Chapter 82: The Breath of Fate and the Imperial Embrace
Outside the ruins they had visited during the day…
The three-eyed golden lion suddenly stiffened on Gu Yuena's shoulder, its body frozen as if struck by lightning.
"What's wrong?" Gu Yuena asked instinctively, sensing the abnormality.
"I…" The golden lion's voice trembled. "I just remembered something. That same dangerous aura… I smelled it on the Soft Bone Charm Rabbit we rescued from the cage."
Its golden pupils flickered with fear as it continued, "And now, Sister Gu Yuena… I smell it again. Around you."
Gu Yuena's expression darkened. "What do you mean? Do you think I would harm you?"
"Of course not!" the golden lion replied quickly, even more flustered. "But what if that aura came from your killing intent toward the woman emperor?"
Those words made Gu Yuena's heart sink.
A chilling thought pierced her soul.
She had indeed considered going back to kill Qian Renxue—just a fleeting thought. But could that single decision affect the threads of fate?
This was destiny—an intricate weave of cause and effect.
Every decision made in the present was a "cause."
And every consequence that followed, a "result."
That was fate.
"Is someone protecting her?" Gu Yuena whispered, her eyes cold as she stared back toward the dimly lit palace in the distance.
"The Human King," the three-eyed golden lion said without hesitation.
This time, there was no doubt in its voice.
Only the person they had been seeking—the Human King—could emit such a mysterious and commanding pressure through a mere connection to another.
"Then… what if we've already provoked him by taking the hundred-thousand-year soul beast?" Gu Yuena asked calmly.
The lion hesitated, ears drooping.
"If we've provoked him, good," she said, her tone unshaken. "Let him come to us. No need to search for him anymore."
She turned, her silver hair swaying behind her like moonlight in the wind. "In the circle of fierce beasts, even if conflict arises, I will not fear him."
"Alright." The three-eyed golden lion nodded, albeit with a helpless sigh.
As Gu Yuena's figure vanished into the night, the lion twisted its head to glance one last time toward the palace.
In its mind, the blurry image of a man slowly became clearer and clearer.
A face glimpsed in the fate of the woman emperor… one destined to be entangled with hers for a long time to come.
Ten days later.
Qin Chuan and Ye Lingling returned to Tiandou City.
But neither of them noticed that another group of more than ten people had quietly followed into the city shortly after their arrival.
"Erlong, take us to your academy for the night," said a tall, commanding middle-aged man in front.
"Yes, Patriarch," Liu Erlong responded respectfully and led them toward the temporary Lanba Academy encampment built in the city.
Meanwhile—
"I didn't expect the reconstruction to progress this quickly," Qin Chuan remarked, watching the bustling construction from within the carriage.
It had been about two months since they left Tiandou.
Now, the city had shed its scars and gloom, bustling with signs of renewal and rebirth.
"The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect… I didn't think they'd show up," Ye Lingling said, pointing out a group of well-dressed soul masters assisting in the reconstruction.
"I saw them," Qin Chuan said calmly, his expression hardening as he lowered the curtain and leaned back.
"What's wrong, Your Majesty?" Ye Lingling asked gently, noticing his shift in mood.
"Just remembered something… unpleasant," Qin Chuan replied with a faint smile.
Having spent time traveling together, his relationship with Ye Lingling had become much more relaxed.
She wisely didn't press further.
But Qin Chuan's mind drifted to the letter he had received in Xingluo City—news of the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect's recent activities.
While the empire focused on rebuilding after the Tiandou disaster, the sect had been expanding recklessly, even investigating the deaths of Prince Xuexing and Xue Beng.
When Emperor Xue Ye had lived, he could restrain them.
But now, with a new throne and the royal family overwhelmed, the sect was growing wild and unchecked.
As Qian Renxue had put it: If left alone, they may grow too big to eliminate.
"It's time to give the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect a warning," Qin Chuan thought grimly. "If they want to self-destruct, I'll let them follow in Xingluo's footsteps."
The carriage rolled into the heart of the imperial city.
Reconstruction here was almost complete.
Then, a figure quietly stepped in front of the carriage.
"Your Majesty Qin Chuan, Her Majesty awaits you in the imperial study," said a eunuch in a hushed tone.
"Understood," Qin Chuan replied as he lifted the curtain to exit.
But the eunuch quickly added, "Her Majesty has granted you permission to ride within the palace."
"Oh?" Qin Chuan raised a brow but remained composed, stepping back into the carriage.
Soon, the carriage came to a halt outside the imperial study.
"All of you, leave," came a melodious voice from within.
It was Qian Renxue.
She had sensed his arrival the moment the carriage stopped.
"As you command," the guards outside responded before retreating.
"Your Majesty, I'll take my leave," Ye Lingling said softly, her expression conflicted as she stepped away.
Returning to Tiandou stirred complex emotions in her. With her position ambiguous between Qian Renxue and Qin Chuan, she always felt out of place.
Once the crowd had dispersed—
Qin Chuan approached the study and pushed the door open.
At that instant, a golden blur threw itself into his arms.
"Brother Qin Chuan…" Qian Renxue's soft voice reached his ear.
Her scent filled his lungs, and her warm body clung to him like a swallow returning to its nest.
"You're back…"
"Yeah." Qin Chuan smiled gently, his arms tightening around her.
"I missed you so much…"
"Did you get hurt…"
She quickly pulled away to inspect him.
"I'm fine. They never even got close," Qin Chuan reassured her, gently grasping her hand.
Their eyes met, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still.
"Xue'er, I missed you too," he whispered.
"I… I missed you more…"
Qian Renxue's cheeks flushed, her body twisting slightly with a mix of embarrassment and longing.
Seeing this, Qin Chuan's heart stirred.
Without hesitation, he scooped her up in his arms and strode across the imperial study, sweeping the documents off the desk in one bold motion.
With her in his embrace, nothing else mattered.