"What way?" he hurriedly turned to face her.

"Before I speak of it, I hope your majesty won't think of me a vile woman, my suggestion might sound too vile but I am thinking for your majesty's sake," she raised her gaze to look him in the eye.

​​

"The best way to sow enmity between both parties is for one to kill the other..."

"One to kill the other..."

"If your majesty sends some soldiers to assassinate the flame sect second young mistress on her way to the flame sect and disguise them as the private soldiers in the prime minister's manor, whether or not the assassination fails, the relationship between both parties will be impossible to achieve," She smiled faintly after concluding her suggestion but the smile showed just how reluctant and repentant she felt to have given him such advice but for her, that is the only way she can think of to make sure both parties never see eye to eye.

"That is really wise, if the assassination is successful then the flame sect will lose a source of power but whether it fails or not, the flame sect will still get rid of the prime minister, really wise....but my consort, you have always been gentle and good-hearted, it seems like it has taken you lots of effort to bring up this idea, I blame myself..." the emperor lowered his gaze on her with an apologetic look on his face.

"There is no need to, your majesty, I am just a woman from a middle-classed family but you helped me maintain my position in the harem by your favour, I should be grateful for your grace," her humble and gentle dove eyes managed to affect him again.

"You are really the only one in my harem who thinks for me, if there is anything you need please don't hesitate to inform me,"

"Your majesty grace is enough..."

- - - - - - -

A woman in long black apparel and a red cape flowing from her back to the ground was sitting on a throne-like seat, even larger than the emperor's seat, she fiddled with her metal claws with her lips slanted into a sinister tilt.

Blood! she needed to taste blood.

A young man in all-black clothing walked into the room, others would shudder at the sight of the woman but he doesn't need to, he has spent his whole life with this woman after all (It has been a while since I referred to the blood moon sect, you can find it in chapter 118 if you need a reminder).

"Master," he greeted with a bow with his hands cupped together and pushed out in front of him, his face was filled with reverence for this woman, a very dangerous woman.

"Have you made all the arrangements I asked you to make?" she asked without glancing at his face, she ran her claws over red crimson red lips.

"Yes master, I have made sure all our disciples are well trained and ready for your plans, I have also sent for the left and right blood moon demons, they will be here by tomorrow," the young man answered.

"Tomorrow..." she rolled her eyes and turned to him with an evil gaze which he could see from the eye hole in the mask.

"Don't you think that is too long, you as my dear disciple should know I am not patient, it seems like my laziness has made my left and right demons to forget how much I hate waiting," she placed her elbow on the armrest of her throne and pointed her claws at him.

"Send a message to them, If they are not here by the end of today, tell them to consider themselves dead,"

"Understood master!"

"Come up here," he raised his head to confirm her intentions when he saw the red glint in her eyes, he confirmed her reason for calling him up, he ascended the stairs leading to her throne and knelt on one knee before her. She bent her head to sniff his neck and inhaled the sweet scent of his blood, her fangs grew out with the tip pointed and sharp.

He felt the cold shrill move up his body but this is his duty, something he cannot refuse as long as his master wants it.

"I have drunk so many blood but none are still able to match the scent and taste of your blood my dear disciple, if not for my unwillingness to see you die, I fear I would have drunk every pint of blood in your body to the last,"

"If master so wishes then my life is yours,"

"You never fail to disappoint me..." she removed her fangs away from his neck and raised her head with a pleased smile, she gestured him to stand up while he obediently did as she commanded.

"Go, get me some humans, I want them young and pretty....Just like you," her voice emitting hunger, and evilness.

"But master..." she swiftly glared at him with a deep red glint in her eyes, the word 'but' is something he never utters and she has never entertained it either.

"You commanded us to not capture anyone so as not to make the Wulin sect remember us for a while, what is the reason behind your sudden change of mind," he feared she would misunderstand him so he tried to make himself sound as submissive as possible.

"My dear disciple, have you forgotten the divination I had sometimes ago, If the Jianghu world is changing then it can only mean it is time for me to show myself again, this time I must make sure I totally bring down the sects and also all the empires, they must all belong to me," she turned to him with a tilt on her crimson red lips.

"Then...."

"Do as I have ordered, Oh! I also have another task for you, It appears that my dear senior brother who has reincarnated into a girl will be leaving the wind sect, we must take this chance to get her back, this time, I will take back the power and change him to his original form," the happiness and delight she felt could be seen on her half-covered face, finally, she has a chance to fulfil her long time obsession.

"How would master like me to carry out this task?"

"Take some disciples....no take many of them and go down the mountain, we will also be having other helpers so all you have to do is bring back the second young mistress of the flame sect--no---my dear old lover, bring him back to where he belongs," she fondled with her metal claws at the latter end of her sentence in delight just thinking of having him by her side again.

"I will do as master has ordered,"

"Remember, I will entertain no failure"

"Understood," he kowtowed and descended the stairs to leave the room.

"Huo Yanjing, I will bring you back very soon---just wait,"

- - - - - -

In the flame sect.

A young lady with a battered body and tattered cloth stood in the middle of countless demons with her sword by her side, strands of hair that have escaped her rough ponytail now hovered in front of her face, with cuts on every part of her body and blood seeping out of them, the blisters on her lips made her thirst for water and her lips have already turned pale white.

Her chest moved up and down as she tried to catch her breath, she turned her sword to the sharp side and held it against the demons now surrounding her, some had bodies while other existed in the form of spirits but they were all her enemy.

She only has one more day to leave the pagoda alive and sane, she is exhausted--too exhausted, she has lost count of how many demons she has battled and killed from the first level of the pagoda to the thirteenth which she is now standing in but the thirteenth being the most difficult to pass through has held her in there for a week now, while she battled the demons non-stop.

She weaved her sword against them but ended up falling on her knees, she couldn't take it anymore, the urge to just drop to the ground and surrender to her inner demons ran through her mind and body but the image of her master painstakingly training her and channelling her spiritual power into her body every day for as many years as she has lived kept her going but now....blackout.

- - - -

"Child," a gentle and heartwarming voice called softly while the figure placed her hand on her shoulder, she could feel the gentle touch on her shoulder, she slowly opened her eyes with much effort while her long lashes fluttered.

"W-who are y-you?" she mumbled, the woman in front of her looked really beautiful and she has really long hair just like hers, the woman placed her hand on her cheek.

"I am your mother," she answered

"My mother..."

"Huo Li, you have to stand up and be strong, your master, friends and disciples are all waiting for you," the woman entreated, caressing her face.

"I-I want to stand up but I can't,"

"You can, think about the people you love who you have always wanted to protect and you will find the strength," the woman removed her hand from her cheek and disappeared.

------

The demons gathered around her and were about to stick their hand into her body but she opened her eyes at that moment she widened her eyes seeing that they are almost devouring her, she quickly raised her sword and blocked them, then she stood up on her feet.

"I will never let you win," her face was filled with confidence, determination and the urge to fight.