The Demon Lord's actions were so heinous that both gods and men were enraged. Coupled with Qing Mei's sudden death, the ministers and commoners of Shuangtong Kingdom harbored even greater resentment. Strangely enough, this resentment transformed into wisps of black air, continuously fueling the Demon Lord with demonic energy.
Seeing this, Yaohua paused for a moment. Her eyes fell on Chongming not far away, and her heart was filled with unease.
"The high priest is dead. What shall we do next?" The subjects were in a panic, and some even believed it was a divine punishment from the heavens.
They thought it was because they had failed to offer virgin boys and girls as the high priest had instructed.
However, there were still some intelligent people among them.
Suddenly, someone shouted, "It's all because of the Demon Lord that our people are suffering. We must work together to kill him to avenge the high priest and appease the gods' wrath!"
"Kill him!" The others echoed, rising up as one.
Yaohua's emotions grew even more complicated at the sight.
"If you want to avenge the high priest, you must ensure her sacrifice is meaningful," she said suddenly. Her voice, though not loud, was firm enough to be heard by everyone present, causing them to turn their heads.
Taking a deep breath, she continued, "The Demon Lord is extremely powerful now. With your mortal bodies, you are no match for him. Moreover, the high priest sacrificed herself to protect you. You must not act rashly. The gods have seen your sincerity and will surely bless you."
The people of Shuangtong Kingdom looked at each other. Yaohua's words made sense. They had been too impulsive just now.
"From now on, you just guard Shuangtong Kingdom well. The Demon Lord will surely receive his due punishment from the heavens," she added, trying to soothe their hearts.
Meanwhile, Chongming had temporarily driven the Demon Lord away. Given their current abilities, they were unable to completely seal the Demon Lord again. They had to repair the Eight - Trigram Cosmic Mirror as soon as possible.
After calming the people, they left immediately.
Chongming was curious. "Why didn't you expose the crimes Qing Mei committed? She is deeply sinful and should be punished by the people of Shuangtong Kingdom."
"After all, she is Qing Yi's younger sister..."
As Yaohua said this, her heart ached. "Qing Yi sacrificed herself for the common people. We cannot let her good name be tarnished because of her sister. Moreover..."
She suddenly smiled at Chongming. "For the people of Shuangtong Kingdom, the high priest is their spiritual pillar. If they knew their pillar had colluded with the demons, how could they continue to live?"
The people of Shuangtong Kingdom needed a reason to live.
"Yaohua, thank you," Chongming said, suddenly relaxing. He had been living in deep guilt all this time. Now that they could preserve Qing Mei's reputation, he felt he could finally make up for Qing Yi. "She had her reasons for doing this."
"All along, she hoped to revive Qing Yi. That's why she was bewitched by the Demon Lord. She believed that as long as she obtained the Primordial Pearl, she could bring Qing Yi back to life. That's how she was used by the Demon Lord and committed such great crimes. Besides, the few times she attacked you were just to get the Primordial Pearl in your body."
His face suddenly darkened. "She hurt you. I should have cut her into pieces to atone for her sins. However, she has already received her due punishment. Yaohua, she is unforgivable and will no longer be able to reincarnate."
Yaohua's heart trembled.
On the one hand, she was dissatisfied with Qing Mei's actions. On the other hand, she sighed at the sisterly affection between them.
But now was not the time for idle talk.
"Chongming, do you know where the Qilin horn is?" she asked suddenly.
Yaohua could faintly feel her power draining away. Her days were numbered. Therefore, she had to find all the necessary materials as soon as possible.
Chongming's thoughts were pulled back. "The Qilin clan chief died on Tianshan Mountain before, and the Qilin horn was buried there as well. I think we can go there."
Now that they knew the whereabouts of the Qilin horn, they set off immediately.
As night fell, Yaohua held Dan Dan's feather in her hand, lost in thought.
The only thing she was worried about now was her Dan Dan.
Just then, a beam of light flew in through the window. Yaohua reached out and caught it, and the light transformed into a message: We have found the little phoenix. He is now in Danyaoshan. You can focus on your business with peace of mind. I will protect him well.
After several days, a sincere smile finally appeared on Yaohua's face.
Her Dan Dan was safe.
The two of them could finally relax completely after hearing this news.
Before dawn, they set off for Tianshan Mountain.
They traveled at a rapid pace and soon arrived at Tianshan.
The Phoenix and Qilin clans were old acquaintances. After they arrived at Tianshan, the remaining divine power of the Qilin clan chief faintly appeared in the air, clearly guiding them.
When they reached the destination, Yaohua looked at the huge snow - covered mountain and was certain that the Qilin horn was buried beneath the snow.
She made a cut on her palm, and a drop of Phoenix blood fell on the snow. The Qilin horn then appeared in their sight.
Chongming looked at the Qilin horn and felt a little more at ease. "Now we only need one last thing. Yaohua, what is the last material?"
Hearing this, Yaohua paused for a moment. Then she shook her head and changed the subject. "Let's go to Danyaoshan to see Dan Dan first. He must be scared after being away for so long."
After saying that, they immediately set off for Danyaoshan.
Yaohua didn't want Chongming to be suspicious, so she deliberately sent him away and went to see Dan Dan alone.
At that time, Dan Dan was already asleep. Yaohua gently picked him up, and her eyes welled up with tears. "My child, mother won't be able to accompany you anymore..."
Her tears fell on Dan Dan's face.
Dan Dan seemed to sense something and immediately opened his eyes.
His little hand reached up to Yaohua's eye. "Mother, what's wrong with you?"
"Mother is fine. Mother is going to a very far place soon. You should stay with your uncles and never cause any more trouble, okay?" Yaohua didn't want her child to suffer with her, so she quickly wiped away her tears.
Dan Dan immediately nodded obediently. "Don't worry, mother. I will take good care of myself and never let my uncles worry about me."
Seeing how sensible he was, Yaohua reached out and stroked his forehead.
The next moment, Dan Dan fell into a deep sleep.
"Good boy, just have a good sleep. When all this is over, my divine power will disappear, and you will wake up."