DDAM 21

News that the Ninth Princess of the East Sea’s merfolk clan was coming to visit the Heavenly Court spread like wildfire, becoming a hot topic of conversation among the immortals during their leisure hours.

Since the Great War, the various clans and realms had suffered grievous losses; they had retreated behind closed doors to recuperate, loath to venture beyond their own territories.

They were still cautious around each other, worried that another Demon Realm might appear. The last time such a formal diplomatic exchange had taken place was thousands of years ago.

Rumor had it that the Ninth Princess was notoriously arrogant and imperious. She had once ordered a man bound to a reef and left exposed for three days simply because he had glanced at her; on another occasion, she had torn the roof off an entire pearl shop just because a single pearl caught her eye.

Given such a temperament, the fact that she was now willing to personally represent the merfolk and visit the Heavenly Realm led many to privately speculate about what the merfolk were plotting.

The entire Nine Heavens was on high alert. The jade railings flanking the cloud-steps were polished until they gleamed, and the palace lanterns along the route were fitted with fresh shades of fine mermaid-silk gauze.

Even the flowering trees near the lower gates had their soil replaced overnight. Immortal officials in charge of protocol bustled back and forth with scrolls of documents as they debated the banquet menu, the musical repertoire, and the size of the welcoming honor guard. Even the young attendants usually prone to dozing off on duty were suddenly full of energy.

Thrust into the limelight alongside the Ninth Princess were Li Zhuochen and Jun Jiewu.

The commotion made it known throughout the Nine Heavens that it was Li Zhuochen and Jun Jiewu who had ventured into the Hehuan Secret Realm to retrieve the merfolk clan’s second prince.

While the immortals cared little whether it was the Second Prince or the Third Princess who had been rescued, the mere mention Read onof the Hehuan Secret Realm instantly piqued everyone’s interest.

The Hehuan Secret Realm was renowned; a mere inquiry was enough to learn exactly what kind of place it was. As word spread, a knowing, mysterious smile began to play upon the faces of the immortals.

Naturally, the news reached Shen Runze’s ears. Furious enough to feel a stabbing pain in his liver, he stormed to the Lingwu Palace.

“Jun Jiewu!”

A thunderous roar erupted from within the Lingwu Palace, startling the cranes beneath the eaves into a flight.

Shen Runze stood with one hand on his hip and the other slamming against the table:

“You’d better explain this clearly! How exactly did Li Zhuochen get that wound…”

Jun Jiewu, who had been meditating, slowly opened his eyes as the other man burst in.

“It’s barely morning…”

His gaze lingered briefly on Shen Runze’s red, angry face; with a flick of his finger, he poured a cup of warm water and levitated it through the air to Shen Runze.

“Have some water first.”

Shen Runze snatched the cup and drained it in one gulp. He still glared at Jun Jiewu, as if he were trying to burn a hole through his face.

Jun Jiewu averted his gaze and said calmly,

“Didn’t I tell you? It was a scratch from a demonic beast…”

“Still trying to bullshit me?” Shen Runze interrupted. “Do you really think I don’t know what kind of secret realm you two went to?”

“The Hehuan Secret Realm!” Shen Runze shouted. “That damn place was the Hehuan Secret Realm! Have you lost your mind? Why did you agree to go there with him?! Were you planning to bear him a second child?”

“Watch your language.”

Jun Jiewu leaned back slightly to avoid the spray of saliva.

“His Majesty had a need, so naturally, I shared the burden…”

“Hah.”

Shen Runze’s expression screamed, What kind of nonsense are you saying? He crossed his arms and sneered,

“Since when have you been so obedient?”

“When you were young, the Heavenly Emperor wanted you to learn the zither, why didn’t you? You insisted on learning the whip instead. And now, suddenly, it’s by the Heavenly Emperor’s order?”

Jun Jiewu was about to speak, but Shen Runze cut him off:

“I’m going to ask you one question.”

He enunciated every word clearly:

“Where is Li Zhuochen? Is he still here with you?”

“That’s impossible.”

Jun Jiewu frowned slightly, as if the question were absurd.

“We parted ways the very first day we returned to the Upper Heavens. What reason would I have to let him stay here?”

Shen Runze was unconvinced.

“Don’t give me that! I sent someone to check this morning, he never returned to Zhuoyu Palace last night!”

Jun Jiewu looked puzzled. “Zhuoyu Palace isn’t under my jurisdiction; if he didn’t go back, how would I know where he is–”

The door was thrown open with a loud bang. A tall figure walked in while rubbing his neck.

“Qingqing, that roof of yours was cold and hard; I slept so badly I’ve got a stiff neck. How could you bear to let me…”

“Hmm?”

Li Zhuochen froze upon meeting two pairs of eyes, one furious and the other cold.

Jun Jiewu: “…”

Shen Runze: “…”

Li Zhuochen slowly shifted his gaze toward Jun Jiewu, who looked like he wanted to kill him, and silently took two steps back.

“…Did I come at a bad time?”

‎

‎

The gates of Lingwu Palace slammed shut right in front of Li Zhuochen. The snow-white figure that had just blasted him out slowly shifted from beast form back to human form; a voice drifted through the door panels:

“From this day forth, I am staying right here!”

“Don’t even think about having a secret affair with him again!”

…

Minglu Hall.

Following the incident involving Chen Jin and the others, Chu Huaiji found himself remaining in the Upper Heavens, a turn of events brought about by a twist of fate.

As it happened, Wei Ling’an was fretting over the preparations to receive the envoys from the East Sea; the tasks were manifold, and manpower was in short supply. Chu Huaiji possessed excellent innate aptitude and a sharp mind, not to mention a handsome appearance that wouldn’t embarrass the heavens. Since he had volunteered, Wei Ling’an simply let him stay to help with the miscellaneous chores.

Chu Huaiji was delighted. Blessed with good looks and a lively personality, he quickly build ​stolen content​a rapport with the young Xianzis responsible for relaying messages at the Minglu Hall.

One afternoon, as he walked along the covered corridor clutching a scroll of the gift registry, he heard the animated chatter of several Xianzis gathered nearby.

Curious, Chu Huaiji paused and listened attentively. He heard one of the Xianzis recounting the story with excitement:

“There was a commotion over at Lingwu Palace, Zhuochen Shangshen got kicked out by Jiewu Shangshen!”

The others gasped: “Really?”

“It’s true! Someone from Yuxi Palace saw it with her own eyes while passing by…”

“How could that be? Didn’t they just return from that secret realm all lovey-dovey? Why are they quarreling already?”

“Who knows?”

The first Xianzi pursed her lips with a hint of relish for the gossip.

“Word is, after a thunderous lion’s roar, Zhuochen Shangshen was swatted out of Lingwu Palace. He looked a mess.”

“A lion’s roar? Does that mean Runze Shenjun was there too? Sounds like quite a scene.”

The young women instantly perked up, and started chattering away all at once. Speculating on the confrontation unfolding within Lingwu Palace, they wore expressions of excitement and curiosity, as if they longed to witness the scene firsthand.

Chu Huaiji stood nearby with a stack of documents; he heard every word clearly. Though his face remained impassive, a tempest was raging within his heart.

In his mind, the only person who could ever get close to his dad was his father. That was why, back at the Tingtao Pavilion, upon hearing the name “Li Zhuochen” mentioned alongside Jun Jiewu, he had assumed that Li Zhuochen was his father.

Yet, the relationship between his father and dad had always been good. Even when they bickered, it was usually just a clash of opinions over how best to raise him. With him away, they ought to be even more inseparable than ever, so how could things have escalated to the point where his dad was shutting the doors in a rage?

Unless…

Chu Huaiji’s heart skipped a beat.

Unless this Li Zhuochen wasn’t his father.

Then who was this person constantly by his dad’s side? He had even come out of his dad’s palace early that morning.

The more Chu Huaiji thought about it, the colder his back felt: if Li Zhuochen wasn’t his father, then where was his father? Could it be that he hadn’t ascended alongside his dad?

Was he destined to have only one father from now on?

In the span of a few breaths, Chu Huaiji’s thoughts raced. Suddenly, another name mentioned by those Xianzis flashed through his mind.

Runze Shenjun. They had said he was also in Lingwu Palace.

His heart skipped a beat as a new thought surfaced: could this Runze Shenjun actually be his father?

But he dismissed the thought as soon as it surfaced. Would his father roar like a lion?

In his memory, his father was the sort of man who would deal with people while laughing and chatting; he would never make such a boisterous scene. The more he thought about it, the more something felt wrong, and he decided on a course of action, rather than sitting here guessing, he would go find out the truth for himself.

He straightened his robes, clutched his documents, and walked toward the group of Xianzis. He began by complimenting each of them in turn; he flattered them until they were beaming before asking,

“What are you lovely ladies chatting about? It sounds so lively.”

He was naturally handsome and charming, and having spent the last few days running errands for the Minglu Hall, he was already a familiar face to everyone. Seeing it was him, the Xianzis didn’t hold back; they eagerly recounted the recent commotion all at once.

After listening, Chu Huaiji donned a sympathetic expression:

“… Isn’t Zhuochen Shangshen pitiful? Where will he go? He won’t end up homeless on the streets, will he?”

His woebegone expression amused the young women. One of them covered her mouth and laughed,

“Of course not! Zhuochen Shangshen has his own palace. The Zhuoyu Palace, right over by the Zhuoyu Pond. It’s grand. You’re worrying over nothing.”

Chu Huaiji committed the name “Zhuoyu Palace” to memory, though he maintained an air of innocence as he smiled and bade farewell to the Xianzis.

As he turned and walked away, the smile faded from his lips, and his gaze grew somber.

Li Zhuochen, he thought. So you want to be my dad’s secret lover? Just you wait. I’ll make sure to have a proper “conversation” with you.

Zhuoyu Palace stood beside Zhuoyu Pond. While not particularly grand, the structure was elegant; its green-tiled roofs and white walls were nestled amidst a row of ancient peach trees, with strings of bronze bells hanging from the eaves that chimed softly in the breeze.

The pond water caught the light, rippling like a crumpled silver mirror. In front of the palace, several of the old peach trees were so thick that two people would be needed to encircle their trunks; their dense foliage cast a shade over much of the path.

Chu Huaiji was squinting at the canopy of peach trees when his gaze suddenly locked onto something: a figure was reclining across the thickest tree. His red robes swayed gently in the wind. The posture was languid, as if the person treated the entire tree as his own bed.

Chu Huaiji’s heart skipped a beat. That aura felt so familiar.

Yet, the distance was too great and the foliage too thick to make out the face clearly. He patiently took a few more steps forward Read onto get a better look, only to suddenly collide with an invisible barrier.

A barrier! he thought, and quickly concealed his presence.

At that same moment, the red-clad figure in the tree moved slightly, and a languid voice drifted down from the branches: “Who goes there?”