Regardless of what Jian Lin was thinking, she had to maintain a calm and indifferent demeanor on the surface.
For several days, Jian Lin lived a life of leisure and enjoyment within the Grand Priest's mansion, gathering useful information in secret.
She discovered that the Grand Priest observed the celestial phenomena and divined fortunes daily, though the purpose remained unclear. Each session ended with him spitting blood, yet the next day, he would shakily rise, dragging his half-dead body, coughing and taking medicine, only to continue his divinations.
Gradually, Jian Lin began to believe the Grand Priest's claims; he truly was in a state of neither living nor dying.
However, believing this meant accepting the notion that she was the Grand Priest's fated person, a conclusion Jian Lin could not bring herself to accept.
At such moments, Jian Lin would grit her teeth in frustration, furious at the Demon Lord. Why had that scoundrel truly abandoned her?
She didn't expect him to rescue her, but at least he could have sent a message or offered some advice.
Her mind in turmoil, Jian Lin decided to hold on for two more days. If she still hadn't heard from the Demon Lord, she would escape on her own.
However, that very evening, Jian Lin's situation took a turn for the better: the Demon Emperor arrived!
She was having tea with the Grand Priest when a maidservant suddenly announced the impending arrival of the Demon Emperor. The Grand Priest immediately rose and instructed Jian Lin to return to her room.
"No matter what sounds you hear, do not come out to look. These matters have nothing to do with you," the Grand Priest cautioned her, then called for a maidservant to escort her back.
Oh, the Demon Emperor was coming, and the Grand Priest told her not to watch? Then she absolutely had to watch; how could she miss such an event?
Upon returning to her room, Jian Lin immediately activated her invisibility function and stealthily slipped out, following the maidservant and blending into the Grand Priest's study.
While called a study, Jian Lin preferred to think of it as a divination chamber, given the abundance of divination-related items.
As she entered, a large window connected to the ceiling directly opposite was fully open, allowing observation of the entire starry sky. In the center stood a pure gold astrolabe, beneath which lay a vast and intricate magic array.
The array was carved from a single piece of precious jade imbued with spiritual energy. It was Jian Lin's first time stepping onto it, and she felt a slight vibration, a shimmering flow of light that seemed to greet her with sentience.
She recalled the Grand Priest's expression at the time: shocked, confused, and then a smile of understanding, stating that the array responded to her, as it should.
Jian Lin smiled faintly, remaining silent, though she didn't believe a word of it.
This array belonged to the Grand Priest; he could make it react however he pleased. He shouldn't try to fool her with such trivial tricks.
Of course, to be safe this time, Jian Lin did not dare touch the array upon entering. She walked along the edge, hiding behind a corner.
From her vantage point, she could peek at the Grand Priest seated in the center of the array. His expression was calm, making it impossible to discern his attitude towards the Demon Emperor—welcome or aversion?
Soon, the sound of orderly footsteps approached from outside, followed by a knock on the door. The maidservant pushed open the study door, and a tall figure slowly entered. It was the Demon Emperor!
Jian Lin's pupils contracted, her breath caught in her throat. She squinted, focusing intently. The Demon Emperor was tall, about two meters, with a broad back and sturdy build. He wore a crimson brocade robe, his thick hair falling loosely without being tied back, exuding a wild, untamed demonic style. Most importantly, he wore a mask on his face.
It was a black mask similar to those of the Lin Yu Guard, with no facial features. Intricate patterns were painted on the mask in a vibrant red pigment, which Jian Lin had no doubt was fresh blood.
The Grand Priest did not rise to greet or bow. He merely nodded slightly, his tone unchanged, as if speaking to her. He softly said, "Your Majesty, please be seated."
The Demon Emperor did not put on airs. He lifted his crimson robes and sat cross-legged opposite the Grand Priest, resting his arms on his knees and his forehead on his hand, appearing weary and pained.
"Bai Xian, I can't stand it anymore," the Demon Emperor spoke, his voice exceptionally low, like the rumble of distant thunder. "He is in the demon city. Why won't you let me kill him directly?"
"Your Majesty, a moment of impatience can ruin a grand plan. Please, hold on a little longer," the Grand Priest advised in a low voice. "Besides, his power is too immense; you cannot kill him."
"I cannot kill him, but we can join forces," the Demon Emperor straightened up, like a small mountain, his shadow engulfing the Grand Priest, as if to devour him. "Bai Xian, why do you refuse me? I heard you captured the woman by his side?"
Hearing this, Jian Lin's heart skipped a beat. She finally realized that the person the Demon Emperor wanted to kill was the Demon Lord! So the Demon Emperor had known he was here all along!
"If you and I join forces to kill him, it will only alleviate Your Majesty's temporary suffering," the Grand Priest slowly raised his eyes, his gaze calm and fearless. "As for capturing that woman, it is merely to hold a trump card, to prevent that person from acting ruthlessly and harming Your Majesty."
The Demon Emperor remained silent. After a long pause, he suddenly reached out and grabbed the Grand Priest's neck, lifting him to eye level. "Humans are truly strange. One person can restrain themselves, yield, or even give their life for another. Bai Xian, if I were to believe in the bonds between people, then I must suspect you. You brought that woman back to your side, why? Do you miss the feeling of human connection? Are you going to betray me?"
Jian Lin bit her finger. It seemed the Demon Emperor was unaware of the so-called fated person prophecy.
"Your Majesty, I am no longer human," the Grand Priest extended his sleeve, revealing it covered in black runes that seemed to extend indefinitely. "I have no heartbeat, my blood no longer flows. It is the demon core that prevents me from decaying. Your Majesty, within the Three Realms, only you and I are alike. I will never betray you."
Jian Lin was stunned. Was the Grand Priest's claim of being neither alive nor dead true? And the Demon Emperor as well?
Wait, Bai Mei had boasted to Hong Qu that he knew a secret about the Demon Emperor. Could this be it? Was the Demon Emperor also originally human?
The Demon Emperor released Bai Xian's neck and slowly said, "I can believe you, but you must hand that woman over to me. But rest assured, I will not kill her. She will only be imprisoned in the death row, and you can visit her anytime."
Jian Lin's heart leaped into her throat. Grand Priest! I am your fated person! You must be stronger! She didn't want to go to prison!
"Yes, I obey Your Majesty's command," Bai Xian said obediently. "Please, Your Majesty, believe in me, believe in our grand plan."
"I believe you," the Demon Emperor suddenly stood up, his shadow covering the entire room. "Bai Xian, I hope you do not disappoint me."
The Grand Priest bowed deeply. "I will forever be subservient to Your Majesty, the Demon Emperor."
The Demon Emperor said no more, turned, and left the study.
Silence returned to the room. Suddenly, a candle flickered, and with a pop, it jolted Jian Lin back to awareness.
She straightened up, staring blankly at the Grand Priest who remained in a kneeling posture. Frustrated and disappointed, she thought, "I absolutely will not go to prison. I'm escaping now!"
Holding her breath, she crept towards the door. Just as she reached it, the Grand Priest suddenly spoke.
"A Pei, you cannot leave. The Demon Emperor has ordered the Lin Yu Guards to surround the mansion. I will hand you over to them," the Grand Priest said, straightening up.
Jian Lin froze. She looked down at her body. She was still invisible, so why could the Grand Priest recognize her?
"You bear my mark," the Grand Priest said in a low voice, his gaze lowered. "You are very powerful; even the Demon Emperor cannot discern your magic. But I can. The moment you walked in, I knew."
With that said, Jian Lin no longer concealed herself. She canceled her invisibility and faced the Grand Priest directly.
"Why?" Jian Lin asked, confused. "Since you knew I was here, why did you let me overhear so many of your secrets?"
"Come and sit with me," the Grand Priest looked at her, and in his dark eyes, a hint of gentleness emerged. "After dawn, you will leave my mansion for the death row. Meeting again will be difficult."
Jian Lin was very unwilling. Who wanted to see him? What presumption! However, thinking that she still had questions to ask, she eventually walked over obediently, deliberately avoiding the spot where the Demon Emperor had been, and sat down beside him on the other side.
The Grand Priest chuckled softly, turning to face her, and answered her earlier question. "You had the ability to sneak in; it must be fate. Fate allowed you to know these secrets, and I have no right to stop it."
Jian Lin was not convinced. She frowned and asked seriously, "Is the matter of me being your fated person true or false? Why didn't you tell the Demon Emperor the truth?"
"The more people who know, the greater the backlash I will suffer. This matter is between you and me alone," the Grand Priest said jokingly. "A Pei, if you want to make me suffer more, tell everyone about it. I will be punished for revealing heavenly secrets."
Jian Lin stared at him, her mind in a chaotic state. She said with some anger, "Rest assured, I absolutely will not. Because I don't believe it, and even if it were true, I wouldn't save you, to free you from this state of neither living nor dying, neither human nor demon."
The Grand Priest shook his head and said with certainty, "No, you will bring me release."
Jian Lin's anger flared. She couldn't be bothered to argue with him and continued to ask what she wanted to know. "Grand Priest, the Dragon Pill was revealed through your divination. Does it truly exist?"
"It is also a heavenly secret. It exists if you believe, and does not if you do not," the Grand Priest gazed out at the starry sky. "I have done all I can. The rest depends on those who are fated."
Jian Lin, who had a head full of questions, suddenly realized that this charlatan would not tell her anything more.
"Alright," Jian Lin stood up and turned to leave. "I'm going to the death row. Don't come to see me."
"A Pei," the Grand Priest suddenly stood up, coughing violently from the sudden movement. He suppressed it, and in a hoarse voice, said, "A Pei, thank you for these past few days. Thank you for accompanying me for chats, tea, and snacks."
Jian Lin turned back abruptly. She saw the Grand Priest clutching his chest, a trace of blood at the corner of his lips, his face filled with sorrow and pain.
What a contradictory person, what a conflicted person, what a pitiful person.
Jian Lin desperately wanted to ask him, if you can't bear to part, why not leave with me? Why swear eternal subservience to the Demon Emperor?
After pondering for a long time, she ultimately did not ask. She opened the door and went out. This time, she did not look back.