Imperial God Emperor

At nightfall. 

The thousand of miles of cloudless sky was still like a crystal clear and clean lake, blending together with the faint blush colour of dusk and the white mist rising from the Snow capital, forming a unique firework atmosphere.

On the streets of the Snow capital. 

After coming out from the Two Rivers Group’s teahouse, Ye Qingyu was in no hurry to return to Light City.

He paced through the lit streets and alleys like a wealthy young master wandering around with no particular purpose.

His departure from the imperial capital in ten days was a decision that he made the day before.

“But before I leave, I have to go see someone first...” Ye Qingyu seemed to have made up his mind. On a crowded and lively street with pedestrians and sellers busy shouting, he suddenly vanished like a wisp of mist. 

Ten miles to the west of the imperial palace.  

Compared to the bustling market in the city, this place was extremely peaceful and quiet.

There was a winding blue stone path that branched out from the main street, and several hundreds of meters along the path, an imperial residence, like a glimmer of hope at the end of a tunnel, appeared at the end of the stone path. 

The palace, which occupied acres of land, was called a palace, but it was more like the courtyard of a scholar.

The outside of the palace was lightly enveloped by a faint golden rune formation, and martial artists lower than the Biter Sea stage could not see the palace hidden at the end of the little town at all.  

Ye Qingyu, standing on the last stone of the winding blue stone path and looking at the profound golden runes that were like a layer of veil slowly circulating, could not help but smile. “Faintly hidden in the city... The First Princess' state of mind is really admirable.” 

This palace in front of him was the imperial residence of the First Princess, [Youqiong Palace]. 

“Since you've come, why haven't you come in...” A clear and gentle voice like the sweet scent of a flower being carried by the wind, came from the depths of the palace.  

At the same time--- 

The scale-like brilliance of the formation was suddenly rippling gently.

The formation veil in front of Ye Qingyu was like two upside-down banana leaves. It suddenly lifted open on both sides, revealing two wood-coloured doors carved with patterns of blooming Snowball flowers and an at least one-meter-wide passageway.

“So another world lies beyond...”  

Ye Qingyu looked at this unusual ‘door’ and couldn’t help complimenting it.

He walked along the little blue stone path, slowly making his way into the palace and constantly glancing around.

What he saw was not the usual golden and beautifully decorated imperial palace that exuded an imposing majesty. 

The entire palace was simply surrounded by simple red bricks and covered with gold roof tiles. There were countless green vines winding up the red walls. The colours of red and green were contrasting each other, which made the leaves fluttering in the wind appear greener. 

At the corner of the courtyard, inside a ten-meter radius semi-circle fish pond, were several fish leisurely moving their tails back and forth, jumping out of the water from time to time, performing somersaults, and landing with a huge splash.

Along the way, there was only one single blue stone path, which was exactly the same as the one outside. Both sides of the path were lined with various species of Snowball flowers.

All the beautiful flowers were like delicate lanterns, the tip of the bud was slightly opened, and a delicate fragrance seemed to linger around the entire courtyard.

Above the palace. 

A hook-like crescent moon was already hanging in the sky.

The clear and cold moonlight projected onto the light-emitting formation lanterns, which made those winding vines and the beautiful Snowball flowers that were like a dwarf bush thicket look like a shy beauty under the moonlight. 

“I didn't expect there to be such an amazing place in Snow capital...” Ye Qingyu slowed down his pace, immersing in the elegant atmosphere. 

“You didn't notify me beforehand, could it be that you heard that it is a good time to view the blooming of Snowball flowers tonight?” In the only side palace hall at the end of the palace there was a beautiful figure coming out slowly. It was the owner of this palace, Yu Junqing.  

“There isn't even one guard in First Princess' palace...” Ye Qingyu no longer lingered around, and walked directly toward the figure under the moonlight.

“I like quiet.” The first princess smiled, the silver embroidered flowers on her light purple silk dress bloomed vividly. 

……

In the side palace hall. 

The square hall was extremely empty and had an extremely simple layout and furnishings, looking more like the residence of a scholar.

Only the two southwest walls were hung with a dozen or more life-like paintings of Snowball flowers, exuding traces of vitality. 

Behind the golden bead curtain in the east of the palace, a dark red guqin was sitting there silently, as if waiting for Bo Le to play its inner voice into music.

A three-meter square tea table was placed in the center of the hall with all sorts of different patterned wooden blocks that looked like tree stumps. On the table, there was a beautiful sound of tea slowly floating up from the glass teacup. 

“Sit down.” Yu Junqing stretched out a long slender finger from her flowing sleeve, pointing to a strangely shaped wooden block.

Ye Qingyu looked at the ordinary stump with a smiling expression. He seemed to have been accustomed to the unusual style of the First Princess of the Snow Empire.

“As expected...” 

The moment he was seated, he felt the mysteriousness of the wooden stump, which confirmed his speculation.

The wooden stump was seemingly plain and like a tree stump that could be picked up everywhere in the woods, but as Ye Qingyu got nearer there was an endless flow of gentle intent. 

These strange wooden blocks were very beneficial to a martial artist's cultivation. They contained a warm qi similar to a gurgling spring, which entered the limbs and heart to wash away the impurities in the meridians. 

“It seems that all the displays in this hall are the same as those in the Light Palace. They must not be underestimated.” Ye Qingyu received the teacup that Yu Junqing passed over, feeling the warmth coming to his fingertips. It was an extremely comfortable feeling. 

After a few words of greeting.

“Next, what are your plans?” The First Princess flipped her hand over, and with a flash of green light, two palm-sized jade cups appeared in her hands. 

“I'm planning to leave Snow capital in ten days.” Ye Qingyu took one of the wine cups and filled it with wine.  

The aroma of wine instantly hit him, and this floral aroma was the same as that of the Snowball flowers in the courtyard.

Not only that, but inside the wine that was emitting a rich fragrance there was an incomparably pure energy contained within in.

As the wine entered the mouth, it instantly transformed into a plume of energy that flowed towards the bones and limbs. 

Seeing the surprised expression on Ye Qingyu's face, Yu Junqing revealed a proud smile, “haha... this [Snowball Flower Immortal Wine] is a treasure of the Snow Empire, it is made from the unique Snowball flowers in my courtyard and the sweet syrup that it produces when it blooms. There is less than ten bottles made a year. You're lucky, boy.”

After she said that, she stretched out her long, slender fingers, gently brushing the bottle mouth. The brown leather seal dissolved and the aroma of wine immediately pervaded the hall.

Yu Junqing tilted her head back and drank a mouthful of wine, her movements were very graceful.

This appearance, and this demeanour, were a bit similar to the beautiful figure who was drinking to her hearts content in the bamboo forest...  

Ye Qingyu was taken aback for a moment, and then gently shook his head, smiling helplessly, “After I leave Snow capital, I will first visit White Deer Academy in Deer City, and then check on the people of the Ye residence, and then I will travel to Youyan Pass and pay a visit to some old friends there.” 

“And then...” Yu Junqing gently swirled the jade wine cup, seemingly more interested in his following plans.  

“Next I will head all the way south from Youyan Pass, visit the Three Sects and Three Schools in the central plains, as well as some remote sects in the Snow Empire.” Ye Qingyu pensively looked at the wine that was flashing a silvery light. 

“The Sky Dragon is finally going to reveal his fangs...” Yu Juqing nodded with a smile. She opened her mouth and inhaled. A wisp of the Immortal wine, like a transparent spirit snake, came pouring into her mouth. 

“The overall situation of the Snow Empire now is stable, but the state of Jianghu is still surging in the dark. The purpose of my visit this time, naturally, is to clean up the unstable forces, and to take the opportunity to bring these sects under the rule of the Snow Empire.” Ye Qingyu's eyes flickered like stars. “After settling the Jianghu situation, I plan to take a look at the Four Demon Courts.” 

After going over his plans, Ye Qingyu also put down the wine cup, drew in a deep breath, and a wisp of wine, like it was pulled by some kind of strange force, leaped up and slipped into his mouth.  

Opposite, Yu Junqing's eyes were flickering as she set down the wine cup on the table. She suddenly stood up and walked toward the moonlit hall entrance, “This is the outcome of the discussion in the Crown Prince's imperial residence a few days ago?”

Ye Qingyu was still sitting on the wooden stump, his back facing the Immortal-like figure that was bathed in moonlight, nodding slightly.

After a few moments of silence.  

“With your strength, you indeed have the ability to do these things, just that, you must be careful...” The beautiful figure under the moonlight slowly opened her mouth, her voice was ordinary, and there wasn’t any obvious change of tone. “You're really like that person... When he went to wipe out the rebellion forces, I was as old as Xing'er now…”

A very complex emotion slipped passed Ye Qingyu's heart.

He naturally knew who ‘that person’ that the First Princess mentioned was, as if his influence on the lifeline of the Snow Empire had been rooted in the depths of every high-ranking authority, became a near-worshipping level existence. 

“That day, you said that after I enter the offering temple again, there is one thing you said you needed to tell me. What is it?” Ye Qingy's eye fell on the formation candles on the table. 

Among the dark candlesticks, there was only a slight flickering flame. 

“What have you learned in the temple?” The princess did not turn her head around, still seemingly gazing at the hazy moonlight in the sky. 

Ye Qingyu gently nodded, then shook his head, “There is something, but... still not very clear...”

Yu Juqing slowly nodded, finally turning around. As though her cold eyes were affected by the moonlight she looked at the rear view of the tall and straight figure whose black hair was flowing down his back like a waterfall. “There is an important matter that, in the entire Heaven Wasteland Domain, only I know about for now... After you left, the domain gate was activated again...” 

“What?!” Ye Qingyu exclaimed. 

Yu Junqing leisurely recounted the incident as she walked over to the tea table.

It turns out that one month after Ye Qingyu and Yu Xiaoxing left Heaven Wasteland Domain, there was a young expert who claimed to be a special envoy of the Domain Alliance who had entered Heaven Wasteland Domain without anyone knowing. 

“The youngster who claims to be a special envoy of the Domain Alliance [Heaven Patrol Special Envoy]. He very easily broke through the formation of my courtyard. And before I could react, he was already standing in front of me... His strength is far above mine...” Yu Junqing's eyes gradually grew serious. “Although this person was young, but his attitude was very ruthless and arrogant. He came to find me because I was the most powerful person in the Heaven Wasteland Domain, so he came to me directly to convey the command of the Domain Alliance.” ——