"Brother Xiong, the sovereign of this country is truly breathtakingly beautiful, a rare sight under heaven... Hiss! It hurts, it hurts! What kind of background does that Fengge have? Why did she strike so viciously?"
In a secluded pavilion within the rear courtyard of the Imperial Preceptor's residence, where Ji Mo had been assigned to stay.
The previous interrogation assembly had ended hastily when the sovereign of Women's Country suddenly appeared. The sovereign had not said much before being escorted back to the royal palace by her guards.
Ling Xiaolan had nearly injured the sovereign, which should have been a rather serious matter.
Yet the sovereign of Women's Country merely chuckled and magnanimously said, "Come to my palace tomorrow. I will settle accounts with you then. Imperial Preceptor, treat these three honored guests well on my behalf."
Those lovely eyes glanced several times at Wu Wang before she turned and drifted away.
Wu Wang's focus, however, was on...
Ah, they were not almond-shaped eyes.
This sovereign had also left a deep impression on Wu Wang. Her peach-blossom eyes and brows were the most captivating, while her jade-like nose and gleaming teeth intoxicated the soul.
Wu Wang, who was applying medicine to Ji Mo, smiled calmly.
"I fear Women's Country chooses its sovereign based on beauty... Brother Ji, do you feel like you have a chance again?"
"No, no. My principle is that I cannot seek a woman more forceful than myself."
Ji Mo sighed dejectedly.
"Brother Xiong, thank heaven I met you. Otherwise, I truly would have been ruined here!
Alas, Fairy Ling probably will not save me. The moment they said it was me, Fairy Ling believed them outright."
Outside the screen by the bedside, Ling Xiaolan held a cup of tea and lightly blew on it, pondering how to drink without touching the rim.
Hearing this, she said placidly, "That is because you truly could do such a thing. Have you forgotten what you said to me through voice transmission when we first arrived at the Imperial Preceptor's residence?"
Wu Wang was immediately intrigued. "What did Brother Ji say?"
Ji Mo hurriedly replied, "Let bygones be bygones. Let bygones be bygones."
"Hmph," Ling Xiaolan said, "what he said then was that he wanted to go outside tonight to find some fun, and told me not to act rashly. He said we should wait until he contacted our liaison before taking the next step."
"Oh~"
Wu Wang put on a look of sudden realization.
Ji Mo froze, then complained with both laughter and tears, "Fairy sister! Why did you mention the liaison?"
Ling Xiaolan paused, then said:
"Brother Xiong is not an outsider. Why can I not say it? We came to Women's Country because we received a plea for aid and learned that a rebellion would soon erupt here, so we came to help."
Wu Wang said, "Fairy Ling, it would be better not to tell me these things. I am merely passing through this place and do not wish to become embroiled in anything strange."
He had no desire for any kind of team cooperation.
Ji Mo lay on his side and smiled. "Still, Brother Xiong, why did you appear here? Could it be that you heard Fairy Ling had left the Human Domain and rushed here specifically for her?"
Clang!
Ling Xiaolan's treasured sword left its sheath.
Ji Mo instantly yielded. "Wrong, I said it wrong. Brother Xiong came looking for me!"
"Hmph!"
Ling Xiaolan slapped the table with her gloved soft hand. She no longer drank her tea, instead lifting her sword and storming away in anger.
After she left, Wu Wang and Ji Mo exchanged glances and each laughed a few times.
"Recover properly."
Wu Wang stretched, rose to his feet, and said:
"The person who framed you was able to restrain you so easily, which means their strength far surpasses both yours and Fairy Ling's. It is best not to act rashly now.
I will observe the situation. Perhaps I will leave this place tomorrow.
Brother Ji, heed my advice: pies do not fall from the sky, nor are there good things in this world that can be gained without labor. If some benefit comes too easily, you should reflect on whether it is a trap."
"Thank you for your guidance, Brother Xiong."
Ji Mo became serious. "Brother Xiong, may I ask one more question? What is that true scripture you mentioned to the Imperial Preceptor?"
"Ah, I have been ordered by the Star God to search outside for a true scripture capable of saving the world from catastrophe." Wu Wang glanced at Ji Mo. "Four Seas Pavilion should not have failed to learn of this matter."
"Well, I had heard something about it before..."
Ji Mo was somewhat embarrassed and had just wanted to explain further when Wu Wang raised a hand and lightly patted his shoulder several times.
"Recover well. I am returning to rest. After hanging from the city gate for so long, you must be tired too."
"Brother Xiong..."
Ji Mo's lips trembled a few times. "Only now do I know who my true brother is! I will never forget such great kindness for as long as I have teeth! Please, Brother Xiong, give me a chance to repay you!"
Wu Wang forced an ugly smile and strode away, afraid that if he stayed any longer, Ji Mo would drag him into becoming sworn brothers.
Ji Mo sighed despondently and lay facedown on the silky, soft thin quilt, his expression gradually calming.
He did not know why, but after meeting Brother Xiong, his luck had suddenly become terrible.
Ever since returning to the Human Domain from the Northern Wilds, everything had gone wrong.
The pleasure houses he frequented had all shut down by the time he returned, having even been sealed by people sent by his own grandmother;
When he disguised himself and went to a more distant great city to seek some fun, he happened upon a festival there. The crowds were a sea of people, with too many brothers and too few maidens, so he could only return in disappointment...
Footsteps came from outside. Ji Mo's Spiritual Consciousness caught a familiar figure, who had now arrived before his door.
Knock, knock knock.
"Young Master Ji, how are your injuries?"
Ji Mo jolted upright, baring his teeth in pain, and immediately replied, "Thank you for Your Excellency's concern. I took medicine, and my injuries are no longer serious."
Creak—
The wooden door had already been pushed open.
Ji Mo looked up to see the moonlight at its richest. The Imperial Preceptor of Women's Country entered from outside carrying a tray, lightly made up, her long hair cascading down, dressed in nothing but thin gauze.
Gulp!
Ji Mo's throat trembled. Before he could speak, the Imperial Preceptor of Women's Country stepped inside. Her phoenix eyes brimmed with affection, and her delicate foot adorned with a jade anklet hooked the door shut.
Viewed through the screen, the outline of this Imperial Preceptor's figure was so alluring.
The Imperial Preceptor set down the tray, wiped the corner of her lips, and gracefully rounded the screen, murmuring, "I have heard that Young Master Ji Mo is a romantic and elegant man. I wonder which kind of romance that elegance is."
Ji Mo: ...
There was such a good thing?
No, something was wrong with this!
The pretty Imperial Preceptor came around the screen and lightly blinked at Ji Mo. Ji Mo, however, took half a step back, his expression grave.
"Imperial Preceptor, what is this..."
"Why are you pretending to be foolish?" The pretty Imperial Preceptor smiled with her eyes as her finger traced over her collarbone, her thin dress slowly falling away. "Tonight is a fine night with beautiful scenery, and no one can approach this place. What happens tonight, if you do not speak of it and I do not speak of it, who would ever know?
What do you people of the Human Domain call it?
Hus~band~ dear, why don't we... rest now, hmm hehehe."
If some benefit comes too easily, you should reflect on whether it is a trap.
Brother Xiong was right!
"Imperial Preceptor, you are testing me, aren't you?"
Ji Mo immediately retreated two steps, only to be blocked by a chair. He instantly leaped onto it, his gaze sweeping the room. "Imperial Preceptor, please respect yourself! This humble Daoist is absolutely not a casual man."
The Imperial Preceptor froze and asked with concern:
"Could it be that you were frightened?
Fengge has always been carefree and boisterous since childhood, but... I am only seven or eight years older than Fengge. Because I bear the office of Imperial Preceptor, I usually dress somewhat more maturely.
Deep down, I am still... still very shy."
Ji Mo had already retreated behind the screen. He stared warily at the Imperial Preceptor and said firmly:
"There is an Illusion Recording Artifact here, isn't there? You want to make me completely lose my reputation and leave me unable to survive in the Human Domain, don't you? Does the Imperial Preceptor think this humble Daoist would fall for such a trap so easily?"
In a pavilion at another corner of the Imperial Preceptor's residence, Wu Wang, seated behind a desk, was startled at those words. Looking at the scene inside the Crystal Ball, he could not help feeling suspicious.
Had the tiny Crystal Ball he had hidden while applying medicine to Ji Mo been exposed?
This?
Wu Wang carefully analyzed the situation. Watching the beautiful elder sister Imperial Preceptor chase Ji Mo around the screen like cat and mouse, he was somewhat unable to understand.
What was Brother Ji afraid of?
She was the Imperial Preceptor of an entire nation. If this matter spread, it would deal her a greater blow. Besides, she had made herself so clear. Whether in looks or figure, she was by no means unworthy of Brother Ji's handsome appearance. Why did Brother Ji avoid her as though she were a snake or scorpion?
Wu Wang had hidden several... dozen tiny Crystal Balls around Ji Mo, not to watch such a scene.
He simply wanted to gather intelligence from Ji Mo.
The logic was actually very simple:
It was known that Ji Mo and Ling Xiaolan had come because of the coming rebellion in Women's Country. Ling Xiaolan had inadvertently revealed that someone from Women's Country had sent a plea for aid to the Human Domain, and they needed to find a liaison.
Four Seas Pavilion had responded to the plea, which meant the rebellion about to erupt in Women's Country either benefited the Human Domain, in which case they had sent people to support the rebels; or it harmed the Human Domain, in which case they had sent people to prevent the rebellion.
They had also made this mission a trial for Ji Mo and Ling Xiaolan.
From this, one could conclude that Ji Mo and Ling Xiaolan would play a decisive role in this rebellion. Keeping a close eye on them would naturally yield useful intelligence.
Indeed, Women's Country was generally rather weak and had no top-tier experts.
In terms of Spiritual Sense fluctuations, the sovereign who seemed to have stepped out of a painting was the strongest, while the Imperial Preceptor currently playing cat and mouse with Ji Mo ranked second.
In terms of aura fluctuations, Fengge was the strongest, fully deserving of the title First General Before the Throne.
Without an outer barrier protecting it, such a nation would have found it difficult to develop such a large population. Its overall strength was only barely comparable to that of a medium-sized clan in the Northern Wilds.
"Hmph! You do not know what is good for you!"
The Imperial Preceptor's curse sounded from the Crystal Ball. She lifted her gauze skirt, picked up the tray, glared fiercely at Ji Mo, and swayed her waist as she slowly departed.
Ji Mo let out a long breath, wiped the hot sweat from his forehead, and revealed a somewhat relieved smile.
A fall into the pit, a gain in wit. Today, he had escaped another... calamity...
But something seemed off.
At that moment, at Wu Wang's residence!
Knock, knock knock...
Knock knock knock~
The Crystal Ball and the window beside the bed suddenly received knocks at the same time. Wu Wang swiftly dispersed the image within the Crystal Ball, covered it with black cloth, and looked up toward the window.
"Who is it?"
He had spread his Spiritual Consciousness across a radius of ten miles and had been distractedly observing all directions, yet he had failed to notice this person's approach.
Who had gone to Ji Mo's pavilion?
The window opened by itself, and a head poked in, revealing a lovely pretty face.
When she spoke, her voice tinkled like spring water and brushed against the ears like a spring breeze, making one's heart itch slightly.
"May I come in?"
"Your Majesty?"
Wu Wang hurriedly said, "Your Majesty may enter. Women's Country is Your Majesty's domain, so Your Majesty may enter anywhere."
The visitor chuckled, pushed open the window, sat on its edge, and with a nimble turn, her jade feet had already stepped into the room.
Previously, amid the many people and noisy voices, Wu Wang had only given her a hurried glance and thought the sovereign of Women's Country quite beautiful. Now, with only a few tables and chairs between them, less than twenty feet apart, illuminated by lamplight and colored by moonlight, she truly made Wu Wang's heart sway ever so slightly.
Behold this sovereign:
Her black hair was like cloud-woven silk, her golden dress like a burning sunset; peach-blossom eyes held a captivating charm, cherry lips and silver-white teeth smiled sweetly. Her skin resembled mutton-fat jade, her face was set off by peach petals, her willow waist gently unfolded, and her lotus steps moved lightly.
This woman—who knew what fortune she had received? She seemed to have gathered the beauty of all Women's Country into herself.
She was also the first person who, merely by standing outside Wu Wang's room and calling:
"Divine Envoy, how should I address you?"
could make Wu Wang's heart beat faster—though his mood swiftly darkened.
He could not live under the same sky as the Innate God who had cursed him with that strange illness!
The sovereign carefully examined Wu Wang, her eyes carrying a hint of admiration.
There he stood, distinguished in bearing and handsome in appearance. His slightly square face had clearly defined angles, his features carried a trace of fortitude, and his eyes were especially spirited, occasionally flashing with a faint glimmer.
The bold spirit of a Northern Wilds man and the refined air of a male cultivator from the Human Domain had blended more than halfway within him. Standing behind the desk in a loose robe, he smiled and said:
"Just call me Xiong Ba."
A faint blush appeared on the sovereign's cheeks.
She hurriedly said, "Divine Envoy, please do not take offense. I had never seen a man before. When I saw you today at the Imperial Preceptor's residence, I returned home tossing and turning, unable to sleep, and so I thought to come meet you.
Meeting at night is already quite improper, and coming without officials at my side is also against etiquette. Divine Envoy, please do not take offense."
Wu Wang smiled and nodded, gesturing toward a seat.
"Your Majesty, please sit here. I know Your Majesty must have many questions about men. If Your Majesty does not mind, I can accompany Your Majesty in conversation until dawn."
"Truly?"
"Truly."
"Then!"
The sovereign of Women's Country immediately took out a blank notebook and a jade pen dipped in ink. "I have prepared quite a number of questions. Divine Envoy must not find me noisy or bothersome."
Wu Wang smiled. He knew it would be like this.
The sovereign immediately asked her first question. "What do men usually eat? Is there anything men like to eat that women do not?"
Wu Wang thought for a while, then immediately launched several talismans, activating the Soundproof Array and Shadow Concealment Array. Smiling, he said:
"Do grilled kidneys count? Though one cannot say for certain that no women enjoy them."
"What about monthly courses? Do men also have monthly courses?"
"Men do not have monthly courses. More accurately, men do have similar psychological reactions. There are always a few days each month when they feel mildly irritable, but that is all."
"Wow, men are so much happier than women."
The sovereign's eyes sparkled brightly as she occasionally wrote and drew in her notebook.
Wu Wang did his best to answer beside her, but inwardly he remained preoccupied with who had gone to Ji Mo's pavilion...
Suddenly, Wu Wang raised his brows and lifted a hand, signaling the sovereign to stop speaking.
Beyond the light and shadows of the formation, a graceful figure descended from the sky and stood outside the wall of light.
Ling Xiaolan.
Wu Wang winked at the Queen. She seemed to think of something, her cheeks flushing red as she hurried toward the window, only for Wu Wang to stop her with a gesture.
Wu Wang took out a Crystal Ball the size of a fist and tossed it to the Queen. "For hiding your tracks. Go hide in the wardrobe."
The Queen nodded lightly and tiptoed over to the wardrobe, quietly concealing herself inside, a hint of excitement still glimmering in her eyes.
From childhood to adulthood, when had she ever played something like this?
"Brother Xiong? Is it convenient to speak for a moment?"
It was Ling Xiaolan. Her voice carried in through the formation.
Wu Wang dispelled the formation and opened the door to welcome her inside. Ling Xiaolan raised her hand and sent out two talismans, then restored the formation once more.
She first let out a sigh, watching Wu Wang with a trace of apology flowing through her eyes.
"During our trip to the Northern Wilds, I was unable to thank Brother Xiong properly. Now that we have met here, Brother Xiong has once again saved my companion.
"Brother Xiong, though Ji Mo is lacking in character and greedy for flowers and lustful for women, he is still considered a close friend of mine.
"I do not wish to let go of the person who plotted against Ji Mo. Does Brother Xiong have any good ideas?"
Wu Wang pondered for a moment. "I have also discussed this matter with Brother Ji. At present, it is actually not advisable..."
"Hmm?"
Ling Xiaolan frowned slightly and turned to look out the window. She suddenly saw a figure sneaking over while looking furtively in every direction.
Judging from the shadow cast onto the window, the figure was lush and alluring—very familiar.
Ling Xiaolan immediately moved to jump out through the window on the other side, but just as she took a step, she glanced at Wu Wang again. In a flash, she went to Wu Wang's bed, hovering half a foot from his bedding as she sat cross-legged in the air. Her almond eyes watched Wu Wang as the bed curtains silently drew shut.
Stare—
Wu Wang smiled awkwardly and spread his hands at Ling Xiaolan. Only after the bed curtains closed did he realize that he could not sense even the slightest trace of her aura. Only then did he understand just how extraordinary Ling Xiaolan's skill at hiding herself was.
Knock knock knock~
"Divine Envoy, are you asleep?"
The State Preceptor's sweet voice drifted in from outside. She directly pushed open one of the doors, her jade feet stepping inside, followed by... the very outfit he had seen in the Crystal Ball.
"On such a lonely night, why not discuss the methods of prayer? We can ponder how two people might pray together."
Wu Wang stood before the desk and calmly coughed. "State Preceptor..."
The door stood wide open as the State Preceptor approached with a wine cup in hand. Once again, those familiar jade feet hooked the door shut; once again, that familiar gentle wink; once again, that familiar thin skirt slowly slipped down.
She tapped forward with her jade foot, and a faint ripple spread outward, invisibly enveloping Wu Wang's room.
"The night is long. Does the Divine Envoy lack a fine companion? You and I both serve the gods. We ought to grow closer—closer is only right."
Wu Wang said sternly, "State Preceptor, please do not make things difficult for everyone."
The State Preceptor let out a wistful sigh. "Alas, there has not been a single man in Women's Country for years. Could you not fulfill my one and only wish in life?"
You said that over at Brother Ji's place too, didn't you?
He heard every word loud and clear!
"State Preceptor, I think you may have misunderstood my character."
Wu Wang did not retreat. Instead, he silently took out that little knife and pressed it against his own neck.
"State Preceptor, I regard my own purity as no less important than the purity of my future wife!"
"How could you..."
"Brother Xiong, have you rested?"
A call came from outside the door. The State Preceptor's pretty face turned pale, and when she turned her head, she saw that the outside was empty. A figure seemed to be descending from the air.
"Ah! Oh no!"
Just as the State Preceptor was about to cry out, she immediately covered her mouth. She gave Wu Wang a look, then hurried toward the wardrobe at the side and hid herself inside without another word.
The wardrobe shook a few times, then quickly fell still.
Wu Wang: ...
Only then did the outline of a figure appear outside the door, as though it had just landed from the air.
What was going on today?
Were they coming to his place to play mahjong? Why not just form a table directly—why were they all streaming in here one by one?!
Wu Wang shook his head and was just about to step forward. But the instant his first step landed, the necklace on his chest suddenly trembled faintly.
Streams of green light suddenly erupted outside the door!
Alarm bells blared in Wu Wang's heart. Without a moment's thought, he flew backward, two Crystal Balls the size of heads floating before him.
Star Invocation Technique Adaptive Protection Device!
Crash—
The wooden door was blasted into splinters by the green light. It was actually several hundred streams of Sword Qi shooting into the room, and behind that Sword Qi, the figure charged forward with a sword in hand.
The man's face was utterly unfamiliar to Wu Wang, but in his eyes... murderous intent blazed coldly!
Before you continue