The Palace Was Strange

Wu Wang had thought about it all night and still could not make sense of it.

What exactly had that Death Warrior been thinking?

The timing of his appearance outside Wu Wang's door had been absurdly perfect.

Although this man's Ascend to Immortality Realm was far less impressive than the Leaping God Realm of a major sect's gifted disciple like Ling Xiaolan, judging by the abilities he had displayed, if Wu Wang had faced him one-on-one, he definitely... would have had to use up a batch of Star Thunder Technique Crystal Balls.

What a pity. In the end, the other party had completely burned his Primordial Spirit, leaving no way to obtain more information. Wu Wang could only barely determine that he was likely the one who had framed Brother Ji.

How many cultivators like that were still hiding within Women's Country?

That barrier, which was supposedly impossible for anyone to enter or leave at will, had ultimately failed to withstand the teasing of Human Domain experts...

At dawn, I'll bid the ruler farewell, pretend to leave, and shift from the light into the shadows.

Wu Wang silently made his decision.

The small pavilion where he had previously stayed had been demolished. After seeing off the ruler, the Imperial Preceptor arranged new lodgings for Wu Wang, then calmly departed with her people without mentioning what had happened before.

What a pity. He did not know whether the Imperial Preceptor and the ruler had enjoyed themselves in that wardrobe.

That scene must have been quite entertaining.

As dawn approached, Ji Mo and Ling Xiaolan came to find Wu Wang one after the other, both of them looking grim.

"Brother Bear, we identified him. That fellow was the flower thief who plotted against me!"

Ji Mo slapped the table. The table remained perfectly intact as he cursed:

"That bastard burned his Primordial Spirit far too quickly and left behind no clues about his identity. But the sixteen victimized women have all identified him—it was him!

That son of a bitch! Truly a son of a bitch! Utterly a son of a bitch!"

Fairy Ling said from the side, "I have already reported this matter to the Human Domain. As Brother Bear requested, I did not mention that you were here.

"However, what you have done in Women's Country likely cannot be concealed from the Pavilion."

Wu Wang smiled. "Then let it be unconcealed."

After venting his anger, Ji Mo sat before Wu Wang, then dragged his chair a little closer. He stared at Wu Wang with blazing eyes.

He asked, "Brother Bear, would you like to join the Four Seas Pavilion as well?"

Wu Wang countered, "And then be assigned all sorts of tasks beyond my limits, only for them to be glorified as trials?"

"It is not quite the same."

Ji Mo glanced at Ling Xiaolan, raised his hand to draw several talismans, and wrapped the room in Magic Power. In a mysterious tone, he said:

"Brother Bear, I can give you some insider information.

"There are not many people in the Four Seas Pavilion like Fairy Ling and me, who participate in these high-difficulty trials."

Ling Xiaolan snorted. "Do not praise yourself too highly. There are quite a few people like us who accept such trials."

Wu Wang asked, "What are the casualties like?"

"This..." Ji Mo sighed. "One out of ten survives, at best."

Ling Xiaolan's expression dimmed slightly. Standing to one side with her arms folded, she said softly, "The trip to the Northern Plains was my mistake. Before we departed, there were already hints that Granny Yin had a problem, yet I never suspected her."

"Fairy Ling, do not blame yourself," Ji Mo said earnestly. "Perhaps this was simply fate."

Ling Xiaolan glanced aside, unwilling to speak further.

Wu Wang calmly changed the subject. "Brother Ji, why not give me a detailed introduction to the Four Seas Pavilion?"

Ji Mo cleared his throat and moved a little closer to Wu Wang, but what he revealed was a great deal of... information everyone already knew.

The Four Seas Pavilion actually existed only beyond the Human Domain. Human Domain cultivators rarely came into direct contact with it, yet the Four Seas Pavilion held a pivotal position within the Human Domain.

The pavilion had been founded by the current Human Emperor. At first, it exchanged pills and magical artifacts throughout the Nine Wilds for minerals, spirit herbs, beast cores, and all kinds of goods scarce in the Human Domain.

Now, the traces of the Four Seas Pavilion had spread across the entire Great Wilderness. Aside from Zhongshan, where it could not penetrate too deeply, it had established close ties with human settlements everywhere through trade and barter.

Within the Human Domain, every immortal sect and demonic sect had to send a certain number of disciples to the frontier every fifty or hundred years.

Even among each sect's most talented disciples, only a small number could be selected to serve in the Four Seas Pavilion.

Wu Wang asked several more questions, such as how the various sects traded with the Four Seas Pavilion and how much authority the Four Seas Pavilion possessed.

Ji Mo was unusually candid. He held nothing back about what he could say, and even revealed a little information about what he could not.

"The Four Seas Pavilion is filled with talent. If Brother Bear is willing to join it, I am willing to ask the elders of my family to recommend you!"

Wu Wang said seriously, "Brother Ji, you still have not explained how joining the Four Seas Pavilion would be any different for me than it is for you."

Ji Mo weighed his words. "These trials are not things one can accept casually. Though dangerous, they hold extraordinary significance for the Human Domain..."

Wu Wang: Your Pavilion Master was already scolded. When you return, you might not even get the next round.

Ji Mo pondered for a moment. Though somewhat hesitant, he still lowered his voice and asked, "Brother Bear, are there any rumors in the Northern Plains about the Flame Emperor Token?"

"There are no such rumors in the Northern Plains," Wu Wang said truthfully. "But I know about the Flame Emperor Token."

"I knew this could not be hidden from Brother Bear."

Ji Mo narrowed his eyes in a smile, straightened his collar, and revealed a gentle smile.

"The ultimate purpose of the trials we participate in is to gain the recognition of the Four Seas Pavilion.

"Then, with the Pavilion Master of the Four Seas Pavilion as our guarantor, we may have the chance to obtain a Flame Emperor Token bestowed by His Majesty the Human Emperor."

Ling Xiaolan scolded, "You are always saying that I have no filter. Are you not the same?"

"This is all publicly acknowledged in the Human Domain," Ji Mo argued. "With Brother Bear's talent and background, you would naturally be cultivated in this way as well."

Wu Wang picked up the tea that had long gone cold beside him and took a sip. A faint light flickered in his eyes.

He asked, "I have one more question. After joining the Four Seas Pavilion, is participating in these trials one's own choice, or does the Four Seas Pavilion directly assign the missions?"

Ji Mo immediately did not know how to answer.

Ling Xiaolan said, "Most cultivators who die in the first round of trials never knew the truth."

"Then I will not go," Wu Wang said with a smile. "I am the young master of the Northern Plains. In the future, I will most likely have to shoulder the heavy responsibilities of the Bear Hug Tribe. No matter how one looks at it, joining the Four Seas Pavilion would not be suitable."

Ji Mo and Ling Xiaolan exchanged a glance.

Ling Xiaolan said smugly, "See? I understand Brother Bear better."

"Alas." Ji Mo sighed. "I owe Brother Bear too many favors. I truly do not know how to repay them. I had thought of bringing Brother Bear to the Human Domain, so I could let you live freely and happily for a few years... Forget it. Brother Bear may decide for yourself."

"If the two of you have time, why not tell me about the Human Domain's major powers? Perhaps I will go to the Human Domain in the future to seek true teachings that can save the Northern Plains from its suffering. I must not offend some senior expert without knowing it."

Wu Wang spoke warmly, then made a welcoming gesture toward Ling Xiaolan. She took out a soft cushion and laid it over a chair before sitting down nearby.

Ji Mo was also in the mood to talk, so he pulled Wu Wang into a discussion about the current state of the Human Domain.

Many pieces of gossip, sect scandals, tales of fairies, stories of Dao companions splitting households, and other amusing anecdotes became quite fascinating in Ji Mo's mouth.

Ling Xiaolan tried to join in from the side, but Ji Mo always effortlessly reclaimed control of the conversation.

When it came to eloquence, Ji Mo was naturally far superior to Ling Xiaolan.

And as Wu Wang listened, he suddenly had the strange feeling that he was back in his previous life, volunteering at an orphanage while several children crowded around him, scrambling to speak first...

Before they knew it, the eastern sky had turned white like a fish's belly. The Imperial Preceptor sent someone to notify them when they were to enter the palace, and Ji Mo and Ling Xiaolan each returned to their rooms to wash and dress.

The Flame Emperor Token.

Wu Wang looked inward at his spiritual platform, gazing at the flame floating beyond his mist-like soul. His thoughts were somewhat tangled.

If Senior Shennong valued him, then this Flame Emperor Token was not uniquely his; he was merely one fish fry among many.

But if Senior Shennong did not value him, the Flame Emperor Token, which Human Domain prodigies had to suffer untold hardships even for a chance to obtain, had not only been given to him by Senior Shennong, but Senior Shennong had also helped him repair its first three layers and conceal it within his body.

Unless it is a matter of life and death, I must not use this token again.

Wu Wang glanced at the ring on his hand again, thought for a moment, and changed the Storage Treasure he wore externally.

He could not forget that a True Immortal might be following Brother Ji.

Rubbing his brow, Wu Wang was already beginning to feel a headache coming on.

His ideal was so simple and beautiful: he only wanted to muddle through and gain a little more lifespan. Who would have thought he would have to bear pressure no one his age should bear...

"Lord Divine Envoy, the Imperial Preceptor asks you to come dine."

And covetous gazes.

"Alright, I'll go at once."

Wu Wang thought for a moment, tucked his little knife into his robes, and did not dare be careless in the slightest.

Two hours later.

Bathed in bright sunlight, Wu Wang sat on a carriage strewn with flower petals, receiving praise and blessings from the little sisters, elder sisters, aunties, and grandmothers around him.

And when Wu Wang's carriage passed by, Fairy Ling in the carriage behind him also received much praise and admiration from the women.

Then the next carriage passed by...

The women on both sides raised their hands in perfect unison, flicked their sleeves, and swiftly dispersed.

Ji Mo merely smiled calmly.

This treatment was already far better than what he had received before.

Ji Mo had figured it out as well. Sometimes, people simply could not be compared. At an age when he could have been Brother Bear's uncle, he still did not even have a fifty-percent chance of defeating Brother Bear in a direct confrontation. That alone said something.

And though Wu Wang looked serious at the moment, he was actually weighing the Imperial Preceptor's words from earlier...

"Lord Divine Envoy, it was a misunderstanding. Everything before was a misunderstanding. Last night, I had some insights from prayer and wanted to discuss them with you.

"It is only natural to bring wine when discussing things, isn't it?

"The weather was far too hot last night. For a moment, I forgot that Lord Divine Envoy is a man, so I went over in casual attire. Please forgive any breach of etiquette.

"Um, could you explain this to Her Majesty for me today? If I had known Her Majesty was with you, I absolutely would never have gone there!"

The Imperial Preceptor seemed quite wary of the queen.

Judging from the Imperial Preceptor's various previous actions, the likelihood that she was the source of the rebellion was not particularly high.

Wu Wang's Spiritual Consciousness periodically swept across every part of the capital of Women's Country.

The nation was peaceful, the people prosperous, harmony prevailed within and without, and everything was amicable. How did any of this resemble a rebellion on the verge of erupting?

Still, one could not speak too soon.

Wu Wang raised his head and looked ahead. A sprawling complex of palaces stood at the heart of the great city. Sunlight shone upon the golden roofs, and an aura of sanctity and extravagance rushed toward him.

Women's Country, royal palace.

An invisible formation enveloped the area around the palace, blocking the probing of Spirit Stones and Spiritual Sense. There was actually nothing unusual about that, and Wu Wang had not paid much attention to the royal palace before.

But now, as they drew closer and closer to the palace, a faint unease began to rise within Wu Wang's heart...

"Brother Bear."

A thread of transmitted speech entered his ear. Ling Xiaolan was reminding him, "There is something strange about the royal palace. My mind feels slightly unsettled."

Wu Wang turned his head and gave the carriage behind him a slight nod. He happened to see Brother Ji's adorably vacant expression...

Ah, this.

Compared to him, Fairy Ling was exceptionally reliable!

Before reaching the royal palace, Wu Wang and Ling Xiaolan were already fully on guard, continuously examining the structure of the formation around the palace.

Wu Wang saw absolutely nothing. When it came to formations, six of his seven apertures were open—he knew nothing at all.

Ling Xiaolan sent Wu Wang several reminders. If trouble arose later, he was to retreat with her. She had already found a flaw in the palace formation.

The carriage came to a stop, and the palace gates opened wide.

Four rows of beautifully dressed women emerged from within and danced gracefully around the carriages.

Wu Wang thickened the Ice Crystal Film around himself and signaled for those around him not to approach, lest propriety be lost. Only then did he leap down from the carriage.

Suddenly!

The instant his feet touched the ground, Wu Wang's spiritual platform trembled faintly, the necklace on his chest grew slightly hot, and his entire body stiffened for an instant.

What the hell?

Why did he suddenly have the same feeling as when that giant blessed beast had lifted its eyes to stare at him?

It was as though a Fierce Beast deep beneath the earth was staring at him, while the palace gates ahead seemed to have become the beast's gaping maw, waiting to choose someone to devour!

"Divine Envoy... Lord Divine Envoy?"

The Imperial Preceptor's voice came from beside him. Wu Wang drew a breath, and the horrifying feeling swiftly faded.

"Divine Envoy, what is wrong?"

The Imperial Preceptor asked with concern.

Wu Wang shook his head with a smile. He glanced at Ling Xiaolan and Ji Mo beside him, discovering that Ling Xiaolan's gaze was equally sharp, while Ji Mo...

It could only be said that he was paying far more attention to the singing and dancing than to his own safety.

"Did Lord Divine Envoy sense something?"

The Imperial Preceptor smiled. "There is no need to worry or overthink it. Our Women's Country has its own support and protection as well. Otherwise, how could we have existed in the Western Plains for so many ages?"

Wu Wang immediately understood. The dangerous presence he had sensed was likely something like the Guardian Beast of Women's Country.

For a time, most of his unease faded away.

Wu Wang looked ahead and could see the ministers of Women's Country lined up on either side within the palace gates. Numerous valiant female guards stood at equal intervals, filling the space from the gates to the main hall.

Fengge had not brought her spear today. Instead, one hand rested upon the longsword at her waist as she stood proudly in the hall, waiting for them to approach.

Inside the hall, the queen was dressed magnificently, sitting quietly upon the throne atop the high platform.

After song and dance came more song and dance. The three of them could truly be called "unable to take a single step."

At last, after an entire hour of being put through the motions, the three of them stood before the ruler of Women's Country and bowed according to their respective customs.

"Divine Envoy Bear~"

The queen called softly, unable to conceal her delight.

The Imperial Preceptor coughed from the side and said quietly, "Your Majesty, first recite the speech and present the gifts. You can talk over the meal later."

"Mm!" The ruler of Women's Country cleared her throat and immediately regained her dignified bearing. She had clearly gotten serious.

Fast-forward to the end of the queen's private banquet, attended only by Fengge, the Imperial Preceptor, and the three of them.

"Come, I'll take you somewhere nice!"

A jade-like hand, seemingly carved from white jade, reached out before Wu Wang.

Wu Wang looked up. He saw that luminous jade arm, those splendid robes, and that intoxicating smiling face.

"Your Majesty," Wu Wang said calmly, shaking his head with a smile, "holding hands is quite an intimate gesture between a man and a woman."

The ruler blinked softly, clasped both hands behind her back, and whispered:

"Then come with me. Let's go play in the sleeping chambers for a while."

The Imperial Preceptor, who was holding a glass cup at the side, turned her head and sprayed out a mouthful of wine, hitting Ji Mo squarely in the chest.

"Your Majesty! You must not, Your Majesty! I shall accompany you as well!"

Ji Mo's mouth twitched a few times. Just as he was about to wipe his face with a handkerchief, another fist flew in from the side and struck his shoulder with lightning speed, making him bare his teeth in pain.

"Damn it!"

Fengge gritted her teeth and cursed, "His Majesty's bedchamber... I really want to go!"

Ling Xiaolan rose coolly to her feet and calmly followed in the direction Wu Wang had left, tossing back a remark:

"I'll go check on Brother Bear. Can't let him suffer a loss."

"This?"

Ji Mo and Fengge tilted their heads in unison. They exchanged a glance, then quickly looked away again. The entire hall was suddenly left with only the two of them.

For some reason, Ji Mo's gaze deepened slightly, his lips moving faintly.

"We didn't get to finish talking last night. When are we making our move?"

"Wait a little longer."

Fengge murmured softly. Looking at the lavish lunch spread before her, she pressed her lips together.