"Well... that's a long story," said the Celestial Emperor.
"Can you tell us about it? Please?"
"Two hundred thousand years ago, she fell in love with a man," said the Celestial Emperor. "She couldn't have him, so she turned to demonhood."
Lucia Lu waited for a long time, but when no further explanation came, she asked, "And then?"
Celestial Emperor: "That's it! Love denied turns to demonhood."
Lucia Lu: "...Didn't you say it was a long story?"
Celestial Emperor: "Heh, one sentence sums it up, but there's so much behind it. If you gave their story to Xia Chongyu, that novelist down in the lower realm, she'd write four million words!"
Lucia Lu: "...Then why did she attack the Radiant Palace?"
Celestial Emperor: "Oh, that's an even longer story..."
Lucia Lu: "Come on, just tell us!"
"Revenge," answered the Celestial Emperor. "All for revenge."
And then—nothing.
Lucia Lu felt utterly exhausted.
She decided not to say anything else.
But the Celestial Emperor suddenly spoke up: "Lucia, do you have any more of that candy?"
Lucia Lu shook her head. "Nope. Why?"
"She could pick any treasure from the Three Realms, name any condition to the Celestial Emperor or Divine Lords, but none of it compares to your candy! Even I want to try one," said the Celestial Emperor.
Lucia Lu: "I'm out. But when we left, she gave Fifth Highness one."
"Oh? Really, Little Five?" The Celestial Emperor's eyes lit up.
Sean Shaw took out the candy.
The Celestial Emperor reached out to take it.
Sean Shaw peeled off the candy wrapper and popped it into his mouth. "Mm, it's really good."
The Celestial Emperor's outstretched hand: "..."
Lucia Lu burst out laughing. "Your Majesty, if training could be a little less intense, my little sister could make more. Right now, she doesn't have any time!"
The Celestial Emperor shot his son a sideways look, too frustrated to respond.
...
Inside the Dragon-Coiling Heavenly Gang Array.
Quentin Lian finished checking Bianca Whitefan's pulse and frowned. "You're not injured by the array itself, but suffering from backlash."
Bianca Whitefan kept her eyes closed and said nothing.
"A Rune Master only suffers backlash when divining for themselves or their blood relatives," Quentin Lian said, looking at her. "So, is this so-called Demon Emperor actually you?"
Bianca Whitefan gave a little laugh.
Quentin Lian: "Aside from you, I can't think of anyone else who could do this."
Bianca Whitefan: "Don't be ridiculous! If I wanted to rule the Three Realms, would I wait until now? I'm practically half-dead! Besides, didn't you hear the Celestial Emperor? The Demon Emperor is supposed to be a man!"
"Then... why did you suffer backlash?"
"Don't ask too much," said Bianca Whitefan. "Heavenly secrets can't be revealed. If you spill them, disaster will fall on you!"
Quentin Lian nodded.
"I'll give you just one line. Remember it well."
Quentin Lian: "Yes."
"If you keep yourself safe, you keep everyone safe."
Quentin Lian: "..."
...
After Quentin Lian returned, the Celestial Emperor promptly shooed Lucia Lu and Sean Shaw away again.
Probably wants to interrogate him alone.
Lucia Lu didn't want to leave Sean Shaw by himself, so she took him on a tour of the Spirit Alliance.
"That whole area is full of Pill Rooms," Lucia said, pointing to a stretch of mountains. "They're built to the same specs as the old floating mountains. Pretty impressive, right?"
Sean Shaw nodded. "Yeah."
"That's where the elders live, over there is my dad's place, and that mountain—Redleaf Mountain—is where I live."
Sean Shaw gazed at Redleaf Mountain, his eyes shining.
He wanted to go see it.
"Come over here." She led Sean Shaw, flying over to a field of medicinal herbs.