The Fate's Scribe Shun Tao had been sitting in his study, reading the crown prince's scroll of fate with a complicated expression. The things going on right now … Could this be called another trial of love? Could there be two trials of the same kind? At the very least, that was more than rare. Or could it be that this wasn't actually the same kind?
The God of Love had originally insinuated that there had already been a trial of love in crown prince Jing He's life because of the troubles being with the dragon king had caused. But maybe rather than being a trial of love, that should have been called a trial of decision since he had been torn between his beloved and his family.
Now, what Zhong Jing Yi experienced in the mortal realm might be the actual trial of love. He loved a man who, in a way, loved him as well but also loved another person. Even though that other person was actually Zhong Jing Yi's original self, he didn't think of it like that. Thus, to him, this was like loving somebody who was in love with somebody else. One of the most classic trials of love: Unrequited love.
Just then, the transmission stone on his desk pulsed with white light. He raised his brows and picked it up, imbuing his spiritual energy. Seeing the apparition of the dragon king jumping up, his brows raised even higher. "Longjun, what a surprise! What may I do for you?"
"Fate's Scribe, hello. Actually, it's nothing much. I just need you to do me a small favor."
Shun Tao's lips twitched. What made this guy think that he would want to do him a favor? Regardless of how small it was, he'd like to refuse! After all, if not because of what Longjun had done, he never would have gotten into trouble back then.
Unfortunately, while Shun Tao didn't want to, he still had to pretend to be polite on the surface. Anyway, even if this person wasn't the dragon king, he was somebody who didn't care about other's opinions. So whether he wanted to or not, he'd have to listen. Maybe he'd even be extorted to do as the dragon king wanted.
With a sour expression, Shun Tao pretended to be eager to help. "Longjun, what may I do for you?"
Qiu Ling gave him an enigmatic smile as if he didn't understand at all what was going through Shun Tao's head. "Oh, it's really nothing much. I just need you to come down to the mortal realm for a bit."
Shun Tao's brows twitched. That was called 'really nothing much'? "Longjun, you may have forgotten, but I am under house arrest on the order of the Heavenly Emperor. I am not allowed to leave my palace unless His Majesty allows me to do so."
Qiu Ling blinked and thought back to that day in the Nine Heavens when that matter about Jing He's trial having gone off-track had come to light. It seemed … there had indeed been such a punishment? "Uh … Then why don't you ask the Heavenly Emperor if he's alright with it?"
Shun Tao sneered. "I'm sorry, Longjun, but I don't even know what this is about. How could I ask the Heavenly Emperor to allow me to not only leave my palace but even the Nine Heavens?"
Qiu Ling pursed his lips. "It's important though."
"Then maybe you should ask His Majesty." Shun Tao continued to smile, feeling smug. There was no way the Heavenly Emperor would allow whatever Longjun had in mind.
Qiu Ling hummed and then nodded. "Well, I guess there's nothing else I can do." He cut the connection with Shun Tao and then contacted somebody else. Naturally, that other person was not the Heavenly Emperor. Instead, the face of the Heavenly Empress, Bai Fen, was projected.
Bai Fen raised her brows when she saw who had reached out to her. "Qiu Ling, did something happen?"
"Mother-in-law, hehe, nothing can get past you, can it? Actually, I might need your help. Do you have a few minutes?"
Not far from him, Jing Yi looked from the apparition of the beautiful woman to Qiu Ling's expression. This person who was normally frivolous was suddenly acting so polite. He really wasn't accustomed to it. He didn't like it either. Especially with how he had called her 'mother-in-law'. He had used the same address for his mother but now, he didn't intend to marry him. While he understood where Qiu Ling was coming from after what he had said earlier that day, he still didn't like it one bit.
Bai Fen had no idea that her son's reincarnation was currently watching her. She just smiled at Qiu Ling's ingratiating expression and nodded. "Well, go ahead then. What may I do for you?"
"Mn, well, there's a small problem in the mortal realm. It's actually not that difficult but there's something we need to solve it and to get that, I'd need the help of the Fate's Scribe. But that old bastard imprisoned him in his palace so he can't come down here. Can't you do something about that?"
Bai Fen slowly blinked her eyes, her expression thoughtful. "Do you mean my husband?"
"Huh? No, the Fate's Scribe. You're married to the Heavenly Emperor." Qiu Ling gave her a beautiful smile.
Bai Fen just sighed. "Alright. Where are you right now?"
"At the Hei Dian Sect. We're staying at the palace of the sect's Grandmaster."
"Alright. Then stay there for a while longer. I'll tell Shun Tao to go there in a bit."
"Mn, tell him not to take too long! This might be a matter of life and death. Anyway, thank you so much, mother-in-law."
"Yes, yes, get back to whatever you were doing just now." Bai Fen waved and cut the connection. This guy, he was really trying to pull the wool over her eyes. As if she hadn't heard that he had just insulted her husband! Anyway, if he needed help, she would still provide it. That was what family was for, right?