Ah!!!
In the blink of an eye, Ghost Doctor Venerable, a Three-Turn Heavenly Being, was reduced to ashes, his body perished and his dao dissipated, leaving nothing but a Storage Ring clattering to the ground.
Everything had happened so fast—too fast for you and Liu Yue to stop it.
「The sinful bloodline of the King-Slayer!」
「What's going on? I don't have the Qianyuan Royal Family bloodline, so why did I suddenly turn into a King-Slayer's descendant...」
「And the Qianyuan Empire was almost destroyed by... What does that mean? Did my father, my mother, or some elder relative nearly annihilate the Qianyuan Empire?!」
「This isn't how the plot is supposed to go!!!」
Sun Qian was dumbfounded, completely bewildered by everything that had unfolded inside the Simulator.
How had things taken such a sudden turn?
Wasn't he supposed to be the poor imperial prince in hiding, a victim on the run from his pursuers?
How had he suddenly become the heir to a bloodline that had nearly destroyed the empire?
Could it be that the old eunuch Ghost Doctor Venerable had deliberately misled him?
Wait a minute!
Sun Qian seemed to suddenly recall something.
Wasn't it during the last simulation that Liu Yue had mentioned he carried the most sinful, evil, and maddening blood in his veins...
It seemed like the pieces were falling into place.
Holy crap!
No way. In the end, was he the villain all along?!
Were the members of the Sun Clan protecting the remnant of the King-Slayer's bloodline that was him?!
Everything had turned upside down!
You were just as stunned by Ghost Doctor Venerable's final words, as if your identity had shifted yet again.
Second son of the Sun Clan? A member of the Qianyuan Royal Family? The heir to the King-Slayer's bloodline?
Each reversal left you more confused about who was righteous and who was evil.
But here was the thing—you had read the history of the Qianyuan Empire, and there was no record of any "King-Slayer" incident. Something that momentous could never have gone unmentioned!
Unless... that chapter of history about the King-Slayer had been deliberately erased!
But then again, every Qianyuan Human Sovereign throughout the ages had been a supreme existence at the peak of the Land True Immortal Realm. Who would dare to tamper with their legacy?
Moreover, Ghost Doctor Venerable's final words had been cut short by that eerie black flame, which had swallowed him whole. It was as if some unknown entity was secretly preventing him from revealing a forbidden truth.
You turned your gaze to Liu Yue. She was the only one present who might know the hidden secrets.
「I advise you to leave, to get out of Magic City at once. Otherwise, not even I can protect you.」
Liu Yue's voice was faint, her expression telling you loud and clear that you had stirred up a hornet's nest.
Seeing the gravity on her face, you knew Magic City would no longer be safe. It was time to pack your bags and run.
This unexpected turn of events only strengthened your resolve to head south. A strange premonition tugged at you—as if you were destined to make some kind of new discovery once you crossed the border.
You picked up the Storage Ring left behind by Ghost Doctor Venerable. Inside, you found a brand-new Heavenly Being-level treasure, the Profound Yin Mirror, along with a complete inheritance of an alchemist...
You pulled out several bottles of high-grade healing pills and handed them to Sun Zhong, instructing him sternly,
「Tell Qi Wei to take control of the Magic City General Administration, stabilize the situation, and create a false impression. Then you leave Magic City immediately—don't go back to the imperial capital. Hide somewhere, anywhere...」
This man had been loyal to you as your protector, and you wanted to give him a chance to survive, not to die a meaningless death.
As for Qi Wei? With his superior Shen Zhong out of the way, he could seize power outright. It was your way of keeping the promise you'd made earlier. Besides, he could seal off all of Magic City and help cover your tracks.
How long he could hold onto the position of General Administration Director, though, would depend solely on his own luck...
Thanks to your ability Nonstop Nonsense, Sun Zhong trusted every word you said and swore he would carry out your orders to the letter.
You and Liu Yue left the scene, heading toward a hidden warehouse where you planned to pick up Su Mei—the destined female protagonist.
When you met Su Mei and revealed your identity, she agreed to go with you without hesitation...
This time, you didn't take a cruise ship. Instead, you traveled by water.
As a cultivator of the Mountains and Rivers Realm, you could manifest Yin and Yang energies and fly through the air. With the help of your Wind Control Talisman and Speed Talisman, you moved faster than any ship ever could.
You carried the blushing Su Mei on your back, speeding across the surface of the sea as you headed south.
You had avenged her brother by killing Ghost Doctor Venerable, and after spending so much time in close proximity to you, coupled with the fact that your Supreme Imperial Bone could suppress her own bloodline, she'd developed a soft spot for you...
Liu Yue, however, had flatly refused your offer to carry her, stating that she could fly perfectly well on her own and didn't need anyone's help.
You just shrugged it off, figuring she was just being shy, and didn't press the issue.
Along the way, you used everything you knew about Su Mei to your advantage, pulling out all the stops from your Eighteen Tricks to Woo a Girl. The relationship between you two progressed by leaps and bounds...
「You bastard! Flirting with another woman right in front of me!」
Liu Yue glared daggers at you from behind, her fists clenched so tight her knuckles turned white, itching to punch you square in the face.
Women were always competitive by nature. Here you were, keeping her at arm's length while cozying up to someone else—even a Buddha would lose his temper over that!
She'd naturally noticed Su Mei's Cursed Eye and guessed what you were up to, but that didn't make her any less annoyed. After all, you'd never gone out of your way to please her like this...
During your journey, you began teaching Su Mei the basics of cultivation and passed on Ghost Doctor Venerable's Poison Alchemist inheritance to her in its entirety—giving her a pill cauldron, a stockpile of medicinal herbs, and playing the part of the thoughtful older brother to a tee...
Your bond grew closer and closer with each passing day...
Every time Liu Yue watched the two of you together, she felt her anger flare up, her fists tightening more and more...
And Su Mei didn't disappoint you. She took to the Poison Alchemist's craft with astonishing speed, mastering the fundamentals in no time...
....
Before long, you finished your journey by water and began making your way through the mountain forests, continuing southward. The trip was surprisingly uneventful, with no mishaps or ambushes along the way.
A few days later, you suddenly felt a chill creep down your spine—a premonition of impending danger.
Liu Yue, walking beside you, came to an abrupt halt and cut through your intimate chatter with a sharp warning. 「Someone's following us! Their cultivation is incredibly strong—on par with mine!」
「I see.」 You nodded, your expression turning grim.
It was clear that the pursuer hadn't shown themselves yet because they were wary of Liu Yue's presence. Without a sure chance of success, they weren't willing to reveal themselves and attack you head-on.
...
A week later, you finally reached your destination: the outer reaches of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains. Throughout the entire journey, the mysterious pursuer Liu Yue had sensed never made a move against you.
But you could feel the killing intent drawing closer with each passing moment. It was only a matter of time before they could no longer contain themselves and struck.
Just as you were about to step into the mountains, Liu Yue suddenly spoke up. 「This is as far as I can take you. From here on out, you'll have to go the rest of the way alone.」
You could see the unmistakable fear and dread etched on her face—as if the Ten Thousand Great Mountains ahead hid some terrifying presence that even she, a powerful cultivator, feared deeply...
It was the same look you'd glimpsed on her face once before, when the name Mysterious Talisman Master had been mentioned.
...