Feeling Like His Head's Getting a Little Green, and Who Knows Who's Really Getting the Short End of the Stick
Feeling Like His Head’s Getting a Little Green, and Who Knows Who’s Really Getting the Short End of the Stick
After Gu Xianer picked the Star-Fire Seed, she transformed into a divine rainbow and left the area, never noticing Qin Wuya, who had been watching her from afar the whole time.
“Her temperament is very much like my junior sister’s back then, though there are still some differences.”
Qin Wuya sighed deeply as well. His figure stepped out from behind the ancient tree, and he withdrew his gaze, making no move to approach and reveal himself.
Although he currently carried water from the Lake of Reincarnation, which could help Gu Xianer recover the memories of her past life...
Suddenly approaching her out of nowhere, with unknown origins, would absolutely arouse Gu Xianer’s suspicion.
And if he were to force Gu Xianer to drink the water of the Lake of Reincarnation, that would be... somewhat at odds with his way of doing things.
Not to mention, Gu Xianer’s cultivation was considerable, and she seemed to have no shortage of tricks up her sleeve. If he truly wanted to suppress her, it would probably take quite a bit of effort.
That would be more trouble than it was worth.
Besides, Qin Wuya had rushed to this place only to find Heavenly Monarch Ziyang’s hiding spot—he had no desire to invite any other trouble.
That was why he had simply watched Gu Xianer leave from the shadows.
Back then, after seeing the reincarnation of his past-life Dao Partner in the Vermilion Bird Empire, Qin Wuya had set off with an excited heart, planning to head to the Black Tortoise Empire to meet up with his junior brother.
With Heavenly Monarch Ziyang’s status and position, finding out that woman’s identity shouldn’t be difficult.
Once he knew who she was, he could then figure out a way to reunite with her, which would make things much easier.
Unfortunately, the idea was nice, but the reality left Qin Wuya completely dumbfounded, unable to believe it.
Qin Wuya truly never expected that after arriving at the Vermilion Bird Empire, he wouldn’t find Heavenly Monarch Ziyang.
Instead, he heard that his junior brother had joined forces with the Successor of Demonic Arts to abduct the young woman possessing the Celestial Demonic Physique.
There was even news that he had trapped and slaughtered a host of young prodigies in the Eternal Overcast, nearly killing Gu Changge in the process.
The matter shocked him beyond measure. He never imagined that in the short time since he’d rushed off to the Lake of Reincarnation, something like this would happen.
At first, Qin Wuya refused to believe that his junior brother, given his personality, would do such a thing.
Back in their sect days, Heavenly Monarch Ziyang had been rather timid and cowardly, often bullied by the other disciples, and it was always Qin Wuya who stood up and got justice for him.
How could a junior brother with that kind of personality pull off something like massacring prodigies? Among the victims, Prince Shen, the successor of Sky Emperor Mountain, had died a miserable death.
Then again, Qin Wuya wasn’t entirely certain of his own thinking. After all, so many years had passed—people change.
Someone like his junior brother Ziyang, who hated Gu Changge so much, naturally wouldn’t pass up a chance to put him to death, even if it meant cooperating with the Successor of Demonic Arts.
After that, there was no trace of Heavenly Monarch Ziyang whatsoever—only various other rumors and reports confirming all of it.
All of this... everything combined plunged Qin Wuya into deep doubt, making him feel more and more... that this matter couldn’t be separated from his junior brother Ziyang.
Fortunately, before long, Heavenly Monarch Ziyang took the initiative to send someone to contact him, having guessed that he had already left the Lake of Reincarnation and rushed to the Black Tortoise Empire.
And so, Qin Wuya traveled all this way to meet up with Heavenly Monarch Ziyang and discuss what came next.
“I hope this matter has nothing to do with my junior brother. The Successor of Demonic Arts is clearly no simple figure—when you scheme with a tiger, you’d best be prepared to be devoured by it.”
Qin Wuya sighed softly in his heart. His figure moved, heading toward the place he and Heavenly Monarch Ziyang had agreed upon.
Back in their... era, they had never heard of any Successor of Demonic Arts.
The Successor of Demonic Arts seemed to have only emerged in these later years, and his deeds made all Cultivators and prodigies wary of him.
Even those... great sects and orthodoxies that had stood immortal and unshaken through the ages avoided the Successor of Demonic Arts like a venomous snake, never allowing him to grow.
If Heavenly Monarch Ziyang cooperated with someone like that, there was no telling when he might be killed by him.
Soon, amid a stretch of quiet, desolate ruins up ahead, Qin Wuya sensed a strange fluctuation. With his discerning eye, he easily recognized it as some kind of concealing Array Patterns.
And the craftsmanship was superb—even a Sacred Emperor Realm being could be fooled if they weren’t paying attention.
But it couldn’t fool him.
“Junior Brother Ziyang.”
At the entrance of the ruins, Qin Wuya took the initiative to call inside, while his divine sense swept the area behind him, guarding against anyone following.
“Senior Brother, he’s finally here.”
Hearing Qin Wuya’s words...
Deep within the ruins, a purple-robed man who had been sitting cross-legged in cultivation suddenly grew excited, then hurriedly rose and rushed out to meet Qin Wuya.
“Junior Brother Ziyang, are you alright?”
Qin Wuya looked at the approaching Heavenly Monarch Ziyang, relaxing slightly as he asked with concern.
“I’m fine. Now that Senior Brother is here, I feel much more at ease.”
After that, Qin Wuya and Heavenly Monarch Ziyang exchanged pleasantries. Heavenly Monarch Ziyang smiled and breathed a sigh of relief, the unease in his heart finally settling.
In his eyes, Qin Wuya was like a pillar of support.
No matter... what happened, as long as Senior Brother was around, it could be resolved.
The framing he had suffered this time would be no different.
“Junior Brother, what exactly is going on with this matter? I’ve heard far too many rumors lately.”
Then, Qin Wuya frowned and got straight to the point, asking directly.
Heavenly Monarch Ziyang hid nothing, truthfully telling him everything he knew, concealing not a thing.
From how he had pursued the Successor of Demonic Arts, to how he had somehow ended up framed and wronged, becoming the accomplice of the Successor of Demonic Arts who abducted Qing Xiaoyi.
The whole story, from beginning to end, without omitting a single word, was laid out in full.
“The person who framed you truly devised a vicious scheme—flawless, without a single gap.”
Even with Qin Wuya’s vast experience, after hearing all of this..., he couldn’t help but suck in a cold breath, his back covered in chill, shaken and somewhat alarmed.
One ring linked to the next, every layer a dead end.
No wonder Heavenly Monarch Ziyang had ended up in such a sorry state, hiding out here.
“If not for that, how would I have ended up like this?”
Heavenly Monarch Ziyang smiled bitterly, but his face held more anger and hatred.
“Then, Junior Brother, do you know who framed you?”
Qin Wuya asked in a deep voice. “Could it be the King of Six Crowns? The rumors all say he was the first to claim you were the one who abducted Qing Xiaoyi.”
Hearing this, Heavenly Monarch Ziyang paused. The person he suspected most was actually Gu Changge.
But he wasn’t certain. When he had used the Foreseeing Eye to peer into fragments of the future, what he wanted to know was what he would encounter in the days to come.
Although he had seen Gu Changge’s figure at the time, that alone wasn’t enough to prove Gu Changge was the one scheming against him.
Besides, in the Eternal Overcast, Gu Changge had been gravely wounded, nearly dying at the hands of the Successor of Demonic Arts.
In Heavenly Monarch Ziyang’s view, the King of Six Crowns was actually highly suspicious as well.
After all, when everything happened, the King of Six Crowns had been inside the Black Tortoise Empire.
And the two of them had no grudges between them. Without rhyme or reason, why would the King of Six Crowns so decisively declare that he was the one who abducted Qing Xiaoyi? It didn’t add up.
Then there was one more person—that... mysterious Successor of Demonic Arts!
Soon, Heavenly Monarch Ziyang laid out all three of his suspects, intending to hear Qin Wuya’s take on the matter.
“I understand. Rest assured, Junior Brother, I’ll do everything in my power to help you.”
Qin Wuya nodded, his expression somewhat heavy. Before the truth came to light, even he couldn’t say for certain who had framed Heavenly Monarch Ziyang.
“Right, Senior Brother, could you...”
“I know your cultivation is powerful—this shouldn’t be a problem for you.”
At that moment, Heavenly Monarch Ziyang suddenly thought of something and spoke up, his face carrying a trace of hope.
“Speak, Junior Brother.”
Qin Wuya nodded.
“Right now, because Saintess Ziyan was captured and placed under house arrest by Gu Changge, a split has appeared within Purple Mansion. Quite a few Elders have begun siding with the Sect Leader’s faction.”
Heavenly Monarch Ziyang said.
“So... you want me to make a move and rescue Saintess Ziyan, is that it?”
Qin Wuya understood at once upon hearing this. Something like that wasn’t particularly difficult for him.
He only needed to quietly infiltrate the palace complex where Gu Changge resided without being detected.
Gu Changge’s strength was considerable, but for someone like him, who had lived for hundreds of years among the Nine Heavens, it really didn’t amount to much.
In the eyes of outsiders, he was merely at the Enlightened Noble Realm, but even Qin Wuya himself wasn’t entirely sure of his own true strength.
“Thank you, Senior Brother.”
Heavenly Monarch Ziyang’s face lit up with joy at his words. In truth, he had his own little calculations—some things he left unsaid...
Meanwhile, within the void world where Purple Mansion resided.
The territory stretched vast and boundless, its borders impossible to find.
Purple mist curled and swirled, clouds roiled in glorious splendor.
Countless immortal mountains and Godly Islands stood amid cascading silver waterfalls, shrouded in chaotic fog—a sight of incomparable grandeur and majesty.
At the very center, within the palace standing tall in the void.
“Absolutely outrageous!”
A middle-aged man of imposing stature, dignified even without anger, radiating awe-inspiring authority.
Clad in a purple Daluo robe, light flickered within his opening and closing eyes, a heart-palpitating aura circulating around him.
His face was ashen, his fists clenched tight—he was thoroughly enraged.
The many Elders beside him were trying to placate him, quite helpless.
“That brat Gu Changge has gone too far! Does he really think that just because he’s the Young Master of the Gu Family, I wouldn’t dare do anything to him?!”
“It was the Great Elder who sheltered Heavenly Monarch Ziyang—what does that have to do with me?! He took my daughter and put her under house arrest, and on top of that he dares to spout such insolence, saying he’ll make me a happy grandfather?!”
“What audacity!”
This man was none other than Liu Ming, the Sect Leader of Purple Mansion. Naturally, he had heard the many rumors circulating outside.
By now he was nearly laughing from sheer fury, his eyes filled with raging fire.
Originally, he had held a rather favorable impression of Gu Changge.
A young talent like that, his heart set on the greater good of the world, his every action exuding the bearing of one destined for great things.
But he never expected that Gu Changge would seize his daughter Liu Ziyan and put her under house arrest, even using it to threaten him, demanding he hand over Heavenly Monarch Ziyang’s whereabouts.
How would he know where Heavenly Monarch Ziyang was?!
Besides, the one sheltering Heavenly Monarch Ziyang within the sect was another Great Elder.
That Elder’s authority was in no way inferior to his own, and on top of that, an old monster had recently awakened who thought highly of Heavenly Monarch Ziyang.
With that connection in play, Liu Ming had turned a blind eye, staying out of the matter and leaving it entirely to the Great Elder.
And now he’d inexplicably taken the blame for it all—how could the Purple Mansion Sect Leader not be furious?!
If, when Ziyan returned to the sect, she really did present him with a big “surprise”...
He feared he truly wouldn’t be able to stop himself from storming off in a rage to the Longevity Gu Family to raise hell.
“Sect Leader, please calm your anger. Speaking of this matter, we were at fault first. But no matter what, right now Saintess Ziyan is in Gu Changge’s hands—we can’t afford to provoke his displeasure.”
“After all, the Saintess is a beauty of rare, world-stunning grace. What if Gu Changge suddenly can’t restrain himself and acts recklessly...”
Hearing this, several Elders spoke up one after another, smiling bitterly as they tried to soothe him.
With things having come to this, if they, as senior-generation powerhouses, intervened, it would carry the stench of the old bullying the young.
The forces behind Gu Changge couldn’t possibly stand by and do nothing...
And if this matter blew up, Purple Mansion stood to gain nothing—especially with other orthodoxies and powers eyeing Purple Mansion like tigers in the shadows.
Right now, the only ground they could stand on was that no one could step forward and prove Heavenly Monarch Ziyang truly had ties to the Successor of Demonic Arts.
However, their words of consolation not only... failed to help, they made the Purple Mansion Sect Leader even angrier.
“He wouldn’t dare!”
“Damn it, this Gu Changge infuriates me to no end!”
“And to think I believed this kid was destined for greatness, that among the supreme peaks of the Beyond, he’d surely claim a place!”
The Purple Mansion Sect Leader’s face darkened as he began pacing the hall, his expression extremely ugly.
If not for his concerns over the sect’s dignity and the other powers and orthodoxies...
Right now he would have personally gone to the Black Tortoise Empire to bring Liu Ziyan back—and taught that brat Gu Changge a lesson while he was at it.
“Husband, why worry over this matter? Ziyan is clever and quick-witted—there’s no way she’d suffer any grievance. Besides, speaking of this matter, isn’t it also an opportunity for her?”
At that moment, a gentle, soft voice suddenly came from outside the hall.
An elegant, noble, beautiful woman walked in, her features lovely. In her hand she held a Communication Rune, and she spoke with a smile.
“Greetings, Madame Sect Leader.”
The other Elders saluted one after another, then exchanged glances and, with tacit understanding, took their leave.
The Purple Mansion Sect Leader and his wife were deeply in love, and they doted on their only daughter, Liu Ziyan.
“My dear.”
Seeing who had arrived, the anger on the Purple Mansion Sect Leader’s face melted away.
A gentle expression followed, and he stepped forward, asking curiously, “What does my wife mean by those words?”
“This is a message Ziyan sent back. Take a look yourself and you’ll understand. When the two of us end up holding a grandchild, who knows who’ll really be getting the short end of the stick.”
Madame Sect Leader smiled at his words and handed the Communication Rune in her hand to Liu Ming.
In her view, with Gu Changge’s status, saying such things was merely meant to embarrass Purple Mansion.
He couldn’t possibly actually do anything.
And if Gu Changge did do something to Liu Ziyan, with his status, he couldn’t possibly shirk responsibility—and that would save her a headache besides.
Liu Ziyan was, after all, the renowned Saintess of Purple Mansion, famous throughout the Beyond—breathtakingly beautiful, a flower-like jade, a nation-toppling beauty.
She’d been worrying that the girl’s standards were too high and she’d never find a Dao Partner.
Whether in talent, cultivation, or background, no one was more suitable than Gu Changge.
If this twist of fate ended up bringing them together, it wouldn’t be a bad thing at all.
The Purple Mansion Sect Leader Liu Ming had no idea what his wife was thinking. He looked at the Communication Rune in his hand and sent his divine sense into it.
“Oh? Ziyan sent word back? Don’t tell me that brat Gu Changge bullied her?”
But soon, his face froze, his eyes widened in disbelief, and then his brows furrowed as he let out a deep sigh.
After reading everything in the Communication Rune, Liu Ming could hardly keep his composure.
“The house arrest is just a front for the outside world?”
“So that’s how things really are. To think even I could wrong someone. Given Ziyan’s character, there’s no way she’d lie to me.”
“This Gu Changge’s scheming truly cannot be underestimated.”
“Actually, I’m well aware of Ziyan’s... concerns too... Since Gu Changge is now dead set on demanding an accounting from Heavenly Monarch Ziyang, I might as well play along with him.”
The Purple Mansion Sect Leader pondered for a while, having regained his calm. In the Communication Rune, Liu Ziyan had explained everything.
Including the whole story of how Gu Changge had invited her to tea that day.
It also covered how she and Gu Changge had been getting along during this period—drinking tea, playing chess, occasionally discussing the Dao. Quite leisurely, actually.
Nothing at all like being under house arrest.
Liu Ziyan was even enjoying herself, rarely finding that feeling of... kindred spirits with someone of the opposite sex.
From this matter, Liu Ming also saw Gu Changge’s unyielding stance.
Only two options lay before him now: first, shelter Heavenly Monarch Ziyang and make an enemy of the many orthodoxies, Gu Changge included.
Second, cooperate with Gu Changge in searching for Heavenly Monarch Ziyang’s whereabouts, and declare that Heavenly Monarch Ziyang had nothing to do with Purple Mansion.
“Husband, you’d best think this through carefully. This matter concerns Purple Mansion’s future. One careless step, and we’ll be smashed to pieces, without even a place to be buried.”
Madame Sect Leader also advised. Something like the Successor of Demonic Arts—how could one afford to get entangled in it so lightly?
Liu Ming’s brows knitted tightly as he sighed deeply, feeling the matter was thorny beyond measure.
“The lineage behind Heavenly Monarch Ziyang is very ancient, and it’s inextricably tied to my own line. If we expel him from the sect over this...
That’s not a decision I can make on my own.”
Hearing this, Madame Sect Leader said, “Then why doesn’t Husband take a step back and simply declare that this matter has nothing to do with you—that it was the Great Elder’s doing alone? It will offend him, but we can’t afford to worry about that anymore.”
“That is indeed the case. Then we’ll do as my wife says.”
Liu Ming pondered for a while, then nodded and began issuing instructions, drafting the relevant decree as well.
Soon, a piece of news spread from Purple Mansion, sending shockwaves in all directions.
The Purple Mansion Sect Leader personally declared that if Heavenly Monarch Ziyang truly had ties to the Successor of Demonic Arts, he would be the first to strike him down, leaving no future trouble behind.
Once this news spread, it quickly triggered a terrifying uproar, like an earthquake.
All Cultivators and prodigies were utterly shocked, never expecting things to suddenly turn out this way.
Was the Purple Mansion Sect Leader capitulating to Gu Changge?
Or was there... some other purpose?
Speculation of every kind abounded.
After all, the Purple Mansion Sect Leader had said as much, yet Purple Mansion was still sheltering Heavenly Monarch Ziyang. What did that mean?
It meant there was division within Purple Mansion!
The moment this interpretation emerged, countless orthodoxies and Cultivators were horrified and shaken, realizing that Purple Mansion was not of one mind.
Some wanted to shelter Heavenly Monarch Ziyang, while others wanted to handle matters impartially.
With the Purple Mansion Sect Leader saying this, if the situation later spiraled out of... control, it would also leave Purple Mansion some room to maneuver.
It wasn’t as if the whole of Purple Mansion, top to bottom, intended to make an enemy of the entire world.
But no matter what, as long as Heavenly Monarch Ziyang didn’t show himself for even one more day, the undercurrents of this situation would only surge more violently!
The entire Black Tortoise Empire was steeped in an atmosphere of a storm about to break, wind filling the tower.
During this period, an ancient being from Sky Emperor Mountain even paid a personal visit to Purple Mansion’s gates, demanding justice.
Unsurprisingly, a terrifying great battle erupted soon after. Outside Purple Mansion, vast stretches of mountains and rivers were reduced to dust, and some Cultivators even witnessed stars falling from the Outer Territory.
Many of Purple Mansion’s disciples and Cultivators felt deeply uneasy. When traveling outside, they were attacked by quite a few people, treated as accomplices of the Successor of Demonic Arts.
All of this made many Purple Mansion disciples nurse a resentment toward Heavenly Monarch Ziyang—he was the one who had invited this calamity, so why were they the ones suffering for it in the end...
Deep within the Black Tortoise Empire.
Inside a resplendent, ancient palace.
Two people sat facing each other.
The fragrance of tea curled upward, the charm of the Dao lingering long.
Da!
As the final piece landed, the situation on the board shifted in an instant—lines crisscrossing, divine light surging, as if a True Phoenix about to soar into the Nine Heavens had been beheaded by a single blade stroke, its blood splattering across the sky.
“You lost again.”
Gu Changge smiled, looking at the purple-skirted woman before him.