[Hetu] [Heavenly Demon] [Episode 9] Chapter 3

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Chapter Three: Who's Scheming Against Me?

It turns out that the old emperor, spending his days deep in the palace, wasn't a fool after all. Perhaps

he knew perfectly well who harbored rebellious intentions? This further confirms Xiao Jiu's words: those mysterious men in black were indeed from the inner palace.

The problem is this so-called imperial edict.

Damn it, is this some kind of trap? The cunning emperor clearly knows the current situation in Hangzhou.

Zhao Qinyun and Bai Yongwang, those bastards, are busy deploying troops here, their men and weapons all

prepared, just waiting for the order. And now he wants me to stay here and die? Execute first, report

later? Fighting against an unknown number of enemy troops with only a thousand soldiers—even if I were to be executed,

how ? It's utter bullshit. Loyalty to the country, huh? Are they just waiting for me

to die for the country?

His heart was already cold. He raised his eyes to stare at Yue Long, whose aura had suddenly intensified, and sneered, his tone chilling

, "Then how many troops did you bring for me, sir?"

"Hmm?" The other man was clearly taken aback, as if he hadn't considered this at all. He said, "Didn't the Duke

bring troops with him?"

Yang Cun heard a merciless curse in his heart and said, "I did bring troops with me.

Well , I admit I'm incompetent and unfit for this important task. I'll ask you to report to the Emperor on my behalf." This

was just a momentary outburst, intended only to deflate the guard's arrogance. If the old Emperor himself were standing before him,

not only would it be impossible, but even if the Emperor wanted his head, he'd probably have to offer it up with a smile. However, Yang

Cun was still genuinely angry. The Emperor was one thing, but a mere guard like him, no matter what noble status he might have,

had no right to act so arrogantly. He wouldn't give him a

second thought. Even if he had a perfect grasp of the situation, the man was still too inexperienced. It was obvious at a glance that Yue Long, lacking experience, was

no match for the cunning Yang Cun. With just a few words of persuasion and pressure, his composure vanished, and he said to Yang Cun,

"Then I will report back to the Emperor as soon as possible and request that he dispatch usable troops to Your Excellency."

"Then thank you, Lord Yue Long." A cunning smile flashed in Yang Cun's eyes, and he smiled smugly.

Without saying another word, he turned and left, saying, "Then I will await your good news, sir. I have important matters to attend to,

and I imagine you are also busy with official duties, so I will not disturb you any longer."

Watching the departing figure leave without any hesitation, Yue Long was annoyed, gritting his teeth and knocking

the cups and saucers off the table.

Under the lush, intertwined vines of the trellis,

Yang Cun, who had just said he had important matters to attend to during the reception, lay comfortably on a recliner that had been prepared, sipping his tea and squinting at the woman who walked towards him, chatting and

laughing .

Li Caiyu.

This was the conclusion Yang had reached after careful consideration of Yanlong's matter. He first sensed something amiss

the very night he took Li Caiyu.

Longchi had told him that in Miao territory, there was a type of Gu poison used on women; if someone deflowered them,

the Gu would transfer. While he couldn't be certain what methods Yanlong had used on him, the problem

was most likely with her.

"Master," the two women, each with a different air about them, simultaneously curtsied. Although Li Caiyu couldn't win in terms of looks,

her eyes added to her charm. Because of his suspicion, Yang Cun became wary of her,

pulling An Qiao into his arms and coldly staring at Li Caiyu.

Feeling uncomfortable under Yang Cun's sharp gaze, Li Caiyu twisted her fingers, unsure what to do. This was

the first time she had seen Yang Cun since he had taken her, and she couldn't grasp his intentions, hence her anxiety.

An Qiao didn't understand either, looking at Li Caiyu and then at Yang Cun, about to speak, when the large hand around her waist tightened its grip

. Despite her young age, she was sensible and obediently shut her mouth, nestling into Yang Cun's arms.

"Caiyu, I'm asking you, before you met me, did you encounter anything unusual?"

He asked casually, but Yang Cun was secretly preparing his attack. If she made any other

move , he would kill her instantly.

Looking up, Li Caiyu's eyes were full of innocence. She bit her lower lip, seemingly genuinely thinking, and

after shook her head, saying, "No, sir. I was bought by the innkeeper's wife before, but she returned

it. You know that, sir?"

"I do know, but I'm asking about something I don't know." Whether it was Li Caiyu's acting skills or

something else, there wasn't a trace of panic in her eyes, only confusion.

"Something you don't know, sir? Please enlighten me." Li Caiyu's attitude was respectful, even tinged with fear.

"You really don't know? Then let me remind you again."

"I dreamt I was bitten by a snake yesterday, a small, bright red snake."

As soon as Yang Cun finished speaking, he felt An Qiao tremble in his arms. She turned her head and looked at him anxiously, saying, "Master,

are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I told you it was just a dream." Yang Cun smiled casually, then saw Li Caiyu's face turn deathly pale

.

She knelt down with a "thump" and kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "Please forgive me, Your Excellency, please forgive me."

"It really was you." Resisting the urge to strike her with his palm, Yang Cun no longer had

any pity for her . He shouted sharply, "Speak! Why did you hurt me?"

This time, An Qiao looked at Li Caiyu with hostility. She covered her mouth with her small hand in horror,

her misty eyes scanning Yang Cun, as if trying to see where he was hurt.

Li Caiyu's face turned ashen. Upon hearing Yang Cun's question, tears streamed down her face. She slapped herself repeatedly,

crying, "This servant deserves to die! This servant deserves to die! This servant truly never imagined it would harm Master! It...it only said it would

put a drop of its blood into this servant's body to help it find the person it was looking for, and then it would leave. It said...it said it wouldn't

hurt anyone...it said...if this servant disagreed, it would bite Father's body...This servant...this servant..."

She cried so hard she could barely breathe, her words becoming incoherent. However, Yang Cun still managed to gather what he wanted to know.

He picked up An Qiao and helped her sit down, then abruptly stood up and asked, "Did you really see the Flame Dragon?"

"Wh...what Flame Dragon? This servant doesn't know. What this servant saw...was just a small, bright red snake."

"Did it ever tell you what it was looking for?" It was normal not to know the name; Yang Cun asked this deliberately,

only to further test Li Caiyu.

"It said... said it was looking for an adversary..."

An adversary? Could it be the Vajra Seal? A sudden shock ran through her, and then her heart sank. So this unexpected calamity

was caused by the Vajra Seal hidden within her body? In the Five Elements, both metal and fire are warlike attributes. The Flame Dragon

isn't stupid; it must have been using Li Caiyu to search for the Vajra Seal's trail, and she just happened to stumble upon it. Could

such a coincidence really happen? Damn it, even a screenwriter couldn't write something this melodramatic.

It seems there's some mysterious force controlling things, but what is it?

"Master... Master... this servant was wrong. You can hit me, you can scold me, but please don't send me away. This servant did

n't mean it ; I really didn't know I would harm you..."

Li Caiyu sobbed, her eyes filled with tears, sorrowful and grief-stricken. So pure, truly without

any cunning scheming. It seems that the Flame Dragon using Li Caiyu was a piece of cake.

"Unintentional?" It was less a question to Li Caiyu and more a question to herself. No longer in the mood to argue,

Yang Cun could only sit back down with a bitter smile.

"Caiyu, you're so good at being unintentional. Your carelessness has caused me so much trouble." He

already believed Li Caiyu's story, and Yang Cun felt utterly miserable. Yanlong's injury was only temporary; he

had only injured it by catching it off guard. What if it recovered and turned on him? Then, if it

started causing trouble with the Vajra Seal inside his body, even if he did nothing, he'd probably still be doomed.

Oh, right, Yanlong said it wouldn't let him die, at most… damn it, so unintentional.

There was a sound of something rapidly approaching in the air. The next moment, Li Caiyu was grabbed by the neck and lifted up,

her feet off the ground, like a puppet.

Under Yang Tongbao's strong arms, even struggling was a luxury for Li Caiyu.

"Dare to harm your master, you deserve to die!" Yang Tongbao, loyal to Yang Shu and ordered to protect Yang Cun, must have only heard

Yang Cun's last words. His eyes were filled with icy terror as he tightened his grip.

Suddenly gripped, Li Caiyu clung to Yang Tongbao's arm, unable to cry out any longer.

Unable , her face quickly turned from white to ashen, her eyes filled with fear and despair. Her increasingly vacant gaze

fixed on Yang Cun, clearly trying to plead for help.

"Alright, Tongbao, let her go." As a soldier, Yang Tongbao, principled in his actions

, prioritized his own safety. If he didn't speak up, Li Caiyu's death was imminent. After all,

she had been his woman, giving him her virginity; Yang Cun couldn't bear to do it.

He could do despicable things—he wasn't a good person to begin with—but to kill, especially

unintentionally, and against a delicate woman, was something Yang Cun couldn't bring himself to do.

Even a woman like the Demonic Sect woman couldn't bring herself to kill, let alone Li Caiyu. If she were a

truly wicked villain, it would be one thing, but… that one night of passion, Li Caiyu's pitiful,

pleading image was still etched in his mind. If he were to kill her now, knowing it was unintentional, he would be utterly

inhuman.

Call it womanly compassion, call it a lack of ambition, but besides, what Li Caiyu did wasn't necessarily wrong. The power of

the Five Elements is a power every cultivator dreams of mastering, and one of those coveted powers

was given to him by Li Caiyu; it's just that his cultivation was still too shallow to control it.

Like Lin Guan, who knew he couldn't control the Vajra Seal but still fought relentlessly, ultimately suffering

a backlash from it without complaint. If Lin Guan didn't regret it, why should he?

The more he thought about it, the more he felt that Li Caiyu really shouldn't be killed.

"My lord," Yang Tongbao disagreed, not understanding why Yang Cun would keep someone who had harmed him by

his side. In these times, life was precious; damaging the Duke of Jing's dignity was a crime punishable by death, even eight or

ten times over for a mere servant.

"Tongbao, don't be impulsive," Yang Cun shook his head, his smile even more bitter. This was a truly unspeakable

injustice . Seeing Li Caiyu's eyes roll back and her body go limp, Yang Cun's voice hardened. "This matter

can't be explained in a short time. Release her first." Otherwise, once the matter was resolved, Li Caiyu would only have the chance to be reincarnated.

Although unwilling, Yang Tongbao couldn't disobey Yang Cun's orders. Yang Tongbao released her, and the already

suffocating Li Caiyu, limp as a noodle, collapsed to the ground.

"Anqiao, go and take care of Sister Caiyu," Yang Cun coaxed the little girl Anqiao, but inwardly he sighed.

Ever since Li Caiyu came with him, she had been constantly injured. Not to mention the brutality that night, she had almost lost

her life . He wondered if she would regret coming back with him.

After Anqiao had someone help carry Li Caiyu away, Yang Cun asked Yang Tongbao, "Why are you back again?" "Replying to

your question, sir," Yang Tongbao also recovered from the earlier commotion, but looking in the direction Li Caiyu had left,

his expression was still unfriendly. He could foresee that Li Caiyu's future days would probably not be easy. Hearing Yang Cun's question,

he replied, "The Prince of Ding's heir came by just now, but because he was afraid that it would be inconvenient for you to see him while you were receiving guests, I refused,

saying that you were unwell and unable to receive guests."

One represented the Prince of Ding, and the other represented the Emperor. Even a fool could tell which was more important, so

it was reasonable for Yang Tongbao to stop him. But Zhao Qinyun was in quite a mood, was she a tortoise? " He's still holding

a grudge against me?" Yang Cun curled his lips and asked, "Did he say what it was about?"

"He wants to invite you to a banquet tonight, sir," Yang Tongbao replied truthfully. That young master was incredibly good-natured;

he didn't force the Duke even after he mentioned he wasn't feeling well, and simply invited him to a banquet before leaving without making things difficult for Yang Tongbao.

"Another banquet?" Yang Cun felt like he was having a splitting headache. Was Zhao Qinyun being a little too enthusiastic

? He wasn't her father. He hadn't been in Hangzhou for long, and this was already the third time she'd invited him.

If she had too much money and nowhere to spend it, she should have just said so; he'd be happy to help! Or should she just pay up?

Putting aside his absurd thoughts, Yang Cun had to admit the profound and extensive culinary culture of China's five thousand years of

history . In officialdom, such banquets seemed to be the norm.

"Is it going to be at Yipinlou again?" The first time, Bai Yongwang and his group accompanied him, showering him with

compliments . The second time, he was alone, and they even offered a combination of heartfelt conversation and seductive charm. What was she planning this time?

"Sir, no," Yang Tongbao denied. "They said it was at the Prince of Ding's villa in Hangzhou, where the young master is currently staying."

"The place."

"Hmm?" Yang Cun raised his thick eyebrows in surprise and asked, "Why is it at his residence?" Wang

Dong had tried every means to keep people out of the way, so why was he hosting a banquet for him there? Wasn't he afraid that Yang Cun would do something underhanded?

After thinking for a moment, he asked again, "Do you know who else is there?" Could it be just him again?

"I heard there are quite a few officials from Hangzhou, all of whom have been getting close to the young master these past few days."

Zhao Qinyun arrived just as Yang Tongbao left. To ensure everything went smoothly, he had gone out to inquire, which was why he returned

a little late.

"I see." Yang Tongbao's words enlightened Yang Cun, who sneered repeatedly, cracking his knuckles

and coldly saying, "He—the Duke is quite concerned, isn't he?"

Yang Tongbao instantly understood Yang Cun's meaning, his expression turning serious. He said, "Then I will go to the Prince Ding's villa immediately and

tell him that you are unwell and cannot attend the banquet."

"No need," Yang Cun waved his hand, "It's useless. He came here to scheme against me. If

you say I can't go out, he'll probably move the banquet here. I'm afraid of the noise, so I'll go instead. You

should find a few good men to go with me. We need to find out what this young master is all about." He finished speaking

with a wicked and lewd smile.

"Yes." Although he replied, the worry on Yang Tongbao's face remained.

The old emperor thought he was being discreet, sending someone who was neither male nor female, claiming to be his personal guard, thinking

it would be foolproof and wouldn't attract attention. However, he clearly underestimated

the extent to which his opponents coveted his throne and the level of attention they paid to him.

If Yang Cun wasn't mistaken, this guard had been under surveillance since leaving the capital; it was quite an achievement that he had made it to Hangzhou

alive . Yue Long didn't possess much internal energy, so the old emperor must have sent secret guards

to protect him, right?

Knowing full well that the emperor had sent someone to see him, Zhao Qinyun still hosted a banquet for him at this crucial juncture, accompanied by

officials who were practically on his side. Making it so obvious to everyone, his intention

was simply to sow suspicion in the old emperor, forcing Yang Cun to defect. And Yang Cun hadn't yet reached

the point of open hostility; even if he refused, he couldn't find a suitable reason, unless he, Yang Cun, was a loyal and patriotic minister.

Unfortunately, he wasn't. If he could, he even wanted to humorously say to Zhao Qinyun,

"Congratulations, you bet on the right horse."

Attending the banquet was easy; explaining things to Yue Long afterward was troublesome. And with a hidden bomb-

like fire dragon inside him, wasn't this just pushing him to the brink of madness? These past few days have been hectic. Aside from obtaining the inner core from the forest ranger

through a series of opportunistic means, Yang Cun's cultivation has remained stagnant. If things continue like this, he'll likely be at the mercy of the Flaming Dragon

. With plenty of time before nightfall, Yang Cun sat cross-legged and entered a meditative state.

The old Taoist had said, "Only in a world free from desires and wants can one break through one's limitations." Haste makes waste,

right? He wouldn't eat lunch or dinner; wasn't Zhao Qinyun rich? He could eat on an empty stomach.

However, in reality, Yang Cun, in his meditative state, felt no hunger at all. This time, his mind quickly became as

calm as still water, forgetting where he was. What was originally a white, chaotic scene now appeared

to have added golden and crimson rays of light.

He didn't think about the Vajra Seal or the Flaming Dragon; after relaxing, he let his consciousness drift freely, searching for

something that could resonate with his soul. As Yang Cun's consciousness settled, four inner cores emerged from his lower abdomen,

dantian , and slowly rotated around his body, endlessly repeating the cycle. Yang Cun

's closed eyes and serene expression, with a faint smile on his lips, suggested he was in the midst of a beautiful dream.

When Yang Cun was completely unconscious, a slight movement occurred among the flowers not far away. After a long while, a person

dressed in , slowly approaching Yang Cun. Seeing that he didn't react, the person reached out and touched his body.

His cherry lips were tightly pressed together, his delicate, pinkish-white face tense, and his almond-shaped eyes filled with curiosity.

The newcomer was Yue Long, a guard sent by the old emperor.

However, to Yue Long's surprise, the instant his fingers touched Yang Cun's robes

, a strong milky-white halo suddenly emanated from him. A powerful aura caused his body

to fly straight out like a kite with a broken string, only stopping when he crashed into a pillar of a stone pavilion with a loud thud. He opened

his mouth and spat out a mouthful of bright red blood.

Turning back angrily, Yang Cun remained in the same position under the flower trellis, not even blinking.

Sensing something amiss, he turned to see Yang Tongbao staring at him expressionlessly with an icy expression.

Startled, he quickly stammered, "I...I meant no harm..."

"I know," Yang Tongbao replied coldly, turning and walking away, his words carried on the wind: "If

you had meant no harm, you would have died the moment you appeared."

Yue Long felt a chill run down his spine.

Yang Cun, lost in his own meditation, knew nothing of this, so no one wondered why

the protective layer around him had been golden last time, but had turned milky white this time.

Time seemed to stand still in his consciousness. Yang Cun sat there for a whole day, showing no

signs . The An sisters reheated the food repeatedly, but he didn't open his eyes.

"Uncle Dong, what should we do? It's getting late, and the Prince Ding's banquet is about to begin, but the Duke

hasn't woken up yet." Yang Tongbao looked at Yang Cun, whose face remained calm, with Wang Dong, feeling anxious.

"It's late, so be it. The young master is going to give that kid face. Why should we be afraid of him?" Wang Dong remained

unmoved . What could be more important than improving the young master's cultivation? This was a great opportunity to restore the Yang family's reputation

.

"Uncle Dong," Yang Tongbao said helplessly.

"Alright, alright, as long as someone goes into meditation with him to guide the young master back, that's fine. However, there's a certain

danger. If the young master can't control himself, the person who goes to call him might get stuck in his consciousness and won't be able to

get out." Wang Dong said slowly, looking at Yang Tongbao with some sympathy. "Even if we have to call him, we

need someone suitable, at least someone with a strong will. I'm too old to do that. Two choices:

one we continue to wait patiently; two, you go. But I, this old man, still have to advise you. The young master is currently at the fourth level of cultivation..."

"He still has the Vajra Seal within him. If he loses control and something happens, it's perfectly normal." After

Wang Dong finished speaking, Yang Tongbao's face darkened. Looking at Wang Dong, he was completely speechless: "Uncle Dong, are you joking with me

?"

"No, he's telling the truth."

A clear voice came over, and the group turned around to see Yang Cun slowly opening his eyes.

This kind of meditation, like an old monk in deep meditation, is the least time-limited. It is said that there was once a Taoist who could meditate

for ten years. To avoid meditating for years on a whim, Yang Cun

set a time limit for himself before meditating, similar to an alarm clock.

This was also taught by the old Taoist, but he hadn't actually practiced it yet. Today, he just wanted to test the waters. Fortunately

, it worked, and he woke up on time. Otherwise, if Yang Tongbao hadn't waited and had recklessly barged into his

consciousness according to Wang Dong's method, it would have been a disaster.

In fact, Wang Dong's method is also a good one, quite useful for waking up meditators in deep meditation, but

it is a bit dangerous. Of course, this applies to ordinary cultivators, not to his current freakish situation.

Not only the Vajra Seal, but also a cold-blooded, savage serpent within his body capable of sensing his

consciousness . If any unfamiliar aura intrudes, even if Yang Cun himself doesn't want it, the Flame Dragon will devour the intruder's consciousness.

Don't ask Yang Cun how he knows, because he doesn't know either. In that final moment, his senses

had returned, so he heard Yang Tongbao and Wang Dong's conversation. Almost instantly,

strange things appeared in his mind—the aforementioned content—from… the Vajra Seal? Or the Flame Dragon's

warning?

Even he himself couldn't figure it out.

"My Lord." After bowing with Wang Dong, Yang Tongbao secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Consciousness devoured?

He thought he had gained a lot of knowledge when he followed the Prince, but he never expected something so unprecedented! Truly,

there's no limit to how bizarre things can get…

"The person has been found, my lord. Shall we go now?"

"Yes, alright, let's go now." Yang Cun nodded and stood up. After sitting all day, his body didn't suffer from

poor blood circulation from maintaining the same posture; on the contrary, he felt refreshed and exceptionally comfortable. An

indescribable energy flowed slowly through his blood, like a full-body massage.

He got up and stretched, and the An sisters quickly took out the prepared clothes to help him change. Because they

were quick and efficient , washing his face and combing his hair didn't take much time either.

"Uncle Dong, if any troublemakers appear at Yipinlou tonight, as long as they don't harm

us , just turn a blind eye and let them be."

As they reached the door and were about to step into the prepared carriage, Yang Cun suddenly gave Wang Dong a mysterious smile.

Wang Dong was taken aback, not quite understanding.

However, after Yang Cun and the others had been gone for a long time, and everyone in Yipinlou was asleep,

he understood his master's meaning.

In the days before modern lighting facilities, even a luxurious inn like Yipinlou would be plunged into darkness at

night . A few lonely, large red lanterns looked particularly eerie, like

the blood-red eyes of a monster in the night.

The restless men Yang Cun had mentioned were dressed entirely in black, their faces

completely . Their target was the same:

the room where the guard Yue Long was.

"Uncle Dong, what's going on?" a guard asked Wang Dong, who was observing coldly.

"Leave them for now. If they dare to cause trouble, kill them," Wang Dong said coldly, his tone devoid of emotion.

After speaking, he slowly walked towards his room. The night remained quiet. Except for Yue Long's expression darkening

after hearing the report from the men in black about Yang Cun attending Zhao Biyun's banquet , everything else was normal. 　　"Do you think we should report this to the Emperor first?" one of the men in black, whose face was cold and who seemed to be the leader, asked Yue Long for his opinion. His words were humble, but his demeanor lacked respect; his back remained ramrod straight. 　　They only obeyed the emperor's orders. Anyone else who wanted to make them bow down would have to have real skill. 　　"Wait a little longer. Any rash action at this time could have serious consequences. We can't fall into Prince Ding 's trap. Since the emperor says Yang Cun is trustworthy, we should give him a chance." Even as he said this, Yue Long's tightly furrowed brows never relaxed, ruining his handsome appearance. He rose and sighed, taking a . He picked up a candlestick and resealed it with wax before handing it to the man in black, saying, " Send this to the palace immediately. We must wait for the emperor's reply. Remember, the sooner the better; things here cannot be delayed." 　　"Yes," the man in black replied, and left at lightning speed. However, several people remained lurking in unseen corners to protect the emperor's envoy.

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