Zu An’s prior experience with the Goddess of Wu Mountain and Xihe held him back from rushing up to Houtu and embracing her, though he didn’t expect Qiu Honglei to speak up first.

“Big sister Yu?” Houtu was taken aback. She first assessed Qiu Honglei before asking, “You should be the Lady of the Nine Heavens, right? Why would you call me that?”

Her voice was pleasant, but it was starkly different from Yu Yanluo’s. Yu Yanluo spoke in a tender and feminine manner, whereas Houtu’s voice exuded purity and compassion.

Qiu Honglei was taken aback. She looked at Zu An with conscience-stricken eyes, not knowing whether to speak the truth or not. The person standing before them was the lofty Lady Houtu. Revealing to her that they were from the future could bring about unforeseeable disasters.

Zu An replied, “You resemble our friend a lot. No, it’s not just a resemblance. The two of you are identical.”

Xihe rolled her eyes. I knew it! Yet another one of his lovers. It almost feels like he has a lover within a ten-kilometer radius no matter where we go. This bastard is a worse philanderer than Emperor Jun!

“Identical?” Houtu’s pupils widened. That was enough for an entity of her stature to vaguely sense that something more was at play here. She suddenly frowned and remarked, “You aren’t Emperor Jun. Who are you?”

The Underworld was her turf. She could sense everything here. The man before her was as powerful as the Celestial Emperor, but for some reason, he was able to control the Underworld’s aura. Emperor Jun governed heaven, whereas she governed earth. There was no overlap in their jurisdictions.

Xihe immediately put up her guard. Houtu is a legendary figure. If a fight breaks out, we have to make the first move to curb her first.

But seconds later, she suddenly laughed. Houtu is one of his lovers as well. There’s no way they would come to blows.

Zu An took off his mask and revealed his original appearance.

Houtu was confused. Who is this fellow? How is he able to impersonate, of all people, the Celestial Emperor? I have never met him before, but he gives off a sense of familiarity.

Zu An proceeded to construct an isolation barrier around them.

Houtu said, “You don’t need to be so careful. The Underworld is my territory. No one else can overhear our conversation.”

But Zu An still completed his barrier before he finally revealed the truth. “I am from the future.”

Houtu was surprised. “Continue.” 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

“I traveled here from the future to save a friend, but I went farther back in time than I expected. My friend passed away due to an accident. I found the immortal medicine, but I’ll need her soul from the Underworld in order to revive her.”

“It sounds like you’re a loyal friend...” Houtu cast her gaze on Xihe and Qiu Honglei. Bringing two other women to save a woman? Perhaps I’m too hasty in my judgment. “But why did she call me big sister Yu earlier?”

“She was referring to Yu Yanluo, who is also one of my good friends.”

Houtu’s gaze turned weird. “By good friend, you mean like them?”

Her pure, compassionate gaze made Zu An feel incredibly awkward as he answered, “Yes, we have braved life and death situations together.”

Houtu fell silent. Anger flickered across her face as she thought that Zu An was taking advantage of her, but on second thought, she didn’t think that anyone would crack that kind of joke. So, she asked, “Does that Yu Yanluo really look identical to me?”

“Yes, but you have different demeanors. She’s gentler, whereas you’re more solemn,” Zu An replied.

Houtu’s face turned grim. “Someone of your level should understand that if anyone looks identical to people of our stature, the chances are that they are those people's future incarnations.”

“Yes, I understand.”

The old Zu An might have shrugged it off as a coincidence, but having met the Goddess of Wu Mountain and Pei Mianman, Gong Suyin and Shang Liuyu, as well as Xihe and Shang Hongyu, there was no way he would think it was just a coincidence anymore. The only other possibility was that Yu Yanluo, like Qiu Honglei, had somehow traveled to this world as well, but that clearly wasn’t the case here.

“Impossible. There’s no way I’ll reincarnate,” Houtu declared firmly before giving Zu An a hostile gaze.

“Because you plan to become the cycle of reincarnation?” Zu An replied with a sigh.

Houtu was startled. “How do you know that?” That was her biggest secret. She had never told anyone about it. In fact, it was nothing more than a conceptual plan at the moment.

“Didn’t I tell you that I’m from the future?” Zu An explained. “You must think that you can’t possibly reincarnate because you'll have already turned into the Six Paths of Reincarnation, right?”

“Six Paths of Reincarnation...” Houtu’s eyes lit up. “I see. I need to gather the authorities of the Six Paths first.”

Zu An was astonished. He'd thought that she would already have that figured out. What a turn of fate it was that he was the one who gave her the final piece to that puzzle!

Houtu looked at Zu An and said, “Words are empty. Show me the memories between you and that Miss Yu.”

“Sure.” Zu An accepted the request.

Houtu was surprised that he agreed to it, but she didn’t hesitate to get into action. With a wave of her sleeves, she tapped into her powers and began projecting images in the air. They showed Zu An’s first meeting with Yu Yanluo outside Brightmoon City, as well as everything that happened afterward.

Xihe watched the projections in a daze. She'd heard stories from Qiu Honglei, but she hadn’t experienced it herself. Witnessing it in person shook her heart. She couldn’t help but grit her teeth when she saw how Zu An had nearly died saving Yu Yanluo several times. He really goes all out for his flirting!

You have successfully trolled Xihe for +233... +233... +233...

After watching the projections, Houtu felt conflicted. “I wouldn't have expected us to have such emotional entanglements in the future.”

Zu An felt conflicted as well. “I also didn’t expect you to be Yu Yanluo’s previous incarnation...” He was filled with respect for Houtu. The latter had sacrificed herself to become the Six Paths of Reincarnation. He dared not sully her.

Houtu extended her hand to Zu An and said, “Come here...”

Qiu Honglei and Xihe shot Zu An bizarre looks, but Zu An walked over to grab Houtu’s hand. The moment their fingers touched, Zu An’s surroundings morphed. He had been transported into another space, where Qiu Honglei and Xihe were nowhere to be seen.

Zu An was startled, but Houtu reassured him, “Don’t worry. I just want to speak to you in private, lest they bring you danger.”

Zu An noticed the grimness in her voice, and his face turned severe as well.

“I have always wondered if there are even more powerful entities than the Saints, and your memories confirmed that. I didn’t expect there to be universal deities above the Saints.” Houtu looked at Zu An. “I saw in your memories that my incarnation happens to also be the incarnation of the Deity of Love and Beauty?”

“Indeed. That’s also why I was so surprised when I saw your appearance.” Zu An was filled with doubts. It was one thing for Yu Yanluo to be the Deity of Love and Beauty’s incarnation, but how had she become Houtu’s incarnation as well? Did that mean Houtu was also one of the Deity of Love and Beauty’s incarnations?

Houtu looked as if she had an epiphany. “Something is wrong with this world.”