Chapter 351: Okay, very, very good! (Seeking monthly votes)

In a corner of Demon Emperor City, inside a pavilion that was not large but filled with the immortal intent of Dao Rhyme, a middle-aged man with a long, pure white beard set down the paintbrush in his hand and admired the work he had just completed.

Although the middle-aged man's beard and eyebrows were pure white, there was no sign of old age on him; instead, there was a sense of soaring, exuberant vitality.

He examined the work from left to right and clapped his hands with a satisfied smile:

"Hmm, not bad, not bad!"

The scene in the painting was none other than the very moment Ren Yidao ascended above the Blood Flame Ten Thousand Feet, reaching ten thousand and eight hundred feet.

He had traced that moment onto the paper, capturing the most essential essence.

The youth was unrestrained and flamboyant in the sky, revealing his own dazzling sharp edge.

He stood at the very center where everyone's gaze converged, surpassing the scorching sun in the sky and attracting the eyes of all.

But there was one point: the youth's face was not clear; it was a blur, making it impossible to distinguish his specific features.

It was left blank, yet it looked as if the person holding the brush had suddenly hesitated at the final moment, not daring to fill in the final key detail.

However, it was not difficult to see from other portraits that the middle-aged man's brushwork was actually quite good; it stood to reason that it was not that he could not do it, but that he had done it on purpose.

"Good! Very, very good!"

"A true scorching sun indeed..."

Just as the middle-aged man was admiring it, his expression suddenly changed, and he waved his sleeve to quickly put away the scroll.

And the very next moment after he hurriedly put away the scroll, the door to his wooden hut was kicked open by someone!

Bang!

Whoosh—

The tranquility inside the room was shattered instantly; a large, hairy monkey rushed in, baring its fangs and brandishing its claws, and dumped the deer-headed brute it had been carrying on its shoulder onto the table as if unloading cargo.

"True Person He, hurry and save my brother!!!"

The middle-aged man's expression shifted, and he quickly spoke up to stop them:

"Wait! You can't put him there..."

As expected, unable to bear the weight, the wooden table the middle-aged man had carved himself collapsed with a crash, and the deer-headed brute on top of it fell heavily to the ground.

"Pfft!"

Shaken by the impact, the unconscious Luzhi forcefully sprayed a mouthful of old blood from his mouth, which splattered across the entire room, coating it very evenly.

But Bao Fang did not notice the middle-aged man's cheeks bulging from clenching his teeth, and he shouted anxiously:

"Hurry and save my brother!!!"

"He's about to die!!!"

Although Bao Fang had been out of it and daydreaming the whole time, upon seeing Luzhi unconscious, he also understood that some unexpected situation had likely occurred.

Fearing there might be some issue, he did not dare to send Luzhi home and had no choice but to first find this mysterious True Person He to save him.

This True Person He had an unknown level of strength and an unknown name, calling himself "Hermit of Leisurely Clouds," but he held a rather high status in Demon Emperor City.

When he first arrived in Demon Emperor City, he was invited by the State Preceptor to his mansion for a detailed discussion; outsiders did not know the specific content, only that the two sat and discussed the Dao for three full days, and in the end, he was personally seen off by the State Preceptor.

Since then, this mysterious True Person He had become an honored guest of every tribe.

He not only possessed profound Dao attainments but also had superb medical skills; over these years, he had stepped in to resolve many difficult and miscellaneous illnesses, making the various tribes respect him even more.

Not only that, True Person He was also skilled in divination and deduction; the matter Bao Fang and the others were involved in today was something they had come to ask this True Person He about in advance.

If not for him, these people would not have proactively mentioned Drunken Immortal Pavilion when inviting Ren Yidao.

Therefore, when Luzhi met with danger, the first thing Bao Fang thought of was to come and seek help from True Person He.

It was just that Bao Fang truly lacked the ability to read the room and did not notice that True Person He's mood was off at this moment.

"Ha..."

True Person He's gloomy face twitched wildly; he almost exploded and kicked this monkey that had come here to cause trouble right out the door.

He's about to die?

Your brother is dying?

He, damn it, has such a strong breath even while vomiting blood; how could he be about to die?

I think you're the one about to die!

"Calm down, let me look at his condition first."

But True Person He quickly calmed down, put on a different face, leaned over, and pressed his fingers to Luzhi's neck, his brow furrowing:

"Which big shot did you provoke?"

Bao Fang was stunned for a moment, scratched his head, and said:

"What does True Person mean by that? Is my brother still savable?"

True Person He stood up, flicked the bloodstains off his fingertips, and shook his head:

"Him? He is already no..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Bao Fang lost his composure and shouted out in alarm:

"No longer savable!!?"

"True Person! Take another look! How could my brother just be gone like this!"

The large, tear-streaked macaque said this and moved to hug True Person He's thigh:

"True Person!!! You must... ugh!?"

As a result, just as he got halfway there, he heard a low, suppressed roar:

"Be quiet!!!"

True Person He finally could not endure it any longer and waved his hand, using the whisk dharma treasure in his hand to bind the noisy monkey's mouth, hands, and feet.

"I said he is already fine! I didn't say he was no longer savable! You reckless monkey! Can't you just quietly wait for me to finish speaking!?"

After saying this through gritted teeth, True Person He took three deep breaths, trying his best to regulate his out-of-control emotions.

True Person He had cultivated his character for many years, and he never imagined that one day he would almost lose his composure over a monkey.

After regulating his breath for a moment, True Person He regained his usual calm, but he did not untie Bao Fang; leaving him bound just like that, he explained:

"Little Friend Luzhi's injuries appear severe, but in reality, that is merely a superficial appearance. His inner Qi is not lacking, his physical body is unharmed, and only his Consciousness Sea is trapped by a mist..."

"He does not need any treatment at all; he only needs to rest quietly for one night to fully recover."

"The other party clearly held back; it was just a small punishment."

As True Person He sensed the mist on Luzhi's Consciousness Sea, the astonishment in his eyes grew, and he became increasingly excited.

This is not demon magic, but a Daoist Art!

I never expected this, I truly never expected this!

This Demon Emperor City is truly full of hidden talents; it actually hides a fellow Daoist who cultivates the Dao.

Such exquisite control left True Person He greatly amazed.

"You still haven't told me, which expert did you actually offend? To make the other party specifically take action to punish you."

Behind True Person He, the bound Bao Fang twisted his body and struggled to make a sound: "Mmph mmph, mmph mmph."

True Person!

You should at least look at me!

Why do you not dare to turn around and look at me—

True Person He, immersed in his own world, waited for a long time without receiving a response, finally realized where the problem lay, and silently untied Bao Fang.

"Cough cough! The True Person is truly fast! I couldn't react at all."

Having regained his freedom, Bao Fang was not angry; instead, he grinned and offered a few flattering words.

Upon knowing that Luzhi was safe and sound, he set his heart at ease and returned to his usual attitude.

"As for the expert the True Person mentioned, we didn't go to provoke any expert just now; we were just following the True Person's advice to invite the Crown Prince to the Drunken Immortal Pavilion."

True Person He's brows twitched, he realized where the problem lay, and immediately pressed:

"Drunken Immortal Pavilion? According to what you say, this expert... could it be that Crown Prince?"

Bao Fang scratched his head vigorously, sending long fur flying, and said with little confidence:

"I don't know the specific situation, but Brother Luzhi did indeed faint after being patted on the shoulder by the Crown Prince."

"Then I brought him to find the True Person for help."

The Crown Prince?

How could it be the Crown Prince?

How could he also practice Daoist Art?

Thoughts flashed through True Person He's mind, and he thought of a key point he had previously overlooked.

"Oh right, he lived in the Human Realm before; it is perfectly normal for him to also practice Daoist Art."

Thinking of this, joy uncontrollably appeared on True Person He's face, he excitedly clenched his fists, and shouted in his heart:

"Good, good, good, good!"

"This is truly the best news possible! I never expected that after planning in this Demon Emperor City for so many years, and thinking I had no chance and was ready to give up, it would actually take a turn for the better at the very end!"

"Our great cause is promising!"

True Person He thought with surging emotions for a while, then hurriedly suppressed the excitement in his heart, repeatedly warning himself:

"No! I cannot be careless yet, I must be cautious... Opportunity knocks but once, I must not let a problem arise at the final moment!"

He completely adjusted his emotions, turned around, and said kindly to Bao Fang:

"Little friend, since Little Friend Luzhi is fine, I will not charge you for this consultation."

"However, I have a small request; please, you must help me with this small favor."

Oh!?

Everyone in Demon Emperor City knows that True Person He has profound attainments in the Dao, but few people ask him for favors; the most important reason is that his asking price is truly too high.

And it is not a fixed price, but rather he will propose conditions that are extremely painful for the person involved.

Like today's matter, Bao Fang contributed ten jars of his personally brewed Monkey Wine that he had kept in private.

Now, if there is no price to pay... no, as long as he doesn't have designs on my Monkey Wine, anything is fine!

Bao Fang patted his chest and readily agreed, saying confidently:

"No problem! Whatever request the True Person has, just name it! I will definitely help you solve it!"

"Good, good, good, good!"

True Person He was quite satisfied with Bao Fang's attitude, became even more amiable, and spoke gently:

"Actually, it is nothing major; I just hope that you, little friend, can introduce me to the Crown Prince in the future."

Bao Fang patted his chest and grinned broadly with confidence:

"Oh! Is that all? No problem, I will definitely help the True Person with the introduction when I have the chance."

But just as Bao Fang finished speaking, a knock sounded at the door at the right moment.

Knock knock.

The person who arrived did not walk into the room, but stood outside the door and politely knocked on the door that had already been kicked open.

He held a gilded invitation in both hands and said respectfully:

"True Person, here is an invitation for you, inviting you to attend a banquet at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion."

"Oh? This poor Daoist understands; you may place it on the table... place it to the side."

True Person He did not take this matter to heart; such things were not rare, as everyone in Demon Emperor City knew he liked food from the Human Race, so people often set up banquets at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion to invite him.

He was just about to continue giving instructions to Bao Fang when a thought suddenly flashed through his mind, and he turned to ask the demon guard who had delivered the invitation:

"Wait, who is inviting me to the banquet?"

The demon guard was struggling with whether to return like this, but upon hearing this, he let out a sigh of relief and hurriedly said:

"It is His Highness the Crown Prince."

"True Person, it is His Highness the Crown Prince and Miss Qingteng hosting a banquet at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion."

True Person He's eyes lit up, feeling that happiness had arrived so suddenly.

He had been preparing to find an opportunity to establish a connection with this Crown Prince, never expecting the other party to take the initiative to come to him!

Since you have delivered yourself to my doorstep!

Then you cannot blame me!

"Good, good, good, good!"

……

……

"Good, good, good, good!"

Wentian City, city gate.

Shi Enguang, as the current Patriarch of the Shi family, was actually waiting in person at the city gate. Upon seeing the figure of Li Yiyi, he laughed loudly:

"Nephew Yiyi has returned!"

Disregarding his status as a noble family Patriarch, he strode to the front of Li Yiyi, examined him exaggeratedly, and then laughed heartily:

"I haven't seen you for a while, Nephew Yiyi, you are indeed becoming more outstanding! You look more like a man who stands tall and firm!"

Facing this overly enthusiastic old man, Li Yiyi's mouth twitched, and then he lowered his head respectfully as he had done in the past.

"Patriarch Shi, I haven't greeted you in a long time."

Jian Xinxin's figure could no longer be seen by Li Yiyi's side; the two had quietly parted ways before entering the city.

Although he did not know how Jian Xinxin would enter the city, he figured there was no need for him to worry about his Senior Uncle.

Upon hearing Li Yiyi's greeting, Shi Enguang's pupils trembled slightly, then he laughed as if nothing had happened:

"Patriarch Shi? What is the meaning of this? We haven't seen each other for only a few days, why has my nephew suddenly become so distant? Didn't you used to call me Uncle Shi?"

Hearing these words, Li Yiyi, with his head lowered, curled his lips slightly and secretly sighed in his heart:

"His reaction is exactly as Master said, without the slightest deviation..."

He was thoroughly convinced by his Master's ability to foresee everything, completely set his mind at ease, and acted according to his Master's instructions.

Li Yiyi raised his head, smiled shyly, and said softly:

"Yes, Uncle Shi is right to teach me. It is my fault, please do not take offense, Uncle Shi."

Shi Enguang laughed heartily and waved his hand dismissively:

"Oh! Why say such things? Come! I have already set up a banquet at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion to welcome you home!"

Li Yiyi shook his head, pointed at Yang Wusheng, who was already waiting in front with the carriage, and politely declined:

"Uncle Shi, let's skip it for today. I have to go pay my respects to the Emperor, my father, in a moment."

Shi Enguang's smile stiffened, then he nodded repeatedly and forced a laugh:

"Uh... right, my nephew is doing the right thing. Meeting with His Majesty, your father, is the priority!"

"Then I won't disturb you today. I will host a banquet at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion again tomorrow. You must come then! If you don't, you won't be giving me face! Hahahaha!"

Li Yiyi nodded with a smile, exchanged a few polite words, then strode away and boarded the carriage driven by Yang Wusheng.

Watching Li Yiyi's carriage drive away, Shi Enguang, left where he stood, chuckled with a stiff expression, his thoughts churning incessantly:

"Why didn't Li Yiyi ask about Xiao Xiao?"

"Does he know about her disappearance? Or is it that he already has a new love at the Divine Path Sect?"

"Tsk! Yes, it must be that! A young person's feelings should be this fickle..."

It is laughable to say, but as a father, what Shi Enguang hoped for most at this moment was that his daughter's lover would have a change of heart.

After boarding the carriage, the smile on Li Yiyi's face vanished instantly, turning cold.

"Uncle Shi, before doing those things, did you forget one thing?"

"I, Li Yiyi, am also a member of the Li Family?"

He whispered silently in his heart:

"I..."

"Am also capable of killing."