Ze Tian Ji

She could not see the person who played the zither, and could only hear its sound. However, she could not tell where it was coming from.

The person who played the zither... where was he?

It was a song, that’s all.

She took out a square plate and placed it down in front of her.

What that square plate was made of was a mystery, but it was darker than pig iron, yet it was somewhat more gentle than iron. It was like black jade, yet it was somewhat stronger than jade.

The surface of the black square plate was covered with many complicated patterns and lines. If someone who understood them looked at these patterns, they would most likely think of those fake daoists outside the Li Palace that would swindle money from others by pretending to tell fortunes.

Yes, this was a Fated Star Plate used to deduce one’s fate.

The intersections of those lines were all positions of stars. Moreover, in the entire continent, only she and a few other experts could understand that the lines were the trajectories of the stars.

Her two hands rested on the Fated Star Plate, then they began to move. They flowed over the plate naturally, like the wind that called the clouds around the cliff, like the phoenix which bathed its wings in the ocean.

As her hands moved, the patterns and lines on the Fated Star Plate began to move with them. The speed at which the countless rings turned were not the same. Some were fast and some were slow, making it extremely complex. If someone stared at it for a long time, then perhaps the person’s eyes would grow blurry or maybe he might even swoon into unconsciousness. However, she did not. She calmly examined the Fated Star Plate, her eyelashes unmoving, not missing even the subtlest change of those patterns.

After who knows how long had passed, she ended her deductions and calculations, and put away the Fated Star Plate. Taking several steps away from the tree, she took out her long bow, nocked an arrow, then shot it towards the end of the path.

With a whoosh, the cliffs in the night were suddenly shocked awake.

The vibration of the bowstring caused that solitary tree to sway even more, as if it had been chopped down.

Then, another long period of time passed.

Nothing changed. It was as if that arrow had disappeared into the void. She lifted her head to stare into the night sky at the place where the arrow had disappeared, and pondered in silence for a very long time.

This was her arrow. Regardless of how powerful the enemy was, even if it was a Star Condensation expert, it still would not disappear without a sound. At the very least, there should be an echo.

For there to be no echo meant that there were two possibilities. Tonight, her enemy’s strength far surpassed her own, or the position that she had calculated was incorrect.

The former was impossible, because this was the Garden of Zhou. Furthermore, if the demons had sent an expert like a demon general, there was no need to wait. He should have long ago taken action.

Then it meant that her calculation were incorrect. She was extremely confident in her deductions. If she really had calculated it wrong, then there was only one possibility. There was a problem with the positions of the stars themselves.

At this moment, she thought of the same sentence that Chen Changsheng had thought of in the front mausoleum of the Mausoleum of Books.

The positions are relative.

The ’relative’ indicated that space was relative, that distance was relative. If the space was not real, then there was no way to calculate. So the positions in the space were naturally also impossible to calculate.

Was the solitary mountain path’s original destination a false space? Was that clear sound of the zither welcoming her to a land of death—is that why it was so joyous?

She put her hands behind her back and walked over to the cliff edge. As she stared at that distant plain, she began to think.

If the Black Dragon had seen this, then she would definitely understand why that Divine Empress so heavily doted on this white-clothed young lady. It was because her appearance now was very similar to that of the young Divine Empress.

However, the Black Dragon could not see it.

In her eyes, once that young lady had walked under the tree, she had not moved once. She had not taken out her Fated Star Plate to make deductions, and she had not fired an arrow into the night.

Night had finally come to the world outside of the Garden of Zhou as well.

However, the vast sky of stars could not be seen here. It was not because the snowflakes flew around too swiftly, or because the clouds were too thick, but because that shadow cast from Xuelao City enveloped the entire sky.

The place was too close to Xuelao City. The terrifying Demon Lord did not need to leave the city to exert his will over this area. Turning himself into a shadow, he indifferently observed this human.

If it were a normal human, they would be frozen into a pillar of ice in the instant that shadow arrived. Their spiritual sense would be destroyed, and in the end they would be motes of dust on the snowy plain. However, Su Li did not, because he was no ordinary human.

On his left shoulder was a clear wound, but there was no sign of blood. There was only a pitch-black substance, thick like ink. In addition, the black water was at this very moment gurgling as it boiled.

What sort of poison was this, that it was actually so frightening?

Su Li looked at that distant demon general who was like a small mountain and mockingly said, "After so many years, and you still can only use such petty poisons! No wonder the only thing you can do is follow and lick the feet of Number One."

In the Demon Army, that demon general was ranked second. He was the incomparably terrifying Lord Hai Di.

Some sort of fierce battle had occurred, and the second ranked demon general Hai Di had managed to leave that horrifying wound on Su Li’s shoulder. However, he had paid an even more painful price.

His right arm had been cut off by Su Li’s sword.

But there was no pain or anger on Hai Di’s face, only indifference.

He said indifferently to Su Li, "Around a hundred years ago, you chopped off one of my limbs, but it only took me ten or so years to grow it back. As for Number One’s feet, if she was willing to let me lick them, I would already be kneeling."

Su Li clicked his tongue in astonishment. "Only you demons can be so bold in your shamelessness. But even if you lick Number One until she’s comfortable, right now you’re missing an arm. Aren’t you afraid that Number Three will take advantage of its absence and take your life, then rip you to pieces and eat you?"

Demons were respected for their strength. The picture he described very well could happen.

A voice rang out in the snowy night. It was Black Robe’s voice. "This will not happen, because I will not permit it, and His Majesty will not permit it."

Hai Di nodded at Su Li, then took up his arm and began to retreat. With each step, a massive and deep crack formed in the snowy plain. This was the result of his inability to control his Qi after his wound. It was truly difficult to imagine what sort of frightening strength he had possessed when he was whole. Of course, it was even more impossible to imagine just how powerful Su Li was chop off his arm in one blow.

Although Su Li had won one bout, he still had no opportunity.

Because two more mountainous demon figures slowly began to approach.

Those were the fourth and seventh demon generals.

For the purpose of killing Mount Li’s Junior Martial Uncle, the demons had set into motion far too many experts.

These were all true experts.

Since the end of that gloomy war which upturned heaven and earth came to an end several hundred years ago, this was the first time such an array of forces had appeared.

Su Li spit out some bloody saliva in front of him, rubbed his somewhat cold cheeks, then said, "A battle, then a battle, and then another battle! Are you guys annoyed? Can’t you be a little more straightforward?"

Black Robe chuckled. Although a hat obscured his face, the smile in his eyes that were as deep as the sea was still very clear. The night could not conceal it.

He looked at Su Li and smiled. "You’re starting to panic."

Su Lu said derisively, "Only a truly panicked person would attempt this sort of psychological warfare."

Black Robe calmly replied, "Time is slowly passing by. You don’t know how long your daughter can hold on. How can you not be panicked?"

At these words, Su Li had no response.

From the start, the corners of his lips had always been perked up. Even during his bloody battle with Hai Di was this so. In this way did he express his contempt and disdain for this demon plot as well as this snowy realm.

But now, the slight smile finally disappeared.