Chapter 80: The Fierce Tiger in the Heart Sniffs the Rose; Jinghuan Obtains Guidance for a Reason

By bestowing treasures, he truly won the hearts of the various demon immortals and established the title to be proclaimed to the outside world.

Immediately, there was a round of shared revelry, and the host and guests parted in high spirits.

Inside the inner palace.

New flowers used to adorn the steps below were sparsely interspersed. To the left and right, the color of pines and the shadows of bamboo permeated the air with a dark green hue.

The Lotus Treasure Lamp hung on the wall, its lingering glow casting down and suffusing the surroundings into the likeness of mutton-fat jade, magnificent and beautiful.

After directing a group of fox maidens to tidy up the mess, Jinghuan, who had finally restored the outer palace to order, returned to the inner palace.

Seeing Fang Longye leaning in Qingli's embrace while studying a classic, she stepped forward to offer a cup of tea.

Fang Longye retracted the handwritten manuscript of the Taiyi Demon Immortal into his Heaven-Filling Dharma Conch and took the fragrant tea handed over by Jinghuan to savor it carefully.

After all, he had spent several hundred years living a life served and attended to in this manner. Fang Longye was no longer the type to self-deprecatingly claim he was merely affecting refinement.

Nowadays, he was deeply immersed in these pastimes of elegance and could offer a critique of various fragrant teas; when drinking, he no longer gulped them down as he once did.

Sipping slowly, he possessed quite a refined air.

After drinking, he handed the teacup to Jinghuan and smiled, "Speak your mind if you have something to say. Why are you being so hesitant?"

"Young Master, I have a question. Why do you value that Origin Immortal named Luming so much?"

"Oh?" Fang Longye chuckled and shook his head, "Do you think a steward who can serve several successive demon kings without falling is not a talent?"

Before Jinghuan could respond, Qingli smiled and said, "Are you trying to say that even if he is indeed outstanding in strategy, he shouldn't have been placed in a high position right away, with responsibilities that are almost identical to what they were before?"

Seeing Jinghuan nod, Qingli laughed, "The Young Master has just taken control of this treasure mountain; not only does he need to use Luming to soothe hearts, but he also needs his help to organize the forces. He is the one who understands the entire faction best, so naturally, he must be the steward."

She then teased, "You can't even see through such an expedient measure. You had better just be the Young Master's little maid!"

She then continued seriously, "You must understand that for the strong, managing a faction is actually very simple. As long as you have absolute power, the 'iron-clad steward, flowing demon kings' you worry about is nothing but a joke."

"For the Young Master, isn't it good to have a subordinate who has always been diligent and responsible to help handle trivial matters?"

Seeing that Jinghuan seemed to have realized something, Fang Longye spoke again, "Furthermore, besides his strategic mind, this Luming is no simple character. Do you still remember Junyuan?"

"Naturally I remember. Could it be that he is like that refiner Junyuan?"

"Very much so."

The reason Fang Longye paid attention to Luming was naturally because he valued his natural talent and future prospects.

Among the demon immortals all over the mountain, few possessed such outstanding personal fortune, yet this Bailu King had a clear and brilliant aura of fortune, with even immortal fungus and jade pendants condensing around him.

Although not comparable to his own, it was still quite extraordinary.

In Fang Longye's view, to thrive in the Honghuang, besides being strong oneself, one must have the assistance of a faction; even a hero needs three helpers!

And to develop a faction, recruiting talent is naturally a necessary move. Talents like Junyuan and Luming, who are like hidden dragons in the abyss, waiting to soar, are naturally the more the better.

……

Huan Shan Chengchi.

Inside a courtyard.

A pavilion stood tall.

Having returned to the residence allotted to him, Luming did not rush to decorate his Sumeru Space like the other demon immortals.

He stood by the window, admiring the thousand stalks of bamboo in the courtyard outside.

They were graceful and free, with sturdy bamboo bones and leaves like jade rafters, interspersed with frost-covered stones. When the wind blew, they made a pleasant sound, creating a very secluded atmosphere.

Unlike other Loose Immortals, whose residences were merely a single building with three or five people sharing a courtyard.

As an Origin Immortal, the residence he was allotted included this deep, secluded courtyard outside. The entire courtyard had only his treasure pavilion sitting within it.

"True Immortal Realm means a palace, so only Golden Immortals can go to the side peaks of this Cangmang Mountain to establish their own Cave Abode?"

He recalled the encouraging words of his new Great King before the banquet dispersed: "I look forward to the day you can go to the other peaks of this Cangmang Mountain to establish your own Cave Abode."

Cangmang Mountain stretched for tens of thousands of miles, so naturally, it was not just a single peak. Motian Cliff was merely the main peak of Cangmang Mountain; there were over a hundred other side peaks, just not as towering as Motian Cliff.

Although this new Great King did not say it explicitly, judging by the layout of this mountain city, it must be so. A True Immortal who had not yet achieved the Golden Immortal Realm was already swearing that he would surely have subordinates of the Golden Immortal Realm.

To an ordinary person, one might burst into laughter, heap ridicule upon him, and think he was spouting nonsense, daydreaming, and overestimating his own capabilities.

But he did not think so.

"Yuanlong?"

Thinking of the title this Great King had established, the many treasures he had bestowed, and the various omens on the pillar of fortune, he became increasingly certain that this Great King's background was not simple; it could not be summarized by the simple term of Dragon Prince.

In the future, it would certainly not be dull; he would stir up great waves, perhaps even sweeping across the entire Beiju Luzhou.

If one were to go by how other demon immortals perceived him in daily life, he should feel dissatisfied, or even resentful.

Because this meant unrest, it meant endless fighting, which was definitely not what he, a seeker of comfort, liked.

However, there is a fierce tiger in the heart, sniffing the rose.

He had merely been waiting for the right time, intentionally lying low. Now that he had met this master with an obviously grand background, it was naturally a different matter.

Therefore, having concluded that Fang Longye had a grand background, he had directly sworn his allegiance and loyalty, unlike his usual reservations.

Because, having obtained the inheritance of Baize, how could he be willing to sink into obscurity? Even if that inherited information was but a few scattered fragments.

In the pavilions and gardens, a cool breeze blew, carrying bursts of fragrance.

The night was deep; it was time to decorate this Sumeru Space.

……

Longying Cave.

The inner chamber of the palace was serene.

Fang Longye lectured Jinghuan, "Spend less time on other matters; you have been too relaxed lately. The most important thing is still cultivation; don't end up being surpassed by even Hu Qiuyue."

"Young Master, that won't happen. Our Jinghuan is blessed with good fortune!" Qingli fed Fang Longye a spiritual fruit and said with a beaming smile.

"Good fortune? Don't count on me. If she doesn't work hard herself, even if I give her divine pills and miraculous medicines to help her ascend, she will still be a good-for-nothing," Fang Longye waved his hand.

"The Young Master is naturally our greatest good fortune, but that is not what I meant this time," Qingli shook her head with a smile.

"Oh?" This piqued Fang Longye's interest.

"Does the young master still remember Jinghuan's Bloodline?"

"Naturally, I remember. The Green Jade Illusion Butterfly is considered a rare species, especially skilled in the Dao of Illusion. It is a pity that, as of now, she is not even my equal in the cultivation of the Dao of Illusion."

"What kind of celestial being are you, young master? What aspect of cultivation could we possibly compare to you in? However, do you know why I took this girl in to impart my teachings?"

Seeing Fang Longye's confusion, Qingli transmitted a piece of information to Fang Longye after a long time.

"Interesting~" Fang Longye looked at the bewildered Jinghuan and said, "You certainly have good fortune~"

It turned out that before entering the Small World, Qingli had learned of a stroke of good fortune.

Yet, the unlocking of this good fortune was restricted to specific Bloodline species, and the Green Jade Illusion Butterfly was among them.

That was why, after encountering Jinghuan, who possessed the Green Jade Illusion Butterfly, in the Small World, she taught her wholeheartedly. It was all so that she could hitch a ride on a share of that good fortune later.

Otherwise, given the history of Qingli falling out with her close friend Hu Qiuyue, why would she care whether Jinghuan lived or died?

And why would she be so attentive to her cultivation?

Fang Longye stroked the cinnabar mark between Qingli's brows again, sighing with deep emotion: "You really do scheme everywhere and rack your brains for the sake of cultivation."

"If I didn't rack my brains, how could I seize the greatest opportunity that is you, young master?"

Hiss—so cold!

"It just so happens that I recently obtained a legacy from the elder Xuanyuan Huangdi. I, your young master, will show great kindness and allow you to contemplate it together with me~"

Seven-colored mist swirled, blending with the lotus lamps in the hall, swaying and shooting out in all directions for a time.

The second chapter for today. Just got off work, my apologies.

(End of this chapter)