Chapter 212 : In the Sea-Watching Stone House
212: In the Sea-Watching Stone House
General Zi Qiang led Yuyin and the others to the Sea-Watching Palace, essentially a section of the mountain fortress built right against the sea. Along the way, the Ghost Princess walked beside Yuyin but said little. She probably had questions she wanted answered, but with so many people around, she couldn't speak openly.
Zi Qiang had prepared a grand hall for Yuyin within the Sea-Watching Palace, and a small stone house for Lan Lianyue and Hua Yuanjing. But Yuyin didn't go to the grand hall. She stayed with Lianyue and Jing instead.
According to the Ghost King's arrangements, the entire Sea-Watching Palace belonged to Yuyin. Zi Qiang couldn't really object to where Yuyin chose to stay; she would simply report the matter back to Jiang Yun.
"I reside in the Valkyrie Pavilion below the Sea-Watching Palace. If you need anything, Princess Yuyin, you may summon me at any time." Zi Qiang offered a slight bow to Yuyin before departing with the Ghost Princess.
"Hmph." The Ghost Princess shot Yuyin a pouting glare, clearly still angry. They had sworn vows to each other before, yet everything had changed in the blink of an eye. She hadn't spoken a word to Yuyin since and turned to leave with Zi Qiang.
The stone house wasn't particularly large. Two stone windows on one side offered views of the vast thunderclouds over mountains and sea. An old wooden door stood on another wall. Inside, there was only a large stone bed and some simple furnishings.
"Senior Lian, Senior Jing, since the Ghost King said the entire Sea-Watching Palace is mine to live in, why don't we stay in the grand hall?" Yuyin suggested.
"No." Lianyue grabbed Yuyin's hand. "Staying in that grand hall would mean you've accepted your identity as her fiancée."
"Well..." Yuyin didn't argue further. She figured that whether they stayed in the grand hall or not changed nothing.
"Mmm, this place is nice too. The three of us can be together again, just like when we first entered the Prison Abyss." Yuyin smiled warmly.
Night gradually fell. The three of them gazed through the small windows at the shadow of massive mountains flashing in the thunder, at the roaring, furious ocean. They couldn't help but feel awe.
Who would have imagined? They were all accustomed to privileged lives in Lingdu. Even Yuyin's hardships had been those of an ordinary life in a big city. Yet now they found themselves deep in this primordial world of mountains and seas, as if in the domain of gods and demons.
"Yuyin, as you said, humanity's true enemy is Li Su," Hua Yuanjing said gravely.
"That pale blue planet is Earth's real threat."
Lianyue's small hand rested on the rough stone windowsill, her gaze distant and thoughtful. "From this we can deduce that Li Su is a true cultivation planet, with countless sects and cultivators. The number of powerful experts far exceeds Earth's. They reach the Prison Abyss through the Two Realms Gate. Attacking Earth is only part of their plan, a part that has temporarily failed due to humanity's desperate defense, also because their apex experts still cannot pass through the Two Realms Gate."
"But Li Su's greater motivation for coming to the Prison Abyss is to plunder its resources, hunt alien beasts for materials, or tame and control them. Moreover, there are numerous ancient ruins in the Prison Abyss. They ransack these ruins for inheritances and treasures, strengthening their power in preparation for the decisive battle with Earth." Lianyue made her assessment.
"Alas, in this regard, we humans suffer from severe information asymmetry. We treat the entire Prison Abyss as the enemy, not even knowing of Li Su Star's existence. Our strategy is defensive. While Grandmasters and many Source Martial Practitioners enter the Prison Abyss for training, bringing back various secret manuals and materials that laid the foundation for Earth's cultivation, compared to Li Su's rampant plundering, what humanity has gained from the Prison Abyss is still far too little. Unaware of the Prison Abyss's true nature, humanity has suffered greatly these past few decades." Hua Yuanjing sighed.
"Yuyin." Hua Yuanjing turned to Yuyin. "This intelligence is too critical. There's only a year and some months left until Li Su Star fully materializes, and at most a few years until it closes to decisive battle distance with Earth. We must find a way back to Earth immediately and let all humanity know this crucial information."
"Hmph, do you think she'll let us go?" Lan Lianyue said coldly.
"If I plead with the Ghost King, she shouldn't make things difficult for you. She'd let you leave. As for me... I can't leave for now." Yuyin said. Regardless of whether the Ghost King would release her, Yuyin couldn't just walk away, not after the Ghost King had saved her multiple times, waited for her so long, and rescued her Senior Sisters. That would be utterly ungrateful. Besides, she had an agreement with the Ghost King to visit the sacred site and see the original prophecy.
"If you don't leave, we're not going anywhere. Yuyin, stop calling her 'Your Majesty' with every sentence. That woman is too powerful. If you stay here alone, she'll... well, you're no match for her at all." Lianyue gazed at Yuyin anxiously, her eyes drifting to Yuyin's chest. This was absolutely sacred ground, not to be defiled by anyone except herself...
Hua Yuanjing turned around, leaning against the stone wall carved from the cave, arms crossed in thought. "Even if the Ghost King agrees to let Senior Lian and me go, we have no ability to cross the vast hundred thousand miles of the Prison Abyss. To return, we must rely on the Ghost King's method of rapid movement across the Prison Abyss."
"What kind of method is that?" Lianyue and Jing had been unconscious when brought here, waking up in a cave, so they had no idea.
"Why not summon Zi Qiang and ask directly?" Yuyin suggested.
So Yuyin pushed open the wooden door and had the deer-horned attendant summon Zi Qiang.
It took about half an hour for Zi Qiang to arrive. She had gone to see the Ghost King, reporting that Yuyin insisted on staying with the two Xia women. But Jiang Yun only told her not to interfere, saying she trusted Yuyin.
"Princess Yuyin, the Ghost King's fiancée, what are your orders?" Zi Qiang asked upon entering.
"Um... could you not address me that way?" Yuyin's cheeks flushed slightly.
"My apologies. Then, Princess Yuyin, what are your orders?"
"General Zi Qiang, this place is over a hundred thousand miles from Lingdu's Two Realms Gate. How do you travel back and forth so quickly?" Yuyin cut straight to the point.
"That relies on my East Saint Domain's Great Teleportation Array. Only Her Majesty can activate it. It establishes a spatial channel between the array and distant locations. A distance of a hundred thousand miles requires only a hundred steps within the channel." Zi Qiang answered.
"I see." Yuyin was pleased. She figured she must have been in a palanquin when she arrived, which was why she hadn't seen the Great Teleportation Array.
But when Hua Yuanjing heard this, she felt a wave of concern. If only the Ghost King could activate it, getting her help to open a channel to send them back might not be easy.
Zi Qiang somewhat understood their intentions and added, "The Great Teleportation Array requires Her Majesty to activate personally, and the cost is extremely high. The greater the distance, the greater the cost, requiring large amounts of Source Crystals and special materials. Many Ghost Clan cultivators have requested Her Majesty to open this channel, but all had to pay a substantial price."
Hearing "substantial price," Hua Yuanjing's expression grew more dejected.
"By the way, Her Majesty has ordered that starting today, you two may come and go freely." Zi Qiang said casually, thinking that the vast, dangerous hundred thousand miles of Prison Abyss made escape unlikely. "Originally, after saving you and providing such excellent cultivation conditions, we expected compensation. But Her Majesty said that since you're her fiancée's close friends, forget it. You need not repay anything. Moreover, you're granted the qualification of East Saint Domain Hunter."
"Hunter?" Hua Yuanjing asked, puzzled.
"Hunters are powerful experts from various Ghost Clans and demon tribes recruited by our Saint Domain in a relatively loose arrangement. Hunters may freely hunt and cultivate throughout the Ghost King's vast territory. What they obtain can be sold to the East Saint Domain for Source Crystals, or they can purchase needed treasures from us. There are no other restrictions." Zi Qiang explained.
"Oh? That's not bad at all." Hua Yuanjing's eyes flickered.
"So you're saying we don't have to do anything for you?" Lianyue asked sweetly.
"As you wish." Zi Qiang replied displeased, thinking this woman was truly ungrateful. How could she know that Lianyue might have been grateful if she knew the truth, but since the Ghost King wanted to marry Yuyin, she had long since forgotten that small favor.
"What about me? Can I have Hunter qualifications too?" Yuyin asked.
"Heh, Princess fiancée, are you joking? Once you marry Her Majesty, you'll be the mistress of the East Saint Domain, the mother of the realm. Why would you need Hunter qualifications? Before the wedding, if you truly need to exchange for treasures, why not just ask Her Majesty directly?"
"I see. I understand. Thank you for your answers, General Zi Qiang." Yuyin walked to Zi Qiang's side. They were nearly the same height, and Yuyin smiled warmly.
Zi Qiang inadvertently caught Yuyin's intoxicating fragrance and felt her mind blur. She lowered her head somewhat unnaturally, hiding her momentary flutter. "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
After all, having improper thoughts about Her Majesty's fiancée was treasonous.
After Zi Qiang left, Yuyin, Lianyue, and Jing took turns bathing. Yuyin went alone, while Lianyue and Jing went together. Though Yuyin hadn't accepted her identity as the Ghost King's fiancée, she felt it best to be mindful of her behavior. Besides, Yuyin had always avoided bathing with other girls anyway.
After bathing, the three sisters could finally be together again.
Yuyin's clothes had been taken by attendants for washing. Lianyue and Jing's dresses were already in tatters. After bathing, all three girls wore only their undergarments in the small stone house.
Gazing at the vast ocean, the rain slanted outside, and cold wind blew in. The three sisters instinctively huddled together for a small sense of security.
"Should we rest for today?" Yuyin suggested.
"Mm, yes. There's only this one bed anyway. Why don't we sleep together like before?" Hua Yuanjing looked at Yuyin's smooth, rounded shoulders.
"Mm." Yuyin smiled warmly.
Hua Yuanjing and Lianyue each took one of Yuyin's hands. The three girls laughed playfully as they reached the bed and tumbled onto it together.
Hand in hand, they lay on their backs, staring at the cave ceiling.
Gradually, Lianyue drew closer. "Yuyin."
Yuyin also gently stroked her hair, turned over, and embraced Lianyue. Their chests, so differently sized, pressed together. And Hua Yuanjing turned onto her side, embracing Yuyin from behind.
The three girls held each other. Three different floral scents mingled as they listened together to the sound of crashing waves, the tumultuous mountain storm. Flickering lightning illuminated their pale, graceful forms.