Chapter 212 Zeyuan's Coup
The hooves clattered, the wheels rumbled, and the four bone bells on the carriage roof jingled rhythmically. Bai Mi Gao pulled the carriage at a leisurely pace along the mountain road. Every now and then, it would glance sideways at Long Jing, who was holding the reins, and casually bring its tongue to the tender tea leaf on Long Jing's head.
Xuanmiao, her little arms outstretched and face beaming with excitement, ran through the grass, calling out in her childish voice, "Edoo chase! Edoo chase!"
"Miao'er! Slow down! Be careful not to fall..." Bai Er lifted her skirt and protected Xuan Miao without missing a step.
The golden-faced spider clinging to Xuanmiao's head waved its pincers joyfully as Xuanmiao ran, occasionally tilting its head back and squeaking at the white-eared creature protecting it from behind.
On the carriage, Xuanhe wobbled to her feet, holding onto the window frame with her little hands. She leaned out and squinted, watching her older sister running and jumping ahead thoughtfully.
Hu Lingli cradled Xuanhe's little bottom and said with a smile, "Miss Yao'er, look! Yuchen can stand up now! In the blink of an eye, he can run and jump with Miao'er!"
Su Yuyao looked at Xuanhe with eyes full of affection. She raised her hand and gently stroked Xuanhe's head, smoothed the soft little braid on the back of Xuanhe's head, and straightened the small silver lock hanging around Xuanhe's neck. She sighed softly and said with emotion, "Yes, even Yuchen has grown up so much..."
Looking at the serene and dignified Su Yuyao before her, Hu Lingli realized that she was completely different from the lively, greedy, and troublesome girl she had met at first. She could never go back to that innocent and carefree state.
Hu Lingli's eyes stung a little. She looked out the window at the azure sky, the dark green hillside, and the green roadside grass. The crisp sound of bone bells and the sounds of mysterious laughter lingered in her ears. This seemingly easy road felt heavy in Hu Lingli's heart.
“Miss Yao’er,” Hu Lingli said softly, “it’s closer and safer to travel through the Immortal Mountain. Why go all the way to Sangong City? Besides, with Xuanmiao and Yuchen with us, wouldn’t it be too slow to travel and have fun along the way? Although this area seems peaceful, there might be some unscrupulous people plotting against us. What if…”
Su Yuyao smiled and said, "With Ruixue and Birong scouting ahead, Renshen secretly protecting us from behind, and Longjing by our side, what are you worried about? Besides..." She raised her eyelids to look at the horizon and said leisurely, "I'm here too."
"That's true, but..." Hu Lingli's voice gradually faded from Su Yuyao's ears.
Within her crimson eyes, a pure black, muddy aura was gradually spreading from the south towards the Heavenly Palace, echoing the greyish-white golden aura above it. Azure aura intertwined into a net, swirling within it, neither obstructing nor breaking, slowly expanding imperceptibly. Tiny specks of red aura quietly lurked in every corner of the Heavenly Palace.
Su Yuyao turned her red eyes back, her expression indifferent. Although Chi Yan was secretly deploying troops, seemingly joining forces with Xuan Feng, it could also be seen as forming a defensive and offensive strategy with the likes of Chao Xi and Rui Xin. Hmph, interesting!
*Pfft! Pfft!*
Several streaks of blood energy flashed past Su Yuyao in the corner of her eye, and a cloud of black mist rose into the air, within which was wrapped a half-dead four-legged fish!
Su Yuyao's eyes widened, and a pale yellow aura instantly burst forth, tightly protecting the entire carriage and the Xuanmiao and Baier playing in the grass.
"Bai Er! Take Miao'er to the carriage!" Su Yuyao called out loudly.
Longjing also noticed the unusual activity in the bushes and quickly tightened the reins to approach Bai'er.
Bai Er had no idea what was going on, but she never hesitated to obey Su Yuyao's orders. She grabbed Xuanmiao, who was sticking out her bottom to catch insects, and jumped onto the carriage.
Longjing channeled his inner energy, loosened the reins, slapped Baimigao's rump, and shouted, "Giddy up!"
Even the white rice cake became serious for once, raised its neck, let out a long hiss, and suddenly darted forward!
Bai Er, who had just settled down, hugged Xuan Miao tightly and glanced at the bushes flashing past the window. Although the bushes rustled in the wind, sounding eerie, she couldn't see anything unusual. "Miss, what happened?"
Su Yuyao glanced at the receding black mist, breathed a sigh of relief, and said with a smile, "It's nothing, I was just worried you were too tired, so I wanted you to rest."
Xuanmiao blinked her big eyes and looked out the window, pouting as she said, "Miao wants to kill fish too!"
Su Yuyao looked at Xuanmiao with slight surprise, "Miao'er, what do you want to do?"
"Kill the fish!" Xuanmiao replied excitedly, "Kill it like Agan!" As she spoke, she pulled down her shinbone from her waist and gestured in the air, "Like this! Like this! Kill it like this!"
The little devil-faced spider perched on Xuanmiao's head also followed Xuanmiao's movements in a serious manner, waving its pincers and making a "squeak! squeak! squeak!" sound.
Su Yuyao lovingly stroked Xuanmiao's face, but her heart was in turmoil. She wanted to ask but dared not, yet she had no choice but to ask.
"Miao'er," after a brief moment of hesitation, Su Yuyao finally spoke, "You could see Agan killing fish?"
"Yes! Yes!" Xuanmiao climbed into Su Yuyao's arms with her chubby little face upturned, grinned, and said, "Agan is black, and those fish are green! Agan uses his wings to cut the fish open!"
“It’s a fish fin.” Su Yuyao glanced out the window, looking at the grass that had returned to calm, and asked softly, “If Agan cuts open a fish with a fish fin, there will be more fish, right?”
“No!” Xuanmiao replied, “If we don’t cut it off, it won’t multiply!”
Su Yuyao's heart tightened. Although she had some talent, it was only through later stimulation that it became apparent. The path she had walked was too arduous, and she couldn't even bear to think about it. She never expected that Miao'er would show such special abilities at such a young age. Just how much disaster would she have to endure and how much responsibility would she have to bear...
Su Yuyao gently held Xuanmiao in her arms, her heart heavy. She couldn't change the fact that Xuanmiao was the reincarnation of the mountain god, nor could she change the fact that she was the mountain god's mother. She could only do one thing—to protect her child with all her might!
“Miss Yao’er,” Hu Lingli looked at the clever and mischievous Xuanmiao and couldn’t help but worry. She asked softly, “How does Miao’er know so much? I’m afraid…”
"What's there to be afraid of? Our Miao'er is the Heavenly Lord's child, of course she knows a lot!" Bai Er said with a proud look on her face. "Our Miao'er is going to do great things in the future! Right!"
"Yes!" Xuanmiao blinked her bright eyes and nodded solemnly, then pointed her shinbone at Xuanhe in Hu Lingli's arms and said with a smile, "My little brother is also destined for great things!"
Xuanhe squinted at his older sister. In his world, his sister was the person he admired most! She could hunt, wield a bone club, command fireflies, and even control Grandpa and Agan! Although he sometimes got bullied by her, but…
Thump! A muffled sound. Xuanmiao's shinbone struck Xuanhe squarely on the forehead.
"Brother! Speak!" Xuanmiao nudged Xuanhe's head with his shinbone and scolded, "Say yes!"
But...it hurts so much! Xuanhe's nose stung, and she burst into tears.
"Miao'er! Don't hit Yu Chen!" Su Yuyao pressed down the shinbone in Xuan Miao's hand, took Xuan He into her arms, unbuttoned her clothes, and breastfed and comforted him.
Xuanmiao, still unconvinced, snuggled back into Bai'er's arms, pouting, and said, "Teaching my little brother to speak! I didn't hit him!"
Xuanhe, with a mouthful of saliva, kept scratching her bright red forehead with her little hands, tears streaming down her face, "Waaah...smack smack, waaah...smack smack..."
Seeing that Xuanhe was alright, Hu Lingli turned to Xuanmiao and said, "Miao'er, let me tell you, Yuchen is too young. Your bone is so big and hard. Even if you tap it lightly, Yuchen will feel pain!"
"Oh." Xuanmiao looked at Su Yuyao's face, then at Xuanhe's bulging forehead, and then at Xuanhe's mouth which he was sucking hard. She pursed her lips and said, "Miao wants to eat too!" After saying that, she snuggled into Su Yuyao's arms.
“Waaaah!” Xuanhe cried.
"Miao'er! Stop making a fuss!" Su Yuyao scolded.
"I want to eat! Ah—!" Xuanmiao cried.
“Miao’er has grown up and doesn’t need to eat anymore!” Hu Lingli stopped Xuan Miao and coaxed her.
"Yes! Ah—!"
"My dear Miao'er! How about we wait until Yu Chen finishes eating before we eat?" Bai Er persuaded.
"No! Ah—!"
"Whoa—!"
Thump...thump thump...
Amidst the loud arguing and the small fussing, a few hesitant knocks could be heard.
"All done?" Despite the commotion in Su Yuyao's arms, she remained calm and spoke in a peaceful tone.
“It’s all taken care of,” Ren Shen replied from outside the car window. “It was Four-Legged Fish, the order from Ji.”
"Red Pearl?" Su Yuyao smiled dismissively. "Didn't she return to the Heavenly Palace?"
“Hongzhu has indeed returned to the Heavenly Palace and is now in the Dragon Palace awaiting childbirth.”
"The Dragon Palace?" Su Yuyao was somewhat surprised. "The Empress Dowager didn't personally take care of her?"
"Lord Xuanfeng said that Lady Yi's health is poor and she cannot be disturbed by outsiders, so he let Lord Chaoxi make the arrangements himself. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Lord Chaoxi has transferred troops from the South Sea, ostensibly to protect Hongzhu during childbirth, but in reality, he has already ambushed most of them on the only road to the Heavenly Palace!" Renshen glanced at Longjing driving the carriage ahead and lowered his voice, "I heard that the Nevernight Lodge is also..."
Su Yuyao raised an eyelid slightly, "Where are the others?"
"Ruixin has deployed troops within the Heavenly Palace and has already surrounded the Palace of the Female Mother. There is still no news of Lord Chiyan, and we do not know his whereabouts. However, Princess Bifang, Lord Chiyan's daughter, has taken over the Ministry of Justice and is responsible for the protection of the entire Heavenly Palace..."
“Bi Fang…” Su Yuyao squinted, pondering, “What did she do before?”
“Princess Bifang is young and has not taken on any responsibilities like Princess Jinyu. She has only been learning medicine from Lord Chiyan and helping with prescriptions and medicine preparation. This is her first time taking on such a major task.”
"Bi Fang is in charge of brewing the medicine? Then she also brewed the medicine for Mother Yi?" Su Yuyao asked softly.
“Yes. On the days when Lord Chiyan is not in the Heavenly Palace, Princess Bifang is in charge of the medicine for Mother Yi…” Renshen paused and said in a low voice, “Recently, Lord Chiyan’s prescriptions seem to be less effective…”
"Not very effective..." Su Yuyao sneered, "A prescription is a prescription, medicinal herbs are medicinal herbs, and decoction... is decoction!"
“Miss Yao’er,” Ren Shen understood the implication in Su Yu Yao’s words, but he could neither explain nor refute them, so he could only continue to report, “The Tide Lord has already made a move against us, and within the Heavenly Palace, the Rui Xin Lord’s family is the only one in power. What should we do now?”
Su Yuyao gently patted Xuanhe in her arms and asked softly, "Renshen, do you know how to completely cure boils?"
Ren Shen's eyes widened in shock. He turned his head slightly to look at the fluttering curtains, from which wafted a peach scent mixed with the smell of killing.
Su Yuyao slowly raised her eyelids, and a sinister aura gradually emerged from her calm eyes. "Only when a boil is fully ripe and has sprouted can it be eradicated completely!"
...
On a cold, moonlit night, a carriage broke free of the jungle and entered a seemingly tranquil grassland, like a ship breaking the stillness of the sea, leaving waves surging wherever it went.
Despite traveling through the night, Bai Mi Gao remained energetic, its bright eyes gleaming as it ground its teeth, enjoying the refreshing aroma of green tea wafting into its nasal cavity.
Longjing glanced solemnly at the dark grassland. Although the weeds were not tall, countless creatures lay hidden beneath them. These creatures were all staring intently at the carriage, following it layer upon layer in the grass.
In the distance, on a giant rock illuminated by the moonlight, a huge and mighty wolf shadow stood gazing at the moon. On the wolf shadow's back rode a petite but graceful figure, radiating a cold golden light under the blazing moonlight.
"Awooo—! Awooo—! Awooo—!" The wolf's howl shattered the veiled tranquility of the night.
A whirlwind suddenly arose on the grassland, like a jade bead falling into a still lake, instantly creating waves that scattered in all directions...
...
"Caw—!" A baby's cry, accompanied by towering dark clouds, spread from the Dragon Palace.
The sky above the Heavenly Palace was suddenly shrouded in heavy clouds. Sticky dampness, mixed with a pungent, humid heat, clung to every speck of dust, condensing into raindrops. These raindrops gathered into a curtain of rain, tearing away the veil of open and covert struggles within the Heavenly Palace...
In the rain, the clanging of metal clashing, hurried breathing, and frantic footsteps could be heard intermittently. Suddenly, a piercing whistling sound rang out, and all sounds ceased in an instant. When the blood energy dissipated, apart from the shallow scratches left on the bluestone bricks, it seemed as if no life had ever been lost.
Although the Yinmu Palace was situated amidst the blood-soaked, gloomy swamp, a thin layer of azure qi shield preserved its final tranquility. The Yinmu sat cross-legged atop the Bagua diagram, her eyes slightly closed, breathing in and out spiritual qi as before, slowly regulating her qi field, seemingly oblivious to the carnage unfolding outside.
"Your Majesty!" Guiyue hurried into the inner palace and reported with a hint of panic, "Your Majesty! News has come from Youlong Palace that Hongzhu has given birth to a son! Mother and child are safe and sound."
Yi's mother's eyelashes trembled slightly, and her brows twitched gently. "Mother and son?"
“Yes, mother and son,” Guiyue replied, bowing her head.
Yi's mother sighed and slowly opened her eyes. Her grayish-white pupils had lost their former depth, resembling a dried-up well. She tried to get up, but could no longer maintain her balance as before; instead, she swayed and nearly fell.
Guiyue quickly stepped forward to support her mother, saying, "Your Majesty, be careful!"
Yi's mother leaned against Guiyue's chest, shaking her head with a helpless smile, "I'm old, I won't last many more days."
Guiyue felt a sudden pang of pain in her heart. She looked up slightly at her mother, whose hair was full of silver and whose eyes were lined with wrinkles, and said in a choked voice, "Your Majesty, you are the Mother of Wuji..."
"Silly girl." Mother Yi squeezed Guiyue's hand tightly, slowly stood up, and walked to the window. Looking at the greenish-blue Qi barrier outside, battered by the torrential rain, she said softly, "Zeyuan just had a baby, his foundation isn't even firmly established yet, and Chaoxi can't wait to make her move. How can they possibly respect the Mother of Limitless? Besides..."
Yi Mu slowly turned to look at Gui Yue, "Do you still see me as the Mother of Wuji?"
Guiyue's eyes flickered as she looked at Yi's mother, who had lost all her Qi field and was growing old. Although she was still majestic, she had lost her former ferocity. Not to mention those with certain cultivation like Chaoxi and Ruixin, even ordinary people could easily see that Yi's mother had changed!
"Your Majesty!" Guiyue knelt down with tears in her eyes and said, "You are the Celestial Queen whom the virtuous late emperor married with proper ceremony, the mistress of the Heavenly Palace, and the boundless mother who bears all things! No one can question you!"
The rain in the air grew heavier, striking the Qi shield with a buzzing sound, and the piercing sound of air being torn apart grew closer.
"Thump! Thump! Thump!" A huge four-legged fish crashed onto the Qi shield.
"Squeak—! Pfft!" A stream of greenish-blue Qi broke through the dense rain curtain and slashed straight into the forehead of the four-legged fish, bursting into a cloud of blood mist. The four-legged fish shuddered, and countless green Qi needles gradually emerged from its sticky skin. As more and more Qi needles appeared, the four-legged fish crawled a couple of steps and turned into a pulp.
Qi needles shot out from the flesh and blood, soaring into the sky and striking the dark clouds. A loud bang rang out, and the thick dark clouds were swirling into a black vortex. Ze Yuan, dressed in black and holding a thick piece of seaweed, spun and fell from the center of the vortex.
A tall, thin figure, shimmering with a bluish-green light, braved the torrential rain and leaped into the whirlpool, his Qi shield wielding him as he slashed at the seaweed with his Cicada Feather Sword!
Ze Yuan frowned, flicked his wrist, and the seaweed instantly released a burst of steam, shrinking into a ball and retreating into Ze Yuan's palm. The Cicada Feather Sword suddenly paused, then abruptly changed direction and slashed straight at Ze Yuan.
A burst of black energy emanated from Ze Yuan's chest, pushing him back a step, and he watched as the Cicada Feather Sword grazed his nose.
"Big brother! Are you crazy?!" Ze Yuan tumbled a few times and landed on the Qi shield, shouting.
The Cicada Feather Sword slowed down and gently fell back into Xuanfeng's hand.
Xuanfeng, his body glowing with faint Qi flames, hovered in the air, looking down at Zeyuan. His azure eyes surged with crimson waves, and his deep voice carried an undeniable authority, "You are the Empress's most beloved child, yet you completely disregard the bond between mother and son, listen to the slander of villains, raise the flag of rebellion, and openly force the emperor to abdicate! Are you insane, or am I?"
"Hehehehe..." Ze Yuan chuckled darkly, raising his eyelids, his black pupils slowly spreading like ink dripping into water. "Big brother, don't you want to take back what belongs to you?"
Xuanfeng looked at Zeyuan, whose eyes were filled with black energy, and his heart sank completely. He flipped his wrist, gripped the Cicada Feather Sword tightly, and said in a low voice, "Zeyuan, you never intended to spare my life, so why did you have to use your words to drag me into this mess?"
"Big brother, don't you hate Mother?" Ze Yuan curled the corners of his mouth, narrowed his dark eyes, and his cunning voice, mixed with the sound of rolling waves, entered Xuan Feng's ears. "Mother has been so unfair to you, treating you and me differently. Don't you want to seek justice?"
"So you're rebelling now because the Empress is too good to you?" Xuanfeng roared, charging towards Zeyuan and thrusting his sword at him.
Ze Yuan sneered, lightly touched his toes, leaped into the air, and with a wave of his hand, two pieces of seaweed wrapped in mud shot out and swirled towards the Cicada Feather Sword.
Xuanfeng suddenly twisted his wrist, shredding the seaweed that had wrapped around him into pieces, and then slashed horizontally at Zeyuan with his wrist.
Ze Yuan wasn't in a hurry. He grinned and tiptoed backward, releasing new seaweed to entangle the Cicada Feather Sword.
Another clump of seaweed fragments covered in mud scattered before his eyes. Xuanfeng frowned slightly and glanced at the sticky mud on the sword blade.
No! The blade of the Cicada Feather Sword is extremely sharp, and no liquid can remain there. How could it be covered by silt?
Xuanfeng exerted a slight force with his palm, and the mud wrapped around the sword blade was instantly broken into dust by the flow of Qi and scattered in the rain.
“Brother,” Ze Yuan said smugly, “you should take a look at the situation! The South China Sea has already flooded to the foot of the Heavenly Palace, and all the animals and monsters with spiritual energy from all realms and regions have seen the situation and are flocking to the South China Sea! Your subordinates, such as Lei Ming and Lu Chang, have long been used as their pledge of allegiance! Otherwise, do you think we could have attacked so quickly!”
As he spoke, he opened his arms and released his Qi field, the black, foul-smelling mist slowly dispersing into the air like countless tentacles.
"What are you waiting for?! Charge!" Ze Yuan suddenly shouted.
The vortex in the air suddenly hummed, and all kinds of sea beasts and sea monsters fell down with the raindrops, crashing heavily onto the Qi shield.
Xuanfeng didn't have time to discern whether Zeyuan's words were true or false; he could only channel his Qi into the Cicada Feather Sword and sweep it out. A gentle breeze swept by, and the demonic beasts enveloped in Qi were all beheaded.
"Zeyuan! You disregard brotherhood, fine! But don't you care about the bond between mother and son either?!" Xuanfeng roared, his eyes red.
"The bond between mother and son? That was something my father risked his life for!" Zeyuan roared fiercely. "If my father hadn't been by her side every day, how could I have become her most beloved child?!"
Xuanfeng slayed the last sea monster blocking his path, then stared incredulously at Zeyuan, who was radiating resentment. "Zeyuan! What nonsense are you spouting?!"
"Nonsense?" Ze Yuan's dark eyes blazed with sparks. "Xian Mingjun is the least favored, yet you still became a Daoist Heavenly Lord! Even though you sided with the Wuji Dao and secretly recruited soldiers, she didn't stop you in the slightest! The floods in the Nine Suburbs caused such a huge mess, and it seemed like she gave you a severe beating, but my uncle almost lost half his life! In the Immortal Mountain Martial Arts Tournament, the Wolf Clan stepped forward to purge them for you, but she still turned a blind eye! You gained such favor without lifting a finger, so why!"
"This..." Xuanfeng was unable to refute for a moment, and instead felt that what Zeyuan said made sense.
“And…” Ze Yuan said fiercely, “Su Yuyao!”
Xuanfeng's eyes narrowed, and with a flick of his wrist, the Cicada Feather Sword trembled slightly, emitting a faint but piercing sound.
Ze Yuan sensed the chilling killing intent emanating from the Cicada Feather Sword, yet he still chuckled smugly, "Su Yuyao was the woman I got first, she should have belonged to me all along! That skin... so tender..."
"Bastard!" Xuanfeng couldn't listen anymore. He channeled his Qi into the blade and charged towards Zeyuan through the air.
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