The updates probably won’t be too stable before next Monday.
Old Ji will try his best, sighs, it’s just beyond his control.
======================================
Speaking of which, when Mei Qing returned to the mansion the next day, he gave everyone quite a shock.
Why had the young master suddenly sent word the previous evening that he wouldn’t be coming back, only to return early the next morning? And even stranger—he had ridden a horse there and taken a carriage back? When he stepped out of the carriage, his face was pale and his steps unsteady. Could he have fallen ill?
When someone sharp-eyed noticed the two rows of faint bite marks on Mei Qing’s neck, the expressions among the crowd turned truly colorful. They whispered amongst themselves, some knowingly gestured behind his back, while others, suddenly enlightened, nodded rapidly like pecking chickens, mouths agape in understanding.
Duo Yun, upon seeing this, felt both worry and shame; while Zhong Shu felt a weight finally lift from his heart.
Updates might not be very stable until next Monday.
I’ll try my best, sigh, but sometimes things are out of my control.
======================================
When Mei Qing returned to his residence the next day, he certainly gave everyone in the household a fright.
Why did the young master suddenly send a message yesterday saying he wouldn’t return in the evening, only to come back early this morning? And he went out on horseback but returned in a carriage? When he got out of the carriage, his face was pale, and his steps were unsteady—could he have fallen ill?
It wasn’t until the sharp-eyed among them noticed the two rows of fine bite marks on Mei Qing’s neck that their expressions turned truly fascinating. They whispered among themselves, some pointing discreetly, others nodding in understanding, their mouths forming silent “ohs.”
Duo Yun, upon seeing this, was filled with worry and guilt; Zhong Shu, on the other hand, felt a weight lifted off his chest.
Duo Yun thought it was because she couldn’t satisfy the young master, forcing him to seek release elsewhere. Seeing him in such a state, she felt endless remorse and heartache. Zhong Shu, however, thought to himself that Liu Zi must have been quite patient, waiting so long to make his move—he certainly had some tricks up his sleeve. Initially, they had planned to let the young master indulge himself at home, but when that didn’t work, Liu Zi must have taken matters into his own hands. Truly professional.
In truth, Mei Qing’s internal energy wasn’t as depleted as it seemed. Although he had fought fiercely with Bi Zhen, as a cultivator, as long as his foundation wasn’t damaged, there wouldn’t be any major harm. However, yesterday he had recklessly used an earth escape technique despite his shallow cultivation, and he had also been injured several times by the strange claws, which is why he was so heavily wounded. At the time, it wasn’t obvious in the heat of the moment, but once things calmed down, the exhaustion became overwhelming.
Because of the battle at the Ren Sheng Palace last night, the doors and windows were destroyed, and repairs were necessary. Mei Qing couldn’t rest there, so he had to return to his residence to recuperate.
Though he was exhausted to the point of death, Mei Qing’s mood was incredibly good.
Why? Well, after being sentenced to death, suddenly escaping with his life—of course he was happy. What? You think it’s because he conquered Bi Zhen? How could that be? Someone as righteous and noble as our Young Master Mei would never have such vulgar thoughts…
What exactly was going through Mei Qing’s mind? Only heaven knows.
As for why the Soul-Snatching Claw, which had struck Mei Qing squarely, didn’t corrupt his spirit or damage his foundation, even Bi Zhen couldn’t explain it. It wasn’t until they were intimate, their energies intertwined, and they became one in their dual cultivation, that she realized Mei Qing’s foundation was intact—the Soul-Snatching Claw hadn’t harmed his core.
After much analysis, Mei Qing could only conclude that perhaps Ding Chou Shen, who had been summoned in the middle of the night, hadn’t been fully awake. When a woman’s sleep is disturbed, it can affect her skin, mood, and even her endocrine system—it’s possible she just didn’t see clearly in her groggy state.
Bi Zhen naturally laughed and pinched Mei Qing for a while, saying his mouth was a bit too sharp, and he deserved to be half-killed by those claws.
Before sending Mei Qing back, Bi Zhen reminded him to come see her early the next day, as there was an important matter to attend to.
What could it be? Mei Qing fell into a deep sleep, filled with anticipation for the beautiful tomorrow.
The next morning, when Mei Qing arrived at the Ren Sheng Palace, he felt exceptionally refreshed, as if he could fly. Watching the sunlight filter through the tall pine trees, casting dappled shadows on the ground, and thinking of Bi Zhen’s smile, it felt like a dream.
When he reached the back garden, Bi Zhen was practicing her morning exercises. The endless swaying of the pine trees, the first rays of the morning sun—everything seemed even more intimate than before.
Especially when he saw Bi Zhen’s wide Taoist robe, he couldn’t help but recall the curves it concealed and the way their bodies had intertwined the night before. A fire ignited within him once more.
The allure of the uniform—truly irresistible.
After finishing her exercises, Bi Zhen turned to Mei Qing with a sweet smile, then leaped lightly into his arms. After the previous night, their connection felt even deeper. Holding each other now, they both felt an indescribable sweetness.
Perhaps because of her cultivation, Bi Zhen was straightforward and bold, without the coyness of worldly women, which made Mei Qing cherish her even more.
“Let’s go, we have important matters today,” Bi Zhen said after a long while.
“Where are we going?” Mei Qing asked in the carriage, feeling the vehicle sway as it headed south.
“To see the Emperor,” Bi Zhen’s words shocked Mei Qing. “Although we are cultivators, becoming dual cultivation partners still requires the approval of our elders, right?”
“Then… why not go see your father, Lord Lu?” Mei Qing asked in surprise, after all, Lu Bing was Bi Zhen’s biological father.
A shadow of sorrow crossed Bi Zhen’s face, and she sighed before explaining her background to Mei Qing.
It turned out that Bi Zhen wasn’t born to Lu Bing’s current wife. Her mother was also a cultivator, a descendant of the Southern School of Dual Cultivation, and Lu Bing was her dual cultivation partner, much like Mei Qing and Bi Zhen now.
Lu Bing had a close relationship with the current Emperor, Jiajing. Lu Bing’s mother was the Emperor’s wet nurse, and Lu Bing and Jiajing had been close friends since childhood, always playing together.
At the time, Jiajing’s identity was that of the son of the Prince of Xingxian, and by rights, he shouldn’t have become Emperor. However, the previous Emperor, Wuzong, had no heirs, so after his death, the elder minister Yang Tinghe proposed that Jiajing be welcomed as the new Emperor.
When Jiajing entered the court, Lu Bing, his most trusted friend, naturally followed him to the capital. But just then, Bi Zhen’s mother became pregnant.
Although dual cultivation partners are far closer than ordinary couples, conception is extremely difficult. Bi Zhen’s mother naturally hoped Lu Bing wouldn’t leave, but Lu Bing felt that despite his cultivation, he wasn’t an immortal and needed to make a name for himself. Besides, he and Jiajing were like brothers—how could he abandon his friend when he was entering the court alone?
As a result, this pair of dual cultivation partners grew apart, eventually separating.
At the time, Lu Bing was young and ambitious. After helping Jiajing consolidate power and gaining significant influence, he couldn’t help but think of Bi Zhen and her mother. By then, Bi Zhen had been born and was living with her mother in their sect, having never met her father.
Lu Bing visited several times, hoping to reconcile. But Bi Zhen’s mother said that cultivators value inner harmony above all—since they had already diverged, forcing a reconciliation would only make things worse. In short, their fate had run its course, and she refused to return with Lu Bing. Finally, Lu Bing said: “The child belongs to both of us. You’re already burdened with your cultivation—how can you expect such a young girl to spend her life in solitude among the scriptures?”
These words moved Bi Zhen’s mother, and she agreed to let Lu Bing take Bi Zhen out of the mountains. By then, Lu Bing was the Commander of the Imperial Guards, a position of great power and trust. Jiajing, knowing that his old friend’s dual cultivation partner had left because of him, doted on Bi Zhen and immediately adopted her as his goddaughter.
Unexpectedly, Bi Zhen had never felt any affection for her father, Lu Bing. When she entered his household and saw that he had taken worldly wives and concubines, she disliked him even more, and their relationship became irreparably strained. Eventually, she left the household altogether, insisting on becoming a female cultivator.
Lu Bing was furious but could do nothing. In the end, it was Jiajing who intervened, granting Bi Zhen a title and giving her the Ren Sheng Palace as her cultivation site, which finally brought peace.
“Even so, why not see your father instead of just the Emperor?” Mei Qing, after hearing Bi Zhen’s story, couldn’t help but marvel at its twists and turns, but he still had questions.
“You don’t know this, but that old man has some inexplicable prejudice against you. Did you know? It was him who told me to use the Guan Zhi technique to harm your foundation!” It was clear that Bi Zhen’s relationship with Lu Bing wasn’t great—she kept calling him “that old man.”
“What?” Mei Qing was shocked. “I don’t think I’ve ever offended your father. Why would he want to harm me?”
“How should I know? You don’t understand—he said a lot of bad things about you and even used cultivation techniques to make a bet, which is why I agreed. I thought you were some kind of lecherous villain,” Bi Zhen said.
“That’s not true,” Mei Qing protested loudly. “How could your father wrong me like that?”
“He’s not a good person to begin with—wronging people is nothing new for him,” Bi Zhen said without hesitation, showing no loyalty to her father. “I’m telling you, he must have had it in for you for a long time, otherwise why would he plot against you behind your back? If he finds out you’ve taken his daughter, at the very least, he’ll beat you to the point of being unable to take care of yourself, seal your cultivation, and destroy your foundation. At worst, he might just ‘snip’ you and turn you into a eunuch, sending you straight to the palace to serve.”
If Lu Bing heard his precious daughter talking about him like this, he’d probably go mad on the spot, shouting that daughters are always biased toward their husbands and forget their fathers—though in truth, even before she had a husband, Bi Zhen hadn’t thought much of her father.
Mei Qing still had some doubts. “It can’t be that bad, can it? After all, Lord Lu is a high-ranking official…”
Bi Zhen didn’t hold back in crushing Mei Qing’s optimism. “What do you mean ‘can’t be that bad’? Don’t forget what that old man does—he’s the head of the Imperial Guards! Murder, arson, schemes, torture, and disregard for human life—he’s done it all. It’s just routine for him. Killing a fifth-rank general like you would be as easy as squashing an ant.”
Mei Qing couldn’t help but shiver, finally remembering his father-in-law’s true identity. Perhaps because since joining the Imperial Guards, he had mostly dealt with people like Zhang Qizheng and Huang Pangzi, the image of the ruthless and cold-blooded Imperial Guards had somewhat faded in his mind. Now that Bi Zhen mentioned it, he realized that his father-in-law’s hands were probably stained with so much blood that they couldn’t get any redder—there was nothing he wouldn’t do.
“So… what’s the plan?” Mei Qing was at a loss.
“There have been some major events in the court recently, so that old man is probably too busy to pay attention to us. But it won’t be long,” Bi Zhen’s face flushed slightly, “before he finds out. We have to take advantage of his ignorance and go straight to the Emperor. After all, the Emperor is my godfather. Once he approves and acknowledges you as his son-in-law, that old man won’t be able to do anything.”
“Is that… appropriate?” Mei Qing was still confused.
“I’m doing all this for you! I’ve been a cultivator since I was a child, and for you, I’m willing to throw everything away. Why are you hesitating?” Bi Zhen pouted. “The way I look now, that old man will know something’s up as soon as he sees me. Once he investigates, everything you’ve done will come to light. What else can we do? You’ve already done it—it’s not like you can turn cooked rice back into raw grain now, can you?”
Updates may not be very stable until next Monday. I’ll try my best, but alas, I’m not entirely in control of the situation.
======================================
When Mei Qing returned to his residence the next day, he certainly gave everyone in the household a fright. Why had the young master suddenly sent word yesterday evening that he wouldn’t be returning home, only to show up early this morning? And why had he gone out on horseback but returned by carriage? When he stepped out of the carriage, his complexion was ashen, and his steps were unsteady—could he have fallen ill?
It wasn’t until the sharp-eyed among them noticed the two rows of fine bite marks on Mei Qing’s neck that their expressions truly became interesting. They whispered among themselves, some pointing subtly, others nodding in understanding, their mouths forming silent “ohs” of realization.
Duo Yun, upon seeing this, was filled with both worry and guilt; Zhong Shu, on the other hand, felt a weight lift from his chest.
Duo Yun thought that perhaps she hadn’t been able to satisfy the young master, forcing him to seek release elsewhere. Seeing him in such a state, she was overwhelmed with guilt and heartache. Zhong Shu, however, thought that Liu Zi had shown remarkable patience, waiting so long to make his move—indeed, he had some skill. Originally, they had planned to let the young master indulge himself at home, but when that didn’t work, Liu Zi had taken matters into his own hands. Truly, he was a professional.
In truth, Mei Qing’s internal condition wasn’t as dire as it seemed. Although he had fought fiercely with Bi Zhen, as a cultivator, as long as his foundation wasn’t damaged, there wouldn’t be any significant harm. However, the previous day he had recklessly used an earth escape technique despite his shallow cultivation, and he had also been injured several times in battles with the strange claws, which had left him severely weakened. At the time, the urgency of the situation had masked the severity, but once things calmed down, the exhaustion became overwhelming.
Because the Ren Sheng Palace had been damaged in the previous night’s battle, with doors and windows destroyed, repairs were necessary, and Mei Qing couldn’t rest there. Thus, he had no choice but to return home to recuperate.
Though he was exhausted to the point of death, Mei Qing’s mood was incredibly buoyant.
Why? Well, having been sentenced to death and then narrowly escaping it, of course he was overjoyed. What? You think it’s because he had conquered Bi Zhen? How could that be? Someone as upright and virtuous as our Young Master Mei would never entertain such vulgar thoughts…
What exactly was going through Mei Qing’s mind? Only heaven knows.
As for why the Soul-Snatching Claw, which had struck Mei Qing directly, hadn’t tainted his spirit or damaged his foundation, even Bi Zhen couldn’t explain it. It wasn’t until they were intimate, their energies intertwined, that she realized Mei Qing’s foundation remained intact—the claw hadn’t harmed him at all.
After much analysis, Mei Qing could only conclude that perhaps Ding Chou Shen, who had been summoned in the middle of the night, hadn’t been fully awake. When a woman’s sleep is disturbed, it can affect her skin, mood, and even her endocrine system. It wasn’t impossible that her vision had been temporarily impaired.
Bi Zhen naturally laughed and pinched Mei Qing for a while, saying his sharp tongue deserved the beating he’d received.
Before sending Mei Qing back, Bi Zhen instructed him to come see her early the next day, as there was an important matter to attend to.
What could it be? Mei Qing drifted off to sleep, filled with anticipation for the beautiful tomorrow.
The next morning, when Mei Qing arrived at the Ren Sheng Palace, he felt exceptionally refreshed, as if he could fly. Watching the dappled sunlight filtering through the tall pine trees on the path, thinking of Bi Zhen’s smile, it all felt like a dream.
When he reached the back garden, Bi Zhen was in the midst of her morning exercises. The endless rustling of the pine trees, the first rays of the morning sun—everything seemed even more intimate than before.
Especially when he looked at Bi Zhen’s loose Taoist robe, he couldn’t help but recall the curves it concealed and the way their bodies had intertwined the previous night. A fire ignited within him once more.
The allure of the uniform was indeed powerful.
After finishing her exercises, Bi Zhen turned to Mei Qing with a sweet smile, then leaped lightly into his arms. After the previous night, their connection felt even deeper. Holding each other now, they both felt an indescribable sweetness.
Perhaps because of her cultivation, Bi Zhen lacked the coyness of worldly women, instead being straightforward and bold, which made Mei Qing cherish her all the more.
“Let’s go, there’s a big matter today,” Bi Zhen said after a long while.
“Where are we going?” Mei Qing asked in the carriage, feeling it sway as they headed south.
“To see the Emperor,” Bi Zhen said, startling Mei Qing. “Although we are cultivators, becoming Daoist partners still requires the approval of our elders.”
“Then… why not go see your father, Lord Lu?” Mei Qing asked in surprise, since Lu Bing was Bi Zhen’s biological father.
A shadow of sorrow crossed Bi Zhen’s face, and she sighed before explaining her background to Mei Qing.
It turned out that Bi Zhen wasn’t born to Lu Bing’s current wife. Her mother was also a cultivator, a descendant of the Southern School of the Golden Elixir’s dual cultivation sect, and Lu Bing had been her dual cultivation partner, much like Mei Qing and Bi Zhen now.
Lu Bing had a close relationship with the current Jiajing Emperor. Lu Bing’s mother had been the Emperor’s wet nurse, and Lu Bing and the Emperor had been friends since childhood, always playing together.
At the time, the Jiajing Emperor’s status was that of the son of the Prince of Xingxian, and he wasn’t in line for the throne. However, since the previous Emperor, Wuzong, had no heirs, after his death, the elder minister Yang Tinghe proposed that Jiajing be welcomed as the new Emperor.
When Jiajing ascended to the throne, Lu Bing, his most trusted friend, naturally followed him to the capital. But just then, Bi Zhen’s mother became pregnant.
Although dual cultivation partners are far more devoted than ordinary couples, conception is extremely difficult. Bi Zhen’s mother naturally hoped Lu Bing would stay by her side, but Lu Bing felt that, despite his cultivation, he wasn’t an immortal and needed to make something of himself. Besides, he and Jiajing were like brothers, and he couldn’t abandon his friend as he entered the court.
As a result, this pair of cultivation partners grew apart, eventually separating.
At the time, Lu Bing was young and ambitious. After helping Jiajing consolidate power and gaining significant authority, he couldn’t help but think of Bi Zhen and her mother. By then, Bi Zhen had been born and was being raised by her mother in the sect, having never met her father.
Lu Bing visited several times, hoping to reconcile, but Bi Zhen’s mother said that cultivators value inner harmony above all, and since they had already diverged, forcing a reconciliation would only make things worse. In the end, Lu Bing argued that their daughter belonged to both of them, and it was inconvenient for her mother to raise her alone while cultivating. Besides, their daughter was still so young—did her mother really want her to spend her life in solitude with only scriptures for company?
Lu Bing’s words moved Bi Zhen’s mother, and she finally agreed to let him take Bi Zhen out of the mountains. By then, Lu Bing was the commander of the Imperial Guards, a position of great power and trust with the Emperor. Jiajing, knowing that his old friend’s cultivation partner had left because of him, doted on Bi Zhen and immediately adopted her as his goddaughter.
Unexpectedly, Bi Zhen had never felt close to her father, and when she entered his household and saw that he had taken worldly wives and concubines, she disliked him even more. Their relationship became so strained that she eventually left the household altogether, insisting on becoming a female cultivator.
Lu Bing was furious but powerless. In the end, it was the Jiajing Emperor who intervened, granting Bi Zhen a title and giving her the Ren Sheng Palace as her cultivation site, which finally brought peace.
“Even so, why not see your father instead of the Emperor?” Mei Qing asked, moved by Bi Zhen’s story but still puzzled.
“You don’t understand—that old man has some inexplicable prejudice against you. Did you know? It was him who told me to use the Guan Zhi technique to harm your foundation!” It was clear that Bi Zhen’s relationship with her father wasn’t great, as she referred to him as “that old man.”
“What? I don’t think I’ve ever offended your father. Why would he want to harm me?”
“How should I know? At the time, he said a lot of bad things about you and even used a cultivation technique as a bet, which is why I agreed. I thought you were some kind of lecherous scoundrel,” Bi Zhen said.
“That’s not true,” Mei Qing protested. “How could your father wrong me like that?”
“He’s not a good person to begin with—wronging people is nothing new for him,” Bi Zhen said without hesitation, betraying no loyalty to her father. “I’m telling you, he must have had it out for you for a long time, otherwise why would he go behind your back like that? If he finds out you’ve taken his daughter, at the very least, he’ll beat you to the point where you can’t take care of yourself, seal your cultivation, and destroy your foundation. At worst, he might just ‘snip’ you and turn you into a eunuch, sending you to work in the palace.”
If Lu Bing heard his precious daughter speaking of him like this, he’d probably go mad, lamenting that daughters always side with their husbands and forget their fathers—though in truth, even before she had a husband, Bi Zhen hadn’t thought much of her father.
Mei Qing still had his doubts. “It can’t be that bad, can it? After all, Lord Lu is a high-ranking official…”
Bi Zhen didn’t hold back. “What do you mean it can’t be that bad? Don’t forget what that old man does—he’s the head of the Imperial Guards! Murder, arson, conspiracy, torture, and disregard for human life are all part of his daily routine. Killing a fifth-rank general like you would be as easy as crushing an ant.”
Mei Qing couldn’t help but shiver, finally remembering his father-in-law’s true identity. Perhaps because he had been working with people like Zhang Qizheng and Huang Pangzi in the Imperial Guards, the ruthless image of the organization had faded in his mind. Now that Bi Zhen mentioned it, it was clear—his father-in-law’s hands were stained with so much blood that there was nothing he wouldn’t do.
“So… what’s the plan?” Mei Qing asked, feeling a bit lost.
“There have been some major events in the court recently, so the old man is probably too busy to pay attention to us. But it won’t be long,” Bi Zhen said, her face slightly flushed. “He’s bound to find out. We need to take advantage of the fact that he doesn’t know yet and go straight to the Emperor. After all, the Emperor is my godfather. Once he approves of you as his son-in-law, there’s nothing that old man can do.”
“Is that… appropriate?” Mei Qing asked, still confused.
“I’m doing this for you! I’ve been a cultivator since I was a child, and for you, I’m willing to throw everything aside. Why are you hesitating?” Bi Zhen pouted. “The way I am now, the old man will know at a glance what’s happened. Once he investigates your actions, it’ll all come out. What else can we do? You’ve already done it—it’s not like you can turn cooked rice back into raw grain now, can you?”
Additionally, due to the magical battle at Rensheng Palace the previous night, which had left doors and windows destroyed, repairs were necessary. Mei Qing couldn’t rest there, so he had no choice but to return to his mansion to recuperate.
Though exhausted nearly to death, Mei Qing’s mood was absolutely wonderful.
Why? Well, after all, he had been sentenced to death and suddenly escaped with his life—of course he was happy. What? You think it’s because he defeated Bi Zhen? Nonsense! How could someone as upright, noble, and pure as our young Master Mei ever have such base thoughts…
As for what Mei Qing truly felt inside, well, only heaven knows.
As for why the Soul-Stealing Claw had landed squarely on Mei Qing yet failed to pollute his spirit or damage his cultivation base, even Bi Zhen couldn’t quite explain it. It wasn’t until the two had engaged in intimate union, their energies merging, allowing the dual cultivators to sense each other as one, that she realized Mei Qing’s foundation remained intact, the claw having failed to truly harm him.
After much analysis, Mei Qing could only conclude that perhaps the Dinchou Spirit had been summoned late at night and might not have been fully awake. Disturbed from her sleep, she might have suffered skin problems, mood swings, hormonal imbalances—perhaps her eyesight had been temporarily poor, making it possible she simply missed her mark.
Bi Zhen naturally laughed and playfully pinched Mei Qing for quite some time, saying his tongue was a bit sharp, and that he deserved to be nearly beaten to death by the claw.
Before sending Mei Qing back, Bi Zhen had reminded him to come find her early the next day, saying she had an important matter to handle.
What matter? Mei Qing drifted into a deep sleep filled with dreams of a beautiful tomorrow.
The next morning, as Mei Qing arrived at Rensheng Palace, he felt extraordinarily refreshed, as if he could fly from sheer joy. Looking at the dappled sunlight filtering through the tall pines onto the path below, thinking of Bi Zhen’s smile, it felt like a dream.
Arriving at the rear garden terrace, he saw Bi Zhen practicing in the morning light. As always, the pines swayed in the breeze, the morning sun casting golden hues, yet now, looking at her, he felt an even deeper sense of closeness.
Especially seeing her wide Taoist robe, he couldn’t help but recall the curves hidden beneath it, entwined with his limbs and thighs the previous night. A surge of heat rose within him once more.
Indeed, the allure of the uniform was irresistible.
After finishing her practice, Bi Zhen turned and smiled sweetly at Mei Qing. Suddenly, she leapt lightly and directly into his arms. After the previous night’s events, their hearts and minds felt even more connected. As they embraced, both felt an overwhelming sweetness.
Perhaps due to their cultivation backgrounds, Bi Zhen lacked the usual shyness and affectation of worldly women, being quite direct and bold, which only made Mei Qing cherish her all the more.
“Let’s go, we have something important today,” Bi Zhen finally said after a while.
“Where are we going?” Mei Qing asked inside the carriage, feeling the gentle swaying as the carriage rolled southward.
“To see the Emperor,” Bi Zhen replied, startling Mei Qing.
“We may be cultivators, but even forming a cultivation partnership requires the approval of elders, right?”
“But then… why not see your father, Lord Lu first?” Mei Qing asked in surprise, after all, Lu Bing was Bi Zhen’s biological father.
A shadow of sadness crossed Bi Zhen’s face as she sighed, then began recounting her origins.
It turned out that Bi Zhen wasn’t born to Lu Bing’s current wife. Her mother had also been a cultivator, a disciple of the Twin Cultivation sect of the Southern Golden Elixir School. Lu Bing had been her cultivation partner, much like Mei Qing and Bi Zhen now.
Lu Bing had a close relationship with the current Jiajing Emperor. His mother had been the Emperor’s wet nurse, and Lu Bing had been close childhood friends with Jiajing, always playing together.
At that time, Jiajing had been the son of Prince Xian, seemingly never destined to become emperor. However, when Emperor Wuzong died without an heir, the old minister Yang Tinghe proposed him, and he was welcomed as emperor.
When Jiajing ascended the throne, naturally his most trusted friend Lu Bing accompanied him to the capital. But at that time, Bi Zhen’s mother was pregnant.
Though cultivation partners often share deeper bonds than ordinary couples, pregnancy was extremely rare. Naturally, Bi Zhen’s mother hoped Lu Bing would stay with her. However, Lu Bing, though possessing great cultivation, still desired to pursue a career. Moreover, he and Jiajing were like brothers; how could he abandon his friend at such a critical moment?
Thus, this cultivation couple developed a rift, eventually separating.
At the time, Lu Bing was still young and headstrong. After helping Jiajing stabilize the court and gain power, he couldn’t help but think of Bi Zhen and her mother. By then, Bi Zhen had already been born, living with her mother in the sect, never having seen her father.
Lu Bing visited several times, hoping to reconcile. Unfortunately, Bi Zhen’s mother said that cultivators value their inner cultivation most. Since they had already developed differences, forcing a reunion would only be harmful. In short, their karmic connection had ended, and she refused to return with Lu Bing. Finally, Lu Bing argued: “The child belongs to both of us. Raising her alone while cultivating is already inconvenient, especially since she’s so young. Do you really want her to grow up in a life of solitude among scriptures and lamps?”
Moved by his words, Bi Zhen’s mother finally agreed to let Lu Bing take Bi Zhen out of the mountains. By then, Lu Bing had already become the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, holding high rank and great power, deeply trusted by Emperor Jiajing. Knowing that his ascension had caused his old friend’s separation, Jiajing showered Bi Zhen with affection upon meeting her, immediately adopting her as his goddaughter.
Unexpectedly, Bi Zhen had never felt close to Lu Bing as a father. When she entered the mansion and saw that he had already taken worldly wives, she disliked him even more, and their father-daughter relationship became extremely strained. Eventually, she refused to live in the mansion altogether, insisting on becoming a female cultivator.
Lu Bing was furious but helpless. Finally, the Emperor intervened, bestowing a title upon Bi Zhen and granting her Rensheng Palace as her cultivation base, bringing peace at last.
“Even so, why only see the Emperor and not your father?” Mei Qing, hearing Bi Zhen’s story, couldn’t help but sigh at its twists and turns, still puzzled.
“You don’t know—he has some inexplicable grudge against you. You probably don’t know, it was that old man who ordered me to use the Guanshi Method to ruin your cultivation foundation!” Clearly, Bi Zhen’s relationship with Lu Bing was far from good, as she kept calling him “that old man.”
“What?” Mei Qing was shocked. “I don’t recall offending your father. Why would he do this?”
“How should I know? You don’t know—he said a lot of bad things about you and even made a bet using cultivation techniques, which is why I agreed. At first, I thought you were some kind of lecherous villain.”
“How could that be?” Mei Qing protested loudly. “How could your father misunderstand me like this?”
“He’s never been a good person; do you think he’s unfamiliar with framing people?” Bi Zhen showed no guilt about betraying her father. “I’m telling you, he’s had it in for you for a long time, otherwise why would he do something so underhanded behind your back? If he finds out you’ve taken his daughter’s virtue, at the very least, he’ll beat you to a pulp, ruin your cultivation, and scatter your foundation. At worst, he might just ‘snip’ you and turn you into a eunuch, sending you straight to the palace to serve.”
If Lu Bing had heard his beloved daughter speaking of him this way, he’d probably have flown into a rage, shouting about daughters turning against their fathers, forgetting their fathers once they had husbands—though in truth, even before she had a husband, Bi Zhen had never respected him much.
Still doubtful, Mei Qing said, “Surely it’s not that bad. After all, Lord Lu is a high official…”
Bi Zhen mercilessly crushed his doubts: “What do you mean not that bad? Don’t forget who he is—the head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard! How many murders, conspiracies, torture sessions, and wrongful deaths do you think he hasn’t been involved in? To him, killing a fifth-rank general like you would be no different than squashing an ant.”
Mei Qing shuddered involuntarily, suddenly remembering his future father-in-law’s identity. Perhaps because he had only encountered people like Zhang Qizheng and Fat Huang since joining the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the image of the ruthless, blood-soaked guards had faded in his mind. Now reminded, he realized that his future father-in-law’s hands were likely stained so deeply in blood that there was nothing he wouldn’t do.
“Then… what should we do?” Mei Qing asked, at a loss.
“There’ve been some major events in court recently; the old man must be too busy to notice us for now. But it won’t be long,” Bi Zhen blushed slightly. “He’ll definitely find out eventually. We can only act before he does—go straight to the Emperor. After all, the Emperor is practically my adoptive father. Once he approves and accepts you as his son-in-law, the old man won’t be able to do anything about it.”
“This… is this appropriate?” Mei Qing hesitated.
“Am I not doing this for you? I’ve been cultivating since childhood, and now I’m throwing everything away for you. Why are you hesitating?” Bi Zhen pouted. “With the way I look now, the old man will know immediately what’s happened. Once he investigates your ‘good deeds,’ everything will come out. What else can we do? You’ve already done it—do you think you can turn cooked rice back into raw grains now?”
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