"Who are you?" Father Qin asked alertly, not remembering that he knew this elderly man.
"This old man is Qingxuzi, a free spirit who has been detached from worldly affairs for many years. Passing by here today, I sensed an unusual phenomenon and came to investigate. I never expected to encounter such a thorny situation." Qingxuzi spoke in a calm tone, yet carried an unquestionable majesty.
"You are... an immortal?" Qin Zhizhi asked in surprise. She had seen descriptions of immortals in ancient texts, and they looked very much like the old man before her. Qingxuzi nodded slightly, acknowledging it.
"Senior Immortal, you just said you have a way to help the Yin Family. Could it be..." Father Qin's tone carried a trace of hope, but also retained a measure of caution.
Qingxuzi stroked his beard and slowly said, "This old man has observed that the Demon Realm's invasion this time is not intended to provoke an all-out war, but rather has an ulterior motive. Therefore, this old man believes that this crisis can be resolved through negotiation."
"Negotiation?" Qin Zhizhi and Father Qin exchanged a glance, both somewhat surprised.
"Indeed. This old man is willing to act as an intermediary, traveling to the Immortal Realm and the Demon Realm to negotiate with their leaders, striving to reach a peace agreement and prevent war." Qingxuzi's tone was firm, his eyes filled with confidence.
Both Qin Zhizhi and Father Qin were shocked by Qingxuzi's proposal. They had originally thought that facing the Demon Realm's invasion, the only path left was to fight to the death. They never expected this immortal to propose the idea of negotiation.
"Senior, are you truly certain you can persuade the Demon Realm?" Qin Zhizhi asked with some worry.
"Although this old man cannot guarantee absolute success, I will try my best," Qingxuzi said. "Moreover, this old man believes that as long as both sides still possess reason, a peaceful solution can certainly be found."
Qin Zhizhi and Father Qin fell silent for a moment, both weighing the pros and cons in their hearts. Finally, Father Qin raised his head, looked at Qingxuzi, and said solemnly, "Then I must trouble Senior!"
"Very well!" Qingxuzi nodded. "There is no time to lose; this old man will set off for the Immortal Realm and the Demon Realm right now to secure peace talks at the earliest."
Watching Qingxuzi's departing figure, Qin Zhizhi's heart was filled with hope. She believed that with this immortal's help, this crisis would surely be resolved, and peace would be restored to the mortal world.
"Zhizhi, it is time for us to act as well," Father Qin patted Qin Zhizhi on the shoulder and said.
"Father, what do you mean?"
"We will go to the Immortal Realm and the Demon Realm ourselves to express our sincerity and win their support." Father Qin's eyes flashed with brilliance. He knew that to facilitate peace talks, relying on Qingxuzi alone was not enough; they had to show their own sincerity to move the other side.
"Okay!" Qin Zhizhi agreed without hesitation. For Brother Sichen, and for all living beings in the world, she was willing to pay any price!
And so, Qin Zhizhi and Father Qin embarked on the journey to the Immortal Realm and the Demon Realm. They knew this path was fraught with thorns and challenges, but they had no regrets, for they carried in their hearts the hope of peace and their love for one another.
Guided by Qingxuzi, Qin Zhizhi and Father Qin used a teleportation array to quickly arrive at the Immortal Realm. The Immortal Realm was wreathed in clouds and mist, with magnificent palaces and pavilions, resembling a paradise on earth. But at this moment, Qin Zhizhi had no heart to admire the scenery; her mind was entirely consumed by worries for Yin Sichen's safety.
When the Celestial Emperor, ruler of the Immortal Realm, heard of Qingxuzi's purpose and saw the utmost sincerity of the Qin father and daughter, he agreed to seriously consider peace talks with the Demon Realm.
However, just as Qin Zhizhi and Father Qin were preparing to set off for the Demon Realm, an unexpected event occurred.
"Hold on!" A charming voice came from outside the grand hall. Everyone looked toward the sound and saw Qin Jiaojiao dressed in a gorgeous immortal gown, approaching gracefully escorted by a group of fairy maidens.
"Sister, why are you here?" Alarm bells rang in Qin Zhizhi's heart. How could Qin Jiaojiao appear in the Immortal Realm? And judging by her attire, she seemed to be doing quite well here.
Meeting Qin Zhizhi's guarded gaze, Qin Jiaojiao sneered inwardly, while putting on a wronged expression on the outside: "Sister, how can you say that? Sister was worried about you too. Hearing that you and Father went to the Demon Realm, I rushed over in a hurry, fearing you would be bullied by the Demon Race."
"Zhizhi, Jiaojiao means well. You shouldn't blame her," Father Qin, unaware of the truth, thought Qin Jiaojiao was genuinely worried about them and tried to persuade her.
Qin Zhizhi sneered in her heart. Meant well? She certainly didn't believe it! Ever since she was framed by Qin Jiaojiao last time, she had seen through this woman's true colors completely—her heart was as venomous as a scorpion's, utterly vicious!
"Sister, you've come just in time. We are preparing to head to the Demon Realm for negotiations. You should come with us." Qin Zhizhi nonchalantly pulled Qin Jiaojiao into the group; she wanted to see what tricks this woman was trying to play.
The Demon Realm was the exact opposite of the Immortal Realm—it never saw sunlight year-round, cold winds howled, and demonic energy billowed. Guided by Qingxuzi, Qin Zhizhi and Father Qin met the Demon Lord, ruler of the Demon Realm.
The Demon Lord was tall and imposing, with a stern face and a pair of blood-red eyes full of oppressive aura. He showed no interest in the peace talks proposed by the Immortal Realm, and his words were filled with contempt and disdain for the immortals.
Just as the negotiations fell into a deadlock, Qin Jiaojiao suddenly stepped forward, pointed at Qin Zhizhi, and shouted loudly, "Lord Demon Lord, do not be fooled by her! She has no genuine intention of peace talks; she has an ulterior motive for coming to the Demon Realm!"
Qin Jiaojiao's words were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirring up a thousand ripples. The Demon Lord and other high-ranking members of the Demon Race cast suspicious glances at Qin Zhizhi. Even Father Qin looked at his daughter in utter astonishment, not understanding why she would do such a thing.
Qin Zhizhi sneered inwardly; she had known Qin Jiaojiao wouldn't stay quiet! But she was well prepared. Unflustered, she pulled a jade slip from her bosom, held it high, and said, "Lord Demon Lord, the jade slip in my hand is a supreme treasure of the Immortal Realm. It records the weaknesses of the Immortal Realm's defensive formations, and it is my token of sincerity for these peace talks!"
This jade slip had actually been retrieved by Qin Zhizhi from the System Space, and its contents were purely fabricated by her, all to lure Qin Jiaojiao into the trap.
Sure enough, the moment Qin Jiaojiao saw the jade slip, a trace of greed flashed in her eyes. Without a second thought, she reached out to snatch it: "Give it to me!"
Qin Zhizhi had been on guard and sidestepped, letting Qin Jiaojiao lunge into empty air.
"Sister, what are you doing?" Qin Zhizhi feigned surprise as she looked at Qin Jiaojiao, her eyes filled with incomprehension and disappointment. "Why would you try to snatch the gift I prepared for Lord Demon Lord? By doing this, where do you place the peace between the Immortal and Demon Realms?"
"You... you are framing me!" Realizing she had fallen into a trap and unable to defend herself, Qin Jiaojiao could only stiffen her neck and argue sophistically.
"The facts are right before your eyes, yet you still want to quibble!" Qin Zhizhi rebuked righteously. "You claimed to be worried about Father and me, yet behind our backs, you pull stunts that endanger the Immortal Realm. What on earth are your intentions?"
Qin Jiaojiao wanted to say more, but was interrupted by the Demon Lord's icy voice: "Enough! Guards, take her away!"
Qin Jiaojiao never imagined that everything she had meticulously plotted would end up backfiring on her. Unreconciled, she was dragged away by Demon Race soldiers. Before leaving, her venomous glare locked onto Qin Zhizhi, as if she wanted to tear her to shreds.
With Qin Jiaojiao's true face exposed, the Demon Lord no longer doubted the sincerity of the Immortal Realm's peace talks. After some hard bargaining, both sides finally agreed to hold a Peace Summit to jointly discuss the details of the peace agreement.
Qin Zhizhi and Father Qin finally breathed a sigh of relief. They knew that the dawn of peace had appeared, and everything they had done was worth it.
The Peace Summit was scheduled to be held in a neutral territory. Representatives from both the Immortal and Demon Realms gathered in one hall, though the atmosphere remained exceptionally heavy. The Demon Lord maintained his habitual dominance, while the Celestial Emperor sat proudly above, carrying a natural majesty without anger.
The representatives went back and forth, neither side yielding an inch, and the progress of drafting the peace agreement was painfully slow.
At that moment, a clear and resonant voice broke the deadlock: "Lord Demon Lord, Your Majesty the Celestial Emperor, this junior Qin Zhizhi has something to say."