Gu Zhaoyan did not spell things out too bluntly, yet the Empress already understood his meaning. Nodding slightly, she said, “There is indeed such a person.” Glancing toward the bedside, she sighed, “This palace is not afraid of being laughed at by the Master. A few days ago, a maiden as beautiful as a celestial being suddenly appeared by His Majesty’s side. No one knows where she came from, and by the time this palace learned of it, she had already been by His Majesty’s side for quite some days, and has now been conferred the title of Consort Rou. Strangely enough, ever since this young woman appeared, His Majesty has been completely captivated by her, casting even the heavily favored Noble Consort Zhen to the side and even reprimanding her on account of this maiden.” As Empress, with her own children long gone and at her current stage in life, she cared little for who held favor; yet with the Emperor’s safety at stake, she could not simply look the other way.
Prince Jing suddenly chimed in, “I have actually heard His Majesty mention this matter before. His Majesty said that this Consort Rou came from a palace maid’s background and was encountered in the Imperial Garden.” According to the Emperor’s own words, he had been instantly struck speechless by her peerless beauty upon first sight and immediately brought her into the inner court as a consort. Thinking back on it now, he too found it rather strange: how could such a remarkably beautiful palace maid suddenly materialize within the palace? And why had the Emperor never thought to investigate the matter? It was as if he had simply forgotten all about it.
Hearing this, Gu Zhaoyan pondered in silence for a moment before raising his gaze to meet the Empress’s eyes. “Amitabha. This poor monk already has a suspicion regarding this matter, though it still requires verification. Might this poor monk visit the Imperial Garden where that palace maid first appeared?”
The Empress nodded in agreement. “Certainly. This palace will have others stay clear so they will not disturb the Master.”
“With so many people and buzzing tongues in the palace, even with Your Majesty’s command, there is no guarantee someone might not accidentally stumble into your path,” Prince Jing noted. “Why not allow this nephew to accompany the Master so as to prevent any unexpected accidents?”
The Empress looked toward Gu Zhaoyan, and seeing he had no objections, she gave her consent. “In that case, you shall accompany the Master for a trip to the Imperial Garden.”
Gu Zhaoyan pressed his palms together toward Prince Jing. “There is no time to lose, let us set off at once.”
Prince Jing had not expected Gu Zhaoyan to depart immediately, but he raised no objections, following closely behind as they walked toward the Imperial Garden. The palace pathway leading to the garden was entirely devoid of figures, prompting Prince Jing to marvel quietly, “I never imagined the Empress could issue her commands with such swift efficiency.”
Observing the pitch-black night ahead, Gu Zhaoyan said in a deep voice, “This is not because of the Empress’s command. The moment we set off, even had the Empress issued an order, it could not have spread here this quickly.” He abruptly halted his steps, his gaze locking straight ahead into the distance. “What do you feel in your heart as you look ahead?”
Prince Jing followed his line of sight, but his previously bright eyes slowly grew vacant, leaving only a single overriding thought in his mind: to flee this place as fast as possible. He raised his foot and was about to stride away when someone grabbed his wrist. The next instant, a cool sensation washed over the center of his forehead, and his vacant eyes instantly regained their clarity. “What is wrong? Why did the Master grab my wrist?” His tone betrayed no memory of what had just occurred.
Gu Zhaoyan recounted the sudden change in his state just moments prior, sending a shiver of dread straight down Prince Jing’s spine. Steadying his nerves, Prince Jing looked toward the darkened Imperial Garden once more and quickly pulled his gaze back, asking with lingering fear, “What on earth is going on here?”
“Naturally, someone wishes not to be disturbed, which is why they tampered with your mind to make you leave of your own accord,” Gu Zhaoyan said coldly, glaring at the Imperial Garden. He turned to Prince Jing. “You should return first. Until this poor monk emerges, no one is permitted to approach this area.”
Hearing Gu Zhaoyan’s words, Prince Jing realized that whatever entity resided here was likely non-human, prompting a wave of concern regarding Gu Zhaoyan remaining behind entirely alone. “Can the Master handle this by yourself? Should I invite Abbot Huifa here as well?” Having an extra person meant an extra measure of strength. Weren’t these sorts of entities typically terrified of Buddhist and Daoist arts? With Abbot Huifa present, he should surely be able to lend a hand.
Gu Zhaoyan shook his head, rejecting Prince Jing’s suggestion before striding forward directly toward the Imperial Garden. “Prince Jing should depart quickly, this poor monk alone is sufficient.”
Watching Gu Zhaoyan steadily walk away, Prince Jing hesitated before finally turning to leave. He possessed self-awareness, knowing that a mere mortal remaining behind would only serve as dead weight. The most important task was carrying out the Master’s instructions properly so as to prevent anyone from wandering over and causing trouble for the Master.
Gu Zhaoyan walked slowly into the Imperial Garden. Night had fallen, and all the blossoms had long since folded their petals tight. He paced leisurely, carefully tracking the trace of floral fragrance that had vanished in a flash just moments before. The fragrance was rich, heavy, and unusually pleasant, possessing a powerful allure capable of bewitching human souls. Had he not steadied his mind and concentrated his focus, he might well have fallen under its spell already.
Stopping and going by turns, Gu Zhaoyan suddenly halted before a peony bush. Lowering his gaze to study the peony, his eyes flashed briefly. Without a trace of movement, he used his spiritual energy to disintegrate a strand of hair hidden within his palm, then muttered aloud to himself, “This peony is rather fine, I imagine if this poor monk were to ask, the Empress would likely grant it.” Before his voice could even fade, a flash of cold steel cleaved through the air, lunging straight toward the peony’s roots! A burst of yellow light suddenly materialized, enveloping the base of the peony, and the dagger was firmly blocked, unable to advance a single inch further!
Gu Zhaoyan flung a lightning talisman toward the peony, and a branch suddenly lashed out like a whip to intercept it. The moment the branch brushed against the talisman, bolts of lightning sparked furiously along its length, accompanied by a sharp, miserable shriek echoing through the air. Gazing down at the peony flower demon, who had finally revealed her true form, Gu Zhaoyan said in a deep, solemn voice, “Your path of cultivation has not been easy, why resort to the wicked practice of draining dragon veins?”
The peony demon’s pretty face burned with rage, her lovely eyes glaring furiously at Gu Zhaoyan. “What do you know! I merely attained human form through a stroke of sheer coincidence. If I do not absorb dragon veins to nourish myself, my demonic power will wither sooner or later, and I will regress back into a common peony. Since I have already taken on human shape, naturally I wish to achieve success in my cultivation and leave this place behind!”
Gu Zhaoyan furrowed his brows. “Yet your plundering of dragon veins will cause the national fortune of a sovereign ruler to wane, which in turn disrupts the destiny of an entire dynasty. If this provokes widespread chaos across the realm and plunges the common people into misery, can you bear the weight of such responsibility?”
Hearing this, the peony demon laughed in disdain. “What does chaos across the realm have to do with me? If that aged emperor had not been driven by lust, how could there be an opportunity for my beauty to entrance him? He and I are merely engaged in an equal transaction. Master, you are an outsider to the mortal world, why bother meddling in such affairs? You walk your broad path, I cross my single-plank bridge, would it not be best if our waters never interfered with each other?”
“Cease your glib sophistry!” Gu Zhaoyan’s expression turned frigid. “His dragon vein has nearly been sucked dry by you. Even if he was the one driven by lust first, this poor monk cannot stand idly by and watch the national destiny of this dynasty suffer.” After all, this dynasty had only just begun and was far from its twilight years; this was merely a sudden, anomalous crisis, how could he turn a blind eye?
The peony demon let out a mocking laugh. “His dragon vein has long since been fused into my own body for cultivation, you cannot take it back even if you wished to. On the contrary, what of it even if you wish to subdue me? Right now, I carry the dragon vein of this realm’s master and am naturally sheltered by the nation’s fortune, what could you possibly hope to do to me? Hahahaha!”
Listening to the peony demon’s words, Gu Zhaoyan’s expression grew gravely solemn.