Elaina Cloud's personality was somewhat eccentric and unpredictable. According to rumor, Her Majesty the Empress was born with the dignified bearing of a mother to the world, while Madam Yuanmu was lively, active, and clever—full of quirks.
Quinn Shepherd walked with Elaina Cloud toward Liam Cloud, Cyrus Qi, and the others, but his heart was in turmoil: 'Is it possible that Elaina Cloud isn't actually the Empress, but Madam Yuanmu instead? During the Empress Ambush Incident, what if it was the Empress who died, not Madam Yuanmu...?'
"Heavenly Venerable, you've got so many goosebumps on the back of your neck!"
Elaina Cloud curiously examined the back of his neck and exclaimed in surprise, "You're even sweating there! How strange!"
She reached out her soft, warm hand to touch Quinn Shepherd's forehead, even more astonished: "But your forehead is completely dry. Heavenly Venerable, you're sick!"
"You're the one who's sick!"
Quinn Shepherd was furious, shaking off the woman, and quickly moved to the others, lowering his voice: "Annie, come perch on my shoulder."
Annie transformed into a little blue sparrow, fluttered up, and landed on his shoulder. Only then did Quinn Shepherd finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Being linked arm-in-arm with Elaina Cloud made him deeply uncomfortable. This woman's personality was bizarre and mercurial—just moments ago they'd been fighting to the death, now she was sweet enough to make someone gag.
He simply couldn't figure out what Elaina Cloud was really thinking.
Elaina Cloud looped her arm through his, making him feel as if a venomous python was coiling around his body. Only when Annie perched on his shoulder did he feel a bit more at ease.
Annie was also peering curiously at the back of his neck, thinking, "Why wasn't Young Master nervous before, but now he's suddenly tense?"
But there's still one thing that bothers me: when I summoned the Empress's soul, I discovered she wasn't dead. Even stranger, Madam Yuanmu's corpse in the crystal coffin once suddenly 'came back to life,' only to be suppressed by my Senior Brother Wayne Gale.
Quinn's eyes flickered with suspicion. "So who exactly is this Elaina Cloud? If she's the Empress, her personality is way too split. Or maybe, this is her true nature?"
Liam Cloud, Cyrus Qi, and the others were extremely wary of Elaina Cloud. Though they remained as courteous as before, they didn't dare get too close. Only Quinn seemed completely at ease, in fact acting even more familiar with Elaina than in the past.
The two of them walked ahead, chatting and laughing as they made their way toward the Ancestral King Palace.
"That Shepherd kid is coming to my place?"
Inside Ancestral King Palace, Galen, the Ancestral God-King, had already received the message. He laughed, "Does this guy not know I want to kill him, yet he dares come courting death? Or does he think that just because he’s in my palace, I won’t make a move?"
"Does Your Excellency really mean to kill him?" asked Dane Feng, the Great Sun Star Lord.
This Great Sun Star Lord was not the ancient god of the same name. The old Great Sun Star Lord had died in the Dragon-Han Era, struck down by an arrow for knowing too much.
The current Great Sun Star Lord was a god from the Shanghuang Era named Dane Feng. He had become Galen's close confidant and was entrusted with commanding the Heavenly Court's celestial armies.
Galen's ability to stand toe-to-toe with Heaven Duke and Jadecrest God-Emperor among the demigods was due to his lineage as the son of the Heavenly Lord, giving him authority over the stars. Most star gods had to follow his orders.
"Of course I won't kill him."
Galen chuckled, "Do you think I'm really that stupid? If I were, would I have reached my current position? Sometimes acting reckless isn't a bad thing. Take the Jade Pool incident: all Ten Heavenly Venerables showed up, but each hid their face so no one could tell who was who. They were all busy suspecting and guarding against each other—only I showed my true face. So they never suspected me, the 'reckless brute.'"
He clasped his hands behind his back and said leisurely, "Even if Quinn Shepherd came to me begging to be killed, I wouldn't lay a finger on him. He's not my enemy—at least, not yet. He may have the title of Shepherd Heavenly Venerable, but for now he's just a well-known little character. Killing him would only get my hands dirty for nothing."
Dane Feng was full of admiration. "Your Excellency is truly wise. So, if Quinn Shepherd comes to our Ancestral King Palace, how should we handle it?"
Galen replied, "Quinn Shepherd is actually quite talented. I fought him once in the Dark Heaven, using my strongest weapon at the Divine Bridge Realm, and he matched me blow for blow. Even when I used my Dao Realm's twenty-eight heavens, I couldn't defeat him—in fact, he killed a Heaven-Guide war-body clone of mine. So, keep our disciples in line and don't let them provoke him."
He smiled, "Just say I'm not home. Have the disciples treat him with utmost respect—like a true Heavenly Venerable. Don't give him any chance to cause trouble. If he can't get anything out of us, he'll leave on his own."
Dane Feng bowed, "Yes, Your Excellency. I'll go greet him now."
Galen called him back, "One more thing—be on guard for anyone sneaking into Ancestral King Palace to assassinate him. He was already targeted in Jadecrest Divine Palace, so someone will definitely try again. Don't let that troublemaker die in my territory."