Demon Seal (double-length chapter)

Something was drawn out of Wu Junji, and he immediately felt lighter.

Some of his fortune seemed to have been drawn away too, vanishing into thin air.

When he looked at his Fate Line again, it was clean and pristine, a straight golden line, far more pleasing to the eye than before.

Wu Junji suddenly felt free.

After that rush of exhilaration came a long spell of not knowing what to do with himself.

"What are you daydreaming about?"

Emperor Zhou hoisted him onto his shoulders. Wu Junji gave a soft cry of surprise; he had never sat this high before.

Holding on to the old geezer's head, he felt as though he were opening his eyes to the world for the first time.

The furnishings of Taiji Palace came into view one by one. Nowhere beneath heaven was more magnificent than this place. He had become Crown Prince at one, been raised personally by the emperor, and awakened his human emperor fortune at three. His General Summoning partner came from an illustrious family, and after he had spent just one day at Jixia Academy, the emperor had slaughtered ten thousand people in a rage for his sake.

Ask anyone, and they would say His Highness the Crown Prince alone possessed the emperor's favor, as precious as gold and jade. Yet Wu Junji still was not satisfied.

He pointed with his little hand. "Father, let's go to the imperial gardens!"

Emperor Zhou laughed and scolded him. "Outrageous."

He was an emperor, after all. Fooling around in private was one thing; how could he carry a child on his shoulders in full public view?

The little Crown Prince's excitement immediately faded, and he fell silent.

Emperor Zhou thought for a moment, then asked:

"You really want to go?"

Wu Junji replied perfunctorily, "I'll do as you say, Father."

And so Emperor Zhou knew they had no choice but to go.

He sighed, feeling that their three ground rules had been written on a worthless scrap of paper.

"Remember our three rules?"

Of course Wu Junji remembered.

The old geezer had said he was calculating, and that he had to preserve his father's dignity in public.

Wu Junji folded his arms and turned his face away. "Woof, woof!"

Whoever broke the rules was a puppy. A dog it was, then. The old geezer cared about his dignity; he did not.

Emperor Zhou was left speechless.

He clicked his tongue softly and carried the little menace to the imperial gardens.

Maidservants and eunuchs passed them along the way, and before long, word had spread throughout the palace.

Perched high on Emperor Zhou's shoulders, Wu Junji watched the people in the palace kneel and offer their most reverent greetings. His mood improved by far more than a little.

Wu Junji had never wanted to be reborn. However rotten his life had been, it had still been a whole lifetime from beginning to end. Plenty of people had offended him in his previous life, plenty had earned his hatred, and there were even more he had wanted to kill.

After his rebirth, only he remembered that past. His enemies wandered before him every day wearing innocent faces. If he killed them, they really were innocent in this lifetime. If he did not, they genuinely made his skin crawl.

That stupid pig, 88. Just thinking about it nearly gave Wu Junji a heart attack.

If he were 88, he would have sealed those memories into a blank slate, leaving not a trace. Sealing half and leaving half was practically a crime.

If all Wu Junji's grudges had been blood feuds, he would have lived this life for revenge. But struggles in officialdom were contests between opposing positions, where the victor became king and the loser a bandit.

Everyone was pushed by circumstances toward the fate awaiting them. Different circumstances meant different choices.

Wu Junji's sharp eyes caught sight of a young eunuch: Eunuch Rulan.

The spy his second brother had planted beside him early in his previous life was now still a eunuch of the lowest rank, kneeling fearfully with everyone else.

Should he take revenge?

That would be rather petty.

Should he make use of him? Just looking at him was revolting.

There would be plenty more people like Eunuch Rulan in the future.

They might well occupy important positions at court, making contact unavoidable. If he did not kill them, he could only endure the revulsion.

All Wu Junji could promise was that if they behaved themselves, he would remain reasonable.

If they stepped even slightly out of line, he might well seize on it as an excuse to unleash a massacre.

Wu Junji ground his teeth. Those old acquaintances of his had best pray they never fell into his hands.

As for Chen Yu.

Wu Junji was rather conflicted. After all, few people still remembered his entire previous life.

Every humiliation he had suffered in his previous life had become part of his road to coronation the moment he ascended the throne.

Chen Yu was the only living person who had witnessed his rise from obscurity to power.

In his previous life, a historian had written his biography to curry favor with him, consulting Chen Yu for it.

Wu Junji had found the finished work quite satisfying to read.

If he killed Chen Yu, who would still know Zhou Zhongzu from his previous life?

The more he thought about it, the more regretful Wu Junji became. Why had he been reborn? How wonderful it would have been if he could have lived another five years in his previous life.

Rather than Crown Prince Zhou, a born Human Emperor, he wanted to be Zhou Zhongzu, the winner of the succession struggle whom friends and family alike had abandoned.

Wu Junji stuck out his little feet, delighting in the thought.

Whenever the old geezer lost the will to live, becoming his old self, Zhou Zhongzu, again would be rather nice.

"Father, when will I go to Minglu Academy?"

The little Crown Prince's voice soared. He was happy again.

Emperor Zhou shook his head. That temperament was even harder to predict than heaven's own face.

"Once you and Li Jiu have developed an understanding."

Severing a General Summoning bond cost fortune. Forming a new one required finding Li Jiu's Fate Line among millions of others and connecting the two.

As for how to find it or connect it, he had no idea.

Thus, Emperor Zhou had thought of an alternative: granting Li Jiu an official post and using his official seal as a medium through which he could receive human emperor fortune.

On the Demon Domain battlefield, when all the officials went into action, the emperor served as the entire battlefield's support healer.

Through their official seals, he could grant fortune to anyone.

Official seals were the medium connecting the fortune of Great Zhou's imperial family with that of its court officials.

The drawbacks of replacing a General Summoning partner were that, to share human emperor fortune, Li Jiu had to remain within Wu Junji's sight, and an official seal had to serve as the medium. Beyond that, only time could judge his loyalty.

Emperor Zhou carried him all around the palace, satisfying those unspoken little desires of the little Crown Prince before taking him back to Taiji Palace.

Chosen to become the Crown Prince's personal attendant, Li Jiu was so excited that he did not sleep all night.

Early the next morning, Li Gong gave him a set of clothes in the same style as his own: red robes patterned with golden feathers and a tall black official's hat.

Li Jiu stood eight feet tall. Once he donned the clothes tailored for him, he looked imposing indeed. Judging by his bearing and appearance alone, no one could have guessed he was a eunuch.

Li Gong gave him a handwritten decree, a token, and a small seal.

"The decree grants you an official post from His Majesty."

"The token allows you to move about the palace and collect medicine from the Imperial Medical Bureau every month to regulate your health."

"When serving the nobility, you must not compromise your decorum."

"The Wolf Seal marks you as the Crown Prince's personal guard. Remember to carry it with you."

Li Jiu opened the decree and read it, then held up the small seal, an inch or two across. Its inscription read: Sixth-Rank Guard.

He knew the rank of the post did not matter. What mattered was the designation, and the seal.

Finally, he examined the token. It bore only the words: Crown Prince's General Summoning partner.

Great Zhou's method of castration did not remove everything, only the two testicles. This had one advantage: with medicinal treatment afterward, it would not cause the incontinence associated with complete removal, leaving a perpetual stench of urine that would compromise one's decorum before the nobility.

Any eunuch in the palace with money wanted to find a connection to obtain medicine from the Imperial Medical Bureau.

Naturally, Li Jiu did too.

Now that he had become the Crown Prince's General Summoning partner, he did not have to seek out a connection; one had come to him. Naturally, Li Jiu was endlessly grateful.

As he followed Li Gong toward Taiji Palace, he clumsily pressed silver into Li Gong's hand and asked for information:

"My lord, this servant has never entered the imperial court. Please enlighten me as to what taboos the nobles have."

Li Gong squeezed the purse and chuckled. Had this foolish lad brought out his marriage savings? There were banknotes and loose silver inside, bulging out and quite heavy.

At Li Gong's position, he hardly needed this little bit of money. He pressed it back into Li Jiu's hand.

"Just remember that His Highness the Crown Prince is cleverer than other children."

"When serving such a noble person, don't cause trouble, but don't fear it either."

Li Jiu asked hesitantly, "My lord, this servant wanted to ask about His Highness's previous General Summoning partner..."

Li Gong glanced at him. "Young Master Chen Yu of the Grand Marshal's Residence. His Highness is a Human Emperor. Being disliked by the Crown Prince was his greatest fault."

Chen Yu had possessed an innate advantage. Weakness was not why he had been replaced; being displeasing was.

Li Jiu's heart tightened.

He immediately understood that Lord Li Gong was giving him a warning. He had to satisfy the Crown Prince if he wanted to stay.

The Crown Prince could replace Chen Yu, and he could replace him too.

From the moment they were established, the Golden Eagle Guards had never targeted ordinary people alone.

Naturally, they also knew about the other side of this world.

Becoming the Crown Prince's General Summoning partner, an honor that carried one to heaven in a single step, was something Li Jiu had never dreamed would fall to him.

Li Jiu was straightforward. "My lord, what does His Highness like?"

That stumped Li Gong. Remembering how the little Crown Prince had pointed at him and asked His Majesty for him at their first meeting, he turned to look Li Jiu over.

"Probably adults who are good-looking."

At any rate, he did not like the sort represented by Chen Yu.

Chen Yu was the first General Summoning partner in all history to be replaced by his lord. If the emperors had a historical record of emperors and their General Summoning partners, Chen Yu's rejection would certainly warrant a page of its own.

Whether the Crown Prince had replaced his General Summoning partner out of simple dislike or because of some hidden reason, Li Gong did not know either.

Li Jiu arrived at Taiji Palace apprehensively.

Wu Junji was carving a square piece of jade.

Since the Jade Seal contained the Fate Lines of all Great Zhou's subjects, could he imitate it and create a Demon Imperial Seal, using it in the future to bind demons' Fate Lines and command their hosts?

Even if he could not replicate the Jade Seal's abilities, the idea of using a seal as a medium to command demons could not be wrong.

As for why he did not simply use the Deputy Imperial Seal.

If he carved a Demon Imperial Seal, he could experiment with it however he pleased. Could he do the same with the Deputy Imperial Seal? If he broke it, the old geezer would probably take a palm to him.

He had learned carving in his previous life, but his hands now seemed boneless and could exert little strength. It took a dozen or more strokes to produce a cut that satisfied him.

"Your Highness."

Li Gong bowed with his hands clasped.

Seeing Li Gong made Wu Junji happy. He could not help it: the man was handsome and loyal. His only misfortune was serving the old geezer.

"Li Gong."

"I have brought Li Jiu."

Wu Junji's eyes curved into crescents. "Thank you for your efforts, Li Gong."

Li Gong clasped his hands and took his leave, leaving Li Jiu behind.

Li Jiu dropped to one knee. "This servant pays his respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince. May Your Highness live a thousand years, a thousand years, a thousand thousand years!"

Wu Junji waved a hand. "Just call yourself my subject."

"My chief eunuch only died today. Have Nanny Wang take you around to familiarize yourself with the various palaces."

Li Jiu took a deep breath and summoned every ounce of his attention.

"Yes!"

He was not particularly clever, but he was very obedient.

Wu Junji continued carving.

The next few days passed without incident.

Every day after waking, Wu Junji either carved his jade seal or watched Li Jiu practice his punches and saber techniques.

His father said that once he formed a bond with Li Jiu, the man's innate gift should still make up for his lack of combat prowess. Familiarizing himself with his General Summoning partner's moves would make controlling him easier.

Even if forming a bond proved hopeless, their mutual understanding would still be important on the Demon Domain battlefield in the future.

The old geezer also said his aptitude for martial arts was truly poor.

Wu Junji did not believe him and insisted on doing the splits to prove otherwise.

Despite his tender age, his bones were as stiff as pine boards. His legs could only spread eighty degrees apart.

Pressing them any farther produced squeals like a pig being slaughtered.

Wu Junji's face turned green.

His bones had been stiff in his previous life too. All his fighting skills had come from rough street methods. Later, he had worked hard to learn orthodox martial arts, but his foundation was poor and his body sickly, so he had only reached an average level.

He had thought things might change in this life...

Wu Junji wiped his face and gritted his teeth, ordering them to press down with all their strength.

So what if his bones were stiff? As long as it did not kill him, they could press him within an inch of his life!

He was only three, and his body was much healthier than in his previous life. Surely, at the very least, he could train his way back to average!

The consequence of forcing his training was that the little Crown Prince's miserable wails rang out through Taiji Palace every day.

Anyone who did not know better would have thought Emperor Zhou was abusing him.

When the little Crown Prince cried pitifully during another leg stretch, Emperor Zhou finally could not take it anymore. He pointed at Li Jiu's nose and furiously scolded him.

"I told you to teach him, and you actually did?!"

He held the little Crown Prince in his arms and kept wiping away his tears.

"No more training, no more! We won't do it anymore! Wherever you go from now on, Father will assign countless guards to you!"

"The dragon never leaves Chang'an! Father doesn't expect you to conquer the realm. Why learn these damned martial arts?!"

"Those are for brutes! We won't suffer this useless hardship!"

Wu Junji's eyes were red and swollen from crying in pain. Through his blubbering sobs, his stubborn temper flared.

"Stay out of it! I want to learn!"

"Boohoo... I won't be a sickly sheep!"

"I want to learn! Waaah, waaah, waaah-!"

"Old fart!"

Emperor Zhou had only been worried about him, yet still got cursed at. His crying left the emperor unable to stay angry. Scratching his head in distress, he snapped at Li Jiu.

"Don't you have a way that doesn't hurt?!"

Li Jiu: "..."

Emperor Zhou: "..."

The two stared at each other, wide eyes meeting narrow ones, both utterly speechless at the other.

After a whole month of leg stretches, Wu Junji could finally do a full 180-degree split.

His academy life was about to begin, too.

That day, Wu Junji took his little turtle, his little Demon Seal, a cartload of belongings, a backpack full of snacks, and a number of servants, setting off for Minglu Academy in a grand procession.

Emperor Zhou had said that if Minglu Academy dared to bar his way, it would become the second Jixia Academy.

This time, Wu Junji had come prepared. He would be the most dazzling kid to make an entrance at Minglu Academy!