As the scorching heat faded, the person struggling on the ground gradually grew still. His eyelashes trembled, and he slowly regained consciousness.
His consciousness, nearly withered from being scorched by the aphrodisiac venom, felt drained. Xiao Shuying sat up, supporting his forehead as he gasped for air.
His entire body felt as limp and moisture-drained as if it had been roasted over a fire. His hazy mind began to recall what had transpired.
From being bitten by the butterfly, to the onset of the aphrodisiac, to drawing his sword in a bid to use pain to steady himself, and then… then what happened?
Strange, he thought. Why does it feel like I’ve forgotten something?
In the gaps of that searing heat, time seemed to stretch. He only remembered a cool, winding sensation, like a spirit snake, that had slowly traveled across his body…
Wait! Xiao Shuying snapped his eyes open and scanned his surroundings, realizing Su Yunyu was nowhere to be seen.
That cold touch it was unmistakably the unique temperature belonging only to an ice-attributed spiritual root.
Could it be…
Just as Xiao Shuying’s expression shifted, Su Yunyu walked in from outside. Seeing that Xiao Shuying had awakened, he appeared slightly unnatural before saying:
“You’re awake.”
His voice was like flowing water and drifting white clouds.
Looking at him, his white robes remained immaculate, his demeanor cold and ethereal. In particular, that face remained impassive, his thin lips pressed into a pale line, but his eyes…
Xiao Shuying’s expression returned to normal. Realizing that Su Yunyu’s gaze seemed somewhat guarded, he asked a question he already knew the answer to:
“Master, what happened to me just now?”
“You were struck by an aphrodisiac.”
The reason Su Yunyu had been absent was that he had been standing by the river, deep in thought while receiving psychological counseling from the system.
In the end, he had accepted the fact that he had helped the protagonist detoxify the aphrodisiac.
Furthermore, he remained firmly convinced that even though he had filled the role of a “confidante,” he remained a straight man through and through.
“Master, this aphrodisiac…”
Just as Xiao Shuying intended to press for more details, Su Yunyu, standing with his back to him, felt a flash of embarrassment and interrupted:
“This master used spiritual energy to purge the poison from your system.”
As for how he purged it or what he used to do so it was best not to ask.
As he spoke, Xiao Shuying clearly saw him retract his hand into his drooping sleeve.
For some reason, a crucial, forgotten memory seemed to stir within his mind…
Xiao Shuying’s gaze sharpened, and he did not dare to ponder it any further.
He immediately dismissed that possibility entirely; a person as high-minded and cold-natured as Su Yunyu could never have gone to such lengths.
Yet, that possibility felt like a tiny, sticky thorn pricking at his heart from time to time. Xiao Shuying could only force himself to stop thinking about it and let himself believe what Su Yunyu had said:
“Then, Master, is the spiritual herb safe?”
Seeing him change the subject, Su Yunyu finally breathed a sigh of relief.
His hand still felt a stinging, burning pain to this day. Damnable protagonist, he thought. There isn’t even a female lead here, why does he have to be so stubborn in that regard?
“The spiritual herb is in my spatial storage.”
With the herb secured, Su Yunyu immediately wanted to flee this sorrowful place as quickly as possible.
Xiao Shuying, however, cast a glance at the nearby river, lowering his eyes to hide his emotions as he feigned timidity:
“Master, I would like to wash up. I have broken into a cold sweat.”
The moment he thought about how it was highly likely that Su Yunyu had touched him while he was under the influence of the aphrodisiac, Xiao Shuying felt an immense, restless irritation in his heart.
It was already mind-boggling enough that his illusions were filled with Su Yunyu; how had this person’s influence on him become so profound today?
This is not a good sign…
Xiao Shuying’s gaze darkened.
Having secured the spiritual herb and completed their objective, they left the immortal demon ruins. Su Yunyu wasted no time and arrived at the “Golden Blade Trade House,” wanting to inquire about one last matter.
This matter, naturally, was the final objective: the Dragon Vein!
Spiritual veins were not exactly everywhere in the cultivation world, but there were at least a dozen or so notable ones, excluding the minor ones.
However, the spiritual vein Xiao Shuying required was different. As a spirit of the three realms, his cultivation needs were inherently different from an ordinary person’s.
Therefore, ordinary spiritual veins could never meet his requirements. The only ones capable of doing so were the spiritual veins belonging to the major sects.
But without needing to think, it was impossible for the major sects to offer up their veins for public use. A spiritual vein sustained a sect’s spiritual energy; the consequences of it running dry were unimaginable.
Thus, the issue of the spiritual vein became a headache. Upon arriving at the Golden Blade Trade House, the same scarred deacon was in the main hall. Su Yunyu stepped forward quickly, took out a bag of spirit stones, and asked:
“I wonder if your trade house has any news regarding a ‘Heavenly Zenith’ spiritual vein?”
The deacon first pushed the spirit stones back, speaking very gently:
“You are a distinguished guest, so there is no need for spirit stones. As for the Heavenly Zenith spiritual vein you mentioned, those are generally only found within the major sects.”
Su Yunyu helplessly took back the stones. Hearing the expected answer, he pressed further:
“Then, aside from the sects, do you know where else one might be found?”
“This…” The deacon began to ponder, stroking his jaw. Just then, someone walked down from the upper floor it was the president, Song Honghua.
“President,” the deacon bowed first. Song Honghua waved his hand, rushing straight toward Su Yunyu without even looking:
“Exalted one! I vaguely heard your voice and thought I was hallucinating, but I never expected it to truly be you!”
The president before him wore a scraggly beard. Hearing him so enthusiastically address him as “exalted one,” Su Yunyu felt as if their generational ranking had become confused.
Before Song Honghua could reach out to enthusiastically grab Su Yunyu’s arm to reminisce, Xiao Shuying, standing beside him, cast a sidelong glance and seized the initiative:
“President, my brother and I have important business to discuss.”
“Oh?” Song Honghua stopped in his tracks, abandoning any talk of hosting a banquet, and asked instead:
“I wonder what important business the exalted one has?”
Without needing Su Yunyu to repeat it, the deacon spoke for him:
“It concerns a Heavenly Zenith spiritual vein that is not controlled by any sect.”
“A Heavenly Zenith spiritual vein…” Song Honghua stroked his already short beard in thought, and then, as if recalling something, he slapped his palm:
“There actually is one!”
Hearing this, Su Yunyu felt a surge of joy and asked eagerly:
“Where?”
“Exalted one, don’t be hasty. Listen to me explain,” Song Honghua retrieved a piece of paper from his storage and handed it to Su Yunyu, explaining:
“The Imperial Palace of the mortal realm has been plagued by demons recently. It is said that the Emperor frequently dreams of someone trying to kill him, and upon waking, people around him die for no apparent reason. He invited several cultivators to investigate, but those he found were scared off before even entering the palace gates.”
“After that, the bizarre dreams intensified. To recruit an expert, the Emperor has put the palace’s ‘Ziwei Dragon Vein’ as a reward. Whoever can solve the issue is permitted to use it. This Dragon Vein is comparable in efficacy to a Heavenly Zenith spiritual vein, but because it is born from the natural Ziwei aura, even if it is depleted, it can condense again in a short time unless the Emperor himself angers the Heavens and causes damage to the vein.”
Su Yunyu took the paper and found it was a bounty from the Imperial Palace, stating that whoever resolved the incident would be granted usage of the Dragon Vein.
Combined with Song Honghua’s explanation, Su Yunyu felt his heart racing; he felt this was a golden opportunity delivered right to his doorstep.
Regardless of what kind of demon it was, he could easily handle it with his cultivation level; one could say he had no equal in the world.
Su Yunyu happily agreed:
“I will go and investigate the reality of this matter.”
Xiao Shuying took the bounty from Su Yunyu’s hand. As they talked, he pondered deeply: What kind of demon could possibly terrorize cultivators to the point that they wouldn’t even dare enter the palace gates?
Just as he was lost in thought, he suddenly heard Song Honghua say:
“The trade house has been busy; I wonder if you have heard that Deputy Steward Xiao’s Elder Situ has been murdered?”
Situ Kou?
Xiao Shuying put away the bounty and looked up, alert, as he heard Su Yunyu say:
“I don’t know him. What happened to him?”
“Sigh,” Song Honghua sighed:
“No one knows what kind of poison he was hit with; he died silently. By the time the people accompanying him at the Xiao manor discovered it, they couldn’t even deduce when the poison had taken effect, let alone what kind of poison it was.”
Hearing this, Xiao Shuying curled his lips in a secret smile.
What a bunch of useless waste; they were so slow to realize he was dead.
This made it impossible to investigate who the suspects might be.
Otherwise, he and Su Yunyu would have been the most suspicious.
But even if they were suspected, so what? By then, he would have returned to the Tianxuan Sect. No matter how much the Xiao manor investigated, they would find nothing.
Song Honghua continued: “So, the Xiao manor hired us to investigate. But surely the exalted one wouldn’t know about this; I was just bringing it up for conversation.”
“I see.” Su Yunyu indeed did not know and was not interested. Instead, he had a random thought: The scumbags at the Xiao manor who abused the protagonist it’s likely even the Heavens will move to take them out.
Wait, no, he thought. How can I think like that? I’m also an enemy of the protagonist…
Su Yunyu suddenly felt the pressure of being an enemy of the Heavens, hurriedly stopped his train of thought, declined Song Honghua’s request for them to stay, and left the Golden Blade Trade House.
With the matter now having a clear lead, Su Yunyu first asked Xiao Shuying:
“Do you want to rest for a few days?”
The protagonist has just finished dealing with an aphrodisiac; he shouldn’t be too weak.
Seeing Su Yunyu’s eyes reveal a kind of profound worry, Xiao Shuying immediately understood what he meant. His heart burned with annoyance, but on the surface, he remained calm:
“No need. Master, let us hurry to the Imperial Palace.”
Seeing his urgency, Su Yunyu assumed he was eager to repair his meridians. He didn’t delay any further, inquired about the direction of the Imperial Palace, and hurried off.
The mortal realm restricts teleportation distances, especially in places like the Imperial Palace where purple auras gather. The Heavens do not allow cultivators to come and go at will, so Su Yunyu found a carriage, and after a bumpy ride, reached the palace gates.
The magnificence of the phoenix towers and sparrow terraces went without saying; the three thousand glazed tiles shone brilliantly under the sunlight, truly dazzling the eye, but…
“What powerful demonic energy! No, I can’t take this job!”
“It exceeds my capabilities; it’s terrifying!”
Several cultivators arrived at the palace gates only to depart in a hurry, their faces full of panic.
Su Yunyu couldn’t help but feel contempt. In times like these, it is time for the number one villain to take the stage.
“Let’s go.”
Inside the Imperial Palace, it was broad daylight.
The dignified monarch of the country, for some unknown reason, had fallen into a deep sleep yet again and was trapped in a nightmare.
In his dream, everything was a vivid, bleeding red.
The air was filled with a ferocious sound like ghosts wailing it was just like the mournful cries of countless prisoners on death row before their execution.
The elderly Emperor was already suffering from nervous exhaustion; after his consciousness entered the dream, he was consumed by fear. He desperately tried to wake himself up, but his body would not move.
Even worse, he didn’t know when, but the quilt he had been covered with now smothered his nose and mouth, so that even his air supply was dwindling, forcing him to fight for every breath.
The Emperor knew that this dream would not let him off so easily.
Sure enough, after listening to the ghost wails for a long time in his dream, a voice—extremely faint, extremely cold, and yet extremely gentle—sounded beside him:
“Leave your life behind, shall you?”
A sharp pain struck his neck. The Emperor was so terrified in his dream that he begged for mercy, believing his throat had been slit. But in the next second, he snapped awake and sat up.
Looking around, it was his familiar surroundings. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and was about to vent his anger at the palace servants for their lack of vigilance, when someone rushed in to report:
“Your Majesty! Someone has accepted the bounty!”
“What!” The Emperor’s face filled with joy, and he forgot his anger, waving his hand repeatedly:
“Summon them in! Quickly, as fast as you can!”