Before the spatial rift vanished, Daozhen, his head tilted, followed them out and trailed behind the Demon Empress.
The party did not go far. They flew straight over the Jade Towers and landed outside a hall where singing and dancing were underway.
Queen Xin of Eastern Victory wore none of her usual formal elegance. Dressed rather casually, with her hair loose, she was plucking a zither inside the hall. Musicians accompanied her on either side, while male and female dancers moved to the music. Everything had to follow the rhythm of Queen Xin's playing and convey the mood she wished to express.
This demanded a great deal of the dancers and accompanying musicians. Not a hint of disorder marred the performance, proof that their coordination had not been honed in a mere day or two.
With guests arriving, Queen Xin suddenly pressed both palms against the strings. The musicians and dancers stopped instantly.
Queen Xin rose from her seat. A Palace-Dressed Woman immediately came over to carry away the zither, and the musicians promptly gathered their instruments. Together with the dancers, they withdrew without leaving a soul behind, instantly emptying the hall into chilly silence.
Queen Xin, dressed in blue and white, met the black-clad Demon Empress face-to-face. Without dressing herself up, the former looked little different from an ordinary person. In beauty, she was indeed far inferior to the Demon Empress.
Queen Xin smiled. "What wind blew you here, little sister? Surely you haven't also come to plead for someone facing public execution? Someone from the Extreme Fire Sect?"
A disdainful smile curled the Demon Empress's lips. "None of those people are my concern. You could kill them all, and it would have nothing to do with me. I came to have a private word with you, elder sister.