The palace maid was very frightened, thinking that the porridge was not to the Emperor's liking, so he had summoned her to inquire about it.
However, she didn't cook the porridge at all. If she confessed hastily, she would face the punishment of death by beheading.
So she glanced at the inner chamber and happened to see Ranran behind the brocade curtain. She immediately bowed and said, "Your Majesty, this porridge was cooked by that palace maid. I truly don't know the recipe for this porridge!"
Su Yu smiled as he listened, then casually glanced at the little maid behind the brocade curtain who had kept her head bowed.
Zhou Feihua glared fiercely at the indiscreet kitchen maid, then asked directly, "Your Majesty insists on asking about this porridge. Is there anything wrong with it? If it's not good, I will punish the palace maid severely. Guards, take her away and give her a beating!"
Ranran was not someone from the palace, and Zhou Feihua was worried that her identity would be exposed, so she wanted to preemptively take her away under the pretext of punishment.
But just then, the man with the yin-yang eyes, Old Feng, suddenly appeared at the door. When Su Yu waved his finger, Old Feng, with a murderous aura, walked towards the inner chamber.
Zhou Feihua stood up abruptly, blocking Old Feng, and coldly said, "Your Majesty, allowing a man from outside the palace to enter my inner chamber may not be appropriate, right?"
Old Feng was not very polite, trying to push past Zhou Feihua. But Zhou Feihua was not a weak person! When Old Feng made a move, she quickly countered, giving him a hard slap that made him take a few steps back.
Su Yu watched, his smile unchanged on his face, and said in a gentle tone, "Beloved Consort, what are you doing? Is there something in the inner chamber that you're afraid I'll find out?"
Zhou Feihua was about to reply, but in that moment, Old Feng flicked a flying insect with his hand. It fluttered over and bit Zhou Feihua's neck.
With just that one bite, Zhou Feihua's body went weak, and she collapsed on the ground.
Ranran, being sharp-eyed, saw the insect and felt a sudden tightness in her chest. That flying insect… why did it resemble the Immortal-devouring Bug from Tianmai Mountain?
Just as Zhou Feihua fell, Ranran quickly glanced at the positions of the window and the door, estimating her chances of escape.
Old Feng curved his lips and said, "Miss, you should know the power of this insect. If you don't cooperate, I still have plenty of insects here. If I miscalculate and drain your spiritual power, don't blame me!"
when had she ever called the Emperor "Xiao Yu"?
Could it be that the Emperor was confused by his illness and speaking nonsense?
Seeing Ranran's puzzled expression, Su Yu waved his hand for a eunuch to bring a comfortable chair for her to sit and talk.
Seeing Ranran politely decline the tea brought by the eunuch, he just smiled slightly. "It seems Su Yishui hasn't told you yet, that you are in fact a spirit fruit from the Rebirth Tree."
Ranran was stunned. She had never thought that she, like Master Mu Qingge, had fallen from an Immortal Tree.
The fruit of the Rebirth Tree was a sign of immortal cultivation. Mu Qingge was from a generation of magnificent demonic cultivators, but what about her? Who was she?
She thought of Mu Ranwu, who had perished with Mu Qingge back then, and remembered her mother saying that when she was born, there was a "Ran" character in the palm of her hand. Suddenly, she made a connection.
Could it be that she was the reincarnation of Mu Ranwu, who had caused the death of Master Mu Qingge? If so, had she met this Emperor in her previous life?
For some reason, Ranran didn't want to know about her past life.
She was content in this life. She had loving parents, a Shifu who dotes on her, and good senior siblings. If she hadn't come to the Capital, she would have no regrets in this life.
She had no wish to be associated with Mu Qingge at all. Otherwise, she would owe her a life from her past life. And in this life, she would have to acknowledge a malicious elder sister and repay the debts from before...
Seeing Ranran remain silent, Su Yu was now certain that Su Yishui had probably never told her about her origins.
He smiled knowingly. "Fate is unpredictable and I did not expect this either. *Flowers are not flowers, mist is not mist. Things are fleeting. Do you want to know who you are?"
*花非花雾非雾 比喻所咏之物的短暂易逝,难持长久
Ranran shook her head, looking at Su Yu. "Since it's a reincarnation, it means starting anew after falling from the tree. Who I was before is no longer important. I've been Xue Ranran all this while, and that's good enough. Why bother knowing who I was in my past life?"
Su Yu didn't expect her to be so straightforward and cut off what he intended to say.
But this was always her true self, always able to take things up and let go, impossible to grasp like the wind.
Compared to the woman in the West Palace who hid behind Mu Qingge's name but engaged in shameful acts, and seemed so ridiculous.
Thinking of how that woman living in the West Palace, had spent so much effort pretending to be Mu Qingge, Su Yu's lips curled with a cold smile.
He had actually thought that Mu Qingge had come back to find him. Unfortunately, when they first met, that woman had exposed herself accidentally.
Su Yu couldn't tell if he had felt relieved or was extremely disappointed.
But just now, after eating that bowl of porridge and recalling the taste from the past, he felt that Mu Qingge being alive but forgetting everything wasn't bad either.
Although Ranran wanted to end this topic, however in the imperial palace, he was the one who directed the conversation.
Since she didn't want to face the truth for the time being, he wouldn't force her. He just said mildly, "The people who intruded and stunned the guards at the Lake of Enquity last night, was it you and Consort Jing?"
Ranran knew that it must have been her and Zhou Feihua who had left some clues, which led the Emperor here.
At this moment, he probably didn't know that her Shifu's body was in the clothing box inside the room. But since Zhou Feihua and her had been exposed, if the Emperor searched Consort Jing's palace, her master's body would soon be discovered.
Su Yu would definitely show no mercy to her Shifu…
It was already day time. She could only delay and see if she could hold out until noon. When Shifu controlled the little dragon to ascend, chaos would surely ensue in the palace, and they would have a chance to escape.
Thinking about this, she nodded and directly asked Su Yu, "May I ask Your Majesty, why do you want to raise a dragon in the palace?"
Su Yu was not surprised that she had discovered the secret in the Lake of Enquiry. He had someone serve another bowl of porridge, eating while looking at her, and recounted past events, "Back then, after the battle of Fan Yao, I asked Mu Qingge if I could cultivate immortality with her. But she looked at my face and said, 'You cannot have both the fish and the bear's paw; one cannot possess immense power and supreme spiritual power at the same time, or else it will incur the jealousy of the heavens. Being able to control the world and benefit the people is also a form of cultivation, but this cultivation is bitter. For a person, several decades would be enough. If one day I can let go of power, it will not be too late to seek her out again to cultivate the path of Dao.'"
Ranran nodded as she listened, "Although Elder Mu has become somewhat erratic now, she was not wrong. Being an Emperor is indeed exhausting…"
Su Yu smiled and pointed to his own hair, "I'm two years younger than your master, but now my hair is mostly gray, and my body is gradually deteriorating. The 'several decades of power' she mentioned are actually only about twenty years for me. This 'little Yu' in your eyes can now be your father. Such immense power is really not as tempting as eternal life."
Ranran listened to his words and shook her head, "But isn't your so-called method of eternal life too much of a gamble? Have you not considered the consequences if it fails, and the people of the entire Capital end up in the dragon's belly?"
Su Yu smiled faintly, "What I have wanted to do has never failed. If it weren't for Su Yishui's interference, I would have mastered the Seven Evil Transformation Spell by now. As long as I merge with that dragon and get rid of my ailments, I can benefit the people for generations…"
Ranran felt something was amiss with his words, "Your Majesty, in the twenty years of ruling Da Qi, you have indeed been a good emperor. But have you ever thought about how many talented individuals you have harmed by raising that dragon? That dragon should have been a divine creature swimming freely in the sea, but you have raised it to become fierce and brutal, confined to a small deep pool, feeding on humans. Are you really sure that after merging with such a dragon, you will still be the benevolent king who cares for the world? Do the people of the world… need someone like you for generations?"
This question was quite audacious, and Old Feng sternly said from the side, "How bold, how dare you speak to His Majesty like this!"
However, Su Yu laughed out loud, "You haven't changed at all. Even though your appearance has changed slightly, you still won't say anything against your conscience. But it's not your fault. You've forgotten everything from the past, now you're just an eighteen-year-old girl. Those who achieve great things should not be bound by trivial matters. In the battle of Fan Yao back then, you helped me quell the rebellion of Prince Ping, and how many people died? If one only cares about the lives and deaths of a few, without considering the long-term consequences, then the person sitting on the Throne now would be the Demon's Son from the Netherworld, and the people of the entire world would be suffering!"
Ranran didn't understand what he meant and didn't have time to think about his words. She was now only worried about her master in the box and Zhou Feihua who collapsed. She needed to delay as much as possible, so she asked softly again, "Was it Your Majesty who gave Elder Mu the Immortal-Devouring Bug?"
If she guessed correctly, it was the Yin-Yang Eye Old Feng who cultivated the demonic insects.
Su Yu seemed no longer inclined to hide the truth and nodded readily, "It was me, but I didn't expect you to also be at Tianmai Mountain at that time. If I had known, I would never have given it to her. Fortunately, you're alright. Otherwise… I would never spare her."
As a ruler, other than being able to ignore lives of individuals, it seems there is also a strange skill of shifting blame onto others.
In just a few words, the blame for nearly killing Ranran on Tianmai Mountain fell entirely on Mu Qingge.
But from his words, it seemed that he had treated Ranran well in her past life.
It would seem that Elder Mu had also enjoyed the Emperor's favor before, and that her master had warned her to be careful of Su Yu.
Ranran decided she should still be more cautious around this emperor. She asked uncomprehendingly, "If Your Majesty only seeks eternal life, why help Mu Qingge with such matters? Your Majesty must know that the spiritual veins left by Dun tian's great abilities at Tianmai Mountain have been ruined and can no longer be used."
Su Yu looked coolly at Ranran, "For those who can become immortals, leaving the human realm is beyond my control. But Tianmai Mountain is still within the human realm. If someone with ulterior motives managed to pass the trial and gain spiritual power from the marrow pool that should not have existed, it will be a disaster for living beings. The great Dun tian decided to have no further attachments to the human realm, so why leave behind something that tests and tempts human nature?"
Ranran finally understood this time.
She had thought that Su Yu gave Mu Qingge the Immortal-Devouring Bugs to help her improve her cultivation, but perhaps the polluted end of Tianmai Mountain's spiritual veins was what Su Yu truly wanted.
If the vermilion bird had not shown its power, these out of control insects would have broken through Tianmai Mountain and defeated all the cultivators of the three major sects at the foot of the mountain in one fell swoop…
The land of Da Qi does not need powerful immortal cultivators like Wei Jiu and Su Yishui. By destroying those sacred places where cultivators can raise their spiritual powers and form cores, he could prevent promising cultivators from emerging again. This is the true goal of Su Yu.
At this moment, Ranran finally understood what her master warned her to be cautious of. These people in high positions, with their iron will and steel nerves that decided life and death like gods, are truly chilling.
Ranran sighed and then stood up to look at the sun in the courtyard. It was almost noon, and her master should be taking action soon.
As the sun's corona moved to the noon position, Ranran squinted at the dazzling sunlight slanting down and then turned to Su Yu with a fierce gaze, "Dog emperor, true strength cannot be suppressed and crushed so easily!"
As her words fell, there was a loud explosion from the direction of Lake of Enquiry, and a dragon emitting a faint golden halo burst out from under the lake. The chains entwined around it made tearing sounds due to the immense force pulling them.
Excitedly clapping her hands, Ranran righteous speech just now perfectly captured the moment, undoubtedly shocking that bad emperor!
Next would be Shifu's magnificent display of power, striking a resounding blow to this dog emperor's face!
In the instant when the giant dragon soared into the air, it seemed to collide with an invisible large net covering the vast sky. The entire sky flashed with a faint golden net, and after the dragon collided with the net, it seemed to be in immense pain, emitting a thunderous dragon roar before crashing heavily back into the lake.
All these happened in a blink of an eye from the time Ranran angrily cursed with "dog emperor". The tremors of the failed attempt had not yet subsided and now her situation became extremely difficult.
She was truly infuriated by Su Yu just now, so much so that she spoke without thinking, scolding words like "dog emperor."
Who would have known that Shifu's escape was so short-lived? Like a carp that had just been slapped back into the water? She could only hope that Shifu would live up to expectations and leap out of the water again; otherwise, both Zhou Feihua and her fate seemed very bleak.
At this moment, Su Yu stood up and quietly asked, "Are you waiting for Su Yishui to emerge from the water? There's no need to wait any longer. He had just expended too much spirit power and should now be overwhelmed by the dragon's demonic power. He would be trapped forever inside the dragon's body."
Upon hearing this, Ranran turned quickly to look at Su Yu.
How did he know that Shifu had been using the Beast Taming Art inside the dragon's body? Su Yu couldn't have known what was happening underwater after Shifu jumped into the lake!
Su Yu smiled and said, "You must be curious about who told me, right?"
As he spoke, he walked to the window and casually flicked the wind chimes he had just given to Zhou Feihua, smiling, "If it weren't for you and Consort Jing, I really might not have figured out Su Yishui's plans!"
When Ranran looked closely, she finally saw the intricate patterns on the wrapping paper of the wind chimes… it was a voice transmission talisman!
Ranran couldn't help but stare at Consort, who couldn't get up after being bitten, but still had disbelief in her wide eyes as she laid on the ground.
So Su Yu had been listening to everything that had happened in this room through the voice transmission talisman on the wind chimes, yet he remained composed, and even pretended to recognize Ranran through a bowl of porridge.
But why didn't he stop them from sneaking into the Lake of Enquiry? Why did he allow Ranran to retrieve Su Yishui's physical body so smoothly?
At this time, the lake's surface was broken by wave after wave. The giant dragon was tumbling painfully underwater, unable to leap out of the water again due to the chains that restrained it.
Listening to the distant sound of the lake water churning as if listening to soothing music, Su Yu was relaxed and pleased, "Previously, I indeed harbored thoughts of merging with the dragon. But this dragon is uncontrollable, and its demonic nature is becoming stronger… Seeing the water demon brought in from Wangxiang Pass, I can't imagine merging with it and becoming half-demon and half-ghost with scales all over. So, after Tianmai Mountain, when I heard that Su Yishui had merged with the white tiger, I had a new idea…"
Hearing this, Ranran's blood ran cold. She already vaguely guessed Su Yu's plans. But how did this emperor know about Su Yishui merging with the white tiger, something only Xishan disciples knew? Why would this emperor be aware?
Just then, Old Feng already had his people open the clothing box containing Su Yishui. Su Yu walked to the box and carefully examined Su Yishui's unconscious form, saying with satisfaction, "Look, he's older than me, yet he still looks like an eighteen-year-old youth. Youthful permanence, which ordinary people desire, is so easily attainable for him…"
Ranran wanted to rush forward and snatch her master's body but was restrained by several extraordinary individuals who surrounded her.
She exclaimed, "Are you… trying to *steal his body?"
夺舍 : 借尸还魂
Su Yu wants longevity but does not want to become half-demon and half-ghost. Could it be that his true goal is...Shifu's body?
Su Yu laughed heartily, "Steal his body? There needs to be someone in there first! Since he has already vacated his position, how can I be stealing?"
Since Tianmai Mountain, Su Yu had been meticulously planning. When Su Yishui set off for the Capital, all the plans began to unfold.
Including the unusually continuous heavy rain in the Capital recently and the sudden appearance of a dragon shadow in the river, were all intentionally arranged by Su Yu to get Su Yishui's notice.
He knew Su Yishui too well, a natural genius with astute mind, and also… overly confident.
To protect Mu Qingge, the mother of this dragon egg had been killed by the Jiuyun's Dragon-Slaying arrow during the Battle of Fanyao, and had given birth to this dragon egg before dying.
Mu Qingge, tearfully promised the mother dragon, to hatch its child and send it back to the Eastern Sea Dragon Island. Unfortunately, Mu Qingge didn't fulfill her promise and was besieged by the three major sects.
Since Su Yishui had always felt indebted to Mu Qingge, he would definitely fulfill Mu Qingge's promise and find a way to rescue this dragon trapped in the palace.
Even if Su Yishui did not want to fulfill the promise, he would still absolutely not allow him to merge with the dragon…
Now, everything was proceeding according to his plan. Su Yishui's soul was trapped inside the dragon, while this youthful and healthy body was unharmed and intact in his hands.
Su Yu's smile deepened, looking somewhat greedily at the motionless Su Yishui—this healthy body without a soul but with his bloodline, was a heaven-sent opportunity and a reward from heaven!
Ranran gritted her teeth and said, "Are you willing to give up the throne for longevity?" How could Su Yu continue to be emperor with Su Yishui's face?
Su Yu obviously had already thought about it. He said softly, "When I was young, I looked a lot like Su Yishui. At that time, you often stared at my face dreamily… So if I were to say that I took a cultivator's refined elixir, which not only cured my ailments but also rejuvenated my youth, it would all be quite natural. I haven't shown my face in front of the courtiers for a long time. Do you think when they kneel in the court and look at the dragon throne, they will really notice that my appearance has changed?"
His meaning was clear; as long as he claimed to have taken the elixir of immortality and regained his youth, gradually revealing his new appearance a little at a time, people would forget his original face and remember his current appearance.
Just then, Zhou Feihua, who couldn't move before, finally regained the ability to speak. She stared wide-eyed and said, "Your Majesty! How could you have become like this? Please reconsider! You know he is... how can you use this evil creature's body?"
Su Yu looked at his beloved consort with a smile, his tone cold, "Beloved consort, you've also changed to the point where I can't recognize you. You know I need that dragon to extend my life, yet you still want to help others release that dragon. It seems that you're not as loyal to me as you claim to be..."