The Dragon

After leaving Xian Luo, they arrived at Linghua, situated at the border between the Zhongzhou and Nanzhou.

Gu Fuyou intended to return directly to the Thirty-Third Skies. Zhong Michu, as the Dragon King, had important duties and couldn’t afford to linger outside for long. Despite this, Gu Fuyou’s situation had slightly improved.

However, Zhong Michu’s face betrayed no emotion, even though her mind uncontrollably drifted back to that day in the spiritual cave when Gu Fuyou lay on the stone bed, her cheeks flushed, her breathing erratic, and her eyes brimming with unspoken yearning.

They had grown closer than ever before.

Even though she knew that this closeness was a momentary impulse of weakness and pity, and a momentary impulse of Gu Fuyou. Yet, even with a thin veil of ambiguity between them, they were closer to each other than anyone else in the world.

Zhong Michu wished to spend more time with Gu Fuyou, but her responsibilities as the Dragon King, along with Yi’er’s young age and Di Jun’s reluctance to reassume his position, meant she couldn’t indulge in this desire for long.

Even so, considering the three sects’ slight hostility towards Gu Fuyou, she decided to escort her back to the Thirty-Three Skies first.

When they were about to part ways at the Thirty-Three Skies, Gu Fuyou found herself reluctant to leave. Being with Zhong Michu, away from the troubles of the cultivation world, was incredibly comforting.

She held Yi’er close and reminded her, “Remember to think of me.” She considered keeping Yi’er with her but noticed an unusual atmosphere in Nanzhou, with defensive formations activated in several cities they passed.

Yi’er, adorably clinging to Gu Fuyou’s cheek, promised, “Three times a day.” Yi’er’s sweet nature made it impossible not to adore her.

Zhong Michu stood by, watching them. Gu Fuyou gently let go of Yi’er, patting her shoulder, signaling her to return to Zhong Michu.

Zhong Michu watched them with a soft gaze. Gu Fuyou let Yi’er go, gently patting her shoulder and sending her back to Zhong Michu’s side.

To her surprise, Ah Fu walked over with a proud gait. When it reached her side, it looked down at her from above. From Gu Fuyou’s perspective, Ah Fu’s posture was quite similar to that of a wolf king, cold and arrogant, far from the silly Afu she remembered.

Ah Fu lowered its head slightly and brushed against Gu Fuyou’s face, the fine fur brushing against it, which was very itchy.

This was Ah Fu’s way of showing affection. Gu Fuyou was touched, reaching out to stroke Ah Fu’s jaw. Ah Fu turned away, proudly looking elsewhere. Their shared experiences in battle had brought them closer.

With Ah Fu no longer resisting her affection, she felt content. Just as Zhong Michu had said, some things needed time.

As Ah Fu retreated, Zhong Michu, holding Yi’er’s hand, advised Gu Fuyou, “Be cautious of any movements from the Three Sects. If you encounter something you can’t handle, let me know. I’ll come to see you once I finish my current tasks.”

As Gu Fuyou listened, a smile graced her face. She observed Zhong Michu with ‘family’ in tow, and a familiar scene unfurled in her mind: it was like witnessing a scene straight out of a typical day in a miner’s life. She imagined a miner parting ways with his family to work in the mountains, his wife and daughter at the doorstep, their voices laced with careful instructions and heartfelt concern.

For a moment, she wanted to express a profound sentiment to Zhong Michu, realizing how absurd this thought was, yet it softened her heart.

Zhong Michu, will you marry me?

But she couldn’t voice it. The sentiment died in her throat.

In this world, no one was closer to her than Zhong Michu. They even shared moments that only lovers would. If Zhong Michu sought intimacy again, she would likely be more than willing. However, burdened by numerous concerns and fears about venturing into uncharted aspects of their relationship, she found herself unable to freely speak those words.”

Perhaps the time wasn’t right, or there were too many uncertainties – their differing attitudes towards the Zuo family, the finite lifespan of her borrowed body, and the infamy spreading across all continents – all these factors sealed her lips.

A memory of the old clan leader’s question surfaced in her mind, “Do you love her?”

Perhaps it’s true that the darkest hour is just before dawn. Being so close to Zhong Michu made it harder for her to see clearly how much she loved her.

Being in the situation can blur one’s vision, whereas outsiders see things more clearly. Gu Fuyou could see her feelings for Zhong Michu quite clearly from the start, recognizing that they went beyond mere friendship. However, looking at her own feelings was more complex.

Her feelings for Zhong Michu were interwoven with various emotions – a mix of dependence, deep friendship, admiration, warmth, a desire for refuge, and a significant amount of guilt. These feelings clouded the original emotions, making them harder to discern.

Zhong Michu was preparing to leave.

Gu Fuyou said, “Remember to think of me.”

Zhong Michu looked back, her voice gentle, “Three times a day.”

Gu Fuyou smiled. Wanting Zhong Michu to be with her for a lifetime, she realized knowing this was enough. Why overthink it?

Back at Lihen Tian, Scholar Zhai and others were waiting for her. They were relieved to see her return safe and sound.

Gu Fuyou joked, “Why do you look like you’ve never seen me before?”

Scholar Zhai examined her from head to toe, commenting with feigned surprise, “Huh, you don’t look worn out from your journey. Instead, you look radiant. What’s got you in such high spirits?”

Anticipating the teasing that was about to come, Gu Fuyou shot her a glare and quickly changed the subject, “Where are Feng Sui and Old Seven?”

Scholar Zhai complained, “You have no idea about the rumors swirling around in Nanzhou. They say that a powerful figure from the Azure Phoenix clan intervened, causing the Biluo Sect’s sky to go dark, the universe to collapse, and the seas to flow backward, driving away this evil spirit – you. Gu Fuyou, now your name is infamous throughout the five continents.”

Gu Fuyou was already aware.

Scholar Zhai continued, “It’s hard for a lone tiger to stand against a pack of wolves. I told you to take more people with you. When you went to that ‘banquet,’ we lost all contact with you, leaving everyone in Nanzhou anxious. Feng Sui and Seven were concerned for your safety, so they took a team and infiltrated those three continents to find you.”

Gu Fuyou replied, “Didn’t the Dragon Clan send someone to inform you that I had safely reached the Eastern Sea? Why did they still go out?”

Scholar Zhai answered, “They had left before the Dragon Clan’s message arrived. Xiao Zhongting sent word; they should be back soon.”

Three days later, Feng Sui and Seven returned with their people to the Thirty-Three Skies. Gu Fuyou was planning to send someone to find Du Pan, as he had revealed himself and could be tracked.

Before she could act, a denouncement from the three continents arrived at her doorstep, accusing her of three crimes: firstly, of being an evil spirit who had stolen the body of a revered ancestor from the Azure Phoenix clan; secondly, of feigning a defense of righteousness while actually seeking personal revenge, thus causing chaos in the world; and thirdly, of usurping power in Nanzhou, allowing her slaves to oppress the immortal sects of Beizhou brazenly, and bullying the weak.

The first two accusations were old news to her. But the last charge piqued her interest, hinting at some new scheme by the three continents.

The envoys from the three sects were still present. When Gu Fuyou inquired about this new charge, she learned that an immortal sect in Beizhou had been destroyed by a group of slaves.

Raising an eyebrow, Gu Fuyou turned to Feng Sui and Seven. Seven quickly clarified, “We did enter Beizhou, as we heard that you and the Dragon King were there, but we arrived late and you were gone. Then we received Xiao Zhongting’s message that you were in the Eastern Sea, and we left. We didn’t have any conflicts with the people of Beizhou.”

Feng Sui added, “We did have a minor scuffle with Quanyun sect cultivators while leaving Beizhou. They wanted to capture us for interrogation based on these accusations. We refused and fought briefly but didn’t act recklessly.”

The envoy snorted disdainfully, showing disrespect to the slaves and skepticism towards their explanation. “If you were innocent, you should’ve gone with Quanyun sect’s people for questioning. You resisted interrogation and fought with our cultivators, clearly guilty.”

Seven was furious. Feng Sui angrily retorted, “We only follow our Master’s commands. Who do you think you are, capturing us at will?”

Gu Fuyou nonchalantly replied, “So you’ve already decided the culprit is me?”

The concept of slaves being inferior was deeply ingrained, and this envoy clearly looked down on Feng Sui and Seven, addressing only Gu Fuyou.  “The surviving cultivators identified a group of slaves as the perpetrators. Miss Gu, besides you, who else has so many slaves?” Identifying slaves is simple. Just like the contract with spirit beasts, a unique tattoo appears on their back. These designs, looking like blood-red thorns, are unmistakable markers of shame. There’s no way to replicate them.

Gu Fuyou had taken over the Zuo family’s slaves, having thousands under her control. Whenever a large group of slaves was involved, people instinctively thought of Gu Fuyou.

“And Miss Gu, you’ve been to Beizhou recently, and coincidentally, so have a large group of slaves. That’s too much of a coincidence.” The envoy left unsaid that an immortal sect had spotted Gu Fuyou and, while trying to report to their sect, but Gu Fuyou became aware of it, leading to a conflict. In a fit of rage and humiliation, she supposedly wiped out the entire sect.

People from the three continents thought this scenario was highly plausible, especially since Gu Fuyou had ruthlessly destroyed the Zuo family, leaving an impression of her as someone cruel and merciless.

Scholar Zhai spoke sarcastically with a smile, “Didn’t the three sects warmly invite us to Beizhou? It was an invitation hard to refuse, and our people just went there to pick someone up.” In reality, they were forced to go to Beizhou and had to search for Gu Fuyou out of necessity.

Lifting her chin slightly, Gu Fuyou responded, “I’m not the only one with a large number of slaves. Du Pan has them too. Perhaps someone has secretly hoarded the Zuo family’s slaves; who knows?”

The envoy argued, “Du Pan has no grudges with Beizhou. Why would he hurt people there unless he’s gone mad?”

Gu Fuyou smirked, “So you’re suggesting that I hold a grudge against Beizhou, leading me to commit such atrocities?”

The envoy, seeing the conversation reach this point, said, “Years ago, during the incident at Xiaoyao City, the three sects didn’t assist. Although the three sects had their own difficulties, you might hold a grudge. It’s understandable, but you shouldn’t resort to such despicable means, harming innocent lives.”

Finding the situation hilarious, Gu Fuyou burst into laughter. Indeed, originally fearing her revenge, the Biluo Sect issued that ridiculous wanted notice when she and Zhong Michu arrived in Beizhou, presumably wanting to strike first. Now, with this situation, they must be more convinced of her intentions for vengeance, leaving her no room to breathe.

She had met Nianhua, the sect leader of Beizhou, twice and found him to be an upright person, uninterested in worldly matters. He might be furious about the destruction of the immortal sect in Beizhou.

Gu Fuyou pondered just how tragic the end of that immortal sect might have been. Could it have been worse than Xiaoyao City? Indeed, when the fire doesn’t burn in one’s own house, one doesn’t understand the panic and sorrow.

Gu Fuyou burst into laughter, which the envoy took as a provocation. Angrily, he retorted, “Miss Gu, if you don’t provide the three sects with an explanation, this matter will not be put to rest. Please watch yourself.” The envoy then turned and left with a sweep of his sleeve.

Scholar asked, “You’re just letting him leave like that?”

Gu Fuyou replied sarcastically, “Should we have kept him for tea?”

“The matter of the immortal sect being destroyed hasn’t been clarified yet.”

“They fear me, this is just an excuse. Without this incident, they would find another reason,” Gu Fuyou said dismissively.

Feng Sui frowned, “The real question is who’s behind all this.”

With a certain tone, Gu Fuyou casually said, “Du Pan.” She was confident, even without concrete evidence, going with her intuition. There was some basis to her claim; pitting her against the three continents, creating chaos, benefited Du Pan the most. “Using others to kill, a typical tactic of the Zuo family,” she added.

Feng Sui asked, “Why not clarify things with them?” He wasn’t afraid of the three continents, but being slandered like this was frustrating.

“We have no evidence. Even if I explained, they wouldn’t believe me. Besides, I look more like the villain compared to Du Pan.”

“We can’t just accept these false accusations,” he argued.

The others were visibly upset, but Gu Fuyou was deep in thought, struck by an idea.

“Using others to do the dirty work,” she thought aloud, “Yes, that’s it.”

“Where’s Xiao Zhongting?”

“Lord Xiao is in Xiao City.”

“Summon the heads of the major families here. I have matters to discuss.”

“Understood.”

She had suddenly made up her mind on how to deal with the remaining members of the Zuo family.