Chapter 222 Difficult Planning
Xuanfeng watched as the insect mist enveloping the gods gradually disappeared into the white fog, and asked with concern, "Girl, isn't it too risky to let the little one lead the way?!"
"Don't worry, with Ren Shen here, Miao'er will be fine," Su Yuyao said calmly.
Xuanfeng frowned. With Renshen around, it was even more worrying! He glanced at Su Yuyao's face and suddenly realized... it seemed that now was not the time to raise questions.
Although Su Yuyao had temporarily quelled the chaos, she felt no relief whatsoever. She looked up at the heavy, dark clouds and called out, "Lord Hai Chao! You may come out now!"
The dark clouds began to swirl, gathering into the shape of a dragonfish. The dragonfish hovered in the clouds, slowly drawing the black water vapor in the air into the vortex.
Suddenly, the dark clouds parted, and dazzling sunlight pierced the black sky, once again shrouding the bluestone bricks. The white mist slowly dissipated in the sunlight, revealing a dense forest of branches, their thick trunks reaching towards the sky, seemingly endless. Interspersed among the branches were dozens of streams of water, their sources invisible. The cascading water, like shimmering silver silk, gently fell onto the bluestone bricks, forming small pools without a single splash. The once majestic and magnificent celestial palace had now become a dreamlike realm of dense forests and flowing water!
Luo Fengyue rolled his eyes at the Heavenly Palace that didn't resemble a Heavenly Palace, revealing an incredulous look. He peered into the shell and excitedly peered at Su Yuyao.
Su Yuyao glanced at the dragonfish circling in the air and shook her head slightly at Luo Fengyue. Luo Fengyue then slowly withdrew her eyes back into her snail shell.
The dragonfish circled for a while before landing in front of Su Yuyao, transforming into human form, and bowing deeply with clasped hands, "Miss Yao'er!"
Su Yuyao nodded. "Lord Haichao, thank you for your hard work."
Xuanfeng looked at Haichao in surprise, then at Su Yuyao.
Su Yuyao smiled without saying a word, turned to look at Yi's mother who had a dark face, and said slowly with a forced smile, "Your Majesty, before I came here I went to the Nevernight Lodge and happened to run into Lord Haichao who was resting there. So I discussed with Lord Haichao whether he could help if Lord Zeyuan really used the seawater flooding. I didn't expect that Lord Haichao would readily agree!"
Everyone knew the truth, but no one called out Su Yuyao's statement.
"Is that so? Then Lord Haichao has really gone to great lengths," Mother Yi said with a cold face.
Hai Chao paused for a moment, then bowed and replied, "This old man dares not."
"Your Majesty, I have an idea, would you like to hear it?" Su Yuyao walked up to Yi Mu and said in a voice just loud enough for everyone to hear, "Although this child was born in the Heavenly Palace, he has lost his mother, and his father is unreliable. Why not send him back to the South Sea and let Lord Hai Chao take care of him?"
Yi's mother understood the implication in Su Yuyao's words. Although she didn't have a good impression of the child in her arms, she didn't want to agree to Su Yuyao's suggestion so easily. "Although the child's birth mother is not honorable, she is still Zeyuan's offspring. If we just let Lord Haichao take her back so casually, it will inevitably leave room for gossip and make the gods and beings of heaven and earth laugh at the narrow-mindedness of the Heavenly Palace!"
Su Yuyao lowered her head and smiled, "Your Majesty need not worry! This child is a descendant of the South Sea and should learn the skills of the South Sea. However, there is no suitable person in the Heavenly Palace to teach him, so we sent him back to the South Sea. This is also for his growth and the long-term interests of the Heavenly Palace!"
Yi Mu's expression softened slightly, and she said with a smile, "Your idea makes sense, but it has unnecessarily caused trouble for Lord Hai Chao. I wonder what Lord Hai Chao thinks?"
Hai Chao was very unhappy, thinking about how Chao Xi had taken advantage of him in every way, and now he wanted him to clean up his mess and raise his descendants. He really didn't want to take on this child.
Su Yuyao noticed Hai Chao's reluctance, so she took the sleeping baby from Yi's mother's arms and brought it to Hai Chao. "Lord Hai Chao, look at this child. Although his physical body is somewhat lacking, he has innate talent. As long as you teach him diligently, he will surely become a great man in the future!"
"Ah?! This?!" Hai Chao's eyes widened in shock the moment she saw the child. The child was exactly the same as the one who had been born!
He suddenly understood Su Yuyao's kindness and Yi's mother's magnanimity. He quickly lifted his robe and knelt down, saying loudly, "Please rest assured, Mother Yi and Miss Yao'er, I will definitely raise this child well!"
Yi Mu nodded and said, "He is the root of the South Sea, and was born in the Heavenly Palace, so let's call him... Wei Huan."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Hai Chao slammed his head heavily against the bluestone bricks.
Su Yuyao tucked Wei Huan into Hai Chao's arms.
Hai Chao carefully held Wei Huan in his arms, holding back his tears, and bowed deeply, saying, "Thank you, Miss Yao'er!"
"Oh..." Wei Huan slowly opened her eyes.
"Huh?! This?!" Hai Chao stared at Wei Huan in disbelief. "It's congenital..."
“That’s right.” Su Yuyao nodded with a smile and said calmly, “However, in order to avoid unnecessary disputes, I temporarily used Qi to cover Yu Ji’s tears. When Wei Huan grows up and completes his studies, this Qi shield will naturally fall off.”
Hai Chao was fully aware of Su Yuyao's scheme, but in order to preserve the bloodline of the South China Sea, he could only bow and reply, "Yes, thank you, Miss Yao'er!"
Su Yuyao nodded with satisfaction. "I've protected Wei Huan for you, and I won't pursue the South Sea's mistake. As for Qiang Ji, since he's already taken on responsibilities in the Wuji Dao, let him continue for now. We'll make further plans once everything settles down." After saying this, Su Yuyao's expression suddenly changed, and she said seriously, "Lord Hai Chao, I've done everything I said I would do, and even things I didn't say I would. I hope you won't forget your promise. If you break the rules between us, you can take back what I gave you!"
Hai Chao solemnly bowed again and said, "Please rest assured, Miss Yao'er, I will follow you to the death and have no other intentions!"
Su Yuyao smiled with her eyes lowered, her peaceful gaze mixed with complex emotions.
Did Meng Yu really not come? Since he has already advanced to the vicinity of the Nevernight Lodge, why didn't he meet me at the Heavenly Palace? Does he really want me to perish here? If I die, everything will be destroyed. Does he really want that?
“Lord Hai Chao, there’s no need for such formalities! Wei Huan was just born. Quickly take him back and find a wet nurse to feed him properly!” Su Yuyao lowered her head slightly, reached out to help Hai Chao up, and said in a low voice, “Meng Yu has not shown himself. It seems that he already considers me an enemy. You should be more careful when you get back.”
Hai Chao nodded solemnly, "Miss Yao'er, rest assured, I have already sent people to inquire about the situation. However, Meng Yu is acting alone and his whereabouts are mysterious, so there is still no news about him."
Su Yuyao gave a cold laugh, "Does Lord Haichao still remember the gold leaves I brought?"
"Golden leaves?" Hai Chao recalled the golden leaves that accompanied Su Yuyao when she appeared, and nodded in surprise. "You mean... those golden leaves?"
“Yes, go find it.” Su Yuyao lowered her head, took out a gold leaf from her sleeve and handed it to Hai Chao. “There will be many gold leaves behind Meng Yu.”
"Yes!" Hai Chao, though confused, didn't press further. He carefully put away the gold leaf, then carried Wei Huan into the dense forest...
Mother Yi, unconvinced, flicked her sleeves, rolled her eyes, and glanced at Su Yuyao. "Hmph! You said what I should say and did what I should do!"
Su Yuyao didn't have time to pay attention to her mother's glare, because a white feather flashed in front of her. She reached out and gently picked up the feather, which instantly turned into a fine, crystalline powder that scattered on Su Yuyao's fingertips.
Su Yuyao's brows relaxed, and she turned to Qimen with a smile, saying, "Uncle, Baihu has already taken over all the palaces in the Heavenly Palace with Ruixue, Zangmao, and Fengzhan. I would like to trouble you to take the Flying Eagle and go through each palace again, firstly to check if any palaces have been missed and to count the number of people; secondly, to reassure everyone and ask them not to go in or out casually for the time being. Once everything is settled, I will invite everyone to drink and celebrate!"
"Alright!" Qi Men accepted the order with a smile.
"Wait a minute!" Xuanfeng shouted sharply to stop him. He had not yet fully accepted the fact that Su Yuyao was out of his control, and he could not accept that Su Yuyao completely controlled everything about him, including his immortal master and confidants.
“Girl,” Xuanfeng’s voice was gentle yet carried an unquestionable tone as he asked, “Are you saying that you had people occupy the palaces? Most of the palaces in the Heavenly Palace are under my Qi shield, so how did they manage to break in?”
Looking into Xuanfeng's deep eyes, Su Yuyao smiled slightly and replied, "Xuanfeng, when did I say it was an occupation? And why must we attack? Those palaces protected by the Qi shield, bearing my name, Su Yuyao, who would stop us? Those palaces not protected by the Qi shield, bearing my name, Su Yuyao, who would dare to stop us? Even those who dare to resist would probably not escape the same fate as Hongzhu!"
Xuan Feng frowned slightly. Although he didn't want to be manipulated by Su Yuyao, who had grown powerful, the feeling of being confronted by her powerful wings brought a subtle unease, and even a sense of helpless heartache.
Seeing that Xuanfeng didn't say anything more, Su Yuyao winked at Qimen, "Uncle Qimen! Go!"
"Yes!" Qimen bowed and replied, then bowed slightly to Xuanfeng before transforming into a green cloud and soaring into the sky.
Flying Eagle also bowed to Su Yuyao and Xuanfeng. Seeing that Xuanfeng had no intention of stopping them, it stepped into the air, transformed into an eagle, and soared upwards, following Qimen.
Xuanfeng watched as his immortal master and his trusted confidants went to investigate the Heavenly Palace that his immortal wife had conquered, which belonged to his mother... He shook his head helplessly. What a waste of the title of a Heavenly Emperor! Now he actually needs to rely on a young woman to secure his position...
Xuanfeng's helplessness made Yi's mother even more displeased with Su Yuyao.
“Xuanfeng,” Mother Yi rolled her eyes at Su Yuyao and said, “You are the rightful Heavenly Lord. You cannot lose the aura of a Heavenly Lord, nor can you let outsiders suppress your prestige.”
Xuanfeng glanced at Yi's mother, whose face was extremely pale, and then at Su Yuyao, who had a slightly arrogant air about her. He then whispered to Yi's mother, "Your Majesty, isn't what we've been waiting for precisely Ya Tou's men? Ya Tou risked her life to return to the Heavenly Palace, which is why it didn't fall into the hands of others. It's only reasonable for Ya Tou to send people to clean up the mess now. Besides, with a Celestial Master accompanying us, you don't need to worry."
“You’re right,” Mother Yi said, her eyes narrowed and her voice sinister. “The Heavenly Palace is practically Su Yuyao’s possession, how could it possibly fall into someone else’s hands?”
Su Yuyao didn't retaliate against Yi's mother's sarcastic words. Instead, she smiled indifferently, a slight curl at the corner of her lips. Since Yi's mother harbored prejudice against her, no matter how she tried to explain, it would be futile; no matter how she tried to befriend her, it would be ineffective.
She calmed herself down and slowly released her restrained aura, allowing it to gradually expand until it became boundless...
"Golden Moss Rat!" Su Yuyao suddenly shouted.
Amidst the incredulous gazes of the crowd, the Golden Moss Rat, without a veil and with scars on its face exposed, limped out from behind Luo Fengyue's shell.
"Miss Yao'er, what are your orders?" The golden moss rat replied reluctantly, its head bowed.
Although the golden moss rat showed no visible injuries, its voice was weak, its face was pale, and it moved with difficulty…
"Su Yuyao!" Xuan Feng suddenly realized what Su Yuyao had done to the Golden Moss Rat. He grabbed Su Yuyao by the back of the neck, suppressed his anger, and whispered in her ear, "Did you use the Spider Silk Bind on him?!"
Su Yuyao frowned and pushed Xuanfeng's hand away, saying coquettishly, "The Heavenly Palace isn't mine, so naturally it won't obey me. If I don't use some tricks, how can I control it?"
After saying that, without waiting for Xuanfeng to refute, she turned to the Golden Moss Rat and shouted sharply, "Golden Moss Rat, did you assassinate me under the orders of the Tide Lord?"
Xuanfeng was startled upon hearing this.
The golden moss rat remained unmoved and silent.
"Fine! You agree!" Su Yuyao said loudly.
The golden moss rat frowned and raised its eyelids to look at Su Yuyao.
"Although you have committed a heinous crime and should be burned to ashes as well, I, Su Yuyao, am not the kind of ruthless person. Considering that you were only following orders, I will spare your life!"
Xuanfeng gradually frowned.
The golden moss rat gradually frowned.
"From now on, you will go to Shangxiu Palace!"
Ruixin frowned as well.
Xuanfeng's brows relaxed in surprise.
The golden moss rat's brows were furrowed.
"Show me the loyalty you have shown to Lord Tide, and serve Lord Ruixin well! Help Lord Ruixin regain his former glory!"
The more Ruixin listened, the more his brows furrowed.
Xuanfeng raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"Did you understand?" Su Yuyao glanced at Ze Yuan's ice coffin.
Upon seeing Ze Yuan sealed in the ice coffin, the Golden Moss Rat's furrowed brows finally relaxed a little, and it bowed and replied, "Understood."
“Lord Ruixin,” Su Yuyao turned to Ruixin, whose brows were furrowed, “you’ll have a lot on your plate from now on! Not only will you have to take good care of Lord Zeyuan and help him recover his Qi, but you’ll also have to make good use of the Golden Moss Rat. He’s an invaluable talent!”
Ruixin sensed something was amiss in Su Yuyao's words, but couldn't discern whether it was a friendly remark or a malicious one. He instinctively felt it was another trap and was momentarily at a loss for how to react.
At this point, Mother Yi finally couldn't hold back any longer and spoke up unhappily, "Su Yuyao, the Golden Moss Rat is Tide Lord's confidant. Your arrangement is probably inappropriate."
“Your Majesty, there’s nothing wrong with it!” Su Yuyao said to Yi Mu with a smile. “The Golden Moss Rat is very loyal. If we let him go back to the South Sea, I’m afraid he’ll miss his master in the Heavenly Palace. It would be better to keep him in Shangxiu Palace to accompany Lord Zeyuan. That way, Lord Ruixin will also have someone he can serve. Isn’t that the best of both worlds?”
Mother Yi, fidgeting with her sleeve, glared at the Golden Moss Rat. The Golden Moss Rat possessed a powerful aura, and its killing prowess was no less than that of her own Cleaner. Letting it go might sow the seeds of future trouble. Kill it? She didn't have the ability right now, and Su Yuyao had no intention of killing it…
“Xuanfeng,” Mother Yi suddenly smiled and turned to Xuanfeng, “I am old, and these matters should be decided by you. However, the Golden Moss Rat attempted to assassinate Su Yuyao, and I am only worried that keeping him alive would be detrimental to Su Yuyao, so… what do you think?”
“Xuanfeng,” Su Yuyao narrowed her eyes, feigning a smile as she turned to Xuanfeng, “The Golden Moss Rat did indeed attempt to assassinate me, but he was merely following orders, not acting on his own accord! Besides, every wrong has its perpetrator, and I have already avenged myself, so why should I make things difficult for him?”
Su Yuyao's words pierced Xuanfeng's heart like a thorn: "You've already taken your revenge? Yes! Tide Lord is indeed gone forever; the yellow earth and desert have long since buried his water essence. Then... what will you use to bury me?"
"No matter what, the Golden Moss Rat cannot be allowed to live!" Mother Yi looked at Xuan Feng, whose eyes were full of Su Yuyao, and was furious. She raised her voice and said, "The Golden Moss Rat has been with Tide for a long time, and its loyalty is evident! Don't be so nepotistic and leave behind a menace just to bolster your own prestige and save face!"
"How does Mother Yi know he's a menace?!" Su Yuyao raised her voice, arguing defiantly, "Look at the scar on his face, that's from Tide Lord! He knows Tide Lord is using him, yet he remains loyal. Although he's dull-witted, it shows he's a useful person. If guided correctly, he can become a powerful assistant!"
"Bah! Nonsense!" Mother Yi couldn't contain her anger and roared, "Su Yuyao, just say it! What are your intentions in placing him in Shangxiu Palace?!"
"Heaven and earth bear witness! Everything I have done is for the sake of the Heavenly Palace and the nation!" Su Yuyao replied, her eyes wide.
"Bah! You think you can do this for the sake of the Heavenly Palace and the nation?!" Mother Yi pointed at Su Yuyao's nose and shouted, "You vixen! Do you think I don't know? You've bewitched Xuanfeng, seduced Renshen, and tempted the Golden Moss Rat, and you even have a dog that never leaves your side! Tell me! What exactly are you trying to do with so many men around you?!"
The mother berated fiercely, and Su Yuyao, who was being scolded, did not back down either, shouting back, "Whatever your purpose is, that's what I'm after. Is it wrong to imitate your methods?"
"What?!" Mother Yi's nose flared with anger, hot breath puffing out, her bulging eyes blazing with fury. After stumbling a few steps, carrying her heavy robe, she simply swung it off, lifted her skirt, and strode up to Su Yuyao, raising her hand to slap Su Yuyao across the face!
*Slap!* A hand with bulging veins landed squarely on Su Yuyao's face, taking the full force of her mother's slap!
"Ah, Xuanfeng!" Su Yuyao looked at the familiar chest in front of her and suddenly felt so relieved that she wanted to cry. She raised her hand to touch the back of the hand on her cheek and asked in a soft voice, "Does it hurt?"
Xuanfeng did not answer Su Yuyao, but turned to Yi's mother and said, "You know that Su Yuyao doesn't know how to speak tactfully, so why get angry?"
"Xuanfeng!" Mother Yi glared at Xuanfeng and tapped his head. "Aren't you a coward? Didn't you hear what she just said?"
"I will teach Su Yuyao." Xuan Feng's face turned slightly pale, and his tone was icy. "Granny Guiyue! Help Her Highness to her feet!"
The protective shield inside Tianyi Hall suddenly dissipated, and the branches on Jinyu's body transformed into Qi. The two stumbled and ran out of Tianyi Hall.
Guiyue rushed to Yi's mother's side, tightly holding her arm, and gently persuaded, "Your Majesty, please calm down! It wasn't easy for Miss Yao'er to come back and help us!" As she spoke, she tightened her grip and gave her a meaningful look, "Besides, with Lord Xuanfeng here, you don't need to worry!"
Xuanfeng glanced coldly at Yi's mother. Seeing Xuanfeng's face growing increasingly ashen, Yi's mother realized she had said the wrong thing and reluctantly shut her mouth.
Xuanfeng withdrew his gaze and looked at the pair of innocent, watery eyes on his chest. His angry heart immediately softened. He put his warm hand around Su Yuyao's head and pressed it against his chest, lowering his voice to say, "Girl, let Ruixin take Jinyu and Zeyuan back to Shangxiu Palace first. As for the Golden Moss Rat, I'll deal with it later."
Su Yuyao could sense that Xuanfeng was suppressing his anger, and she knew the reason for it, but she didn't want to waste the Golden Moss Rat. If the Golden Moss Rat could accompany Zeyuan into Shangxiu Palace, it would be a water-based weapon driven into the metal-based system, not only restraining Ruixin but also suppressing the expansion of the water element. If the Golden Moss Rat was wasted, she feared that even the half-dead Zeyuan wouldn't be able to be saved…
“Xuanfeng,” Su Yuyao said sweetly, “I have a use for keeping the Golden Moss Rat…”
“Su Yuyao,” Xuanfeng tightened his grip, “I’ll say it again, I will deal with the Golden Moss Rat.”
After saying that, he pulled Su Yuyao behind him and turned to Ruixin, "Mr. Ruixin, thank you for your trouble, Zeyuan."
Ruixin, with tears in his eyes, comforted Jinyu, who was crying in his arms. Hearing Xuanfeng's words, his clenched heart finally relaxed. Zeyuan was the way out that Su Yuyao left for Jinyu. He had no choice but to accept it. As long as she didn't die, she wouldn't get into any trouble.
He quickly bowed and replied, "Don't worry!" After saying that, he used his Qi field to wrap the ice coffin.
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