The Princess of Great Yi… his sister?
He had a few sisters.
One was Zhao Ziyan, and the other was Nannan. Zhao Ziyan had been taken away by the Immortal Sects. Logically speaking, since none of those top sects had broken her seal, she shouldn't have awakened yet and thus shouldn't be in any danger. The other one, Nannan, had a tragic background. Born with the most ordinary constitution, she nonetheless embarked on the path of cultivation—and had persistently searched for the Great Yi Dynasty.
If it truly was his sister, then it could only be Nannan.
"Could it be that Nannan's living soul was extracted and taken to Redflame City, and she's now in the hands of the Red-Robed Ghost King?"Yi Tianxing's mind raced with the thought.
"No way. If she truly is a princess of Great Yi, the Emperor's sister, her cultivation shouldn't be weak. Plus, within the Great Yi Dynasty, even if she died normally, her soul might enter the underworld, but the Red-Robed Ghost King daring to infiltrate the dynasty to seize her soul? That's near impossible. The Dynasty's fate-suppressing power would deter even the Ghost King from getting close."The Decomposer said skeptically.
Great Yi's human dynasty was rich in righteous fate. Demons and ghosts did not dare approach the Celestial Cities and could only wander the wilderness. A Ghost King appearing would be as obvious as a lantern in the dark—impossible to conceal.
"Hm, I also had doubts at first. But she definitely bears the fate aura of a royal dynasty. That kind of aura can't be faked. So it's highly likely that she truly is a long-lost sister of Yi Huang—a Great Yi princess. There's a ninety percent chance she's genuine."The Paper Craftsman said quickly.
"Ninety percent… that's already very likely."The Decomposer nodded.
This mission was worth doing. If they could save the Great Yi princess, then without a doubt, Yi Huang would owe them a favor. It might be useless now, but in the future, who knows?
"What's her name?"Yi Tianxing asked, his voice slightly tense.
"She said her name was… Nannan. Sounds like a nickname, though."The Paper Craftsman said after some thought.
"Nannan… it is Nannan!"Yi Tianxing's face lit up with emotion, murmuring softly.
"What? Yi Daoist, do you… know her?"The Decomposer asked, clearly sensing something unusual in Yi Tianxing's expression.
"To tell the truth, my name is Yi Tianxing."Yi Tianxing took a deep breath and slowly spoke. At this point, there was no hiding it anymore. Not that he'd made much effort to conceal it in the first place.
"Yi Tianxing? You're the ruler of Great Yi—Emperor Yi Tianxing?"
In that moment, both the Paper Craftsman and Decomposer looked at him with visible shock. Their expressions changed drastically.
"How is that possible? You're the ruler of a Destiny Dynasty. How can you leave your court so casually? A ruler should not risk himself like this. Would your court ministers even allow it?"The Paper Craftsman muttered in disbelief.
But there was no denying it now. Even without him declaring it, the aura of imperial majesty naturally emanated from him, making it clear—this was indeed a sovereign emperor.
"So it's Emperor Yi himself. Forgive our rudeness."The Decomposer said with a smile.
"In this place, we're all just Daoists. No need for the formalities. Just call me Daoist Yi,"Yi Tianxing replied with a nod. "Now, about what you said earlier—Nannan is imprisoned in Redflame City? Please, tell me everything you know."
"Of course, I will leave nothing out."
The Paper Craftsman no longer had any reservations. In fact, it was better this way. He had originally intended to have Yi Tianxing owe a favor. But now that the man himself was here, it was even more valuable.
He proceeded to describe everything—how he'd sent a paper avatar into Redflame City, what he saw and heard, and especially what he witnessed in the dungeon—numerous living souls imprisoned, including Nannan.
As the tale unfolded, Yi Tianxing's expression grew darker and more dangerous. His eyes gleamed with burning fury.
CRACK!
The wine cup in his hand was crushed into powder, drifting through his fingers.
"Red-Robed Ghost King, you've got some nerve. You really think my sister is someone you can just toy with? I swear, if I don't grind your bones to dust, you won't understand what true pain is!"Yi Tianxing shot to his feet, his anger almost uncontrollable.
Nannan had suffered the most tragic fate. He had long regretted not bringing her back to Great Yi. Now that he finally heard news of her—her living soul had been torn from her body and dragged into the underworld. If he hadn't found out, what fate would have awaited her? Would she be devoured as nourishment, or suffer some other horror?
Just imagining it made Yi Tianxing tremble with fury.
"Yi Daoist, what do you plan to do now?"The Disassembler asked.
"According to what we just heard, the Red-Robed Ghost King is rushing to devour souls for cultivation. Every hour we delay puts Nannan in greater danger. I can't wait anymore. I'll act now. Even if Redflame City is a tiger's den, I'll reduce it to rubble if I must."Yi Tianxing's eyes gleamed with icy light. His decision was final.
The Ghost Warden army still needed more time to fully prepare, and so did the other powerhouses they'd tried to contact. But if they stuck to the ghost army's original plan, it would already be too late. Speed was key—if he could save Nannan now, all the better.
"But Redflame City is heavily guarded. If you break in by force, rescuing the princess won't be easy."The Paper Craftsman warned. He had seen it with his own eyes. The entire city was layered with sealing formations. If activated, even gods would struggle to enter. Worse, they radiated suppression fields that could weaken invaders' strength.
"There's no time. I'm going to open a spatial gate and directly teleport to the city. The city's formations will block internal arrival, so I'll force my way in from outside. However, I don't know the exact location of the dungeon. I'll need your help to guide me."Yi Tianxing said firmly.
He knew very well that Redflame City's formations would prevent spatial movement into the city. In these tense times, the protections were surely always active.
"Of course. This is something I must help with."The Paper Craftsman agreed without hesitation.
This mission was dangerous, but also a huge opportunity to build stronger ties with Yi Tianxing. There was no reason to refuse.
"Count me in too. Since the three of us fell into the underworld together, we should face whatever comes together as well."The Decomposer said with a grin.
"Very well. Let's depart at once."Yi Tianxing nodded. Whatever the outcome, he was truly grateful for their support.
Outside Redflame City
Several figures lurked in the shadows outside the city.
"Brother Li, the brothers are almost all here. About ten thousand Ghost Wardens have arrived. We've got the whole city under surveillance. Once the signal is given, we'll attack. Red-Robed Ghost King won't escape."One young-looking but unremarkable ghost officer reported.
Standing beside him was none other than Zhao Li.
"Hm. When we strike, the Red-Robed Ghost King must be destroyed. He dared raise his hand against our Ghost Warden brethren—if we don't shatter his soul, others will imitate him. Then how will we maintain order?"Zhao Li said coldly.
"We'll make an example out of him. The Red-Robed Ghost King is the chicken we're going to slaughter. It'll be a feast tonight."The young ghost officer laughed.
Becoming a Ghost Warden meant high cultivation and access to merit-based powers. Even a pig could become strong with enough merit. And these wardens? Every one of them was at least Nascent Soul level. Their strength was not to be underestimated.
"According to intel, the Red-Robed Ghost King already knows we plan to attack in three days. But that's exactly what we want him to think. The truth is—we're striking tonight. Let him believe he has time to prepare. The surprise will destroy him."Zhao Li said with a sneer.
He'd deliberately spread false news of a three-day delay, giving the Ghost King a false sense of security.
"He hasn't noticed anything unusual. Still lost in his cultivation."The ghost officer confirmed.
"Good. Tell the brothers—in one hour, when the city's guard is at its weakest, we attack."Zhao Li commanded.
"Understood, Brother Li. Everyone's ready."
Just then, the officer's eyes widened. He pointed ahead in shock.
"Brother Li! Something's wrong! Look! What's that? A spatial gate—who opened it in front of the city!?"
From the darkness, they saw it: a glowing silver portal forming right outside the gates of Redflame City. Its sudden appearance had already alarmed the city's defenders.
"Who the hell is that?! This is blowing our cover—damn it!"Zhao Li cursed, face contorted in rage.