He was an old minister from the Southern Sea, a sea turtle who had returned from abroad.
"What is it?" Qi Yu turned to look at the sea turtle minister.
The sea turtle minister said, "Before the three realms were pacified, two people were temporarily placed in the Southern Sea. They still haven't been dealt with."
Qi Yu recalled, and indeed, she couldn't remember who they were. "Who?"
Si Qing also turned around.
"It's Yu Yingling and Li Nu," the sea turtle minister said, gesturing to the garden not far away.
Qi Yu looked up.
There, cleaning the grounds, were Yu Zhen and Li Yu.
"Before... during the battle against demonic possession, the former Heavenly Emperor, Lord Yue Zhiyin, worried about the safety of all beings in the three realms and the Nine Heavens. So, he had everyone in the Nine Heavens and the nearby minor deities evacuated to the Southern Sea for safety."
He was referring to the battle where Si Qing was possessed.
Si Qing cleared his throat.
The sea turtle minister looked troubled. "We thought that after the calamity, all these people could be dealt with. But the sinful slaves and Yinglings, led by those two, have not been resolved."
"Do we bring these people back to the Nine Heavens, or is there another arrangement?"
This matter wouldn't normally require consulting the Heavenly Dao.
It was just a coincidence that they ran into Qi Yu and Si Qing.
"..." Qi Yu glanced in the direction of Yu Zhen and Li Yu.
Since ascending to Heavenly Dao, she instantly knew all matters, big and small, in the three realms. She understood that in this world, from the grandest beings to the smallest speck of dust, everything had its reason for existence.
She also realized that she, Yu Zhen, and Li Yu were originally a destined family, and it was various accidents later on that led her life onto a new path.
"...All the other sinful slaves and Yinglings, except for those two, have been sent to the Snow Domain Goddess for arrangements. As for those two, send them to the Underworld for reincarnation..." Qi Yu said, preparing to leave with Si Qing.
Si Qing paused, not quite understanding. "Sister, you're going to let Li Yu and Yu Zhen reincarnate?"
This was very unlike Qi Yu's usual approach.
"According to the records of the Heavenly Dao, their period of punishment should have ended today," Qi Yu said, looking at Si Qing. "Furthermore, the Nine Heavens have a rule that after a change in Heavenly Emperor, there should be a general amnesty. So, both logically and emotionally, they must reincarnate."
The sea turtle minister nodded, understanding Qi Yu's arrangement, and quickly bowed and left.
Qi Yu turned, looking at the corals outside the Dragon Palace, walking and admiring them as she went.
Si Qing said softly, "Sister, I thought you would hate them more and thus ignore their fate, letting them continue like this."
"I would never do that," Qi Yu replied indifferently. "Hatred towards them would affect my impartiality. Moreover, it's all in the past. Let them be reborn."
As Qi Yu spoke, her gaze drifted towards the sea not far away.
Even though she had arranged for Yu Zhen and Li Yu to be reborn, these two had committed many evils. They would not have a good outcome even after ten lifetimes of reincarnation.
In their first life, Li Yu would be reborn as a wild dog, butchered and eaten.
In her first life, Yu Zhen would be reborn as a prostitute, disfigured and killed.
And in their second and third lives, it would be the same.
Li Yu would have no chance to become an immortal.
Yu Zhen would have no chance to break free from the shackles of the mortal world.
One would descend into the animal realm, living a life worse than an animal.
Qi Yu withdrew her gaze. Thinking carefully, she felt this would be more tragic than their current lives.
After all, sinful slaves in the Nine Heavens only needed to endure beatings and scoldings. But after descending into the animal realm, becoming a wild dog meant enduring beatings, scoldings, hunger, and even being skinned alive.
As for Yu Zhen... her suffering would likely be even greater.
Si Qing, as the law, could also observe the three realms. However, his existence was fundamentally different from Qi Yu's, so he couldn't see people's past and future lives at a glance.
Naturally, he didn't know what fate awaited Yu Zhen and Li Yu after reincarnation.
He was just concerned about Qi Yu's feelings. Seeing that Qi Yu seemed truly ready to let go and start anew, he nodded in agreement. "Sister, since you've decided, we won't concern ourselves with their lives and deaths anymore. However, regarding the Qilin clan, High God Huai'an has requested a meeting many times."
"Sister, I haven't replied because I couldn't make up my mind. Do you want to see him?"
"...See him. I need to re-regulate the affairs of all the clans," Qi Yu said, sitting on a cloud and heading towards the Demon Realm, resting her chin on one hand. "Although Li Yu's matter has made me somewhat weary of the Qilin clan, it doesn't mean I will target them."
The various clans of the three realms understood how to read the room.
When the Heavenly Dao or the Nine Heavens ostracized someone or a clan, they would follow suit.
They would join in the pressure, and some more extreme ones would even insult and target them, leading to the extinction of a clan.
Because of Li Yu's actions, High God Huai'an had been treated as if he belonged to a sinful race that had offended the Heavenly Dao. It could be imagined that the Qilin clan had been having a difficult time recently.
High God Huai'an must have been afraid that she would target the Qilin clan, which was why he specifically requested a meeting.
Si Qing drafted a decree for the Qilin clan, specifying the time of their arrival at the Thirteenth Heaven, and then retracted his power, continuing towards the Demon Realm to find Feng Mingqi.
Qi Yu teased Si Qing, "Laws are usually lofty and detached. Why do I feel like you're like a minister by the emperor's side, helping to draft imperial edicts?"
"...You know that?" Si Qing put his hands on his hips and looked at the Demon Realm, which was now close at hand. He couldn't help but sigh. "Other laws are lofty and detached. I've read past records, and some Heavenly Daos even try to appease the laws to avoid being more constrained."
After all, except for the Heavenly Dao at the beginning of creation, the Heavenly Daos in this era all possessed selfish desires. The laws existed precisely to restrain them.
Whenever something exceeded the scope of the Heavenly Dao's authority, the laws would restrain the Heavenly Dao, and even impose corresponding punishments.
Like the old Heavenly Dao and the old laws... before the old Heavenly Dao was invaded by the Blood Demon Sha, it had always appeased the old laws.
This was to gain more freedom.
"Oh, we have a good relationship," Qi Yu nudged Si Qing with her elbow.
"Hmph," Si Qing crossed his arms and tilted his head up. After a moment, he added sullenly, "We do have a good relationship, but I still have to say..."
He looked into Qi Yu's eyes. "The path of the Heavenly Dao is long, and time will be vast. Perhaps, with time, we will both forget our original intentions. So, I've always had an idea to change the relationship between the Heavenly Dao and the laws."
Qi Yu was startled, not understanding. "Change the relationship? What do you mean by that?"
Since ancient times, the laws have restrained the Heavenly Dao, and the Heavenly Dao has overseen the three realms. It has always been this way.
As for who restrains the laws... she wasn't quite sure.
"The laws restrain the Heavenly Dao, but what restrains the laws are the precepts. The precepts have always been invisible. In other words, after the laws commit wrongdoing, all punishments are settled afterward," Si Qing said, looking at Qi Yu. "But isn't this a loophole? Think about the old laws. He committed so many evils, and it was precisely because of this loophole that he wasn't annihilated."
Qi Yu nodded, still confused. "So, what you said about wanting to change things, what do you want to change?"