Just after Xing Xian finished giving his instructions, the wedding procession suddenly began playing music, and celebratory sounds filled the world.
The red bridal gown that Empress Ci wore seemed to come to life, spreading in all directions. In an instant, it covered the entire sky, enveloping both her and the True Monarch of Pan Mountain, like a giant cocoon.
Her voice rang in Fang Chen and Xing Xian's ears. "Future Monarch Yan, I will send you on your way."
Both of them felt the scenery before their eyes shift. Suddenly, they found themselves in a different place. They could no longer see Empress Ci or the True Monarch of Pan Mountain. The wedding procession continued, moving at a strange speed, almost like teleportation. The surroundings changed rapidly, constantly shifting.
Xing Xian stood frozen for a moment, then looked at Fang Chen in surprise. "Young Master Fang, I didn't expect this Empress Ci to be a loyal minister."
Fang Chen was quite surprised himself. "She stayed behind to cover for us?"
With how Empress Ci had ruthlessly killed the group of Yin Demons accompanying her, it was hard to imagine her as the kind of person to sacrifice herself to save other people.
"I don't understand. Monarch Yan has been gone for many years. Even if there were some ministers loyal to him, they should've already died. The last batch of Yin Soldiers died in the Lesser Underworld over six thousand years ago. Even if someone like me was lucky enough to enter the human world, they are still probably wandering around, searching for suitable candidates..."
Xing Xian furrowed his brows. "Something's wrong. There's something off about this situation."
"The facts are clear; she didn't betray us," Fang Chen said softly.
Xing Xian thought for a moment and then tentatively asked the bearers, "Where are we going?"
"Wherever Master wishes to go," one of the bearers replied without turning around.
Xing Xian fell into thought for a moment, then said, "Then let's head to the God Burial Valley."
The wedding procession changed directions, heading to the God Burial Valley.
They occasionally encountered other Yin Demons along the way. Most of these demons were as powerful as Xing Xiang, others were as powerful as Fang Chen. When these demons saw the wedding procession, they immediately moved away, avoiding them as if they were venomous snakes or scorpions instead of trying to stop them. This showed how much respect Empress Ci commanded in the Greater Underworld.
After an undetermined amount of time, the procession suddenly slowed down.
Fang Chen and Xing Xian sensed something was wrong. They lifted the curtain of the sedan only to see leading bearers decaying. One fell, then a second, then a third. These decaying bearers turned into mummified corpses. It was their decay that caused the procession to slow down.
This condition continued to spread, and in the end, all thirty-two bearers turned into dry corpses. The sedan came to a stop and remained motionless.
Xing Xian's expression turned grim. "Something must've happened to Empress Ci."
He and Fang Chen stepped out of the sedan and looked toward the rear. Not only had the bearers turned into dry corpses, but the Yin Demons carrying everything else had also turned into dry corpses, standing still and motionless.
Xing Xian hesitated for a moment, then he stepped forward and lifted the red cloth on the burden to take a look. Inside were ordinary bridal gifts—rice, flour, buns with red hearts, grooming tools, and a wooden cabinet made by a carpenter.
Without exception, all those bridal gifts had long since rotted and decayed, as if a light touch would turn them to dust.
"How far is it to the place we're heading?" Fang Chen asked softly.
Xing Xian looked around at the surroundings, his expression solemn. "We're still about a month's journey away. During the trip, we'll pass through several cities, but if we take a detour, it will take many times longer."
He took a bamboo stick from Fang Chen's hand and placed it in Ji Liang's mouth. Immediately, Ji Liang's aura shifted. The faint trace of yang energy, typical of a Yin Walker, disappeared, and his complexion darkened slightly. He looked no different from the Yin Demons of the Greater Underworld.
"You should also hold one," Xing Xian said, looking at Fang Chen. "You're a Yin Walker. Even a Yin Monarch cannot completely match the aura of the Yin Demons."
Fang Chen nodded and took a bamboo stick. His aura underwent a strange transformation, becoming similar to that of the Yin Demons.
Xing Xian observed Fang Chen for a moment before nodding. "Even if we encounter a powerful Yin Demon like Empress Ci, it's unlikely they'll recognize your identity as a Day Walker Monarch. This will make our journey much smoother."
Fang Chen, Xing Xian, and Ji Liang quickly left the area.
Several days later, the True Monarch of Pan Mountain appeared in front of the bridal procession. Looking at the now-decayed procession, he coldly fixed his gaze on his Heavenly Halberd, which was sticking out of Empress Ci. He had used it to impale her, and she hung limply on it.
"Do you know their destination?"
Empress Ci smiled slightly. Her smile was bright, but it carried a hint of pallor. "I wouldn't know. The Yin soldiers do not trust me, and have not told me where Monarch Yan will be buried."
At that moment, dark clouds rolled in, and a mighty voice echoed, "Empress Ci, why are you helping them?"
A respectful expression surfaced on the face of the True Monarch of Pan Mountain. He bowed to the dark clouds.
Empress Ci's eyes held a trace of mockery. "Taiyin Dragon King, why are you looking for them? I have no connection with you, so why target me? In the Greater Underworld, I do have some friends. If they were to find out, I fear..."
The white-boned dragon head slowly extended, looking down at Empress Ci. "Heh, threatening me?"
Whether it was the towering True Monarch of Pan Mountain or Empress Ci, they both seemed insignificant in front of the white-boned dragon head.
"Those friends of yours, if they found out you wanted to monopolize Monarch Yan's inheritance, do you think… they'd treat you any less cruelly than I did?"
Empress Ci sneered. "What do you mean by monopolizing Monarch Yan's inheritance? We are just Yin Demons. We can't inherit Monarch Yan."
The Taiyin Dragon King said calmly, "How can we know without trying? In the past, those Yin Soldiers were numerous and powerful, and we did not dare act rashly.
"Now is the perfect opportunity for you and me. If I can become Monarch Yan, I will surely grant you an official position, allowing you to travel freely in the human world. I heard that you have never forgotten your husband. Do you not wish to return to the human world and reunite with him?"
"What do you know?" Empress Ci's gaze suddenly became somewhat frenzied. "You know nothing! You are just the remnant soul of a true dragon! You think you can become Monarch Yan? Nothing but foolish dreams! When you were alive, in the eyes of those immortals, you were at most just a small snake, a mount for immortals! You're like a beggar wanting to be emperor!"
The Taiyin Dragon King immediately released a roar that shook the heavens and earth, nearly tearing Empress Ci's paper-like body apart on the spot.
In the end, he restrained himself and looked at the True Monarch of Pan Mountain.
"Take off her wedding dress and hang her in Jiangguang City. I want the Yin Demons to see the person who has enslaved them for countless years stripped of her dignity."
Panic, anger, and fear flashed in Empress Ci's eyes immediately. "How dare you?!"
The Taiyin Dragon King sneered. "Heh? You ruined my plan. You should've seen this coming."
True Monarch of Pan Mountain furrowed his brow but did not speak up in rebuttal.
With Empress Ci still cursing incessantly, they both departed, breaking through the air.