After Provoking the Mad Beautiful Deity - Chapter 61

On the Nine Heavens, after the Heavenly Emperor had departed, the Moon Goddess and Siming went quietly to see the Empress.

The Empress possessed an elegant aesthetic; she had planted a flower garden in the open space before her palace, and the air was thick with fragrance as soon as one entered.

Siming remarked oddly, “Before she raised herbs, and now she grows flowers. Tell me, isn’t it all the same?”

“It is not the same. When herbs grow up, they become people; flowers are just flowers, and these are not Flower Goddesses,” the Moon Goddess retorted. “You know nothing of love or its nuances.”

The two entered the grand hall. The Empress was pruning flower branches beneath a window. Her figure was slender, and her posture was as graceful as an orchid.

“You’ve come. Look at these new flowers I’ve planted; what do you think?” The Empress beckoned them over affectionately, her voice as warm and welcoming as a spring breeze.

The two exchanged a glance. Siming felt timid, but the Moon Goddess strode forward and offered a series of enthusiastic compliments, causing Siming to look up at the ceiling, wishing she could distance herself from her companion.

After the flattery, the Moon Goddess asked with a smile, “How is the Prince’s injury?”

“The physician said he is recuperating. He took some elixirs and is much better.” The Empress’s expression remained unchanged. Mentioning her son, she showed none of a mother’s concern, speaking as if she were discussing a subordinate.

The Moon Goddess stole a glance at Siming. Siming took the hint and said, “Princess Qinggu is still alive. If she knew her brother was injured, she would surely be heartbroken.”

“What about Qinggu?” The Empress hesitated. “Did she not say she was going to the Demon Realm?”

Siming hesitated, but the Moon Goddess spoke up: “Princess Qinggu has fallen. Have you forgotten?”

“Fallen? What a joke. I saw her just a few days ago. She has become an artifact spirit, but fortunately, she is alive,” the Empress said as if she had heard a funny story. “The two of you are speaking strangely and looking restless. Is there something you want to tell me?”

Siming could no longer endure it and asked directly, “What about the pot of celestial herbs you were raising?”

“When have I ever raised celestial herbs?” the Empress asked, puzzled.

The Moon Goddess added, “A stalk of celestial herb called Chu Rou. Do you know who Chu Rou is?”

“Who is Chu Rou?” The Empress put down her shears, looking confused. She searched for the name in her mind, but it was a complete blank.

She looked at the two of them, guiding them to sit on the couch. “The two of you are acting very strangely. Are you trying to tell me a secret?”

Siming felt like a wilted eggplant. At a time like this, the Empress still wanted to hear gossip. She was truly a goddess with a large heart.

The Moon Goddess said, “Since you have forgotten, it is hard for us to explain in detail. The hour is late; we should head back.”

“Don’t go yet; tell me,” the Empress stopped them. “The palace is quite dull. You two can help me pass the time.”

Siming’s lip twitched. Her own past had become a form of entertainment; it was truly laughable.

The Moon Goddess also felt that the Empress’s temperament was “frank,” much like the Demon Lord. Or rather, the Demon Lord had inherited her temperament from the Empress.

The hall suddenly fell silent. The Empress looked at the Moon Goddess, who said nothing, and then at Siming, who lowered her head. The situation seemed grave.

Suddenly, the Moon Goddess asked, “Does Your Majesty know of the Demon Race’s Forgetting Dust? It makes one forget a person’s existence, along with every memory associated with them.”

“Oh, I see. You mean I have been hit with Forgetting Dust and have forgotten Chu Rou?” The Empress immediately grasped their meaning. “Who gave me the Forgetting Dust?”

Siming grit her teeth and answered, “His Majesty, the Heavenly Emperor.”

She had expected the Empress to be enraged or incredulous. Instead, the Empress’s expression became inscrutable. She stared at Siming with deep eyes, her thoughts unreadable.

While the Moon Goddess felt apprehensive, the Empress spoke: “Forgetting Dust is a Demon technique. The Heavenly Emperor has fallen into demonhood.”

Siming and the Moon Goddess exchanged a look; they had overlooked the most important detail. They had only thought of the Emperor as ruthless and unscrupulous, forgetting that for him to use such a technique, he must be practicing Demon arts.

For the Lord of the Immortals to become a demon was a scandalous matter that was hard to voice. But how could they prove it to the world?

As the two looked distressed, the Empress said lazily, “I understand. You two go back; I will investigate further.”

The Moon Goddess spoke quickly, “How will you investigate?”

“I will go to the East Sea.” The Empress suddenly remembered the wife of the East Sea Clan Leader visiting her a few days ago. Looking at the two before her, the truth became clear.

There was no need to go to the East Sea; these two had clearly come prepared.

The Empress said, “I will go see the Demon Lord. She should have a way to remove the Forgetting Dust.”

The Moon Goddess sighed. “The Demon Lord is seriously injured. Currently, the Demon Queen is the one handling affairs.”

“The Demon Queen will do,” the Empress said, settling for the next best thing.

Siming also sighed. “The Demon Queen does not know the Forgetting Dust technique. Furthermore, the strength of the curse grows with the caster’s cultivation. The Emperor’s power is profound; an ordinary person, even if they study the technique, would be unable to break it.”

Hearing the constant sighs, the Empress felt a bit dazed. She rested her chin on her hand and gazed at the two beautiful goddesses. Noticing her gaze, the two shuddered, especially Siming, who felt a tingling sensation all over.

“Your Majesty, why are you looking at us like that?”

“Why are the two of you so concerned about my affairs? Could it be…” The Empress let the sentence hang. Could they be in love with her?

Siming’s face turned bright red. Clearly, even if the memories were gone, the Empress’s personality had not changed.

She said hurriedly, “We were entrusted by someone to inform you. Now that you believe us, our task is done. Take care of yourself. Moon Goddess, it is time to go.”

The Empress showed no sign of distress. Even the revelation of the Emperor’s fall into demonhood did not seem to move her in the slightest. The Moon Goddess looked at her with increasing respect; she was truly someone who remained unmoved even if Mount Tai collapsed before her.

After leaving the hall, Siming lowered her voice. “The Empress doesn’t care about His Majesty at all. I suspect she wouldn’t even shed a tear if he died.”

“She is the Empress. Even if she cared, she would hide it in her heart. She cannot show it outwardly,” the Moon Goddess disagreed.

Siming countered, “You’re overthinking it. The Empress is not a cold-hearted person.”

The Moon Goddess remembered when Yanlai had stripped the Prince of his spiritual roots right in front of her, and the Empress had not lifted a finger. Was she cold-hearted, or did she simply not care about the Emperor or her children?

Siming added, “His Majesty has done such things to her and is so fickle. It is only natural that she doesn’t care.”

“You’ve said it all; what is left for me to say? You’re playing both the hero and the villain,” the Moon Goddess said crossly. “Hurry back to the mortal realm to find your scholar.”

Siming glanced at her. “What scholar?”

“Aren’t people who write books scholars?” the Moon Goddess asked back.

Siming was speechless.

The two parted ways. Inside the hall, the Empress reclined on her couch, her face indifferent, showing neither sorrow nor joy. After a moment, she rose and headed toward the Prince’s chambers.

The Prince had taken elixirs. Though they ensured a long life, he had not a single trace of spiritual power left in his body. His cultivation was gone, and even if he started from scratch, it would be futile. Without spiritual roots, he was the most ordinary of immortals.

When the Empress entered, the Prince was sitting behind a desk reading. Seeing his mother, he only looked up once; he did not stand, nor did he speak.

The Empress was not surprised. She asked, “Where has your father gone?”

“To war, naturally.” Qingfeng lowered his eyes and continued reading.

The Empress stood for a moment, asked nothing more, and turned to leave. Once she crossed the threshold, Prince Qingfeng slowly raised his head, his eyes full of icy coldness.

Leaving the Prince’s palace, the Empress did not stop. She went directly to the border.

At the border, the two armies were locked in a great battle. War fires raged, and dust filled the air. The Empress found the main tent and landed.

The Heavenly Emperor was speaking with his ministers. The Empress lifted the tent flap and entered directly. Seeing her, the ministers immediately withdrew.

The Empress got straight to the point: “Did you hit me with Forgetting Dust?”

The Heavenly Emperor, who was studying a map, froze slightly. He turned to look at his elegant wife. “No.”

The Empress sneered. “If you say no, then the answer is yes. Chongfang, we have been husband and wife for many years. I have never interfered with what you do—whether it was women or slaughter. I never asked a single question. Now that you have stolen my memories, are you trying to force me?”

The Emperor lowered his head. “Force you to do what?”

“Force me to divorce you.”

“I am the Heavenly Emperor! Your position as Empress was bestowed by me. You have no right to speak of divorce!” The Emperor was furious, slamming his palm down and cracking the desk before him.

Facing the immense wrath of the Lord of the Immortals, the Empress only smiled faintly. “I know better than you how you attained this position.”

The light in the tent was dim, and the night-luminescent pearl cast a heavy shadow on the ground. The Emperor stood in the Empress’s shadow for a long time. The more composed she remained, the more it proved her disdain for her title. At this moment, the Emperor felt like a joke.

“I do not allow it,” the Emperor’s cheeks twitched, his voice low.

The Empress laughed softly, still as gentle as ever. “Whether you allow it or not is your business. What I do has nothing to do with you. From this day forward, I divorce you. I am no longer the Empress; I am simply Chu Huanian of the Flower Clan.”

With that, she turned and glided away, the peonies embroidered on her skirt swaying slightly like flowers buffeted by rain. But even after the rain, the peonies remained proud and brilliant.

She was not a woman who needed a man to survive. She was the most dazzling daughter of the Flower Clan.

The Empress—no, Chu Huanian—walked out of the military tent. As she took her first steps out, she looked at the soldiers standing silently on either side and offered a gentle smile.

She spoke to the Immortal soldiers, “I have divorced the Heavenly Emperor. From this day forward, I am no longer the Empress. My Flower Clan has seceded from the Immortal Race. Our future actions shall have nothing to do with the Immortals.”

As soon as she finished speaking, shock rippled in all directions. Following the departure of Phoenix Mountain, another entire clan had completely broken away from the Immortal Race.

The Heavenly Emperor sat inside the tent. He did not chase after her. Listening to the voices outside, his shoulders slumped in a display of utter powerlessness. The laughter and joy of the past had turned into fleeting smoke; he had lost her after all.

Having said her piece, the former Empress flew away from the border, heading toward the Mountain of a Hundred Flowers.

Inside the Demon Army’s tent, Sanmeng sensed the shift in the Immortal Race’s movements. Seeing a figure fly away, she said to the Dark Night King, “Capture the Empress. Use her to lure the Heavenly Emperor into the killing array.”

The Dark Night King frowned and asked Sanmeng, “Do you truly think the Empress matters enough to the Emperor for that to work?”

Sanmeng did not answer. She wasn’t certain. The Demon Lord might be willing to throw her life away for the Demon Queen, but others were not necessarily so devoted.

After they discussed the matter for a while, a scout arrived with a report: “The Emperor and Empress of the Immortal Race have divorced; the Flower Clan has seceded from the Immortal Race.”

The Dark Night King was overjoyed. He immediately sent word back to the Demon Lord, saying, “Now is the best opportunity. The morale of the Heavenly Soldiers is wavering; we must take the initiative and strike.”

Sanmeng agreed, finding a rare moment of alignment with the Dark Night King. The Demon Army launched its offensive.

When Hongchen received the news, she was so startled she scrambled up from the bed. “Divorced? Can an Emperor and Empress even do that?”

“An Emperor and Empress cannot technically divorce unless the Emperor deposes the Empress, but since it has been announced publicly, the marriage is over in all but name.” Yanlai was also shocked. Even though the Empress had lost her memory, her temperament had not changed. Once a secret was uncovered, she was prepared for a total break.

Hongchen sat cross-legged on the bed, her voice sounding cold and distant. “I thought she would accept the reality before her. I never expected her to be so fierce—divorcing and seceding. Yanlai, if I ever disappointed you, would you leave me?”

“What kind of disappointment?” Yanlai’s voice sounded muffled, unlike her usual tone.

Hongchen did not joke as she usually did; her face was pale with worry. “I do not know what kind of disappointment. I just feel… she acted so decisively. If the Heavenly Emperor decides that if he cannot have her, he will destroy her, what then?”

Yanlai instinctively gripped her hand. “You will not disappoint me. Have faith in yourself. As for the Empress, that was her choice. She knows better than anyone what she must do.”

“Never mind. Let’s go to sleep.” Hongchen grew inexplicably irritable. She took a few sharp breaths and lunged at Yanlai.

“You…” Yanlai was pinned down unexpectedly. “You’re crushing me.”

Hongchen wrapped her arms around Yanlai’s shoulders and kissed her neck. Yanlai gasped, “Not so tight.”

Hongchen loosened her grip, her fingertips lightly grazing Yanlai’s cheek. Yanlai’s face flushed as she gently brushed away the teasing fingers.

“Stop playing around.”

“Yanlai, let’s go to the Mountain of a Hundred Flowers.”

“Do you want to take your mother back to the land where she grew up?” Yanlai panted, leaning into the crook of her arm.

Their breaths mingled, and a single kiss turned into a lingering fire. After a long while, Hongchen said gloomily, “The celestial herb has been growing very slowly these past few days. I’m thinking of taking her back there to see.”

“Alright, we will go together.” Yanlai pressed against her, holding her shoulders. The hall fell silent, and Hongchen soon fell asleep. Yanlai, however, stayed awake.

Lately, Hongchen had been in a daze, waking only for intimacy before falling back to sleep. She had let go of everything else, trusting Yanlai completely. Fortunately, all was well.

Yanlai thought it over, then rolled over to face Hongchen, pinching her cheek. Hongchen huddled further into the quilt, finding Yanlai annoying, and turned her back to her. Yanlai reached out and pulled her arm; Hongchen, having had enough, turned around and bit Yanlai’s wrist.

Yanlai: “…”

She would endure it.

Since the death of Xuanjing, the Young Clan Leader had taken over. However, upon returning to the Mountain of a Hundred Flowers, Chu Huanian used her strength to suppress him and directly seized the position of Clan Leader from her nephew.

The elders were not angry; instead, they welcomed the change, turning a deaf ear to the former leader’s pleas.

The Flower Clan was vast and its roots complex. Being of the clan herself, Chu Huanian was adept at managing its affairs. After dealing with a few defiant individuals, she established new regulations.

Without rules, there is no order. Once the regulations were set, the atmosphere of the Flower Clan transformed. Under Xuanjing, the clan had been filled with devious practices and a lack of serious cultivation. Chu Huanian selected several hardworking juniors and took them under her wing for guidance. Within days, the entire clan submitted to her.

On this day, the Demon Lord and Demon Queen came to visit, putting the entire Flower Clan on high alert.

When the two entered the meeting hall, the elders were restless, constantly sizing them up. They looked down on High God Yanlai for “degrading” herself by marrying the Demon Lord and wished to have no association with her.

Chu Huanian, however, showed no surprise. She smiled and gestured for them to sit. “The Demon Lord and Queen are rare guests. What brings you to my Mountain of a Hundred Flowers?”

Hongchen rolled her eyes. Yanlai calmed her down and spoke to the Clan Leader herself: “We would like to borrow a sacred spot on your land.”

“As long as you are not here for arson or murder, you may.” Chu Huanian looked at the celestial herb in Yanlai’s hands, a sense of confusion rising in her heart. “This is an item of my Flower Clan.”

Hongchen rolled her eyes again. “It is an item of your clan, true, but it belongs to the Demons now.”

“This herb’s soul is fragmented; it is not easy to grow. Even in my Flower Clan, there is no guarantee she will be revived.” As Chu Huanian spoke, her confusion deepened. She sensed her own spiritual power within the herb. She asked, “Is the soul within this herb Chu Rou?”

Hongchen was surprised and nodded. “You remember?”

“I do not remember. Siming mentioned the name, so I simply guessed. It contains my spiritual power, so it is likely the Chu Rou that Siming spoke of.” Chu Huanian was perfectly frank. Compared to the lie-filled Xuanjing, she was far superior.

Hongchen looked dejected. Yanlai offered a faint smile. “If it is forgotten, then let it be forgotten. I would like to choose a precious spot for her. What do you suggest?”

Chu Huanian thought for a moment and stood up. “Follow me.”

Hongchen pouted but followed. Yanlai took her hand. “Do not be so resentful. A few days ago, you were worried she wasn’t doing well. Look, she is doing great. The Flower Clan is flourishing under her rule. And look at the juniors following her and their cultivation is quite impressive.”

Hongchen nodded helplessly and followed along. The former Empress led them to a pool area with beautiful surroundings and dense celestial energy.

Hongchen’s eyes widened. “I have seen this place before!”

Chu Huanian was surprised. “Why has the Demon Lord seen this place?”

“In your dreams. You and Chu Rou were both in the water…” Before she could finish, Yanlai covered Hongchen’s mouth. “Clan Leader, my apologies. The Demon Lord speaks without thinking. Please do not take offense.”