While Yang Qi was left stunned and speechless, let's rewind the timeline to see how all this came to be.
Time: Three days after the Deep Sea Light Pillar incident.
Location: Putian City.
Time: Midnight.
A torrential rain kept pouring down. The sky was pitch black, clouds covered the moon, and you couldn't see your own hand in front of your face. The raging tides had not stopped for two days, and the sound of crashing waves mixed with howling winds sent a chill down the spine of every coastal resident.
This weather isn't right—it's definitely not normal.
It was the Nine Yin Soul Capture—when your power's overwhelming, this move is seriously cool.
That constant sense of impending doom made everyone uneasy. On nights like this, no one dared to set out to sea.
The newly canonized Lady Mazu had become rooted in everyone's hearts. They prayed, they trembled, and they waited for it all to end.
On the farthest peninsula jutting into the sea, Lady Mazu's statue stood quietly. No matter how fierce the wind or rain, nothing could shake her. She gazed out at the ocean, and sometimes, the devoted Mazu Priestesses felt she was waiting for something, guiding something—like a lighthouse on a dark reef.
At the same time, in Putian Port, inside the cabin of The Phoenix.
A deep, clear, lingering call echoed across the sea. The Mazu Priestesses, still praying despite the storm, perked up their ears. These fisherwomen knew the sound well—it was a whale! Whales are sacred creatures of the ocean, rumored to be Lady Mazu's steed. Hearing a whale at this moment felt like an omen, so the priestesses scrambled to their feet, braving the wind and rain as they stumbled toward the shore.
From the depths of the sea, a huge shadow broke through the waves. The priestesses carefully shielded their lanterns, squinting into the darkness to see what was coming.
There it was—a whale, a massive sperm whale.
Wait a minute, is there someone standing on the whale's head?
How could anyone be standing on a whale's head? Who could possibly command a whale to carry them? While they were still wondering, the whale sped closer. As it got near, flashes of lightning revealed its body was covered in wounds—some still bleeding. Those were the marks of battle.
And the person standing on the whale's head was... Wait, hold up, what am I seeing?! I—I—I think I just saw—Lady Mazu?!!
Crash! The whale barreled onto the shore, unable to stop, gouging out a huge pit like a half-beached ship. There was more than one person on its head—they pulled out medicine and treated the whale's wounds, stopping the bleeding. But the priestesses didn't notice any of that; they just gaped at the platinum-blonde woman.
No doubt about it—no matter how you looked at her, this half-asleep, squinting woman was the spitting image of Lady Mazu's statue!
What the heck is going on?!
"Good Bighead, good Bighead, we really owe you this time." A petite, childlike girl with bandaged hands gently stroked the whale's forehead, and the whale let out a soft cry in response. The tired-looking girl quietly said to the platinum-haired woman, "Come on, let's help Bighead back into the sea."
The woman who looked like Lady Mazu said nothing. Her half-closed eyes seemed lifeless, but she did as she was told. Placing her hands on the whale's forehead—buzz!—two dragon-like phantoms burst from her body, winding around her arms.
Rumble! That was thunder in the sky—and in the hearts of the priestesses. Their eyes nearly popped out as they watched the woman push the massive whale back into the sea using only her hands!
Hey, that's a whale! Even if half its body was still in the water, it's still as big as a mountain! Look at the pit she left behind—good grief, is she even human?!
—Uh, wait, that's not just an exclamation, it's a real question: Is she even human? Is she a mortal? Could she actually be Lady Mazu herself...
The priestesses shivered, spooked by the thought. After a moment, they mustered their courage and were about to speak—when a young woman suddenly appeared before them. Her expression held deep sorrow, but that didn't stop her from showing her skills. Her internal energy surged, and her eyes became whirlpools, drawing in every priestess's mind.
It was the Nine Yin Soul-Seizing Technique—when your power's overwhelming, this move is seriously cool.
"Forget everything you just saw..."
Joan unrolled the decree, raised an eyebrow, and couldn't help but burst out laughing. "Imperial Consort Mia Wise?!"
"I think... Lady Mazu manifested or something..." Only the head priestess remembered a little, but her memories were fuzzy, like a dream that vanished after waking.
At the same time, in Putian Port, inside the cabin of the ship Wutong.
"Finally home." Jill Young lay quietly on the bed while Joan sat at the bedside. "If she hadn't still been able to sense the Sacred Imperial Fetus and instinctively know the way back, we'd really be in trouble this time."
[Times were tough], Joan said to Jill Young, glossing over it with a single sentence. But the truth was, 'tough' didn't even begin to cover it. Right now, Wutong seemed business as usual, but inside this cabin, the tension was thick.
This chapter isn't over yet~.~ Click next page to keep reading!
Simone gently lifted the beaded curtain. At first glance, Putian City looked perfectly ordinary, but her years in the martial world told her otherwise—there was a storm brewing. After a careful look, she quickly concluded, "Someone's moving in secret. Looks like they're after us."
"To be precise, they're after me and her. The others haven't been exposed yet. The wind and waves made for a quick escape, and the chaos when Mystic Isle sank kept things blurry. My face and her hair and figure were seen, though." Joan took a deep breath, tired. "They're powerful and experienced—regular disguises won't fool them. They'll search every inch, dig up the ground if they have to, and they'll find us sooner or later. We can't stay here long."
"Then let's head out right now!" Simone spun around to leave. "Tell everyone to raise the sails—we're heading back to Tianshan! No matter how tough they are, they're only strong on their turf. If they dare chase us to Tianshan, we'll make sure they never return!"
"No, if we do that, the ensemble will never survive." Joan shook her head firmly, looking at Jill Young. "The ensemble is something she and I planned—it's not just for fun. It's got long-term value and purpose, and we can't just drop it halfway. The Lady Mazu statue doesn't have her hair color, so that's a relief. But the two of us need to publicly distance ourselves from the ensemble, no matter what. We can't jeopardize the plan."
"Mia Wise, a humble woman, accepts the decree!"
Joan just smiled quietly and shook her head. "No. I'm injured—right now, I can't fight or use lightness skills; I'm basically just an ordinary woman. Master Yideng and Gabriel Yang have lost their strength, and though Xiang'er got lucky, she's unpredictable and probably not even as reliable as Howard Hopeless. The enemy has plenty of experts, and there's one I wouldn't dare challenge even at my best. Assassinating their leader just isn't going to work."
Can't fight? Can't even use lightness skills? That must be one serious injury!
Simone's expression changed, concern in her voice: "Master, your injury—what exactly..."
"It's nothing. Just need a safe place to recover for a while." Joan put on her Tianshan Matriarch persona, issuing orders: "Once I'm healed and she's fully awake, who in the world could stop us? Then, whether we run or fight, it's up to us. For now, we've got to hide out and get through this. I'm good at leading from the front, but right now, we have to play it smart. Simone, you're a master of tricks—got any good ideas?"
Simone's expression turned sly. "If we're talking about hiding out, I actually know a great spot..."
Wu Zhengfeng saw her look and knew something wild was about to happen, so he braced himself. "Go on."
"Master, you don't know—just yesterday, the Emperor of Song came to our ensemble and personally requested my dance. I figured, if we want to make the ensemble famous, why not start with the king? So I showed some real skills. Who knew that old guy was still frisky enough to issue a decree right on the spot!"
"A decree?" Joan perked up. "What decree?"
"This one." Simone pulled out a scroll and handed it to Joan, sighing. "I was going to wait for you two to get back so we could talk about it, since I'm pretty curious about the place myself. Now it's two birds with one stone—problem solved."
Joan unrolled the decree, raised an eyebrow, and couldn't help but burst out laughing. "Noble Consort?!"
Everyone knew Song Lizong was a notorious playboy, but this was next-level! Giving out a consort title after just one show? In a way, Simone's life just hit peak drama!
"Actually, it might work. The assassins are so secretive, there's no way the Emperor knows. So why not hide in plain sight, right under the palace lights?" Joan, used to big scenes, calmed down and handed the decree back to Simone. "Consorts can bring a few maids. Aside from some checks, no one will ask questions. Noble Consort Miao, let's get you to the capital."
Simone immediately knelt in formal style, "Yes!"
"One more thing." Joan held the decree midair, looking seriously at Simone. "Don't mention my injury to Jill Young."
Simone paused, then met her gaze. "Why?"
"It's nothing serious. It's not so much an injury as overexertion—I'll be fine after a few days of rest." Joan sighed softly. "You know what she's like—if she finds out, it'll be chaos. If it needs saying, I'll say it myself. Let's keep things simple and avoid drama."
"Not serious?" Simone glanced at the white bandages wrapped tightly around Joan's hand. "Master's intentions are good, but I doubt she'll believe it when she wakes up."
"She will." Joan smiled gently, placing the decree in Simone's hands. "Because she trusts me."
Simone's eyes flickered, lost in thought. No one could read her mind. She simply accepted the decree and bowed:
"Miao Chiyu, a humble woman, accepts the decree!"