Chapter 19 - 16: Fairy Servant Girl
Lu Changyuan closed his eyes, listening intently to the courtesan’s song. It sounded familiar, but he couldn’t quite recall where he’d heard it before.
Xia Lianxue thoughtfully took Lu Changyuan’s teacup away and said, "Sir, that courtesan is the Young Master of the Blood Demon Palace, Xue Yanluo."
Ever since he had taught her a sword technique that afternoon, Xia Lianxue’s attitude had become surprisingly solicitous. She bustled about like a little handmaiden.
’It seems even a Fairy is a horse that needs to be fed before it will run.’
"How do you know?"
Xia Lianxue was very patient. "In the Cultivation Realm today, the only one who has cultivated the Yin-Yang Dao to the brink of the Fifth Realm is probably the Young Master of the Blood Demon Palace. He’s quite famous for cultivating the Yin-Yang Dao instead of the Blood Dao."
Lu Changyuan suddenly commented, "The Blood Dao is simpler than the Yin-Yang Dao. The only problem is that it makes one vulnerable to the Desire Demon."
He turned his head to look at Xia Lianxue.
The fireworks in the sky cast a warm, yellow glow on the young woman’s lovely face. Her long, dense eyelashes fluttered as if they held starlight, and her clear, gentle eyes were like a pool of spring water, rippling softly.
The Fairy was wearing a simple dress today, without her veil. He could see that the skin on her neck was as translucent as jade—a beautiful sight.
Xia Lianxue grew a little shy under Lu Changyuan’s gaze and murmured, "Sir?"
"What Dao do you cultivate?"
"It used to be the Sword Dao."
Lu Changyuan opened his mouth but said nothing. Instead, he frowned and turned his head back to the shimmering surface of the lake. He had a bad feeling, as if something was about to happen.
The reflection of the moon floated on the lake’s surface.
The fragmented water couldn’t hold back the reflection of the vast, starry river above.
A loud shout came from somewhere.
"The Heavenly Repair Pill has appeared!"
Something seemed to trigger in Lu Changyuan’s vision, and a helpful note appeared.
[Time until the appearance of the Heavenly Repair Pill: Four Days Remaining]
~~~~~~~~~~
「One hour earlier.」
Inside a painted boat on the lake.
The Town Elder, pale-faced, dragged his severed arm to see Xue Yanluo.
Xue Yanluo was in the middle of drawing his eyebrows. Without even glancing back at the Town Elder, he simply asked, "How many did you kill?"
"I couldn’t kill Qiu Yuehan, but Xia Lianxue is most likely dead."
"Is that so?"
Xue Yanluo spoke in a steady, masculine voice. "If you truly killed Xia Lianxue, then we’ve come out ahead. I never expected you to kill both of them." He gave a cold laugh. "But how is it that I heard a young man was seen with Xia Lianxue at a noodle shop on the edge of town this morning?"
The Town Elder was incredulous. "How is that possible? How could that bitch Hanyi let Xia Lianxue live? She’s..."
Xue Yanluo raised a hand, and the Town Elder immediately fell silent, not daring to speak of Xia Lianxue further.
"Right, I was just about to report to you, Young Master. That young man is very strange. He clearly has no Power whatsoever, yet he gave me the feeling that I was facing death..."
"Not surprising."
Xue Yanluo picked up a sheet of lip paper, placed it between his lips, and pressed gently. His lips became startlingly red, as if stained with blood. "In the Cultivation Realm, the ones you can’t afford to provoke are those who appear to have no Realm at all, and old monsters who look like children."
Those were the words of the Chang’an Daoist from long ago.
And it was a sentiment both the Righteous and Demonic Dao deeply agreed with.
The Town Elder gritted his teeth. "Hanyi killed two of my men and severed my arm."
"If she didn’t kill two of our people, how could she prove she’s still a Righteous Immortal from Miao Yu Palace?" Xue Yanluo sneered. "As for your severed arm, if you’re not happy about it, go get revenge on her yourself in the future. What are you doing barking about it here?"
The Town Elder didn’t dare to talk back.
Because ever since this Young Master before him had crippled his own Blood Dao Cultivation to switch to the Yin-Yang Dao, he had become utterly capricious.
If he were to anger him, the Town Elder didn’t dare to imagine the consequences.
"After this matter is settled, don’t involve me in the Palace’s affairs again. As for the position of Young Master, just have my father pick any one of my thirty-something brothers and sisters to take it."
Seeing that Xue Yanluo was in a bad mood, the Town Elder quickly spoke up. "Young Master, we happened to find a girl with an exceptionally bitter Life Chart..."
Xue Yanluo paused, then gave him a sidelong glance. "Bring her to me tomorrow."
Someone entered the room, trembling with fear, and announced, "Young Master, the Second Prince has arrived."
"Go deal with your severed arm. Don’t play the victim in front of me. I might have need of you in a few days."
The Town Elder bowed his head in acknowledgment and slowly backed out, silently cursing Hanyi Master in his heart.
That bitch had not only injured his arm but had also left behind Sword Qi, preventing the wound from healing and causing it to throb with excruciating pain every night.
The Second Prince quickly walked in.
"Something’s happened."
"If something’s happened, then say it. Or do you expect me to ask you?"
The Second Prince blurted out, "My third sister is back, and she’s already entered the palace to see our father, the Emperor."
Xue Yanluo, however, wasn’t the least bit worried. "The First Disciple of the Compassionate Palace. She entered the Black Realm to cultivate as a child, and now she’s back with an unknown purpose. What are you panicking about? Is she close with your older brother?"
How could the Second Prince not panic? "No, my third sister... she’s been emotionally distant since childhood. Even my older brother rarely ever saw her."
"If she doesn’t support your older brother, then why are you in such a hurry?" Xue Yanluo scoffed. "You haven’t even confirmed that the Emperor is dead, yet you’re already this anxious?"
The Second Prince paused. "He’s most likely gone. Our father, the Emperor, was already gravely ill, and then there was the backlash from the disturbance in the Dragon Vein. Besides, he hasn’t attended court for several days. What I’m afraid of is that my third sister has returned at this specific time because she has designs on the throne herself. She wants to become the Empress!"
Xue Yanluo couldn’t even be bothered to spare another glance at the Second Prince, whose mind was filled with nothing but the throne. "Her status as the First Disciple of the Compassionate Palace is far more important than the throne of your Glazed Dynasty. She probably came back for the Heavenly Repair Pill, too."
One who has not stepped onto the Immortal Dao cannot know the true weight of the Nine Gates and Twelve Palaces, nor can they grasp the immense Power of the Black Realm Compassionate Palace.
And the Second Prince could never possibly imagine just how important Su Youwan was as the First Disciple of the Compassionate Palace.
The Second Prince was so anxious he stomped his foot. "If I had known, I would have spread a different rumor! Luring her back will make the situation uncontrollable."
"You came to conspire with my Blood Demon Palace to take advantage of the Crown Prince’s absence, create Chaos, and seize the throne. What made you think any of this was controllable?"
"You’re the ones who came to me! I never intended to fight my older brother for the throne!"
Xue Yanluo had no desire to argue about it. "If you’re truly afraid that one delay will lead to another, then we make our move tonight."
This was precisely what the Second Prince had wanted. Seeing Xue Yanluo agree, he was naturally overjoyed.
But he still asked uncertainly, "Can’t we move any faster?"
Xue Yanluo waved his hand dismissively. "The formation isn’t complete. The Dynasty’s Dragon Vein hasn’t been sealed off yet. It’s useless to rush."
The Second Prince prepared to leave, but just as he was about to, he suddenly blurted out, "The Heavenly Repair Pill is just a fabrication. It doesn’t actually exist, right?"
His only answer was the sight of Xue Yanluo’s silent back.
’He no longer had a choice.’
’From the moment the Blood Demon Palace found him and he’d agreed in a moment of rashness, the throne was something he had to fight for, whether he wanted to or not.’
Xue Yanluo slowly rose to his feet. He bowed, dotted the center of his brow with a touch of red, opened his mouth, and began to sing.
"The fine zither’s strings are broken.
The green lamp is extinguished.
The romance I embrace is no friend.
Drink dry the rivers, but care not for sorrow.
I envy the ethereal guest who ascends to immortality.
Do not, do not, do not."