The timing of Ye Tian and Bo Saixi's return was rather unfortunate.
Just as Ministers Ning Cheng and Lu Hai were about to be dragged away, Ye Tian and Bo Saixi happened to land on the city wall.
"Your subordinate pays respects to the Imperial Preceptor!"
Luo Feng was the first to notice Ye Tian. Placing his right hand over his chest, he saluted.
Ye Tian glanced in surprise at Ning Cheng, who was being held by two burly men, and asked, "What's going on? There's no need to treat an elder so roughly, is there?"
Luo Feng looked troubled.
However, Ning Cheng quickly came to his rescue.
"Hmph! Ye Tian! Don't pretend to pity this old man with your hypocritical sympathy!"
"The day will come when you face divine retribution for corrupting the court of the Heaven Dou Empire!"
Though Ning Cheng was old and frail, his voice was surprisingly loud when addressing Ye Tian.
"It seems he's your enemy. You misdirected your concern," Bo Saixi said, covering her mouth as she laughed.
Ye Tian wore a somewhat helpless expression.
Luo Feng steeled himself and stepped forward to explain, "This is Elder Ning Cheng, the head of the Council of Elders."
"He was just dismissed from his position by Her Majesty for impeaching the Imperial Preceptor."
Luo Feng recounted the entire sequence of events to Ye Tian.
Truth be told, Luo Feng privately disapproved of this young man who could easily be his grandson.
However, Luo Feng knew his place.
As a military officer, he could not interfere in politics.
Thus, he kept his grievances to himself.
"Elder Ning, you're a veteran of the Heaven Dou court."
"To drive out a powerful minister like me, you didn't even care about self-preservation."
Ye Tian smiled as he stared at the white-haired Ning Cheng.
In a sense, Ning Cheng wasn't wrong.
Ye Tian was indeed the biggest traitor in the Heaven Dou Empire.
But that was only true if he were loyal to the Heaven Dou Empire in the first place!
"I admire your actions, but I suggest you refrain from speaking like this in the future."
After giving Ning Cheng a glance, Ye Tian turned and left without looking back.
This made Ning Cheng feel deeply insulted.
"You'll face retribution, Ye Tian!" he screamed hysterically.
Without turning around, Ye Tian replied, "If someone like me deserves retribution, then perhaps you should be the one to die."
Qian Renxue was inspecting the soldiers' defenses on the city wall when she heard of Ye Tian's return.
She immediately turned back and headed for the watchtower on the wall.
Seeing Ye Tian unharmed, Qian Renxue let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, but with so many soldiers around, she had to maintain her regal demeanor.
"We are greatly relieved to see the Imperial Preceptor return unharmed."
"Accompany us to the tower for a discussion. Lady Bo Saixi may join as well."
"As you command."
The three of them entered the watchtower together.
Once inside, Qian Renxue shed some of her imperial bearing.
Worried, she stepped forward and took Ye Tian's hand, examining him closely. "You're not hurt, are you?"
"Don't worry, I'm fine."
Qian Renxue sighed. "Not long after you left, I received news of the beast tide."
"If I weren't tied up here, I would have gone to the Sunset Forest myself to find you."
Bo Saixi sat casually on a nearby chair and teased, "Surely you meant to find Ye Tian, not 'us'?"
Qian Renxue didn't deny it. "You could say that."
She released Ye Tian's hand and shook her head. "This beast tide came too suddenly, without any warning. Heaven Dou City has suffered heavy losses."
"Nine waves of attacks have come, and there's still no sign of stopping."
"The civilian casualties outside the city must already exceed a hundred thousand."
The cold statistic silenced everyone.
Ye Tian hesitated before speaking. "This beast tide was orchestrated by the evil soul masters."
"What? You encountered evil soul masters in the Sunset Forest?"
"Yes." Ye Tian nodded slightly.
"They used a pink poisonous mist from Slaughter City to agitate the soul beasts, triggering the beast tide."
"Their goal is to wreak havoc and collect souls to obtain a god's legacy."
"Disgusting!" Qian Renxue clenched her fists. "I never imagined the evil soul masters would go to such lengths!"
"Where is their hideout? Once the beast tide is over, I'll send an army to wipe them out!"
"No need to worry. Bo Saixi and I have already dealt with all of them," Ye Tian said calmly, resting his hand on the chair.
"They deserved it!" Qian Renxue spat.
"Do you have a way to stop the beast tide?"
She looked up at him.
This was the most urgent matter at hand.
"To stop the beast tide, we must cure their poisoned state."
"But producing an antidote for this pink mist requires many rare herbs."
Ye Tian sighed. Heaven Dou City didn't have enough of the necessary herbs.
Even if they did, brewing the antidote would take considerable time.
Resolving the beast tide quickly was impossible.
"What then? Let them keep destroying everything?" Qian Renxue said, heartbroken.
"If only Gu Yuena were here," Ye Tian muttered, rubbing his forehead.
Gu Yuena possessed the Beast God's legacy. Just her presence would pacify the frenzied soul beasts.
But distant water couldn't quench a nearby fire.
By the time Gu Yuena received the news and arrived, the surroundings of Heaven Dou City would already be ravaged.
Forget the death toll—just the destroyed homes and farmland would take ages to recover.
Bo Saixi mused, "Soul beasts lack higher intelligence. They're only attacking Heaven Dou City because they're being driven."
"If we can redirect them elsewhere, the crisis might be resolved."
"That makes sense, but how?" Qian Renxue smiled bitterly.
At least two hundred thousand soul beasts were besieging Heaven Dou City.
Enraged, they were equivalent to an army of four hundred thousand!
The standing army of the Heaven Dou Empire numbered only six hundred thousand.
Four hundred thousand was nearly half the empire's military strength.
While comparing beasts to soldiers wasn't entirely fair, it highlighted the severity of the threat.
Fortunately, the emperor was Qian Renxue.
Had the Heaven Dou royal family still been in power, the Spirit Hall would likely have incited the four subordinate kingdoms to rebel by now.
The beast tide at Heaven Dou City could have sparked a continental war.
"Lady Bo Saixi's suggestion has merit," Ye Tian said after some thought.
"You've thought of a solution?" Qian Renxue's eyes lit up.
She knew Ye Tian would come through in a crisis.
"An interim measure, at least." Ye Tian nodded slightly.
"With two hundred thousand soul beasts outside the city, their daily food requirement is astronomical."
"That's partly why they're attacking human settlements."
"You mean... they're seeking food?" Qian Renxue pondered.
Then she realized Ye Tian was right.
Low-level soul beasts lacked higher thought.
Their instincts drove them to fulfill their most basic desire—survival.
Ye Tian nodded. "With ample food, their aggression would decrease significantly."
"So we can place food along the route from Heaven Dou City to the Sunset Forest to lure them back."
"But how do we make them aware of the food?" Qian Renxue scratched her head.
"Simple. Send troops to herd them from behind."
"A combination of sticks and carrots will drive them back to the Sunset Forest on instinct."
Qian Renxue nodded in agreement. "This plan will cost a lot of food, but if it stops the beasts from destroying villages, it's worth it."
She clapped her hands and stood. "It's settled."
"I'll have General Luo Feng mobilize the army outside the city to stockpile food along the route."
Then she turned to Bo Saixi. "Lady... sister, could you lead Heaven Dou City's soul masters?"
"Contributing to humanity's cause is no trouble," Bo Saixi replied with a smile.
"Thank you." Qian Renxue bowed gratefully.
Then she glanced at Ye Tian. "Come with me."
Ye Tian looked between Qian Renxue and Bo Saixi. "Can't you say whatever it is in front of Sister Bo?"
Bo Saixi stood up, amused. "I won't be a third wheel."
"Since I have duties to attend to, I'll take my leave. The room is yours."
Ye Tian panicked slightly.
Qian Renxue glared at him. "Why so nervous? Do you think I'll eat you?"
"That's exactly what I'm afraid of," Ye Tian muttered.
"Ugh!" Qian Renxue ruffled her hair in frustration. "This isn't about romance. It's serious."
Relieved, Ye Tian straightened up. "Go ahead. I'm listening."
Qian Renxue reclined in her chair, staring at the ceiling.
"My grandfather wrote yesterday. He knows the Spirit Hall is in my sister's hands now."
She looked troubled.
"Is he planning to reclaim power?"
Ye Tian grew serious. If Qian Daoliu made a move now, it would destabilize the Spirit Hall.
"No. He seems... relieved."
"My grandfather said the Angel Family's foundation was never the Spirit Hall's authority, but the Angel God's legacy!"
Though Qian Daoliu had insisted the letter be burned after reading—
—the Angel Family's secrets were not to be shared—
Qian Renxue hid nothing from Ye Tian.
She knew Ye Tian was already aware of the Angel God's legacy.
More importantly, aside from her grandfather, Ye Tian was the one she trusted most.
She couldn't keep secrets from the one she loved.
"By telling you about the legacy, does he want you to inherit it?"
"Yes." Qian Renxue nodded.
"He said no god's legacy has yet appeared on the continent."
"If I inherit the Angel God's power and become the first god in millennia, all chaos will cease."
"Do you believe that?" Ye Tian chuckled.
"No." Qian Renxue shook her head. "After spending so much time with you, I've learned much."
"Those who oppose the Spirit Hall won't stop just because it grows stronger."
"It's a clash of ideals."
"It's not about right or wrong, but life principles. To abandon one's principles is no different from death."
"So war is inevitable."
Her voice softened.
"And... I don't entirely trust my grandfather's letter."
"He claims inheriting the Angel God's power would greatly benefit me and the Spirit Hall. But he's always doted on me."
"If it were truly so beneficial, why didn't he tell me sooner?"
"There must be a price I can't accept, which is why he kept it secret."
"Ye Tian, do you know what the price is?" She looked up.
Ye Tian hesitated before answering. "A god's power is too immense to be directly transferred. A guide must willingly connect the legacy to the heir."
"And the guide... dies."
His words came quickly.
Qian Renxue's tears fell instantly.
She realized the guide was her grandfather.
"No! I won't let Grandfather die!"
She shook her head vehemently.
Her grandfather had raised her.
She couldn't sacrifice him for power.
Ye Tian reached out to comfort her but stopped mid-air.
He knew she needed to vent, not consolation.
"The choice is yours. No one can force you," he said, withdrawing his hand.
Qian Renxue wiped her tears. "Grandfather has done so much for me. I won't trade his life for power."
She took a deep breath. "Ye Tian, why does Grandfather want me to inherit the Angel God?"
"Perhaps he foresaw the emergence of other gods?" Ye Tian guessed.
"What do you mean?" Qian Renxue tilted her head.
"Gods don't appear randomly. Multiple legacies often manifest around the same time."
"It's part of the trial—only the strongest survive."
"So Grandfather wants to secure the Spirit Hall's future?" Qian Renxue's eyes gleamed with realization.
"...If another faction produces a god first, it would mean the Spirit Hall's doom."
(End of Chapter)