MD Ch 2 Part 5

“My Lord, should I keep this? Or would you like to have it?”

Ah Jiu smacked his small beak, gesturing towards the Reincarnation fruit at his feet. He deliberately placed his claws on it and flapped his wings, clearly hoping I wouldn’t take it.

I smiled wryly to myself. I couldn’t give this to Ah Jiu. I didn’t know how the current situation would unfold, and since this fruit was connected to Song Qiyuan’s life, I had to keep it in my possession to feel safe.

“Give it to me.”

“As you wish, My Lor- Huh?”

Ah Jiu’s slightly excited voice plummeted at my words.

“I personally snatched this from that Tengshe’s mouth! I put in so much effort!”

“The Reincarnation fruit is more useful in my possession. Ask no more, Ah Jiu.”

I was fond of Ah Jiu; despite his sharp tongue, he had a certain charm. I hoped he hadn’t noticed my slip-up, referring to myself as “I” instead of “this Lord.”

“My Lord, are you feeling unwell? You always say ‘this Lord,’ but today you said ‘I’?”

Ah Jiu flapped his wings and backed away, his eyes filled not only with wariness but also an indescribable expression. It was the look a child might give a creepy old man…

“My Lord, surely you don’t intend to…?”

“…..”

‘A venomous-tongued, arrogant narcissist who keeps a childish Divine Beast.’

That was the extent of Yu Ke in Ah Jiu’s mind.

Fortunately, Ah Jiu’s thoughts didn’t go any further. However, if he noticed the significant differences between me and Yu Ke, it would raise further suspicions.

But watching Ah Jiu’s wide-eyed, fluttering panic was so endearing that I suddenly felt the urge to tease him. Mimicking Yu Ke’s signature languid gesture of brushing his hair back, I smiled faintly.

“What if this Lord does? If you don’t hand over the Reincarnation fruit, I’ll have Jincheng build you your own palace tomorrow. Just like that Qingfeng Palace where that good-for-nothing Young Master resides. Rest assured, yours will be even more extravagant than the other concubines’. What should we name it?”

I stepped closer to Ah Jiu, my smile widening.

“Vermillion Bird Palace? Nine Phoenix Palace? Ah Jiu, which one do you prefer?”

“Y-Y-You’re teasing me! How about this? Just give me a small piece!”

The little creature hovering in the air, despite his slightly trembling voice, managed to maintain a haughty demeanor, clinging to his last shred of pride.

I did a complete 180 and, with a flash of inspiration, uttered a single sentence.

“Ah Jiu, this Lord has seen the Azure Dragon.”

The moment the words “Azure Dragon” left my mouth, the young Vermillion Bird, who had been flapping his wings and trying to bargain with me, froze. Without warning, crimson flames erupted around him, instantly raising the temperature in the room.

He stared at me with his crimson eyes, radiating killing intent.

“You can have the Reincarnation fruit, my Lord. Where is that damned blue snake? This time, I will kill him! I will reclaim the cultivation levels he stole from me!”

The Reincarnation Fruit, which he had been clutching like a precious treasure, was suddenly placed before me. I reached out and took it. Slightly bewildered by the ease with which I had acquired the fruit, I couldn’t help but smile wryly at Ah Jiu’s appearance. He was truly enraged. I hadn’t realized his resentment towards the Azure Dragon ran so deep.

The conflict between the Azure Dragon and the Vermillion Bird predated Yu Ke and Song Qiyuan’s feud.

In 《Heavenly Demon Tribulation》, there were ten Divine Beast clans, among which the four most renowned and highest-ranking were the Azure Dragon, Vermillion Bird, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise. Just as in human society, where rankings and clans inevitably led to conflict, the same held true in the world of Divine Beasts.

Every hundred years, the Divine Beast clans held a gathering, a competition for ranking that symbolized honor and status. It was a way to gauge the strength of each clan’s elites.

Ah Jiu, with his innate talent and pure bloodline, should have performed exceptionally well at the last gathering. However, he was defeated by a young member of the Azure Dragon clan, who possessed a mixed bloodline, resulting in a significant loss of his cultivation level. It was a great humiliation for Ah Jiu.

Believing he had underestimated his opponent and failed to perform at his best, Ah Jiu sought a rematch after the gathering. However, the Azure Dragon vanished without a trace after his victory. Since then, Ah Jiu had left home, embarking on a arduous journey to find the Azure Dragon, eventually encountering Yu Ke.

I hadn’t realized that after all these decades, Ah Jiu’s resentment remained so potent.

“Ah Jiu, calm down. This Lord will take you to find him in a few days, so extinguish your True Fire first. You’ll burn down this Lord’s bedchamber.”

I tried to appease him. I didn’t know the Azure Dragon’s exact location, but I knew Song Qiyuan would find him in the Abyss of the Ghostly Howls.

As expected, he was completely stubborn when it came to the Azure Dragon, demanding a direct answer.

“How many days exactly is ‘a few days’?”

“…..”

“My Lord, the Domain Lord of the Lost Strategies Domain requests an audience.”

Just as I was caught in a dilemma, a familiar voice from outside the door rescued me.

Gu Jincheng, appearing and disappearing like a ghost, had once again arrived at a critical moment. Truly a hero of the people, a peerless warrior!

I glanced at Ah Jiu, ignoring his furious expression, and said soothingly,

“This Lord must attend to a guest first, so do not cause a commotion. I will definitely take you when it’s time to meet the Azure Dragon.”

I hastily finished speaking, got out of bed, and without waiting for Gu Jincheng’s assistance, opened the door and rushed out.

How long could I keep up this charade?

***

Opening the door, I saw Gu Jincheng waiting respectfully. How long had he been standing there? Had he overheard my conversation with Ah Jiu?

It suddenly occurred to me that Yu Ke had no privacy whatsoever in front of this warrior, Gu Jincheng.

In the novel, the inherently suspicious Yu Ke kept only Gu Jincheng by his side throughout his entire life. Initially, I thought this portrayal would create a sense of depth and establish a loyal subject worthy of readers’ admiration. But now, in this world, I couldn’t help but wonder why Gu Jincheng was so devoted to Yu Ke.

People usually have a motive before doing anything. So, what was Gu Jincheng’s purpose?

“My Lord, I saw Ah Jiu enter your bedchamber as soon as dawn broke.”

The voice of the man beside me brought me back to reality. A faint smile touched his normally stern features as he took a few steps closer, reaching out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear.

“Judging by your expression, that little creature must have been causing mischief again. Your hair is all disheveled from rushing out like that.”

!?

Startled by his sudden action, I took a step back, putting some distance between us. A reprimand formed on my lips but remained unspoken. I turned and headed towards the palace where guests were received, trying to compose myself.

As Gu Jincheng approached earlier, his warm breath had grazed my face. His height was different from when he was disguised as Xiao Yun. He was slightly taller than me now, and his proximity momentarily blocked out the sun, as if he were enveloping me.

I felt… dominated.

Could such intimate gestures be commonplace between Yu Ke and Gu Jincheng? The thought of Yu Ke’s indiscriminate lust sent a shiver down my spine.

How was I supposed to interact normally with Gu Jincheng now?