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For people like Chen Qing and Shen Qi, infiltrating the Imperial Palace wasn’t difficult, but now, to avoid drawing attention, they would do well not to use their Spiritual Power unless necessary.

Theoretically, as long as they didn’t utilize Extraordinary Power, they wouldn’t be marked and watched, but when a Transcendent individual acted, there would always be something different from a common Magician; they could always be noticed.

The best approach was to enter the palace with the Imperial Concubine Bei Yu.

It was difficult for men to enter the Court, so the only option was to disguise themselves as a personal maid.

This was not a big issue for Shen Qi, who was naturally delicate and fair-skinned.

Dressed as a woman and softening his features slightly with Makeup Technique, he would pass as a standard beauty.

But it was different for Chen Qing. He was not bad-looking, but he wasn’t pretty like a young girl, especially his brows and cheekbones, which were a bit rough.

Even though the Imperial Concubine did her best to dress him up, he still had a manly appearance.

However, it was not a problem as long as he was roughly done up—the guard at the gate didn’t scrutinize too closely.

"The emperor is really unconcerned with trivialities"

On the way, Shen Qi leaned over to Chen Qing and said.

Looking at the smug Shen Qi, Chen Qing was speechless. So what if he looked youthful, showing off for that, living for over two hundred years without marrying a wife, always pining after his brother’s wife but never daring to openly pursue her? Unlike himself who even had concubines...

Thinking of the two women back home, a faint haze suddenly crossed Chen Qing’s eyes.

Lately, there had been a lot to deal with, one thing after another. He had hardly seen the Princess since he married her, and she had been well-behaved enough not to disturb him.

But one can’t avoid the truth forever.

What to do in the future?

After going to Digital City, Chen Qing learned the truth that transmigrators could not have offspring with people in the game.

How would he explain this in the future?

Moreover, this was a Mystical Illusory World, where life and death reincarnation existed. The Princess was his wife in this life, but what would happen once she grew old and entered the cycle of rebirth?

As a Divine Master, he could manipulate her to be his wife in every lifetime, but was that really okay?

It all felt a bit complicated...

"My lord, we’ve arrived..."

Lost in thought, Chen Qing heard Shen Qi’s voice, and when he looked up, he realized they had inadvertently followed the Imperial Concubine into the inner parts of the Imperial Palace. From a distance, he saw the Empress Dowager’s Palace with its distinctively different, dark appearance.

"That is the Ming Lantern..." Shen Qi glanced at the distance, his expression growing solemn.

His cultivation was the Thousand Eyes Technique, which granted him excellent vision so he could see several miles away even without using any Technique. Yet, that eerie darkness at the Empress Dowager’s Palace seemed to block his vision as if preventing any scrutiny.

"Also called the Ming Lantern..." Chen Qing whispered, "In the Path of Yin and Yang, Evil Ghosts are everywhere. If one exposes themselves, they’ll easily attract swarms of Evil Ghosts.

But with this lantern, one can hide their aura in the darkness and even go unnoticed in some very dangerous places. "

The Ming Lantern was a prop from the third version, introduced after the Earth Fiend Seventy-Two Demons’ revival in the Path of Yin and Yang to save players’ lives.

Players needed the lantern to complete tasks in the Path of Yin and Yang while avoiding endless Evil Ghosts. It was like a free pass, and it seemed the Shenwu Guild had monopolized this item.

Chen Qing didn’t intend to delver into how they managed it, considering that it was a guild capable of monopolizing two cycles of reincarnation; it was not surprising they had acquired such an item.

However, it had to be acknowledged, the item was valuable; using Extraordinary Power within its light could give Spirit Ghosts the illusion of darkness beneath the lamp, thus allowing safe passage through the current crisis.

But there were two doubts that Chen Qing couldn’t understand.

The Ming Lantern was movable; otherwise, players in the past wouldn’t have been able to use it to dive deep into the Path of Yin and Yang. Since it could be moved, there was a chance to escape Northern Wolf City directly with its aid.

Why wasn’t it done?

Was it because of the Giant Serpent at the gate?

It certainly was troublesome, but there was an opportunity.

If one could rush out of the city in an instant when the Ming Lantern got close to the exit without being in the serpent’s encirclement, then escaping to safety was possible.

Although risky, it was one of the few methods worth trying.

Yet, the holder of the Ming Lantern chose to hide deep in the palace.

Could the Shenwu Guild be the mastermind behind this whole situation?

"Beiyu Yan requests an audience with the Empress Dowager!"

At the Empress Dowager’s Palace, with reinforcements this time, the Imperial Concubine’s confidence was much greater.

"Why has the Empress come again?" The elderly matron looked pale and was clearly not in good spirits. Seeing the Imperial Concubine Bei Yu, she could barely hide her impatience.

"Please report to the Empress Dowager," said the Imperial Concubine indifferently.

"Empress... Did you not see what happened during the day?" The matron smiled bitterly, "This old servant doesn’t know what happened inside, but Your Highness, as a commoner, why bother getting involved in these murky waters?"

The matron had lived for seventy years and knew from her many years in the Imperial Palace that there were different worlds for commoners and cultivators.

Even though the Imperial Concubine was of high status, she shouldn’t meddle in these matters.

The Beiyu Family’s cultivators and non-cultivators were entirely different beings.

As someone from a prominent family, shouldn’t she know that without needing to be reminded?

Beiyu Yan bit her lip upon hearing this; she was unwilling to remain a mere mortal for all her life, which is why she’d gotten involved in these troubled waters.

"Please announce my presence," she said.

"Alright..." the other party sighed helplessly and then proceeded to the palace gate, where they knocked on a bronze bell that had been placed at the entrance of the great hall at some unknown time.

Soon, a grim voice came from inside: "What is it?"

"The Imperial Concubine from the Beiyu Family requests an audience with the Empress Dowager."

"The Beiyu family’s child?" The voice inside hesitated, then scoffed: "The one who killed Qi Long during the day, was it her?"

Beiyu Yan’s eyes widened; she felt as though she had heard the voice inside before, wasn’t that...

"In the daytime, it was the Empress who wanted to force the guards to barge here," Beiyu Yan hastily explained, then carefully added: "Could it be... Uncle Murong?"

Chen Qing turned to look at Shen Qi behind him.

There were many from the Murong Family in the Northern Wasteland, but there was only one noble house!

Shen Qi looked at Chen Qing and nodded slightly, transmitting his voice: "It’s the voice of the Murong Family Head!"

The Murong Family Head... Chen Qing narrowed his eyes; he remembered Weichi Feihong and Murong Yunji; the first place they began marshaling forces was the Murong Family, which was to be expected.

To open up the situation, they would certainly start with a familiar power, and the Murong Family should have been the first one to be approached.

But why... had the Murong Family become entangled with the Dark Moon Sect?

"Is that so?" The voice inside was hoarse: "If there’s nothing else, you may leave."

Beiyu Yan’s face immediately looked troubled; as a current Imperial Concubine, regardless of the other’s status, they shouldn’t speak to her in such a manner.

But... as the old wet nurse had said, practitioners... and mortals were two different kinds of people.

No matter how high a position she held, or how noble her status in the secular world, in the eyes of these Magicians or bloodline Warriors, she was nothing...

Just like her mother, who was openly respected as the mistress of the Beiyu Family, but everyone knew... the mother had no say in real matters at hand.

In reality, she was just a high-ranking housekeeper...

"I have come here today precisely because there is a matter of concern."

"What is the matter?"

"The Family Head of the Beiyu Family and all the Elders have disappeared. As a daughter of the Beiyu Family, I cannot ignore it. If Uncle Murong knows anything about my father and the Elders’ whereabouts, please inform me."

"I do not know," the other party said flatly.

"Then I will have to look for them myself."

"You don’t have the qualifications to come in!" The Murong Family Head’s voice was harsh and cold inside!

Beiyu Yan glanced back at Chen Qing, who nodded. Taking a deep breath, Beiyu Yan said in a cold tone, "I am the Imperial Concubine appointed by the late emperor, one of the four great noble consorts. There is not a single place in the Harem where I do not have the right to go!"

"Such audacity..." A grim female voice came from inside: "Since you wish to enter, then come in."

"Elder..." Beiyu Yan bit her lip and continued, "I entrust my life to you."

Chen Qing looked at her and gave a slight nod. At this point, he and Shen Qi could very well force their way in, but any backlash or conflict that might occur without knowing the situation inside would be unwise.

Even if they were in darkness, a fierce conflict could still result in being caught by Spirit Ghosts.

After all, the dark merely concealed; it wasn’t a barrier that prevented Spirit Ghosts from approaching.

Thus, Beiyu Yan, accompanied by two men dressed as women, stepped into that world enveloped in darkness.

But after entering, the situation took Chen Qing by surprise!!

The three of them had not expected that inside... it would actually be like this...

"My lord... what is this?"

"So that’s how it is..."