Chapter 69

A dream?

No need to ask. Luo Binghe’s handiwork!

The latter leaned close to Shen Qingqiu’s ear and whispered, “Wasn’t Shizun troubled by the lack of ‘evidence’? Now there’s no need to worry, right?”

So that was why he’d dozed off for a moment on Xiu Ya Sword earlier. Shen Qingqiu had thought he was just exhausted, but it turned out he’d been activating his dream manipulation skill right then.

Luo Binghe’s eyes were practically shouting, Praise me! Pat my head! Shen Qingqiu pretended not to see, shifting his gaze away.

Just what kind of dream had Luo Binghe crafted for them, to make the situation so severe that this many people had rushed to Zhao Hua Temple for a solemn discussion?

Before he could wonder further, someone else grew impatient. “Will someone just say what the dream was about?”

The man looked familiar. After a moment of thought, Shen Qingqiu remembered—this was that… what sect leader from Huayue City? Right, the Overbearing Tyrant Sect! Their head disciple!

Venerable Wuchen asked politely, “May this humble monk inquire, Sect Leader, what is your current cultivation stage?”

The man puffed out his chest. “Late Core Formation!”

The two abbots exchanged a glance. Around the hall, light coughs rippled through the crowd.

Amidst the awkward silence, Venerable Wuchen gently clarified. “That… is strange. Within our temple, everyone at the Core Formation stage or above experienced the same dream…”

The implication was clear: if he truly was at late Core Formation, he should have dreamed it too.

Murmurs of agreement rose from below. “Indeed, in our sect, only those below Core Formation slept peacefully last night.”

To lie about one’s cultivation in front of everyone and be exposed on the spot—truly hoist by his own petard. Shen Qingqiu mentally lit a candle for this brother who, after all these years, hadn’t grown an inch in skill.

But while his cultivation hadn’t improved, his skin had certainly thickened. Unfazed by the exposure, the man boomed, “There are exceptions to everything! Just tell us, what was the dream?”

An Overbearing Tyrant Sect, with such a domineering name, yet not a single cultivator who’d reached Core Formation. No wonder he was pressing the issue publicly. He likely wasn’t even invited to the council, just here to gawk and gain face. Abbot Wuwang frowned, but the good-natured Venerable Wuchen patiently provided a summary. “The dream’s content was this: the Heavenly Wolf Lord, suppressed beneath White Deer Mountain, has reforged his physical form and unleashed a storm of bloodshed.”

Given Luo Binghe’s tastes, Shen Qingqiu was certain the “storm of bloodshed” in Wuchen’s description wasn’t mere simple slaughter. It absolutely involved some… heavy flavor play.

Abbot Wuwang intoned, “For one or two people to share a dream can be called wondrous. For hundreds to share the same dream simultaneously cannot be explained by mystery alone. Moreover, this dream was extraordinary—utterly lifelike. Upon waking, some even felt reality paled in comparison.”

Every Core Formation cultivator present nodded in grim agreement, a shared chill lingering in their hearts.

Someone voiced a doubt. “Why was this Heavenly Wolf Lord suppressed in the first place? If he’s truly so fearsome, how was he subdued originally?”

Venerable Wuchen sighed. “Speaking of it, it is a tragedy of karmic entanglement. If the Palace Master of Huan Hua Palace were here today, one can only imagine his lament.”

A woman’s voice piped up, sweet and clear as a nightingale’s song. “The Palace Master of Huan Hua Palace? What does that have to do with Luo Binghe?”

Shen Qingqiu glanced toward the sound.

The speaker was a lovely, slender female cultivator from the Heavenly Unity Sect’s contingent.

Which one, exactly, he couldn’t say—because three female cultivators stood together, their faces, figures, and robes nearly identical, like three radiant blue flowers sprung from the same mold. Even their expressions shared the same indescribable… excitement.

Yes, excitement indeed!

The twin triplet sisters from Luo Binghe’s harem! Long time no see, ladies!

In the old days, Shen Qingqiu would have been thrilled, eagerly imagining the romantic subplots to come. But now…

Luo Binghe’s voice, though hushed, carried enough vinegar to sour the air for miles. “Shizun, are they pretty?”

Ah, better not to dwell. Shen Qingqiu averted his eyes. With the plot now a tangled mess, those three shouldn’t recognize Luo Binghe, yet they still showed concern for information related to him. Shen Qingqiu automatically interpreted their excitement as budding infatuation. Luo Binghe’s protagonist charm remained as potent as ever!

Abbot Wuwang said, “Amitabha. The Palace Master referred to here is the previous generation, the old Palace Master. That Luo Binghe merely seized the position through underhanded means. What virtue or ability does he possess to command respect as Palace Master?”

Luo Binghe raised an eyebrow and curled his lip in disdain.

Abbot Wuwang continued.

“However, the origins of this matter are indeed inextricably linked to Huan Hua Palace. Decades ago, the old Palace Master had a head disciple named Su Xiyan.”

Shen Qingqiu’s spirit sharpened.

This… this was the prelude to revealing Luo Binghe’s origins!

“At that time, the old Palace Master had no children of his own. He doted on this beloved personal disciple, treasuring her like a pearl in his palm. Wherever he traveled, he commanded Su Xiyan to attend him, holding her in the highest regard.”

Recalling the old Palace Master’s vacant, drooling appearance in the Sacred Mausoleum, Shen Qingqiu thought: More like a forbidden plaything than a pearl. ‘Attending him’ wasn’t about regard—it was just convenient for molestation.

Within the great hall, silence reigned, broken only by Abbot Wuwang’s resonant voice.

“Once, the old Palace Master and Su Xiyan were returning to the palace after subduing a demon beast, passing by an old city along the lower Luo River. A serpent demon had wreaked havoc, leaving few survivors in the nearby town. Yet, master and disciple encountered a young man there, moving about alone.

“This youth possessed extraordinary bearing, with features and attire of the highest quality. He sat beneath a weeping willow, strumming an instrument and reciting poetry. Such a person should not have been in such a place at such a time. Initially curious, master and disciple exchanged a few words with him. After some conversation, the old Palace Master sensed something unusual about this man—he was certainly no ordinary mortal—but could not fathom his depths. He urged his beloved disciple to pay him no further mind and depart quickly. Su Xiyan, failing to understand her master’s concern, lingered reluctantly as they left.”

Shen Qingqiu listened with rapt attention.

So the Heavenly Wolf Lord was truly a literary youth with a passion for mortal poetry and song. No need to fear a suitor—fear the suitor who is cultured. With a handsome face and a voice that wasn’t terrifying, love at first sight was absolutely possible!

“After returning to the palace, for reasons unknown, Su Xiyan began frequently leaving on her own. She had always obediently remained by her master’s side, but now she offered constant excuses. The old Palace Master was at first merely displeased, complaining a little. Later, she ventured farther and stayed away longer.

“Growing suspicious, the old Palace Master took care to send disciples to follow her secretly. Yet, the disciples he sent were always shaken off. Finally, once, the old Palace Master followed his disciple himself. Only then did he discover what she had been doing during all those days away from Huan Hua Palace.

“Su Xiyan sat side-by-side with the unusual youth from that day. The two nestled together upon the head of a giant azure-scaled serpent, speaking in low tones.

“Fearing he would alert them, the old Palace Master stopped some distance away, barely catching fragments of their conversation.

“He heard Su Xiyan say, ‘You truly wish to speak to my master about us? You… would you dare?’ The youth replied carelessly, ‘Why wouldn’t I dare?’ Su Xiyan sighed. ‘You are nobility of the Demon Realm. And even setting that aside, my master likely would not consent.’”

This Su Xiyan was truly gentle and obedient, still addressing the old Palace Master as ‘master.’ Luo Binghe, as the child of these two, perfectly inherited his mother’s pure, innocent white lotus temperament and his father’s heartless indifference, becoming a genetically superior—split-personality lunatic.

“At this point in the dialogue, the old Palace Master was horrified, realizing his disciple had entangled herself with a formidable figure. After the shock passed, he continued listening. They had moved on from that topic. The demon youth said, ‘Once I bathe the cultivation world in blood, slaughtering them until not a scrap remains, will you still fear the dead withholding their consent?’”

A collective, sharp intake of breath echoed through the crowd. Shen Qingqiu nearly choked.

The earlier narration had been relatively normal in tone. But this last line? What in the world?!

No matter how he thought about it, the Heavenly Wolf Lord didn’t seem like the type to spout such ambitious, tyrannical, villainous declarations!

The things that came out of his mouth could not possibly follow such a normal, standard boss-villain thought process!

Abbot Wuwang continued his flat-toned recitation. “Seeing Su Xiyan was frightened, the youth amended, ‘I was only teasing you.’ Afterwards, he spoke only of moonlight and blossoms, while subtly coaxing and deceiving Su Xiyan into stealing several secret treasures from Huan Hua Palace for him, claiming he merely wished to look at them before returning them.”

By this point, Shen Qingqiu was basically certain the latter half was pure fabrication, born of the old Palace Master’s ulterior motives.

Heh heh heh, coveting Huan Hua Palace’s few secret treasures?

The Heavenly Wolf Lord could freely enter and leave the Demon Realm’s Sacred Mausoleum, where secret treasures were endless. The man had so many he’d probably set up a booth on the ground to play ring-toss for fun!

Thus, Shen Qingqiu judged this account was absolutely the old Palace Master’s handiwork—fueled by private malice, extreme hatred for the Heavenly Wolf Lord who had stolen his “beloved treasure,” and a deliberate effort to spice up their lovers’ talk, take things out of context, omit key details, and rearrange the narrative to his own ends.

Wuwang’s tone took on a note of frustration. "Once a woman is blinded by love, her judgment fails. Su Xiyan agreed without hesitation. The Old Palace Master said the way she looked at Tianlang-Jun was full of infatuation and longing, but the way he looked at her was no different from how he’d regard any other outsider. She was already completely ensnared by the demon’s lies, yet she refused to see the truth!"

"The Old Palace Master grew desperate. On one hand, he secretly informed the leaders of various sects, planning a joint siege. On the other, he confined Su Xiyan within Illusion Flower Palace to prevent her from leaking the plan."

Someone in the crowd muttered angrily, "How foolish! Decades of her sect’s care and teaching, all undone by a few sweet words from a man."

Wuwang continued, "What followed was the Battle of White Deer Mountain. As for the events of that day, it is better for Sect Leader Yue, who was present on the battlefield, to recount."

Yue Qingyuan gave a slight nod. "There is little worth recounting about that battle. Tianlang-Jun had not expected to face an ambush instead of Su Xiyan. With only one of his demon generals, Zhuzhilang, by his side, he was surrounded and captured."

By any measure, their victory had been less than honorable. Yet Yue Qingyuan stated it plainly, without the slightest attempt to gloss over or justify it. Shen Qingqiu couldn’t help but admire his candor. Many present, however, had grown up hearing their seniors boast gloriously of the White Deer Mountain victory. Hearing this unvarnished version for the first time, they shifted uncomfortably.