The Child Emperor sat on the wet, cold beach.
Suddenly, a sea breeze blew past. His soaked robes clung to his back, sending a sharp shiver through him.
But he could not care less about the cold; his mind was entirely consumed by the figure he had seen within that blue glow underwater.
He struggled to his feet and staggered a couple of steps, looking out across the sea, only to find the waves calm and the water as clear and blue as a freshly washed sky.
“Sea Goddess, was it you who saved me?”
No one answered.
The waves repeatedly surged onto the beach and receded.
Ultimately, they left behind only a layer of white foam.
The Child Emperor stood there, waiting for a long time.
It was not until his legs went numb that he finally let his shoulders slump in dejection, turning to walk back toward the interior of the island.
The small boat the Marquis of Ningyuan had found for him was already destroyed by the waves. There was no way he could escape this isolated island on his own.
As things stood, he could only pray that the Marquis of Ningyuan and his daughter, Third Miss Shen, were safe and sound. Otherwise, he would be truly helpless on this island, completely at the mercy of others.
Standing not far away with her form concealed, Yun Shu watched the terrified Child Emperor with a thoughtful look.
According to her original plan, she would first trap the Child Emperor and his companions on the island. Once everything in the north was settled, she would use the momentum of the Child Emperor coming to Zhenbei Prefecture to propose marriage to stage a display of divine wrath, seizing the south in one fell swoop and unifying the realm.
Who would have thought that plans could never keep up with changes?
She had no idea what had happened on this island to make the Child Emperor fall into the sea and nearly lose his life.
It was also her oversight. Believing that nothing could go wrong with the blue whale watching the island, she had not had the System monitor it.
Just as Yun Shu was about to equip the Mirror of Retrospection Set to read the Child Emperor's memories and understand the cause and effect, the System's clamorous voice suddenly rang in her ear.
“Host, this is bad!”
The little fox ran over, panting heavily.
“You need to go take a look quickly! The Marquis of Ningyuan and that young girl named Shen Ying are in grave danger!”
Hearing the little fox say that the Marquis of Ningyuan and Shen Ying were in danger, Yun Shu paused her outfit-changing. “Did that State Preceptor named Guo Rong send people to the island?”
“Host, you truly possess divine foresight!” The little fox looked at Yun Shu with adoration, but its face quickly twisted into an expression of utter indignation. “It's all the fault of that silly fish! You told it to watch the people on the island, but as it turned out, it can't tell the difference between good guys and bad guys at all! Not only did it let all the people sent by the State Preceptor onto the island, but it even brought them fish to eat!”
Yun Shu pressed, “Why did the State Preceptor choose to send people to kill the Child Emperor and the Marquis of Ningyuan and his daughter at this time?”
The little fox told Yun Shu what it knew. “The State Preceptor discovered that the Child Emperor had secretly fled the palace with the Marquis of Ningyuan. He decided to go all the way, sending men onto the island to force the Child Emperor to write an abdication decree, preparing to install a new emperor.”
Glancing at the Child Emperor, who was walking deeper into the island's dense forest, it said with some worry, “Host, should we help the Child Emperor? If he gets replaced, the marriage proposal will definitely be delayed, and our plan to march south will fall through.”
Yun Shu thought for a moment, equipped the Mirror of Retrospection Set, and quickly read the Child Emperor's memories. “System, tell me where the Marquis of Ningyuan and his daughter are. I will lead the Child Emperor to them.”
Whether as the Divine Lady she portrayed or the Sea Goddess they mistook her for, it was not suitable for her to make a direct appearance.
If she wanted to save the Child Emperor and his companions while ensuring the marriage proposal proceeded smoothly, she had to find another way.
“Host, walk another nine hundred meters ahead.”
The path on the island was not easy to walk.
Vines grew wild, and thorns clumped together. The soil beneath his feet was soft and muddy from last night's rain. The Child Emperor trudged forward, taking uneven steps as water dripped from his clothes the entire way.
“A'yue.”
A familiar voice rang in his ear. The Child Emperor froze for a moment, and then a look of ecstatic joy spread across his face.
“Empress Mother, is that you?” His voice was filled with irrepressible excitement and deep filial longing. “Where are you? Why can't I see you? Empress Mother, I miss you so much. Ever since you left me, they have all bullied me...”
By the end, his eyes were red, looking exactly like a child who had been bullied outside and was seeking comfort from his parents.
“My son has suffered.” The voice Yun Shu fabricated using the Thousand-Sound Soul piece of the Formless Myriad Set sounded exactly like his mother's voice from the Child Emperor's memories.
Although she could also use the Formless Myriad Set to recreate his mother's face, she did not intend to do so.
No matter how superb her acting was or how seamless the disguise, there was always a chance of exposing a flaw when facing a loved one who had lived with her day and night.
There was no need for her to take this risk.
“Empress Mother, why won't you let me see you?” The Child Emperor searched all around for the familiar figure in his memories, but found nothing.
“I am useless. I could not avenge you and Grandfather. Are you angry with me?”
He grew more and more dejected as he spoke.
Yun Shu sighed softly and said slowly, “A'yue, it is not that I do not wish to see you, but that I cannot.”
“My soul has already returned to the Underworld. If the Emperor of the Underworld had not shown mercy and allowed me to use my own merit to exchange for a chance to visit the mortal realm, you might have lost your life today, my son.”
The Child Emperor could not see anyone, but his tears continued to fall uncontrollably. “Empress Mother, it is my fault for making you worry about me even from beyond the grave.”
“Speak no more of this, A'yue. I do not have much time left in the mortal realm.” Yun Shu finally revealed her true motive. “You must firmly remember what I am about to tell you.”
“The Divine Lady in the north is a disciple of the Heavenly Sovereign who has descended to the mortal realm. Her divine powers are boundless. You must never make an enemy of her, nor must you show her any disrespect.”
“Otherwise, even I will not be able to save you!”
The Child Emperor's face turned pale instantly. “Empress Mother, there... there is actually a true deity in this world? I... I thought the rumors among the commoners about the northern Divine Lady having the power to move mountains and seas were just exaggerations and hearsay. I never took them seriously.”
As he spoke, a trace of panic flashed in his eyes.
“Furthermore, I have already promised the State Preceptor in the grand hall that I would propose to the Divine Lady. Empress Mother, what should I do?”
If she were merely a mortal warlord, he could have used the marriage proposal to negotiate terms, using half of his empire as leverage to get her to help him kill the State Preceptor and his faction. That would have been perfectly fine.
But she was a true deity. Let alone negotiating terms, the moment news of his proposal reached Zhenbei Prefecture, the Divine Lady would likely hand down heavenly punishment and blast him into ashes.
That was a god. How could a mere mortal dare offend her?
“Do not panic, my son.”
Yun Shu continued to hoodwink the Child Emperor.
“You did not intend to offend her. As long as you can find the Marquis of Ningyuan and Third Miss Shen, there is still a chance to turn this around.”
“Empress Mother, you are right. I will go find the Marquis of Ningyuan and Third Miss Shen right now and have them escort me back to the capital.”
The Child Emperor could not help but feel a sense of relief.
Fortunately, he could still turn back.
Looking at it this way, having their boat destroyed by that giant fish and being stranded on this isolated island was a blessing in disguise!
Rate on N.U.
