The autumn wind blows, bringing a touch of early winter's chill to the courtyard of Huangyu Palace as the sun sets, and night falls.

The sound of black and white pieces being placed on the chessboard is crisp and pleasant, but there is no excess smile on the faces of Pei Wanyu and Xiao Yinruo as they play.

Both have their own ulterior motives, chatting about unrelated topics while playing chess, but have yet to find a suitable entry point.

One wants empathy, the other wants to be empathized with... but they both want the other to subtly suggest it, and for now, there's no way, leading to this stalemate.

Xiao Yinruo stares at the chessboard, slightly furrowing her eyebrows, seemingly worried about the situation on the board: "Has your chess ability declined?"

"If that's the case, why haven't you won yet?" Pei Wanyu looks at Xiao Yinruo, appearing calm on the surface, though somewhat anxious inside.

Dinner is about to start, and there's been no progress yet. Afterward, there might not be another chance.

Xiao Yinruo purses her red lips, glances at her, and after pausing for several seconds, suddenly asks: "Have you not sent anyone to monitor what that little fox is doing in Heroic Spirit Valley?"

Heroic Spirit Valley is a memorial park for cultivators of the Human Clan who died in battle, even though it's not located at the Two Realms Pass, it is deeply connected with it.

After the cultivators of the Two Realms Pass perish, the remaining breath enters the Heroic Spirit Valley, transforming into will power to stabilize the Two Realms Pass. It's one of the sacred places of the Human Clan, and its importance is self-evident.

"Not interested." Pei Wanyu nonchalantly replies: "Although a few Fox Emperors are indeed buried there, whether she can enter is another matter."

"Since she went there, she should be prepared to enter." Xiao Yinruo placing a piece while saying: "Does she want to dig graves? Or maybe inherit some bloodline?"

"She's just a Fox Emperor and doesn't have the guts to do something dangerous." Pei Wanyu quickly places a piece, thinking to end the topic when Xiao Yinruo leisurely begins: "Sometimes I quite envy the Demon Clan; even sleeping every day, they can have a breakthrough, unlike the Human Clan, who must exert all efforts even for a small realm..."

Pei Wanyu looks at her with slight surprise: "That doesn't sound like your character."

"Just uttered out of feeling." Xiao Yinruo continues placing pieces: "I've been stuck in the late Divine Presence for so many years, and I didn't expect to break through so easily in the Qinglian Secret Realm..."

Listening to Xiao Yinruo, Pei Wanyu's eyes brighten slightly as she casually says: "So the empathy earlier was unnecessary."

Xiao Yinruo is silent for several seconds, then says: "Actually, it was useful."

"Hmm?" Pei Wanyu pretends to look surprised and doubtful: "Useful?"

"Yes." Xiao Yinruo smiles slightly: "Meet oneself."

"Meet oneself?" Pei Wanyu asks further: "Want to do that thing?" 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Xiao Yinruo glares at her: "Do you have to be so blunt?"

Pei Wanyu laughs mockingly: "Who was it that night at Cuiqing Inn..."

"No!" Xiao Yinruo vehemently denies: "Forget Love Path relies on epiphany, not body, I'm different from Nanzhi!"

"Alright, alright, don't be anxious." Pei Wanyu chuckles lightly, her mind racing: "So what was the help of empathy for your breakthrough?"

"That's my business." Xiao Yinruo doesn't elaborate: "Just know it was useful."

"Useful, huh..." Pei Wanyu supports her chin with one hand, seemingly asking offhandedly: "Did you empathize with Nanzhi that night?"

"No!" Xiao Yinruo glares at her: "Doing something wrong to Nanzhi... do I seem like that kind of person?"

After a pause, she adds: "Empathy Qingyue was you who told me to do this!"

"I didn't say anything, don't be rash." Pei Wanyu leans back in her chair, following the topic: "So now you have Divine Concealment, is empathy still useful?

After you did whatever that night, did you have any new insights?"

'The insight is that sneaky things are quite thrilling.'

Xiao Yinruo thinks, but says: "Not much insight..."

Before the words finish, Pei Wanyu pats the table: "I guessed you definitely empathized with Nanzhi that night; gotcha!"

Looking at Pei Wanyu's smug expression, Xiao Yinruo pretends to be angrily embarrassed, glaring at her: "Can you not be so boring?"

"If you haven't done anything wrong, there's no need to be afraid of ghosts knocking on the door." Pei Wanyu smiles as she looks at her: "Who said they wouldn't do anything wrong to my disciple just now?"

Xiao Yinruo opens her mouth, feeling a bit ashamed, lowers her head: "You're saying this deliberately to make me stop thinking so much about Jin'an, right?"

Pei Wanyu does not answer, pretending to consent, and after a moment of silence, with a playful tone: "I have more leverage against you now."

"You're threatening me?" Xiao Yinruo narrows her peach blossom eyes: "My current realm is higher than yours."

"Divine Concealment?" Pei Wanyu snorts lightly: "I'm so scared."

She deliberately acts like she's teasing Xiao Yinruo; after all, this isn't her first time doing it, and each time it would make Xiao Yinruo furious.

As for whether it would work this time... she'll just have to emphasize with a stronger tone.

"You say you're guilty, yet you sneak around having empathy. now caught by me, how is it you have the nerve to say I'm threatening you?" Pei Wanyu sneers: "Do you think I'm afraid of you?"

Xiao Yinruo clenches her delicate fist, staring at a smug-looking Pei Wanyu: "Do you think I'm afraid of your threats?"

"Not afraid?" Pei Wanyu leisurely says: "Then I'll go tell Nanzhi about the good deeds you've done, and it just makes it convenient for me to manipulate that little girl.

Don't think I can't see, even though the girl changed to calling me Aunt, she's still coveting my position..."

Bang!

Xiao Yinruo raises her hand and slaps the chessboard, making the black and white pieces jump and shift: "You threaten me, you'll get away with it, don't forget who suggested empathy to me first!"

"Do you have evidence?" Pei Wanyu looks down at the chaotic chessboard, chuckling: "Besides, you were the one who empathized first, that's why I said it... Nanzhi would definitely dislike you more, surely you don't want to experience that feeling, right?"