Chapter 132

Ling Wu did not respond directly, but said slowly, "Not only that, besides the Book of Yin and Yang, there are also treasures from the human and demon realms."

"The demon realm?" Gu Dao paused for a moment, then leaned back comfortably in his chair. "Xiao Wu has returned from her trip to the human world and has become more talkative."

"It was only after going to the human world that I was able to collect the treasure of the demon realm."

Ling Wu's tightly clenched hand revealed a hint of the aura of a supreme treasure from the demon realm. She raised it slightly before continuing:

"The Emperor Father sent Lu Xuan to the mortal realm for this very reason, didn't he?"

A ripple appeared in Gu Dao's eyes. He curled his lips into a smile, his handsome face softening. "Yes, Xiao Wu's guess is correct."

"Then why didn't you tell Lu Xuanzhi the truth, instead of just letting him come into contact with the woman carrying the treasure and then killing her? You didn't even tell him the woman's true identity?"

Ling Wu blinked, as if a child were asking an adult a simple, ordinary question.

Gu Dao lowered his eyes, and after a long while, he sighed softly, "I originally thought that since Xuanzhi was so sought after by the fairies in the Immortal Realm, he would be no match for a mere mortal after descending to the mortal world. He should be able to easily make that woman willingly hand over her treasure. But who would have thought that he would misunderstand?"

Lingwu remained silent.

Whether Lu Xuanzhi misunderstood or deliberately misled him, remains to be seen.

Now it's all up to him to say it.

Ling Wu didn't dwell on it. "It will take a long time for them to finish their punishments. Would Father Emperor be willing to play another game of chess with me? This time..."

Ling Wu shook her hand, which was exuding the aura of a priceless treasure. "This time, let's use this as a bargaining chip. Is Father Emperor willing?"

The ancient Taoist's eyes were unfathomable, and his voice, devoid of any kindness, was filled with the seriousness of a negotiator: "Then, Immortal Venerable, what kind of wager do you want from me?"

Hearing him address her as "Immortal Venerable" so distantly, Ling Wu didn't take it to heart. "Before Xiao Wu returned to the Immortal Realm, she went to the Demon Realm..."

"Oh?" Gu Dao's hand, which was resting on the table, tapped idly.

"The Demon Realm's most precious treasure should be with the Emperor Father," Ling Wu stated confidently without asking any questions.

As expected, a look of surprise flashed across Gu Dao's face, followed by a widening smile.

"As expected of the Enforcement Immortal Venerable." His tone was indifferent, but upon closer listening, one could detect a hint of pride in Ling Wu.

This was the little girl he had raised himself.

After a moment, he slightly curled his lips and said, "It's not very meaningful to just suppress one treasure. Why don't you add the Book of Yin and Yang to the list as well, Xiao Wu?"

"And what about the Emperor Father?"

"The immortal treasures I still possess are the very foundation of the immortal realm, and cannot be bet on." He paused slightly. "I will bet on one demonic treasure, and the other... whatever Xiao Wu wants to know, I will tell you without reservation."

Lingwu thought to herself that he was cunning and calculating, but the stakes Gu Dao had placed were indeed very tempting.

Lingwu sat down and calmly put the gold bracelet back on her wrist.

Luo Suyi, inside the golden bracelet, swung on a swing, her delicate and pretty face serene, the aura of the demon realm's supreme treasure emanating from her body withdrawn.

"It's terrifying to think about," she murmured, then got off the swing and set up a chessboard.

He simply sat cross-legged, holding a chess piece in one hand, but did not make a move for a long time.

She lowered her eyes in thought, "Just how difficult is it to go from a chess piece to the player who wields the chess pieces?"

Meanwhile, outside, black and white chess pieces are engaged in a game of chess.

As the black pieces gained momentum, the player holding the black pieces gradually relaxed and began to attack more aggressively, until finally almost completely eliminating the white pieces.

Unfortunately, although the white pieces showed signs of defeat, the outcome was already decided because the black pieces were unprepared for their own moves.

"The Emperor has lost again," Ling Wu said calmly.

Gu Dao gazed at the few chess pieces closest to him, then looked up after a moment, saying, "Things sometimes go as one wishes, and sometimes they don't."

Lingwu placed the black pieces into the chess basket. "That depends on who that person is and whether the matter is in accordance with Heaven's will."

“If you insist…” Ling Wu paused, finishing collecting all the black pieces before saying:

"It cannot be forced."

Gu Dao stared at the chessboard with only white pieces, then closed his eyes to rest.

He said in a low, hoarse voice, "To become an immortal is to defy the heavens."

With a wave of her hand, Ling Wu caused the chessboard and pieces to disappear.

"Whether I am going against the will of Heaven or man is calculating the will of Heaven, I only know that the Immortal Realm has its own rules and laws, and the operation of the Six Realms also needs to follow the rules of Heaven."

Gu Dao shook his head, and after a while took out a black jade thumb ring to examine it. "A treasure of the Demon Realm, capable of severing the seven emotions and desires of the six realms, love, hate and grudges."

After saying that, he placed it on the table and pushed it toward Ling Wu.

Seeing his decisiveness, Lingwu picked it up through the handkerchief. She only put the handkerchief away when the Book of Yin and Yang appeared on the black jade thumb ring, which made her even more excited.

She sighed softly, "In that case, this precious medicine does have some of the effects of Meng Po's soup."

"The Soup of Oblivion?" He seemed to remember something before saying, "Perhaps, but I haven't had a chance to use this treasure yet."

When the topic of Meng Po's soup and the marriage tree came up, he once used half a pot of Meng Po's soup to make Yueying forget everything from that day.

Ling Wu didn't say anything more, but asked, "Does the Emperor Father know why the Demon Lord came to the Immortal Realm more than five hundred years ago?"

"He discovered the strangeness of the Marriage Tree and wanted to use this treasure to restore it to its original state," Gu Dao answered without recalling, clearly remembering it very well.

He wouldn't say anything unless Ling Wu asked.

Seeing his reaction, Lingwu understood his meaning and asked, "Is the strangeness of the marriage tree related to you?"

This time, Gu Dao's gaze fell on the swirling snowflakes, and after a long while, he nodded and said, "Mm."

Why did you do this?

“Otherwise, how can we easily acquire the treasures of the other six realms? The six realms have been in balance for a long time. Only this way, and only this way, is the most conservative and has the highest success rate. Beings that have lost their minds are the easiest to control.” He spoke in a nonchalant tone, as if he were talking about something mundane.

Lingwu turned the gold bracelet.

"What does the Emperor intend to do with these treasures?"

Gu Dao suddenly looked up, his deep eyes seeming to pierce through everything and reach the depths of her soul. "Didn't Xiao Wu already know?"

Ling Wu raised an eyebrow. "You want to become a god?"

"Indeed," Gu Dao readily admitted. "Xiao Wu, don't forget, everything in this world is subject to reincarnation, even immortals have a lifespan, only gods can live forever. Moreover..."

As if remembering something, he stared at the sky outside the wide-open door, looking down at it like an ant, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

"The world is vast, not as you think, Xiaowu." His words seemed to have a hidden meaning.

Lingwu knew what he meant, but she did not refute him. Instead, she asked, "Have you ever thought about the consequences of the Marriage Tree going out of control in the Six Realms? No one can control those consequences."

The ancient path seemed incomprehensible: "This emperor is going to become a god, why should I care about the six realms?"

Only now did he recklessly reveal what was on his mind.

The Heavenly Emperor, who cared deeply for all under Heaven, disregarded the common people due to his own selfish desires, attempting to exchange the lives of all beings in the Six Realms for his own path to godhood.

Ling Wu stood up, her gentle expression gone. "Then Father Emperor may be disappointed."