The Asura King still needed to settle the unrest in the Asura World. Even though Pimosh and Lozento were now dead, they still had many aides. A misstep could still lead to him being put in a bad position.

But Zu An couldn’t be bothered with that. He had a lot of things to settle now and had no time to waste. If the Asura King couldn’t take control even after Pimosh and Lozento were both dead, he would be truly unworthy of the position.

Thus, he turned down the Asura King’s banquet invitation and left with Xihe and Princess Liuli.

Xihe was displeased. It should have been a couple's outing, but they were suddenly stuck with extraneous baggage.

Princess Liuli was oblivious to Xihe’s terrible mood. She continued pestering Zu An, asking him all sorts of questions like a boisterous girl.

“Big brother, why are the two of you so strong?

“How did you meet big sister?

“Who gave you that Asura Tear? Were you in a passionate relationship with an asura?”

...

Xihe was initially annoyed, but she pricked up her ears at the last question. She had heard about the situation surrounding the Asura Tear. The fact that a female asura had cried for Zu An meant that she must truly love him down to her core.

This fellow is even more of a philanderer than Emperor Jun!

Zu An’s head hurt. He was stuck between a girl with insatiable curiosity, and a woman who burned with jealousy but was gossipy at the same time. He couldn’t imagine them being first-generation universal deities.

No wonder the first-generation universal deities were defeated. They don’t exude an air of authority at all. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

He thought about it but decided against telling them about their identities. He was safe after learning about the secret because the Deity of Bliss and Desire had protected him. He wasn’t confident that he could protect the two of them if he were to share the secret with them.

That said, he still told them about everything that would happen in the future so they could mentally prepare themselves.

When she learned from him that he had encountered another asura princess in the future, and that the other party looked just like her, Princess Liuli stared at Zu An with gleaming eyes. It must be fate’s decree!

Xihe harrumphed. “Do you say that to every woman you meet? How can there be so many women who resemble one another in the world?”

Zu An chuckled. “That’s why you’re special.”

Xihe’s face reddened. Despite knowing that those were just honeyed words, his dashing face paired with his earnest tone still made her heart skip a beat.

Along the way, Zu An told the two of them about the future events that involved not just them, but the others as well.

Princess Liuli was hooked on the stories, but she slowly sensed that something was amiss. She felt a little uneasy. “You have been intentionally vague all this time, fearing that divulging too much will change the past. Why aren’t you that worried about it now? Did something happen?”

Zu An had learned that this was nothing more than a simulated world created by the Deity of Knowledge, so there was no reason for him to worry about such things anymore. After a moment of silence, he said, “We have to go meet Lady Houtu now. You need to be careful.”

Princess Liuli chuckled. “Both you and big sister Xihe are so formidable, and we Asuras never shy away from a battle. I don’t think we need to fear that Lady Houtu or anything.”

But Xihe keenly picked up something from Zu An’s words. “You suspect Lady Houtu?”

Considering how Zu An had shown great respect toward Houtu thus far, his change in attitude was too abrupt for her not to notice.

“It’s better to err on the side of caution.”

Zu An still hadn’t figured out what was going on with the Lady Houtu of this world. The ‘Deity of Earth’ had betrayed the first-generation universal deities to join the second-generation universal deities. There was no telling what she was planning right now.

“Don’t worry, Liuli is right. There’s no need to fear her even if a fight breaks out.” Xihe was the Celestial Court’s Sun Goddess, whereas Liuli was the princess of the warlike Asura race. Houtu was strong, but the two of them weren’t weak, either.

Soon, the group arrived at the Underworld.

Houtu had already returned. She cast a surprised look at Princess Liuli before hurriedly asking, “Have you found the Asuras’ power insignia?”

Zu An didn’t answer right away. “Did you find the Human Path’s power insignia?”

Houtu smiled. She opened her palm to reveal a crystalline light that illuminated the surroundings. “I’m on good terms with Nuwa. She expressed support for my plan and shared a sliver of the Human Path’s power insignia with me.”

Zu An nodded. “Can I talk to you in private, Lady Houtu?”

Lady Houtu was surprised by the request, but she still nodded. “Alright.” She turned to Xihe and Princess Liuli and said, “I’ll have to trouble the two ladies to wait here for a moment.”

With a wave of her sleeve, she transported Zu An into a special space.

Xihe and Princess Liuli exchanged nervous looks. They thought about Zu An’s earlier reminder, and they wondered what he was worried about.

In the special space, Lady Houtu looked at Zu An with clear eyes that seemed to pierce right into one’s soul. “Did something happen in the Asura World?”

“Something unexpected did happen, but I gained a lot from the trip,” Zu An replied. “Lady Houtu, may I know how you intend to resolve the issue regarding the Beast Path’s power insignia?”

Lady Houtu smiled. “It sounds like you have obtained the Asura Path’s power insignia. The Beast Path’s power insignia does pose some trouble. While there are many beasts in the world, they are nowhere as significant as the other five paths yet. That means their power insignia has not been formed yet.”

Zu An patiently waited for her to continue.

“I have been pondering this problem. Your experience baffles me. Why can the Six Paths of Reincarnation only be completed in the future? Something must have prevented the Six Paths of Reincarnation from being completed in this era.” Lady Houtu paused before turning to Zu An. “I sense the change in your attitude. You may have concealed it well, but you can’t fool me. You don’t intend to hand the Asura Path’s power insignia to me.”

Zu An stared at Houtu. “I want you to answer my question first.”

“Go ahead.”

“Should I call you Lady Houtu... or the Deity of Love and Beauty?”

Lady Houtu was stunned, only to smile a moment later. Her voice became more melodious, albeit less graceful and authoritative. Even the most symphonic orchestra in the world couldn’t compete with her voice. Her appearance was the same as before, but her previously plain clothes became much more refined and beautiful. She emanated a dreamlike glow. She was the most beautiful goddess in this world.

“I didn’t expect us to meet again so soon. I mentioned last time that I hoped to hear a different answer from you. So, are you going to choose me or those two women?”