Chapter 31 Brother-in-law "Let me see Luo Luo."
What caused such a loss of composure?
Mu Meng called someone in, and after a quick glance, recognized him as her father's personal attendant: "What happened? Tell me slowly."
The guard wiped the sweat from his brow and greeted Mu Qingheng and Mengmeng in turn, "Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince, greetings, Your Highness the Little Princess." He then looked at Mu Qingheng, his tone revealing a hint of anxiety, "Your Highness, the Prince of Donghai, Zhongli Wei, has suddenly ventured alone into the territory and has already reached the Nine Heavens Gate. He keeps saying he wants to see Your Highness the Eldest Princess. His own spiritual power is already quite high, and he also has the Eldest Princess's spiritual power. His Majesty has ordered me to summon you to discuss a plan to repel the enemy."
Is the King of the East Sea here?
Now that the effects of the exorcism have been eliminated, has he regained his memory?
Since he came alone without a single soldier, it proves that he did not come to cause trouble. His desire to see his sister should not mean he intends to harm her.
Mu Meng's thoughts shifted slightly, and he suddenly stood up: "Such a thing has happened. Don't worry, I'll go with you to report back."
She pointed to Mu Qingheng on the bed and whispered, "His Highness the Crown Prince has been unwell these past few days. He didn't tell me because he was worried about Father Emperor. His current physical condition is simply not enough to repel the enemy. I can..."
"Mengmeng, I'm fine." Mu Qingheng interrupted Mu Meng before she could finish her sentence.
His gaze was gentle, like a handful of pure snow. A bright, radiant smile appeared on his face as he gently shook his head at her.
Mu Qingheng stood up, clutching his chest. His black hair slid down his shoulders. Despite his haggard appearance, still recovering from serious injuries, he moved with elegance and composure, seemingly unconcerned about the guard's anxious words.
Mu Meng, however, was more anxious than him.
I wonder what he's up to. Back then, he was the one who planted the exorcism spell in the East Sea King's mind, and now he's the one ordering its removal. This planting and removal can't be a joke; there must be a backup plan.
However, he did not know how Mu Qingheng would deal with the King of the East Sea, so he naturally did not want to let him meet the King of the East Sea before him.
"Brother!" Mu Meng gritted her teeth, enduring the discomfort as she grabbed Mu Qingheng's arm. "Don't go. The King of the East Sea is a formidable enemy. His spiritual power is too high. It was difficult for you to deal with him even when you were unharmed, let alone now. Let me go."
Her clear, bright eyes reflected his image, conveying a sense of unwavering devotion.
The tone of the request was so sincere that Mu Qingheng's heart couldn't help but feel a surge of heat—before, when he was sensitive and anxious, he had even mistakenly thought several times that Mengmeng didn't care about him; he had really been overthinking it.
How could Mengmeng not care about him?
Mu Qingheng smiled, his expression becoming increasingly reassuring and joyful: "It's alright, brother can handle it."
“But the situation is special now. You’ve just woken up and haven’t been examined by the physician yet. What if something happens?” Mu Meng was afraid that their meeting would cause many complications, so she grabbed Mu Qingheng’s arm and tried to pull him to the bed. “I will talk to Father. As a princess of the Heavenly Clan, I can naturally share the burden for Father and you. Since the King of the East Sea came alone, he probably has no intention of starting a war. It will be more likely to make him lower his guard than if I go.”
Seeing that Mu Qingheng's expression hadn't relaxed, Mu Meng's brows furrowed with urgency, and she bluntly ordered, "In short, you're not allowed to go!"
Mu Qingheng lowered his head and chuckled, his heart softening terribly.
Holding her breath, she could even feel the rhythm of her heart beating for her.
"Mengmeng, don't worry, don't throw a tantrum," Mu Qingheng gently squeezed Mu Meng's hand and whispered, "I know the King of the East Sea isn't here to start a war against the Celestial Clan, and we might not even be able to fight. But nothing is certain, so how can I let you go?"
He seemed to be holding back, raising his arm and pausing in mid-air before finally just patting her back gently. "I know my own body. Even if I really fight Zhong Liwei, I won't lose."
“But…” Mu Meng opened her mouth, but stopped talking when she looked at Mu Qingheng’s face, not knowing how to refute him.
What Mu Qingheng just said was indeed true.
Although it was hard to explain why, it was clear that in just a short time, Mu Qingheng's complexion had regained some color from its pale and haggard appearance, and he looked much more energetic.
Even his breathing wasn't so weak anymore; instead, it gradually became steady and powerful. This recovery speed was nothing short of astonishing.
Seeing Mu Meng staring blankly at him without saying a word for a long time, as if she was still worried, Mu Qingheng subconsciously reached out and touched his chest, a sweet tenderness showing in his eyes and brows: "It's really okay, silly boy, don't worry."
She wanted to protect him; that was more effective than any elixir in the world.
He would tell her when he had the chance that they, the demons born with flesh and blood, could heal all their wounds without any medicine as long as they had a beloved person who cherished and protected them wholeheartedly, and she would never have to worry about him.
But there was no way to explain it to her right away, since things had to be done step by step, and she couldn't be frightened.
Mu Qingheng stroked Mu Meng's hair and coaxed her softly, "Wait here for your brother, I'll be back soon."
"No," Mu Meng pursed her lips. Since he said she was being childish, she would make a scene.
Persuasion failed her, but she insisted on seeing the King of the East Sea. "If you insist on going, I will go with you. You are not allowed to refuse, or I will get angry."
Mu Qingheng was indeed very receptive to this. After hearing her say this, he lowered his eyes, hesitated for a moment, and then agreed: "Okay, then you have to stay by my side and don't run around."
...
"Your Majesty, are you really not going to meet the King of the East Sea?"
In the Heavenly Palace, Chao Yu stood below the Heavenly Emperor. He looked towards the Nine Heavens Gate and pondered, "Zhongli Wei's arrival this time is strange. He came alone, didn't make a move, and earnestly requested an audience with Princess Muluo. Forgive me for saying something unpleasant—given his past actions, he should never want to see the Princess again in his life. Why would he so unexpectedly come to my door?"
The Heavenly Emperor leaned back on his throne, looking worried. He raised his hand and wearily pinched the space between his eyebrows. "Of course I know his arrival is suspicious. But if I let him see me so easily just because he asked for an audience, it would make my Heavenly Clan look too cowardly."
He lowered his hand and slammed it lightly on the table. "Donghai is an outer immortal sect, and it can't be easily moved. It would be fine if he stayed put, but now that he's delivered himself to our doorstep, so what if we tear off the mask?"
Although the Heavenly Emperor's movements were not forceful, the imperial seal on the table still trembled and shook.
Seeing that he was getting angry, Chao Yu softened her tone and advised, "Very well, if he truly wants to see me, he should show his sincerity. I'm afraid his sincerity is just a pretense, and he's just trying to deceive me. We already know from the incident with the Eldest Princess that this Prince of Donghai is a cunning and treacherous villain. I wonder what trick he'll play this time."
"That's right, let's wait and see."
Chao Yu nodded, thought for a while, then cupped his hands and said, "Since you don't intend to kill Zhongli Wei for the time being, in my opinion, there's no need to invite His Highness the Crown Prince over. Yuan Ting is more than capable of handling things over there."
He cleared his throat and praised him somewhat awkwardly, "My disciple is already capable of handling things on his own, Your Majesty can rest assured."
“I know your disciple’s abilities, but,” the Heavenly Emperor waved his hand, “it’s better to let Heng’er take charge. Although General Xuantian is young and promising and outstanding, he is kind and honest, but he is reserved and lacks decisiveness. Compared to Heng’er, he is still less imposing in dealing with this kind of situation.”
He spoke casually, every word he uttered favoring his son, his tone unconsciously tinged with pride.
I've heard His Majesty praise the Crown Prince quite often before, and His Highness is indeed outstanding. I raised an eyebrow at Chao Yu and casually said sourly, "His Majesty really dotes on His Highness the Crown Prince. After all, he is his own son. He even has to put down my adopted son to praise His Highness."
The Heavenly Emperor paused for a moment, then smiled casually: "That is indeed the truth. Heng'er is my beloved son, but I'm afraid there is no one more outstanding than him in the Six Realms."
Just then, Mu Qingheng and Mu Meng arrived.
“Father Emperor,” Mu Qingheng performed the usual greeting, glanced at Chao Yu, and nodded slightly, “Immortal Lord Chao Yu.”
Mu Meng greeted them one by one, and when she looked at Chao Yu, she even smiled.
The little girl's smile was innocent and kind, and Chao Yu was taken aback for a moment, then forced a smile back.
The Heavenly Emperor had been waiting for Mu Qingheng. He walked over and patted her on the shoulder. "Heng'er, you should have heard about what happened. Zhongli Wei's actions are illogical. Go and find out what he's up to."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I understand."
"So many years have passed, I don't believe he'll suddenly have a change of heart—the possibility is too small. You've always been intelligent and perceptive. If you find anything amiss, just kill him on the spot. There's no need to go to great lengths to find a pretext; as long as it's plausible on the surface, that's fine."
The Heavenly Emperor's expression was gloomy, as if he were recalling many unpleasant memories, his gaze dark and brooding. "He brought this upon himself. Since he has such audacity to come to my Heavenly Clan alone, whatever happens to him is up to my Heavenly Clan. We will let the East Sea taste the bitterness of this injustice."
Mu Qingheng offered no comment, simply cupping his hands in a gesture of respect, "Yes."
After saying that, he turned around and strode out.
Mu Meng had been secretly frowning as he listened to the Heavenly Emperor's words, and when he saw Mu Qingheng about to leave, he was startled and quickly followed behind him.
"Mengmeng! Where are you going?" The Heavenly Emperor was taken aback and quickly called out to her, "Come back quickly."
Mu Meng bit her lip.
She had a pretty good idea of Mu Qingheng's plan.
He was wary of his sister's spiritual power and devised this plan to destroy her, but the existence of this spiritual power always made him uneasy, so he wanted to find a legitimate way to eliminate it.
So he devised this plan to lure the King of the East Sea to the Heavenly Clan. Then, with a little enticement, he could easily kill the King of the East Sea with his own sword.
From then on, he could rest easy.
She understood that he truly pitied her after the Nine Poison Pearl incident.
But he showed pity to everyone.
The Heavenly Emperor was still calling her from behind, and even Chao Yu couldn't help but speak up: "Princess, come back quickly. The Nine Heavens Gate is dangerous, it's no joke."
Mu Meng turned his head to look at Mu Qingheng—in just a short while, he was almost exactly the same as usual, with a rosy complexion and abundant blood and energy. Even his father could not tell that he had just suffered a life-threatening injury.
Recalling his previous claims that he would be fine and would not die, Mu Meng truly believed him: It must be a special ability of the demon race. Now that he is claiming that he is injured and cannot face the King of the East Sea, who can believe him?
Since she couldn't trust her father and the others, she had no choice but to approach Mu Qingheng: "Brother, I want to go with you."
Fearing he might change his mind, Mu Meng immediately added in a low voice, "You promised me just now."
After giving her instructions, she turned around and called out to the Heavenly Emperor, "Father, what are you thinking? Why would I go with you? My brother and I will just go out and take a look from afar."
The Heavenly Emperor was well aware of his youngest daughter's feelings for her older sister, and he asked with a mixture of belief and doubt, "Really?"
"Really?"
Mu Meng nodded obediently. She was always sensible and knew her place; her father would believe her. There was no time to explain further now. Even if her father was angry that she had lied to him, he would only scold her at most, and that would be the end of it.
Mu Qingheng glanced at Mu Meng, a slight smile curving his lips. He secretly squeezed her hand and nodded to the Heavenly Emperor, "Father, rest assured, I will take good care of Mengmeng."
...
Throughout the journey, Mu Meng was on tenterhooks, fearing that the Nine Heavens Gate had already taken action and that something had happened to the King of the East Sea.
Fortunately, when they arrived, Sheng Yuanting and his soldiers were standing outside the Nine Heavens Gate, confronting Zhong Liwei.
Zhong Liwei stood alone on the opposite side. Although he was dressed neatly, his once handsome face was now very haggard, his eyes were red, and there was a lot of forbearance in his eyes. It was clear at a glance that he was not there to cause trouble.
Sheng Yuanting clearly understood this as well, so he didn't make a move until Mu Qingheng came over. He lowered his head and said in a low voice, "Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince."
"How is it?" Mu Qingheng's tone was flat.
“The King of Donghai did come alone. I have investigated and there are no ambushes. He has been standing here for an hour, only saying that he requests an audience with Princess Muluo, and nothing else.”
At this point, Sheng Yuanting thought for a moment and continued, "Perhaps he does have something important to say, but my rank is too low for him to say. But in front of His Highness the Crown Prince, perhaps he can speak frankly."
Mu Qingheng remained silent for a moment, then glanced at Zhong Liwei from head to toe. Having held a high position for many years, his gaze was exceptionally sharp and quite intimidating.
Zhong Li paused for a moment, then finally couldn't hold back any longer: "Brother Mu, I..."
“Please, King of the East Sea, show some self-respect,” Mu Qingheng frowned and raised his hand slightly to stop him. “You and your little sister have been separated for many years and had such an embarrassing falling out. You should stop calling me ‘Big Brother’.”
His tone was flat, but there was a strong sense of detachment in it.
Zhong Liwei's face paled, and she had no choice but to say again, "...Your Highness, I have come here not to disrespect the Heavenly Clan, but to try my best to make amends for my mistake."
“I know no one may believe this, but I never meant to hurt Luo Luo back then! Although the specific reason has not yet been found out, it is highly likely that I was controlled by someone, and I will definitely find the murderer.” He paused, his voice gradually becoming choked with emotion, “The past years have been a ridiculous dream, and only now, suddenly awake, do I realize that the world has changed, and I… have made too many unforgivable mistakes.”
Zhongli gave a bitter laugh and bowed deeply. "I failed to keep my promise and let Luoluo down. From today onwards, I will accept whatever punishment I am given without complaint. But now... Your Highness, please let me see Luoluo. There are so many things I must tell her in person, and I must return this spiritual power to her. Please believe me that I have no ulterior motives. If you are really worried, you can use the Heavenly Lock to lock me up. I will not struggle at all."
His tone was almost pleading, and those present exchanged glances, their doubts growing.
What's going on here? If it's really an act, then the King of the East Sea has quite the acting skills.
Mu Qingheng stared at Zhong Liwei expressionlessly, seemingly lost in thought.
He remained silent, and the scene fell silent for a moment.
Mu Meng glanced at Zhong Liwei, then looked at Mu Qingheng: Given Zhong Liwei's appearance, even if Mu Qingheng wanted to pin a crime on him, it would be extremely difficult. His words were earnest, his attitude humble—everyone saw this. He even requested to use the Heavenly Lock to lock himself in place. With such behavior, Mu Qingheng had no reason to kill him.
But... given Mu Qingheng's meticulous mind, the fact that he could infiltrate the Celestial Clan for so many years without revealing a single flaw demonstrates his deep cunning. He's incredibly intelligent; surely he couldn't have been unaware of this situation. Could it be that his original goal wasn't to kill Zhong Liwei?
Never mind, whatever the case, the method I had previously devised should work. In a short while, many thoughts raced through Mu Meng's mind, when suddenly he heard Mu Qingheng speak.
He calmly smoothed his sleeves, his voice slightly deep, "Whether your words are true or false, I can't be bothered to discern. But you first used your silver tongue to deceive my sister into eloping with you, and then you ruthlessly and mercilessly wounded her beyond repair. Now, with just a few words, you think you can make the Heavenly Clan obediently give way, allowing you to easily pass through the Nine Heavens Gate and meet the Heavenly Clan's eldest princess? King of the East Sea, do you think my Heavenly Clan is made of clay? Don't you think you're being far too naive?"
He showed no mercy, and Zhong Liwei felt as if she had been punched in the head, momentarily speechless, "I..."
His lips trembled for a moment, and his expression gradually turned pale. Mu Qingheng's words were incisive, leaving him speechless. He wanted to argue, but felt that any words he uttered would be futile.
“It’s not…it’s not that I’m arrogant, I just…” he stammered, unable to organize his thoughts.
Mu Meng lowered her eyes, concealing the emotions within.
Now, Zhongli is utterly dejected, practically a walking corpse. She recalls her childhood, how her sister, while loving her and wanting to be with her, couldn't bear to leave her beloved husband, and would always secretly bring her to meet Zhongli. Back then, he was calm, reserved, and possessed extraordinary bearing; he was also eloquent and quick-witted, so full of youthful vigor.
But now, burdened with this undeserved calamity, he has been tormented to this extent.
Mu Meng raised his eyes and met Zhong Liwei's miserable and helpless gaze. "King of the East Sea, please calm down. I have a plan."
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