They all want to change my future.

Chapter 8 Sword and Past Events

Li Zhi was naturally familiar with the name Cheng Ying, which refers to the three swords of the emperor recorded in the "Tang Wen" chapter of the Liezi.

If we want to incorporate it into the game.

With such a reputation, Cheng Ying must be very strong.

"You know this tone, young master?" Ji Baizhi asked curiously.

"Pretty much. Are there two other swords that are the same or equally famous?" Li Zhi asked casually.

Ji Baizhi nodded, then lowered her voice: "One is in the Heavenly Sect, the sword of the successive sect leaders, and the other is in the Imperial Palace."

"The Imperial Palace?" Li Zhi looked at Ji Baizhi with some surprise. As the eldest princess, it was not surprising that she knew about it; she might even have seen it before.

But this brings us to a story that Ji Baizhi doesn't want to tell: the Demon Queen, and why she ended up in her current predicament.

As expected, Ji Baizhi fell silent again after saying this.

He was clearly thinking about whether or not to continue.

Li Zhi wasn't in a hurry; he continued soaking in the bath, waiting.

After a long while, Ji Baizhi finally spoke, her voice seeming to drift from a great distance:

"That Chixiao sword is now in the Emperor's possession. When I was little, my father showed it to me."

"So it seems your father intends to pass the sword to you?" Li Zhi interjected, uttering words that would shock outsiders.

The sword represents inheritance, and so does the throne.

"It is possible," Ji Baizhi replied calmly, "Unfortunately, after I awakened the power of the Phoenix, it became impossible."

"It seems that this phoenix reincarnation is actually hindering your path to becoming empress."

Li Zhi spoke casually, as if he were joking.

But what Ji Baizhi said next was by no means a joke.

"No, without the identity of being a phoenix reincarnation, I should have died long ago."

Li Zhi could tell that there was blood in those words.

"Your story sounds like it's full of bloodshed."

Ji Baizhi smiled bitterly.

The laughter was soft, yet it was more painful than crying.

"My royal brother," she began slowly, her voice as if telling someone else's story, "that is, the current emperor. When he ascended the throne, his power was unstable. In order to consolidate his position, he... married a demon."

"That is, the current Empress Dowager?"

"right."

Silence again.

This silence lasted even longer, so long that Li Zhi thought she wouldn't say anything more.

Seeing that she wouldn't say anything, Li Zhi, who had become interested, had no choice but to analyze it himself.

In the world of cultivation, power reigns supreme.

An emperor's ascension to the throne depends not only on bloodline but also on his strength.

Ji Baizhi said the foundation is unstable, what does that mean?

This means that her elder brother is not powerful enough.

At the very least, it is not enough to subdue the world.

"Your elder brother was able to ascend the throne, but you say it's unstable," Li Zhi said calmly, "that means he must only be at the seventh realm—or perhaps he hasn't even reached the seventh realm yet."

He paused, then continued his deduction:

"Such power is not enough to subdue this world, so he chose to cooperate with the demons, and the two of them share power."

Upon hearing this, Ji Baizhi looked at Li Zhi and gave a bitter smile.

Clearly, Li Zhi was right at this point.

"That's where the problem arises: she's a demon, so there's bound to be some people who won't submit to her." Li Zhi said calmly.

"In other words, the process of her seizing power was very bloody, and many people must have died. During this process, there must have been people who resisted, attempted assassination, and were willing to do anything to get rid of her."

"That's right, young master is right." Ji Baizhi's voice was even lower. "Those old ministers who were loyal to the Great Zhou and the Ji family, those aristocratic families, those sects, did a lot. Many people died in those ten years."

"The fact that this wicked queen is still alive means she's won," Li Zhi stated calmly. "You lost. The question is, why did you survive? Did you two make peace?"

"Peace has been reached. What the Empress Dowager wants is a stable and submissive court."

These words puzzled Li Zhi: "What would a demon like her need a human kingdom for? She needs peace and stability. Besides, she's a ninth-realm immortal, does she have nothing better to do?"

"I don't know that." Ji Baizhi shook her head: "I was very young then, and I only knew that the Demon Queen and the people of the Heavenly Sect signed a contract in Tiannan."

"The contents of the contract, could they be related to you?"

"Young master guessed right again. One of the clauses in the contract is that the Demon Queen must guarantee my life and not let me die."

"That's understandable. After all, you're the reincarnation of a phoenix. It's clear that everyone has high expectations for you."

Ji Baizhi smiled.

That smile was tragic, as tragic as a flower withering in winter.

"But, young master, do you know," she said softly, her voice trembling with suppressed emotion, "what will I have to pay to survive?"

Li Zhi sensed the grief in her voice and waited for Ji Baizhi's reply.

But she looked at him, and for a long time.

Then, Ji Baizhi spoke, her voice as soft as a feather falling to the ground:

"Among the Ji clan members... I'm the only one left now."

Li Zhi remained silent.

He changed his position in the hot water, and the water splashed loudly.

"Your brother is truly ruthless, no wonder he's the emperor. Looking at you now, it seems you're not quite up to par."

She gave a bitter smile: "Young master, you know, carrying the expectations of so many people... is really tiring."

"So you're stuck at the sixth realm?" he asked.

"Hmm, I can't break through the seventh realm."

"Why can't it be broken?"

"Because..." Ji Baizhi paused, her voice filled with deep weariness, "because my path is that of the phoenix facing death to be reborn, and that's what my master told me."

Li Zhi opened his eyes and looked at her back.

That figure was slender and upright, yet it exuded an indescribable fragility.

"The phoenix is ​​born from death..." he repeated. "It sounds simple, but you don't seem to have the courage to do it. You carry too much on your shoulders; you're afraid to die."

"That's right," Ji Baizhi said softly. "I don't dare anymore, and I've lost my confidence. I'm really afraid that if I die, I'll really die."

"No wonder you came to me," Li Zhi said matter-of-factly. "Then just lie down, I'll help you."

Ji Baizhi's eyes were wide open.

"Young master, you..."

"Did I say something wrong?" Li Zhi tilted her head. "Wasn't that your plan?"

He spoke of it so casually, as if spiritual practice were really easy.

Ji Baizhi stared at him for a long time.

Then, she suddenly laughed.

That smile was complex—it contained bitterness, relief, and a hint of ease.

"Yes," she said, "I'm increasingly looking forward to the young master's future."

The atmosphere was a bit awkward, so Li Zhi changed the subject. "Speaking of the future, Miss Lin just said she wanted to take me away, and given that the Heavenly Sect is skilled in prophecy, did they also see the future?"

Ji Baizhi nodded: "That's possible. Their predictions have always been very accurate, and it's possible that the prediction mentioned the young master."

Li Zhi smiled.

"That's interesting," he said. "Do you two see the same future?"

He paused, his tone playful:

"After all, according to Miss Lin, last night I didn't choose her path, but yours, and that's how I met you."

Ji Baizhi's shoulders trembled slightly.

"Young master likes to make these kinds of jokes again." Her voice was very soft, almost inaudible.

"Then let's talk about something else," Li Zhi stood up from the hot water, the water splashing, "Let's talk about that method you're planning, what is it?"

Upon seeing this, Ji Baizhi quickly turned away, but upon hearing these words, her back visibly stiffened.

"When do you plan to do it?" Li Zhi asked.

"Since you've guessed it, why don't you guess again?"

"Fine, I agree to your plan. After all, I find it quite interesting."

Li Zhi stepped out of the wooden basin, picked up the clean clothes beside him, which were still dark blue, just like the ones Ji Baizhi had prepared.

As he dressed, he asked:

"How long do you think it will take me to reach the ninth realm in my cultivation?"