My disciples are all villains.

When Si Wuya fell to his knees, everyone remained silent. They knew they could intervene even if they wanted to. They could only watch like bystanders.

Duanmu Sheng walked over and fell to one knee before he said, "Master, I'm the one who released him. He's indebted to Princess Yong Ning. I didn't think much about it. All I wanted was to give him a chance to say goodbye."

Lu Zhou stroked his beard and nodded as he swept his gaze across everyone. He was inwardly shocked when he saw how exhausted Si Wuya looked. He did not expect a mathematical question would torment Si Wuya to this extent. Based on this, he could see how tenacious Si Wuya was. After a moment, Lu Zhou looked at the three elders of the Old Age Pavilion and asked, "What's her condition?"

Hua Wudao, Leng Luo, and Pan Litian gave their diagnoses to Lu Zhou.

After getting a grasp of the current situation, Lu Zhou was certain he knew what was happening. Currently, he had two Critical Heal Cards and two Strengthened Critical Heal Cards. It should not be a problem if he wanted to save her. However, he would not easily save her. He asked, "Are you begging me?"

Si Wuya prostrated himself and said, "I beg that you help her, master. Even if there's only a slim chance, please save her life."

"Give me one reason why I should save her," Lu Zhou said.

"…"

Lu Zhou's words stunned Si Wuya and the others.

'Considering that I'm your master, I think I've fulfilled all my moral obligations by helping you survive that mess in Liang Province. Moreover, you're a traitor, and yet, you dare to treat me in such a manner… If I don't preserve my own dignity, I'd be too ashamed to show myself in public.'

Si Wuya was not stupid. Naturally, he understood his master's words. How could he say his master should help Yong Ning because he was his master? Was that not akin to slapping his own face? It… It seemed like there was no reason for his master to save Yong Ning nor was his master obligated to save her. After thinking about it, he finally said, "What are your conditions, master?"

Lu Zhou did not answer Si Wuya's question directly. Instead, he walked to the room.

The others made way for him.

"It's too early for that. All three elders have said that she's beyond help. If that's the case, it'll be meaningless for you to beg me." When he finished speaking, he opened the door and entered the room.

Si Wuya rose to his feet immediately and respectfully followed Lu Zhou into the room.

The others waited outside.

After walking past the screen inside the room, Lu Zhou and Si Wuya saw Princess Yong Ning lying on the bed with her eyes closed. She looked frail, and her lips had cracked from dryness.

Si Wuya frowned when he saw this. His thoughts were complicated and difficult to put into words.

Lu Zhou stroked his beard and lightly shook his head. "What does this little girl see in you? Why is she willing to go to such lengths?"

"…" As he looked at Yong Ning lying on the bed, unconscious, Si Wuya felt that it was getting increasingly hard to breathe. It felt as though a heavy weight was pressing down on his chest. He kept recalling scenes from the past. They had watched the moon and snow together, finished each other's poems, discussed events of the past and present… Perhaps, it was due to his lack of experience when he was growing up, he was a blank slate and rather obtuse when it came to women. However, when realization dawned on him, it was already too late.

Things never turned out the way one expected them to.

One could rarely act according to one's wish inside the palace. Si Wuya did not think he was romantically invested in Yong Ning. However, when he recalled how Yong Ning had disregarded everything, including her own life, for him, he could not act as though he was unaware. His master was right. What did he do to deserve someone giving up their life for him?

Lu Zhou walked up to the bed and checked Yong Ning's pulse. In just a moment, he completed his examination. Indeed, it was as the three elders had said. The energy blade had damaged her internal organs. According to his initial judgment, if the injury had been dealt by an ordinary energy blade, all she needed was to rest and recuperate. However, it seemed like her energy blade had corrosive properties as well, resulting in her current condition. Her injury and the poison had taken a toll on her.

Lu Zhou straightened his back and stroked his beard as he said, "She can still be saved."

Si Wuya was ecstatic. He was about to kneel and plead again when Lu Zhou asked, "Do you really have no idea where the memory crystal is?"

"Rongxi or Rongbei… Since the day I returned to the Evil Sky Pavilion, every word I have spoken is the truth. If there's any lie, I will be struck by lightning," Si Wuya said.

After all, Ji Tiandao was the one who sealed the memory crystal. It was indeed improbable for the others to know where it was.

"Your plan for the battle at Liang Province was meticulous. If Yu Zhenghai was there, the Nether Sect would've won… I'm curious why Yu Zhenghai wasn't there?" Lu Zhou asked.

"According to the original plan, Eldest Senior Brother was supposed to show up. Then… I thought of the variables and decided to take precautionary measures. Xiang Lie can be considered one of the greatest variables. So long as nothing happens to Eldest Senior Brother, the Nether Sect will win sooner or later," Si Wuya said.

"Do you think that Yu Zhenghai has the means to take down the Divine Capital?" Lu Zhou asked.

"There's no need to take down the Divine Capital…"

"Are you that confident?"

Si Wuya was slightly taken aback. However, he said, "Liu Gu is an incompetent ruler. It's only fitting for us to march against him."

"Incompetent ruler?" Lu Zhou had never concerned himself with the palace. Back then, when he came acquainted with Emperor Yong Shou, he found Emperor Yong Shou to be capable enough even if he was not the best emperor. Why did Liu Gu turn out to be an incompetent ruler?

"After Liu Gu ascended the throne, he never attended any of the court sessions and never cared to govern the empire. He has been researching the secrets of life and the Nine-leaf stage all this while… He's the true mastermind behind the disappearance of the Fairfolks," Si Wuya said.

Lu Zhou frowned.

Si Wuya continued to say, "There are records stating that riding on Cheng Huang can allow one to live to 2,000 years old. To search for Cheng Huang, Liu Gu Liu massacred the people of Fish Dragon Village and drowned the village in blood. After that, he fished the corpses from the bottom of the river for a decade in search of Cheng Huang. To find the secret of the Nine-leaf stage, he went as far as laying down Ten Terminal Formations in many cities and experimented on cultivators alive, killing them in the process… He was the one who ordered the Black Knights to attack Upper Prime City… Leng Luo was with the Black Knight once, and he can verify this. Also, the 30,000 floating corpses of civilians in Nine Tune River…"

"That's enough." Lu Zhou interjected. He knew what Si Wuya was trying to say. Si Wuya was trying to emphasize how cruel, brutal, and incompetent Liu Gu was. He could tell as much from the battle at the Obedient Villa the other day. There was no need to convince him further. Liu Gu was not affected in the least by the death of the Second Prince, Liu Huan. It was clear how cruel and heartless Liu Gu was.

"Are you trying to be the great hero who brings about a great change in the world?" Lu Zhou asked.

"I don't have such grand ambitions. That's what Eldest Senior Brother has in mind… I merely wish to understand one thing," Si Wuya said.

"And what is that?" Lu Zhou looked at Si Wuya indifferently.

Si Wuya looked up and said at a moderate speed, "I want to know why the Great Yan's Imperial family remains in power for so long. Also, I want to know the secrets of the Great Yan's Imperial family as well!"

Lu Zhou frowned again. He thought Si Wuya would mention Yu Zhenghai somewhere in his answer, or perhaps, something about the memory crystal. He did not expect Si Wuya to be focused on the Imperial family. Was that the reason why Si Wuya entered the palace as a grand tutor? Why would Si Wuya have such strange thoughts?

Si Wuya seemed to know Lu Zhou would be baffled by this as he said, "The Eight-leaf stage and Ten Terminal Formations… aren't enough!" He paused before saying, "If you don't believe me, I can have someone from the Darknet deliver the core information here."

Lu Zhou said, "Even if you find your answer, what then?"

At this moment, Yong Ning suddenly launched into a coughing fit.

Upon seeing this, Si Wuya kowtowed and urgently said, "Please save her, master!"