Chapter 323: As Long as the Empress Lives, How Dare I Die?

"Your master was a concubine of the late emperor—could Zhou Mobai possibly have been a eunuch in the late emperor's service?" Chen Guanlou asked cautiously.

The night is long; not gossiping is terribly boring!

What dispels sorrow? Only gossip.

"Zhou Mobai isn't a eunuch—he simply cultivates a peculiar art."

"How peculiar?" Chen Guanlou was intensely curious.

"He must avoid both women and men. But that's not the key point."

That's not the key point?

He's already asexual—what more could you want?

"The key point is, as his art deepens, his body gradually becomes more feminine—yet he never underwent castration. Precisely put, his body gradually turns eunuch-like: his voice, his skin, certain unconscious gestures and postures."

Chen Guanlou: …

Indeed, very peculiar.

No wonder Cheng Lingzi called Zhou Mobai increasingly eunuch-like.

"How do you know so much? Did your master tell you everything?"

"Boredom fills the days, so I write secret letters to my senior brothers and sisters, gossiping about Beijing's scandals. The more we talk, the more I learn—especially the scandals of a few masters in the palace. Quite entertaining."

Zhong Susu smiled playfully, slightly embarrassed—but she was glad someone shared her secrets.

Chen Guanlou's imagination always took strange turns: "How old are your senior brothers and sisters?"

"My senior brother is over seventy—he's the only one among us who actually served the late emperor. My senior sister is even older; I don't know her exact age—she dislikes discussing it. She used to be a palace maid cleaning the halls, but your master noticed her talent and resilience, so she took her as a disciple."

Chen Guanlou: …

A twenty-something youth listening to the Jianghu tales of septuagenarians felt like hearing stories from another century—distant, alien, unreal.

"You're only sixteen—how can you even talk with them?" He genuinely doubted it.

"Listening to my senior brothers and sisters recount court secrets from the late emperor's time is fascinating! They were eyewitnesses to history—every story they tell actually happened, some even recorded in imperial archives. Comparing their accounts with written records gives me immense pleasure."

Zhong Susu wore a nostalgic expression—those secret-letter gossip sessions were her most cherished, purest moments.

"Why did your master take you as a disciple herself, instead of letting your senior brothers and sisters take you on?" Chen Guanlou was curious.

In most sects, when the age gap is too great, disciples are taken on by senior students. But Zhong Susu alone enjoyed her master's favor—Cheng Lingzi had personally come to Beijing fifty years later just to bring her back to the mountain. Such favor was unparalleled.

"Because I'm a genius! My master herself said I'm the most talented disciple she's ever encountered—and one of the rare hidden-meridian types. She didn't trust my senior brothers and sisters to train me; she feared I'd be corrupted. She also said the world is full of bad people, and if she didn't watch me closely, I'd get hurt."

Chen Guanlou clucked in admiration.

When Zhong Susu called herself a genius, her expression wasn't narcissism—it was a plain, factual statement, utterly without exaggeration.

Chen Guanlou didn't understand the world of geniuses. He himself had talent—he'd compared his progress and knew he advanced faster than others. But compared to true geniuses, he still felt far behind.

If Zhong Susu's talent scored 99, his might be between 80 and 89. The gap seemed small—but it was a chasm.

Without the Longevity Dao Fruit, he'd never catch up in a thousand lifetimes.

But with the Longevity Dao Fruit, he was confident—he'd eventually surpass these gifted ones. As long as he didn't die, he'd become invincible.

Just thinking about it thrilled him.

Zhong Susu's pill worked wonders—a warmth surged through his body. He calmed his mind and began refining the pill's energy.

Halfway through, Cheng Lingzi returned—her hair untouched, unruffled—but Zhou Mobai was gone.

"Disciple, is the matter settled? Come with me back to the mountain."

Zhong Susu dashed out of the side room, gazing at the figure hovering in midair: "Master, are you alright?"

"Zhou Mobai? He's no match for me—how could I be harmed?"

"Brother Chen, farewell!" Zhong Susu formally took leave, leaping into the air to follow her master.

Chen Guanlou stood in the courtyard, waving—this parting might be forever.

This night was destined to be anything but peaceful.

"Your Majesty rarely comes to Beijing—why rush to leave?"

Another master had arrived!

Chen Guanlou's emotions were complicated. His two-courtyard house—what kind of feng shui paradise was this? One night, three masters had appeared.

Normally, you couldn't even catch a glimpse of a master.

Tonight, masters appeared like they were free of charge.

"Wei Wubing, are you still alive?" Cheng Lingzi's mouth was clearly blessed—she spoke straight to the heart.

"As long as Your Majesty lives, how dare I die?"

Wei Wubing, the true eunuch master—hairless, yet exuding an immortal aura. His snow-white hair was tied into a small topknot.

Chen Guanlou thought: Do masters suffer from hair loss?

He held a fly whisk, clad in a flowing white robe, stepping lightly through empty air like a celestial immortal descending.

Cheng Lingzi snorted. "I'm merely retrieving my disciple. Why are all of you rushing out? Want to fight me in rotation? I'll oblige."

"So Zhou Mobai lost."

"Zhou's kind won't be fit to carry my shoes even after a hundred more years of cultivation!"

"Your Majesty speaks truly." Wei Wubing stepped lightly onto the rooftop, a full moon behind him. The households around slept soundly—even if heaven fell and earth cracked, none would wake.

Chen Guanlou pinched his thigh hard—such a powerful illusion! He'd nearly fallen asleep, lulled into slumber.

Zhong Susu, protected by Cheng Lingzi, resisted the illusion—but barely; sweat soaked her clothes. Only after Cheng Lingzi forced her to swallow a foul-smelling pill did her condition improve.

"Wei Wubing, you've grown even more sly—still clinging to those underworld tricks!"

Wei Wubing laughed. "Your Majesty remains as blunt as ever. I've missed your scolding for fifty whole years."

"You're just a worthless woman!" Cheng Lingzi swept her sleeve—the sudden gales howled.

Chen Guanlou hurried behind a wall pillar—he refused to leave. Such a spectacle, he'd only witnessed because of Zhong Susu's presence. To walk away now would bring endless regret. What could be more thrilling than two masters clashing?

Just one glance could benefit him endlessly. One night's viewing could propel him to instant transcendence!

Such an opportunity came once in a hundred years. As long as he lived, even if he lost arms or legs, he'd watch.

The Longevity Dao Fruit—eternally divine!