Chapter 79
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After a moment, the general walked out of the palace. He walked directly to Pei Yunshu, showing a somewhat helpless expression on his face. “Immortal Master, please forgive me for not being able to escort you back to your residence. Changque has important matters to attend to, and I have already sent someone to wait outside the palace. Immortal Master can follow them back.”
Pei Yunshu frowned slightly.
He just frowned, and the general compromised, “Forget it, Immortal Master, feel free to go. The night is getting deeper, and the dew is heavy. I hope Immortal Master can return to the residence early and rest.”
With such a humble attitude, the guards beside him also looked shocked. They quickly lowered their heads, not daring to reveal anything.
Pei Yunshu was about to speak when another palace servant came from the hall, inviting Pei Yunshu and Zhuyou into the palace.
As they entered the palace, they saw the Emperor getting up from the bed. The hall was now empty, and when the Emperor saw them coming in, he opened a mechanism, revealing a secret passage under the bed.
The Emperor whispered, “Please follow me, two Immortal Masters.”
He now seemed exceptionally polite, as if he hadn’t just scolded them with the word “fool” in the hot spring. If he wasn’t the earthly Emperor and if it wasn’t Pei Yunshu in front of him, he might have been killed in anger.
Pei Yunshu and Zhuyou followed him down the secret passage. At the end of the passage was a not-too-big secret room. Surprisingly, there was a monk sitting inside, chanting scriptures.
The monk looked particularly familiar. When he heard footsteps from outside, he opened his eyes, showing both surprise and joy. “It turns out to be two fellow Daoists!”
This person was the abbot of the Yinyuan Temple that Pei Yunshu and others passed by when they went to the demon ghost market. It was with the help of this abbot that Pei Yunshu learned about the existence of Emotion Bound Gu inside him.
“Abbot,” meeting an old acquaintance was indeed a happy occasion. Pei Yunshu walked forward with a smile, “It has been a long time since I last saw the abbot.”
“It has been a long time indeed. Daoist friend’s cultivation has also advanced, making this old monk unable to see through it anymore,” the monk smiled and said, “With Daoist friend’s help, I believe His Majesty can rest assured now.”
Zhuyou frowned. He looked at the monk with an unfriendly expression. Encountering someone his dad knew but he didn’t made him extremely displeased.
Under his gaze, the old abbot trembled and forced a smile, saying, “Young Daoist friend is as imposing as he was back then. I just don’t know for what reason, why have you become smaller? Did you encounter any problems that caused this change?”
“Back then?” Zhuyou squinted slightly, looking at Pei Yunshu, “Dad, is he talking about Dragon Father?”
“Dragon Father?” The old abbot was shocked, “So the flood dragon actually transformed into a dragon? Daoist Pei actually has a child with him?!”
He quickly widened his eyes, carefully examining Zhuyou, becoming more and more shocked, “This, this child looks so much like his father!”
“…” Pei Yunshu was speechless. “Abbot, please don’t misunderstand…”
He wanted to say that he had no relationship with that dragon, and they weren’t familiar at all. He also wanted to say that there was no such thing as “Dragon Son” or “Dragon Father,” but he couldn’t say any of it.
All he could do was express his embarrassment and awkwardly explain.
The old abbot had misunderstood, nodding knowingly, “Daoist friend Pei, rest assured, this old monk is not someone who talks too much.”
Zhuyou was thinking deeply on the side.
So, is he so similar to Dragon Father?
A terrifying thought suddenly arose in his heart.
After they finished talking, the Emperor stepped forward and bowed deeply to Pei Yunshu, “I offended Immortal Master just now. Please don’t take it to heart.”
Pei Yunshu shook his head and asked, “Why did you act so foolishly and pretend to be crazy? What’s the reason?”
Earthly emperors are known for their wisdom and reputation, beloved by the people. Although they are human emperors, the aura of a true dragon within them is powerful. With such widespread support, the “dragon aura” becomes even more formidable, capable of shaking off some insignificant demonic forces. There should be no need to act foolishly and pretend to be crazy.
The Emperor straightened up, his deep eyes reflecting the candlelight, revealing a gloomy and murderous intent. The face that looked extremely fierce and distressed in the spring now displayed extraordinary majesty.
“I had to act foolishly and pretend to be crazy, engaging in such ugly behavior.”
The Emperor lowered his voice, “I can feel that something is spying on my body.”
***
The Emperor meant that he felt someone was trying to possess his body.
“Two years ago, I already sensed that something was wrong,” the Emperor said, “I often got lost in dreams, mistakenly believing that the dream was real. Once, I even slept for a full fifteen days in the dream, causing chaos in the world.”
“After that, I was doubtful, so I privately investigated many temples and finally learned a bit of the reason from this abbot.”
The old abbot sighed, “I brought monks from the temple to chant scriptures for His Majesty for three days and nights. Then, I unexpectedly saw a few strands of demonic energy inside His Majesty’s body!”
“Thick, black demonic energy like fog!” The old abbot still couldn’t believe it when talking about it, “If it weren’t for the protection of His Majesty’s true energy, the demonic energy would have already occupied his body!”
Pei Yunshu’s expression turned cold. He asked, “Is it the demonic energy attached to a ring?”
He didn’t forget that when he saw Zhuyou in the underwater palace, the ring was trying to take over Zhuyou’s body. When he first encountered that dark shadow, it was in the dream of the Dragon’s Secret Realm, and the demonic energy in the dream was exactly the same as that dark shadow.
The Emperor was stunned, then suddenly realized, muttering to himself, “Ring?”
The old abbot continued, “I couldn’t remove the demonic energy deeply embedded in His Majesty’s body. I could only temporarily suppress it and slowly eliminate it. His Majesty doesn’t know where this demonic energy came from but always feels someone is secretly spying. He doesn’t dare to reveal the truth and can only act foolishly and erratically. This not only prevents the person spying from suspecting but also hopes to make the creature that wants to possess His Majesty’s body disgusted with it.”
“Demonic Creatures have really high standards,” Zhuyou commented.
Regardless of other things, the physique and appearance of the earthly emperor were indeed top-notch.
Their standards were truly picky. Pei Yunshu thought to himself, even your body has caught their eyes. Based on his words, it seemed like they were also interested in the Venerable Wuwang.
One was a powerful figure in the cultivation world, and the other was the Emperor of the human realm. Zhuyou was about to transform into a dragon. The dark shadow wanted to possess one of them or even split himself into three parts. What exactly were its intentions?
Pei Yunshu exhaled a breath, focusing, and asked, “Has the Emperor remembered whether he had contact with a ring?”
The Emperor’s expression became somewhat subtle. He raised his hand under the candlelight, showing clean hands without any accessories.
“In a dream…” he said uncertainly, “It seems like there was a ring in the dream.”
The old abbot asked, “Friend Pei, is there anything peculiar about that ring?”
“The ring contains demonic energy, black like living water,” Pei Yunshu said, “Due to the Emperor having true energy to protect his body, the ring probably only appears in dreams.”
After pondering for a while, he continued, “The abbot can see the demonic energy inside the Emperor’s body. That should mean that the demonic energy has already soaked into his soul.”
The expressions of the abbot and the Emperor became ugly.
Pei Yunshu touched his storage bag, “If it’s possible to enter the Emperor’s dream, there is a chance to destroy the ring. After that, removing the demonic energy won’t be a problem.”
The Emperor’s expression suddenly brightened, then dimmed again, “Entering the dream, can you really do that?”
Pei Yunshu glanced at Zhuyou. Zhuyou’s illusion was almost indistinguishable from reality. If he still remembered how to use illusions, he should be able to take them into dreams. However, Zhuyou had not yet recovered, and Pei Yunshu was unsure if he still could.
He asked without much hope, “Can Yunjiao do it?”
Looking at Pei Yunshu’s hopeful eyes, how could Zhuyou say no?
He nodded, “Give me two days.”
Instinctively, he believed that entering dreams was not difficult for him, but when it came to his dad, he needed to be cautious.
***
The general arrived at the restaurant as agreed. Some children of the privileged class quickly stood up and greeted the general.
Sitting by the window, the general accepted the drink handed respectfully by the person next to him, gazing absentmindedly at the scenery outside.
The privileged youth across from him exchanged glances, and not long after, a delicately featured and neat-looking beauty walked in.
This beauty had a flat chest but had a feminine appearance. Upon realizing that so many people were looking at him, his cheeks blushed, and his beautiful eyes shyly avoided the gaze, as if a delicate flower in the mountains after a gentle rain.
Someone quickly pushed the young man next to the general and said pleasingly, “General, this is the son of the Ministry of Personnel. He is extremely beautiful and has even played the role of Guanyin many times during temple fairs, even more beautiful than immortals.”
The general heard this and grasped the young man’s chin, squinting as he observed him.
The young man blushed like stars, his eyes filled with shyness and affection. Trembling, he said, “General…”
“More beautiful than immortals?”
The general murmured to himself, released the young man, and drank the offered drink in one gulp. “I have a real immortal by my side. What use do I have for a fake Guanyin?”
In the spilled drinks on the table, ambitious eyes were reflected.
Being able to keep a real immortal by his side was truly a great thing to celebrate.
***
For Zhuyou, creating illusions was almost instinctual.
Naturally, he could dictate what appeared in his dreams.
From this, Zhuyou came up with a bold idea.
Two days later, at the agreed time for entering the dream, the Emperor laid properly on the bed, ready to enter the dreamland. The old abbot protected him at his side, chanting sutras to suppress the demonic energy inside the Emperor.
Pei Yunshu and Zhuyou were not present.
The Emperor’s face was calm. The old abbot stopped chanting, reassuring, “Your Majesty, rest assured. The two immortal friends have profound cultivation and will surely protect Your Majesty well.”
The Emperor shook his head, “I’m just thinking, did my Grand General participate in this matter?”
The old abbot said, “Demonic energy belongs to demonic creatures, and the Grand General is a living person. He can’t use such methods.”
“Hearing that the two immortal friends are still staying at the Grand General’s mansion,” the Emperor suddenly changed the topic, “I actually forgot about this matter. I should have invited the two immortal friends to stay in the palace so that I can devote more energy.”
The old abbot comforted, “Wait until Your Majesty’s body is rid of the demonic energy, then it won’t be too late to repay the two immortal friends. At that time, Your Majesty won’t need to act foolishly and erratically.”
The Emperor nodded and closed his eyes.
***
In the dream, darkness receded, and brightness became dazzling.
When Pei Yunshu opened his eyes, two maids were combing his hair behind him. The figure in the bronze mirror was blurred, and Pei Yunshu stayed stunned for a moment before remembering that this was inside a dream.
What kind of dream was this?
The maids finished combing his hair and said, “Madam, please go. The Master has been waiting for a while.”
Pei Yunshu followed the maids outside and, after a while, arrived at a martial arts training ground.
There were many people sweating profusely, practicing martial arts, and quite a few had even discarded their clothing, exposing their upper bodies, steam rising from their heated bodies.
The maids left Pei Yunshu at the training ground, and he looked around. In the shadow on the east side, he noticed someone sitting in a chair, overseeing the training. As he approached, he realized that the person in the chair bore a striking resemblance to Zhuyou.
“Madam,” the person acknowledged him with a serious nod, motioning for someone from the training ground to come down, “since you just entered the mansion yesterday and haven’t met my son, this is my son.”
Someone from the training ground threw down their weapon, swiftly put on an outer garment, and walked over, calling, “Father.”
The person in the chair nodded, “Haven’t you paid your respects to your mother yet?”
Pei Yunshu looked at Zhuyou with an expressionless face.
Zhuyou insolently glanced up and down at Pei Yunshu, speaking as if with sarcasm, “Stepmother.”
He hadn’t tied his clothes, his chest exposed, and in the dream, he appeared taller and more muscular than Pei Yunshu. As he approached Pei Yunshu, he looked at him like a wild beast, “Father has a good eye; Stepmother is truly beautiful.”
The person in the chair mildly reprimanded, “Show more respect to your mother.”
After that, he said, “I have some business and need to go out for a month. I entrust the family to you.”
“Father, rest assured,” Zhuyou raised the corner of his mouth intentionally, saying, “I’ll take good care of Stepmother.”
The person in the chair left neatly.
Pei Yunshu said, “Zhuyou, you’re acting reckl—”
Zhuyou approached and covered Pei Yunshu’s lips. Pei Yunshu blinked in surprise, unable to believe his well-behaved son was acting so unruly in the dream.
“Stepmothere calling me by my name,” Zhuyou feigned displeasure, wrinkling his brows. He grabbed Pei Yunshu’s wrist, pulling him towards the training ground, “I want to teach Stepmother a lesson.”
Pei Yunshu stumbled along. When they reached the training ground, those who were practicing had put down their weapons, enjoying the spectacle with laughter.
“How will Young Marquis teach the new Madam?”
“The new Madam’s face might turn pale, and she might even run out of the Marquis’s residence to seek refuge at her maiden home.”
Zhuyou let go of Pei Yunshu, tossing a sword to him.
He looked Pei Yunshu up and down, disdainfully laughing, “Can you even wield a sword?”
Laughter echoed from the onlookers.
Pei Yunshu was angered, tightly gripping the sword in his hand, planning to take the opportunity to teach Zhuyou a lesson and make him understand what it means to respect elders and virtuous ones!
“After I’m done with you, don’t cry,” Pei Yunshu swung the sword.
Zhuyou sneered, walking forward on his own, moving slowly, clearly not intending to fight but rather to play with him.
Pei Yunshu forcefully struck him on the back with the flat of the sword, using all his strength and showing no mercy.
To his surprise, Zhuyou directly withstood the blow, reaching out to touch Pei Yunshu’s hand, from the wrist bone to the fingertips, teasingly saying, “Stepmother’s hands are so pleasant to touch.”
In an instant, the distance vanished, and abruptly, Zhuyou pushed him onto a large red drum on the side of the training ground, creating a dull drum sound.
Zhuyou pressed close, his hot breath and scorching sweat sticking to Pei Yunshu, as he relentlessly pressed against him, soaking his clothes.
Zhuyou’s hands were on both sides of Pei Yunshu’s head, lowering his head to look at him. Pei Yunshu said, “Get up.”
“Do you still dare not to call me by my name?” Zhuyou asked.
Pei Yunshu was furious. He couldn’t control the dream; every time he tried to cast a spell, it disappeared midway.
He had to reason with Zhuyou, “Is this how you treat your father?”
Zhuyou’s eyes were full of defiance. Squinting, he said, “How can you be my father? You’re my stepmother.”
He lowered his head, whispering insults into Pei Yunshu’s ear with a mocking tone, “The stepmother who just entered the Marquis’s residence yesterday. I dragged my father to the brothel last night, letting you sit alone all night. How does it feel to be alone at night? Do you miss a man?”
Pei Yunshu’s face turned as dark as ink.
Zhuyou was extremely insolent. He had been practicing martial arts for who knows how long, and he still carried the scent of sweat. The heat made Pei Yunshu’s temples start to sweat.
“Which man can be more manly than me? Just now, watching me take off my outer garment to practice martial arts, did you become fascinated by me?” Zhuyou said with a smirk.
Pei Yunshu wanted to murder his son.
“Did you hear that?” Zhuyou said, “Your status in the mansion is low. Now that Father is gone, you can only listen to me. And the first rule is not to call me by my name directly.”
“What should I call you then?” Pei Yunshu sarcastically remarked, “Young Marquis?”
Surprisingly, Zhuyou nodded. He said, “Stepmother can indeed be taught.”
Pei Yunshu couldn’t take it anymore. Just as he was about to wake up this rebellious son, Zhuyou tightened his grip on his hand, frowning, looking at Pei Yunshu without any worry.
“Seducing Father isn’t enough, you actually come to seduce me,” Zhuyou’s face turned serious. He used his leg to pin down Pei Yunshu’s foot, making him unable to move, and even bumped into Pei Yunshu, “Not satisfied with seducing me, you’re also seducing the young Marquis on my body.”
Something scorching brushed against Pei Yunshu. Initially, he hadn’t realized what it was, but when he came to his senses, his face changed, looking extremely ugly. He took a deep breath several times before gritting his teeth and speaking, “Rebellious son.”
Zhuyou carelessly laughed, glancing at Pei Yunshu. His eyes flashed, and he lowered his head, almost pressing his lips against Pei Yunshu’s.
“Big?”
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