The Legendary Son-in-law of the Emperor Chapter 1706 - 1703: Clues in Qing State

In the end, the two did not share a bed.

Ye Xuan ultimately chose to be considerate toward Zhou Youwei.

He understood clearly that Zhou Youwei was in a state of self-severance, effectively separating herself from Hong Yao.

However, they remained one singular entity.

It meant that when Zhou Youwei was in control, her consciousness held sway, just as Hong Yao’s did when she was dominant.

Hong Yao had gone into seclusion, allowing Zhou Youwei to return.

But in truth, Hong Yao was Zhou Youwei, and Zhou Youwei was Hong Yao.

The relationship mirrored how Ye Xuan and the Undying Night Emperor were one and the same.

When Ye Xuan existed as the Undying Night Emperor, ruling over the eras, his main body continued to lead its own existence.

Despite this, they were always the same individual.

They lay there together, exchanging many words.

Zhou Youwei held nothing back from Ye Xuan, relaying everything she could recall since her memories had awakened.

Yet, regarding the details of that past battle, she remained silent.

To be precise, she found it impossible to speak of it.

During the process of self-severance, Hong Yao had placed a restriction upon Zhou Youwei, forbidding her from discussing such matters.

"Since your memories are shared, you should be capable of breaking this restriction yourself," Ye Xuan suggested softly, adding, "Why not give it a chance?"

Zhou Youwei offered a slight shake of her head. "The memory is sealed. When I performed the self-severance, my emotional intent was to keep you from becoming involved, as the stakes are simply too high."

Turning onto his side, Ye Xuan tucked a hand under his pillow while stroking her hair. "When did you decide to undergo the self-severance?"

Zhou Youwei met his gaze, a faint, lovely smile appearing in her eyes. "Would you like to guess?"

Without a moment's hesitation, Ye Xuan replied, "Was it when I returned the soul mark you left with me?"

A sweet smile bloomed on her face.

It was indeed at that exact moment she had chosen to trigger the self-severance.

Ye Xuan raised an eyebrow at her. "Did you return to stop me, or to guide me?"

Zhou Youwei blinked slowly and replied gently, "Both, and yet neither. I simply... missed you."

Sitting up in bed, Ye Xuan stated, "I must depart for the Endless Sea."

Zhou Youwei rose as well, a small smile playing on her lips. "There is no need for such haste; it will be some time before the Sea Abyss in the Endless Sea opens."

Ye Xuan was momentarily taken aback before realization dawned on him.

The current Youwei, in terms of certain insights, might possess a deeper understanding than he did.

"I find myself quite curious regarding the true identity of your past life," Ye Xuan said with a chuckle.

Zhou Youwei cast a playful glare his way before climbing out of bed. "I intend to use this time to visit my mother."

Ye Xuan did not attempt to dissuade her.

She had been gone for quite some time, and his mother-in-law, Jiang Jing, had been deeply worried; the situation had been difficult for her.

Once Zhou Youwei had departed, Ye Xuan remained in the room to reflect.

He could not quite discern her true objective in returning.

In the past, neither Youwei nor Hong Yao had wanted him mixed up in that conflict.

Now that she had severed herself into two aspects, her return could be interpreted as a move to block him, or perhaps to lead him.

Youwei had not been entirely forthcoming.

"No matter. With her here, many secrets will inevitably come to light," Ye Xuan mused. He chose not to overthink it; time would reveal all.

In any case, having Youwei back, restored with Hong Yao’s memories, would be an immense asset.

"I should see how everything is faring in the Qing State," he decided.

With nothing else immediate to attend to, Ye Xuan shifted his focus, crossing the vast, spans of the starry sky in an instant to reach the territory of Qing State.

Qing State was plagued by demons.

Upon his arrival, he felt the suffocating presence of demon aura blanketing the sky and horizon, accompanied by the pungent, pervasive scent of blood.

"Has the Evil God Sect not been completely wiped out yet?" Ye Xuan questioned, raising an eyebrow in mild surprise.

Three days had passed since he descended upon the Dark Divine Palace of the Evil God Sect. Was the sect still active?

They truly seemed determined to court death.

Throughout these last few days, Qing State had been mired in chaotic conflict.

The war sparked by the Evil God Sect had spiraled out of control.

Even though the Evil God Sect itself had been dealt with, the demons of Qing State were now hell-bent on launching a full-scale invasion against humanity, intending to eradicate the Human Clan entirely.

After quelling their internal strife, the Qingming Palace and the Evergreen Immortal Sect had resumed order, but in the face of this surge, containing the Demon Race remained a difficult ordeal.

On that day, the Qingming Saint Master met with his peers and concluded that five of them would depart together, intending to venture into the heart of the Demon Race to eliminate the Demon Emperor hidden within.

Five out of the Beidou Seven Veins were mobilized.

Shortly after beginning their journey, they felt a formidable aura sweep across the state.

"It is Emperor Ye!" Gutian Nan exclaimed, recognizing the presence immediately.

"Emperor Ye?" The group felt a surge of joyful surprise and rushed toward him.

Upon seeing their leader, everyone except Gutian Nan and the Qingming Saint Master reacted with shock, clearly not having expected Ye Xuan to appear as he did now.

Nevertheless, they bowed respectfully in unison: "Greetings, Emperor Ye."

"Is this truly all the Beidou Seven Veins can accomplish?" Ye Xuan asked calmly, his voice devoid of emotion.

Yet, those chilling words caused the group to break out in a cold sweat.

Emperor Ye was admonishing them for their inefficiency.

Mustering his courage, the Qingming Saint Master replied, "Reporting to Emperor Ye, the remnants of the Evil God Sect have been eliminated, but we have detected something amiss within the Demon Race and were on our way to investigate."

"The Demon Race of Qing State?" Ye Xuan narrowed his eyes slightly.

The conflict had originated with the Evil God Sect, who aimed to seize the Evil Dragon and manipulate the Green Cauldron. It was logical for them to have utilized pawns within the Demon Race.

If the Qingming Saint Master claimed the Evil God Sect was defeated, the same should hold true for the Demon Race, yet their aggression had not subsided.

Could the demons be trying to seize control of the region while the chaos dragged on?

They surely understood that with the existence of the Qingming Palace, such a dream was impossible.

"Never mind, let us go see for ourselves," Ye Xuan said gently.

The group felt a measure of relief upon hearing his order.

Everything Ye Xuan did placed an immense burden upon them—after all, this was Emperor Ye.

"Emperor Ye, we suspect that an ancient demon is either being resurrected within the Demon Race or that one has descended from the Heavenly Domain to sow discord throughout our territory," whispered the Tianquan Wenqu, who carried a scholar's chest.

At these words, a realization struck Ye Xuan like a thunderbolt.

The upheaval in the Xuanhuang Great World had persisted despite the formation of alliances. Although Emperor Ling Xiao had previously promised to report to the Double Emperors, nothing had happened.

Emperor Ling Xiao had long since grown accustomed to the laws of this lower realm, now capable of exerting the strength of an Invincible Great Sage.

Yet, throughout this entire mess, he had remained hidden.

And now, the chaos within the Demon Race apparently involved ancient figures descending from the Heavenly Domain.

With the Double Emperors currently in command in the Heavenly Domain, unauthorized descents were impossible; these ancients must have been granted permission.

Ye Xuan had once used the Mystic Yellow Nine Cauldrons to suppress that monstrous form.

The Evil God Sect’s ultimate goal had been those cauldrons.

Rumor suggested that those behind the sect originated from the Dou Tian Divine Domain.

Even the betrayal of the Double Emperors back in the day seemed to have been orchestrated by a higher power.

This string of clues suddenly brought a chilling realization to Ye Xuan.