Chapter 77 Let's talk about your business first.

The old ancestor was determined to die.

Why do you care about these things?

Di Jiang did not directly address Xue Ciyi's question.

Xue Ciyi paused slightly, but did not answer Di Jiang's question.

Di Jiang looked at Xue Ciyi for a while and asked, "What are you planning?"

He knew Xue Ciyi well and knew that he wasn't the type to meddle in other people's business. The fact that he was so concerned about Xue Ciyi's relationship with Duan Jiuyou meant that he couldn't possibly be trying to arrange a marriage for him.

Xue Ciyi turned his gaze to the wolf cub and changed the subject, saying, "I didn't have any plans. Just leave the wolf cub here, I'll take you out first."

Di Jiang remained seated and said, "Tell me about your matter first."

He must be hiding something from him, something related to Duan Jiuyou, and also closely related to the depth of their relationship.

...

at the same time.

Bai Yanxing, who was in the main hall, opened his eyes without warning. He had trouble sleeping and often woke up in the middle of the night. The affairs of the Heavenly Realm were so busy that he had no time to rest even in his dreams.

A pot of cold tea was left on the table. Bai Yanxing walked over to the table and poured himself a cup. He didn't keep any immortal servants here at night; once he woke up, he would serve himself.

The moon was bright tonight, and I was no longer sleepy. I glanced at the side hall and, for some reason, suddenly wanted to go there to see the wolf cubs.

The two halls were not far apart. Bai Yanxing strolled leisurely, pushed open the hall door, and stepped into the corridor leading to the side hall.

...

This is the side hall.

Xue Ciyi grew anxious under Di Jiang's gaze: "What could I possibly be hiding from you? I was just curious about your relationship with Duan Jiuyou and asked casually. You'd better come out with me right now. Bai Yanxing has trouble sleeping, just like you. He has this habit of wandering around aimlessly after waking up. If he suddenly decides to come to the side hall, you won't be able to leave even if you want to!"

"What are you yelling about?" Di Jiang said calmly.

His uncle's habit of yelling at people when he gets anxious was something he had even when he was young. It's true what they say, you can't be too familiar with someone; once you are, any slip-up will be noticed immediately.

"When did I yell?" Xue Ciyi denied it.

“You’re yelling right now,” Di Jiang said.

"I'm just worried about your safety if you stay here too long. Officially, you are my lord, and personally, you are my nephew. How could I, as your uncle, harm you?!"

Xue Ciyi paced back and forth in front of Di Jiang a few times, then dragged Di Jiang off the bed by the arm. Knowing that he couldn't hide it any longer, he compromised and said, "I'll tell you on the way, okay?"

The two walked towards the door one after the other. After only a few steps, Di Jiang suddenly stared at the palace gate and slowed down.

Someone walked slowly towards the palace. Although Xue Ciyi was not as perceptive as Di Jiang, he heard the voice in the next instant.

The uncle and nephew were originally in front of Di Jiang and behind Xue Ciyi. Upon hearing the footsteps, Xue Ciyi quickly stepped in front of Di Jiang.

He couldn't help but complain, "I told you he likes to wander around at night, but you wouldn't listen!"

The only people who would come to the side hall at this hour, besides the ever-concerned Liu Shi himself, are Bai Yanxing.

Di Jiang didn't take it to heart: "He's here, so just chat with him for a while."

The two figures silently overlapped, and Xue Ciyi knew that Di Jiang had already disappeared behind him.

At that moment, Bai Yanxing pushed open the door of the side hall, and the moonlight shone in through the open door, illuminating Xue Ciyi, who was standing facing the light, clearly.

Xue Ciyi remained calm, bowed and addressed the Emperor, and as the door opened, he transformed back into Liu Shi, the Heavenly Official in charge of internal affairs.

The moonlight cast a long shadow of "Liu Shi". Bai Yanxing glanced at him and closed the door.

Aren't you going to sleep?

He was not surprised to see Liu Shi in the side hall.

To be honest, we have to thank the real Liu Shi for this. He was a worrier and often came to Bai Yanxing's place in the middle of the night. Sometimes he was worried that the cold tea in Bai Yanxing's room had been refilled, and sometimes he suspected that the door to the side hall was not closed properly. After Xue Ciyi became Liu Shi, he naturally continued this habit. He also often came when Xiao Siji lived in the side hall. The child liked to kick off her blankets, and Xue Ciyi would often come over in the middle of the night to cover her up.

"What's the matter this time?" Bai Yanxing asked as he approached "Liu Shi".

Liu Shi looked distressed. "Your Majesty, I've gotten so used to taking care of Siji that I forgot the child had been sent to the Earthly Rest Mountain. I was worried she'd kick off the covers at night, so..."

Liu Shi sighed, his brows furrowed with disappointment.

He has been taking care of that child for some time now, and everyone in the palace knows that he loves all four seasons.

Bai Yanxing also sighed, "I heard that the rain in Dixi Mountain has not stopped, and Jiuyou has not yet set off for the Twelfth Heaven."

Liu Shi sighed, "The priest is good at fighting, but he's no good at coaxing children." He then asked Bai Yanxing, "Is Your Majesty feeling sleepy again? Shall I escort you back and light some calming incense for you?"

Bai Yanxing agreed verbally, but his feet moved toward the bed.

He came here specifically to see the wolves, and Liu Shi wanted to send him back to the palace, but he would have to wait until he had finished watching them.

Bai Yanxing had been observing the wolf cub closely. A wolf's appearance could change, but its aura could not. As he lifted the tent flap, he asked Liu Shi, "Do you think this wolf cub is the same one as before?"

Liu Shi was secretly startled, unsure whether he was testing him or had sensed something. He feigned ignorance and asked, "Are you saying that there are two identical wolf cubs in the Heavenly Realm?"

“How can wolf cubs be exactly the same? There are no two things in this world that are exactly the same. There are only similarities, disguises, and substitutions.”

Bai Yanxing sat down by the bed. The young wolf had woken up at some point and was looking at him with its usual indifferent gaze. It was still the same annoying wolf.

Bai Yanxing always felt that its demeanor was very similar to Di Jiang's, and it was precisely because of this that he tried to probe it several times.

The white light shone from between Bai Yanxing's fingers.

He wanted to test if its aura was the same as before, so he placed his fingers on the wolf cub's head but looked in the direction of Liu Shi.

Liu Shi bowed his head, assuming a waiting posture, his expression unchanged.

Bai Yanxing was extremely suspicious; no one could be completely trusted by him. "Liu Shi" knew he couldn't react in any way, even though he knew the young wolf's aura was different from Di Jiang's, and Bai Yanxing could easily tell the difference with a single probe. If the aura was off, Bai Yanxing would definitely suspect him first.

Bai Yanxing has always been suspicious of those around him, not just him, but all the close servants and retainers of the Dragon Clan.

This investigation might be to find the wolf cubs, or it might be to investigate Liu's "power".

This is not a bad habit for a monarch in a high position, especially since Bai Yanxing's father, Bai Tianji, was murdered by his close advisors, which directly led to questions about Bai Yanxing's habits.

Di Jiang also has a habit of questioning, but he is different from Bai Yanxing. He will directly take action to eliminate those who make him uneasy. He is more decisive than Bai Yanxing and leaves no way out for others.

In comparison, this Tiansheng monarch was far too kind.

"Let's go back."

Bai Yanxing got up but did not actually investigate the wolf cub's aura.

Liu Shi secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself, "This kid was indeed testing me!"

Bai Yanxing lowered the bed curtains, and the master and servant stepped out of the side hall.

As they passed the corridor, Bai Yanxing pointed to a peeling pillar and instructed Liu Shi to have it repaired.

Liu Shi nodded in agreement, somewhat understanding Bai Yanxing's predicament.

When the Heavenly Palace was handed over to him, it was already riddled with holes. The treasures in the national treasury had been used to build palaces for the court officials, while his own residence, the Hall of Diligent Governance, was as dilapidated as an old garment, requiring constant repairs.

After entering the main hall, Liu Shi skillfully lit a calming incense for Bai Yanxing, and Bai Yanxing fell asleep again.

Liu Shi left the palace, closed the door, and returned to the previous corridor. He remembered the missing color on the pillar, picked up a piece of the flaked lacquer, put it into a handkerchief, folded it carefully, and then stepped out of the palace and walked towards the Heavenly Official Pavilion where he lived.

This was not Liu Shi's final destination. He entered through the main gate and exited through the back gate. Under the moonlight, his "shadow" appeared, growing longer and longer until it finally transformed into a slender figure. It was none other than Di Jiang, who had just become his shadow in the side hall.

The uncle and nephew didn't stop, and in a flash, they landed on Mount Dixi.

A torrential rain was falling on the mountain. Emperor Jiang briefly discerned the directions of the four seasons, then with a wave of his sleeve, sent the primordial spirits of the four seasons flying back.

The rain gradually subsided, as if the seasons had regained their spirits but had not yet fully recovered. Slowly, calm returned, probably because they had fallen asleep after crying so hard earlier.

The rain stopped, and Di Jiang stepped into the courtyard. Instead of heading towards the main hall where Duan Jiuyou was, he sat down in a stone pavilion in the courtyard and looked at "Liu Shi," who was eager to go back, and said, "Finish what you were saying before."

He still remembers what happened earlier.

Liu Shi frowned at him, sighed, and reverted to Xue Ciyi's original face.

He sat down opposite him, his face etched with worry: "You probably don't want to hear this."

"If I didn't want to listen, why would I waste this time with you?" Di Jiang glanced at Xue Ciyi.

Xue Ciyi cursed inwardly: What a rebellious son! This kid always looks at his good-for-nothing subordinates with this kind of gaze, clearly telling him to shut up and speak up!

Xue Ciyi had no choice but to steel himself and say to Di Jiang, "Back then, when Duan Jiuyou shattered your primordial spirit, you were supposed to die. It was only because I used the Heavenly Origin Shield Armor left to me by your mother that I was able to save your life. There is no such thing as a preordained master in the Heavenly and Human Realms. Duan Jiuyou was deceived by what Little Master Huang said."

"She was determined to die, and even after serving ten emperors in succession, she still couldn't end her divine life. Seeing how deeply she was obsessed, I seized the opportunity and led people to Fuyu Mountain to bribe Master Huang in advance. I fabricated the opportunity of becoming the chosen one and lured her to the Ten Realms to find you. My purpose was to get Duan Jiuyou and the Great Qi Ao Sect behind her to help you reclaim the Heavenly Realm."

“But I was also afraid that she would turn against me halfway through, so I kept sending people to monitor Ao Zong. Later, when I heard that you two were close, I felt more at ease. Even if she finds out the truth in the future, she will still remember your old relationship with her.”