Ever since the Zhuxie Immortal Sect moved to a new location, Zheng Nuanxiu’s cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds. Recently, she once again broke through, securing a place in the mid Earth Immortal Realm.
When she emerged from seclusion this time, Zheng Nuanxiu saw that the transplanted celestial fruits in the sect had ripened, so she gathered some to bring to the Wuwei Tower folk as gifts. After all, without Ye Yu, the Zhuxie Immortal Sect might long ago have fallen into ruin.
What Zheng Nuanxiu did not expect, however, was to see here a woman clad in dragon robes. From behind, the figure looked so familiar that, upon seeing her face, the word simply slipped out: “Shijie.”
Li Ruowang turned to look, her eyes clouded with puzzlement. After a moment’s hesitation, she ventured, “Sect Master’s junior sister, why have you suddenly changed your hairstyle?”
Hearing their exchange, Ye Yu was curious. “Did you two know each other before? No—that can’t be. You only just ascended to the Celestial Realm, so how could you know Zheng Nuanxiu?”
Confusion flitted across Zheng Nuanxiu’s eyes. Suddenly, a sharp pain struck her head. Her form wavered twice, and she fainted on the spot.
Seeing this, every face in the hall mirrored the same bewilderment. What was going on? A few words spoken and she collapses? That hardly seemed fitting—remember, she was no powerless mortal but an immortal capable of moving mountains and parting seas. To simply lie back upon the auspicious clouds... did she truly intend it?
“Junior sister!” Li Ruowang rushed forward and caught Zheng Nuanxiu in her arms. Feeling the faint pulse of immortal power, she looked up in bewilderment. “What’s happened? Why does my junior sister look like this?”
Ye Yu spread his hands, utterly at a loss.
A moment later, in the main hall of the Wuwei Tower, after hearing Li Ruowang’s account, Ye Yu rubbed his brow. He was silent for a long while before finally saying, “You mean to say you were once an immortal of the Zhuxie Immortal Sect, descended to the mortal world in pursuit of the Dao, and Zheng Nuanxiu was your junior sister and the sect’s leader?”
“That’s right,” Li Ruowang replied, “but I don’t understand why she swapped hairstyles and looks younger now. She used to appear around twenty-five or twenty-six—a mature imperial elder of the sect!” Li Ruowang sighed at the recollection of bygone days. Tens of thousands of years had passed in the blink of an eye. The once-mighty Zhuxie Immortal Sect was now propped up by her junior sister alone—and they had even relocated the entire sect to the Wuwei Tower. If the sect’s founder could see this, she would surely be so furious as to return to life on the spot.
Ye Yu thought deeply, then ventured, “Could it be possible your junior sister was reincarnated? After all, tens of thousands of years have passed—another cycle of transmigration might have occurred.”
“That wouldn’t be impossible,” Li Ruowang said gravely, “but it still feels... off.” Her expression grew more somber. Zheng Nuanxiu certainly had a problem—but where lay its root? Li Ruowang could not discern it.
Just then, Feng Yingzhi—the one tasked with tending to Zheng Nuanxiu—stepped forward. Holding a newly crafted artifact bandage aloft, she announced seriously, “This is my latest healing artifact. Apply it wherever it hurts—it works wonders!”
Ban Xia waved her hands awkwardly. “Now’s not the time for advertisements. Has she woken up yet?”
“She’s awake! Remember, if you need anything, come to me anytime. If you can imagine it, I can make it!” Feng Yingzhi’s lips curved with pride. Ever since repairing the Boundary Bead, it felt as if she had opened a whole new field of invention. From demonic-energy catchers to these bandage artifacts—each more abstract than the last, yet all applicable across myriad situations. Isn’t that true innovation? Ye Yu approved—who could dislike such a prolific inventor?
Shortly thereafter, everyone entered the guest chamber, where they found Zheng Nuanxiu already awake, a ring of bandages wrapped around her head making her look somewhat incongruous. Li Ruowang, prone to mild obsessive–compulsive tendencies, longed to tear the bandages off—but fearing another fainting, she restrained herself. In a soft voice she asked, “Junior sister, how do you feel?”
“I... I don’t know. I feel so confused, as if my memories have glitched. I remember you’re my senior sister, but nothing else.” Zheng Nuanxiu’s expression twisted with complexity.
Ye Yu raised an eyebrow, then asked Li Ruowang to stay with Zheng Nuanxiu while he led the other consorts outside. Once in the corridor, Zhuo Lanqing hurried up. “Husband, do you have something to say? You brought us out so you wouldn’t say it in front of Zheng Nuanxiu, right?”
Her question voiced the sisters’ collective curiosity; they all looked to Ye Yu expectantly. But oftentimes, too much anticipation only breeds disappointment.
“I brought you out because there are too many of you—there’s barely room to stand in that small chamber, and all the noise is improper. Better that Li Ruowang stays alone with her.” Ye Yu’s expression grew complicated as he regarded the assembled consorts.
“Well, is having many people a crime? Why blame the room’s size? Zhuo Lanqing, come admit your fault—who told you to build such a tiny guest chamber?” Ye Yu teased.
Zhuo Lanqing stared in bewilderment. “What? Criticized while lying down?” Surely it was a bit unfair.
The sisters bantered among themselves, and when Li Ruowang did not emerge for some time, they busied themselves elsewhere. Not one remained for Ye Yu—clearly still simmering over that “too many people” remark.
It just goes to show: no matter one’s status or power—even ghosts, demons, and monsters throw little tantrums. Only his darling daughter Ye Nian clung faithfully at his side. Indeed, “little cotton jacket” was an apt nickname.
Night fell before Li Ruowang finally emerged, her face lined with exhaustion. She shared her theory: Zheng Nuanxiu was not a reincarnation but had suffered catastrophic bodily damage, causing her cultivation to plummet to rock bottom. Even her memories were shattered. She could recall entering the Zhuxie Immortal Sect and that Li Ruowang was her senior sister—but only up to ten years before her initiation. All the intervening decades and hundreds of thousands of years had vanished. One must remember: when Li Ruowang left the Zhuxie Immortal Sect to let her soul transmigrate, Zheng Nuanxiu had already been the sect’s leader, standing at the brink of the Imperial Realm.
Ye Yu pondered this, utterly at a loss as to how Zheng Nuanxiu had survived the Celestial Calamity that had reduced every other sect to ruin and caused every master to vanish without trace. The whereabouts of those vanished immortals and the reason their sects became desolate remained a mystery even to him, for only deities of Lordly Rank and above might hold the answers.
Turning back to present needs, Ye Yu asked Li Ruowang whether they should let Zheng Nuanxiu rest for two days before probing further into her memories. Li Ruowang quickly vetoed the idea.
“Whenever she tries to recall the past, she’s wracked with pain. I don’t want to see her suffer like that. Better to bring in an expert healer—perhaps they can help.”
Ye Yu nodded in agreement. Then the two exchanged glances, each hoping the other would take action.
“Husband, why don’t you go find someone?”
“You want me to find them?”
“Of course—not you, then who? I haven’t been to the Celestial Realm in hundreds of thousands of years. Who’s still alive?”
After some back and forth, the task of finding a healer fell to Ye Yu. But Ye Yu knew no famed healers—within dreams he rarely suffered injury, and if he did, the dream simply shattered. Thus, though he’d wandered the Celestial Realm for ages, he knew no renowned medical immortals.
When one can’t solve a problem alone, the best solution is to ask for help. The Wuwei Tower had over thirty immortals spread across the Lower Five Realms—they must know a healer. Sure enough, Jiang Yumo was first to volunteer. She claimed acquaintance with a so-called “Cycle-Slaying Healer,” whose medical arts were said to be unfathomable and whose fame resounded throughout the Celestial Realm.
Ye Yu immediately sent her an approving glance—she was reliable! Without delay, the pair set out together. Within half a day, they arrived at a place called Healing Mountain, said to be the sanctuary of the Cycle-Slaying Healer. Any severely wounded celestial beast passing through would be cured here—hence the name.
Hearing this, Ye Yu nodded, but then something struck him as odd: why beasts, rather than immortals? Jiang Yumo smiled awkwardly. “This healer is eccentric. She heals beasts unconditionally, but for immortals, she only helps if they plead for it—otherwise she refuses outright.”
Ye Yu raised an eyebrow but said nothing. A person of true skill might well have quirks. As long as she could restore Zheng Nuanxiu’s memories, her oddities mattered little.
Jiang Yumo led them to the courtyard’s gate—only to find over a hundred immortals standing guard, their gazes ice-cold, murderous intent swirling around them. It was obvious they were malevolent immortals. Jiang Yumo frowned. She was about to turn to ask Ye Yu what to do when an elderly figure suddenly approached with a beaming smile, bowing respectfully to Ye Yu.
“I am Elder Tian Mianxin of the Seventeenth Division of the Three-Corps Palace. Greetings, Immortal Emperor Ye!”
Ye Yu raised an eyebrow. “Have we met before?”
“We haven’t, but your name, Immortal Emperor Ye, has thundered through the Three-Corps Palace for ages. Meeting you today, your presence truly inspires awe!” Tian Mianxin’s voice dripped with flattery. In truth, he did not wish this—news of the Twenty-Ninth Division’s fate had spread swiftly. Everyone felt on edge. Who next would be struck down for the wrong look? Better to curry favor.
Seeing him so obsequious, Ye Yu did not press the issue. Instead he asked, “Why are you all gathered here?”
“Our palace master was injured and came to be healed today. Should I go inform her?” Tian Mianxin said, glancing at the sinister immortals behind him. They parted to open the gate.
“No need. I’ll go in myself.” Ye Yu waved lightly and strode past them with Jiang Yumo. Tian Mianxin, torn but unwilling to block the way, could only watch them enter the sanctuary.
Inside the main hall, the Demon-Heaven Lord was sipping tea. Surprised to see Ye Yu, he rose and asked, “Immortal Friend Ye, what brings you here?”
“I’m feeling unwell. I came for the healer. But you—” Ye Yu hadn’t finished when a tall man appeared, leading out a woman in white robes with a straw hat.
“Palace Master, I’ve struck a deal with the healer—she agrees to join us!”
The healer shook her head vehemently. “No, I didn’t! You’re lying!”
The Demon-Heaven Lord said nothing at first, instead looking at Ye Yu. After the battle with the False God, his qi and blood still churned restlessly. Hearing the healer’s renown, he had come to seek her aid. But this healer’s rules were excessive: no face-to-face meetings, no official visits, payment only in artifacts or rare treasures. Such demands offended him—he alone set the rules, never the other way around.
He sent a confidant to negotiate, intending to bring her ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ back to the Three-Corps Palace as his exclusive physician. Had Ye Yu not arrived, the plan would have succeeded. But now—with Ye Yu present—it was awkward indeed. The Demon-Heaven Lord paused, then raised his hand to signal his confidant to wait.
“Immortal Friend Ye, why don’t you let her treat you first? Then I’ll escort her back.”
“Don’t bother. I’m taking her now. In a few years, if you want her back, come to me.” Ye Yu spoke decisively, giving the Demon-Heaven Lord no chance to reply, then swept the healer and Jiang Yumo up in a streak of light toward the Wuwei Tower.
The Demon-Heaven Lord stood in stunned silence. That very morning, Ye Yu had told him he would ascend to the Divine Realm in months. Now he dared demand she remain for years? Was this mortal or divine nonsense? Better to say “no way” outright.
