# Chapter 920: Recalling the Past in White Emperor City
In the distant western part of the continent, there existed a beautiful yet perilous world. In that world stood countless peaks, snow visible throughout all four seasons, numerous surging rivers, and vast primeval forests. Whether beneath the waters or within the forests, countless ferocious beasts dwelled—this was what people called the Demon Domain.
Deep within the Demon Domain sat an extraordinarily majestic city, standing between mountain peaks, surrounded by the eight-hundred-mile Red River. Its city walls were built from jade-like white hard stone, and combined with the year-round mist that never dispersed, when viewed from afar, it was indescribably magnificent, inspiring awe in all who beheld it. This majestic city had no imperial chariot diagrams like the capital, nor did it have the formations beneath the Detached Palace. It relied on its sturdy walls to resist foreign enemies, along with the even harder will and violent temperament of the demon race.
This was the legendary White Emperor City.
Legend held that countless tens of thousands of years ago, the Heavenly Book Stele fell upon the Eastern Lands continent. Human wisdom awakened, and simultaneously, the demon race also began to awaken, developing their own civilization. However, due to their relatively greater distance from the Heavenly Book Mausoleum, the pace of their civilizational progress was somewhat slower than that of humans. Some demon tribes that had long dwelled in desolate mountains and wild forests still retained their wild nature to this day.
Because of their direct and simple temperament, before formally establishing their nation, the demon race did not fare well on the continent. They suffered deeply from discrimination and oppression by the demonic race. The now nearly extinct Xiu Ling tribe stood as a concrete witness to that tragic history, and the role humans played in this history was not glorious either.
It wasn't until over a thousand years ago that, in order to resist the increasingly powerful and brutally tyrannical demonic race, several generations of great leaders from both the demon race and humanity, with immense patience and wisdom, finally persuaded both sides to set aside old grievances and join hands, ultimately establishing an alliance during the reign of Emperor Taizong.
Through the long passage of time, the enmity between the demon race and humanity gradually faded. However, due to those more ancient histories and the irreconcilable differences between the two sides, some hostility or vigilance still remained. For instance, in the most recent war, human armies had fought the demonic race on the Snow Plains for two full years, yet the demon race, aside from symbolically mobilizing two tribes to move eastward by over a thousand li, had done nothing else.
Regarding this point, many discussions had arisen in the capital. Human ministers and generals worried whether the demon race might have other intentions, yet Daoist Shang Xingzhou, seated at the highest position, remained calm, because he had great confidence in the overall situation and believed he understood clearly what Lady Mu wanted.
...
...
"Actually, I myself don't clearly know what I want."
"The identity with which we live is essentially the role we play—whether princess, empress, wife, or mother."
"It's just that as the time spent playing these roles grows longer and the roles we play become more numerous, it often makes you forget who you truly are."
"If you don't even know your own role, how can you judge what you truly want? If you wish to obtain a clear and genuine answer, then you must look back to where you came from, trace back to the very beginning of time, and remember what you saw when you first opened your eyes and looked upon this world."
"I was held in my father's arms, standing by the sea. The terrifying waves rolled like churning ink, and within them, a white dot danced unceasingly—it was very beautiful."
"And you?"
The eight-hundred-mile Red River surrounded White Emperor City. On both banks, the plains were fertile, the mountains and forests lush, and countless tribes lived there.
In a very secluded mountain cliff deep within, there stood a small building that seemed to merge with heaven and earth.
Before the small building was a grassy meadow. Below the meadow was a sheer cliff face. In the distance, the Red River surged with rolling waves, and the majestic city could be seen within the mist.
A woman stood at the cliff's edge, gazing at the Red River and White City as she spoke slowly in a calm tone.
A black-clad young woman stood behind her. An iron chain was tied around her ankle, with the other end extending deep into the earth—it was Little Black Dragon Zhi Zhi.
She looked at the woman's back and naturally recalled the Heavenly Sea Sacred Empress whom she had once feared most.
Perhaps it was because this woman's figure also gave an unattainable impression, or perhaps because this woman also habitually clasped her hands behind her back.
The only woman in the world today who could be compared to the Heavenly Sea Sacred Empress was the White Emperor City's Empress, Lady Mu.
Hearing Lady Mu's question, Little Black Dragon thought seriously for a moment, then said, "I saw a pearl."
Then she spread her hands in the air, gesturing at its size: "A pearl this big."
If she wasn't exaggerating, then this pearl was truly exaggeratedly large.
Little Black Dragon continued, "Mother said I loved to cry when I was born, and nothing could soothe me until I held that pearl in my arms—only then did I calm down."
Lady Mu said, "That must have been the legendary mermaid's tear?"
The dragon race's settlement was deep in the distant Southern Sea, and the Great Western Continent was also a kingdom of the ocean. The two shared similar legends and understood each other well.
Little Black Dragon said, "Later, it was stolen by Scholar Wang at Beixin Bridge."
Lady Mu said, "Only knowing how to bully a little child like you—Minister Wang is hardly a hero."
Little Black Dragon strongly agreed with this statement, looking innocent as she said, "Empress, you are an extraordinary person, so please don't bully a little child like me."
Lady Mu said, "I am no hero—I am merely a woman."
Little Black Dragon asked pitifully, "Then how long do you plan to keep me locked up?"
Lady Mu said, "I am neither Minister Wang nor Tianhai. I have no interest in imprisoning you."
Little Black Dragon was silent for a moment, then asked, "Then when do you plan to kill me?"
"In those days, the demon race could establish its nation only because of your Xuan Shuang Giant Dragon clan. If I do not wish to be reviled by the entire demon race, I will not kill you."
Lady Mu looked calmly at the white giant city across the Red River and continued, "Besides, although your realm and strength are no longer at their peak, you are not so easy to kill. If your divine soul had not been extracted once before, it would have been very difficult for me to subdue you silently."
Hearing these words, Little Black Dragon recalled those scenes from beneath Beixin Bridge, especially the pain when the Heavenly Sea Sacred Empress extracted her divine soul. Her small face turned somewhat pale. And when she remembered the pain of the deep cold dragon breath being forcibly drawn from her body by this person a few days ago, her vertical pupils contracted slightly, and a trace of venomous resentment flashed through them.
"What exactly do you want to do?" she stared at Lady Mu's back and said.
Lady Mu did not turn around. She spoke softly, "That question should be mine to ask. During the battle at Snow Ridge, the Demon Lord, out of consideration for his friendship with your father, naturally would not kill you. Yet you feigned death and secretly came to White Emperor City. What did Chen Changsheng send you here to do?"
Little Black Dragon remained silent.
She had come to White Emperor City on Chen Changsheng's orders. Her first intention was to see the White Emperor, but the White Emperor was in seclusion cultivating and healing his injuries. She then had to find a way to see Luo Luo. However, before she could even enter the palace, she sensed something was wrong. When she tried to leave, it was already too late—Lady Mu had subdued her and brought her here.
Chen Changsheng's instructions had been very clear beforehand: whether meeting the White Emperor or Luo Luo, it must be done without Lady Mu's knowledge. Everyone understood the problems between the imperial court, the state religion, and White Emperor City. But she had not expected Lady Mu's attitude to be so tough, and the tacit understanding between her and Shang Xingzhou could not explain it at all.
Suddenly, a possibility occurred to her. Her voice deepened as she said, "Could it be that people from the Great Western Continent want to stir up trouble on the mainland?"
Lady Mu smiled faintly and said, "We have prepared for hundreds of years—how could a mere storm be enough?"
The conjecture was finally confirmed. Little Black Dragon was silent for a long time before saying, "Mu Jiushi was expelled from the Detached Palace back then. Haven't you yet understood the real reason? The Pope has always been vigilant against you, and many others have also been vigilant against you. They have not forgotten you."
Lady Mu slowly turned around, looking at her with a slightly fading smile, and said, "So what?"
Little Black Dragon stared into her eyes and said, "I don't know what your conspiracy is, but I know that someone died yesterday—and Chen Changsheng is still alive."
Hundreds of millions of people lived on the continent. At every moment, many people died, for all kinds of reasons.
If it were just the death of an ordinary person, she naturally would not have noticed it, let alone deliberately mentioned it.
There was a certain mysterious resonance among Sacred Domain powerhouses. Her realm had fallen severely, but this resonance had not been lost.
She could sense it very clearly—just yesterday, a Sacred Domain powerhouse had returned to the Sea of Stars.
She did not know that Sacred Domain powerhouse was the Great Western Continent's Imperial Uncle.
But Lady Mu knew. The smile on her face instantly vanished without a trace.