Chapter 229 Former Officials Cause Trouble
The golden-winged butterflies scattered across the sky, leaving all the gods and immortals in awe and wonder!
The golden leaves spread among the people, and beasts, insects, birds, and ants from all walks of life looked up to the sky and rejoiced!
Dandelions return to nature, and all vegetation, forests, mountains, lakes, and seas bow to the wind with a rustling sound!
Xuanfeng sat in the main hall of Fuguang Palace, reviewing reports while listening to the meaningful congratulations from the old immortals whose territories had been destroyed.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty! You have finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel!"
"Your Majesty has such good eyesight! You found the savior, the Goddess Yao, after searching like a needle in a haystack! That's why we old friends can enjoy such a leisurely life!"
"The Queen Mother Yao is truly young and promising, possessing both courage and skill! In just a few short months, she has turned this world upside down! I, an old man, have watched helplessly as my hard work has transformed a lush old forest into a bald, rocky mountain!"
"That's right! I don't even know where my old man's sea has flowed to!"
"Our once beautiful mountains, forests, and ravines have all been submerged by silt, leaving not a single living thing behind!"
Xuanfeng paused, slightly raising his eyelids. His murderous gaze, sharp as a cicada's feather sword, swept coldly across the hall. The noisy old immortals instantly fell silent, staring intently at Xuanfeng. Unexpectedly, Xuanfeng lowered his eyelids again and continued reviewing the reports, ignoring them.
Xuanfeng leisurely flipped through the reports, occasionally glancing at the anxious old immortals. As soon as the old immortals saw Xuanfeng's gaze drift over, they quickly perked up, preparing to respond. Xuanfeng curled the corners of his lips, lowered his eyelids, and turned to another report. The old immortals exchanged glances, too embarrassed to speak first, and thus patiently continued to wait…
A hawk's cry rang out, and a whirlwind suddenly arose in the peaceful courtyard! The hawk folded its wings and landed steadily on the whirlwind, and Qimen also floated lightly down in front of the palace gate.
"Oh my!" Qi Men strode into the main hall with a beaming smile and clasped his hands in greeting, saying loudly, "Greetings, venerable immortals! Why have you arrived so early? The investiture ceremony hasn't even taken place yet, so you've all come to offer your congratulations ahead of time?!"
Upon seeing Qimen, the old immortals finally had a chance to speak, and they returned the greeting, saying, "Lord Qimen! How have you been? We've come to..."
"Hahaha! All is well! All is well!" Qimen laughed, silencing the immortals. He quickly walked to Xuanfeng's desk and solemnly bowed, saying, "Your Majesty! The venue for the enfeoffment ceremony is ready! As instructed by the Goddess Yaomu, the Heavenly Water will be named Xuan Water, and the Xuan Water that falls to the ground will be gathered into a lake, named Yaochi. With Xuan Water as the pillar, the heavens as the roof, and Yaochi as the ground, this region will be named Taiji Palace! The enfeoffment ceremony will be held in Taiji Palace in three days!"
Xuanfeng listened with a sullen face. Using rootless water as a pillar, emptiness as shelter, and weak water as a foundation, she was utterly alone, without support, without shelter, without foothold… You brat, is this how you choose to rely on no one but yourself?! Am I really that unworthy of your trust?!
"Big bird! Miao'er wants to ride a big bird!" Mysterious voice echoed into the hall like a clear bell.
Xuanfeng quickly got up and took a few steps into the air to enter the courtyard, where he saw Xuanmiao riding on the neck of a flying eagle, grabbing the eagle's hair and shouting, "Fly! If you don't fly, I'll kill you!"
"Miao'er! Don't be rude!" Su Yuyao's voice was gentle yet powerful.
Xuanmiao pouted and jumped off the flying eagle, obediently hiding behind Xuanfeng's legs. Xuanfeng smiled, bent down and pulled Xuanmiao into his arms, his eyes brimming with love as he looked at Su Yuyao.
Su Yuyao was dressed in a simple, wide-sleeved blue-white robe, her hair styled in a high bun with a golden hairpin adorning it. A touch of makeup made her complexion appear even more rosy and her eyes more lively. Holding Xuanhe in her arms, she slowly walked to Xuanfeng, slightly curtsied, and said softly, "Miao'er is naughty. Seeing the flying eagle return, she couldn't resist barging into the front yard. Did she disturb your important conversation?" She then raised an eyebrow and glanced towards the main hall.
When the old immortals in the main hall saw Su Yuyao, they were reluctant but had no choice but to pay her respects. So they walked into the courtyard in a scattered manner, cupped their hands, and said, "Greetings, Mother Goddess Yao!"
Su Yuyao swept her gaze, which was laced with a hidden dagger, over the group of old immortals whose faces were full of resentment. She then slightly raised the corners of her mouth and looked at Xuanhe in her arms. She raised her hand to straighten Xuanhe's clothes and said softly, "Xuanhe has grown so fast. These clothes are a little too small. Aunt Hu!"
"Yes!" Hu Lingli bowed and walked behind Su Yuyao, responding respectfully, "What are your orders, Your Majesty?"
“Xuanhe has grown up. I originally thought of altering Miao’er’s old clothes so she could continue wearing them, but the material is getting worse and worse. Not to mention wearing them on Xuanhe, even I find them an eyesore. Why don’t we just destroy them to save you the trouble of wasting your time and taking up valuable space!”
Hu Lingli bowed and replied, "Yes! This old servant will take care of it right away!" After saying that, she took Xuanhe from Su Yuyao's arms and retreated to the inner courtyard.
Xuanfeng glanced smugly at the old immortals who were being mocked by Su Yuyao's veiled words, and pointed at Xuanmiao's little face with a smile, saying, "You little brat, you're really bold, daring to kill Flying Eagle!"
Xuanmiao covered her mouth and laughed, "Hehe! Miao'er dares not kill the big bird, because the big bird is useful! Miao'er only kills useless things!" After saying that, she raised her little hand, drew a shark fin knife from behind her, pointed it at the old immortals, and said loudly, "Those who govern the sea have lost the sea, those who govern the mountains have been replaced with plains, forests have become barren mountains, and swamps have filled the ravines! If you all don't want it, the new world can slay the old immortals!" After saying that, she raised the shark fin knife and slashed it through the air!
Whoosh—! A sharp gust of Qi!
Something's wrong! Xuanfeng quickly used his palm to block the blade of the shark fin knife, but it was too late!
A sparse wisp of beard lay scattered in the air, a piece of cloth was torn, a strand of hair slipped down his face, and a wisp of blood energy dissolved in the air...
After a moment of silence, the old immortals suddenly erupted in chaos.
"Ah?! My old man's beard!"
"Oh dear! My sleeve!"
"My hair...my hair!"
"Blood? There's blood?!" A panicked scream silenced everyone again.
The old immortals frowned and stared intently as the wisps of blood energy drifted from Xuanfeng's fingers into the air. They were dissatisfied with Su Yuyao's earth-shattering changes, and now, coupled with Xuanmiao's immature yet savage domineering nature, they couldn't help but sigh inwardly: Su Yuyao alone had already caused chaos; add another tyrannical Xuanmiao, and how could the world possibly prosper?!
Xuan Feng gently circulated his Qi to stop the bleeding, then pursed his lips, glancing at Su Yuyao with a mixture of anger and helplessness. "You brat, if you're going to help me, then help me! How can you drag this little one into this nonsense?! If there's a next time, I'll deal with you first!"
When Yi Mu ruled the Heavenly Palace, Xuan Feng was not favored and naturally received no respect from these old immortals. Now, although Xuan Feng is the Emperor, he cannot directly punish these senior figures. Fortunately, Su Yuyao intervened and solved this problem! However, having Xuan Miao step in truly angered Xuan Feng!
Seeing that Xuanfeng's hand was injured and he had used his true energy, Xuanmiao quickly dropped the shark fin knife and cautiously observed Xuanfeng's face with raised eyebrows. Su Yuyao hadn't expected Xuanfeng to catch the shark fin knife with his palm, and she was also stunned for a moment when she looked at the blood qi. Slowly, she moved her gaze to Xuanfeng's face, and sure enough, it had turned blue again!
"Hahahaha!" Qi Men laughed a few times, walked to Xuan Feng's side and gently patted Xuan Feng's wrist, "Don't underestimate Princess Miao'er just because she's small, her Qi power is really not small! No wonder she's a descendant of the Heavenly Palace!"
Xuanfeng knew this was Qimen giving him a way out, so he suppressed his anger and said, "Precisely because they are descendants of the Heavenly Palace, they should be strictly disciplined, rather than allowed to run rampant!"
Su Yuyao's eyes widened, and she slowly stepped forward, curtsied, and said, "Your Majesty, Miao'er was born on the summit of a snow-capped mountain and has traveled with me all over the country, experiencing many life-and-death situations. If she weren't a bit wild and domineering, she probably would have died on the way. How could she be safely held in your arms?!"
These few words were enough to make Xuanfeng feel a heart-wrenching pain, yet he didn't know how to respond.
Su Yuyao then turned to the old immortals and bowed deeply, saying, "Miao'er is young and ignorant, and has offended you all. I apologize to you all on Miao'er's behalf!"
Even though they disapproved of Su Yuyao's actions, the old immortals dared not provoke her openly. They could only reluctantly clasp their hands in return and bow, saying, "Your Majesty, Mother Yuyao, please don't!"
Su Yuyao slowly stood up and said leisurely, "Although Miao'er's behavior was somewhat reckless, I think there is some truth to what she just said."
The old immortals, fists clasped in astonishment, stared up at Su Yuyao. Su Yuyao, head slightly raised, looked down with disdain at the bewildered faces and spoke calmly, “On the snow-capped mountains, resources are scarce, and there is no water, so cultivation is impossible. We, the wolf clan, can only eat animal meat and drink animal blood. Every time we go hunting, to conserve energy, we only carry what we need, never burdening ourselves with useless items! During the hunt, we also replace any discarded items as soon as they become useless! Even a child understands this principle, yet you cannot grasp it—you are truly foolish! I am not afraid of fools; fools can be taught, and even if they cannot be taught, they will not become a scourge. What I fear are those clever fools who are stupid to the core, impossible to understand no matter how much I explain, only realizing their mistake after suffering a loss! I will not tolerate such fools!”
Xuanmiao's recklessness had already enraged the old immortals, but they couldn't retaliate because of Xuanfeng's face and Su Yuyao's status. Now that Su Yuyao had made it clear that she wanted to break off relations with them, the old immortals also made their stance clear.
"Goddess Yao!" A tall, thin old man with white hair and beard, dressed in a dark blue robe, spoke loudly, "I am the Immortal Elder of the Southern Shore, originally in charge of the southern coastal land. Now, the coastal area has become a yellow sand plateau, not only with scarce water resources, but also with few kinds of living creatures left! Although the change of the Heavenly Palace is inevitable, to take the opportunity to change the Earth's core and destroy our millions of years of hard work is truly disheartening!"
The words of the Immortal of the South Bank invigorated the old immortals, who were about to echo his sentiments when Su Yuyao coldly said, "So, you are the Immortal of the South Bank! Back then, the Tide Lord colluded with the Sea Tide Lord to incite a flood in the South China Sea, almost submerging the Heavenly Palace. As the chief immortal near the South China Sea, why did you stand idly by?"
"Uh... the South China Sea floods are raging fiercely, how can this old man possibly fight against them?!" the old man on the south bank argued.
Su Yuyao sneered and said, "You just said that you have devoted yourself to the South Bank for thousands of years, so you must have a close relationship with the South Sea Clan. I wonder if you had any influence on this uprising in the South Sea?" After speaking, Su Yuyao glanced at the South Bank Immortal with a half-smile.
The old man from the South Bank's expression changed drastically. He glared and said, "I have diligently managed all matters, big and small, on the South Bank, and Heaven can bear witness to my sincerity! How could I possibly do such a treasonous thing?! Besides, the matter of the South China Sea flood has long been settled. It was not intentional, and even the Mother Goddess no longer pursues it. You... what is your intention in bringing up this old matter again?"
Su Yuyao sneered, "Since you are so dedicated to your duties, and the flood was not intentional, why didn't you resist it? Instead, you allowed seawater to flood inland, causing countless deaths and injuries?"
The old man from the south bank had intended to stand up for everyone, but he was unexpectedly questioned by Su Yuyao, leaving him somewhat bewildered.
Su Yuyao slowly walked up to the Immortal Elder of the South Bank, staring into his eyes with her blood-red pupils. "If your abilities are limited, then don't be stubborn. You can hand over the South Bank and a new Immortal Elder will take over. You can retire and enjoy the carefree life of a mortal!"
"Wh...what!" The old man from the South Bank stared wide-eyed, and said angrily, "I poured my heart and soul into the South Bank, and not only was it destroyed, but I'm also being asked to hand it over?!"
“Every blade of grass and every tree in this world belongs to nature, so how can you say it’s something to be given away?” Su Yuyao took another step forward, exhaling a cold breath, and pressed, “Could it be… that you’ve already considered the South Bank as your own? Then I must ask, who promised it to you? The Mother Goddess? Lord Tide? Or… someone else?”
The old man from the south bank stared at Su Yuyao in shock, swallowing nervously. "I... I didn't..."
Su Yuyao glanced at the embarrassed look on the South Bank Immortal's face, then smiled and turned to the other old immortals, "Do any of you have any objections?"
The other old immortals, though full of resentment, did not want to look as bad as the old immortal on the south bank, so they waved their hands and said, "No, no."
"That's good." A relieved smile appeared on Su Yuyao's face. "Since the old immortals are here, they shouldn't go back. The Taiji Hall I built is now complete, and the enfeoffment ceremony will be held in three days. Why don't the old immortals go and wait for me first? This will save them the trouble of traveling back and forth, and they can also give me some suggestions. How about that?"
The old immortals looked at each other, sensing something was amiss, but not wanting to directly refuse, they all turned to Xuanfeng.
Although Xuanfeng didn't know Su Yuyao's plan, he knew that Su Yuyao must have her reasons for doing so, so he pretended not to see it and just focused on comforting Xuanmiao, who was frightened in his arms.
Su Yuyao glanced at Xuanfeng's expression and saw that he was deliberately ignoring Xuanmiao while coaxing her. She smiled knowingly and shouted loudly, "Renshen! Escort the old immortals to their seats in the Taiji Hall! If even one is missing, I will hold you responsible!"
A wisp of black energy swirled up, and Ren Shen, dressed in black, appeared at the center of the whirlwind, kneeling and replying, "Yes!"
Everyone was shocked. The Cleaner, Renshen?!
Xuanfeng frowned slightly. Even if they were to be placed under house arrest, there was no need to use Renshen! Even if they were to use Renshen, there was no need to say it so openly…
Renshen stood up and gestured for others to pass, saying, "Everyone, this way please!"
The old immortals looked at each other, none of them making a move.
"Hahahaha!" Qimen stroked his beard and laughed. "You don't need to worry. Taiji Palace has no walls or roof; it's a beautiful place!" As he spoke, he walked to the old man on the south bank and lowered his voice, saying, "The Empress kindly invited you to take a look, so go ahead and see. If you don't want to stay long, find an excuse to leave. Can Renshen stop you? It's better than wasting your time here!"
The old man from the south bank had come to demand an explanation, but instead of getting one, he almost got himself into trouble. Just as he was about to find a chance to leave, he saw Qimen say this, so he cupped his hands and said, "Since Your Majesty has spoken, then it wouldn't hurt to go and see for yourself!" After saying that, he walked in the direction Renshen had indicated.
Seeing this, the old immortals had no choice but to leave one after another, following the old immortal from the south bank.
“Father…” Xuanmiao blinked her moist eyes, pouted, and said with a face full of guilt, “This time… it was Mother who taught me…”
"Oh, Mother taught you that!" Xuanfeng looked at the little expression that was exactly the same as Su Yuyao's, and the softest part of his heart began to ache again. If only we were just an ordinary family...
He once again experienced the feelings Su Yuan had when he resolutely rejected him; all he wanted was a peaceful life with his wife and daughters, but he was rejected by me...
"Miao'er, come back with your mother." Su Yuyao's voice was gentle but still cold.
"No..." Xuanmiao leaned reluctantly against Xuanfeng's chest. "Mother, Miao'er hasn't played with Father for many days. Miao'er wants to accompany Father to review...the report..."
Su Yuyao lowered her eyelids and walked up to Xuanfeng. She picked up Xuanmiao, who was pouting, and put her on the ground. "Come back with your mother."
"Girl!" Xuanfeng stepped forward, grabbed Su Yuyao's wrist, and whispered, "Little one has always wanted to ride a flying eagle. It's rare that the flying eagle is free now, so let the flying eagle take her for a ride, so that little one won't bother you when she gets back."
"That's right! That's right!" Qi Men clapped his hands and laughed, "Your Majesty and Your Majesty, please rest assured that I will take Princess Miao'er with me!"
"Little girl," Xuanfeng gently shook Su Yuyao's wrist, leaned close to Su Yuyao's earlobe, and whispered, "You've been so busy these past few days and haven't come to see me. Don't you miss me?"
Su Yuyao inhaled the scent of Xuanfeng, a fragrance that she had once been fascinated by and dependent on, which still intoxicated her, but seemed to be no longer a necessity.
She released Xuanmiao's hand and whispered, "Go with Grandpa Qimen, be good, and don't cause any trouble!"
Xuanmiao grinned and nodded, then skipped and hopped towards the flying eagle...
Inside the main hall, Su Yuyao moved with a graceful twist, galloped on horseback, or strolled slowly across the plains, controlling the rhythm.
A feeling of being forced to submit overwhelmed Xuanfeng, and he gradually lost control of Su Yuyao, leaving him no choice but to let her sing and dance as she pleased...
“Girl,” Xuanfeng picked up a golden hairpin and gently placed it in Su Yuyao’s hair. He stroked Su Yuyao’s shoulder and said softly, “Once everything is stable, let’s go into seclusion. Let’s go back to the Immortal Mountain, or to the Snow Mountain, or find a small town to live in anonymity…”
"Qianlong Town?" Su Yuyao straightened her clothes and looked at Xuanfeng calmly. "Living an ordinary life like my father and mother?"
Another thorn pierced Xuanfeng's heart!
"Little girl, I'm sorry..." Xuan Feng pulled Su Yuyao into his arms, but received no response. He knew that no matter how close their bodies were, their hearts could never be close again...
Su Yuyao gently pushed Xuanfeng aside, lifted her skirt and walked to the palace gate. She gently opened the gate, and soft sunlight fell on her elegant face.
"The investiture ceremony is in three days. If they want to make a move, they might choose this time. At that time, I will definitely not show any mercy!"
"Girl!" Xuanfeng's heart ached terribly. "Do you want to shoulder everything yourself?!"
"Otherwise what?" Su Yuyao said indifferently, "Are you willing to kill Meng Yu? Or are you willing to kill... Fei Hua?"
"Su Yuyao!" Xuan Feng suddenly became furious. "I believe you, why won't you believe me?! You're always picking fights with Fei Hua and Qi Lan!"
When facing outsiders, Xuanfeng seems to have no weaknesses, but when facing Su Yuyao, Feihua and Qilan are flaws that leave him speechless.
Su Yuyao sneered, "You believe me, then why do you make things difficult for Golden Moss Rat at every turn? You think I don't believe you, but I only mentioned Feihua's name. Belief isn't about words, it's about the heart, and that's true!"
After saying that, Su Yuyao stepped out of the main hall, and bang! The hall door closed tightly behind her.
Xuanfeng was stunned for a moment, then suddenly angrily pounded on the door frame and shouted, "Su Yuyao! How many days have you locked me up?! Do you think you can keep me locked up?! I'm just letting you have your way and not arguing with you! Su Yuyao—open the door!"
...
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