"I have known Yun Guoqu for hundreds of years, but I have never seen him treat anyone, especially a woman like this before."
"I was even surprised to see the heartless ice cube Yun Guoqu smile." Ever since the demon emperor agreed to the offer to return to the upper world and planned peace between the two sides, the emperor had also forced General Gu to be kind to everyone. Yun Guoqu had also specifically reminded Fu Ziya and Wan An to be kind. They had no choice but to refrain from pointing their swords at each other.
In the palace courtyard, people were already waiting for their arrival. It had been a long time since Emperor Yun Guoqu disappeared with the other two immortals. Xiao Zuan was relieved to see his master return safely, and this time, he had brought two very beautiful people with him.
They had no idea that it was the famous demon emperor and demon general. No one had ever seen the demon emperor's appearance, not even the demons themselves. They didn't even know that the demon emperor was a beautiful woman. As for the demon general, his appearance was completely different from usual. The women who had previously insulted General Gu and called him a monster were now praising his handsomeness.
"Hold my hand." Qi Yi's brows furrowed. "There are many steps ahead." Qi Yi laughed but still extended her hand, allowing Yun Guoqu to guide her. "Of course I know." Yun Guoqu knew that too. Even the demon emperor wouldn't trip or bump into anything while running through the forest.
Yun Guoqu continued to explore his feelings. Curious? Perhaps, especially since those eyes kept drawing him in. Perhaps he was curious about why Qi Yi hadn't attacked him and had chosen to leave, or why his eyes couldn't help but examine the expression on Qi Yi's pale face. Maybe Qi Yi had truly entered his mind or done something to him, but he would have known right away if it had happened. So was this really just curiosity?
In contrast to the subzero air outside, Qi Yi could breathe a sigh of relief as the palace was much warmer and more comfortable inside. Yun Guoqu personally escorted her to her assigned room. They didn't speak much, but that didn't mean she felt awkward or bothered by Emperor Yun's presence. Quite the contrary.
"Have a good rest." It didn't take perfect vision to realize how spacious and grand the room was. She took alternating steps, pausing briefly before sitting down by the closed window and opening it. Perhaps it was summer, so the snowfall on Bingshan Mountain wasn't as intense. Her fingers touched the cold edge of the window. A frozen city and a frozen palace. It had been so long, she felt like she had traveled back in time.
Qi Yi couldn't stand the cold, so she closed the window again and prepared to rest. She had been getting tired quickly lately.
....
The next morning, as promised, Yun Guoqu took Qi Yi on a tour of Xuehua Palace. Xuehua Palace was already bustling in the morning, with servants passing by. However, that didn't stop Yun Guoqu from taking Qi Yi on a tour.
Yun Guoqu had ordered his trusted men to check for any irregularities while he was gone, but they lost track of the evil spirit. Not knowing where it had gone, they decided to wait.
They stopped, and Qi Yi raised her head and smiled. "I've always heard that there's a tree that thrives year-round inside Xuehua Palace." A large, leafy tree stood before them, contrasting sharply with the white expanse that dominated the landscape.
"People call it the immortal tree." Qi Yi touched the trunk of the tree with her hand. The rough bark touched her palm. Her palm glowed, tracing its entire length. Slowly, blue petals appeared among the lush green leaves. Touching such a precious tree could certainly get her into trouble, but she simply wanted to fulfill her promise.
Yun Guoqu watched as the blue petals grew in number, one of which broke free from its branch and flew toward him. His hand instinctively shot up to catch the flower. He should have been furious that the demon emperor had so freely used her magic on their immortal tree, but that anger never surfaced; instead, his heart felt relieved.
For thousands of years since its inception, the immortal tree had never bloomed. People said that immortal trees had no flowers to grow, but Yun Guoqu had always believed that the tree would bloom. The flowers would be an unusual blue color. As if reading his mind, today the tree bloomed—just as he had imagined.
The blue flower in his hand brought a sense of nostalgia. When he raised his head, Qi Yi was standing in front of the tree, facing him. Her hand waved and she smiled. "Is Emperor Yun going to kick me out of here?" The corners of his lips lifted. "Of course not." He replied. They stood side by side. The wind picked up, carrying a soft fragrance across the land.
"Thank You."
Qi Yi hadn't had a chance to reply when someone shouted. "Big Brother! Wow! The tree is blooming!" Wan An ran like a child, trailing behind Fu Ziya and the demon general. Since that morning, Qi Yi had forbidden General Gu from following her, which resulted in him being trapped with the very noisy Wan An and Fu Ziya, whose smiles were increasingly strange. He hadn't known them all long, but they were already revealing strange traits that had been hidden all along.
General Gu stopped near Qi Yi, his head turned towards the flowering tree. "Your Majesty, this is…" Qi Yi placed her index finger on her small, parted lips, General Gu could only close his mouth while shaking his head in dissatisfaction.
"Do Young Master Wan An and Miss Fu live here? Why haven't you returned to your residence?"
"Xuehua is my home, why would I return?" Wan An is the fifth kid of the Heise clan. His eldest sister is the current head of the Heise clan, fiercely protective of all his siblings. Because Wan An is the youngest and has a large age gap with the fourth princess, all his siblings pamper him. Wan An is sulking because of the recent conversation between him and his other sisters. It all started when his sister asked him to get married. He doesn't want to get married.
As for Fu Ziya, she was a proud princess. Her father still led the Fu clan with youthful vigor and would continue to do so for hundreds of years to come. Her brother also took on the responsibilities of the next clan leader, fully dedicated and responsible, and here Fu Ziya was, flitting about enjoying life. Wandering from place to place, following the current. This was how the foolish gossip between her and Yun Guoqu began to spread.
In truth, tensions between General Gu and the others persisted. They had been enemies since their first meeting, raising their swords and pointing it at each other. The demon generals were respectful and submissive to everything Qi Yi said. On the one hand, everyone respected Yun Guoqu, obeying his every word. They naturally wanted to fight, but unfortunately, they couldn't make it a reality. Instead, they often resorted to taunts and verbal sparring.
Wan An jumped among the fluttering flowers and leaves like a child. Fu Ziya admired the beauty as she played with her hand fan. She was in a good mood, and the demon general couldn't help but be captivated by the contrasting blue against the white snow and ice.