Chapter 2027: Half-Sisters Sharing the Same Father

"I can't always live under your wing, can I?" Chu Youzhao said, her face flushed. "Besides, my brother-in-law is there; he can protect me."

"With so many people needing protection on the battlefield, how can he protect you all? What if something goes wrong..." Just thinking about it made Qin Wanru's heart pound. Her face stern, she declared, "Everything else is negotiable, but this is not."

Chu Youzhao tried to argue further, but Murong Qinghe, who was standing nearby, advised, "Brother Chu, Madam is right. The North is harsh and cold, the journey is long, and it's too dangerous. You've never had any military experience, so you'd be at greater risk than others."

"Sister Qinghe, even you look down on me," Chu Youzhao said wistfully.

Chu Huanzhao, standing beside them, couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Don't you know your own cultivation level? You'd only be a burden to Brother-in-law if you went."

Chu Youzhao immediately flared up. "My cultivation is at least higher than yours!"

Chu Huanzhao scoffed slightly. "That's because I didn't spend much energy on cultivation in the past. You've seen how fast my cultivation has improved lately, haven't you? Haven't I often beaten you so badly you cried for your parents?"

"Pfft!" Chu Youzhao said, annoyed. "Aren't you ashamed? It was clearly Brother-in-law who helped improve your aptitude."

"He helped you too, didn't he? It's just that my cultivation speed is clearly faster than yours," Chu Huanzhao said, a little worried.

Murong Qinghe watched the two bicker, smiling, and thought how good their sibling relationship was, unlike in the Murong family, where siblings were more polite and distant with each other.

In the end, under everyone's persuasion, Chu Youzhao had no choice but to abandon her idea of enlisting.

She could only instruct Murong Qinghe, "Sister Qinghe, please be careful. When you reach the front line, make sure to contact my brother-in-law; he will definitely look after you."

"Okay... okay," Murong Qinghe replied, her gaze somewhat evasive. After their last conversation, she felt too awkward to approach Brother Zu.

Brother Zu seems to... I can't do anything to betray Brother Chu.

Compared to the bustling recruitment in the capital, the Demon Sect's main headquarters at Qiuchi was much quieter and more somber.

After the disturbance caused by Lu Sanyuan and the demons, the entire Holy Sect was severely weakened.

Furthermore, the Sect Leader Yun Jianyue was in a low mood due to the successive departures of Qiu Honglei and Zu An. Her followers, observing her demeanor, naturally created a somewhat suppressed atmosphere.

On this day, Yun Jianyue was reviewing the sect's archives in her room, which documented all the places Qiu Honglei had visited during her training over the years.

She murmured to herself, "Speaking of which, Mingyue City is where Honglei stayed the longest, and it's also where she met Azu. Could she have gone there this time?"

After speaking, she shook her head. "No, she's probably heartbroken this time. Why would she return to a place like that, only to add to her sorrow?"

She thought of several locations in a row, only to dismiss each one. Growing increasingly frustrated, she became disoriented, having no idea where to find her.

Just then, a subordinate reported from outside the door, "Sect Leader, someone wishes to see you."

"Who?" Yun Jianyue frowned.

"He says he's from the Cloud family of the Northern Lands," the subordinate replied.

Yun Jianyue's expression changed. "Let him in."

Soon, a middle-aged man, led by the subordinate, arrived at the door. He had a dignified demeanor and was clearly a handsome man in his youth.

Yun Jianyue waved her hand, signaling for her subordinate to withdraw.

"Yun Shou of the Northern Lands greets the Sect Leader!" the middle-aged man said, bowing.

"How did you find this place?" Yun Jianyue asked, staring at him coldly. Qiuchi was incredibly secretive; even the Embroidered Uniform Guard hadn't known its location for years.

The middle-aged man smiled slightly. "Since we were able to send the Sect Leader here back then, it's naturally not difficult to send someone else now."

Yun Jianyue's expression shifted slightly. "I no longer have any connection with that place."

The middle-aged man named Yun Shou shook his head. "Blood ties are not so easily severed."

Yun Jianyue sneered. "Back then, I was nothing more than a lowly illegitimate daughter. How could I be worthy of being associated with your noble Cloud family?"

Yun Shou's expression was gentle. "Sect Leader Yun, you overstate it. The Cloud family valued you greatly back then and deliberately found a way to place you before the former Demon Sect Leader. If it weren't for our covert operations, do you think you would have been accepted as a disciple so easily?"

"Heh," a hint of coldness appeared on Yun Jianyue's face. "You bring up some alleged events from decades ago and expect me to feel grateful for your supposed kindness? You must think I'm too easily deceived."

Yun Shou sighed. "Whether it's true or not, doesn't Sect Leader Yun know it herself? Those trials in the Demon Sect back then were all near-death experiences. You were young and your cultivation wasn't sufficient. There were several times you faced certain death. If we hadn't secretly assisted you, how could you have grown up safely and ascended to the position of Sect Leader step by step?"

Yun Jianyue fell silent, several childhood memories surfacing in her mind. She had always wondered how she had escaped those predicaments, later explaining it away as good fortune. Now, it seemed, the Cloud family had indeed been helping her.

These matters were unknown to anyone else in the Demon Sect, and she had never spoken of them. Only those who had personally experienced them could possibly know.

"So what if it's true, and so what if it's not? Do you naively believe you can coerce me into repaying you with this?" Yun Jianyue sneered. Having been the Demon Sect Leader for so many years, she was accustomed to life and death and was no naive, sweet girl. How could she be so easily manipulated?

"I wouldn't dare," Yun Shou said, bowing. "I merely came this time to discuss some old matters with the Sect Leader; I would never presume to threaten you."

"Does the Sect Leader know the origin of our Cloud family of the Northern Lands?"

Yun Jianyue furrowed her brows. "Not interested."

Yun Shou was not offended and continued.

"The world only knows us as a prosperous family in the Northern Lands for hundreds of years," he said, "but few know that we are actually a branch of the Demon Race."

Yun Jianyue's expression finally changed. If the Cloud family was part of the Demon Race, then wasn't she also?

Seeing her reaction, Yun Shou was quite satisfied. "Among the Demonkind, not to mention the Golden Crow Royal Family, the Sea Tribe resides far in the ocean, and their connection with the Demonkind is actually quite tenuous. The remaining Demon Race, Golden Roc, Peacock, and Sprites are known as the Four Great Royal Clans, holding a transcendent status among the Demonkind."

"And within the Demon Race, there are four great families: Cloud, Sauron, Rong, and Wu. Our Cloud family holds the most power, with Demon Race leaders coming from our family more than two-thirds of the time."

"During the great war between the Demonkind and the Human Race, the Demonkind unfortunately lost. However, we have always been thinking of returning to our ancestral lands and reclaiming the territory occupied by humans. Therefore, we sent some of our people to infiltrate human territory in advance, to live and multiply, and the Cloud family of the Northern Lands is the Demon Race's contingency plan here."

He spoke of this family history with a distinct sense of pride on his face.

Yun Jianyue gave a half-smile. "What, do you want me to cooperate with you in welcoming the Demon Race back to rule the Central Plains?"

By this point, she had gradually recovered from her initial shock. Even if she possessed demon blood, it had been diluted over so many years. If these naive fellows dared to threaten her with this, she would ensure they died without knowing how.

Yun Shou shook his head slightly. "The time is not yet right. There's no need for the Sect Leader to take such a great risk."

Yun Jianyue frowned. "Then why have you come to see me?"

Yun Shou observed her, seemingly considering how to speak. "We hope the Sect Leader can go and assist your sister."

"My sister?" Yun Jianyue raised an eyebrow, as if she had heard a joke. "As an illegitimate daughter, what sister could I possibly have?"

Yun Shou sighed. "It's natural for Sect Leader Yun to harbor resentment. Back then, your father fell in love with a human and had you. Our clan members deemed your bloodline impure, which is why they didn't think much of you at first and sent you to such a dangerous place as the Demon Sect. We never expected you to grow to this extent. Last time, at the Demon Imperial Court, you were even able to influence the choice of the new Demon Emperor."

Yun Jianyue knew he was referring to the time she and Yan Xuehen helped Zu An, single-handedly elevating the least favored son of the former Demon Empress to the position of the new Demon Emperor.

Speaking of which, she had also interacted with people from the Demon Race back then. She remembered a beautiful young girl named Princess Sauron, who likely didn't know about her own connection to the Demon Race.

"As for your sister's mother, she was a true noble of the Demon Race, making it easier for her to awaken the Cloud family's ancestral bloodline power. That's why the clan initially favored her more and, after some arrangements, made her the Consort of Prince Wu," Yun Shou explained.

"Being the Consort of Prince Wu isn't bad at all," Yun Jianyue said calmly. "It's much better than being a rebel wanted by the court, like me."

Yun Shou seemed surprised. "You don't seem surprised that she's your sister?"

Yun Jianyue sneered, "It's not like I haven't investigated. My unfaithful father later married again and had a daughter. I just never expected there to be this Demon Race connection."

Yun Shou sighed. "Now that you know our connection to the Demon Race, you should understand your father's past difficulties, shouldn't you?"

Yun Jianyue flicked her sleeve. "I don't care about any difficulties. All I know is that he was unfaithful and let my mother down, which led to her dying of sorrow. It's a good thing he died early, otherwise, I might have had to avenge my mother."

Yun Shou said, "Your father harbored deep regrets over your mother's fate, which is why he died so early."

Hearing this, Yun Jianyue's face remained utterly impassive.

Yun Shou then continued to persuade her, "Although Yun Yuqing is not born of the same mother as you, you both share the same father. It would be ideal if you could look out for and assist each other."

"What exactly has happened to her?" Yun Jianyue asked. She wasn't truly interested, but a thought crossed her mind: it might be a good opportunity to gather some intelligence.

Yun Shou was overjoyed. "Actually, she's not in any danger. It's just that the Empress Dowager and the Empress are fiercely contending for power in the human capital, both trying to win over their respective factions..."

At this, Yun Jianyue scoffed. "What are they fighting over? In the end, it's still Azu... the Regent King who has the final say."

"That may be true, but Regent King Zu An comes from humble beginnings and doesn't have his own power base," Yun Shou explained. "Many decrees still need to be implemented by people from the Empress Dowager's or Empress's factions. So, for their own interests, of course they'll contend. Furthermore, according to our intelligence, the Regent King seems to be more interested in women and cultivation and doesn't pay much attention to court power."

Yun Jianyue was speechless.

That Azu fellow's lust for women was almost common knowledge.

Yun Shou continued, "Given this premise, both women want to thoroughly defeat each other and become the most powerful woman in court. This isn't just their personal desire; it also represents the collective aspirations of their families and the loyal retainers who have followed them over the years."

"These days, both factions have been courting powerful regional princes. Prince Wu is a key figure they're trying to win over, and he's been invited to the capital. He himself is ambitious; as Zhao Hao's son, he clearly wants to contend for the throne. Realizing this is an excellent opportunity, he intends to accept the summons and see if he can profit from the chaos."

Yun Jianyue recalled how, not long ago, many princes in the capital had been contending for the throne, and Azu had furiously executed some of them. Prince Wu truly had a death wish.

Yun Shou then said, "While Prince Wu's forces are quite strong, they are still somewhat insufficient to subdue all factions. However, if he can gain your and the Demon Sect's assistance, his chances of success will increase significantly."

"Additionally, since your relationship with Regent King Zu An seems quite good, we hope you can put in a good word for Prince Wu when the time comes, to prevent any of Prince Wu's actions from inadvertently angering him and jeopardizing the plan before it can be fully implemented."