Chapter 34

Return to Suzhao

Even if it was just an illusion, there was no harm in confessing. But if I don’t suppress these feelings, I won’t be able to face him next time.

“No,” I watched as tears blurred my vision again and again, then fell to the ground one by one. “Yinze Shenzun, he is my master. Once a teacher, always a father. I respect him, admire him, but I would never want to marry him.”

At this moment, my package moved, and Xuan Yue poked a small head out, looking at me puzzledly, then turned to look at Qinglong. Qinglong stood opposite me for a long time, remaining silent. Finally, he stroked Xuan Yue’s head, turned into a dragon, and soared into the sky.

He disappeared in an instant, but my tears continued to flow. It was just a meaningless test, and Master himself didn’t know why I was so sad. Thinking back to my flustered and disoriented reaction just now, I felt even more desperate and cried out loudly.

Xuan Yue was also anxious, biting my sleeve and pointing with its paw at the air kingdom not far away. I looked in the direction it pointed and suddenly stopped crying—it was Su Zhao! My hometown, Su Zhao! So, Lord Qinglong had already sent me back, and he had just transformed into Master to tease me.

Wait, what’s going on? My whole body froze. Just now, I was actually kissed by Lord Qinglong... This big pervert!!!

I met Han Mo outside the gates of Su Zhao City and we decided to split up. He went to call for reinforcements, while I used my magic to sneak into Zi Chao Palace and track down Kai Xuanjun. However, all the way from the city gate to Zi Chao Palace, my mood fluctuated countless times.

Su Zhao, a water kingdom blessed by the gods, should have been full of life, with beautiful flowers and a bright moon. But here, I could only see desolation and half-ruined buildings.

On the Luo River, the water shimmered, reflecting not the beautiful woman playing the konghou, but a desert of flying sand and rocks; in the yellowish sky, there were no longer so many Su Zhao people with swords and qins dancing and ascending to the sky, only a few sparse cranes flying aimlessly; occasionally, a black bird flew hastily from Zi Chao Palace, unwilling to linger anywhere; the brothels and inns in the aerial city were already in ruins, and looking around, there was only one woman singing a sad song on an entire street, and a ragged old man passing by dropped an amber coin in her copper pot, then leaned against the wall to listen, no longer leaving...

Although Han Mo had described the current situation of Su Zhao to me before, every scene I saw in front of me still stunned me. Ten years ago, Su Zhao was in its heyday, the country was prosperous, and the world was peaceful. The high priest Si Bo went to sea to seek scriptures, and my father implemented the “Perlon Dual-Use” system, greatly reducing taxes for foreign residents in order to encourage more people to come here. Historians recorded this as the “Zhao Hua Governance.”

Now, ten years, only ten years, and Su Zhao has become like this. This sadness could not be described simply as heartache...

Thinking that all this was Kai Xuanjun’s doing, my anger, both new and old, welled up, making me want to kill him right now.

To avoid being disturbed by these scenes, I quickened my pace and arrived at Zi Chao Palace. Unexpectedly, I was lucky. As soon as I climbed onto the roof of Kai Xuanjun’s palace, I saw him sneaking out and going to a dry well, where he cast a spell and planted a brocade banner in the ground.

Then, a blue ice-colored magic circle appeared below the banner. He glanced around, stepped into the magic circle, and disappeared. After staying inside for less than a cup of tea, he quietly came out again, and was just about to cast the spell again when my second sister’s voice came from inside the palace: “Where did you go? Why did you disappear in the blink of an eye?”

“Your Majesty, I’m here!” Kai Xuanjun said hurriedly, glanced back at the banner, and didn’t have time to care, so he returned to the palace.

I quickly jumped down and approached the magic circle to take a closer look, but was accidentally sucked into it.

The surrounding scenery twisted rapidly, and I entered a dreamlike world. I arrived in a deep black void world. There was an oval-shaped exit behind me and a long, luminous path in front of me. After walking forward for a while, the surrounding environment flashed, and I entered another deep purple world, with a door behind me as well.

I continued to walk through several doors like this, and the colors inside became lighter and lighter, but there was nothing. I felt a little bored and wanted to leave, but I heard a woman crying sadly: “Give it back to me, give it back to me, give him back to me...”

The voice was so shrill that I was startled and turned around, only to see a woman less than a meter away from me. She was wearing a brocade deep gown, but she was hunched over, disheveled, and holding a bundle of cotton quilts. Her eyes were blood red, and she looked like a wild beast. “Give my child back to me...”

Blood tears flowed from her red-rimmed eyes, looking as if they had been gouged out. I took a few steps back in fright, but she stretched out her hand and approached me step by step, “Give him back to me, you heartless devil, give him back to me! Give my child back to me!”

The claw she swung down, accompanied by her final scream, was so fast that I couldn’t dodge. I thought my face would be scratched, but I found that she had passed through my body like a ball of light and ran to the other side: “Give me back my child, give me back my child! Don’t take my child away...”

I patted my chest, startled by this terrifying sight. Turning around, I found that she seemed unable to see me at all, and was just dragging the quilt around, clawing like a madman. Her appearance reminded me of Fu Chenzhi when he was possessed.

Feeling incredibly unsafe, I turned and fled back the way I came, escaping that eerie place.

However, as I emerged, I ran right into Kai Xuanjun, who was returning.

He quickly put away the banner and the formation, demanding, “What did you see?” Then he paused, his eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions, “...Luo Wei?”

“Yes, it’s me,” I gave him a faint smile. “Thanks to you, I didn’t die.”

“Very well, then die another time.”

He reached out, ready to cast a spell, but then glanced behind me and covered his chest. “Luo Wei, is that really you? Aren’t you dead?”

Without thinking, my second sister was behind me. I hadn’t seen her in ten years, and I was still quite nervous. Taking a deep breath, I turned around to face the young Emperor of Su Zhao behind me.

My second sister was wearing the black robe of an emperor, her green hair hanging over her shoulders, as thin as a willow in the wind, her brows and eyes full of shock. “...Weiwei? How is this possible... Could I be mistaken?”

I said, “Second Sister, you’re not mistaken. I didn’t die, but I went to become a disciple.”

Clearly, my second sister couldn’t react. “A disciple?”

“Yes. For the past ten years, I haven’t forgotten my homeland for a single day. Just thinking about someone causing our country to be destroyed, I wanted to cut him into a thousand pieces.”

My second sister said, “The person you’re talking about, is it Fu Chenzhi?”

“No, it’s him.” I slowly turned my head and pointed at Kai Xuanjun with murderous intent.

Perhaps my Master’s name was indeed a bit frightening, Kai Xuanjun swallowed, but quickly concealed his emotions, pointed at himself, and put on his usual casual smile. “Me? Little Sister Weiwei, what kind of joke are you making? For the past ten years, your sister has been heartbroken. Seeing her like this, I wish you could all come back to life. How could I possibly want your country to be destroyed?”

“Stop lying! You originally plotted to kill my parents, sow discord between us siblings, almost killed me, and turned Su Zhao into this ghost town. You still have the nerve to talk big! You’re worse than a pig or a dog, and I’m going to kill you now!”

I waved my hand, and the water from the pool behind him surged out, turning into ice and striking him on the head. But another spell cleverly turned the ice back into water and returned it to the pool. I turned around angrily and said, “Second Sister, are you still so obsessed that you choose to believe him instead of your own sister?”

My second sister said, “Weiwei, it’s already fortunate that you can safely return. You are my younger sister, and of course I believe you, but he is my husband. This matter is very serious. Can you provide evidence? If what you say is true, you don’t need to do anything, I will personally eliminate him, but if these things are unfounded, and you want to kill your brother-in-law, I can’t just sit idly by.”

“I have evidence.”

That night, my second sister summoned all the generals and ministers to gather in the Zi Chao Palace.

I carried Xuan Yue out and took out the document I had prepared: “This is a handwritten copy of the Book of Life and Death, obtained by my Master from the King of Hell. It has the seal of the Underworld and the annotations of the judge. Xuan Yue, the little poor qi in my arms, its parents were lured to the northern border of the Immortal Realm by Ru Yue Weng and killed, but they did not kill the tiger cub Xuan Yue, instead throwing it into another tiger’s den and deliberately transferring it to the tiger cub merchant. Later, I saw Xuan Yue in the tiger cub shop, liked it very much, but didn’t have enough money to buy it, so it was Kai Xuanjun who paid for me.”

Seeing that Kai Xuanjun was speechless, I said, “Kai Xuanjun, you must be struggling right now, right? If you deny it, what if I find the residents who passed by when I bought the tiger to testify, and you won’t be able to explain it. But if you admit it, there may be more evidence exposed.”

Kai Xuanjun laughed, “No, Little Princess, you’ve misunderstood. Just because I paid for the little princess to buy a little tiger, it doesn’t mean I’m colluding with Ru Yue Weng. Is that how you understand it? It’s really like repaying kindness with ingratitude.”

I said, “What did you tell my father when you came to Su Zhao?”

Kai Xuanjun said, “It’s been so long, how could I remember?”

I spread my hand towards the clerk standing aside. He walked over and respectfully placed a scroll in my hand.

I slowly opened the scroll, keeping my eyes on Kai Xuanjun. Seeing him becoming more and more uneasy, I slowly said, “This is the record written by the clerk at that time. Your father asked you how you were doing, and you said, ‘In the past three years, I have been traveling around the four seas, composing poetry and drinking wine, and have not returned to the Heavenly Realm. The only immortal I have seen is Wenquxing, who also descended to the mortal world. I am truly ashamed of my immortal name.’ It’s all lies. In fact, you had already colluded with Ru Yue Weng!”

Kai Xuanjun said, “What I said at that time was indeed true. Since I had never returned to the Immortal Realm, how could I collude with Ru Yue Weng of the Xuanwu Heaven?”

“Ru Yue Weng never said he was an immortal from the Xuanwu Heaven.”

“Ru Yue Weng is quite famous. As long as he is an immortal, everyone knows he lives in Ziwei City. What’s so strange about that?”

“Since that’s the case, why did you lie and say that you hadn’t returned to the Immortal Realm for three years? In fact, you were already in Ziwei City before that! You deceived my father from the very beginning by saying that you hadn’t returned to the Immortal Realm for three years and had only seen Wenquxing. Were you trying to hide something?”

“I really didn’t return to the Immortal Realm for three years. I don’t understand why you say I was in Ziwei City. Do you have any evidence?”

“Because when you went to Ziwei City, you bought a pot of Divine Turtle Brew at the Heavenly Immortal Brewery. Divine Turtle Brew is very expensive, and any buyer needs to register on a book. And here, there’s your name.” I pulled out another piece of paper and placed it in front of him, pointing to the line with his name on it. “How do you explain this?”

Kai Xuanjun’s face turned pale. “I don’t remember such a thing. What is this? Without special instructions, only the owner and the immortal emperor have the right to view the register of the Heavenly Immortal Brewery in Ziwei City. You’re not even an immortal, how could you get this? I’m afraid there’s something wrong with it.” By the end, he had become much more confident.

I said, “My Master has a very good relationship with the Immortal Emperor. I just took a message from my Master, and the Immortal Emperor gave me this register. Do you think it’s fake?”

“Nonsense, there’s no evidence. Do you think you can fool everyone by simply writing a list with my name on it? I think the document from the King of Hell is probably fake too.”

“You hope it’s false, do you? Well, let me prove it to you.” I opened the document and said to the person beside me, “Bring fire.”

A guard brought over a brazier, and I tossed the paper into the flames. The paper floated in the raging fire, but showed no signs of damage. I said, “A specialty of the Yama King, Yama paper, even fire can’t burn these words. As an immortal, you should know better than anyone that this is not a fake.”

“And what about that list from the Heavenly Immortal Brewery? How do you prove that’s real?”

I laughed, “I don’t need to prove it’s real, because it’s fake.”

Kai Xuanjun was startled, “What...”

“For someone as insignificant as you, there are really not many people who would remember you. After hanging around in the Immortal Realm for ten years, I only managed to find someone who told me that your hobby was drinking. So, I made up that story to deceive you, and I didn’t expect you to actually believe it. In fact, I’ve never even been to the Xuanwu Heaven, so where would I get this list? Look at how scared you are. Compare your face to this paper, which one is whiter?” I held the paper next to his face.

He slapped my hand away and said, “Since it’s fake, and it’s been proven that I haven’t been to Ziwei City, can this farce end now!”

“Not yet. Now I’m going to tell you that not only is the list from the Heavenly Immortal Brewery fake, but this record is also fake.” I took the scroll, turned it towards him, and recited it fluently, “Back then, when your father asked you how you were doing, you said: ‘In the last three years, I have been in Ziwei City of the Xuanwu Heaven, composing poetry and drinking wine, but rarely leaving the Heavenly Immortal Brewery. The only immortal I have the honor of befriending is Wenquxing, and I am truly ashamed of my immortal name.’“

“What...” My second sister stood up from the throne, stumbled, and almost fell off the steps.

Kai Xuanjun’s face turned paler than paper. He pointed at me, trembling, and said, “You, you’re playing with me...”

“Yes, I am playing with you. After only ten years, you’ve forgotten such an important thing. You’re as slow as an ox and as stupid as a pig. You still dare to cling to the imperial seal of Su Zhao.” I reached out to him, “Hand over the seal. Then kneel down to this little princess and die.”

Unexpectedly, Kai Xuanjun burst out laughing. “Hahahaha, Luo Wei, even if I did it, so what? Now that the imperial seal is in my hands, that means even your sister can’t touch a hair on my head. The victor becomes king, and the loser becomes a bandit. I want to see what you can do to me!”

“You, you...” My second sister pointed at him, furious, and spat out a mouthful of blood.

I quickly helped her to safety with others. When she was finally settled, Kai Xuanjun’s maniacal laughter still echoed. I couldn’t bear it anymore, clapped my hands twice, and called the chancellor. “In such a situation, what should this little princess do?”

The chancellor said, “If the Emperor of Su Zhao or the holder of the imperial seal commits a heinous crime, the former heir to the throne can challenge them by force and reclaim the imperial throne and the imperial seal.”

“Can what Kai Xuanjun has done be considered a heinous crime?”

“It can be considered extremely wicked.”

I said, “Kai Xuanjun, did you hear that?”

Kai Xuanjun laughed ferociously, “I’d love to. Ten years ago, I didn’t kill you personally, which was a mistake on my part, as it would have soiled my hands. But it’s not too late to kill you today.”

Then, with the support of the crowd, we went outside the Zi Chao Palace. I shouted loudly, “Kai Xuanjun has a demon in him, which can connect to a terrifying alien world. He must already be half a demon. When I force him to reveal his true form, he will no longer be the immortal we respect. At that time, you can personally tear him to pieces without fear of punishment from the Cangying God.”

Hearing the enthusiastic applause, Kai Xuanjun was furious. He clasped his hands together in front of his chest, extended his index finger, and a strong wind gushed out from the ground, lifting his hair. While his hair was still flying, the wind had already stirred up a pile of dirt and formed a sandstorm-like magic hand, which opened its five fingers and struck at me. I stretched out my arms, palms facing myself, and drew out a curtain of water, easily deflecting his attack. Then, I gently pushed out water ripples to retreat, and with my other hand pointed at him, summoning the Luo River to form ice pillars that fell from above his head. He immediately changed his spell to resist the attack, but he was a little slower, and his face was scratched by the ice pillar.

He stumbled back a few steps, wiped the blood off his face, looked up at the mountain, rolled up his sleeves, and flew up. Anticipating that he would attack from above, I followed him up and stood on the opposite mountain peak.

He sneered at me, and his robe fluttered like water in the wind. “I didn’t expect you to have some skills now, but you still haven’t learned your lesson. This is a blind spot of the Su Zhao clan, and there is no water source. Can you still control water?”

After saying that, he spread his arms, summoned a hurricane, and rolled up all the rocks on the surrounding mountains, directly towards my face. I also spread my arms, drew a semicircle in the air, used the defensive technique “Rivers Absorb Impurities”, drew out a large amount of water bullets, absorbed the rain-like rubble, and then clenched my fists. I saw that all the rubble was condensed into ice. Finally, I waved my hand, and they flew back along the original path, directly hitting Kai Xuanjun. Kai Xuanjun immediately pushed out more rubble, and with the help of his immortal power, it turned into two balls of light in the sky, one ochre and one ice blue, which collided with each other and caused a huge explosion.

At this moment, the mountains below were covered with rubble, and countless people scattered like birds and beasts. Kai Xuanjun was astonished, “How is that possible? Aren’t you from the Su Zhao clan? Why do you know immortal arts...”

“Then you should ask who my master is.” I launched a second wave of attacks at him.

We went back and forth like this, and we almost broke the mountain peak. At first, they were evenly matched, but Kai Xuanjun had been indulging in power and pleasure for many years, and his physical strength was far inferior to the disciples of the Cangying Gate who had been rigorously trained. After only a cup of tea, he flew away.

I took advantage of the victory and pursued him, using spells to restrict his whereabouts and knocking him to the ground outside Zi Chao Palace. I attacked frequently, but I saw his eyes turn red, and purple-black energy emerged from his palms, blocking my spells. Everyone was shocked.

“What was that just now... Is it a demon’s magic?”

“That’s right! Kai Xuanjun is colluding with the demons!”

“Kill that filthy thing! Kill him!”