Outside the abandoned base.
Qing Lian lowered her head. After her expression shifted several times, she gritted her teeth and said,
"General Han Ya, Hong Zhuang wasn't actually wrong. I did cooperate with the Human Race."
"At the time, I did it to oppose Hong Zhuang, so..."
Han Ya raised a hand and said calmly, "It doesn't matter."
"His Majesty doesn't care about your past. He simply saw his own reflection in you."
"You may not know this, but His Majesty Qi Que wasn't always this powerful."
"He was transformed from a Flying Beast. After 'Mother' bestowed blood upon him and turned him into a Heavenly Ghost, he endured a series of inhuman hardships before reaching where he is today."
"He values certain qualities in you, not your past."
"So what if you cooperated with the Human Race? We've cooperated with our enemies before, too. What matters most is that His Majesty Qi Que is willing to shelter you now. How you respond to this favor is the real issue."
Qing Lian opened and closed her mouth.
Han Ya smiled. "You don't have to answer right away."
"Think it over carefully. It won't be too late to respond once you've made up your mind."
With that, Han Ya took out a portal.
"Take this. If you're willing to return to Yanfu, use it to open the passage."
"If you don't want to go back, that's fine, too. Just do whatever you wish."
Qing Lian trembled all over. She accepted the portal and silently left.
After she had gone, Han Ya took out a pale-blue feather. After infusing it with power, he said solemnly,
"Your Majesty, I've given Qing Lian the 'Li You Gate.' Now all that remains is to see what she chooses."
"If she chooses to remain in the