Chapter 630: Punishment!
"Tianxia Clan Master, congratulations indeed. Your daughter and Prince Xiao are a perfect match, a union made in heaven, and personally betrothed by the Little Demon Empress—truly a momentous occasion."
"I'll be eagerly awaiting news of the nuptials. When the time comes, I absolutely must come to beg a cup of wedding wine."
"My wife just happens to be skilled in making wedding garments, so leave the attire to me. I guarantee the Tianxia Clan Master and your daughter will be satisfied..."
The moment Tianxia Xiongtu emerged from the Demon Emperor's Hall, he was immediately surrounded and escorted by a large crowd, all offering congratulations and trying to curry favor. Their expressions were filled with obvious respect and flattery, and their gazes brimmed with poorly concealed envy. Though Tianxia Xiongtu had been the Tianxia Clan Master for many years, this was the first time in his life he felt as if he were walking on air.
Back then, everyone thought Xiao Yun was nothing more than a "bastard." If the Tianxia Clan married their only princess to him, it would have been a huge joke... The Tianxia Clan itself would have regarded it as a disgrace.
But now, let alone taking a principal wife—if Xiao Yun were to openly take a concubine, these nobles and royalty would personally lead their daughters to his doorstep, fighting tooth and nail for the chance...
"Brother Yun, my sincerest congratulations." Su Xiangnan said to Yun Qinghong with a smile.
Yun Qinghong returned the courtesy: "Thank you, Brother Su. Tomorrow is my son's enfeoffment ceremony as a prince. I hope Brother Su will honor us with your presence."
"Hahaha." Su Xiangnan laughed heartily. "Of course! Speaking of which, I was originally worried that Brother Yun, having suffered severe injuries and lost a great deal of essence blood seven days ago, might miss this grand ceremony. I never expected that not only would you arrive punctually, but your complexion would be so excellent—it's truly hard to believe."
Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou both smiled. Yun Qinghong said gently, "Xiao Che has some knowledge of medicine. After a few days of treatment, I am mostly recovered. In a little more time, I should be completely healed. Brother Su need not worry."
"Healed?" Su Xiangnan's face showed shock. "That was essence blood loss! In this world, could there truly be such miraculous medical skills?" He then seemed to think of something, and said with astonishment, "Rumors have been circulating recently that Brother Yun's and your wife's injuries were healed by Yun Xianzhi, in only two months. Could it be... that it's true?"
"Hahaha!" Yun Qinghong let out a long laugh, with undisguised pride between his brows. "Compared to his profound strength, Xiao Che's skill in the medical arts might be even more outstanding."
The Su Family Master's mouth fell open as he stood there, stunned for a long time, unable to come back to his senses... Four months ago, Yun Che had single-handedly swept through six opposing powerhouses, shaking the Illusory Demon Realm. Seven days ago, facing the Huai Wang at full power, he had wounded him with a single sword strike... These past few days, many had already speculated that after receiving the Golden Crow Divine Spirit's blessing, Yun Che's profound strength might have already surpassed Yun Qinghong's!
And now, what Yun Qinghong had just said... Yun Che's medical arts realm actually exceeded his profound dao realm?!
Two months to heal the severe wounds and poison that all the divine physicians of the Illusory Demon Realm had deemed incurable on Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou... Yun Qinghong had suffered massive essence blood loss, yet in just seven days, he was already ruddy-complexioned, and could even make a full recovery...
Such medical skill was truly unheard of, shocking to the extreme!
And this was spoken by Yun Qinghong himself—how could it be false!
The grand ceremony had just concluded, and the area outside the Demon Emperor's Hall was densely packed with people. An even larger crowd was clustered around the Yun Family, watching for a chance to ingratiate themselves. Yun Qinghong and Su Xiangnan's conversation had not been lowered, and these keen-eared powerhouses naturally caught every word clearly...
Thus, in just half a day, the news spread like a whirlwind throughout Demon Emperor City: Yun Che had healed the injuries of Yun Qinghong and his wife... Yun Che could restore Yun Qinghong's severely depleted essence blood... Yun Che possessed extraordinary medical skills!
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Completely unaware that his father had irresponsibly saddled him with yet another grand halo, Yun Che, after everyone had dispersed, walked straight toward the stone chamber where the Little Demon Empress was. Though the stone door was open, it was sealed with an opaque barrier the Little Demon Empress had just laid down. From the aura of this barrier, it not only prevented anyone from seeing inside the chamber but also completely isolated all sound. Behind the barrier, a chilling killing intent emanated clearly—enough to make even an Emperor Lord shudder.
Yun Che completely ignored this killing intent, walking without pause through the barrier and stepping into the stone chamber.
This secret chamber was quite spacious, and the Little Demon Empress was standing at its center, her back to Yun Che. The barrier she had set up isolated the inside from the outside, preventing any sight or sound from leaking through.
The back of the Little Demon Empress was slender but filled with icy frost. Yun Che arrived three steps behind her and said, without any superfluous words: "I want to stay."
"Stay?" The Little Demon Empress turned around slowly, her gaze cold, her tone carrying a hint of sarcasm. "You want to watch me punish those traitors?"
"Yes." Yun Che nodded, his face calm and natural. "I also want to see, for myself, the methods of the Demon Empress who will become a Creation God."
"You..." The Little Demon Empress wanted to say something but stopped. The iciness in her eyes gradually softened. "Stay if you wish. But be prepared. Tomorrow, you might see things you don't want to see."
"Revenge is heartless. I understand." Yun Che looked at the Little Demon Empress, saying softly: "But, you know, what I'm more worried about is something else."
The Little Demon Empress did not speak.
"As I said earlier, the 'Evil God's Indestructible Blood' is blood-melting your body and mind, and it will do so for three full years. In three years' time, you will completely 'die.' These three years, can you... think of yourself not as a Demon Empress, but as a girl?"
"Think of yourself as the girl the Little Demon Emperor protected with his life and loved most in this world! Think of yourself as someone who deserves to be happy..."
"Enough!" The Little Demon Empress suddenly shouted, interrupting Yun Che's words. Her voice grew cold again, and her eyes surged with a frightening chill. "Yun Che, you are too reckless. Even if your blood saves this empress's life, you are not qualified to speak nonsense to this empress! If you speak another word of this nonsense, don't blame this empress for showing no mercy!"
Yun Che was completely unfazed, and said instead: "If... you truly only have three years left to live... don't you wish there could be someone you don't despise too much, someone you would never want to kill, to spend that time with you? Are you really... so accustomed to walking alone?"
The Little Demon Empress's gaze grew focused. Through her deep, boundless eyes, no one could guess what she was thinking. She said coldly: "The Little Demon Emperor you know of was both this empress's younger brother and this empress's husband. Since I am already an empress, so what if I walk alone? This empress has been alone for a hundred years, so what are a mere three years!"
Yun Che: "..."
"You want to stay? Fine, then watch well how this empress deals with these traitors!" The Little Demon Empress's gray robe swayed lightly as she seated herself firmly on the throne. She looked straight ahead and said indifferently: "Yun Che, this empress now asks you: if only one among these people could live, who would you choose? If only one must die, who would you choose?"
Without hesitation, Yun Che answered, as if he had already considered the question thoroughly: "If only one is worthy of living, then it should be the Xuan Wang. Four months ago, the Xuan Wang was always loyal to the Demon Emperor Clan. At the ceremony that day, he even sternly rebuked those seven Guardian Clans. His later defection to the Huai Wang was mainly because he mistakenly believed you had met your end in the Jinwu Thunder Flame Valley, and he had no choice but to protect his princely mansion."
"If one must die... If it were me, I would choose the head of the Helian Clan—Helian Kuang!" Yun Che narrowed his eyes slightly. "The Helian Clan was the first among all the Guardian Clans to betray the Demon Emperor Clan and defect to the Huai Wang Manor! As the clan head, Helian Kuang naturally played a decisive role. Moreover, for the Huai Wang Manor's rebellion, he didn't just lean in their direction verbally—he made multiple moves, suppressing those forces that remained loyal to the Demon Emperor Clan, even setting various poisonous schemes. Back then, to drive a wedge between my Yun Family and the Tianxia Clan, it was the Helian Clan who sent people to assassinate Tianxia Diqi... If I hadn't arrived just in time, they might well have succeeded, and the consequences would have been unthinkable."
"He is guilty of death, and his heart deserves execution!"
The Little Demon Empress listened silently to Yun Che's words. When he finished, her gaze flickered, and her low voice pierced directly through the barrier, resounding in the Demon Emperor's Hall outside: "Xuan Wang, come in and see this empress!"