Inside the Celestial Palace was the same as always—a scene of peace and tranquility. It didn’t seem to have heavy troops guarding due to the arrival of a fallen celestial deity.
Xuan Yi was placed on a couch. The blood stains all over her body had already been washed clean by the attending female immortals. She was changed into a soft cloud gauze long robe, eyes closed, sleeping quietly, as if she would wake up at any moment.
Fucang leaned by the bed, slowly combing through her long hair with his five fingers, while also looking toward Zhongshan Dijun and Xiaolong Jun on the couch opposite.
The harm brought by the Houyi Arrows was like severe poison. At best, one would be unconscious for several months; at worst, one would perish on the spot. Xiaolong Jun’s condition was still relatively good. What was serious was Zhongshan Dijun—his chest had been penetrated. At this moment, he was like a candle in the wind, possibly passing away at any time.
Behind them, Baize Dijun and Qing Di were silently drinking tea. Since Fucang had finished explaining the sequence of events, they had already silently drunk three pots of tea. At this moment, they were brewing the fourth pot.
Because Chun Jun had already recognized Fucang as its master, even Qing Di couldn’t extract the Zhuyin Clan princess hidden within. They had been waiting in Yanhe Palace for five days. Originally, they had made all kinds of mental preparations, yet still hadn’t anticipated that the matter would truly have to be calculated starting from the previous previous generation.
Baize Dijun suddenly spoke, breaking the silence: “Zhongshan Dijun and Xiaolong Jun being in this state—it can be seen that Qingyang Clan Dijun’s heart feather had already been taken back earlier, correct?”
Having said this, he didn’t wait for Fucang to answer. He stood up and walked toward the outer chamber, found a divine official and instructed something or other, then returned to the hall. Walking to the bedside, he felt Xuan Yi’s hand. After a long moment, he sighed with a face full of regret: “All the dragon scales are gone.”
Old Man Baize always had his mind on these things.
Qing Di lowered his head in contemplation for a moment and asked: “Baize Dijun, how do you think the Tian Di will handle this matter?”
Given the Tian Di’s usual style, he would probably want to forcibly suppress the matter, but this time it would likely be difficult.
The extermination of the Zhuyin Clan princess itself had been done rashly. He had also been slow to react regarding Qingyuan Dadi releasing the Houyi Arrows. On this side, the princess with her perverse temperament had gone on a killing spree, killing nine chief commanders including Qingyuan and Gouchen. The war generals were naturally dissatisfied. Zhongshan Dijun was on the brink of perishing—the Zhuyin Clan was even more dissatisfied. If the Tian Di wanted to cover up the matter again and didn’t want to offend either side, that wouldn’t be very good. The situation couldn’t be smoothed over haphazardly.
Baize Dijun smiled. Compared to the previous generation, the current Tian Di’s style of doing things had more than enough smooth flexibility and gentle indecisiveness but insufficient clear decisiveness. In the end, this matter would probably still require coming to consult with him.
“In my view, finding an opportunity to proclaim the entire matter truthfully to the four wilds and eight wastes wouldn’t be bad either.” He looked again at Xuan Yi on the couch. “No matter what, this disciple of mine has truly accomplished a very remarkable great meritorious deed.”
Qing Di secretly shook his head. Brush it off with some diplomatic words? If the Zhuyin Clan were so easy to deal with, they wouldn’t have been hated by the various deities for so many years.
Baize Dijun flicked his finger, and the teacup flew into his palm: “The disaster of the Sea of Departed Regrets was formed under the coincidental convergence of three parties. Now the Zhuyin Clan has resolved the greatest hidden danger within the Sea of Departed Regrets, to the point that her constitution has become what it is now. The upper realm naturally won’t ignore this. That Qingyang Clan member also won’t be allowed to stand by with folded arms. Since it was created by three parties, naturally all three parties should be responsible. It’s just hard on these descendants of the Zhuyin Clan, but there’s no way around it.”
Qing Di was instead somewhat surprised: “I’m afraid even Baize Dijun must show deference to that Qingyang Dijun who underwent nirvana and rebirth?”
Setting aside his true age and seniority, just being able to undergo nirvana and rebirth was already enough to become a legend. The Tian Di probably wouldn’t be comfortable directing him to do anything. This matter was orchestrated entirely by him, adding hatred upon hatred with the Zhuyin Clan—how could he be willing to invite more trouble for himself? Moreover, from the standpoint of the entire upper realm, there really was no need to interfere in this matter. Treating it as a private grudge between the two clans would be even better.
Baize Dijun continued looking at Xuan Yi on the couch, saying slowly: “I guess, nine times out of ten, he will still be willing.”
Just as they were speaking, the hall door was suddenly opened again. A divine official entered and bowed in salutation: “Baize Dijun, the Tian Di requests you proceed to Taihe Hall for a discussion.”
As expected, he was coming to consult with him. This bizarre and strange entanglement that started from the previous previous generation still had much to discuss. Baize Dijun drained his tea in one breath and turned to leave.
Qing Di sighed slightly and turned his head to look at Fucang, who was quietly gazing at the Zhuyin Clan princess on the couch. He had never seen this kind of expression from him before.
He walked to the bedside to look closely at this princess who had made Fucang so obsessed and crazy.
He himself had only met her a few times. In his impression, she was a little princess with deep worries in her heart. The Zhuyin Clan’s conduct had always been eccentric—she was truly not a good match. He didn’t really like her, and with Fucang having changed quite a bit because of her, he liked her even less.
But she had a pure and innocent heart—this point he truly appreciated. Now that she was asleep, that layer of gloomy killing intent on her face was also gone. She really looked like an innocent little goddess.
Qing Di looked at Fucang again. Probably once the Huaxu Clan recognized someone, they would persist to the end no matter what. In this point, Fucang was exactly the same as him.
He patted his shoulder and said gently: “Since you want to accompany her, then accompany her well. I’ll leave first.”
Seeing Fucang stand to bow in salutation, he smiled again: “That sword qi transforming into deity earlier was very excellent. Your mother also praised it profusely.”
The Huaxu Clan’s sword path would certainly become glorious in his hands, regardless of what the reason for striving was.
*
Because the last extermination of the fallen celestial deity had resulted in a major accident with quite a few war generals perishing, and now the Dajuns in the lower realm were lurking in hidden places without any ostentation, war generals from all one hundred and twenty war departments had been recalled to the upper realm to await orders. Along with this, various kinds of rumors and news also gradually began to run rampant.
The gossip about the Zhuyin Clan princess who had fallen into demon nature slaying countless war generals was spreading like wildfire. It went from killing nine to killing nine hundred. What’s more, the Tian Di had even brought the entire Zhuyin Clan family into the Celestial Palace. It looked like he wanted to suppress this matter again, making the entire divine realm anxious and uneasy.
They heard that war generals from those several war departments whose chief commanders had been slain ran to the Celestial Palace gates every day to protest, demanding that the Tian Di hand over the fallen princess and kill her to pacify the various deities’ fury. The commotion was quite large, so much so that now the Celestial Palace gates only dared to open halfway. Yet from beginning to end, the Tian Di had not made any statement.
“They’re all a bunch of things that are full with nothing to do,” Gu Ting gave an indignant assessment of this.
If it weren’t for Xuan Yi resolving the hidden danger of the Sea of Departed Regrets, they would probably still be busy in the lower realm fighting with crazed Dajuns right now. Where would they have the leisure to run to the Celestial Palace to protest? Moreover, with the Zhuyin Clan’s nature of protecting their young, if you strike one, the whole family mobilizes—could they beat the Zhuyin Clan’s family of three?
Tai Yao accepted a peeled orange segment handed over by Yan Xia and smiled: “As for proclaiming to the world, I’m afraid Imperial Father is still hesitating. After all, Shao Yi’s identity is extremely special.”
At the mention of Shao Yi, Gu Ting had a feeling of completely not knowing what expression to use to face all of this. The Qingyang Dijun from the previous previous generation who underwent nirvana and rebirth had an affair with his own former fiancée and caused his current lover to go to the lower realm to settle karmic ties. He really couldn’t express the feelings in his heart.
“Once his actions are known to the entire four wilds and eight wastes, he will surely be utterly disgraced.” Gu Ting said disdainfully. “He must be forcing the Tian Di not to let this matter be revealed, right?”
But Tai Yao shook his head: “No, he… has not shown his face to this day.”