Chapter 27: Reporting to the Emperor |
[April 30, 2019] . . .
A murderous aura prickling his flesh made Fú Róng stop talking and retreat a step. His forehead broke out in a cold sweat. This woman . . . I’m absolutely not bringing her home as wife! Any delusions he may have had about her instantly evaporated.
He cleared his throat and spoke, “This lord, this lord heard that the ya shou had escaped from the Ruins, that miasma was overflowing and contaminating the areas nearby. Therefore . . . out of kindness, this lord came to offer assistance in purifying the air. So therefore, Your Highness . . .” After trailing off he changed his tone and enthusiastically said, "there’s no need to stand on ceremony with one another!”
Shěn Lí narrowed her eyes and gave him a once over: Effeminate face, gaudy clothes, coiled mane bound with blindingly flashy hairpin made of gold and jade. With her assessment complete, Shěn Lí sneered. "Assist? Your Highness must be joking.”
Apart from his imperial grandfather, who often ignored him, few would dare treat him so dismissively. Anger roared in his heart.
“What do you mean by that?! Do you understand this lord?! Are you mocking this lord’s sincerity? No other immortal would dare say what you’ve said. Furthermore, with the exception of Immortal High God Xíng Zhǐ, who else even bothered to come and offer assistance?!”
“Please stop making such a scene.” Xíng Zhǐ broke in with a look at Fú Róng. “Does the Immortal emperor know Your Lordship is here?”
Fú Róng glanced at Xíng Zhǐ. It was a tricky situation. He was normally treated with indifference, with an occasional smile here and there. It was just that whenever Xíng Zhǐ spoke to him, he would unconsciously tense up, feeling as though he needed to be on his best behavior. “Naturally. Imperial Grandfather gave permission. This lord is to stay and assist the people of the Demon realm.”
Of course that was just an excuse to get him and Shěn Lí together in the hopes they would get closer. Those present knew this, but didn’t bother revealing the truth.
Suddenly Xíng Zhǐ spoke from behind. “It so happens the day is still early and Your Lordship just finished bathing. Being refreshed from head to toe, Your Lordship is in excellent condition to help the people.” He pointed a finger at the courtyard gates. “Shouldn’t Your Lordship build on this moment and leave immediately?”
“Ah!” uttered Fú Róng with a blank look on his face.
Shěn Lí also turned a surprised gaze at Xíng Zhǐ. Everyone here was fully aware helping the common people was just an excuse. Immortal High God . . . was bullying Fú Róng!
“On my way here I noticed a dense patch of miasma in the southeast corner of the capital. Your Lordship, why not start by looking there?” Xíng Zhǐ pointed in the direction.
Fú Róng, unable to stop what he started, could only nod in resignation. “Of course, Immortal High God . . .”
Shěn Lí waited until Fú Róng left before asking, “Did he offend Immortal High God somehow?”
“Why would Your Highness ask such a thing?”
“It . . . seemed like Immortal High God was bullying him just now.”
Instead of answering, Xíng Zhǐ laughed at her question, making it awkward for her to ask again. She went back inside to take a bath after telling Ròu Yā to prepare some hot water.
Xíng Zhǐ stood alone in the yard rubbing the space between his brows muttering to himself. “Every time I look at him, I can’t help but want to bully him.” Xíng Zhǐ sighed, a smile on his lips. “I wonder why."
After properly bathing and cleaning herself, Shěn Lí left with Xíng Zhǐ for the Demon emperor’s palace.
. . .Incidentally, General Shàng Běi was using the fastest horses the army had to deliver a report to the emperor. That report now lay open on the emperor’s desk. The emperor had just finished reading and was about to summon Qīng Yán and Chì Róng[notes] when an attendant outside announced he had news.
“Your Majesty, the Azure Sky king and Immortal High God Xíng Zhǐ are here.”
The announcement surprised the emperor. He folded the report and placed it to the side. After taking a moment to compose himself he called out, “Come in.” He rose to welcome Xíng Zhǐ as the doors opened. “Immortal High God Xíng Zhǐ, what an honor. Please excuse the lack of welcome. I hope Immortal High God can forgive me.”
“Your Majesty is too polite.” Xíng Zhǐ laughed. “I do not wish to disturb Your Majesty. My only reason for descending to these realms was to mend the Ruins. It is just that the Azure Sky king needed a witness . . .” He turned to look at Shěn Lí who promptly stepped forward and explained.
“Your Majesty, I really did not flee the marriage! Leaving for the boundaries this time, it really was just to defeat the monsters. The plan was to return with General Shàng Běi, however something unexpected happened . . .”
The Demon emperor glanced over at Shěn Lí upon hearing this. “The person has already returned. What more needs to be said about the matter? Moreover, Mò Fāng has already spoken of your meritorious deeds. They are more than enough to make up for any earlier mistakes. No demerit will be issued, nor will there be further investigations regarding the matter.”
Shěn Lí was happy. Though she always behaved audaciously, even as a child, she revered the emperor and held him in high regard. She hung her head down in a rare display of smugness for having escaped punishment, like a child who got away with stealing cookies from the cookie jar.
Xíng Zhǐ couldn’t help but feel inclined towards her upon seeing her this way.
The emperor swept his gaze over the expressions of the two before him. “Immortal High God came from such a distance, why not stay in the Demon realm for a few days and enjoy our hospitality and friendship?”
“I will have to disturb Your Majesty then.”
The Demon emperor nodded and called forth an attendant. He was in the middle of issuing an order to have a guest residence prepared when Xíng Zhǐ interrupted.
“At the present time the only one I’m familiar with is the Azure Sky king. It would be better to stay at Her Highness’s residence, especially since Her Highness can be my escort and explain the local customs and practices.”
For a moment Shěn Lí was stunned but she quickly replied. “That is possible . . .”
The emperor stared at them with his discerning eyes for a moment before speaking from behind the silver mask. “We will leave it at that then. There are some family matters I wish to discuss with Shěn Lí. Will Immortal High God please excuse us and wait in the hall?”
Xíng Zhǐ nodded and an attendant immediately came over and bowed to him, intending to lead him out.
“How is your injury?”
“It won’t be a hinderance in any way.”
“Lord Fú Róng descended to the Demon realm. He is staying at your residence as well. With two more people . . . will you need extra servants to help?
“For that, no, but is it possible to return my parrot?”
“Take it, take it. A person can die from all the noise it makes.”
Xíng Zhǐ paused just at the door and inclined this head to the side to look at Shěn Lí as she conversed with the emperor. He saw her smile while scratching her head and saying, “He is a bit noisy.” She was relaxed and unguarded. Her eyes revealed the complete trust and confidence she had in the person in front of her and the reliance she had in their relationship.
A thought suddenly occurred to Xíng Zhǐ: This kind of treatment from Shěn Lí . . . was not bad.
Once the door closed and Xíng Zhǐ’s footsteps faded, the emperor abruptly turned away and asked, “Did you see inside to the Ruins?”
The question surprised Shěn Lí. Thinking about the Ruins and the darkness inside, about the monsters exposed by the beam of light, made her mood swiftly change. “Yes.” Not wanting to worry the emperor, she didn’t reveal that she had not only seen the Ruins, but had gone inside.
“Did the miasma actively obstruct you?”
Shěn Lí shook her head. “Immortal High God Xíng Zhǐ had already cleared it away.”
The emperor nodded thoughtfully. He looked at Shěn Lí for a moment before coming to a decision. He abruptly turned around again and walked over to the couch. “Come, follow me.”
Together they walked to the side of his desk. Opening it revealed a dark wooden board, which he lightly pressed with a finger. This immediately caused heavy fog to spring from underfoot.
Shěn Lí stared. A magic spell was activating under them. In amazement, she raised her head to look at the emperor. She was only vaguely aware of the emperor waving his hand and dispersing the fog with a fierce wind. The scent of something strange managed to waft across the tip of her nose. It reminded her of the cold air in the forest, just like . . .
The Ruins!
She immediately tensed up on alert. Eventually though the sense of impending danger ceased and Shěn Lí turned her head left and right surveying her surroundings. It seemed they were inside a large hall. A path of snowy white jade steps led to the center of the room where an upraised altar stood. Above the altar on the shrine was a single box suspended in the air.
Shěn Lí asked, “Where are we?”
“Memorial Hall” The eway the emperor spoke, it was as though he was trying to minimize the import of his words.
Shěn Lí wasn’t aware the Demon realm even had a memorial hall like this, never mind what was worshiped or consecrated here. On top of all that, an array for the entrance was in the Demon emperor’s room . . .
The Demon emperor reached up and slowly lifted the mask off his face with one hand. Then he carefully and slowly placed it down. He looked unwell with pale skin and sickly green lips; it was as though he was suffering from a long illness. As if in direct contrast to this, his dark eyes were exceptional and lively. Most shocking however was the fact that the face revealed was that of a woman.
She whispered, “Li-er,” her voice already regaining its feminine pitch.
Apparently Shěn Lí was aware of this as she did not react with surprise. Instead, she stepped closer and glanced at the emperor before speaking. “Demon emperor, it has been so long since your mask was removed, I nearly forgot your face.”
The emperor shot Shěn Lí a look at the comment, not understanding it was a joke. She led Shěn Lí step by step to the top of the altar. Once there ,she reached for the box and opened it.
“This is yours.” The emperor showed her a sparkling and translucent ocean blue bead. “You were born with this, however for a child to bear the burden of something this powerful was simply too much to ask. Your mother begged me to remove it. By then it had already made changes to your inner qi. I also feared those with ill intent would target you for the bead so I took it out of you. It’s been stored here since then waiting for the day you would need it.”
Shěn Lí stared lost in thought at the bead, remembering. She knew she had been born with it, but thought it had been digested in her belly long ago. To think it had been stored in such a mysterious place was amazing.
The crystal-clear bead radiated heat as it lay in the box.
Shěn Lí whispered, “My mother . . . has she seen this?”
“Of course.”
Shěn Lí’s vision blurred as she remembered her parents. Both had passed a thousand years ago fighting in the great war against the monsters. She was born on the battlefield but was too young to remember her parents, so what she knew was all gained from the sparse words the emperor spoke about them.
Shěn Lí reached inside and pulled it from the box. She looked at it thoughtfully. It was one of the few things that connected her with her mother.
“Swallow it.”
“Hmm?” Shěn Lí was confused for a moment. “Swallow it?”
The emperor saw how reluctant she was to part with the bead. “Be at ease Shěn Lí. It will not be digested in your body. Once inside it will find a quiet place to rest.”
Shěn Lí nodded in understanding, but she was reluctant. “I know but . . .” She stared at the bead intently. “I don’t want to let this warmth go. It’s like my mother is here . . .”
The Demon emperor dropped her gaze; her eyes gloomy. “Indeed, your mother’s hands were always warm.”
. . .Xíng Zhǐ was strolling in the reception hall when he noticed something. A curtain? He went to look and saw a cage. Shut away inside was a strange featherless life form that resembled a parrot. Perhaps because its feathers were plucked some time ago, there were tiny new feathers sprouts peeking through its skin. The awkward growth phase made for an exceptionally ugly bird.
Parrot watched as Xíng Zhǐ circled its cage twice. Finally fed up, it squawked out in anger. “What are you looking at huh?! What are you looking at?! Leave already! Scram!”
A surprised Xíng Zhǐ stared in silence for a moment before bursting out in laughter, laughing so hard he even bent over at the waist. The muffled laughter was evident despite his efforts to cover his mouth with his hand.
Parrot was beside itself. “You have the smell of an immortal god! Immortal god! I hate you! Just die already!”
“You’re the Azure Sky king’s parrot?” Xíng Zhǐ could barely restrain his smiling expression as he asked his question. “You’re quite domineering.”
“You were making fun of me! I hate immortal gods!”
Xíng Zhǐ patted the birdcage and restrained his smile. After sighing out his last laugh he said, “I was the one who did you in."
Parrot nodded and swiftly called out, “You’ve hurt me! You’ve hurt me immortal god!”
Xíng Zhǐ didn’t originally intend to muffle Parrot’s outrage but at the sounds of Shěn Lí’s approaching footsteps he immediately hushed Parrot. “Shush! Stop being so loud or she’ll find out!”
“You hurt me! You were being rude to me!” Parrot did not pay attention to Xíng Zhǐ’s admonishment. He kept hopping around and making a ruckus in his cage.
Xíng Zhǐ smiled calculatingly at Parrot as Shěn Lí’s footsteps got closer. He harshly said, “Zip your lips!”
The squawking abruptly stopped. It was as if Parrot’s beaks were glued shut; it couldn’t speak no matter how hard it tried. It could only jump frantically around in the cage.
Shěn Lí pushed the curtain aside to see what was going on. Seeing only Xíng Zhǐ and Parrot she said, “Parrot, I heard you yelling all the way down the hall, but as soon as I come over, you’re as quiet as a mouse.”
Xíng Zhǐ laughed. “Maybe he’s tired.”
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