He was a man with a clear and handsome appearance, dressed in a blue robe. It was strange, really.
He had had his limbs severed, eight in total.
Yet, after he was transformed into human form, he had grown complete limbs again.
This time, however, he only had one pair of hands and one pair of feet, just like a normal person.
And his appearance was that of a handsome young master.
As he rose from the ground, his lustrous black hair fell straight, his sword-like eyebrows slanted upwards, his narrow, sharp black eyes were filled with a hidden keenness, his thin lips were pressed together, his features were sharply defined, and his tall, slender frame exuded an aristocratic aura.
Gu Qianying watched the man opposite her approach. She remained rooted to the spot, not moving at all.
Only when the man drew near did Gu Qianying retrieve her previously sheathed Scarlet Blood Saber.
Her vigilance was heightened at this moment.
But she had not expected the man to come right up to her and kneel.
He knelt before her.
This caused Baili Su, who was walking over, to pause slightly.
"What are you doing?"
Gu Qianying's eyes were filled with confusion. She truly did not understand why the man before her would do something so utterly incomprehensible.
"Long live the Demon Empress! I am Gao Tian Shou, your subordinate, Demon Empress."
Hearing this, Gu Qianying frowned.
"Gao Tian Shou? You know me? And why do you say you are my subordinate?"
Gu Qianying was utterly bewildered by this.
At this moment, Baili Su had already reached her.
Although he did not understand why the man before him had suddenly spoken these words,
he was very clear that the man before him was the one who had intended to kill Miss Gu just moments ago.
He subtly revealed the dagger hidden beneath his sleeve.
He was prepared to protect the one he loved.
Even though he knew no martial arts and was no match for the man in blue,
perhaps someone as capable as Gu Qianying did not need his protection.
But he wanted to protect her, for no reason at all.
Unintentionally, Gu Qianying noticed the dagger in Baili Su's hand.
Her heart warmed.
The true sincerity of someone's affection was not shown in their words, but in their actions.
Some people would speak sweet words, but their actions would reveal their selfishness.
Others, who were truly good to someone, would prove themselves through their actions.
Shifting her focus from Baili Su,
she turned back to the man in blue and heard him speak again: "Master, Tianzun said that only the Master could defeat me, and this person is the Demon Empress, my new Master."
As he spoke, the man lifted his sleeve, revealing his wrist.
Gu Qianying and Baili Su both looked at the man's wrist.
On his wrist was a pattern resembling a rose. The color of this pattern was a vibrant red.
It was different from the pinkish blood on the man's body.
Baili Su did not understand the rose emblem.
Gu Qianying, however, understood it perfectly.
The coldness in her eyes instantly changed.
Gu Qianying stepped forward and, without hesitation, grabbed Gao Tian Shou by the neck.
Though her grip seemed to lack strength, she lifted Gao Tian Shou coldly.
"It's him again! Gao Tian Shou, I am not your master. I am the one who will kill you."
She did not want to be bound, nor did she want to be controlled by others.
Over the years, she had walked step by step, solely to help her husband, Nangong Mo, complete his reincarnation and overcome his tribulations.
Afterward, she would use all her strength to resist the fate of being controlled and to fight against the one who had always sought to control her.
She refused to be constantly manipulated by that person; she wanted to learn to resist.
But when she saw the "rose" pattern on the wrist of the man in blue, who called himself Gao Tian Shou, she understood everything.
It turned out she had not escaped that person's control. It turned out that every step she had taken over the years was known to that person.
Her eyes filled with hatred.
Gao Tian Shou's neck was tightly gripped by Gu Qianying.
He struggled to breathe, his face turning red from suffocation.
After an unknown amount of time, Gu Qianying violently threw him to the ground.
She coldly watched Gao Tian Shou, who was clutching his neck and gasping for breath.
Gu Qianying's voice became much colder than before: "I don't care what kind of beast you are, nor do I care who you are. Since that person trapped you here, waiting for me to appear, then I can assume you are his person!"
"He is the one I hate the most. I will kill him in this life, and as his person, your fate is only death!"
With that, Gu Qianying slowly walked towards the man in the blue robe.
She flipped her palm, and the Scarlet Blood Saber reappeared.
She gripped the hilt, her entire being radiating a bloodthirsty aura.
However... when Gao Tian Shou took out the jade pendant, bracelet, and jade hairpin hidden on his person, Gu Qianying was completely stunned.
At this moment, Baili Su, standing beside her, had no idea why Gu Qianying was behaving so unusually.
"Empress, these items... this subordinate does not know what use they have. In fact, this subordinate has never seen Tianzun's appearance. This subordinate committed a mistake in the Heavenly Realm and was banished to the Immortal Realm for hundreds of years. After many years in the Immortal Realm, I had a conflict with several immortals and fought them, falling here and being trapped. I was also framed and put here by those people."
"Tianzun placed a seal on this subordinate. Only the one who defeats me, after defeating me, can the seal within my body be broken, and I can regain my human form. When Tianzun left, he told me that only the Demon Empress could defeat me."
"Empress, my name is Gao Tian Shou. Originally, I was General Gao Tian of the Heavenly Realm, in charge of the safety around the Heavenly Gate. My Master's subordinate... I do not know what enmity you have with Tianzun. But even if this subordinate has no connection with Tianzun, you are still the one who defeated me."
"This subordinate has been in the Heavenly Realm for thousands of years, and no one has been my match. In the Heavenly Realm, I once declared that whoever could defeat me would be my master from then on. Empress, from this day forward, my life belongs to you. Please accept this bow from your subordinate, Your Majesty."
Saying this, Gao Tian Shou sincerely kowtowed to Gu Qianying. From this moment on, he recognized Gu Qianying as the master he would follow.
At this moment, Gu Qianying looked coldly at the person kneeling before her.
There was no warmth in her icy gaze.
Baili Su stood behind her, remaining silent.
In this moment, he knew that she alone could make the decision, and no matter what decision she made, he would support her.
After an unknown amount of time, Gu Qianying's clear voice broke the silence: "Open your mouth."
This was said to Gao Tian Shou.
Gao Tian Shou understood and immediately opened his mouth without hesitation.
With a swift movement, Gu Qianying flicked a black pill into Gao Tian Shou's mouth with skillful force.
"Swallow it."
A cold command issued from her lips.
Gao Tian Shou swallowed it without hesitation.