Impossible Conditions

"I’m not giving you attitude. I’m just upset," Sean Shaw said.

"Why are you upset?" Lily Bai leaned on his shoulder.

"I tell you everything, but you don’t tell me anything."

"Oh, don’t be so petty, okay?" Lily Bai raised her hand and swore, "If it’s something I can tell you, I promise I will."

Sean turned to look at her.

Lily Bai puckered her lips and gave him a quick kiss.

Sean cheered up and asked, "Has the Celestial Empress acted strange lately?"

"Nope! The First Heir-Consort sent someone to invite her to Eve’s promotion ceremony, but she didn’t show up—acting all above it all and detached from the world," Lily Bai said. "But I still feel like she’s plotting something big."

Sean asked, "What could she possibly be plotting?"

Lily Bai shook her head. "I can’t figure it out."

"There’s actually something in this world you can’t figure out? That must be a real big move!"

"There are two reasons for that. One is my cultivation isn’t high enough. The other—which I think is way more likely—is that whatever she’s planning has to do with you or me! If it involves us directly, I can’t calculate it."

"If you can’t figure it out, just let it go!" Sean’s aura was getting stronger by the day. "Whatever comes, we’ll handle it!"

"Mm!" Lily Bai wrapped her arms around his face and kissed him again. "My husband is so handsome!"

......

Azure Flame went to find Bones, frowning for ages but not saying a word.

"You’ve been sitting here forever!" Bones said. "If you’ve got problems, spill them so I can be happy about your misery."

Azure Flame said, "I want Soren Lann."

Bones curled his lip. "What’s so great about him? You should wait till I grow up! I’ll definitely be better looking than he is! Hmph!"

Azure Flame glanced at him. "By the time you grow up, Soren Lann will be long gone! Who knows if I’ll even still be alive then."

Bones frowned for a long time. "Actually, I’m ready now too. How about—"

"Shut up!" Azure Flame smacked him on the head. "Hey, do you remember when the Gatekeeper turned into a tree, Emperor Evan Xiao got obsessed with taking selfies? He used Clarity Charms to record himself. He said—"

"He said if the Gatekeeper came back and he was gone, those recordings would be there for her to see," Bones picked up the story.

Azure Flame nodded. "Later, after the Gatekeeper left with Emperor Ray Quinn, Emperor Evan Xiao would wait day and night for his mother to come back. He started recording himself too. He said that if the Gatekeeper ever returned, she could see him again."

"So why are you telling me all this today?" Bones asked. "Does this have anything to do with your Soren Lann?"

"He said if I can help him open the Void Gate, he’ll be willing to be with me," Azure Flame said.

"He obviously gave you an impossible task just to get rid of you, and you actually believe it? When did you get so dumb?" Bones frowned. "You know I hate talking to idiots. You can go now."

Azure Flame said, "I still think Emperor Ray Quinn and his consort left through the Void Gate. Do you think he might’ve recorded something about it on those Clarity Charms?"

Bones was startled. "That’s actually possible."

"Why don’t we go ask Lord Sky Xiao?" Azure Flame suggested.

"Nobody knows where he is! How are you supposed to find him?" Bones shook his head.

"Look, what’s this?" Azure Flame pulled out a bundle of cloth.

"What is it? Why does it look so familiar..." Bones said.