Having heard the names that Yan Ruyu recited, Eldest Prince Ji Tan burst into laughter, "My beauty, you truly have not disappointed me. You have finally devoted yourself wholeheartedly to my cause, and your ability does not make me regret sparing your life back then."
"Tell me, what reward do you want when I ascend the throne?" Eldest Prince Ji Tan asked again.
Upon hearing this, Yan Ruyu bit her lip and said softly, "The thing I want, Your Highness is well aware of."
"To kill Sikong Jing?" Eldest Prince Ji Tan asked casually in return.
Yan Ruyu nodded deeply, her expression one of sorrow and anger as she said, "Beyond that, I desire nothing else."
After casting a brief glance at Yan Ruyu, Eldest Prince Ji Tan suddenly smiled, "No problem, the Wangyou Sect will surely kill Sikong Jing... of course, that’s if he can still manage to leave the War Soul Dynasty alive."
Sikong Jing was not someone he wanted nor dared to keep, because even without Mo Ci, the Wangyou Sect was still a very terrifying existence.
Eldest Prince Ji Tan certainly did not wish to offend these frenzied women because of Sikong Jing.
Hearing this, Yan Ruyu asked softly, "I have heard that Sikong Jing has a terrifying demon beast of the Reverse Soul Realm?"
Her tone was full of sorrow and worry, a sight that inspired pity.
The story of how Sikong Jing killed Mo Ci had also spread far and wide, precisely because of the Iron Bone Flying Vulture.
"Yes, that legendary Iron Bone Flying Vulture from the Court Hunting Ground, subdued and gifted to Sikong Jing by the Holy Dragon Palace. But you needn’t worry, the Iron Bone Flying Vulture is now dead, and the news is very reliable."
"It was the War Soul Heavenly Dao Palace’s Master who saw it with his own eyes, who killed it with his own hands."
Following Eldest Prince Ji Tan’s words, Yan Ruyu finally let out a long sigh of relief.
If it was the War Soul Heavenly Dao Palace’s Master who killed it personally, then the news was naturally beyond doubt.
Suddenly, Eldest Prince Ji Tan said, "The death of Sikong Jing is a certainty, and it’s not really a reward for you. How about this... I’ll take you now as my Princess Consort in lawful matrimony, and once I ascend the throne, you will be the Imperial Concubine."
Upon hearing this, joy spread across Yan Ruyu’s face, and she quickly knelt down to express her gratitude.
But then she raised another matter; she was originally the consort of Seventh Prince Ji Ming, would this really be okay?
"Haha, there’s nothing wrong with it. With your help, my power has surged. Now, who would dare to say anything?" Eldest Prince Ji Tan laughed and reassured Yan Ruyu to put her mind at ease and then added, "You should now go back and prepare for becoming the Imperial Concubine."
In the end, Yan Ruyu, thoroughly satisfied, took her leave.
However, just as she stepped out the door, a cold light flashed in her eyes. Gone was her subservient demeanor as she disdainfully said, "Imperial Concubine? Ridiculous. I intend to be the Empress, to mother the entire world. Soon, your principal wife will die, hehehe..."
Accompanied by this dark laughter, Yan Ruyu left in high spirits.
Elsewhere in the Long Night Imperial City, within the Holy Dragon Palace, atop Golden Dragon Mountain.
"Tan Yue, Ajing has sent the new Six Symbols Divine Dragon Sword Skill. Have you made any progress?" Shen Qingye asked.
Three days ago, Wanbao Pavilion had delivered Sikong Jing’s items, and upon receiving them, Shen Qingye and Tan Yue immediately began their cultivation in seclusion.
Today, three days later, they both emerged from seclusion together.
"Hehe, I’ve reached the Golden Body Fourth Realm," Tan Yue chuckled heartily, his hand gripping the Six Image Dragon Sword as its presence rolled off him.
Upon hearing this, Shen Qingye’s mouth twitched, and he stared intently at him before exclaiming, "Damn!"
After speaking, he too revealed the aura of someone in the Golden Body Fourth Realm.
The two of them had reached this level at the same time; they were only two steps away from becoming the strongest in the East Plain Northern Land.
But Shen Qingye couldn’t help feeling a bit annoyed, as he had thought he could get ahead of Tan Yue, that drunkard.
Just then, a roaring sound suddenly erupted, and another presence of the Golden Body Realm exploded over Golden Dragon Mountain.
Shen Qingye and Tan Yue exchanged a glance and whispered, "Beigong Xianfeng."
Three days before, the Thousand-year-old White Ginseng had also been sent here, still in the hands of Beigong Xianfeng within the Long Night Saint Dragon Palace. With the help of Yao Changgeng, he had taken the medicine and now he had completely recovered from the serious injuries left by Mo Ci, and had even reached the Golden Body Realm.
The former Beigong Xianfeng was just at the peak of the Dao Inquiry Realm.
When Shen Qingye and Tan Yue arrived at Beigong Xianfeng’s room, the latter also slowly walked out from inside.
His face was still aged, but his spirit was revitalized.
Upon seeing Shen Qingye and Tan Yue, Beigong Xianfeng bowed deeply and said, "Thank you both for taking care of me during this time, this old one has recovered."
Shen Qingye and Tan Yue looked at each other, and the former said, "Beigong Old Commander, the person you should be thanking is Ajing."
When Lang Yisuo had sent back the above two items, he also told them all about what Sikong Jing had done in the War Soul Dynasty. Now, Shen Qingye and Tan Yue were crystal clear about the details.
Three days ago, when they heard this news, they were almost shocked to the core, along with feeling astonished.
It was terrifying, staggering!
If anything went wrong, Sikong Jing could have been shattered to pieces!
And now, the fact that Beigong Xianfeng could recover was entirely due to the Thousand-year-old White Ginseng that Sikong Jing had risked his life to acquire.
At this moment, upon hearing their words, Beigong Xianfeng’s eyes also took on a profound depth.
After a while, he looked at them and responded deeply, "Ajing’s identity has been exposed, and he’s in extreme danger now. If I’m not mistaken, he should be trying to escape to the Northern Mountain."
Shen Qingye and Tan Yue were both deeply shaken, worry apparent in their eyes.
About the fact Sikong Jing was pursued for killing Mo Ci, they had also received the message.
Now, the entire War Soul Dynasty was hunting Sikong Jing!
In response to this, Tan Yue couldn’t help but curse loudly, "The War Soul Dynasty has gone mad, staging an entire dynasty-wide manhunt over a single blow to the Imperial Advisor Mansion. Is that really necessary?"
Shen Qingye also cursed, "Exactly, Ajing only killed Mo Ci, not the War Soul Emperor. They’re insane."
After all, they were just Martial Arts practitioners, not figures within the Empire; they didn’t fully understand the implications.
They thought that since Sikong Jing had killed Mo Ci, the War Soul Dynasty really didn’t need to go this far...
However, Beigong Xianfeng saw things clearly.
He explained, "If I’m not wrong, Lu Lungan has discovered that Ajing is Dark Wings, which is why such terrifying actions have been taken. Now, I must contact His Majesty and urge him to command the spies in the War Soul Dynasty to fully assist Ajing."
After speaking, Beigong Xianfeng immediately took action.
When Long Night Emperor Ji Shengmang learned of Beigong Xianfeng’s recovery, he was naturally overjoyed, and he agreed without hesitation to the matter of all spies assisting Sikong Jing.
He even publicly gathered his ministers to provide comprehensive help to Sikong Jing.
The excuse, of course, was to stir trouble in the War Soul Dynasty, and the Eldest Prince Ji Tan had no reason to oppose this. Regardless of whether Sikong Jing could return from the War Soul Dynasty or not, he was doomed.
In the northern part of the War Soul Dynasty, in a region known as Fengying Lake.
Sikong Jing and his seven hundred Jueye Wolf Guards had arrived here. It was the tenth day since they left the Nonghun Mountain Range, their faces marked by the harsh journeys, and they had killed countless pursuers along the way.
And now, they still had five days’ journey to the Northern Mountain.
But at this moment, they were surrounded within the bounds of Fengying Lake, a body of water so large and beautiful it seemed endless, bordered by forests—a trademark scenery of the Fengying Soul state within the War Soul Dynasty.
Normally, many literati would visit this place, but now... there was only an air of stern killing intent!