The demon master didn't expect an answer to her question because he would always try to ignore her or say it was none of her business.

However, to her surprise, the jiaoren turned around, something the emperor never did because when he rarely answered her, it was always with his back to the human.

"From what you 'understand him' as you say" The merman speaks with a bit of annoyance in her voice because he didn't appreciate hearing her talking about another male, "How could he cause me trouble?"

Yunhe didn't know how to respond to that unexpected answer and question in a confirmation tone with hesitation in her voice, "He... He didn't do anything even after her death?"

She watched as he burned the letter, the ashes being scattered with a flick of his sleeve, then stood up as he spoke coolly, "Affairs abroad are none of his business."

The demon master smiled as she nodded her head because she expected that answer to come out at some point and as she looked at Chang Yi who was about to leave, the young woman asked, "What should I worry about?"

The jiaoren stopped her steps, but, didn't answer or even turn to face her, with the demon master continuing, "Chang, even after I die, will you keep me locked up?" She looked down at her thin, pale fingers as she lowered her head, "So, as you are aware of what I hate most and what I desire most, you are purposefully taking all these steps to punish me while tormenting me, as well as threatening me with more pain if I refuse food or medicine. You do all this because you want me to feel hopeless while I suffer... Well, you managed to fulfill your intent."

Chang Yi, who never once spoke or turned around while the young girl spoke, turned around and looked sluggish at the human as she replied at the same time as she twisted her fists and dealt with the feelings in her heart, "Fine."

After answering, he walks out the door and down the flight of stairs to exit the building.

She sighed and got up from the bed, then opened the window and faced the terrible snowstorm that relentlessly hit her excessively thin face and that was starting to get sunken.

After removing her last bit of heat, the demon master closed the window and sat next to the dresser, looking into a mirror and talking while touching her cheek after sighing when she felt her skin wither at the same time that the skin was visible fatigue that afflicted her, "Although I owe him a debt, all of this is a bit too excessive. It's useless to beg. My body is not getting better, I can't see anything being locked on this floor, and I have no appetite for eating with the fact of vomiting blood, in addition to having already used his powers to cause pain because I refused to eat and with the promise to use the same technique again if I refuse, again. "

In that, she summoned the black mist that was dormant inside her by opening her palm at the same time as it also came out from the tip of her index finger as she swayed rhythmically.

"Why not make a little fuss because I don't have many days left to live?" As the young woman spoke, a spark of black fire erupted on top of her palm.

Yunhe sighed as he made up his mind and then lay down on the bed, falling asleep when the sun was high in the sky.

Far away, in the capital, Chang Yi was in his office reading the reports, then discussing with two commanders about a new defensive strategy to take advantage of the mountainous terrain when Luo Jinsang enters and is waiting his turn, with Qu Xiaoxing, commander of the combat force of the North squadron, then entered with the commander of the combat force of the South squadron, with both noting that the other two commanders had just left after delivering their respective reports to the merman and after they had explained plans for improvement, with they obtaining authorization from the monarch.

Luo delivers the spying report she made using her invisibility, pointing to some conversations she captured, "The information we received is true, however surreal it is. That bastard managed to survive even after having a large part of her body burned. She is being kept isolated in a room and the Grand Master himself is tending to her. The Emperor is busy at the moment, but there are indications of a large movement of Imperial troops. But I, and the other spies and informants, believe that the Grand Master Won't make a move until that is recovered." The young woman speaks Shunde's name with the purest hatred in her voice.

"In fact, this information is consistent with the data collected and the other information received. I am also surprised that the bastard survived."

After all, her survival could be seen as a miracle if you consider how badly she was burned and the severity of the burns as reported on the extent of her skin damage.

Then, Luo moves on to other threads of information she gleaned from her invisibility and after finishing her comments pertinent to her detailed report, the young woman prepares to say something when she is cut off abruptly and coldly by the jiaoren.

"My answer is still no."

"But, it was thanks to me that..."

"It doesn't matter. Forget her. I won't allow any encounters. It's my final word." He lifts his icy ice blue eyes from the report and glares at her.

"But..."

"Why do you still insist, Luo Jinsang? Don't forget what happened six years ago. The answer will be no. You should stop asking, just as you should stop spending resources. Security is extremely tight and I dare say it is stricter than that of our capital's own prison." Kong Ming's cold voice bursts into the room, with everyone bowing respectfully as he entered the room.

"I wasn't talking to you, you baldhead." She spoke while turning her head to the side.

The servants, guards, and commander of the North Squadron were surprised that she did not show proper respect to Venerable Zhushang by acting as if she were someone of the same rank as the Emperor, as well as not behaving properly towards the Emperor's right hand and second in command of the kingdom whose authority only rested under Emperor Chang Yi, who at the moment was ignoring their discussion as he went back to reading her report.

"Whatever. By any chance, don't you have self-respect? Your actions are pathetic. Begging knowing the answer is the height of lack of self-respect."

"She is my best friend."

"In my eyes, you are still an accomplice of evil, but I believe it is because of your stupidity in not seeing the truth."

A vein stands out on her forehead and she strikes him abruptly, taking advantage of Kong Ming having put one of his hands inside his robes to get a report.

Having been taken by surprise by the unexpected movement, he is thrown back under the stupefied gaze of the servants, guards and the commander of the North despite this not being the first time that they have witnessed her arguing with aggression against the monk.

She leaves the room huffing at the same time as she stomps, slamming the door behind her while the merman only arches his brows as he lifts his eyes slightly from the report sighing then knowing what will be said next by his right arm at the same time where Kong Ming was standing, looking annoyed.

"Such shameless and disrespectful behavior... When is she going to change? She should know her place."

"Her skill is very useful. No one can detect her unlike anyone who tries to use a technique similar to hers. Thanks to this undetectable ability, we get a lot of valuable information." The jiaoren speaks as he finishes reading her report, depositing it in a specific pile.

"I know. But, what a revolt, that is. It's a good thing Qu Xiaoxing here didn't insist after his first denial." The monk comments by pointing his thumb towards the young man who had watched his friend leave, and then turned forward and sighed as his fingers turned white as he tightly gripped the report in his hands.

In fact, he didn't insist like his friend because when he asked, the jiaoren looked like he was going to tear him apart, making the young man not understand his reaction until he timidly asked why he looked at him that way because he didn't show that face to Luo when she proposed, with the merman replying that if he wouldn't let a female near her, let alone another male.

That cold and direct answer was enough to silence him as he couldn't understand the reason for the jiaoren's exaggerated reaction to her request.

"At least, that." Chang comments while taking the report that the bald man gave him, with both discussing some points, and later, the emperor will return to receive the reports of the others.

After Qu Xiaoxing manages to deliver his report, highlighting a few points of it, he leaves and walks to the snowy garden that contained frozen trees and on a bench, he finds Luo with her face resting in her palms as her elbows rest on her knees.

A mix of annoyance and sadness was visible on her face, her eyes, which normally displayed an infectious joy, finding themselves wet with unshed tears.

Sighing, the young man walks over and sits beside her who speaks after a few minutes, "I just want to see Yunhe. It's been six years since I've seen her. It was my favor that made Qing Ji help him by attracting the attention of the grand- master to another location, thus allowing him to enter the sect's prison."

"I know. I wanted to see her too, but I know I don't have a chance. Of the two of us, the one who has a chance of seeing her again is you."

"Is it true about the reaction he had when you asked?"

"Yes."

"That's weird..."

"I think so too. I didn't insist because he was emphatic about it. Besides, I don't have a powerful friend like you do."

"What's the use of having a powerful friend if she can't help me? Jade Feather Rebellion! Ridiculous. What's the use of so much demonic power in her body if she doesn't use it?" The young woman sighs deeply, and then passes the back of her hands over her eyes as if she were drying them, "I tried everything. I even spent resources to try to bribe some servant, but it was all useless. The fish even increased its guard around the floor it's sealed on and around the building."

"I'm worried he'll hurt her. The fury he displayed at the simple act of quoting her..." The Commander couldn't help but feel a shiver run down his spine, "Unfortunately, this is the only safe place for both of us. "

"Yes. All the servants and guards that work in the Garden of Clouds keep their mouths sealed about what happens there. But, I don't think the fish would ever harm her, even with his reaction to the mention of her name. At least , I hope."

"I don't know... I'm afraid of what he's doing to her. His face was scary when we mentioned her name and he spoke as if there was blood to be paid."

"I confess that I am also afraid, but I need to cling to some hope. I try to keep the belief that the fish will not hurt her, even because there are comments from the servants and guards of the Garden of Clouds referring to her as a lover of the jiaoren , according to what was said by their supervisors."

"I wish I was like you... After all, you're right to harbor some hope. Hope is all we have left. But, you know, there are times when I don't know if it was a good thing she was taken out of the Grandmaster's prison."

Luo Jinsang's eyes widened as she was shocked at the thought of him, then recovered and asked, disbelief showing on her face as he said, "What do you mean? Of course it was better to get her out of that place."

"I guess it depends on what happens in the Cloud Garden. Also, her health is bad and she's not getting better."

"How do you know that?"

"Don't tell anyone, but I overheard some Imperial doctors commenting that they don't understand why the treatments aren't helping when her health is just getting worse."

"This was caused by the arrest and you still insist that you're not sure it was in her best interest."

"I said that depending on how her life would be in the jiaoren's hands and what he was doing to her, maybe it would have been better for her to have stayed and died in that prison."

"Don't talk nonsense!"

"I said it depends on the treatment and..."

"Shut up! Don't talk nonsense! She's better now!" She exclaims as she puts her hands over both her ears as she doesn't want to hear what her friend is saying.

Qu Xiaoxing sighs and nods because he didn't want to lose the only friend he had contact with because over the years, they've become good friends whereas regarding Kong Ming who he followed all these years after leaving Demon Valley with Luo Jisang, Xiaoxing respected him as his senior and therefore, there was no friendship between them. There was only a relationship based on his respect for the monk who was once a disciple of the grandmaster's sect along with his brother Ji Chengyu, when the monk was named Ji Chengge, with Kong Ming's younger brother still being in the master's sect Grand Master.

"Well... Changing the subject, that bald guy is revolting. He butts in whenever I'm talking to that fish."

"It's a bad habit he has and I realize it's always about you."

"His calling me stupid was the last straw after referring to me as an 'accomplice of evil'. I refuse to believe what the fish told us about Yunhe. Yunhe is not evil. He must have had his reasons."

"I agree with you. I also think she had her reasons. This story is very poorly explained.

"Isn't it? I think so too." She sighs again as she looks at any point, "I can try to persuade Qing Ji to help me again."

"Perhaps, with her, you have a chance."

Luo consents and they both sigh as they look at the demonic terrace that has been converted into a palace and its compound.

Then, a servant approaches him and transmits a message, with the young man nodding in the affirmative, and then the servant walks away.

"I need to go. Let's meet at that tavern at the same time as yesterday."

"Yes. See you."

After he walked away, a voice made Luo leave the apathetic state she was in and which was caused by the sadness that the young woman felt for not being able to see Yunhe, "You know, what your friend said is plausible if we were to analyze the situation coldly your friend without the sentimentality that just gets in the way and clouds anyone's judgment, as well as keeping you from seeing the big picture, especially those who are sentimental like you."