Chapter 478
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 478
Chapter Title: Stars Arching the Moon
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Though he said that, Lu Yang had no intention of continuing his conversation with [Aoxiao].
After all, this wasn't the first time he'd spoken with [Aoxiao]. He knew full well that dealing with this cunning old Primal Saint Sect elder, the more you said, the more mistakes you'd make.
'Still need to string him along!'
'Right now, I don't have the leverage to pin down [Aoxiao]. We're not on equal footing, so this isn't the best time for me to talk with him.'
The best time would come after dealing with Hongyun!
Then, with the Golden Nature of Hongyun in hand, he could impersonate Covered Lamp Fire at any moment. That would be when he could truly face [Aoxiao] head-on and haggle.
With that thought, Lu Yang didn't give [Aoxiao] another chance to speak. He activated his divine ability, directly sealing the cavern fragment in his hand before tossing it into the Ten Thousand Spirits Banner. This severed the connection to [Aoxiao]'s main body. With Ancestor Master Tingyou watching, he wasn't worried about any trouble.
He had Qingcheng Feixue True Lord to thank for this.
If she hadn't shattered the entire cavern, making it impossible for [Aoxiao] to wield more of his power, Lu Yang probably wouldn't have caught him so easily.
".Hmm?"
Just then, Lu Yang's heart stirred.
Jiangdong, Tianwu Capital City.
Lu Yang's main body opened his eyes. The next second, he left his cave abode and landed in the dome of the sky, where he saw a eunuch in a brocade robe approaching.
"Lord Du Huan, I've disturbed your seclusion."
"Not at all!" Lu Yang's expression turned solemn as he hurried forward to bow.
"Lord An has gone to the trouble of making a special trip. Has His Majesty issued another imperial decree?"
"Indeed."
Eunuch An smiled faintly, appearing quite amiable. After all, Lu Yang's first words had been "Lord An," and though he said on the surface there was no need for such formality, he was pleased deep down. He almost wished Lu Yang would say it a couple more times. With this exchange, some rapport formed, so he naturally didn't mind leaking a bit of information.
"Actually, it's good news."
"A few days ago, the Astronomical Bureau reported that they've locked onto the position of the Incense Fire Minor Realm you offered up, Lord Du Huan. His Majesty plans to retrieve it personally."
"That's why I've come to invite Lord Du Huan to accompany him."
Invite me to accompany him?
Lu Yang's heart stirred, but his face showed no hesitation. He immediately replied, "It would be my honor!"
Eunuch An gave a half-smile. "His Majesty has seen Lord Du Huan's loyalty with his own eyes. Be sure not to disappoint him, my lord."
What did that mean?
Lu Yang narrowed his eyes. Though everything had gone smoothly for him in this life from the start, the lessons from his previous life made him ever vigilant.
Had he been seen through?
It didn't make sense. His current identity had been obtained via [Pigeon Occupying the Magpie's Nest]. With the Book of a Hundred Lives' status in place, how could Emperor Jiayou see through it?
'In that case... it must be the clone that's been exposed! Could Emperor Jiayou have discovered that I secretly refined a clone and sent it north of the river?'
Lu Yang pondered inwardly, uncertain. After all, the existence of the [Immortal Kingdom Dao Laws] gave the Dao Court an absurd level of control over Jiangdong. Even if the clone had been exposed, he could accept that. The issue was... did Emperor Jiayou know more?
After all, he'd done plenty in Jiangdong.
Fighting Hongyun, capturing Aoxiao—which of those was ordinary? If Emperor Jiayou had seen all that, he'd inevitably suspect Lu Yang's identity.
'I never sensed any Golden Core scrutiny along the way.'
'But he's a True Lord, after all. If he really poured his magic into a divine ability to monitor me, I might not detect it. Can't overestimate myself.'
Lu Yang thought it over from every angle but eventually calmed down.
In the end, he leaned toward Emperor Jiayou not knowing, because just moments ago, he'd checked the status of [Not Submitting to Others] in Emperor Jiayou's presence.
It was still shining brightly!
The talents settled by the [Book of a Hundred Lives] were beyond question in their reliability. You could trust them completely.
'[Not Submitting to Others] shining means Emperor Jiayou still values me. He might have some scrutinizing thoughts, but not to the point of suspicion.'
With that in mind, Lu Yang gained confidence.
'The clone's been exposed, but Emperor Jiayou probably doesn't know the details. He only knows I sent a clone out of Jiangdong, not what I did.'
With his judgment made, the rest was easy to decide.
Tianwu Hall.
A Dao platform hovered above the myriad states of the Nine Provinces. Behind layers of curtains on the platform loomed a majestic figure—none other than Emperor Jiayou, seated in meditation.
Lu Yang strode into the grand hall.
The next second, the palace doors slammed shut, severing all qi fluctuations around them. An invisible pressure crashed down on Lu Yang like a tidal wave.
Then, a drawn-out sigh rang in his ears:
*"Your form refined to a crane's grace, beneath a thousand pines two cases of sutras. I come seeking the Way with nothing more to say, clouds in the blue heavens, water in the vase."*
As the words faded, the curtains parted. Lu Yang laid eyes on Emperor Jiayou for the first time, beholding the sovereign father of trillions in Jiangdong—both mortals and cultivators.
And at that moment, Emperor Jiayou was looking at him too.
"Du Huan, my dear subject."
His voice was flat, betraying no emotion, yet it echoed through the hall like a great bell or ritual drum.
"Do you see yourself as the cloud, or the water?"
Lu Yang bowed without a word.
"It all depends on Your Majesty's will. If Your Majesty wishes me to be the cloud, I am the cloud. If water, then water."
"Hahaha."
Emperor Jiayou burst into laughter, though no mirth reached his eyes. He said faintly, "It seems my dear subject has made great gains from your recent seclusion."
"Your Majesty sees all."
Lu Yang nodded, putting on an honest and straightforward expression. Candidly, he said,
"In the past few days, I sent an avatar overseas to meet with Dragon Lord. I spoke of Your Majesty's grace, and Dragon Lord was greatly comforted. He charged me to serve Your Majesty well and repay the promotion."
Emperor Jiayou paused at those words.
As Lu Yang had guessed beforehand, he did know Lu Yang had sent an avatar out of Jiangdong. He'd been planning to use it to sound him out, test his loyalty.
But before he could make his move, Lu Yang had volunteered the information.
The next second, genuine amusement flickered in Emperor Jiayou's eyes. He found himself liking Lu Yang more and more. What was a loyal minister? This was it!
No concealment—that was utmost loyalty!
And behind Lu Yang's words lay another implication: even as Dragon Lord's own grandson, contacting Dragon Lord required sending an avatar overseas.
What did that mean?
It meant the true dragon clan knew their place. They hadn't left any covert channels that could evade the [Immortal Kingdom Dao Laws]. This pleased Emperor Jiayou even more.
Still, his tone remained even.
"You're Dragon Lord's own grandson, yet you address him as 'Dragon Lord'? Too distant, no?"
"Your Majesty is mistaken!" Lu Yang shook his head solemnly.
"When working, one should use official titles. How can blood ties come into it?"
Emperor Jiayou's heart stirred again at that. He nodded.
"Since the true dragon clan has submitted to Jiangdong, as long as they serve the nation loyally, they shall share in its prosperity. Dragon Lord understands this. Rise."
"Thanks to Your Majesty's boundless grace."
Lu Yang stood, clenching his right fist solemnly. "Loyalty!"
Though Emperor Jiayou hid it well, seeing [Not Submitting to Others] shine even brighter told Lu Yang he'd passed this test.
The next second, Emperor Jiayou suddenly said,
"By the way, I hear you've recently contacted many demon cultivators and founded an organization called the [One Heart Society]. What do you seek from this?"
Lu Yang's face didn't change. Calmly, he replied,
"Demon cultivators are wild and untamed. They've received Your Majesty's grace yet think only of personal gain, not repaying the nation."
"I founded the [One Heart Society] precisely to teach them single-minded devotion to Your Majesty—like stars arching the moon, guarding Your Majesty!"
Emperor Jiayou: "."
What a fine slave!
Emperor Jiayou's mouth twitched faintly. He flicked his sleeve and rose. "Enough. I intend to make a trip beyond the heavens to retrieve that Incense Fire Minor Realm you mentioned before."
"You will accompany Us."
The next second, Lu Yang saw [Not Submitting to Others] blaze with light. If he struck now, the talent boost might reach fifty percent!
(End of Chapter)