That morning, the atmosphere in their residence felt much calmer than usual.
Sunlight streamed through the dining room windows, falling softly across the long wooden table where they usually gathered.
Xue Yunxue looked far more refreshed than usual.
She had slept very well the night before.
For the first time in several days, her face looked relaxed.
To prepare for what she intended to do, she deliberately cooked many delicious dishes that they had never eaten before—pasta, noodles, fish meatballs, and several other unique meals.
Her four beast husbands were clearly very satisfied with the food.
After breakfast, Yunxue gathered all four of them in the living room.
The four men were already seated.
Today, Yunxue clearly had something important to discuss.
She took a slow breath.
"I want to talk about something."
Four pairs of eyes immediately turned toward her.
Each gaze carried a different emotion.
"It's about the Shelua Kingdom. I'm going there to bring Shuai back," Yunxue said.
Luo Shixin's expression hardened instantly.
"Do you know how dangerous that place is?" he said.
His voice was low.
But firm—like a military command.
"Don't ever go there."
The room immediately fell silent.
Yet Yunxue did not look intimidated.
She simply looked at Luo Shixin calmly.
Lin Yuan, who was leaning lazily in his chair, snorted softly.
"Shixin."
"It seems you still don't understand Xue Yunxue's personality."
Everyone turned to him.
Lin Yuan crossed his arms.
"Even if you oppose her, she'll still do it."
"And most likely…"
"she'll go secretly."
His blue eyes glanced toward Yunxue.
"Giving her permission to leave is much better than letting her disappear without us noticing."
The room stayed quiet for several seconds.
Luo Shixin clearly disliked that reasoning.
But…
he also knew Lin Yuan wasn't entirely wrong.
On the other side of the table—
Lu Xiao nodded slowly.
"I'll go with Xue Yunxue."
The sentence came out simply.
Calm. Certain.
Luo Shixin's gaze immediately shifted to him.
"Entering the Shelua Empire is extremely difficult."
"Even with marriage alliances between nations…"
"the Yanhuo Kingdom can hardly enter their territory."
His voice was cold.
Lu Xiao didn't answer immediately.
But Yunxue spoke first.
"That's true."
"The Yanhuo Kingdom might not be able to enter."
Her gaze then shifted toward one person.
"However, the Eastern Sea Kingdom has a cooperative relationship with Shelua."
Her eyes stopped on Lin Yuan.
A small smile appeared on Yunxue's face.
"We can use that."
The room fell silent for a few seconds.
Lin Yuan narrowed his eyes.
His blue gaze was filled with annoyance.
"So you want to use me again this time?"
His tone clearly showed displeasure.
But Yunxue only smiled faintly.
She knew very well—
this merman might complain…
but he would never truly refuse.
Lin Yuan snorted.
"You're an annoying and shameless woman."
He rubbed his temple lazily.
But eventually he said,
"I'll try asking my father for help."
"To speak with the Eastern Sea Emperor."
His gaze returned to Yunxue.
With that—
the decision was made.
It was decided that Xue Yunxue would go to the Shelua Empire with Lu Xiao, Yun Wu, and Lin Yuan.
Moa would follow Yunxue wherever she went, hiding within her body just as before.
Meanwhile, Luo Shixin—because of his military status in the Yanhuo Empire—could not leave his territory for too long.
He could only escort them as far as the border.
Even though he didn't like it—
he had no other choice.
That afternoon, their journey began.
The four of them traveled aboard an aircraft belonging to the Eastern Sea Kingdom.
A royal vessel, with a massive sea dragon emblem engraved across its metal hull.
Actually—Xue Yunxue still had Xiang Shuai's private aircraft in her possession.
However, using Xiang Shuai's plane to travel to Shelua would look extremely suspicious.
Especially with the political situation there currently in chaos.
Because of that—they chose the diplomatic route of the Eastern Sea Kingdom instead.
The large aircraft slowly lifted off from the military runway outside Wulong City.
The journey to the Shelua Empire would take about three full days.
The Eastern Sea royal aircraft glided steadily through the vast sky, cutting through thin clouds drifting like white mist.
For now, there was nothing they could do but wait.
--------
Inside one of the private cabins—
Xue Yunxue was lying on her stomach across the bed.
In front of her was a thick ancient book belonging to the Parasite Clan, something she had obtained some time ago.
The writing inside was extremely small and dense.
Line after line of formulas, experimental notes, and alchemical symbols filled the pages.
The sight made Yunxue smile slightly.
This book reminded her of the medical textbooks she used to read when she was still a university student in her previous life.
She sighed softly.
Beside her, on a small table, were two bottles of resurrection potion she had created.
The liquid inside was faint green and emitted a gentle spiritual energy.
But Yunxue was still not completely satisfied.
One main ingredient was still missing.
The tears of a nine-tailed fox.
Moa had forced her to use her own tears and even told her to cry—sometimes even slicing onions so Yunxue would produce tears.
That little tree could be just as stubborn as all her beast husbands.
She slowly closed the book.
Her gaze deepened slightly.
Before she could continue her thoughts—
knock knock
Someone knocked on her door.
Yunxue lifted her head.
"Come in."
The door opened.
Yun Wu walked into the room.
The wolf man looked as usual—calm and upright.
But if one looked closer, faint dark circles could be seen under his eyes.
As if he hadn't slept well for several days.
Xue Yunxue immediately rose from her position and sat on the edge of the bed.
"There's something I want to tell you," Yun Wu said.
His tone was serious.
Different from usual.
Yunxue studied him briefly.
"You look tired."
"Is something bothering you?"
Yun Wu didn't answer immediately.
He pulled a chair near the table and sat down facing Yunxue.
For several seconds he remained silent.
As if arranging his thoughts.
Finally he spoke.
"I just want to say this clearly…"
"I have no relationship with Xuxu."
The words came out directly.
Without hesitation.
"If she said anything that made you think we had some kind of relationship…"
Yun Wu's gaze grew more serious.
"I can assure you that none of it is true."
Yunxue's eyes widened slightly.
She was clearly surprised.
She hadn't expected the wolf man to come just to explain something like that.
For a moment Yunxue looked at Yun Wu's face.
Then—
she smiled faintly.
"You don't need to worry about something like that."
"I understand."
Yun Wu frowned slightly.
But Yunxue continued calmly.
"You only feel guilty toward her."
"There are no other feelings beyond that, and I understand it all."
Her words were calm.
As if she truly understood everything.
For several seconds Yun Wu looked at her.
Then the tension in his shoulders eased.
He finally felt relieved.
"Thank you, Xue'er," he said quietly.
Xue Yunxue simply smiled lightly.
But suddenly she asked,
"Did you tell Xuxu that you're leaving for Shelua with me today?"
Yun Wu fell silent.
His brows furrowed slightly.
Then he slowly shook his head.
"I think… I forgot."
Yunxue couldn't hold back the small smile on her lips.
Just from Yun Wu's reaction—
she could confirm one thing.
This man truly had no feelings whatsoever for that girl.
Otherwise—
he would never have forgotten something as important as that.
--------------
The journey to the Shelua Empire was long. During the first two days, the aircraft of the Eastern Sea Kingdom flew steadily across the vast sky without any significant disturbance.
However, as they entered the final day of the journey, the situation began to change.
To avoid suspicion from Shelua's aerial patrols, their aircraft no longer flew alone.
Instead—they joined a convoy of merchant airships from the Eastern Sea Kingdom. Dozens of large merchant vessels floated through the sky like a pod of gigantic metal whales. The deep blue flags of the Eastern Sea Kingdom fluttered along the sides of every ship.
This merchant convoy had been officially invited by the Shelua Empire.
Their purpose—was to celebrate the coronation ceremony of the Third Prince, who would soon be crowned the new Emperor of Shelua.
Inside the aircraft cabin—Lin Yuan stood before the other three.
In his hand were several dark blue metal tokens. Their surfaces were engraved with the elegant emblem of a sea dragon. He distributed the tokens one by one.
"These are guest tokens of the Eastern Sea Kingdom," Lin Yuan said.
"As long as you carry them… no one will dare touch you within Shelua's territory."
His tone sounded casual. But in reality, these tokens carried significant political meaning. Touching someone who held such a token would be equivalent to offending the Eastern Sea Kingdom directly.
When the last token had been handed out—Lin Yuan looked at Xue Yunxue and Yun Wu a little longer.
"However, there is one small problem."
He raised his hand. A gentle blue glow appeared at his fingertips. Spiritual energy characteristic of the sea clans slowly flowed outward.
Lin Yuan first touched Yunxue's token. The energy seeped into the metal, and the token immediately emitted a faint oceanic aura.
"This will help disguise your aura."
Lin Yuan's gaze then shifted to Yun Wu.
He did the same with the wolf man's token.
"The two of you are land creatures."
"If your aura is detected during inspection…"
"You will immediately be suspected."
The sea clan spiritual energy he implanted would conceal their true aura.
Thus during inspection—the Shelua Empire's aura sensors would read them as sea creatures.
Lu Xiao merely smiled faintly.
As a half-merfolk himself, his ocean aura was already strong enough.
He could pass the inspection without any assistance.
Outside the aircraft window—the merchant fleet began entering Shelua's airspace.
In the distance, a gigantic sky gate appeared. A towering structure of black metal and stone rose among the clouds.
It was the main checkpoint of the Shelua Empire.
Every ship entering the territory had to pass through it.
Yun Wu crossed his arms as he stared out the window.
Xue Yunxue gripped the Eastern Sea Kingdom token tightly in her hand.
Before them stood Shelua's aura scanning gate—a massive crystal ring radiating pale blue light. Everyone entering had to pass through the device.
The machine did not merely scan identity.
It also read race, spiritual aura, and bloodline.
Even the slightest anomaly—and the palace guards would immediately arrest the person.
Yunxue's heart beat faster as she stepped into the ring of light.
The scanning light swept across her body from head to toe.
A few seconds felt incredibly long.
Then the crystal screen before the guard lit up.
—RACE IDENTIFIED: SEA CLAN (MERFOLK)—STATUS: GUEST OF THE EASTERN SEA KINGDOM
Yunxue held her breath for several seconds.
Then slowly exhaled.
She had passed.
The sea spiritual energy Lin Yuan implanted in her token truly worked.
Behind her, Yun Wu also passed through the scanner with the same result.
Meanwhile—Lu Xiao and Lin Yuan themselves experienced no difficulty at all.
Their identities appeared on the scanning screen instantly.
Only then did Xue Yunxue realize something.
It turned out Lu Xiao was also registered as a citizen of the Eastern Sea Kingdom.
The vampire only smiled faintly when Yunxue looked at him in surprise.
"Political relations are sometimes more complicated than you think," he said casually.
After passing through the inspection gate—they did not move independently.
To avoid suspicion, they blended into the group of merchants entering the imperial district.
Lin Yuan had prepared everything very carefully.
He even asked his father to send several high-value trade goods so that they would truly appear to be legitimate merchants.
A perfect alibi.
The coronation ceremony of the Third Prince as Emperor of Shelua would take place in seven days.
They still had enough time to search for information about Xiang Shuai's whereabouts.
However, if they found nothing, they would wait until the coronation day and hope that Xiang Shuai would appear there.
While staying in Shelua territory, Xue Yunxue also covered her face with a thin veil.
Only her eyes were visible.
A pair of beautiful almond-shaped eyes—sharp and captivating.
Even with her face hidden—her gaze was still far too mesmerizing.
When they finally entered the Imperial Capital of Shelua, Yunxue was completely stunned.
This city… was incredible.
Far more magnificent than the Yanhuo Kingdom.
The main roads were made of transparent crystal stone that reflected light like glass.
Along the roads stood enormous trees whose trunks shimmered like ancient metal.
Their branches were decorated with gemstones, rubies, and crystals that emitted a gentle glow.
The city's architecture felt both classical and incredibly modern at the same time.
A strange combination.
Yet breathtaking.
Yunxue's jaw almost dropped in amazement.
Fortunately—the veil hid most of her expression.
Now she slightly understood why Xiang Shuai used to mock the Yanhuo Kingdom as a poor and shabby country.
In the outer courtyard of the imperial complex—merchants from various nations had already opened their stalls.
The place resembled a massive international market.
Energy crystals.Rare jade.Pearl jewelry.Spiritual artifacts.
Items of extremely high quality were displayed everywhere.
Yunxue's group also opened a small stall like the other merchants.
But their real purpose was not trade.
They were searching for information.
From time to time, Xue Yunxue also wandered around to look at interesting items.
At one point—she stopped at a stall that looked different.
The merchants wore strange black clothing.
The symbol they carried indicated they came from the Underground Kingdom—a mysterious kingdom that constantly moved its location.
There—Yunxue saw a very beautiful robe.
Its colors were deep red mixed with dark green.
On its surface was an elegant pattern of a Fire Swan.
Without realizing it, her hand reached out.
The fabric felt smooth, thin, and extremely cool.
Yet the energy within it was very strong.
"That is the Fire Rat Robe," Lin Yuan's voice sounded beside her.
Yunxue turned her head.
"What is it?"
Lin Yuan snorted.
"You really don't know anything."
"That robe makes its wearer immune to fire."
Yunxue's eyes immediately lit up.
Lin Yuan clearly noticed that expression.
Without saying anything else—he took the robe from the merchant's rack and threw it straight toward Yunxue.
Yunxue caught it reflexively.
"I bought it for you."
Lin Yuan said coldly.
"You were practically drooling over it."
Yunxue's lips twitched beneath her veil.
Since when could this merman speak a little more gently?
Still—
she accepted the robe.
Secretly…
she was quite pleased.
---------------------
Time passed.
The first day.The second day.The third day.
They still had not obtained any information about Xiang Shuai.
Xue Yunxue was beginning to feel frustrated. Several times she had even nearly acted recklessly and tried to sneak directly into the imperial palace.
But on the fourth day—something finally happened.
As Yun Wu was walking through one of the back corridors of the palace grounds, he accidentally overheard a conversation between two imperial servants.
His sharp hearing caught every word they said.
"Where have you been?" a young servant asked.
"I had to deliver food to the underground prison," the older servant replied.
Then they lowered their voices.
Speaking almost in whispers.
"Were you delivering food to… that person?" the younger servant asked cautiously.
The older servant nodded slightly.
"Yes."
"The condition of the Youngest Prince is truly miserable."
The younger servant immediately panicked.
"Psst! Don't say things like that!"
"If the Third Prince hears you… you'll lose your head!"
The two servants quickly hurried away from the area.
But every word they spoke had already been heard clearly by Yun Wu.
His eyes slowly narrowed.
He immediately turned around and headed back toward the stall where Xue Yunxue was waiting.
There was only one person in the entire empire known by the title Youngest Prince.
Xiang Shuai.
It seemed…
they had finally found the first trace of him.
------------------
Xue Yunxue bit her lip anxiously after hearing Yun Wu's report.
If what the servants said was true—
then Xiang Shuai had been imprisoned in the underground dungeon all this time.
That also explained something that had been bothering her for a long time.
Why he had never sent any message since returning to Shelua.
It wasn't because he didn't want to.
It was because he couldn't.
Yunxue's heart ached slightly at the thought.
She should have realized this anomaly sooner.
It had already been more than a month.
Which meant that for over a month, Xiang Shuai might have been suffering in that underground prison.
Yunxue's eyes slowly turned cold.
Her hand clenched into a fist.
"Tonight," she murmured softly,
"I'm going to break into that prison."
------------------------
That night, they began to move.
Lin Yuan first captured a guard who was patrolling the back area of the palace. Using his mental ability, he forcibly extracted the soldier's memories.
Memories about the location of the underground prison, patrol routes, and secret entrances immediately unfolded in his mind.
After obtaining the information they needed, Lin Yuan casually stripped the soldier and took his uniform, then tied him up inside a rarely used drainage tunnel. He also captured two other soldiers, stunned them mentally, and stole their clothes as well.
"Change quickly," he said flatly.
The soldiers' uniforms were then worn by Lin Yuan, Lu Xiao, and Yun Wu.
However, a new problem soon appeared.
The three of them were… too handsome.
Their faces were far too striking to pass as ordinary soldiers. Especially Lin Yuan, with his beautiful bluish-green hair.
No ordinary soldier had an appearance like that.
Xue Yunxue could only sigh. She took several small tools out of her storage space.
A few minutes later—the faces of the three men changed.
A large scar appeared across one cheek. Dark birthmarks covered parts of their faces.
Freckles and dark spots spread across their skin.
Now they looked like rough soldiers who had spent years on the battlefield.
She had painted their faces with makeup she had bought earlier that day.
"Don't complain," Yunxue said coldly when Lin Yuan looked at himself in a mirror with an annoyed expression.
"At least now you don't look like spoiled nobles."
Meanwhile—Xue Yunxue herself wore a palace maid's outfit she had stolen from the laundry room.
She also covered her face with a thin veil.
In Shelua, many women wore veils.
So her appearance was not suspicious at all, and it became easier for her to blend in.
Finally, they separated.
Walking together would only attract attention.
Xue Yunxue easily blended into the group of female servants. She walked with a team of maids carrying food and wine.
Her eyes constantly observed every corner of the palace.
Without realizing it—her steps followed the servants into an enormous hall.
When she stepped inside, Xue Yunxue immediately realized that this was the Imperial Hall.
At the center of the hall—a blond man was lying lazily across the large, luxurious Emperor's throne.
Yunxue narrowed her eyes slightly.
That man… looked somewhat similar to Xiang Shuai.
His facial features were handsome.
But his aura was far colder.
And far crueler.
In an instant Yunxue determined his identity.
The Third Prince — Xiang She.
A gigantic green serpent—his half-transformed beast form—coiled around nearly the entire throne.
Its emerald scales shimmered under the crystal lamps.
More than twenty young servants surrounded him.
Some poured wine.
Some fed him fruit.
Others massaged his shoulders.
A beautiful red-haired girl leaned affectionately against his chest.
Xiang She casually wrapped an arm around her waist.
They looked extremely intimate.
But suddenly—a military officer ran into the hall.
He immediately knelt.
"Report, Your Majesty!"
"The Youngest Prince still refuses to reveal where the King's Pearl is, even after days of torture."
The officer's body trembled slightly.
He clearly knew the Third Prince's reputation.
Xiang She lazily raised an eyebrow.
"Force him."
"Torture him harder until he tells you where the Old Serpent's tomb is."
His voice was cold.
Emotionless.
The officer bowed deeper.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
But Xiang She was not finished.
"I'll give you until tomorrow noon."
He raised his hand.
A long sword suddenly appeared in his grip.
Then—
Slash!
With a single movement—
the blade cut through the neck of the red-haired girl who had been leaning against him.
The girl did not even realize what happened.
Her head separated from her body.
It rolled across the marble floor with her eyes still open.
Blood poured beneath the imperial throne, forming a red pool across the crystal floor.
The servants trembled in terror.
Some began to cry silently.
But no one dared to move.
The military officer broke into a cold sweat.
Xue Yunxue herself was stunned.
One minute ago—Xiang She had been kissing and embracing the girl.
And the next second—he had cut off her head without hesitation.
This man…
was a complete psychopath.
At first Yunxue thought the girl was his lover.
But now she realized something.
To Xiang She—nothing mattered.
Nothing had value.
He did not care about anyone.
He simply enjoyed killing.
"If the Youngest Prince still refuses to talk…"
He swung the sword again, splattering blood from the blade onto the floor.
"…then I will start cutting off all of your heads."
His smile widened.
"And I'll start… with your family."
The officer immediately prostrated himself on the floor, trembling violently.
"Your servant will succeed, Your Majesty!"
Xiang She waved his hand impatiently.
"Go."
His voice was flat.
But the order caused the entire hall to erupt in panic.
Servants, officers, and guards quickly bowed and retreated, trying to leave the room as fast as possible.
No one wanted to remain near that madman for too long.
Among the servants—
Xue Yunxue lowered her head, pretending to leave with them.
But her eyes kept watching the officer who had delivered the report.
Just as she expected—the officer did not leave the palace.
He hurried toward an inner corridor.
Xue Yunxue followed from a distance.
Soon—they arrived at the imperial underground prison.
The air there was cold.
Damp.
A foul smell filled the corridor.
The old stone walls were covered with black mold and green slime.
Water dripped from the stone ceiling.
The echo of those drops filled the long, gloomy hallway.
Xue Yunxue had already taken a potion that suppressed her aura and body scent.
Her body was now almost like a shadow.
None of the guards noticed her.
The officer kept walking.
But he did not go toward the main corridor filled with prison cells.
Instead—he turned into a narrower passage.
Darker.
Deeper.
The atmosphere there was far quieter.
The faint sound of chains scraping echoed somewhere ahead.
Xue Yunxue stopped.
She held her breath.
Finally—the officer stopped in front of a large cell.
Then he spoke softly.
His voice sounded… guilty.
"Forgive me."
"I'm not doing this because I hate you."
"But my family is in that man's hands."
"So I have no choice but to do this to you."
Xue Yunxue slowly leaned out from behind the stone wall.
And—
her eyes widened instantly.
In the middle of the cell—
Xiang Shuai hung with both arms chained high against the wall.
His body barely touched the floor.
His massive serpent tail dangled weakly below.
But what made Yunxue's chest tighten painfully—
was the condition of his body.
His upper body was bare.
His entire body was covered with wounds.
Whip marks.
Puncture wounds.
Deep cuts.
Dried blood clung to his skin.
His once proud and lively handsome face was now pale like a corpse.
His eyes were half-closed.
As if his consciousness was fading.
The scales on his tail—usually shining like jewels—were now torn in many places.
Some parts had even turned black from infection.
The sight made Xue Yunxue's chest boil with fury.
An enormous rage surged from deep within her.
How could they…
How could they do this to my little snake…
Tears fell from her eyes.
But those tears were not only sorrow.
They were also burning with rage.
Meanwhile—the officer sighed.
He took a long whip from the wall.
Its tip was covered with sharp metal thorns.
A torture whip.
He raised it.
But before the whip could fall—
CRACK!
The stone floor inside the cell suddenly split apart.
From the cracks in the ground—
golden vines burst out.
Fast.
Deadly.
The vines instantly wrapped around the officer's hands, feet, and neck.
He didn't even have time to scream.
With one violent pull—
CRACK!
His neck snapped.
His body collapsed lifelessly.
The thorned whip clattered loudly against the stone floor.
Inside the cell—
Xiang Shuai's previously dull eyes slowly opened.
His golden pupils widened.
He recognized that power.
A power he knew very well.
His voice came out extremely weak.
Almost like a whisper.
"…Xue'er?"
From the shadows of the corridor—
Xue Yunxue finally stepped forward.
Her eyes were red with anger.
Tears still ran down her cheeks.
But her gaze—
was ice cold.
And filled with fury.
"I'm here."
"And I'm taking you home."