“Of course not!” The woman said with a smile, “So long as you work together with me, then I’ll be able to make my nephew give up on dealing with us. It’s even to the extent that it wouldn’t be difficult to drag him down from his current position! After all, he isn’t the only one fighting for the throne!”

Yang Ye shook his head and refused. “I have things I need to do, and I’m truly unwilling to be swept into the whirlpool of your imperial household. As for that nephew of yours, he can do as he pleases.”

Yang Ye only wanted to improve his strength, participate in the Ascension Rankings, seize the Ascension Token, and complete his agreement with Su Qingshi. As for anything else, he was truly not interested at all.

The woman sighed when she heard Yang Ye refuse. After a long time, she said, “Will you really not reconsider?”

Obviously, she was still slightly unwilling to give up.

Yang Ye shook his head and smiled. Actually, he’d almost been convinced by this woman. But he still refused in the end. It was still for the same reason. He was unable to trust this woman.

This woman had grown up in a place like the imperial palace, so her ability to trick and scheme was absolutely not something he could compare to.

If they worked together, and if the woman had other intentions or selfish motives, then he, Yang Ye, would definitely be used and betrayed by her.

So, even if a prince of the Grand Qin Empire and a prince of the Darkbeast Empire wanted to kill him, he still chose to refuse.

“Senior Sister Xiyue, is that really you?” Right when the woman intended to say something, a voice that carried pleasant surprise sounded out from the street on their right.

When he heard this, Yang Ye looked towards the source of the voice, and he saw two men and two women walking towards him and the woman. All four of them were around 20 years of age, the men were handsome while the women were beautiful. Especially the two women, even though their appearances couldn’t compare to the woman that stood by his side, they had unique charms of their own.

They walked over quickly to Yang Ye and the woman, and when the man in the lead saw the appearance of the woman by Yang Ye’s side, he didn’t conceal the pleasant surprise on his face at all. He said, “Senior Sister Xiyue, what are you doing at the Shang Dynasty Ruins? Could it be that you’ve come for the Tomb of Emperor Zhou?” [1]

Xiyue? Yang Ye glanced at the woman. So, this woman’s name is Qin Xiyue. Since this man called her Senior Sister, then he’s probably a member of the renowned Imperial Academy of the Grand Qin Empire.

“You’re?” The woman frowned and asked. Since the man called her Senior Sister, then he was probably a member of the Imperial Academy. But she really didn’t recognize him.

A wisp of dejection flashed through the man’s eyes when he heard this. She really doesn’t remember me anymore.

He suppressed the dejection in his heart and revealed a smile as he said, “I’m Jun Lin, I once received guidance from Senior Sister in the academy. Senior Sister probably still has a slight impression of it, right?”

Xiyue thought for a moment before she revealed an expression of sudden realization. She said, “It’s you. I never expected that you’ve already attained the sixth rank of the First Heaven Realm. Not bad, you didn’t waste my breath!”

The man revealed a solemn expression before he bowed to Qin Xiyue, and then he said, “Jun Lin will never forget your kindness from that day.”

Qin Xiyue smiled and said, “There’s no need for that. You ought to be clearly aware that I’d provided you guidance merely for the sake of credit. Your current accomplishments are entirely owed to your own hard work.”

The man called Jun Lin smiled, and he stopped discussing this topic. He said, “Has Senior Sister come for the Tomb of Emperor Zhou? If you have, then we can go together.”

“The Tomb of Emperor Zhou?” Qin Xiyue asked. “What’s that?”

Yang Ye looked at the man called Jun Lin with slight curiosity as well. Of course, he was merely curious about the Tomb of Emperor Zhou.

“Senior Sister didn’t come here because of the tomb?” Jun Lin spoke with surprise.

Qin Xiyu shook her head and said, “My husband and I only came here by coincidence!”

“Husband!” When they heard this, all four of them were shocked, and then they looked at Yang Ye who stood by Qin Xiyue’s side. All of them immediately revealed strange expressions when they noticed that Yang Ye was merely at the ninth rank of the Mortal Realm. On the other hand, a wisp of a savage expression flashed in Jun Lin’s eyes, but he concealed it very well.

Yang Ye was shocked by Qin Xiyue as well. What’s this woman trying to do? Does she intend to use these few people to drag me down with her?

When he thought up to here, Yang Ye’s eyes narrowed. This woman intends to use me again!

After a short while, Jun Lin forced a smile onto his face and asked. “Senior Sister is married already?”

“Not yet!” Qin Xiyue smiled and said, “But it’ll happen soon.”

Yang Ye wasn’t wrong, Qin Xiyue did intend to drag him down with her. Because only by doing this would she and her mother have a chance at survival. The imperial household would never allow the news of the imperial family colluding with Darkbeasts to be spread. So, even if she reported her nephew, she and her mother would be unable to escape death as well, and the best outcome was to be trapped eternally in the Palace of the Banished. No matter which outcome it was, she wasn’t willing to see it happen.

Especially when she had another crime of eloping with someone. The imperial household cared about its dignity the most, so the imperial household would absolutely not let her off. Thus, if she was captured back to the Grand Qin Empire, then the outcome she faced would definitely be horrible.

The reason she wanted to drag Yang Ye down with her was that Yang Ye was able to change the outcome she faced. If the person she chose to elope with was trash, then the Grand Qin Empire would definitely lose face. However, if the person she chose to elope with was a genius, then it would be an entirely different story. Not only would the empire not punish her, but it would also think highly of her.

Because there was only a single reason why these princesses that didn’t receive the emperor’s favor were alive, and it was to form unions by marriage and rope in all sorts of geniuses!

When he heard Qin Xiyue, Jun Lin’s expression eased up slightly. It’s fine so long as she hasn’t really gotten married.

He sized Yang Ye up, and then his gaze paused on the sword in Yang Ye’s hand before he said, “Brother, you’re a disciple of the Sword Sect?”

Yang Ye glanced coldly at Qin Xiyue, and then he shook his head and said, “No, I’m just an independent cultivator!”:

When they heard this, the gazes of those four members of the imperial academy became strange once more. An independent cultivator, and he’s even one that merely at the ninth rank of the Mortal Realm. How could Senior Sister have taken a liking to a person who possesses such strength?

Qin Xiyu held Yang Ye’s arm and said with a smile, “My husband really is just an independent cultivator. But his natural talent isn’t bad, and I’m prepared to introduce him to the imperial academy. With his natural talent, he’ll definitely be able to gain a place in the imperial academy!”

She was naturally not explaining on Yang Ye’s behalf. She only had a single objective, and it was to rely on these people to tell the members of the imperial household that she intended to bring this man who could control Darkbeasts into the imperial academy!

Yang Ye glanced coldly at Qin Xiyue. If this woman didn’t give him a reasonable explanation, then he would really make a move and kill her. Even if this woman’s strength was two realms of cultivation higher than his own!

“Enter the imperial academy?” That man by Jun Lin’s side was slightly surprised, and then he spoke with a slightly ridiculing tone. “Senior Sister, the imperial academy isn’t a place that just anyone can enter. This hus… friend of yours is already around 17 or 18 years old now, yet he still hasn’t stepped foot into the First Heaven Realm. Such natural talent is probably insufficient to enter the imperial academy!”

Qin Xiyue restrained the smile on her face, and then her beautiful face became cold as ice. She gazed at the man that spoke and said coldly, “What’s your name?”

Jun Lin’s eyelids twitched when he heard Qin Xiyue’s hostile tone. Not to mention this Senior Sister’s mysterious origins, just her strength wasn’t something that they could go against. After all, she was already at the eighth rank of the First Heaven Realm one year ago. So, Jun Lin immediately said, “Senior Sister, he’s Chen Yu, a classmate of mine. He’s frank by nature, I hope….”

Qin Xiyue waved her hand to interrupt Jun Lin, and then she looked at the man named Chen Yu and said, “Who do you think you are? What qualifications do you have to say that my husband’s natural talent is insufficient?”

Being humiliated like this by a woman in front of his classmate and the person he was romantically interested in caused the man’s face to flush red from anger. He clenched his fists and didn’t dare to attack because he seemed to be afraid of Qin Xiyue’s strength. So, he could only speak in a low voice. “Senior Sister, I was just speaking the truth. Besides that, that husband of yours isn’t worthy….”

When he spoke up to here, Chen Yu and Jun Lin’s expressions changed violently. Because the Senior Sister who stood before them had suddenly attacked.

Slap!

Qin Xiyue’s figure flashed and instantly arrived before Chen Yu, and then a completely red palm print appeared on Chen Yu’s face.

Qin Xiyue withdrew a handkerchief and wiped her palm before tossing it to the side. She gazed at the stunned Chen Yu and said, “Is whether my husband is worthy of me or not any of your business? Do I care about your opinion? Fuck off right now. Otherwise, it won’t be just a slap next time. Your head will fall to the ground instead!”

Jun Lin gazed at Qin Xiyue with disbelief, and then he said, “Senior Sister, you’re already at the King Realm?”

When he heard this, the pupils of Chen Yu who’d just recovered from his shock had constricted, and his eyes revealed deep awe and fear.

Qin Xiyue waved her hand and said, “All of you should leave.”

Jun Lin revealed a wisp of a bitter expression when he heard this. He didn’t speak another word, and he cupped his fists towards Qin Xiyue and glanced at Yang Ye before leading the other three of them away.

Once the four of them left, Yang Ye gazed at Qin Xiyue and said, “I don’t like being used and manipulated. Give me an explanation, otherwise, we’ll end it in battle!”

1. History lesson, Zhou is the name of the last ruler of the actual Shang Dynasty in history.