Chapter 296 - 185: Celestial Dao’s Favor

Chapter 296: Chapter 185: Celestial Dao’s Favor

Leng Xuanshuang stared at Wang Dayun. Seeing that he didn’t appear to be lying, she changed the subject. "If Immortal Master Wang were to act, could you also make General Shi unable to resist within a single encounter?"

Although he didn’t know why Leng Xuanshuang was asking, Wang Dayun still answered, "If I were to act, I wouldn’t even need to reveal my form. I could take the general’s life in the space of a breath."

"I see." Leng Xuanshuang seemed to let out a sigh of relief. "In that case, all is well."

Wang Dayun pondered for a moment before finally speaking. "Has something important happened within the palace? I see people coming and going outside the hall."

"Something has indeed happened."

Leng Xuanshuang handed an object from the table to Wang Dayun. Only then did he realize it was an Imperial Decree.

’The Young Emperor’s abdication decree?!’

Wang Dayun stared at Leng Xuanshuang in astonishment as he heard her say calmly, "I intend to emulate the Holy Virtue Empress."

’So she’s going to become Great Xia’s second Empress.’

Leng Xuanshuang already held considerable prestige among the common people. In Luoyang, thanks to the efforts of certain parties, she was met with nothing but words of praise. There had even been several petitions.

With General Shi now returning to court and using his victory over Great Yue to back the Eldest Princess... Wang Dayun was no fool. He had figured it out: the Eldest Princess was using the fruits of this war to support her own ascension.

’It has nothing to do with me, though.’

"What do you think, Immortal Master Wang?"

Wang Dayun shook his head. "Your Highness is wise and virtuous and may ascend the throne as you see fit. Immortals do not interfere in the affairs of the Royal Family."

He fundamentally didn’t care who became the emperor.

In truth, the common people didn’t care, either. No one cared who became the emperor.

What everyone cared about was whether the person sitting on the throne was a good emperor, one who could bring peace and prosperity to the nation and its people.

As long as they were a good emperor, it didn’t matter who they were.

Based on her reputation and accomplishments among the people, Leng Xuanshuang would likely be an excellent empress.

A sliver of hope ignited in Wang Dayun.

He thought, ’If the Eldest Princess just wants to use her war accomplishments to ascend the throne, then if she succeeds now, does that mean she won’t send troops to attack Great Yu?’

Yet before Wang Dayun could speak, he heard the Eldest Princess say to him,

"Then, on behalf of the people, I thank you, Immortal Master Wang."

Her words fell.

Wang Dayun’s pupils shrank. He suddenly remembered what was in that painting.

It was a monster with a cat’s face and a snake’s body. Back then, he had been confused as to why such an inauspicious object would be placed inside the Imperial Study.

Darkness abruptly descended.

Just like the patch of darkness he had forgotten, the one he had seen in the Imperial Study two years ago.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Lu Changyuan had been thinking about one thing.

Why was Wang Dayun’s luck so good?

’Could it be that the Eldest Princess bound the fate of Great Xia to Wang Dayun, causing his fortune and that of the Dynasty to complement each other, allowing both to reach heights they otherwise couldn’t have?’

’But that’s impossible.’

’Wang Dayun isn’t a member of the Royal Family; he isn’t qualified to have his fortune bound to the Dynasty. One cannot gain the recognition of the national fortune unless they possess the royal bloodline acknowledged by the Dynasty.’

’So the whole matter is nonsense.’

Lu Changyuan had also considered another possibility.

’Perhaps the Owl Race used some kind of Evil Technique to alter Wang Dayun’s fate.’

’That’s also impossible.’

’Because the Little Ancestor from the Compassionate Palace had said upon first seeing Wang Dayun that there was nothing wrong with his fate.’

’The authority of the Destined Celestial Dao is beyond question.’

Lu Changyuan felt the pieces just wouldn’t fall into place, which was quite vexing.

"Young Master Lu? Young Master Lu?"

Lu Changyuan returned to his senses at the Silver-haired Maiden’s gentle call.

The Black Skirt Fairy beside him had already fallen into a deep, exhausted sleep. The Silver-haired Maiden had, at some point, removed her blindfold. "You’re quite something, Young Master Lu, to wear Miss Qiu out like this."

Su Youwan had learned many clever, man-pleasing phrases from the matrons in the Imperial Palace, and this was one of them.

Lu Changyuan rolled his eyes. Before he could speak, Su Youwan drew closer, carefully twirled her own hair, and wrapped it around Lu Changyuan. "What were you thinking about just now, Young Master Lu?"

"I was thinking that my luck with cultivation has always been good, but it’s nothing compared to Wang Dayun’s."

Su Youwan breathed out. Her hands didn’t remain idle, and neither did her moist, pink tongue. She licked Lu Changyuan’s skin gently, like a little white cat.

"He’s an imposter. Your luck is the real deal, Young Master Lu."

The little white cat quickly found Lu Changyuan’s lips and kissed them, then pulled away just as quickly, leaving him wanting more.

"An imposter?"

"Mhm, an imposter. Youwan thinks he must be terrified in your presence, Young Master Lu. After all, when an imposter meets the real thing, it’s like a mouse meeting a cat."

Lu Changyuan stroked the little silver-haired cat’s head.

He understood what Su Youwan meant.

Basically, a false ’Child of Fortune’ meeting someone truly favored by the Celestial Dao would be scared witless.

There was definitely something wrong with Wang Dayun’s fortune, which made him an imposter.

’But as for my own luck...’

Lu Changyuan lifted Su Youwan’s chin. The silver-haired maiden parted her lips slightly, revealing the tender pink flesh within, a sight to make one’s blood stir.

"What’s wrong? Did Youwan hurt you, Young Master Lu?"

"Why do you call me the ’real thing’?"

Su Youwan nuzzled against Lu Changyuan’s hand, the sensation of her smooth, tender skin lingering on his skin.

"Because you might be someone favored by the Celestial Dao, Young Master Lu."

Lu Changyuan said helplessly, "If it truly favored me, I wouldn’t have endured so much suffering. I even..."

’There was nothing more to say.’

Chang’an Daoist had endured more hardships in his journey than Lu Changyuan had eaten meals in his current life.

"It’s always like that for those who are meant to accomplish great things. Haven’t you also done great things, Young Master Lu?"

Lu Changyuan released the maiden, allowing her to resume her task. The maiden adjusted her hair slightly and opened her mouth.

"If the Celestial Dao truly favored me, then my striking it with a sword later would make me look like I was repaying kindness with enmity."

The silver-haired maiden didn’t speak.

She was a little busy.

After a while, Su Youwan finally sat up, took out a silk handkerchief, and dabbed at her lips. If one didn’t look closely, it would be impossible to see the faint stains on her hair, which was as silver as moonlight.

"Youwan was just guessing," she said. "Wang Dayun’s good fortune was probably bought at some kind of price."

Lu Changyuan had thought of that as well.

But in Lu Changyuan’s memory, no such method existed.

’To purchase good fortune for someone other than the Caster... not only would such a technique be of an exceedingly high level, the price to cast it would surely be immense.’

’So why would the Owl Race go through all that trouble for Wang Dayun?’

Su Youwan tied her hair up again, slipped off her shoes and socks, and sat across from Lu Changyuan. She extended her small, delicate feet toward him, offering them like jade treasures for him to play with.

"Young Master Lu, do you still remember that Sixth Realm Dream Demon we encountered in Chang’an?"

Lu Changyuan nodded.

"Have you ever wondered, Young Master Lu, why that Dream Demon controlled Great Wei’s army to attack the Glazed Dynasty?"

’That was it.’

’Why did the Dream Demon try to incite a war back then?’

’The purpose of their race was to collect dreams from the Mortal World and the history of the Chang’an Daoist. They could have done that secretly. Why on earth did they control tens of thousands of soldiers to attack the Glazed Dynasty?’

’War.’

’The Owl Race.’

Lu Changyuan closed his eyes. "The Dream Race, the Owl Race, the Ape Race... It seems all the Ten Thousand Races under heaven have a problem with my Human Race and have allied against us."

"Youwan doesn’t know."

"We’ll just have to deal with them one by one. Whoever has a problem, we’ll just deal with the Demon that has the problem."

The Chang’an Daoist was the Human Race’s champion; he had no pity for Foreign Races.

Su Youwan suddenly leaned over, pressing her chest to his in an embrace. "Miss Qiu said you’re very good at sweet-talking women, Young Master Lu. Why have you never sweet-talked Youwan?"

"She’s lying to you. I always just say what I’m thinking. For example, I’m always saying that Miss Su is very beautiful. If you keep seducing me like this, then today I’ll have to show Miss Su what I’m really capable of."

"Oh, please don’t. Youwan’s bottom still hurts. You hit it a little too hard, Young Master Lu."

’It’s been so long and it still hurts?’

’Nonsense!’

"You don’t look very scared to me," Lu Changyuan said irritably.

No one answered him. The silver-haired maiden had actually fallen asleep while hugging him.

It was remarkably similar to how he had immediately fallen asleep when lying beside Qiu Yuehan and the Little Fairy back then.

’What sin did I commit to run into a little temptress like her?’

Lu Changyuan rested for a while just like that, with the Black Skirt Fairy nestled at his side and the Silver-haired Maiden held in his arms.

In truth, he didn’t rest for long. Between defeating the Moon Fairy and then having to face the Little Bodhisattva, the whole affair had dragged on for too long; the sky was about to brighten.

Therefore, he had barely closed his eyes when he heard sounds from the street outside the inn.

The voices grew louder and louder. Listening carefully, he could make out what they were all saying.

"The Holy Matriarch reigns, for an eternal empire."

"The Holy Matriarch reigns, for an eternal empire."