Chapter 632: Disposition

"Patriarch Tianxia, congratulations! Your daughter and Prince Xiao are a perfect match, truly made for each other. And to have the Little Demon Empress personally bestow the marriage – this is indeed a monumental occasion!"

"I'll be awaiting the good news. When the time comes, I absolutely must come and share a cup of celebratory wine."

"My wife happens to be skilled in making wedding attire, so allow me to take care of the wedding garments. I assure you that Patriarch Tianxia and your daughter will be pleased..."

The moment Tianxia Xiong Tu stepped out of the Demon Emperor Hall, he was surrounded by a large crowd, offering congratulations and trying to curry favor. Their expressions showed obvious deference and flattery, and their eyes were filled with unconcealed envy. Though Tianxia Xiong Tu had been the Tianxia Patriarch for many years, this was the first time in his life he felt like he was floating on air.

For years, because of Tianxia Qi and Xiao Yun, the Tianxia clan had endured countless snide remarks and ridicule from outsiders. Any mention of the two in front of him would ignite Tianxia Xiong Tu's fury. But now, the situation had completely reversed. Because of Tianxia Qi and Xiao Yun, they were being envied and flattered by the very people who had once scoffed at them, and their implicit standing among the twelve families had dramatically risen.

Initially, everyone viewed Xiao Yun as nothing more than a "bastard," and thought it would be a huge joke—even a disgrace to the Tianxia clan itself—if their only princess were to marry him.

But now, forget about a principal wife; if Xiao Yun were to openly take concubines, these nobles and aristocrats would undoubtedly personally lead their daughters to his door, vying fiercely for the position...

"Brother Yun, congratulations!" Su Xiangnan said, smiling at Yun Qinghong.

Yun Qinghong returned the greeting: "Thank you, Brother Su. I hope you'll honor us with your presence at my son Xiao'er's enthronement ceremony tomorrow."

"Hahahaha," Su Xiangnan laughed heartily, "Of course! I was actually worried, Brother Yun, given the severe injuries you sustained seven days ago and your significant loss of vital essence. I thought you might miss this grand ceremony. Yet, not only have you arrived as scheduled, but your complexion is also incredibly good, almost unbelievable."

Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou both smiled. Yun Qinghong chuckled softly: "Che'er has a slight understanding of medicine. After a few days of treatment, I'm already fine. I'll fully recover in a little more time, so Brother Su, there's no need to worry."

"Fully recover?" Su Xiangnan's face registered surprise. "That was a loss of vital essence! Is there truly such miraculous medical skill in this world?" Something then occurred to him, and he said with astonishment, "There were rumors circulating a while ago that Brother Yun's and Sister-in-law's injuries were both healed by Virtuous Nephew Yun, and in just two months. Could it be... is that actually true?"

"Hahahaha!" Yun Qinghong let out a long laugh, his brows revealing unconcealed pride. "Compared to his profound strength cultivation, Che'er might even be more proficient in the medical arts."

The Su family patriarch stood there, mouth agape, stunned for a long time... Four months ago, Yun Che single-handedly defeated six powerful opponents, shaking the entire Illusory Demon Realm. Seven days ago, he gravely injured Prince Huai, who was using his full power, with a single sword strike... In recent days, many had speculated that Yun Che's profound strength, after receiving the Golden Crow Divine Spirit's blessing, might have already surpassed Yun Qinghong's!

And now, Yun Qinghong's words suggested... Yun Che's mastery of medicine actually surpassed his mastery of profound arts?!

Healing Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou's severe injuries and potent poisons, which had baffled all the divine physicians in the Illusory Demon Realm, in just two months... Yun Qinghong's massive loss of vital essence, yet in merely seven days, he was already radiant and could even fully recover...

Such medical skill was truly unheard of and shocking!

Moreover, these were Yun Qinghong's own words; how could they be false?

As soon as the grand ceremony concluded, the area outside the Demon Emperor Hall was packed with people, and a large group clustered around the Yun family, seizing the opportunity to get closer. Yun Qinghong and Su Xiangnan's conversation wasn't in hushed tones, so how could these powerful individuals with extraordinary hearing not hear every word clearly?

Instantly, within just half a day, news that Yun Che had healed the Yun Qinghong couple's injuries, that Yun Che could fully restore Yun Qinghong's severely depleted vital essence, and that Yun Che possessed extraordinary medical skills, swept through the entire Demon Imperial City like a whirlwind.

Completely unaware that his father had irresponsibly bestowed another grand halo upon him, Yun Che, after everyone dispersed, walked straight towards the stone chamber where the Little Demon Empress was. Although the stone door was open, it was sealed by an opaque barrier that the Little Demon Empress had just set up. From the aura of this barrier, it not only prevented anyone from seeing inside the chamber but also completely isolated sound. Beyond the barrier, a chillingly oppressive aura, enough to make even an Emperor shiver, clearly permeated the air.

Yun Che completely ignored this oppressive aura, stepping through the barrier without pause and entering the stone chamber.

The secret chamber was quite spacious, with a pure golden silhouette of a Golden Crow embedded in the ceiling. A royal chair stood in the center, and twelve stone tables and chairs were arranged on either side, corresponding to the number of the twelve families.

The Little Demon Empress stood before the royal chair, her back to Yun Che, her icy voice laced with anger: "What are you doing here... Who allowed you to enter?"

Yun Che took out a small white jade bottle and said slowly, "The last medicine I refined for you, I didn't expect it to make you so angry. I've been quite uneasy about it these past few days. With the Golden Crow Flame energy within you, it's already easy for anger to ignite, and frequent anger can harm one's vital energy and blood. So, these past few days, I've formulated some medicine to calm the mind and soothe the spirit."

"Is that all?" The Little Demon Empress slightly tilted her head, speaking with extreme indifference.

"Um, this medicine is called 'Immortal Fat Jade Liquid'. Not only can it calm the mind and soothe the spirit, but it also has... special benefits for a woman's body. The Little Demon Empress only needs to take one drop daily, and within a month, you will certainly..."

A sharp whooshing sound cut him off. Before he could finish, the Little Demon Empress flicked her gray sleeve, drawing the jade bottle from Yun Che's hand into her own, then tossing it into her spatial ring. "I've accepted this 'Immortal Fat Jade Liquid'. You may leave now."

"Despicable, shameless, perverted, filthy, beast, lecher..." Jasmine's low, cursing murmur echoed in Yun Che's mind. As her time with Yun Che grew longer, her vocabulary for insults had expanded by several major realms compared to her initial repertoire!

"Remember, one drop daily, definitely don't miss a day; best taken before bed!" Yun Che emphasized, but instead of leaving, he suddenly asked, "By the way, how do you plan to deal with the group kneeling outside?"

"That's none of your concern!"

"Oh, I can't help but care!" Yun Che said with a helpless expression. Far from leaving, he stepped forward, walking towards the Little Demon Empress's side despite her murderous aura. He then sat down on the stone chair closest to the royal throne and began speaking to himself: "After all, the Guardian Families and the various Prince's residences are different from other factions. They are the pillars and foundation of the Illusory Demon Realm, especially the Guardian Families. Removing even one would be an immense loss to the Illusory Demon Realm, and it would be extremely difficult to cultivate another Guardian Family of comparable stature."

"However, they have committed the grave crime of rebellion, which cannot be easily forgiven. The scale of involvement is also far too vast, affecting over half of the Guardian Families and nearly seventy percent of the royal clans. How to handle them will, to a large extent, determine the fate and stability of the Illusory Demon Realm for many years to come..." Yun Che looked up, stating with utmost seriousness, "And such a difficult responsibility falls upon my woman, Yun Che's woman... How could I possibly not be concerned?"

The Little Demon Empress abruptly turned her head, a cold aura emanating from her. "You..."

"Oh! I know, I know..." Yun Che quickly raised a hand. "You're definitely going to kill me again. It's fine, I'm pretty much used to it. As long as you like it, feel free to kill me however you want. Once you're done, we can continue discussing how to deal with that group of people."

"You..." Seeing Yun Che's expression, devoid of any fear, it was clear he was certain she wouldn't actually kill him. The Little Demon Empress, whose mere gaze or momentary aura could intimidate all the world's heroes into breathless submission, felt a profound sense of powerlessness at this moment. Even her forcibly maintained killing intent and coldness showed slight disarray.

A few moments of silence suddenly fell between them. For the first time in her life, the Little Demon Empress felt a "gritting-teeth" sensation. She turned her face away and said coldly, "I've already thought clearly about how to deal with them; I don't need your interference here... Get out immediately!"

"Oh? Really?" Yun Che's face lit up with surprise, smiling broadly and contentedly. "As expected of my woman, Yun Che's woman; such a difficult problem is no trouble at all for you."

The Little Demon Empress reached her limit: "If you dare to talk nonsense again..."

"Oh, go ahead and kill me."

"!" The Little Demon Empress slowly turned around, her small face, a thousand times more exquisite than a porcelain doll's, now covered with a deathly chill. "You truly won't shed a tear until you see the coffin!"

Looking directly into the Little Demon Empress's eyes, Yun Che suddenly spoke slowly: "If you truly only have three years left to live... wouldn't you wish to have someone you don't dislike too much, and whom you'd never want to kill, by your side to spend that time with you? Are you truly so accustomed to being alone?"

The Little Demon Empress's gaze grew solid. Through her deep, boundless eyes, no one could guess what she was thinking. She said coldly, "The Little Demon Emperor you knew was both my imperial brother and my husband. Since I am already an empress, what does it matter if I am alone? I have been this way for a century, let alone a mere three years!"

Yun Che: "..."

"Since you wish to stay, very well. Then you may observe closely how I deal with these rebels!" With a gentle sweep of her gray robe, the Little Demon Empress was already seated on the imperial throne. She looked straight ahead and said indifferently, "Yun Che, I now ask you: If only one among these people could live, whom would you choose? And if only one must die, whom would you choose?"

Yun Che did not hesitate, answering immediately as if he had already considered the question: "If only one were qualified to live, it would still be Prince Xuan. Four months ago, Prince Xuan was consistently loyal to the Demon Emperor Clan. On the day of the grand ceremony, he even sternly reprimanded those seven Guardian Families. His subsequent surrender to Prince Huai was primarily due to his mistaken belief that you had perished in the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley, a reluctant choice made to protect his Prince's residence."

"If one person absolutely must die... if it were up to me, I would choose the Helian clan's patriarch—Helian Kuang!" Yun Che narrowed his eyes slightly. "The Helian clan was the very first among all Guardian Families to betray the Demon Emperor Clan and pledge allegiance to Prince Huai's residence! As patriarch, Helian Kuang naturally played a decisive role. Furthermore, regarding Prince Huai's rebellion, he didn't just lean towards them; he repeatedly took action, suppressing those factions loyal to the Demon Emperor Clan and even devising various insidious plots. Originally, to drive a wedge between my Yun family and the Tianxia clan, it was also members of the Helian clan who attempted to assassinate Tianxia Qi... Had I not happened to intervene, they very likely would have succeeded, with unimaginable consequences."

"His crime deserves death; his heart should be condemned!"

The Little Demon Empress listened silently to Yun Che's words. When he finished, her eyes flashed, and her low voice pierced directly through the barrier, resounding throughout the Demon Emperor Hall outside: "Prince Xuan, enter and see this Empress!"