You Xie pushed open the doors to his study chamber's backyard, the gesture deliberate and heavy with purpose. Ruo Yin followed cautiously, her instincts alert. She had always known about the backyard connected to his study, but no one had ever seen it—not even the Demon Clan's most trusted. For that matter, few had been inside the Demon Lord's study at all.
What greeted her was far from what she had imagined. Instead of the bleak, sinister aesthetic that characterized the Demon Clan's territory, the backyard was filled with cherry blossoms, their delicate petals drifting in the air. Yet, the ever-present eerie aura of the Demon Clan gave the scene an otherworldly edge, making the blossoms appear hauntingly beautiful.
Ruo Yin stood in awe, momentarily forgetting herself.
"The first time your mother saw these trees, she had the same expression as you," You Xie said, his usual cold demeanor softening as he gazed at the blossoms.
The comment caught her off guard. She had never considered there might have been a bond between her parents and the Demon Lord. Her mother came from a family that had served the Demon Lord for generations, but friendship? That seemed unlikely. Filing the thought away for later, she turned her attention back to You Xie, who had a strange look in his eyes.
"Xiao Yin," he began, his voice uncharacteristically gentle, "are you sure you want to know the truth about your parents?"
"Yes," she said firmly. "I was told they died protecting Your Majesty from a group of angry immortals who tried to kill you. What does the High God of War have to do with any of this? No High God or Goddess was said to be involved."
"You are correct—no High God or Goddess acted in the incident. At least, not directly," You Xie replied cryptically.
"Then how is he connected? What could he have done that makes Your Majesty think I would cancel the wedding if I knew?" she pressed, desperation creeping into her voice.
You Xie's expression hardened, the icy edge returning to his tone. "Exactly what you heard, my Xiao Yin. Zhan Luo did nothing. He didn't even lift a finger to help your parents as they were tortured by the other immortals. He watched and then left."
Her breath caught in her throat. "Wait... why would the War Deity even be here? He stays on Kunlun Mountain and only descends when summoned by the Sky Clan—or during war," she said, her confusion deepening.
"You never knew the full story of what happened," You Xie replied, his voice slower now, his gaze fixed on the cherry blossoms. "I forbade it from being spoken again. Only a few of us who survived know the truth."
Ruo Yin's heart sank. "What really happened? Weren't my parents and a handful of soldiers the only ones who died?"
"No, Xiao Yin," You Xie said, his tone grim. "Five thousand years ago, tensions between the clans were already high. Whispers spread that the Demon Clan was growing too strong, and that the Sky Clan's power would soon be threatened. Seeking favor with the Sky Clan, many of the other clans banded together and plotted to kill the newly named Demon Lord—me."
Ruo Yin's eyes widened. "Are you saying the Sky Clan knew about the revolt and let it happen?"
"No," You Xie said bitterly. "The Sky Clan only learned of the plot after it was already underway, when members of their own clan began acting suspiciously. By then, it was too late. The clans attacked us, slaughtering unarmed and untrained members of the Demon Clan. The Sky Clan did nothing. No aid, no intervention. Instead, they sent the War Deity to 'observe' the situation and report back. To them, we were nothing more than pawns."
Ruo Yin could see the fury simmering in his eyes. For the first time, she wondered if his cruelty came not from ambition, but from years of enduring such injustice.
"The day your parents died, we were defending the outskirts of our territory," he continued. "The War Deity was there. He saw them dragged away. He heard their cries for mercy and their pleas for help. They told him they had a daughter waiting for them. And yet, he did nothing. He simply turned and left."
Ruo Yin felt like the ground had fallen out from beneath her. If Zhan Luo had saved her parents that day, she wouldn't have been orphaned. She wouldn't have been raised as the Demon Princess, and You Xie wouldn't be trying to marry her off to the Sky Clan.
You Xie turned to face her fully now, his expression uncharacteristically vulnerable. "Xiao Yin, I know I've never treated you well. I couldn't. Your parents and I were close friends, though we rarely met. I couldn't bear to lose someone else I cared about." His voice wavered, breaking slightly as he spoke.
Ruo Yin didn't know what to say. She had no memory of the attack, only the day You Xie came to tell her that her parents were gone. The same raw grief she'd felt then surged within her now. She was about to marry the man who hadn't killed her parents, but had stood by and allowed it to happen.
Finally, she raised her head, her voice cold and steady. "Tell me what you want me to do." Ruo Yin could not believed that she had almost trusted that Zhan Luo had been helping her out of his good will.
A slow smile spread across You Xie's face. "Marry him, Xiao Yin. I need you to be my spy. Make him fall for you. Win his trust, his heart. Learn his secrets—and the Sky Clan's weaknesses. Without the War Deity, the Sky Clan is vulnerable. You can do this. You have your mother's intelligence."
Ruo Yin bowed her head. "I will not disappoint you, Your Majesty."
"Good," You Xie said, his voice returning to its usual authority. "Now, go and rest. In a week, you'll wed. There is much to prepare."
Ruo Yin bowed and left, her mind racing with unanswered questions. If what You Xie said was true, her path was already clear. She would find a way to make the War Deity pay—for her parents, for her clan, and for herself.