Chapter 214 Su Yuyao Appears
Xuanfeng glanced sideways, and a long, furry ear retracted like a snake's tongue, revealing a bright red dress.
Hongzhu's hair was styled in a high bun, adorned with red coral stones. Her fair face, captivating eyebrows and eyes, and glistening red lips parted slightly as she spoke in a sweet, clear voice, "Hongzhu greets Lord Xuanfeng!"
The red dress fell slightly, like a blood-red flower spread on the muddy ground. When the bloodstains faded, her jade-like breasts appeared like flower stamens amidst the bloodstains!
Xuanfeng frowned slightly and turned to look at Hongzhu, who exuded an evil aura. Behind Hongzhu was the Golden Moss Rat, which was covered by a black veil. At the feet of the Golden Moss Rat was the limp Zeyuan, whose palm had been pierced by the silver shuttle and was gushing blood.
Hongzhu raised her eyelids to look at Xuanfeng, a slight smile playing on her lips, and slowly rose. "Lord Xuanfeng, Lord Zeyuan is a Daoist Heavenly Lord. Even if he has committed any crimes, they should be dealt with by Lady Yimu. Aren't you meddling a bit too much? Besides, the Daoist Heavenly Lord already has offspring; Lady Yimu should announce this to the world..."
Xuanfeng didn't want to listen to Hongzhu's nonsense. With a flick of his finger, a sharp sword suddenly shot out, heading straight for Hongzhu's face.
The golden moss rat suddenly sprang up and blocked Red Pearl's path. With a "clang!" the sword shadow vanished!
Xuanfeng glanced coldly at the Golden Moss Rat, who lowered its head slightly and retreated to Hongzhu's side.
Hongzhu's expression shifted, then replaced with a slightly arrogant sneer. She said, "Lord Xuanfeng! Although I am not Lord Zeyuan's principal wife, I was personally chosen by the Goddess Yimu for Lord Zeyuan! If you wish to harm me, shouldn't you first..."
Xuanfeng had no patience to listen. With a flick of his wrist, all the swords in the air turned their tips toward the red pearl.
"Lord Xuanfeng!" Hongzhu roared, her bloodshot eyes blazing. "This humble servant is the first person to bear a child for the Daoist Heavenly Lord! How dare you?!"
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Without the slightest hesitation, Xuanfeng's swords obeyed his command and flew out one after another, piercing towards Hongzhu!
Seeing this, Hongzhu lightly touched her toes to the ground, turned around, and a fluffy tail stood straight up to greet her.
"Whoosh!" The sharp sword pierced through the tail, its soft fur trailing behind it as it turned towards Ze Yuan, who lay sprawled on the ground!
"Wah—!" A baby's cry echoed through the gloomy Heavenly Palace. A red bib was seen hanging from the blade of a sword, and inside the bib was a crying infant. Xuan Feng was startled and quickly sheathed his Cicada Feather Sword, stepping forward to catch the crying baby.
The baby was very thin, with bones like fish bones clearly showing through the skin, and the tiny earlobes even resembled fish fins...
Suddenly, the dark clouds in the sky dispersed, and the sky became bright as usual. The heavy moisture in the palace was like a gentle spring rain, washing away the traces left after the killing.
Xuanfeng, holding the infant, looked up at the sky, when suddenly he heard Hongzhu wailing in a tearful voice, "Lord Xuanfeng—! Please spare Lord Zeyuan's offspring—!"
What the heck?! Xuanfeng turned to look at Hongzhu and saw that Hongzhu was kneeling on the ground crying with tears streaming down her face. Behind her stood a group of immortals dressed in strange clothes, looking at Xuanfeng with disdain, contempt, anger, or confusion.
"Immortals, please do justice for Lord Zeyuan!" Hongzhu knelt and turned around, kowtowing repeatedly as she said, "This humble servant has finally managed to leave Lord Zeyuan with an heir. Lord Zeyuan also wanted to share this joyous occasion with all living beings in the world, so he sent someone to inform everyone to come and celebrate together. Who would have thought that this would arouse Lord Xuanfeng's murderous intent! Now, the child has been taken hostage by Lord Xuanfeng! I beg you immortals to uphold justice!" As she spoke, Hongzhu stammered and kowtowed her head to the ground.
"Lord Xuanfeng! Little Immortal Chuanbo!" A bald old man in a black robe stepped forward, clasped his hands, and said, "Little Immortal never interferes in the affairs of the Heavenly Palace, but all living beings are currently undergoing calamity. The birth of a Heavenly Lord at this critical juncture is surely an auspicious omen! Why are you making things so difficult for us?!"
Xuanfeng frowned slightly but did not respond.
“What Uncle Chuan said is true!” A plump immortal with a round figure, wearing a dark blue long dress and with a cloud-like hairstyle stepped forward and slightly curtsied. “Lord Xuanfeng, we are the little immortal He Po. We thought that Lord Xuanfeng had come to congratulate the Daoist Heavenly Lord like us. We did not expect that you would make things difficult for this innocent child!”
Xuanfeng held the crying baby but did not respond.
Hongzhu's sobs subsided, and she slightly raised her head to glance at Chuanbo and Hepo. A flash of blood-red murderous intent flickered in her previously gentle eyes. Chuanbo and Hepo quickly gave a signal to the immortals behind them.
"Lord Xuanfeng! You really shouldn't have taken this child hostage!"
"That's right! This child is a legitimate Heavenly Emperor born in the Heavenly Palace!"
"Why isn't Lady Yi's mother showing up? How can she let Lord Xuanfeng run rampant like this?"...
Ze Yuan swayed as he stood up, then knelt down with a thud, shouting, "Big brother! Please don't hurt the child!"
Xuanfeng's eye twitched slightly. What a poor performance!
"Oh dear! Forgive my poor eyesight! This is actually Lord Zeyuan?!" Uncle Chuan exclaimed in surprise as he looked at Zeyuan, "How did he end up like this?!"
"ah?!"
"This is... Lord Zeyuan?"
"Oh dear...it's true what they say, you can know a person's face but not their heart..."
Xuanfeng rolled her eyes dismissively, then looked down at the infant in her arms. The tiny baby was crying helplessly, waving its little hands, trying with its last strength to get its mother's attention.
This little thing has weak lungs, like a premature baby. Why are they in such a hurry? They're cruelly forcing a premature baby to be born! What... are they in such a rush?
"The Mother Goddess has been under house arrest for many days and has not shown her face! The notorious criminal Immortal Tea Lord is also being protected in the Palace of the Female Goddess! What exactly is Lord Xuanfeng's intention in setting up so many traps within this Heavenly Palace?!" Hongzhu declared loudly and emphatically. "The demon Su Yuyao is spreading rumors everywhere that she will raze the Heavenly Palace to the ground and wipe out the alien races. The two of them are colluding with each other, their ambitions are obvious! Today, Lord Zeyuan was going to show the child to the Mother Goddess, but Lord Xuanfeng snatched it away..."
"Here you go." Xuanfeng stretched out his arms, wrapped the purple-covered infant in his Qi, and handed it to Hongzhu, saying coldly, "Take it away."
Hongzhu looked at Xuanfeng with some surprise, and then at the child in front of her with some apprehension.
"I'm crying so hard." Xuanfeng slowly withdrew his Qi, and the baby gently fell into Hongzhu's arms. "Children should not be your pawns."
Hongzhu stared blankly at the child seeking milk from her chest, her heart aching terribly. Even if Hongzhu were heartless, in the instant her clothes became soaked, she disregarded everything else.
"Bang!" Red Pearl spread her big ears to cover herself and the baby, and the baby's crying stopped instantly.
Ze Yuan slowly stood up, pointed at Xuan Feng with his blood-red hand, and shouted at the immortals, "Do you see this? This is the two-faced Lord Xuan Feng! If it weren't for the timely arrival of you immortals, the innocent child would probably have lost his life long ago!"
Xuanfeng coldly raised his eyelids and glared at Zeyuan. The Cicada Feather Sword, which had just calmed down, began to stir again.
"What? You still want to kill me?" Ze Yuan revealed a sinister smile, approaching Xuan Feng step by step, and suddenly roared, "Come on! Kill me!"
Xuanfeng glanced at the Golden Moss Rat that had retreated to a distance, then looked at the immortal who was approaching along with Zeyuan, smiled slightly, sheathed his Cicada Feather Sword, and took a few light steps to retreat back into the Qi shield of the Female Mother Palace.
"Ah—yawn!" Xuanfeng had just retreated back into his Qi shield when a gust of cold air stimulated his nasal cavity.
"Xuanfeng? Why are you back?" Qingyue hurriedly walked to Xuanfeng's side, straightening her cuffs, and asked in a low voice, "How is it outside? Zeyuan, he..."
"It's nothing," Xuanfeng replied simply, then looked up at the thick layer of ice above him. "What happened?"
"It's nothing, just a small crack," Qingyue replied casually, then pointed nervously outside, "What's the situation?"
"A small opening?" Xuanfeng walked towards Yi's mother's bedroom while observing the almost completely frozen Qi shield. "Zeyuan forced me to take action with a group of water-type rogue immortals, so I came back."
"Forcing you to take action?" Qingyue followed closely behind Xuanfeng, asking in confusion, "Why?"
Xuanfeng pushed open the door to Yi's mother's room, a faint smile on his face, and said, "They're getting anxious."
………
In the courtyard of the Nevernight Lodge, the once lush tea trees have all been broken. On the remains of the tea tree branches, there is a tortoise shell the size of a thatched hut. Various sea monsters are practicing their skills methodically, stepping on the tea leaves that have turned into mud.
A withered yellow leaf drifted lightly down into the courtyard, deftly avoiding the sirens' trampling on the damp earth, slowly approaching the gate of the Never-Sleeping Abode. The doors and windows of the Abode were tightly shut, so the withered yellow leaf crouched against the doorframe, quietly squeezing through the crack…
"Lord Tide!" Xie Ao, his face flushed, said in a low voice, "There's still no news of Lord Tide! That Lu Chang is too cunning. Not only did he set a trap for Lord Tide in that desert land, but he also dried all our people into dried fish!"
Snap!
Hai Chao shattered the table with a single blow, and his weathered face was gradually stained red with the rage rising above him.
"This Tide has really lost his mind! He actually believed those chickens, ducks, geese, and dogs' surrender!" Hai Chao said, his forehead flushed. "How could these animals betray Lu Chang with such a guilty conscience?! They were helping Lu Chang lure us there and suppress our water energy with yellow sand! Only this heartless Tide could believe their nonsense!"
Hai Chao sighed and continued, "The Immortal Mountain is Lord Xuanfeng's territory! It's not so easy to break in! And that Su Yuyao, she's always up and down, keeping us completely on our toes. We haven't even seen a glimpse of her, and we've already lost most of our brothers! What a troublesome woman..."
Xie Ao recalled the half-dead centipede hanging in the air, and then he thought of Su Yuyao, who was fearless and dared to go head-to-head with Xuan Feng, and he couldn't help but tremble with fear.
He stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Su Yuyao's methods are unpredictable and erratic. Even with our utmost caution, we have suffered heavy losses, let alone others! I heard that Lord Ruixin is also trapped!"
"Ruixin-jun?" Haichao's brows furrowed even more. "Leiming's place is just a few empty valleys, how did they manage to trap him?!"
"Although it was an empty valley, the trees were lush, and with the help of Lord Qimen, the large number of trees quickly depleted the golden energy of Lord Ruixin's branch. Many people were exhausted to death without even touching a single soldier of Leiming!"
Hai Chao rubbed his fingers in frustration. "I really shouldn't have gotten involved in this mess! If I hadn't trusted Hongzhu, I would never have agreed to let Gongji go to Wuji Dao to assist Zeyuan. Now look what's happened, Gongji is being held hostage in Wuji Dao and can't be returned, and we've been emptied out! Not to mention how much money we've spent, we've lost count of how many lives we've lost!"
Hai Chao clenched his fists, suppressed his anger, and gritted his teeth as he said, "Xie Ao, give the order to strengthen security. Without my command, no one is allowed to leave the Nevernight Lodge! We cannot afford any more casualties!"
"Yes!" Xie Ao replied, bowing his head.
"Lord Tide! Lord Tide!" A little sea monster rushed in through the door in a panic and knelt down with a thud.
Hai Chao's eyes widened, and he stood up abruptly, asking, "What's the matter that you're so panicked?"
The little siren pointed to the door and said in terror, "Su...Su Yuyao...is...coming!"
"Who?!" Hai Chao roared in shock, "Who did you say?!"
Before the little sea monster could reply, Xie Ao strode out. Just as he stepped across the threshold, he saw a woman, graceful as a fairy, walking towards him. Her hair was piled high in a bun, and she wore a long, wide-sleeved golden robe over a dark blue, gold-trimmed skirt. Her embroidered gold shoes trod on the withered branches of the trees, scattering golden leaves that fluttered down in the wind.
This is... Su Yuyao?
Xie Ao had met Su Yuyao once, and although it was brief, it left a very deep impression on him, but she was definitely not like this! He looked at the woman who was getting closer and closer. She looked like her, but she was different. He couldn't say that she didn't look like her, but her eyebrows and eyes were definitely the same!
"Everyone on alert!" Xie Ao shouted, his hands suddenly transforming into two blue crab claws that protected his chest.
A group of sea monsters stood in neat rows beside Xie Ao, each with a solemn expression, looking as if they were ready to die.
Su Yuyao raised her eyelids and glanced at the Nevernight Tea House. Although she had never been here before, she had glanced at Lao Bai before. It was such a pity that the once lush green tea trees had been ruined like this!
Xie Ao gestured with the pliers and looked behind Su Yuyao, only to find no one there!
Hmph! Daring to come alone, you're really courting death!
Xie Ao stared intently at Su Yuyao, then turned his head and asked in a low voice, "Lord Hai Chao, I've checked, Su Yuyao is alone! Should we..."
Hai Chao stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "You just said her behavior was unpredictable and strange, why are you acting so impulsively now?! She came alone on the surface, but who knows what she's up to?! We have to be careful!"
Xie Ao bowed slightly and replied, "Yes! I was being presumptuous!"
Hai Chao's expression turned solemn. He straightened his clothes and strode towards Su Yuyao, raising his aura and shouting loudly, "Su Yuyao! How dare you! You actually dare to trespass into the Nevernight Lodge alone?!"
Su Yuyao walked up to Hai Chao, tilted her head, and looked him up and down with a sidelong glance. Although he was born of the same mother as Chao Xi, he lacked Chao Xi's cunning and ferocity, and had more of the dullness that a monarch should not have. No wonder he almost lost half his life when he was supervising the execution at the gate of Tianyi Palace last time.
Hai Chao felt extremely uncomfortable under Su Yuyao's gaze, a cold sweat breaking out on his back. He pointed a finger at Su Yuyao's nose, glaring at her and shouting, "Su Yuyao! Are you really courting death?!"
Su Yuyao smiled slightly and said softly to Hai Chao's fingertips, "Lord Hai Chao, let's make a deal!"
"Huh?" Su Yuyao's words instantly deflated Hai Chao's hard-won momentum. "A deal? What deal?!"
Su Yuyao glanced at Hai Chao with alluring eyes, gracefully bypassing his fingertips, and walked towards the Nevernight Lodge with her head held high.
Xie Ao stepped forward, brandishing his pincers to block Su Yuyao's path, "Su Yuyao, Lord Hai Chao didn't..."
"Lord Xie Ao, is that right?" Su Yuyao interrupted Xie Ao with a smile, "Do you still remember... what I told you back then?"
Xie Ao's mind went blank, as if struck by lightning. He stared at Su Yuyao, holding the pliers, and asked, "What...things?"
"You actually forgot?" Su Yuyao turned around, glancing at Hai Chao, who was also stunned in place. A glint of fire flashed in her ghostly eyes as she said leisurely, "If you help us bring down Lord Chao Xi, we will help Young Master Qiang Ji win a share of the world, how about it?"
Hai Chao's eyes widened suddenly, his lips turned white instantly, and he smacked his lips, "Huh?"
Su Yuyao was very satisfied with Hai Chao's reaction. She turned around and stared at Xie Ao, who was stunned, raising an eyebrow slightly. Xie Ao trembled and obediently stepped aside.
Seeing that Xie Ao had made way, the pretentious sirens also retreated to the side, clearing a path for Su Yuyao to reach the Nevernight Lodge.
Su Yuyao glanced around disdainfully, then lifted her skirt and slowly stepped towards the Never-Night Lodge. A cool breeze stirred the scarred earth, stirring up golden leaves from the soil before gently setting them down again…
The doors and windows of the Nevernight Lodge were closed again.
Su Yuyao wandered around the Nevernight Inn casually, lightly tracing the fine sword marks on the wall with her fingertips. She then glanced at Hai Chao, who was staring intently at her, and Xie Ao, who was on high alert with his pincers raised. "Lord Hai Chao, won't you invite me to sit down?"
Before Hai Chao could respond, Su Yuyao walked to the table and sat down cross-legged by herself.
Hai Chao clenched his fists, glared at Su Yuyao, and growled in a low voice, "Su Yuyao! Haven't you hurt us enough?!"
Su Yuyao smiled slightly, raised an eyelid, and glared at Hai Chao with her red eyes. She said with a smirk, "I saved the wolf clan leader Sahan, I saved Jiujiao Mountain, I saved Xuanfeng, and now I want to save the entire Heavenly Palace! Tell me, which of these things I've done has harmed you!"
"Me? This?!" Hai Chao stared at Su Yuyao, whose pupils were glowing with red flames, momentarily at a loss for words. Which one? Pointing out either one would be admitting to his rebellion!
Having witnessed Su Yuyao's unreasonable behavior before, Xie Ao quickly stepped forward to help Hai Chao when she failed to respond to his first sentence, saying, "Su Yuyao! Don't try to confuse the issue! No matter what you've done, it can't cover up your crimes!"
"Crime?" Su Yuyao glanced at Xie Ao again, red flames gradually igniting in her eyes as she shouted sharply, "Should the Wolf Clan leader be innocently murdered?! Should Nine Suburbs Mountain be submerged by the floods stirred up by the South China Sea?! Should Xuanfeng be framed by you?! Should the Heavenly Palace be controlled by you?!"
Click! Thump!
No sooner had he finished speaking than the table, which had been shattered by the tide, broke in two and fell at the tide's feet.
Hai Chao's eyes twitched, suppressing his anger as he continued to ask, "What... exactly do you want?!"
Su Yuyao turned her gaze back to Hai Chao, her burning red eyes gradually dimming. "I already said, let's make a deal!"
"Why should we make a deal with you?!" Xie Ao pointed the pliers at Su Yuyao and asked angrily.
Su Yuyao suddenly opened her palm, and a ball of flame leaped in her hand. With a slight twist of her wrist, the flame suddenly lunged at Xie Ao's pincers. Xie Ao cried out in pain and quickly withdrew his crab pincers, but a black scar was still burned on his finger.
Su Yuyao rolled her eyes at Xie Ao, then disdainfully gestured for him to sit down and said, "Lord Haichao, please sit down and let's talk!"
Hai Chao glared at Su Yuyao, flaring his nostrils in anger, and gritted his teeth as he said, "Su Yuyao, you have some nerve! Do you know how many demonic beasts are here? How dare you, a mere woman, come here alone? Aren't you afraid you won't be able to get back?!"
Su Yuyao smiled calmly, "The Nevernight Lodge was originally Xianmingjun's tea garden. What is there to be afraid of when I come here to visit Xianmingjun? It is you who forcibly occupied the Nevernight Lodge, destroyed the thousand-year-old tea garden, and polluted the pure cold spring. Aren't you afraid of being punished by the Mother Goddess?"
Hai Chaoqi's beard bristled, and his lips trembled. "Su Yuyao! Xianming killed the Tea God, Elder Zhang..."
"Who said that?! Have they been convicted?!" Su Yuyao interrupted Hai Chao, staring at him with wide eyes.
"Although no conviction has been made, the facts have been investigated..."
"Now that the matter has been investigated, why not convict him?!" Su Yuyao interrupted Hai Chao again. "Whether Xianmingjun is convicted or not, it is not an excuse for you to seize the Nevernight Lodge!"
"I...you..." Hai Chao was already bad at speaking, and being interrupted twice by Su Yuyao made his tongue even more tied.
Su Yuyao didn't give Hai Chao a chance to catch her breath and think, and continued, "I came here out of kindness, not wanting to see you being used by Chao Xi Jun, so I came to help you out of your predicament. Not only are you ungrateful, but you have also repeatedly spoken rudely! Since you don't appreciate it, I don't want to bother anymore!"
After saying that, Su Yuyao stood up and said coldly, "Tide Lord has not yet escaped the Yellow Sand Land, and Ruixin Lord is also trapped in the Forest of Ten Thousand Trees. You don't actually think that your safety is because I have no other choice, do you?"
Hai Chao glared at Su Yuyao, his nostrils twitching, and roared, "Su Yuyao, don't be so arrogant!"
"Arrogant?" Su Yuyao slowly walked to the door, placed her hand on the door frame, and gently pushed it open. "Am I too arrogant, or... are you too weak?"
The door was flung open with a bang, and a beam of golden light shot in like a flood.
Xie Ao quickly spread his crab claws to protect Hai Chao, who in turn suddenly released his Qi field, creating waves of Qi behind him.
"Father! Your son has returned!" A figure faintly appeared in the golden light, travel-worn but full of energy. It was none other than Gong Ji, who had been imprisoned in the Wuji Dao!
Hai Chao stared wide-eyed in disbelief, choking back tears as she asked, "Gong Ji? My son... is that you?"
"It is your son!" Qiang Ji finally emerged from the golden light, walked to Hai Chao, lifted his long robe, knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in a fist, and bowed to Hai Chao with dazzling eyes, "Father! Please accept your son's bow!"
Hai Chao's excited gaze gradually calmed down. He looked at the intact Qiang Ji in front of him and said coldly, "You are not Qiang Ji."
As soon as he finished speaking, a wave of energy surged up behind him and transformed into a long whip that lashed out at the thorns.
Plop plop plop...
The thorns were blasted into golden leaves that scattered, and the golden light gradually faded.
Xie Ao looked back at Hai Chao in surprise. What's wrong with you, sir? Why are you pulling on the door frame?
He looked back at the door again. The sirens arrayed in the courtyard were also stunned by the whip of the tide. Was this... a signal?
All the sea monsters' eyes fell on Su Yuyao.
"kill--!"
Someone shouted, and the sea monsters immediately charged towards Su Yuyao with their weapons. Suddenly, the golden leaves on the ground swelled up and transformed into humanoid figures holding weapons, blocking Su Yuyao's way.
"Charge!!" someone shouted again. The sirens, ignoring their surprise, brandished their weapons and engaged the golden humanoid figure in a chaotic battle.
Hai Chao gradually came to his senses, pushed out with both palms, and a huge wave of energy rushed towards the fighting sea monsters. The sea monsters fell down in a row with screams, but they still did not stop fighting.
Xie Ao stared in astonishment at the sea monsters outside the door, some attacking each other, others harming themselves, and then suddenly understood, "Su Yuyao! What illusion magic did you use?!"
“It’s not an illusion.” Hai Chao looked at Su Yuyao with red eyes. “She just stirred up what we care about most.”
Su Yuyao smiled and nodded, "That's right! Lord Haichao is indeed extraordinary! Although Young Master Qiangji is not capable enough, he possesses the extremely rare Fish Princess Tear. Now he has not only lost an eye, but also a broken arm!"
Upon hearing this, Hai Chao pointed at Su Yuyao and roared, "Isn't it all because of you?!"
"It's not because of me!" Su Yuyao said sharply, "It's because of Tide Lord and Lord Zeyuan's manipulation! If it weren't for them, how could Young Master Qiangji have ended up like this?!"
Su Yuyao stepped forward, approaching Hai Chao, and asked in a low voice, "Lord Hai Chao, think carefully, who is currently holding Young Master Qiang Ji under house arrest, me or Chao Xi?!"
The Nevernight Lodge gradually quieted down, leaving only Hai Chao's increasingly rapid, restrained breathing.
“Su Yuyao,” Hai Chao asked, his eyes wide and his anger barely contained, “what can you help Qiang Ji get?”
Su Yuyao smiled contentedly and said softly, "Wuji, the Dao!"
...
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