C20 He Was Watching the Fight!

"Please come this way, Immortal Master; His Majesty awaits inside."

A pale-faced eunuch without a beard escorted Yue Yang through the myriad halls of the forbidden palace, leading him to the emperor's private chambers.

"Has the Immortal Master arrived?"

Yue Yang paused at the doorway of the bedroom, inwardly comparing the opulence of this palace to that of his senior brother Le You's, and found it subtly lacking.

"The Immortal Master is expected here."

After receiving a summons from within, the eunuch guided Yue Yang through the grand entrance with its threshold three inches high, which Yue Yang easily stepped over.

"Immortal Master, I implore you to save your disciple."

The emperor of the Pearl Kingdom had once studied the Taoist arts under a national teacher, thus making him a quasi-disciple of the Order of Duality. It was not incorrect for him to address Yue Yang as such. However, his immediate act of kneeling upon meeting Yue Yang was unbecoming of his sovereign status.

"Your Majesty, such formalities are unnecessary. I am Yue Yangzi, and as the Son of Heaven, you need not display such deference to me."

Yue Yang could tell from the emperor's anxious demeanor that he had been terrified by the malevolent spirit. He began to inquire in detail about the spirit's recent activities to prepare for its exorcism.

Through the emperor's account, Yue Yang learned that the spirit had first appeared a year ago, but at that time, it did not feed on human hearts as it did now.

"She was so exquisitely beautiful, like a celestial being untouched by the mortal world. I first encountered her during an autumn hunt, under a cloudless sky just like today's."

"She confessed to me that she was lost and couldn't find her way home. I was taken with her and asked where she lived, but she couldn't recall. So, I brought her back to the palace."

"Her beauty was unparalleled, transcending even the ethereal paintings of Ling Xu. Once you laid eyes on her, you would never forget her; her image would be etched in your heart, constantly on your mind."

"I fell deeply in love with her and wanted to make her my queen. But the court officials would not consent, refusing to let a woman of unknown origins become the mother of our nation. What a farce."

"I am the emperor of the Pearl Kingdom; all within it belongs to me. I should be free to marry whom I choose. Yet they claimed she might be a mountain demon in human guise, seeking to bewitch me."

“How could she possibly be a demon? There can't be such a creature in this world. Even if she subsisted solely on morning dew and shunned grains, someone as beautiful as her should never be sullied by the impurities of the mortal realm. She must be a celestial fairy, she simply must be.”

“I spared no expense, using bowls of pure gold studded with jewels to collect the morning dew for her. I crafted a feathered robe from the most exquisite plumes of the kingfisher. She spoke of her home being blanketed in snow, so I dispatched men to the distant Sky Mountain to gather snow and create a snowy landscape for her. She mentioned her home was alive with the circling of thousands of geese, so I built her an aviary, a sanctuary for every conceivable bird, from swallows and swallowtails to red sparrows and peacocks. Every bird known to us, I procured for her.”

“My love for her was boundless. I gave her the very best of everything. I would have gladly given her my own heart and liver. Yet, she remained unhappy, expressing a longing for her home.”

“Hahaha, tell me, Immortal Master, isn't it absurd? The entire world is the sovereign's domain. My Pearl Kingdom is her home. With such a vast home, she still told me she wished to return to her own.”

“Then she vanished. Upon her return, she had transformed into a man-eating fiend. Immortal Master, she must have been possessed by a demon, correct? It has to be that way, it just has to.”

“She intended to kill me. No, it wasn't her, but the evil spirit that sought my demise. The Imperial Advisor labeled her a demon. No, she is not the demon; the Imperial Advisor is. The ministers all proclaimed her a demon. No, they are the true demons. She is the most beautiful, the most exquisite…”

The Emperor was lost in his recollections, his face alternating between a blissful smile and a look of sheer horror, as though he had witnessed something unspeakably dreadful.

“How long has the Emperor been in this state?”

Le Yang, observing the Emperor's frenzied condition, inquired of the attendant.

“Ever since the Imperial Advisor was executed, he's been like this for five days now. The frequency of his lucid moments is diminishing by the day. Immortal Master, I beg you to save His Majesty. His mind must have been ensnared by that demon.”

“His mind has been ensnared?”

Le Yang scrutinized the attendant before him. Despite his fair and unblemished complexion, the man's judgment was surprisingly sharp.

"I'm just a lowly servant, and what I said was nonsense. I only repeated what I once heard the Imperial Advisor say. Immortal Master, please save His Majesty and locate the Imperial Advisor, so our Pearl Kingdom may once again know peace."

This was Le Yang's first encounter with such a predicament. He swiftly produced the Demon-Binding Mirror, first directing it towards the emperor, but the mirror revealed no change. He then turned the mirror on the attendant, yet again detecting no anomalies.

"You, gather everyone in the palace. I intend to inspect them individually."

Le Yang pondered the situation. If the demon was still lurking within the palace, his approach, albeit crude, would force the malevolent spirit out of hiding.

"This..."

The attendant hesitated.

"Be quick about it, unless you prefer to have your heart and liver excised."

Le Yang's blunt statement sent a wave of panic through the Forbidden Palace.

"What? You expect the palace maids in my quarters to be scrutinized by strangers?"

"Your Ladyship, these are the Immortal Master's orders. Is there something unclean hidden in your quarters? If so, the Jade Feather Guards are ready at the door. Either you come out with me, or they will enter. The choice is yours."

Le Yang hadn't anticipated the sheer number of people within the Forbidden Palace. With tens of thousands to inspect using the Demon-Binding Mirror, he doubted he could finish even half by nightfall.

He devised a plan, suspending the mirror over one of the palace gates, allowing the palace staff to file underneath in an orderly queue. This way, he could see more clearly and expedite the process significantly.

"Will this method be effective?"

An imperial servant at the emperor's side offered Le Yang a cup of tribute tea, its aroma so refreshing it seemed to wash away fatigue with a single whiff.

"If you think not, then by all means, take over."

Le Yang retorted, his patience wearing thin. This was nothing like the demon-slaying heroics he had envisioned—battling a demon in a grand showdown, vanquishing the creature after a valiant struggle, and either convincing it to submit or delivering a decisive, righteous blow.

What was he really accomplishing here?

Time passed, and before he knew it, the sun had begun to dip below the horizon.

“How many people are left?”

Not a single demon, not even a trace of one, yet the palace was rife with them. Without these female spirits, we could have doubled our pace.

“There are a hundred individuals yet to be processed,” the imperial servant hesitated before adding, “and…”

“What else?”

Liu Yang's interest was piqued, convinced that the demon lurked among those unaccounted for.

“The Third Princess and her two maids have not yet been examined.”

The servant steeled himself, continuing, “The First and Second Princesses are amenable, but the Third Princess is a handful. She's stubborn, always doing the opposite of what she's told.”

As a mere servant, he couldn't possibly order the Green Feather Guards to execute a princess. That would be tantamount to treason.

“Take me to her.”

Liu Yang couldn't wait for the remaining court ladies to pass through. He had already made up his mind. Drawing his white bone sword, he bit his index finger and inscribed a talisman on the blade, whispering instructions to the servant.

“Hmph, demon, no matter how sly you are, you won't escape my grasp.”

Liu Yang was certain the demon was among the Third Princess and her servants, and he had his own theories about its true form.

"Lady Xue, spirit of the snow, born from millennia-old snow that never melts, fearful of fire. You are timid and gentle. Once, a man from Xichuan ventured into the snowy mountains, was caught in an avalanche, and saved by a beautiful woman who called herself the Lady of the Mountain. After she rescued him, the man from Xichuan healed and left the mountain, but when he returned to search for her, she was nowhere to be found."

Approaching the Third Princess's palace with the servant, Liu Yang heard the clamor of combat.

“Assassins?”

He glanced at the servant, who remained still, and then at the Green Feather Guards, who also made no move. Could it be that the Third Princess was not the Emperor's true daughter? Liu Yang entertained the thought.

"Immortal Master, you jest. The Third Young Master has been energetic and fond of martial arts since childhood, favoring fists, feet, and staffs. That noise is likely the Third Princess practicing with her lady-in-waiting. Please exercise caution when you enter later, Immortal Master. Swords and knives do not discriminate; we wouldn't want you to be accidentally injured."

The attendant explained to Yue Yang.

Yue Yang then understood; he was dealing with a young lady who enjoyed combat. The Order of Duality had many such girls, who often ended up cultivating together in bed with their male counterparts after sparring sessions. Thus, he dismissed the attendant's warning without much concern.

It wasn't until Yue Yang stepped into the hall and felt the cold steel of two long swords at his neck that he truly grasped the meaning of the phrase 'swords and knives do not discriminate.'

"Who is this servant who dares to intrude upon my chambers?"

A sharp reprimand came, but Yue Yang could only hear a groan and saw no one. He dared not lower his head for fear that the sharp swords would slice through his neck.

"It's all a misunderstanding, Your Highness. Please, order your lady-in-waiting to lower her sword. This man is an immortal master from the Immortal Sect; it would be improper to treat him with disrespect."

The attendant following him was nearly in tears. Hadn't he warned the immortal master? How did it still come to this?

"So, you're the immortal master? I had imagined someone with white hair and a long beard, exuding an air of immortality, like the Imperial Advisor. Perhaps you're just a beggar in disguise. It is said that immortal masters possess indestructible bodies. Let's test that: I'll have Lan Jian stab your heart. If you die, you're a fraud; if you survive, I'll acknowledge you as a true immortal master."

The voice was crisp and not unpleasant to the ear, yet it carried a ruthless intent, as if commanding someone's death.

"Third Princess, you are overly concerned. I am Yue Yangzi, a disciple who has not been cultivating with my master for long, and I have not yet mastered the art of indestructibility. If I were to take that sword, I fear it would be the end of me. Without me, the demon plaguing us would remain, and His Majesty's life would be in jeopardy."

"So, you're a novice Daoist? Tell me, little Daoist, how can you so boldly claim to have the power to slay demons and save my father's life when you possess no such abilities?"

"Though my mastery of the mystic arts is modest, I have no trouble capturing a mere demon."

"You're full of hot air. You couldn't even best my Bamboo Blade Sword, yet you have the audacity to make such bold claims in my presence. Tell me, are you the one insisting on inspecting all the attendants in the Imperial House?"

"Indeed, it was my suggestion. The purpose is to uncover the demon. Known as Lady Snow, she is a spirit of the snow. While she can inhabit a human host, if she remains away from snow for too long, she will melt into water and perish. Thus, she must conceal herself within the palace, for only there are the snow-capped mountains that can sustain her spirit."

As Le Yang spoke, a female official who had her sword pressed against his neck began to shudder violently.

"Demon, prepare to meet your end!"

Le Yang, noting the female official's significant reaction, realized his suspicion was correct. With a loud cry, he drew the golden blade that hung at his side.