Shu Yang was not a man of pleasant temperament; even after becoming an immortal, his personality had not improved in the slightest.
Upon hearing the suggestion, his first instinct was to flare with rage. But looking at Xuanqing’s apprehensive expression, he could only twitch the corner of his mouth, momentarily at a loss for how to respond. Had it been the Shu Yang of the past, he would have razed the Zitong Forest to the ground for such a request. Yet, Xuanqing’s absurd proposal was born entirely from an attempt to resolve the very disaster he had caused.
With this thought, Shu Yang reached for a cup of tea. He took a sip to mask his expression and said, “Naturally, that will not be necessary.”
He continued, “There will be another way.”
He cleared his throat, took another sip of tea, and added, “And it certainly will not involve me cross-dressing.”
Xuanqing: “…”
She realized the impropriety of her suggestion a beat too late. Overcome with shame, she bowed her head. “Apologies, Immortal Lord. I was speaking nonsense.”
“It is of no consequence.”
Shu Yang smoothed his robes. The nausea from being tossed about by Ruan Wei still lingered; to avoid losing his composure in front of everyone, he said, “I have been traveling for days and am quite weary. I wonder if…”
Before he could finish, Xuanqing stood up immediately. “You have labored tirelessly for the Phoenix clan, Immortal Lord. It is only right that you rest. Please, follow me to the Phoenix Palace.”
Shu Yang nodded and walked ahead of Xuanqing without further ceremony.
Ruan Wei and the Phoenix clan’s young master followed a few paces behind. Watching Shu Yang and Xuanqing’s exchange, Ruan Wei tilted his head in confusion. “Why is Aunt Qing being so courteous to this immortal attendant?”
“…” The young Phoenix master, Xuan Ai, looked at Ruan Wei as if he were an idiot. “Are you joking?”
He continued, “That is an immortal. A powerful immortal can alter the fate of all living things with a mere word. They do not even need to lift a finger.”
Seeing that Ruan Wei remained unimpressed, Xuan Ai reluctantly used Shu Yang as an example. “Think about it. The Lord of Purple Star brought a catastrophe upon the mortal realm just because of a single lapse in propriety. That is the best proof. Immortals must act with caution because their every move could impact the world.”
“If we fail to treat him well now and he decides in a fit of pique to quit, who else can save the Phoenix clan?”
The Heavenly Dao governed all things but rarely interfered directly. Since Shu Yang had brought this disaster upon the world, he was the only one who could end it. Regardless of how dissatisfied the Phoenix clan might be with Shu Yang or the stars serving under him, they were divine beasts, not true immortals. They were simply not on the same level. Offending Shu Yang would bring a hundred harms and not a single benefit.
Shu Yang settled into the most luxurious palace in the Zitong Forest, though his heart remained unburdened by pleasure. For one, his residence in the Celestial Realm was far more magnificent. Secondly, an immortal should not obsess over material things, as it would disturb their Dao heart. And as for the third reason…
Shu Yang lowered his head to look at Ruan Wei, who had followed him into the palace, and sighed in bewilderment. “Why are you following me in here?”
“Why shouldn’t I follow you?” Ruan Wei sat down in front of Shu Yang and stared at him. “You still haven’t told me about the Lord of Purple Star.”
Shu Yang: “…”
He could not help but say, “Didn’t I tell you earlier?”
“I want to hear it again.” Ruan Wei propped his chin on his hand. His face, which was already round, now looked even rounder. “Know yourself, know your enemy, and you will win every battle.”
He clenched his fists, gritting his teeth. “Once I know his weaknesses and find him, I will kill him for sure!”
Shu Yang: “…”
He had not forgotten that grudge yet. He was quite persistent.
Shu Yang naturally did not believe Ruan Wei could actually kill him. Killing an immortal or a god was a grave crime, punishable by twenty lifetimes in the cycle of reincarnation as a beast. However, what if Ruan Wei really did strike when he was off guard? His star energy was not inexhaustible; he could not spend it all defending against Ruan Wei’s assassination attempts.
With this thought, Shu Yang sighed softly. He decided he had to make good use of Ruan Wei. It would be best to make Ruan Wei fall for him, turning enemies into friends, and thereby gain access to the Dragon Palace’s power to achieve his goals. As for what would happen to Ruan Wei after he attained godhood… that was not Shu Yang’s concern. He only needed to figure out how to utilize Ruan Wei effectively.
No sooner had this thought crossed his mind than Shu Yang put on a smile. His eyes curved into crescents as he whispered, “Young Palace Master.”
“What is it?” Dragons loved beautiful, glittering things. Ruan Wei had been staring at the night pearls embedded in the walls, debating whether to pry a few off to decorate his dragon horns. “Are you willing to tell me about the Lord of Purple Star now?”
“Of course.” Shu Yang smiled, but after successfully capturing Ruan Wei’s attention, he changed the subject. “But you know, I have conditions…”
“Fine, fine.” Ruan Wei propped his chin on his hand. “Let’s hear them.”
“Turn into a small dragon and let me play with you,” Shu Yang said, startling him.
“…” Ruan Wei widened his eyes. “Are you insane?”
“I am not insane,” Shu Yang said. “You see me here, racking my brain and worrying myself gray to find a solution, while you are here just playing around. Isn’t that a bit too much?”
Sitting on the floor and being scapegoated for no reason, Ruan Wei was baffled. Yet, upon reflection, he could find no retort. After a long while, he hesitantly asked, “Is that so?”
“Exactly.”
Shu Yang said matter-of-factly, “So, are you going to transform or not?”
“…” Ruan Wei’s eyes widened, his pupils fluctuating between black and red, as if he were teetering on the edge of fury. After a moment, he lowered his head. In less than half a second, he transformed into a dragon the length of an adult’s arm. He nimbly slithered across the floor and coiled around Shu Yang’s arm.
Shu Yang stroked his head with satisfaction. “Such a good boy.”
Like a puppy.
Ruan Wei flicked his tail, clearly dissatisfied with Shu Yang’s “puppy-petting” attitude. But in order to learn news of Shu Yang, he finally said, “Can you tell me about the Lord of Purple Star now?”
“What is the rush?” Shu Yang said calmly, “Let me play for a while first.”
Ruan Wei: “…”
He was so angry he left a circle of tooth marks on Shu Yang’s fingertip.
Because Shu Yang kept teasing and tossing him about, Ruan Wei soon grew exhausted. Besides, he had been the one flying while Shu Yang rode for days. Under the stroking of Shu Yang’s warm, large hand, Ruan Wei could not resist curling his tail, tucking his body into a ball, and drifting off to sleep in Shu Yang’s palm.
Only then could Shu Yang truly examine Ruan Wei. Ruan Wei’s dragon horns had indeed been broken; the new growth was not as sturdy as before, and near the base, one could see two jagged, uneven scars where they had been severed at different times by a sharp blade.
Who could be so bold as to hack off the horns of the Dragon clan’s Young Palace Master? And to do it twice, so decisively?
Shu Yang watched Ruan Wei sleep, curled into a ball, and felt the motion was rather charming. Like a dragon guarding a dragon egg.
Shu Yang had intended to tease Ruan Wei more, but remembering how he had squeezed the life out of him for days, he gently placed Ruan Wei on the bed. Ruan Wei did not wake.
After settling Ruan Wei, Shu Yang walked out of the Phoenix Palace. The Phoenix clan leader Xuanqing was waiting outside. Hearing Shu Yang emerge, she hurriedly said, “Immortal Lord.”
“Xuanqing.” Shu Yang said, “I have given it some thought. Perhaps there is no faster way than to lure the flower demon out directly.”
Xuanqing hesitated visibly upon hearing this. “But…”
“First of all, we have no cub.”
The aura of a cub could not be faked by an adult divine beast. Especially between demons and beasts, there would be a sensory connection. The flower demon was not stupid enough to fall for that.
“When I first descended to the mortal realm, I saved a cub,” Shu Yang said in a low, indifferent tone. “I have him housed in the Dragon Palace. Perhaps we can have the Dragon clan leader send him here to help us.”
“Really?” Xuanqing was startled. “A human cub?”
She added, “If he is brought here, will it put him in danger? And… what is he to you, Immortal Lord?”
Shu Yang remained silent for a moment, deliberately ignoring the second question. “Yes, a human cub.”
“Just an irrelevant person.”