The Twenty-Fifth Chapter: Hurry Up and Call Her "Little Mom"! Lu Ya: That's the Hand of a Single Dog!

Outside the Human Ancestral Land, Daoist Ci Hang had finally managed to recover.

Seeing Zhao Gongming's mischievous grin, he stamped his feet in embarrassment and anger.

"Junior Brother, stop making fun of me!"

"I really don't have that kind of strange fetish!"

"I may look a little feminine, but my Dao Heart is that of a real man!"

"Besides, that was all because of the magic treasure. What does it have to do with me?"

Zhao Gongming chuckled and waved a hand.

"Alright, alright, I was just teasing you. Look how worked up you are."

Then his expression shifted slightly, and he turned his gaze toward the empty space not far away, calling out in a clear voice.

"And to the friend hiding in the shadows."

"Golden Crow Crown Prince Lu Ya, since you're here, why hide?"

"As the Demon Court Crown Prince, why are you acting so sneakily?"

"Did you come to watch my senior brother transform, too?"

The air rippled. Lu Ya appeared, clad in a golden-red robe, his brows carrying a hint of youthful innocence and spirited confidence. He looked somewhat awkward.

Since they'd spotted him, there was no point pretending anymore.

Lu Ya stepped forward a few paces and respectfully saluted them.

"Lu Ya greets the disciples of the several Saints, and all the senior brothers."

Although the Demon Race and the Mystic Gate didn't get along particularly well,

you didn't hit someone who greeted you with a smile, and proper courtesy was still in order.

However, after saluting, Lu Ya's gaze involuntarily fell on Daoist Ci Hang.

His expression was incredibly complicated.

There was shock, confusion, helplessness, and even a trace of...

The tragic resolve of someone who didn't understand, but respected his father's choice.

Under Lu Ya's stare, Ci Hang felt a chill run through him and wondered what was going on.

"I've never met Crown Prince Lu Ya before. Why is he staring at me like that?"

"And that look... Why does he seem to be looking at the new concubine who just married into the family?"

Just then, Zhao Gongming, who loved watching the drama unfold, suddenly got a mischievous idea.

He reached out and clamped a hand onto Ci Hang's shoulder, pushing him half a step forward.

Then he put on a stern face and addressed Lu Ya in the tone of an elder scolding a junior.

"Crown Prince Lu Ya, you're in the wrong here."

"Now that you know, why are you still being so rude?"

"Hurry up and call her 'Little Mom'!"

Ci Hang's eyes flew wide open in horror. They looked like they were about to pop right out of his head.

"Zhao Gongming, you son of a—"

He opened his mouth, ready to roar in protest.

Quick as a flash, Zhao Gongming clamped his other hand over Ci Hang's mouth, silencing him the old-fashioned way.

"Shh—little mouth, no talking."

"Good boy. Let the kid acknowledge his new mom."

Nearby, Xuandu and Medicine Master exchanged a glance and instantly understood. They both folded their arms,

striking the classic pose of spectators settling in to enjoy the show.

Looking at Ci Hang being held in place, Lu Ya recalled the scenes he'd witnessed earlier, and the last glimmer of hope in his heart vanished.

"Father Emperor, oh, Father Emperor, you kept your son in the dark for so long."

Lu Ya took a deep breath, forcing down his grief and his crumbling worldview.

Then he bowed deeply to Ci Hang and called out in a trembling voice,

"Lu Ya... greets Little Mom!"

"Pfft—hahahahaha!"

Xuandu and Medicine Master couldn't hold back any longer. They burst out laughing.

Zhao Gongming was laughing so hard he doubled over. Only then did he release Ci Hang's mouth.

"I can't go on living!!"

At last, Ci Hang had a chance to speak, and he shouted in despair.

"Lu Ya, is there something wrong with your head?!"

"You've definitely misunderstood something! I'm a decent person, I'm a man, I've got the parts and everything!"

"Why are you calling me Little Mom? If word gets out, will the Chan Sect have any face left?"

Lu Ya, however, looked aggrieved and stuck out his chin as he spoke.

"I know you're a man!"

Ci Hang was dumbfounded.

"You know, and you still called me that?!"

Lu Ya gritted his teeth, his eyes reddening.

"What else could I do? That aura coming from you just now was clearly my Father Emperor's origin!"

"And it was even... even that appearance!"

"If Father Emperor didn't... didn't love you so deeply that he was willing to change his appearance for you, how could that projection have appeared?"

"Actions speak louder than words. Stop pretending!"

Ci Hang nearly choked when he heard this.

He abruptly turned around and glared furiously at Zhao Gongming.

"Just look at yourself! This is all your fault!"

After that, he had no choice but to patiently explain the Divine King Magic Immortal Stick's workings to Lu Ya.

"...So, it was only a projection summoned by a magic treasure!"

"It has nothing to do with your father himself! Do you understand?"

Lu Ya looked at Ci Hang suspiciously, then glanced at Zhao Gongming, still unconvinced.

"A magic treasure?

"Could there really be a magic treasure in this world that can summon a projection of my Father Emperor and even alter his appearance at will?

"I don't believe it. Prove it to me!"

Ci Hang was so anxious he jumped up and down, pointing at Zhao Gongming.

"If you really don't believe me, give my junior brother some suitable materials and have him make one for you. You'll see for yourself!"

Lu Ya looked at Zhao Gongming, a glint in his eyes.

"Fine. Let's try it!"

"After all, I'm the Demon Court Crown Prince—the youngest and most doted-on one. I may not have anything else, but I have plenty of resources!"

As he spoke, Lu Ya flipped his hand, revealing a golden feather that radiated Great Sun Golden Flame

and flowed with an aura of supreme imperial authority.

"This is my Father Emperor's Natal Golden Feather, shed when he transformed. It contains a trace of the Heavenly Emperor's might. Is that enough?"

[ Ding! High-grade crafting material detected: Di Jun's Natal Golden Feather. ]

[ Rating: Excellent. ]

[ Matching plan: Can be crafted into a conceptual magic treasure for command and control. ]

Zhao Gongming's eyes lit up. This was a superb material!

"Enough? More than enough!"

Zhao Gongming took the feather. To show off the bearing of a master craftsman,

he didn't rush to start crafting. Instead, he gave a mysterious smile.

"Since the Crown Prince can afford the price, this humble Daoist will naturally have to show you what he can do."

As he spoke, Zhao Gongming held up his right hand and waved it in front of Lu Ya, asking with a beaming smile,

"Crown Prince, what do you think this is?"

Zhao Gongming had meant to say that it was a hand capable of turning something rotten into something wondrous.

However, Lu Ya stared at Zhao Gongming's hand for a long while.

Then he looked up, his clear, sincere eyes filled with earnestness, and said with a perfectly straight face,

"This is... a hand that's never held a female immortal's soft, fragrant little hand? A single dog's hand?"

Silence fell like death.

"Pfft—hahahahahaha!"

Ci Hang, Medicine Master, and Xuandu burst into laughter at once, doubling over.

Ci Hang laughed so hard that tears streamed down his face.

"Hahaha, a single dog's hand! That's perfect! Junior Brother, that one stung!"

The smile on Zhao Gongming's face froze. The veins on his forehead bulged.

This Little Golden Crow... Why was his tongue so vicious?

"I'm not making it!"

Zhao Gongming shoved the feather back into Lu Ya's arms, his face dark.

"I'm not taking this job. Find someone else!"

Lu Ya, however, remained perfectly calm and didn't panic in the slightest.

He spoke slowly.

"Senior Brother, don't be in such a hurry."

"I have money and resources."

"Female immortals? The Demon Court has plenty!"

"From all kinds of races: foxes, cats, birds..."

"As long as you make it for me, you can take your pick. As many as you want!"

At that, Zhao Gongming stopped in his tracks and spun around at once.

With an expression of heroic loyalty, he cupped his hands and declared,

"If you don't reject me, Gongming is willing to—"

But before he could finish,

an indistinct feeling of a Saint's gaze, coming from Beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens, suddenly descended upon Zhao Gongming's head.

That was Sect Master Tongtian's affection, and perhaps Yuanshi Tianzun was watching, too.

Zhao Gongming shuddered, and cold sweat broke out all over him.

"Ahem!"

He hastily changed course, waving his hand with an air of righteousness.

"Willing... willing to craft a magic treasure for you!"

"As for female immortals, don't bring them up again!"

"This humble Daoist devotes himself to the Dao. How could I be the sort of person who covets beauty? Not at all, not at all!"

Lu Ya shrugged, looking disappointed.

Then Zhao Gongming brought out the Nine Dragon Cauldron and began crafting the magic treasure in earnest.

A short while later.

A golden crown emerged, but on either side of it grew two furry ears that could move.

[ Ding! Congratulations, host, on successfully crafting a magic treasure! ]

[ Magic treasure name: Beast-Eared Girl's Crown ]

[ Rank: Houtian Spirit Treasure (Conceptual Grade) ]

[ Conceptual attribute: Absolute Domination. ]

[ Effect: Once the crown is worn, the user can designate one demon of a lower cultivation level (single target) and issue a command. ]

[ The target must obey absolutely and cannot resist, even if ordered to go to their death. ]

[ Side effect: Cuteness overload. ]

[ Restriction: While the treasure is in use, the user's appearance will be forcibly transformed into that of a cute beast-eared girl (random race). ]

[ The user must also add "meow" to the end of every sentence. If they don't, the command will have no effect. ] ```

Zhao Gongming looked at the crown in his hand and curled his lips into a mischievous smile.

"Crown Prince, I've fulfilled your request."

"With this magic treasure, your prestige in the Demon Court is sure to... soar!"