"Master, if we were meant to be the protectors of this world, why is it we have so many enemies? Shouldn't people view us favourably?"

"Demons have not attacked our world in a very long time, and if there is no one to defend against, what's the use of protectors?" Yao Ming sighed, speaking about this matter-of-factly. "But considering your lover-boy, I doubt this peace would last long. People like him would not be born during ordinary times."

"He's someone who could lead this world?" Xue Yueliang asked, turning a blind eye to how he referred to Lei Jian.

"Possibly, nothing is set in stone; fate is an ever-changing current."

"Meanwhile, I'm just a sacrificial pawn," she said.

"That's if you are willing to settle for what was allocated to you."

Xue Yueliang sighed, changing the subject to a more upbeat one, "Master, how long can you survive within the Ethereal Soul Jade?"

Seeing her mention this, a wide grin appeared on his face, "I won't just survive in there; I would thrive; I even have a chance of returning my soul power to the strength I had before I died."

Yao Ming was beaming, not looking like the man who had settled for his death less than two years ago. This wasn't surprising though, because if one had the chance to live and live well, who would want to die?

"That's good to hear, master." Xue Yueliang beamed back at him, "But after I made such a great contribution, were you planning on leaving me empty-handed?"

Looking at the crooked smile on her face, Yao Ming knew he could not leave this demoness empty-handed, and a blaze of flames appeared in his hand. "This is more of the Berserk Dragon Flame. With this much of it, there will be a qualitative increase, allowing you to display some of the might of a legendary flame."

Xue Yueliang faintly smiled, not moving to retrieve it, as she waited for him to give her more. "This is a map of the Invincible Sword Sect, and with this token, it should allow you to enter even restricted areas, making it convenient for you to move around as you wish. I don't recommend showing it off, though."

Noticing she still wasn't satisfied, Yao Ming sighed, and a scroll appeared in his hand. It had a light blue shade and released faint wind energy, "This is a movement technique named the Ethereal Wind Steps, allowing you to pass through hundreds of soldiers with ease; whether you're trying to escape or attack, it will be valuable to you. I noticed your affinity with wind, and it shouldn't be too hard for you to master."

"Thank you for your grace, master!" Xue Yueliang sincerely smiled, accepting the jade slip containing the map of the Invincible Dao Sect and the movement technique, but showed some apprehension toward the berserk flames. It was the most valuable thing there but also the most painful to accept.

"Oh, has my disciple gone timid?" Yao Ming teased, "I'm just afraid you will seal yourself while I'm cultivating. I don't know when I'm going to see you again."

"True; the next time we meet, you might even have brought me a disciple-in-law. I wonder who it will be, the one surnamed Lei or the princess?"

Xue Yueliang's face blushed, and she accepted the Berserk Dragon Flame, cutting this conversation short.

Yao Niang's tense body relaxed, happy to see Xue Yueliang's decision; at least with this much, she could be considered trustworthy.

"When she's fighting, she's ruthless with ease, and morals don't constrain her, but she's not one to betray a friend." Mo Luli commented, "It seems Your Highness has made a good friend this time."

The princess shook her head, "It could be she was afraid of people seeing her betray a friend."

Although she was pleased with how things played out, she could not allow herself to get carried away with her happiness - a part of being a ruler was being impartial, regardless of your feelings.

"Someone who can't betray openly is still helpful, Your Highness."

Mo Luli replied, taking her thoughts into account. She did not know much about Xue Yueliang, but from the effect she had on the princess, she wished for them to be closer if only to make the princess more sure of her path.

"Mo Luli, you're my most trusted subordinate and friend; tell me, what do you think of her?" Yao Niang asked, leaning back as she sat comfortably.

She was curious about Mo Luli's view on Xue Yueliang and if she could learn something new from it. She noticed the princess's manner of speech, and her expression turned grave, thinking carefully before answering.

"From what she's shown, Xue Yueliang is protective of the people she likes, protecting them from others and herself. She had shown this multiple times, even using her own body to shield her spirit beast from His Highness's attack, though its purpose is to protect her."

Yao Niang lifted her brow, surprised Mo Luli had a lot to say, although she had only seen her briefly.

"I have no way of knowing, but I feel like she values its life more than her own like hers is naturally not saving."

"Or it wouldn't be worth living if she had to go about it alone." Yao Niang added, remembering the prophecy's use of 'forlorn' to describe Xue Yueliang and her heart couldn't help but ache a little.

Noticing her sympathy, she sighed, asking the question that has been burning in her mind since she last met her mother, "Mo Luli. do you-" the princess took a deep breath then finished her sentence, "Do you think she's using me to overthrow the Qinxia Kingdom?"

She felt guilty for doubting her mother's words, but she eased herself off the guilt.

It's always good to get a second opinion. She thought, not wanting to admit that she feared the possibility of her mother's words being true.

Mo Luli was stunned by the gravity of the question just asked and thought deeply about the matter, but she could not reach a conclusion.

"Your Highness, I cannot pretend to understand what made you suspect her of that," she began, "But there's no way I can know from what little I have seen of her."

Yao Niang sighed, not knowing what she had expected, but Mo Luli continued, "Won't this be solved by asking her why she helped you?"

The princess shook her head, "There is no way she would be honest."

"It will still give you a hint, Your Highness." Mo Luli insisted.

"Well, I can already guess what she would say." Yao Niang laughed, "She's going to say she likes me."

Mo Luli looked at her with a gaze filled with curiosity, urging her to give more details, eliciting a laugh from the princess as she told her the details of what happened in Flower City.

Unlike the first time she refined the Berserk Dragon Flame, the process was not as smooth as before. It was not because she had grown weaker but because the flame her master had given her was much more vast this time.

If the first time could be compared to the size of a fingernail, what she was trying to absorb now was an entire fistful. The flame moved along her meridians, burning the spiritual Qi that flowed within, trying to strip them of their protective layer. Xue Yueliang gritted her teeth, using her divine sense, as it carefully surrounded the flame, aiming to guide it through her body; so it could be assimilated.

The overwhelming heat seemed to damage her divine sense, as she got a terrible headache, but she worked through it, guiding the Berserk Dragon Flame that was originally within her dantian, forming another protective layer, forcefully trying to make it move along the path of the Blood Moon Cultivation Sutra.

The new blaze of the Berserk Dragon Flame was like an unruly guest, throwing over desks and chairs, trying to cause as much of a ruckus as possible, and her spiritual Qi was like workers protesting against his actions.

Only with the addition of the original flame that acted like a guard and her divine sense, controlling their resistance, did they manage to subdue the unruly guest, showing him off to the exit. Though in this scenario, it would be more apt to say he ended up being one of them, working for the same person, and the two Berserk Dragon Flames fused, turning into one larger one, then sitting calmly next to the lightning.

"Wow, you still managed to absorb it without help," Yao Ming praised, genuine surprise on his features.

"You thought I couldn't subdue it?" Xue Yueliang asked, out of breath, "Did you want to see me turn into a pile of ashes?"

"I would have helped you if you had been in danger." He said, rolling his eyes, unhappy with her outburst, but Xue Yueliang just laughed, showing she was not serious.

Though it had only been a week, this felt like it would drag on forever. It was not a pleasant experience, but feeling the flaming energy, she was satisfied, wondering how much her strength had improved. Most people did not know she wielded the Berserk Dragon Flame because before, its power was too weak, and although it did appear strong, no one would have associated it with a legendary flame.

Now, however, although its strength still hasn't reached that level, it showed the qualities of being legendary, which she understood to be a blessing and a curse.

"Honestly, master, when you picked me after that fool, I thought you had bad luck with disciples and I cannot be more grateful for that. You met me at my weakest, and I promise to show you a time when the world bend to my will. At that time, as your disciple, I will not forget the gratitude I owe you."

Yao Ming smiled, "I'll hold you up on it," then his soul was absorbed into the Ethereal Soul Jade, erasing any traces of him from the mortal plane.

Xue Yueliang's heart skipped a beat, but picking up the jade, she noticed small fluctuations; though they were minor, they were clearly her master's. Xue Yueliang sighed, amazed at how their relationship had improved over the years; knowing her from a few years ago would not be worried about his life and death.

"I hope you have a fruitful seclusion, master," she whispered. She cleaned up the area she was in, taking the time to clean up herself, too.

Brushing her hair back, she noticed the clothing Lei Jian had gotten her had fully recovered, and she wore them with the veil covering her face. She did not know if it was because she had not worn it in a while, but it felt weird on her face; however she did not dwell on it too much. Wondering if Li Hua was still here, she retrieved the talisman. She noticed the light coming from the characters had dimmed slightly, but it was still usable. Happy with it, she stored it and turned to see Li Hua cultivating behind her.

The illusion of the throne room had disappeared, and so did the figure that had given her the scroll, leaving Li Hua alone, surrounded by four barren walls. Unlike her usual carefree expression, her brows frowned in concentration carrying a gravity she did not expect her to have. Looking at her serious demeanour, Xue Yueliang found the answer to a question she had asked her master quite a while ago and couldn't help but feel bitter.

"Life or death." She whispered, turning to leave.

"Your Highness, did she really say it like that?" Mo Luli interjected, unable to hide her surprise.

Frowning, Yao Niang replied, "Yes, I have not forgotten."

She was not used to Mo Luli interrupting her while speaking, but she still explained herself.

Noticing the princess's displeasure, Mo Luli shut her mouth, allowing her to continue, and then the princess saw her face turning red and caught her suppressing giggles.

"She really is absurd, isn't she see?" Yao Niang giggled, too, not blaming her for her amusement.

"Princess, with how clearly she articulated herself, it's surprising you still don't know why she wants to help you." The princess looked at her, waiting for her to explain, and Mo Luli exclaimed, her features red, "She's smitten by you, Your Highness!"

"Smitten?" The princess was taken aback, wondering how Mo Luli arrived at this conclusion.

"We're both women? How would that make sense."

Seeing the princess's obliviousness, Mo Luli decided to slowly explain, "Your Highness, do you think of Xue Yueliang as a person bound by conventions?"

"Of course not," she replied, "She does what she wants."

"Then why do you think she will follow tradition when choosing a partner?" Mo Luli continued, "She wouldn't be the first woman to have feelings toward other women, but she is definitely bold enough to go through with it."

"So- she wants to be with me?" Yao Niang's face turned bright red from this revelation, and her heart raced in anticipation of Xue Yueliang's confirmation.