In his pupils, his face was hidden behind a black tiger mask.
Fan Wubing stared intently, "Third Sister, from the start, you knew I was wearing this tiger mask, concealing my true appearance and aura."
Third Sisterâs voice became elusive, "Doesnât that just prove I have ulterior motives?"
Fan Wubing chuckled, "If Third Sister were truly just the Third Sister, that might be true. But youâre not."
"Why?"
Fan Wubingâs eyes gleamed with insight, "This mask was a gift from Venerable Chengming. The Great Venerable told me that within the Integration Realm, no one can see through this mask, yet you could. Could it be that Third Sister is already a Mahayana from the heavens?"
"I wish I were."
Fan Wubing smiled, "That can only meanâ"
He gestured with the Unwarranted Qi Creation Skill to trap the surrounding aura, preventing eavesdropping, "Third Sister, you are not who you claim to be."
"Then who am I?"
"Your surname is Li, given name Ying, you are the Great Venerableâs sister, and once the Princess Consort Ya," Fan Wubing explained, "because this tiger mask was originally gifted by you to your brother Li Ming, you naturally know how to see through it. When you first laid eyes on me, you saw through my identity and gifted me an eyeball."
Third Sister smiled slightly, "How did you figure it out?"
"Didnât Third Sister tell me before not to keep asking questions but to think for myself? Naturally, I figured it out by using my brain," Fan Wubing grinned.
There was a touch of affection in Third Sisterâs eyes, "Youâre truly a clever little brother." She felt the aura cage Fan Wubing had set up, her eyes brightened, "Youâre quite skilled. If I knew you had this ability, I wouldnât have gone to such great lengths, I wouldâve just told you straight."
Fan Wubing laughed, "I donât think Third Sister would have told me directly."
"Why not?"
"Because Third Sister enjoys playing games too, wondering just how much I can figure out."
"Troublesome little brother, really a troublesome brother," Third Sister said with a playful smile.
Fan Wubing clicked his tongue in amazement, "But Third Sister, being able to play two roles alone and deceive everyone for so long, youâre truly impressive."
Third Sister slightly lowered her shoulders, leaned back slightly, and spoke softly, "I was once the best dramatist in Great Li, with a thousand faces. Back then, performing everywhere with Nian Shu, we enchanted countless people. You know Li Ming, surely you know Jiang Nianshu too."
"Yes, I know. Does Sister always call her brother by his full name?" Fan Wubing teased.
Third Sister said, "Heâs only fifteen minutes older than me."
"Ah, fraternal twins. Why did Sister become the Princess Consort Ya?" Fan Wubing asked curiously.
Third Sister scoffed, "Driven by circumstances."
"I thought it was for love," Fan Wubing sulked.
Third Sister appeared relaxed, spoke lightly, "No one could love Ye Chuxuan. The closer you get, the clearer it is that he only has eyes for himself. Back then, I controlled the Demon Martial Hall, and as Great Li was preparing for the path to imperial rule, they needed my help. To channel the destiny, I temporarily married him. Or rather, I temporarily became part of his harem. Though nominal, it was more efficient than being without a name. Even my big clumsy brother, with a brain as small as a nutshell, became the master of the Little Li Palace. For the path to imperial rule, Great Li practically exhausted everything."
Third Sister teased, "Sister put her reputation on the line. Sigh, having the title of âPrincess Consort Yaâ is quite uncomfortable. Ye Chuxuan, that fellow, wouldnât even let me be the Empress, fearing I would take credit."
"But it still failed."
"Yes, it failed. All the efforts of Great Liâs people were destroyed." Third Sisterâs expression turned unintentionally somber.
"Why?"
Third Sister looked at Fan Wubing and started laughing, "Why are you asking so much, troublesome brother? The more you know, the more dangerous it is."
Fan Wubing shrugged, "Great Li is preparing again."
Third Sister said, "Itâs a joke. As long as Ye Chuxuan remains, Great Li can never become a true imperial dynasty. Even if it did, it would just be his own self-indulgent dynasty."
Though Third Sister wouldnât explicitly say the true reason, it was clear that the issue lay with Ye Chuxuan, the Holy Emperor.
"Is the Demon Martial Hall truly a Demon Dao force?"
"Yes."
"Is Third Sister really a Demon Cultivator?"
Third Sister squinted her eyes, teasing, "Afraid?"
"Not all of the Demon Dao are evil, and not all righteous people are kind."
"Troublesome brother, truly a troublesome brother," Third Sister gazed into the distance, her eyes distant, "Sister is not a Demon Cultivator, but a legitimate Demon Tamer. The Demon Martial Hall was initially a force for Demon Tamers, but everything changed later. For the path to imperial rule, Great Li attempted various routes, demon taming being one of them. It failed, and the failureâs price was the tamers facing backlash from the demons they controlled."
Her gaze deepened, "Ye Chuxuan could have legitimized the Demon Martial Hall, but he didnât." She sighed, "I was furious then, not rational enough, wanted an explanation, went to the Qi Observation Platform to confront him. But it backfired and harmed the Demon Martial Hall. As a result, though it wasnât originally a Demon Dao force, it eventually became one."
"Do others know about all this?"
Third Sister shook her head, "Would Ye Chuxuan let others know?"
"True."
Third Sister took a deep breath, then laughed, "Alright, no more of past events. Tell me, troublesome brother, what did you just ask? Ask again."
"I asked, does Third Sister plan to stay in the Abyssal Prison forever?"
"Then why donât you take Sister out?" Third Sister teased.
"Doesnât this require Third Sisterâs help?"
"Are you really going to take on the task of unblocking the Qi Gate?"