The princess only wants to survive, and the cold-faced king of hell begs for mercy

The once smooth bluestone steps were now completely covered by weeds, making it difficult to find any trace of the path. Even the steps in front of the wing windows were not spared, covered with thick moss and overgrown weeds, looking desolate and dilapidated, with no trace of human habitation.

Yun Shang slowly reached out and gently touched the edge of the window. As expected, her fingertips felt a thick layer of dust, and the delicate touch made her frown slightly. The long-abandoned house before her showed that time had left a deep mark. Observing the style of the courtyard and the layout and furnishings within the rooms, Yun Shang secretly speculated that this place had been abandoned about ten years ago, gradually falling into its desolate state.

Although Yun Shang has deduced a lot of key information based on her careful observation and keen insight into the surrounding environment and the furnishings in the room, the most difficult problem facing her at this moment is: how should she pass on this important information and successfully guide Zhao Qi Yan to come and rescue her?

Looking around, there was no one outside. After careful consideration, Yun Shang made a resolute decision—to escape first! She hurried back to the door, stretched out her right hand without hesitation, grasped the cold doorknob, and was about to push it open and rush out.

But at this critical moment, the previously pitch-black room suddenly lit up without warning. A thin, pale man, carrying a kerosene lamp meticulously crafted by a time traveler, slowly emerged from a hidden door behind the screen. Following closely behind him was the mysterious, veiled woman, Lin Zhiyi.

Startled by this sudden change, Yun Shang quickly turned to face the two men. Her back was pressed against the door, her hands silently hidden behind her, secretly plotting a possible escape. However, before she could make a move, a flurry of footsteps suddenly echoed outside. In a matter of moments, the courtyard, previously deserted and seemingly abandoned, was suddenly filled with numerous heavily armed guards.

As expected, this was a carefully laid trap! They had been waiting here, just waiting for Yun Shang to take a step out of the door, and then they would immediately capture her. At this moment, Yun Shang finally realized that all her previous efforts had been in vain. Escaping from this place was as difficult as climbing to the sky.

The man, carrying an oil lamp, slowly walked to a chair in the room and sat down steadily. Lin Zhiyi stood quietly behind the man, like a silent sculpture.

Yun Shang stared intently at the calm and composed man before her, a wave of doubt rising in her heart. He looked haggard, as if tormented by a long illness. Furthermore, judging by his surroundings and attire, he seemed to come from a less affluent family.

Strangely, however, the unique aura he exuded formed a stark contrast with his tattered appearance. This aura felt incredibly familiar to Yun Shang, yet for a moment, she couldn't recall where she had encountered it before.

At this moment, the man suddenly broke the silence. He opened his lips slightly and uttered a slightly hoarse voice, "Tsk, tsk, tsk... As expected of the Empress, you are both incredibly intelligent and alert!"

Hearing this, Yun Shang couldn't help but tilt her head, and a bold guess flashed through her mind. So, without any hesitation, she asked directly and directly, "Who are you? Could it be that... you are Mr. Jiu?"

Yes, the feeling this man gave Yun Shang was exactly the same as when she first met Mr. Jiu in the past, as if they were the same person!

When Yun Shang heard this speculation, the man suddenly raised his head and laughed, and his laughter echoed all around: "Haha, I never expected that the first person who saw through me after my return would be you, the extremely noble Queen!" Hearing Mr. Jiu's unscrupulous confession of his identity, Yun Shang not only did not feel the slightest joy of meeting an old friend, but became more and more panicked.

Her eyes widened in disbelief as she demanded, "How is this possible? Back then, after you were slaughtered, your souls should have returned to your respective planets! Why are you still lingering within the borders of Yu Country?" Mr. Jiu's lips curled up slowly, a strange smile forming. He whispered, "Haha, as expected. Someone as intelligent as you is already aware of the entire truth."

He then subsided slightly and explained solemnly, "Indeed, Zhao Qiyan cannot completely kill us. Once the body we inhabit dies, we will indeed return to our original world."

"The people Zhao Qiyan killed were actually people from his country, Yu. Moreover, they were living people!"

Hearing what Mr. Jiu said, Yun Shang immediately understood something. She widened her eyes in surprise and looked at Mr. Jiu, "The body you are inhabiting is a living person, not someone on the verge of death?"

Mr. Jiu nodded, "Of course. We are different from you time travelers. When we travel through time, we choose to travel in a living body."

Yun Shang shook her head wearily. She truly didn't want to continue arguing with Mr. Jiu about who was right and who was wrong. Now that the situation was settled, she was more concerned about why Mr. Jiu had returned again. And, this time, what was his true intention?

After pondering for a moment, Yun Shang finally decided to break the silence and spoke first, "Mr. Jiu, even if you can successfully return here, your plan to move the base to Yu Country has already failed. Why are you so stubborn and stubborn?"

However, facing Yun Shang's words that were clearly meant to provoke him, Mr. Jiu seemed to have ignored them. He simply raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a faint smile, and responded casually, "Whether I can get what I want, you will know when the time comes."

He then paused briefly, looking directly at Yun Shang, and said slowly, "The reason we invite Her Majesty the Queen to come here is simply because we hope you can participate and become a witness to our great cause."