Baili An had no interest in the reasons for Shu Ci’s betrayal, only confused as to why the Demon Lord was telling him all this.

He looked at the silver ring nestled in his palm; its surface polished smooth, devoid of any carved patterns, with a very simplistic design, showing no extraordinary features. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

After inspecting it closely for a moment, Baili An shook his head and said, "If even Your Majesty couldn’t decipher the secret, how could I possibly fathom it? Your Majesty might have overestimated me."

The Female Demon Lord gazed deeply at Baili An. After a long pause, she slowly said, "Can you truly not see?"

There seemed to be an undercurrent of doubt in her tone.

Baili An frowned. "If Your Majesty doesn’t believe me, then there’s nothing I can do."

The Female Demon Lord’s eyes were locked in the candlelight, gazing at him from afar, as she asked, "Then why do you think Shu Ci named this ring ’Xinglan’?"

This question truly seemed to make no sense.

Now that she had already killed the person, Baili An really didn’t understand what was left to be puzzled or concerned about regarding these remnants.

"Isn’t Your Majesty asking the wrong person? I have little personal connection with Lord Shu Ci, how would I know the reason behind the naming of such a personal item?"

"Little personal connection..." the Female Demon Lord murmured softly, the light scar in the middle of her forehead gradually turning a deeper red, looking somewhat demon-like. She then laughed softly and said, "Indeed, you have not had the chance for personal relations with anyone now, how would you know these things?"

Baili An’s expression was peculiar, always feeling that the Demon Lord seemed mentally scattered upon her return, becoming somewhat mysterious and elusive.

What did she mean by him not having the chance for personal relations now?

Looking at the thin red line on the Female Demon Lord’s forehead, each time it turned deep red, it seemed to bring forth an unsettling aura, as if ready to seize and control her heart and soul.

And it was also at such times that Baili An could sense the strong will of the Female Demon Lord; no matter how deep the malice of the mark between her brow became, it could not fully possess her heart and spiritual essence.

Baili An had no intention of wasting time being entangled in the matter of Shu Ci, yet seeing her in such a frenzied and obsessed state, he eventually couldn’t help but offer some advice: "Speaking of which, it’s rare that anyone in the Demon World knows that Lord Shu Ci named this ornament ’Xinglan’. Since Your Majesty could find this name, why not investigate it? Maybe you’ll uncover something?"

Perhaps sensing the piercing pain deep in the Sea of Consciousness, the Female Demon Lord gently massaged her forehead, her expression gradually turning weary. She shook her head and said, "No, I can’t. I only know that this anklet is a relic left by Shu Ci’s mother, without a name at the time it was passed to her. It was later that some busybody uncovered the secret of this ring, hence naming it ’Xinglan’."

With her forehead pinched into a red patch, the Female Demon Lord lifted her eyes and glanced at Baili An, saying, "Now, there’s no need to find that person; even if you look, you won’t find them."

Based on her tone...

Baili An couldn’t help but ask, "Did you also kill the person who unlocked this ring?"

The Female Demon Lord pursed her lips, silent for a while. Her gaze was dim as she replied, "Yes, killed."

Baili An was speechless: "You killed the ones who could unravel its secret, and now it’s useless to regret not cracking it."

The Female Demon Lord’s eyes darkened, seeming to reveal a trace of sorrow: "Indeed, it’s useless to regret now. Let it be; if the secret of the ring cannot be unlocked, then it’s not to be forced."

Baili An stepped forward to return the silver ring, but the Female Demon Lord waved her hand, saying, "Just keep it with you, will you?"

The relic left behind by Mohe Shu Ci, without ever being parted from her, to be left with him?

It didn’t quite sound appropriate.

"What use do I have for this belonging of a young girl?"

The Female Demon Lord chuckled, her gaze coldly sharp: "You’ve kept the name of a young girl close to your heart, why wouldn’t you be able to keep a little object?"

Baili An was left speechless by her sharp and unreasonable words.

Even though the Female Demon Lord appeared gentle and amiable right now, the trace of madness lurking in her eyes had yet to fully fade. Baili An didn’t want to argue with her over trivial matters, so he could only carefully put the silver ring away.

"I heard Your Majesty has detained a human?"

The Female Demon Lord’s eyes flicked, lowering her hand from her forehead: "Ah, you’re talking about that insolent young fool? I had someone drag him to the purification chamber for proper discipline. Don’t worry, knowing he is your person, I won’t take his life."

Baili An knew perfectly well that the Demon Lord would spare Lin Zheng’s life, which is why he wasn’t overly worried at first. But upon hearing her words, he couldn’t help but feel alarmed, his voice trembling with fear: "Purification chamber?!"

For a dignified Young Marquis from the empire, if he were to be stripped of his ability to procreate in the Demon World, wouldn’t that be a fate far more cruel than death?!

"Lower your voice, from what the inner officials reported, midway through the process with the knife, they discovered something unusual about that young human’s blood, so they stopped of their own accord. The officials then came to report to me, and upon investigation, it turned out he is actually tied to the secret of the Nine Gates."

The Female Demon Lord looked at Baili An with a faint smile, saying, "Si Chen River Lord does have good fortune, to have a human brought along by chance harbor such a secret."

"The Nine Gates?" Baili An was taken aback.

"Indeed, the Nine Gates, the very same ranked alongside the Bronze Gate beneath Ghost Mountain."

The Female Demon Lord continued, "In light of Si Chen River Lord’s influence, I can return this person to you, but I ask that the River Lord thoroughly investigate the secrets he holds for me."

Baili An had only thought Ye Shu was hiding a secret related to the underground palace’s Netherworld Dragon concerning Lin Zheng, but never expected it to be tied to the great secret of the Nine Gates.