"Xuan Ji, is this how you treat your uncle? If your father's spirit in heaven knew you'd wield a blade against your own kin, how could he rest in peace?"

In the dark, damp depths of the underground prison, Di Yu was firmly bound to a wooden post, his face covered in blood and his clothes tattered.

Di Xuanji looked at him impassively. "Playing the morality and emotional cards on me now is utterly meaningless," she said, her voice flat. "Uncle, some paths, once taken wrongly, are simply wrong. And for that, a price must be paid."

Di Yu suddenly struggled violently, roaring, "I have no idea what you're talking about! Di Xuanji, you're just afraid of losing the imperial throne, so you deliberately framed me!"

Upon hearing this, Di Xuanji narrowed her eyes, her gaze turning exceedingly cold. "I knew you would play dumb. That's why I have no intention of wasting my breath on you, let alone interrogating you." She turned to look at Luo Xiu. "Little Mule, sorry to trouble you."

Luo Xiu walked forward and landed a single punch that knocked Di Yu out cold. He then took a silver needle from the Holy Lotus Jade Pendant, preparing to use the Soul-stimulating Needle.

But just as he was about to insert it, Di Yu's eyes snapped open. A terrifying force erupted from his body, instantly snapping the specially made iron chains that bound him.

"Die!" he roared hoarsely, lunging toward Luo Xiu with a lethal strike.

Di Xuanji's heart tightened. She instinctively darted forward, pulling Luo Xiu out of the way as she sent Di Yu flying with a kick.

"What's the point of struggling now?"

She looked down at Di Yu sprawled on the ground as a powerful aura, filled with supreme imperial might, erupted from her. Faint draconic roars echoed from The Void, shaking one's very soul.

Luo Xiu watched his Senior Sister's back and sighed inwardly. This majestic and august imperial aura... it's the very nemesis of my necromancy!

"Hehe... To think I would live to see the legendary Hua Country Female Emperor in person," Di Yu cackled, his voice a strange, hoarse rasp. His gaze, fixed on Di Xuanji, was filled with undisguised malice. "Tsk tsk tsk, such a pretty little face. Truly a rare sight."

Di Xuanji frowned, staring at the man on the ground. "Who are you?"

Only then did she realize that the Di Yu before her had become someone else entirely. At the same time, bizarre markings began to surface on his skin, reminding her of the markings she had seen on Dou Dou the night before.

"Hehe... who I am is unimportant, Your Majesty the Empress. All you need to know is that in the near future, you, the peerless empress, will become my plaything," the possessed man sneered. "Ah, this useless Prince... Thankfully, I took a precaution last night. Otherwise, he would have spilled all of our religion's secrets."

As his voice faded, a grotesque sound came from Di Yu's body. His bones began to snap one by one, his limbs and neck twisting like a broken puppet. In a matter of moments, all signs of life vanished.

The twisted corpse lay on the ground, a gruesome pile of mangled flesh.

Di Xuanji watched as the markings on the body slowly dissolved into motes of light and sighed softly. "What a pity."

"It must have been that Zhang family member with the Spirit Martial Markings," Luo Xiu said. "He must have left the power of the markings on the Tianyu King last night, with the intent to kill him to prevent secrets from being leaked upon capture."

"Most likely." Di Xuanji suddenly felt drained. "Eradicating the Holy Boi Religion... this will be a long and arduous task."

"But I still have a way," Luo Xiu said.

Di Xuanji's head snapped toward him. "What way?"

Luo Xiu slowly raised his right hand, revealing the Soul Imprisonment Mark on his palm. "Just as Di Yu was killed by the markings, I managed to capture his soul."

"And?"

Luo Xiu closed his eyes and asked inwardly, Lin Tong, is it done?

Almost, Big Brother! Don't be anxious, I'll be able to read his memories any moment now.

A moment later, Luo Xiu opened his eyes and said to Di Xuanji, "I've managed to get quite a bit of intelligence from Di Yu's soul.

"What we know now is that the true master of the Holy Boi Religion is someone called the 'Holy Boi Religion Ancestor.' Within the cult, he's generally referred to as the 'Old Ancestor.'"

Di Xuanji's expression grew thoughtful. "Holy Boi Religion Ancestor?"

Luo Xiu nodded. "As for Chen Xuanbao, he's only in charge of managing the cult's affairs. Strictly speaking, he's just a lackey for the Holy Boi Religion Ancestor. Furthermore, this Ancestor is a member of the Chu Family named Chu Yiguan. He's the biological older brother of the Chu Family's progenitor, Chu Yun. And Chu Qingchan, she was a test-tube baby created through some method using Chu Yiguan's own bloodline genetics. You could consider her his daughter. Additionally, Chu Qingchan and the current young miss of the Chu Family, Xu Qianqing—who is also Chu Xierou—both carry the pure ancestral bloodline."

After hearing Luo Xiu's explanation, Di Xuanji remained silent for a long while, digesting the information. "You learned all this from Di Yu?"

"There's more," Luo Xiu said. "The Holy Boi Religion was also the instigator behind the Henghai battle ten years ago."

Hearing this, Di Xuanji's fists clenched. "Then what was their purpose in starting that battle?"

Luo Xiu shook his head. "That, I don't know. Or rather, Di Yu didn't know. But it's related to the Moon Tide Siphon."

Taking a deep breath, Di Xuanji said, "I can only hope your Second Senior Sister finds something at the bottom of the sea. For now, I have to take care of matters on land. From the intelligence gathered via the Soul-devouring Worms, we've already located the Holy Boi Religion's church bases scattered everywhere. We were planning to wait for the right moment to dismantle them all in one fell swoop, but it seems we need to act ahead of schedule."

"Should I go too?" Luo Xiu offered.

"You can forget it. You don't need to get involved in the affairs of the Holy Boi Religion."

Luo Xiu shrugged, letting her words go in one ear and out the other. The Holy Boi Religion provoked me, so I'm damn well going to see this to the end. If I don't get my satisfaction, I won't be able to rest in peace, even in death!

"By the way, Little Mule… The Di Family no longer has an heir to continue the line."

"Huh?" Luo Xiu looked utterly confused. "Why are you suddenly telling me this? It's completely out of the blue."

Di Xuanji turned and began walking out of the prison. "I originally planned to abdicate the throne to Di Yu's son—my cousin—after I step down. But now that they are involved with the Holy Boi Religion, that's no longer an option."

"And so?" Luo Xiu asked, still puzzled.

She turned back to glare at him, looking annoyed, her cheeks flushing red. "After all these years, has Master never told you about it? Or did you just forget?"

Luo Xiu was completely baffled. "What did he say?"

"You…!" A vein bulged on Di Xuanji's forehead as she fought the urge to hit him. "I was engaged to you the moment I arrived on the mountain!" she said through clenched teeth.

"It was even earlier than your engagement to Lin Xiyue!

"It's because I have the Heavenly Yin Physique, which makes me a perfect match for you! It was only later that Master found Lin Xiyue and discovered her physique was an even better match, which is why he had you get engaged to her as well.

"But the understanding between Master and my father was that our child would inherit the imperial throne! That's why I was so good to you when we were little—because you're my fiancé! Do you understand?

"Did Master really never tell you any of this?"

Having let out the words she had held in her heart for so long, Di Xuanji was panting, her cheeks as red as ripe apples.

Luo Xiu's mind was in complete chaos.

Suddenly, Di Xuanji grabbed his hand. "Enough with the nonsense. You're consummating our marriage with me tonight!"

Luo Xiu was left speechless.

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