a puff of helpless smoke.

The only silver lining was that, besides Wei Ming himself, no one else knew of its existence. At least he could continue to interact with Chi Lian under their original identities.

"Prince, Prince?"

Seeing his prince sitting dejectedly in the courtyard first thing in the morning, Yi Dayou thought something was wrong and hurried over. "What's the matter? Is there a change in the Grand Preceptor's condition?"

"Ah?" Wei Ming was snapped out of his reverie. "Oh, it's nothing. Gui Heng is inside talking with him. I just came out to clear my head."

Yi Dayou still felt a lingering fear recalling the scene from the previous night. The two of them had been covered in blood, looking like they had just fled a battlefield. Wei Ming had been holding the unconscious Grand Preceptor, refusing to summon an Imperial Physician or allow any attendants. He had holed up in the room, and Yi Dayou had no idea what he was doing, which left him on tenterhooks all night, unable to sleep soundly.

"Considering the Grand Preceptor's injuries, Your Highness probably didn't sleep well last night." He glanced back at the closed doors of the main house and gently advised, "It's still early, and the eastern side-rooms have been prepared. Since Your Highness does not wish for the Grand Preceptor to be moved, perhaps you could retire there and rest for a little while."

Wei Ming waved his hand, dismissing the idea. "It's fine. Thank you for your consideration. We have matters to discuss later, and I'm afraid I must go to Guanfeng Palace for an audience with His Majesty this morning. For now, have them prepare breakfast."

Seeing that the prince's brow remained slightly furrowed, as if something weighed on his mind, Yi Dayou didn't press the matter. He bowed in assent and went to carry out the order.

A short while later, the door creaked open. Gui Heng poked his head out. Sporting a pigeon-egg-sized bruise at the corner of his mouth, he said aggrievedly, "Em... Your Highness."

Chi Lian's voice, as cold as ice and snow, came from within the room: "If you can't correct how you address him, you won't need to keep that mouth of yours."

Wei Ming: "..."

He stood up and walked back, massaging his aching forehead, sensing that his future would be anything but peaceful. "Would the two of you speaking calmly to each other invite a heavenly tribulation? Must you fight? With all that time on your hands, why can't you study formations together..."

Before he finished speaking, both Chi Lian and Gui Heng wilted like frost-bitten eggplants, their faces screaming, 'Just give me a rope and let me hang myself.' This startled Wei Ming into quickly placating them. "Alright, alright, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have poked at a sore spot. Formations are so difficult, they certainly aren't as promising as martial arts. If you don't want to learn, then don't."

Gui Heng muttered resentfully, "Why won't he let us off even with amnesia? The Emperor is terrifying."

Chi Lian: "..."

He went over to pour tea for Wei Ming. He and Gui Heng then stood respectfully at either side, hands lowered, their every move showing well-trained discipline. "We have concealed much before, and last night we endangered Your Highness. It was this subject's failure to protect you. I ask that Your Highness..."

"Stop, stop," Wei Ming cut him off. "Aren't you tired of this? You've broken heavenly laws, and you're still on about this stuff. Don't just stand there. Sit down and talk."

In Jiangxiao Palace, both Chi Lian and Gui Heng were of a junior generation. With Emperor Cangze as their great backer and three other Immortal Lords shouldering the main responsibilities, they had always been carefree, their immortal paths smooth and open. The greatest setback of their careers had been nothing more than being forced by the Emperor to study formations.

They lived thousands of years in peace, naively believing it could last forever. But who could have imagined that their backer, as mighty as a pillar of heaven, would one day come crashing down?

Of the young Divine Lords of Jiangxiao Palace, one was forced to face the storm, enduring humiliation to preserve what he could and exhausting all his efforts to prop up the teetering palace. The other carved a bloody path out alone, bearing the infamy of a traitor and hiding his name to plot a resurgence. Having experienced partings by death and years of solitary wandering, Chi Lian and Gui Heng’s states of mind upon this reunion were vastly different from before.

But now, Wei Ming sat between them. Even though he didn't remember his past life, his mere casual presence could instantly transform two mature, calm immortals back into the young immortal lords who could laugh and cry, as if they had returned to the days under the Emperor's rule.

Only Emperor Cangze could give them a sense of security as unshakable as a mountain. It was something that no other immortal, no spiritual treasure, could ever replace.

"Gui Heng has already told me the ins and outs of the situation, and you both know what happened last night. The only thing I haven't figured out is why I am me," Wei Ming said. "Come, I invite the Grand Preceptor to generously enlighten me."

Chi Lian was amused by his tone and shook his head. "Your Highness, please don't make fun of me."

He sighed, his tone one of relieved ease. "The matter is actually not that complicated. After I escaped the Heavenly Court with the Emperor's immortal body, I wandered for more than a decade and finally found a method for his revival: to fashion the Emperor's shattered soul into a mortal one and send him back into the cycle of reincarnation."

"What the mortal realm calls the 'reincarnation of the Heavenly Dao' is actually the Oath of the Nine Heavens. And since the Oath of the Nine Heavens was condensed from the Emperor's own spiritual power, the two originate from the same source. To put it plainly, this method uses the power of the Oath of the Nine Heavens to mend the Emperor's damaged Divine Soul. After a millennium of nurturing, it will finally bring him back to the world."

"Although the Emperor's Divine Soul is concealed by spiritual power, it is still somewhat heavier than a mortal's. Thus, after reincarnating, his destiny is extraordinary; he is often either a ruler of men or an ambitious tyrant. Unfortunately, in his past few lives, his Divine Soul was too severely damaged, so they all ended in a short life. He would have to re-enter the cycle of reincarnation in no more than thirty or forty years."

He looked at Wei Ming, his tone exceptionally earnest and solemn. "A mortal emperor is favored by destiny, and a benevolent ruler is especially blessed by the Heavenly Dao. In this subject's opinion, your Divine Soul has improved. The fact that you can even wield spiritual arts in this life shows that the method is effective. Therefore, to mend your Divine Soul, Your Highness must strive to become The Emperor, no matter what."

"But the art of formations consumes a great deal of energy. Your Highness must prioritize rest and recuperation. Unless it is a moment of absolute necessity, you must never use formations lightly."

Wei Ming, it was unclear if he had taken it to heart, just gave a vague "mhm."

"To achieve this goal, Your Highness may use me as a sharp blade in your hand," Chi Lian said. "No matter what, I will be by your side to protect you. I will never betray you. I would go through fire and water, and face ten thousand deaths without regret."

There it was again.

Wei Ming had no resistance to these confessions. He was both moved and troubled, as if being tormented by both ice and fire. He thought in despair, 'If only Chi Lian weren't so filial, maybe I'd feel a little better right now.'

Good news: Not a substitute.

Bad news: He doesn't love the real deal either.

Wei Ming: He doesn't love me (crying)