Chapter 48 is my beloved pet
The old ancestor was determined to die.
“This is—” Bai Yanxing asked, glancing sideways with a questioning look in his eyes.
"Oh." Duan Jiuyou took his seat at the head of Bai Yanxing's table and said apologetically, "This is my beloved pet. I usually sleep with it in my arms. Today it was being affectionate and wouldn't get down. I couldn't resist its entanglement, so I brought it over. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."
She spoke with an unwavering expression, appearing quite serious, but in reality, she was sweating profusely. Who knew the bitterness in her heart!
Bai Yanxing sized up Duan Jiuyou's beloved pet.
It was very beautiful, with silvery-white fur and a glossy sheen all over—but for some inexplicable reason, Bai Yanxing felt a sense of dislike towards it.
It lay in Duan Jiuyou's arms, its head resting on her arm, its body leaning back slightly, its eyes indifferent and aloof, seemingly smiling, as if it were showing off.
Bai Yanxing withdrew his gaze: "This little guy will probably be an adult in a while, so it's probably not appropriate to keep holding him like this."
This is a male wolf with a crimson flame mark between its eyebrows, a unique mark of the Earthshaking Wolf Clan. It was kept as a bedmate, and one day it turned into a boy on the bed.
The disciples exchanged glances, never expecting that even the Emperor could misjudge a situation. They initially thought it was a wolf cub that hadn't yet reached adulthood, but it turned out to be just a "young"-looking wolf that had transformed into a grown man. The Ancestor was so captivated by it that he rushed to find it even before finishing his bath.
Duan Jiuyou said, "Really? I think it's still small, at most a little over a thousand years old."
"more than."
Bai Yanxing extended a finger and probed into the "little wolf's" primordial spirit without warning.
Duan Jiuyou was startled.
"Your Majesty!"
She tried to protect the "little wolf," but it was too late. Golden light appeared on Bai Yanxing's finger, penetrating the wolf cub's body and probing its primordial spirit.
Duan Jiuyou's heart pounded like a drum, and his whole body stiffened like a stone.
The little wolf seemed oblivious, licking its paws and yawning.
Emperor Jiang's primordial spirit was shattered, making it impossible for Bai Yanxing to discern his true original form within him. As for the Earth-Shaking Wolf Clan, due to their struggle with the Desolate Clan for territory during the War of the Gods, they were nearly wiped out, leaving the surviving wolves without complete true forms. They must grow up as wolf cubs until adulthood before they can reconstruct their primordial spirit through later cultivation.
Bai Yanxing withdrew his divine light and said to Jiuyou, "This wolf is over 3,600 years old. It may be because of its weak body that it has been unable to transform into human form."
Duan Jiuyou knew that Bai Yanxing had come to this conclusion because Di Jiang had used some kind of magic, so he pretended to be puzzled and looked at the "little guy" in his arms.
"But it doesn't look very big."
"How long have you been raising it?" Bai Yanxing asked.
"It's been around for several hundred years, hasn't it?" Duan Jiuyou said nonsensically. "It's not in good health, so I usually just leave it on the bed as a soft pillow to hug. It's a bit clingy, like a little child."
Bai Yanxing glanced at the wolf cub, disliking it more and more the more he looked at it.
"Even if it is physically weak, it will eventually take human form. The priests and it are ultimately different in gender, so it is best to be careful."
Bai Yanxing was focused on competing with the wolf, which made the dragon elder accompanying him very anxious. He sat pacing anxiously beside Bai Yanxing, his hands tucked into his pockets. After hesitating several times, he couldn't help but speak up, "Your Majesty, you haven't mentioned the Flame Mountain matter to the priest yet."
Duan Jiuyou, who was just wondering how to divert Bai Yanxing's attention, immediately put on a look of eagerness to hear more.
Bai Yanxing said, "It's nothing serious. It's just that a few disciples of the Dragon Clan went to Flame Mountain before you last night, and they're now stuck in the mountains. We need to trouble the priest to go and rescue them."
These people were all "royal relatives" who had been terrified by Duan Jiuyou in front of the Hall of Diligent Governance yesterday. They had lost face in front of the hall during the day, and the more they thought about it after returning home, the more upset they felt. They wanted to regain their dignity. Hearing that the Emperor was troubled by the matter of Flame Mountain and had even sent Duan Jiuyou to pick the vines, they wanted to get the job done before Duan Jiuyou could.
These dragon clan members had not experienced many battles and had no idea of the dangers of Flame Mountain. After making up their minds, they rushed into Flame Mountain without making any preparations and carrying their personal magical artifacts.
Bai Yanxing said, "As you and I both know, the Flame Mountain is guarded by Fire-Eating Beasts year-round. When they rashly entered, they were face to face with the Fire-Eating Beasts. The group tried to fight them with their magic, but they were no match for them. In their panic, they sent out broken pigeons to send a message, asking their elders for help. The Dragon Clan elders rushed to Flame Mountain overnight, but they still couldn't save the children. Instead, they were held back by the Fire-Eating Beasts along with them."
Bai Yanxing spoke at a measured pace, without a trace of anxiety, clearly intending to teach these people a lesson. However, the clan elders couldn't sit still. They bowed and stepped forward, pleading with Duan Jiuyou for help: "The Fire-Eating Beast is extremely volatile; only a high priest can subdue it. We implore you, high priest, to go to Flame Mountain immediately and save these unfilial sons' lives!"
The dragon clan has four elders in total. The one who came forward this time was Long Xi, the most senior among the elders. This old man is usually very arrogant, and even now, although he is asking for help, he still exudes a domineering aura.
Duan Jiuyou was not buying this kind of thing. She took a sip of hot tea and looked at Long Xi.
“What use is it to save an unfilial son? Yesterday they criticized me behind my back for disrespecting the rules of a subject and the emperor. I am not a magnanimous person and do not have the good character of repaying evil with good. Elder Long must have come to the wrong person.”
Her seniority is what it is; even if she doesn't care about social niceties, there's nothing anyone can do about it.
She showed no respect to the Dragon Clan, and there was no one in the entire Three Realms who could suppress her. Even if Elder Long was angry, he dared not vent his anger in front of her.
"This old minister knows that they have offended the priests, and will certainly teach them a lesson upon their return. Moreover, three elders of my dragon clan are trapped in the mountains, and if word gets out..."
"If this gets out, wouldn't it damage the reputation of your Heavenly Ascension Dragon Clan?" Duan Jiuyou interrupted Elder Long. "What a kind elder who loves his descendants! They trespassed into Flame Mountain and disturbed the Fire-Eating Beasts, and you think you can just cover it up with a simple 'youthful ignorance'? If other clans disobey the Emperor's orders in the future, will you protect them in the same way? The Heavenly Realm is not the domain of one clan, and your Dragon Clan's descendants are not exceptionally noble. If everything is based on your own dignity and you indulge in everything, how can the Emperor's heavenly rules and laws for his subjects be accepted by the people?"
Elder Long deliberately chose to go to the Hall of Diligent Governance before the officials had finished their morning duties, kneeling and begging Bai Yanxing to come to Dixi Mountain to find her. He simply wanted her to secretly rescue the person and suppress the matter quietly.
Bai Yanxing agreed to come to Duan Jiuyou because he was certain that she would not agree.
"Then, according to the priest, how should this be handled?" Long Xi couldn't rely on her seniority in front of Duan Jiuyou, so she could only follow her opinion.
Duan Jiuyou said calmly, "Naturally, we should handle it according to the law. Picking the vines was a matter handled by my Ao Sect. Only with the Emperor's decree in hand can one freely enter and leave Yanshan. As for the Dragon Clan disciples who trespassed without authorization, Elder Long, as the minister who enforces the law, should know better than me how to punish them."
The implication is that every single one of them should be dealt with openly and transparently, and all appropriate punishments should be imposed.
Elder Long had long known that Duan Jiuyou was difficult to deal with, but she did not expect this person to be so ruthless. She herself was a person who did not follow the rules, so why should others be held accountable according to the law?
But what if you turn against her and she refuses to help you?
After much deliberation, he had no choice but to accept his fate.
"The priest is right. When those people return, this old minister will personally bring them to the Hall of Diligent Governance and publicly request their punishment. There will be no leniency whatsoever!"
Duan Jiuyou finished his cup of tea and slowly put it down.
"Elder Long is very righteous."
Elder Long, though furious, dared not speak out and asked, suppressing his frustration, "When does the priest plan to depart?"
Duan Jiuyou smiled faintly: "That depends on the Emperor's orders. You and I are both the Emperor's subjects. When and how we act must be in accordance with the Emperor's will."
—That's not what you said when you were courting death by skipping court!
Elder Long refuted this in his heart, but dared not show it on his face. He could only wait to the side, awaiting the Emperor's instructions.
Di Jiang glanced at the wolf cub in Duan Jiuyou's arms.
Are you going to take it with you?
His mind wasn't on Flame Mountain; he simply found the young wolf an eyesore. Even he himself found this feeling strange, yet he couldn't pinpoint the specific reason.
Duan Jiuyou pondered for a moment: "The Earth-Shaking Wolf Clan is not afraid of fire and has a naturally cold constitution. It wouldn't be a problem to take it to watch the excitement. Or does Your Majesty want to hold it? Do you want me to keep it to keep you entertained? I've seen you looking at it a lot, so you must like it."
Duan Jiuyou dared not be too fond of the "young wolf" in front of Bai Yanxing. It was just a "pet," and constantly protecting it would inevitably arouse suspicion.
Duan Jiuyou said, "However, it is not in good health. It looks strong, but it can't even walk properly. It needs to be fed three meals a day. If the Emperor keeps it, he will have to hold it in his arms, coax it when it is sleepy, and persuade it to eat if it doesn't want to. It is a bit troublesome, but it is cute and quite lovable."
—Do I have to hold it to coax it?
The man and the wolf looked at each other simultaneously, imagined the scene together, and then looked away in disgust.
How disgusting!
Both of them, who could turn the world upside down with a flick of their wrists in the Heavenly Realm, utterly despised this way of getting along!
Bai Yanxing said, "Since she is the priest's beloved pet, how can I possibly take her away?"
Duan Jiuyou nodded: "Then I will take it to see the world."
The dragon elder was almost in tears, thinking to himself, "Hurry up and go, or all those people will die there!"
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