Tian Zun and the immortal boy stood behind Luo Muchen.
Their sudden appearance was not unexpected for Luo Muchen.
When his memories recovered, his master, Tian Zun, could sense it.
"Master, I have no regrets, but I still need your help, disciple."
Luo Muchen turned around, holding Xiao Yi Hao, and extended his other hand towards Tian Zun.
That phantom hand could not touch anything, not even the simple request of placing his son on the bed.
"Alas... Mo'er, why must you be like this?"
Tian Zun sighed, shook his head, and waved his sleeve.
Luo Muchen's hand, which had become a phantom, instantly recovered.
He carried Xiao Yi Hao, walked to the bed, gently placed Xiao Yi Hao on it, and tucked him in.
Turning around, he approached Tian Zun and knelt before him: "I beg Master to open the Heavenly Eye and tell this disciple the destiny of her in this life."
From the direction of the imperial palace, demonic energy was quite deep. After he recovered his memories, he had long seen the abnormality of the imperial palace.
He also knew what his wife, Gu Qianying, was about to do.
Out of concern, he wanted to know how she would fare in this life, in this reincarnation.
Both Tian Zun and he understood who "she" referred to.
"Mo'er, do you know what you are saying? Do you intend to defy heavenly rules?"
Luo Muchen kowtowed to Tian Zun and stood up straight: "This disciple knows that there is a rule in the heavenly palace that in the reincarnation tribulation, half of one's soul can be exchanged for the Heavenly Eye to ascertain destiny once. This disciple does not wish to know his fate in this reincarnation, but I implore Master to tell this disciple her destiny in this life."
As he spoke, Luo Muchen raised two fingers and placed them between his eyebrows.
Once one entered the reincarnation tribulation, the original soul would be sealed within one's own sea of consciousness.
A golden light suddenly appeared between his eyebrows.
Tian Zun and the young immortal boy beside him changed their expressions drastically.
"Senior Brother, absolutely not!"
The young immortal boy flashed forward, grabbed Luo Muchen's wrist, and stopped him.
"Mo'er!"
Tian Zun was enraged: "You are being foolish!"
"Do you know that what you are doing will not change anything? Even if you know her outcome in this life, what does it matter? Whether she lives or dies, you cannot change destiny. Moreover, she possesses demonic power and has so many people following and protecting her. What are you worried about?
Did Master not notice the abnormality in the imperial palace? Master has known what lies within since stepping into the mortal realm. Did Master not come with this disciple this time to utilize her demonic body to subdue that thing?"
Luo Muchen's words hit the mark.
Tian Zun's expression changed again: "Mo'er... you...!"
Luo Muchen pushed away the young immortal boy. Without getting up, he faced Tian Zun: "Master, this disciple knows you have your destiny, and destiny cannot be defied. This disciple also knows that what you are doing is for the sake of all living beings, but... what fault does she have? Why must she bear these things? Master, I know that in the reincarnation tribulation, I can barely protect myself, let alone protect her."
"But even so, I must try. Even if it's only a one-in-a-thousand chance, as long as I can protect her completely."
"Master, I am an immortal. No matter how many reincarnations I go through, I can repair my primordial spirit. Although the process is painful, I will not be utterly destroyed. But she is different. She is mortal. Although she has demonic power within her, if she loses her life, she will not experience the reincarnation tribulation. Master, in this life, this disciple only wishes for her and the little bun to be safe and sound, no matter the cost, as long as they are safe and sound."
Looking at Luo Muchen's sincere devotion,
Tian Zun's heart finally softened: "Very well, as long as it does not violate destiny, I can help you once."
"Thank you, Master."
As he spoke,
Luo Muchen placed his fingers between his eyebrows, enduring the intense pain, and drew half of his soul out of his body.
A ball of white light fell into his palm. He staggered, his face pale.
The young immortal boy quickly stepped forward to support him: "Senior Brother, are you alright?"
Luo Muchen's lips were pale, and his forehead was covered in cold sweat. The pain of his soul being extracted was like undergoing heavenly tribulation.
"I'm fine."
He opened his palm. The white light disappeared into his palm and transformed into a transparent soul bead.
"Please... Master, accept it."
"Mo'er... for her, you are like this..."
Tian Zun took the soul bead from Luo Muchen's palm without casting any spells.
He seemed to be giving Luo Muchen a chance to regret.
"Mo'er, during the reincarnation tribulation, you cannot tell her your true identity. Your face and voice are not your own. Even if you treat her well in this life, she will not recognize you, nor will she acknowledge your kindness. Mo'er, is this worth it?"
As long as his disciple regretted it, he would return the soul bead to him.
"I beg Master to fulfill my wish."
Luo Muchen did not respond to Tian Zun's words but instead expressed his firm conviction.
"If that is the case, then I shall comply with you."
Tian Zun flipped his palm and tucked the soul bead under his sleeve.
He was in charge of the Heavenly Palace, and heavenly rules could not be broken.
He placed two fingers between his eyebrows, and the Heavenly Eye opened.
With a wave of his sleeve, a scene appeared in the air opposite him.
The image showed Gu Qianying.
This was the realm of the end of days.
She stood in a place littered with corpses, a large hole in her chest. Holding the Bloodthirsty Saber, dressed in white, she was covered in blood.
In the image, she was alone, with no one else.
Seeing Gu Qianying in the image,
Luo Muchen braced himself with one hand on the ground, his eyes reddened, and his heart ached.
He gently pushed away the young immortal boy and stood up: "Master, I apologize, but I must break my promise."
Standing up straight, Luo Muchen spread his arms, clenched his fists, and closed his eyes.
The White Lotus was summoned from within him.
His entire body transformed into a phantom at lightning speed.
With a flash of white light, he entered the scene of the end of days.
"Mo'er... you... don't go!"
"Senior Brother... no!"
Tian Zun raised his arm, trying to stop him, but it was too late.
"Master, what does Senior Brother want to do? Has he gone mad?"
The young immortal boy looked anxious.
Tian Zun, the white-robed elder, closed his eyes: "He wants to change Gu Qianying's fate in this life with him."
"In that case, can Senior Brother return?"
"Return? Alas, having lost half of his soul and being in a state of reincarnation tribulation, it is fortunate he was not utterly destroyed. If he can persevere, his life in the next reincarnation will likely be even more difficult. Alas, my disciple, when will you be able to distance yourself from the mortal world, when will you be able to stop caring about that woman? Alas!"
Tian Zun sighed repeatedly.
After retracting his Heavenly Eye, he turned and looked at Xiao Yi Hao lying on the bed: "Mo'er has left. You stay here and take good care of his son for him."
"Yes, Tian Zun."
The young immortal boy obeyed and stayed behind.
Tian Zun turned his gaze to the sky outside the window.
"Perhaps I was truly wrong. I always thought that those who possess love are merely indulging in the desires of this prosperous world. I never expected that your Senior Brother Mo'er would be so deeply devoted to that woman, not caring about his own life or death, only wishing for her to be well."
He withdrew his gaze and turned around: "Xiao Linzi, was I truly wrong?"
The young immortal boy knelt before Tian Zun: "Tian Zun, this disciple does not know, but this disciple also does not wish to see Senior Brother perish because of this."
Tian Zun walked over and helped the young immortal boy up: "Very well, you take good care of the little bun. I have my own arrangements."
With a flash of his figure, Tian Zun left the place.
The young immortal boy bowed his head towards where the white light had flashed.
At this moment, Xiao Yi Hao, sleeping soundly on the bed, had no idea that his father, Luo, had left him.
Meanwhile, in the streets and alleys, rumors were spreading that the Demon Empress, due to Luo Muchen, the eldest son of the Luo family, rejecting her affections, had retaliated in anger and annihilated the Luo family.
Luo Muchen, known as the God of Medicine, was well-loved by the common people.
When impoverished commoners sought Luo Muchen for medical treatment, he would treat them for free if they couldn't afford the consultation fee, sometimes even paying for their medicine out of his own pocket.
Therefore, the news of the Luo family's annihilation by the Demon Empress angered the populace.
Just then, news spread through the streets and alleys that the Demon Empress's identity was Gu Qianying, the eldest daughter of the Gu family.
The commoners who felt injustice for the Luo family all gathered outside the Gu mansion.
Among them, some carried baskets of eggs, some carried baskets of rotten cabbage, and some carried stinking cow dung.
They hurled everything they had at the main entrance of the Gu mansion, cursing vehemently, wishing they could curse the entire lineage of the Gu family.
"A heartless female demon who massacred the entire Luo family! Heaven cannot tolerate this!"
"All members of the Gu family are cowards! You are all devils and deserve to die! Allowing your children to commit evil in the world makes you vicious accomplices!"
"I heard that members of the Gu family, the eldest son Gu Yefeng and Old General Gu, have considerable prestige in the army. Bah! You are all hypocrites, murderers, and vicious accomplices. Your families have committed such evil deeds, and you dare not show yourselves?"
Baskets of eggs were thrown, along with baskets of cow dung, filling the air with a foul stench outside the Gu mansion.
The two gatekeepers, with egg juice and rotten cabbage dripping from their heads, sat on the ground in misery.
Just then, two people walked out of the crowd.
"My little sister, Gu Qianying, did not kill the people of the Luo mansion. This rumor is a slander!"
Gu Yefeng, dressed in a purple robe, walked through the crowd, supporting the old General Gu, who was leaning on a cane.
Old General Gu, with his white hair and frail body compared to his former self, was still wearing his military uniform and possessed the same imposing presence.
Several Gu family soldiers followed behind them.
Their appearance caused a stir.
The onlookers were astonished. Among them, a leading instigator, the stout and tall Aunt Wu, with her hands on her hips, pointed at Gu Yefeng and Old General Gu and began to scold them: "What? Do you Gu family members want to cover up the fact that the demoness, Miss Gu, killed people and annihilated a family? You dogs relying on their master's power, do you want to kill all of us?"
"I'm telling you, even if you kill all of us commoners, your Gu family's notorious reputation will not change the fact that you massacred the innocent Luo family!"