Chapter 4 Annihilation
Within the Heavenly Palace, in the Magnificent Garden, beneath the Golden Summit, atop a high platform, a goddess dressed in magnificent robes, with cloud-like hair, an oval face, delicate eyebrows, downcast eyes, a round nose, and slightly upturned lips, is receiving the worship of ten thousand people.
"May Your Majesty be well!" the crowd shouted.
Empress Yi nodded and smiled, her lips slightly parted, "Zeyuan is so thoughtful to have gathered so many people to celebrate my birthday."
A spirited young man stepped out from the crowd. He had his hair tied in a high ponytail and was dressed in military uniform. He looked very much like the Goddess Yi Mu.
"Mother!" he bowed and said loudly, "Your son congratulates you on your long life, Mother! I also wish that all living beings in the mortal realms within the Heavenly Dao would celebrate your birthday! Without you, Mother, where would all these mortal realms come from!"
Empress Yi lowered her eyes and said softly, "Tide Lord, it's all thanks to your excellent guidance that Ze Yuan is becoming more and more promising!"
"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty!" A strong, radiant man with long hair draped over his shoulders stepped forward, gazing affectionately at the Empress Yi on the platform, and bowed slightly.
"Mother! Father went to great lengths for your birthday celebration! He even had the Wuji Path cleaned up several times!" Ze Yuan said proudly, then added with disdain, "But I don't know how Brother Xuan Feng managed it; he made the Wuji Path stink and smelly!"
Empress Yi slightly raised her eyelids and glanced at Tianyi Palace.
"Zeyuan!" Tide Lord said sternly, "Mind your manners, do not be disrespectful!"
Zeyuan quickly bowed his head and replied, "Yes, Father! I was just excited and forgot the occasion. Please punish me, Mother!"
Empress Yi smiled slightly, "Zeyuan has done so much for me, how could I bear to punish him? Today I am in a good mood, so I grant a special pardon. All the fairies may go home to visit their families, and all the fairies and jade maidens who are not on duty may rest for a day. These delicacies and delicacies shall be distributed to all the palaces and halls, and the treasures presented shall also be taken back. I appreciate your kindness! Zeyuan, go and make the arrangements!"
"Yes, Mother! Please rest assured, Mother! I will definitely handle it properly!" Ze Yuan replied loudly.
Empress Yi glanced at Tide Lord, only to meet his burning gaze. "Tide Lord, you... send me back!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
...
Inside the Xuanpin Palace, on a wide, soft bed, the curtains swayed gently. Tide Lord's long hair lightly brushed against Lady Yi's chest. Lady Yi embraced Tide Lord's neck tightly, swaying slightly as she spoke, "I...want to help you...but you must also make...Zeyuan live up to your expectations...Everything...should be kept low-key...How could you...make...my birthday...so...ostentatious..."
Upon hearing this, Tide Lord was startled, but his actions didn't stop at all. He continued to exert himself even more to display his charm, replying, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will teach Ze Yuan a lesson when I get back, and there will be no next time!"
After saying this, he leaned down and kissed the Empress's lips deeply, his melodious voice lingering in the air, the gentle waves of sound lasting for a long time...
At the foot of the sacred mountain, there is a tea garden. Inside the tea garden is a simple tea room called Nevernight Lodge. A brisk young man is walking through the tea garden and stepping into the tea room.
"Reporting to Immortal Tea Lord, they have found him. They have found a diviner named Su Yuan in Qianlong Town and are planning to take him into their tutelage."
The fire simmers gently, the water gurgles softly, and slender, jade-like fingers lightly lift the teapot, pouring water into the cup. The tea buds scatter in surprise, filling the air with a delicate fragrance that permeates the humble room.
"It's good that he's alive," she said, her white robes billowing, her black hair reaching her waist, her eyebrows arched, her eyes phoenix-like, her nose high, her lips upturned, her face as white as jade, without a beard or blemish, her voice melodious, "Has her mother inquired about Xuanfeng?"
"Mother Yi..." the young man hesitated.
"I understand..." Xianmingjun took a sip of tea and said softly, "You've worked hard, Longjing, go and rest."
Xianming stood up, walked to the door, looked at the tea trees in the courtyard, and sighed softly, "Xuanfeng, as your father, I have truly failed you. Who told you that you were not born of my true love? If you must blame someone, blame the heavens..."
Inside the Dragon Palace, Ze Yuan knelt in the main hall. Chao Xi Jun pointed at Ze Yuan with exasperation and scolded, "Fool! Your mother has always been low-key! How could you make her birthday banquet so extravagant and lavish?! You were so confident back then, and I thought you could make a splash, but you stepped on a landmine! Your mother spared your face, which is why she didn't scold you in public! You must remember this taboo and never do it again!"
"Huh? Father, is Mother angry?" Zeyuan asked anxiously.
“A little, but I’ve already appeased your mother,” Tide Lord said with a sigh as he sat down in his chair. “Within the Heavenly Palace, there are so many attendant immortals. If I hadn’t risked my life to fight for you, would you be where you are today? You should also feel sorry for your father and stop making me worry and exert myself!”
Looking at his exhausted father, Ze Yuan felt a pang of heartache and quickly got up to massage Chao Xi's shoulders and back. "Father, since you're so tired, don't push yourself so hard. Aren't there still Lord Chi Yan and Lord Rui Xin..."
"You bastard!" Tide slammed his fist on the table and roared, "I've worked so hard so that you can successfully take control of the Wuji Dao! Even though they only have daughters, if they let Yi Mu give birth to a Heavenly Lord one day, you'll have another competitor!"
Seeing his angry father, Zeyuan quickly bowed and knelt down. "Your son knows your plans, Father, but seeing you so exhausted, as your son, I truly... feel heartache..."
Chao Xi looked at Ze Yuan at her feet, her anger gradually dissipating. "Son, if you truly care about your father, then try to prove yourself! By the way, has Xuan Feng been found?"
"News has come that it seems to be in a small immortal town called Qianlong Town, but it's not certain. I'm sending people to verify it." Zeyuan thought for a moment, then asked doubtfully, "Father, those people in Wuji Dao... were they really sent by Mother? I deliberately mentioned it in the main hall today, but Mother didn't say anything..."
"You're so stupid!" Tide cursed again, saying, "It's precisely because you didn't say anything that it proves your mother knows about this! Your mother just made it clear that she wants to help me! It seems she's going to give up on Xuanfeng too..."
"Ah? Even Mother is going to abandon Big Brother?" Ze Yuan said with pity. "Big Brother is so pitiful. He has a eunuch father who doesn't care about him, and now Mother has abandoned him. What will he do in the future?"
“You’re utterly stupid! Your mother abandoned him, so what future does he have?! Otherwise, where did all that blood and flesh in the Wuji Path come from?!” Tide said in a low voice.
"What?!" Zeyuan exclaimed in shock, "Mother wouldn't want to..."
"Shut up!" Tide shouted sharply.
"But... my older brother is also her own son!"
“So what if he’s your own son? His father is disliked. Back when your mother was pregnant with him, you wanted to bring his father, Xianming, into the palace to serve the Immortal Lord, but…” Chao Xi sighed and said, “Xianming was too stubborn. He refused no matter what, insisting that he was forced by his mother… What a waste!”
"So... that's why Mother, in a fit of anger,... damaged Xianmingjun's very foundation?" Zeyuan asked, his eyes wide.
As Chao Xi lamented Xian Ming's fate, seeing Ze Yuan's shocked yet gossipy expression, she quickly warned, "Don't go around spreading rumors! Xian Ming is a person with a tragic life!"
"Reporting to Lord Zeyuan!" a servant reported, "It has been confirmed that it is indeed Lord Xuanfeng who dined at the Su family residence in Qianlong Town!"
"Big brother is still alive!" Zeyuan said excitedly.
"Xuanfeng... he's still alive?" Chaoxi squinted, deep in thought. "The Su family mansion? What does this Su family do?"
"I have already sent people to investigate. The owner of the Su family mansion, Su Yuan, is a fortune teller, but he has retired from the business for many years."
"A divine calculation?" Tide sneered. "It seems Xuanfeng has been driven to desperation by your mother... This Su Yuan cannot be allowed to live!"
...
"Lord Xuanfeng, is it really necessary to do this?" Qimen asked, puzzled. "Mr. Su is a rare talent, and Miss Yao'er..."
"Don't mention that brat!" Xuanfeng abruptly closed his eyes, suppressing his inner reluctance, and said fiercely, "My father abandoned me, my mother wanted to kill me! How can I trust that a complete stranger wouldn't betray me?!"
"Lord Xuanfeng, perhaps... this humble servant should go and confirm again what the people from Youlong Palace want with Mr. Su..."
"There's no need." Xuanfeng slowly opened his eyes, his moist gaze shooting out icy stares as he coldly said, "Purge the Su family."
...
In the dead of night, under a century-old tree in the suburbs, Xuanfeng found the hole where Su Yuyao had hidden her money. He squatted down, took out the blood-stained money bag and threw it in, then grabbed a handful of dirt and slowly sprinkled it on the gleaming character "Su"...
As night fell, the cool, moist air seeped into Su Yuyao's nostrils, who was fast asleep in the tree.
"Achoo!" Su Yuyao sneezed, rubbed her eyes, and sat up.
"Huh? What time is it?" Su Yuyao looked up at the sky. "It's almost dusk? Oh no!"
Su Yuyao scrambled to her feet, lifted her skirt, and ran home. "Oh no! Oh no! I'm doomed! I overslept! My mother and father are going to be furious! How am I going to avoid this beating?!"
Su Yuyao cast a hexagram according to her heart. The little girl is represented by the Dui trigram, and running is represented by the Zhen trigram. The main hexagram is Ze Lei Sui (Following Thunder). As for the time, it is close to You Shi (5-7 PM) but not yet, so let's say Shen Shi (3-5 PM). The third line moves, and the changing hexagram is Ze Huo Ge (Revolution).
Ze Huo Ge? Oh no! I'm being attacked, or there might be signs of bloodshed...
What am I going to do?! My mother and father are so angry that they beat me until I bleed?! Or did I make them so angry that they vomited blood?
Su Yuyao ran into Qianlong Town while lost in thought.
"Miss Yao'er! You're finally back! Come home quickly! Something's happened to your family!"
"What's wrong? Do my father and mother know?" Su Yuyao asked anxiously.
"Something has happened to Mr. and Mrs. Su!"
"What?!" Su Yuyao's head buzzed.
She looked at the orange-red firelight reflecting in the darkening night sky, and her legs suddenly felt heavy. "No, that's not... that's not the direction of home..."
As she watched the firelight grow clearer and the people around her hurrying by with buckets of water, a buzzing sound began to ring in her ears, and the scene before her eyes receded further and further away, completely losing its sense of reality.
She was escorted by a group of people and arrived at the mansion that she used to know but now felt strange.
The fire has been extinguished, but the two-courtyard house has been reduced to ruins, with the remaining embers casting scattered glows against the charred ashes.
Three corpses were neatly arranged on the muddy ground.
Su Yuyao collapsed to the ground, unable to see anything clearly, only able to grope for familiar touches in the mud...
This...is this Father...?
That's... my mother?
Even the pothos... has slumped over?
What about me? Should I lie down too?
Su Yuyao crawled to Madam Su's body, slowly lay down in her arms, and hugged the cold corpse tightly. "Mother... hug me... please hug me..."
Madam Su's hand could no longer be lifted.
"Mother—!" Su Yuyao finally burst into tears, "I'll never run away again... Wake up..." Su Yuyao shook Madam Su's cold body violently, "Mother—!"
She struggled to her feet, wading through the blood-soaked mud to Su Yuan's side. Unable to bear looking at her blood-covered body, she could only close her eyes and wail, "Father! Wake up..."
"Green Ivy—! I'll never... I'll never bully you again... Say something..."
This must be a dream! A nightmare!
Su Yuyao started slapping her face repeatedly, shouting, "Wake up! Wake up! This isn't real!"
Seeing Su Yuyao gradually going mad, everyone couldn't help but shed tears. A woman held Su Yuyao in her arms, trying her best to comfort her...
Su Yuyao seemed to have a very long dream. She dreamed that she was wearing mourning clothes, that she was accompanying the coffin to the funeral procession, that she was leading a long procession into the deep mountains, and that three coffins fell into three deep pits...
Throughout the entire process, Su Yuyao did not shed a single tear. She knelt blankly before the three brand-new tombstones, staring blankly at the burning yellow paper in front of her.
"Miss Yao'er, please... have a cry..."
"Miss Yao'er, it's time to go back..."
"Miss Yao'er, it's getting dark, let's go back..."
"Miss Yao'er, we've made a deal. We'll all help you repair the Su family mansion. Until it's finished, you can stay at Yunkelai. I guarantee you'll have roast chicken and osmanthus wine every day!"
“Roasted chicken… osmanthus… brewed…” Su Yuyao finally spoke, muttering to herself.
"Yes! Yes! Miss Yao'er, are you hungry? Let's go back and eat!"
"Eat..." Su Yuyao gradually woke up from her dream.
Who killed my parents and Green Ivy?! And who can help me find out the truth?! I must, I absolutely must find someone to help me!
Xuanfeng's image gradually appeared in Su Yuyao's mind...
That's right! Although he's not a good person, judging from his recruitment of spirit mediums, he does have some ability...
Su Yuyao tried to stand up and said, "Let's eat!"
"Alright! Let's go back and eat!"
Everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief and escorted Su Yuyao back to Yunkelai.
Everyone held their breath, watching Su Yuyao devour a table full of food, and then silently walk upstairs into her room.
"How is Miss Yao'er?"
"Sigh!" The woman who had been by Su Yuyao's side shook her head and said, "How could a child who has been pampered and raised like this possibly withstand such a blow..."
After eating her fill, Su Yuyao lay down on the bed, closed her eyes, and forced herself to sleep!
The next day, before dawn, Su Yuyao opened her eyes, got up, put on her shoes, and left the room without looking back, departing from Qianlong Town.
We must find them! Since they're recruiting immortals in Qianlong Town, they'll naturally be recruiting in nearby immortal towns as well. The closest city to Qianlong Town is Feilong City; let's go there first!
With her young body, Su Yuyao shouldered a heavy burden of hatred and embarked on a path of revenge.
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