Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 395 The Demon Capital Hears the Sun
A medicinal bath isn't something you can just do by cutting off a few pieces of dragon parts and throwing them into water. It requires refining and boiling, and then mixing it with water at the right temperature.

Furthermore, since Lu Xingzhou's injuries have not yet fully healed, a medicinal bath can be used in conjunction with this treatment.

Seeing Long Qinghuang personally adding medicine to the bathtub, Lu Xingzhou felt a pang of tenderness in his heart.

Using dragon remains to do such a thing is itself a "great treason," and anyone who does it will surely anger the dragons and be beheaded. Even the pure-blooded dragons and sub-dragons killed in this internal strife, even if they were traitors, are given a proper burial by the dragons and will not be allowed to be desecrated by other races.

But when the Dragon Emperor does it himself, he only feels that it is hardest to betray the kindness of the beauty.

After all, she was even willing to cut off her own flesh and blood.

"Alright." Long Qinghuang finished preparing the medicinal bath, feeling a small sense of accomplishment for doing something for her lover. She turned around happily and asked, "Why don't you test the water temperature?"

When she turned around, she saw Lu Xingzhou looking at her gently, and she could understand the meaning in his eyes.

Long Qinghuang smiled, her eyes crinkling: "Didn't you want to tame me? If I really let you tame me, you'll soften your heart."

Lu Xingzhou shook his head and smiled, then took off his clothes and entered the bathtub.

Long Qinghuang stood behind him naturally, massaging his shoulders: "Don't you think that I'm currying favor with you because you haven't helped me reverse my qi and regulate my reproduction yet? So I'm at your mercy."

Lu Xingzhou said, "Chen Yu can handle anything, even just conditioning the dragon's body. What can he possibly do to you? But I looked at the pills he gave Long Yun, and they were of lower quality than I expected. Maybe it's because I've made great progress in the past six months and I don't think much of them."

Long Qinghuang laughed out loud: "Good, good, good, let Master Lu give his pills a sharp evaluation. How are they bad?"

"His pills were effective on Long Yun because Long Yun himself was strong, so he wasn't as severely affected. If it were an ordinary dragon, the effect of his pills would be much weaker, and might not even have any effect. But they will definitely be effective on you."

"Why be so honest?" Long Qinghuang said, "You should say it definitely won't work on me, and then you can manipulate me."

Lu Xingzhou pressed down on her hand that was massaging his shoulders: "Aren't you the one manipulating me now?"

"I'll crush you." Long Qinghuang increased her strength. "You're injured, yet you still try to gnaw on female companions. Are you that hungry? Isn't there anything for you to eat in the palace?"

The Dragon Emperor's power was no ordinary power; Lu Xingzhou winced in pain, grabbed her hand, and without hesitation, pulled her entirely into the tub.

Long Qinghuang, her hair soaked, bit her lower lip as she looked at him.

"Is this what you mean by 'I have food in the palace'?" Lu Xingzhou lowered his head and kissed him.

"No..." Long Qinghuang remained somewhat conscious, pushing against his chest: "You're taking a medicinal bath, you need to circulate your energy to absorb it, don't get distracted."

Long Qinghuang seemed to be even more dedicated to his body-tempering than he was to it.

After all, that relates to whether or not the defense can be breached.

Although it seems like it's barely possible now, a barely possible situation is still a barely possible one. Who doesn't want to have real intimacy instead of worrying about whether you can get in or not?

Lu Xingzhou, on the other hand, because he had always wanted to leave, was somewhat hesitant and dared not take things seriously, so he didn't put much effort into his body training.

Seeing her like that now, I didn't know whether to be moved or laugh: "The body-training master helped me guide, and I also helped the master with conditioning..."

Long Qinghuang was stunned for a moment: "How do I adjust it... um..."

With her lips sealed, Long Qinghuang felt a dizziness that was more comfortable than before.

When the Yin-Yang Ultimate Technique merged with the Great Joy and Bliss Sutra, the effects of dual cultivation were ten times greater than before. Lu Xingzhou discovered that if he only needed to address Long Qinghuang's reproductive issues, even pills were unnecessary; dual cultivation could solve the problem directly, and the effects might even be better than pills, as it was perfectly suited to her needs.

Of course, we can't treat the entire dragon race like that...

After a round of "treatment" was completed, Long Qinghuang was completely limp in his arms, unable to move.

Lu Xingzhou himself was also absorbing the medicinal power of the bath. When Long Qinghuang went limp, his body surface also shone with a faint golden light, and dragon patterns appeared.

At the same time, he felt that his second brother was even more invincible.

Long Qinghuang gazed at his dragon tattoo with dreamy eyes, and traced it with her finger: "How majestic."

I don't know if they're referring to dragon patterns or boats.

With a splash of water, Lu Xingzhou picked her up and used a water-based spell to wash them both thoroughly, removing the remaining medicinal bath residue, before they rolled onto the bed together.

Long Qinghuang chuckled: "Your water-based magic is used for this kind of thing?"

"Cultivating immortality is to make it easier to do things that ordinary people can't do," Lu Xingzhou said confidently.

"Then..." Long Qinghuang lay beneath him, her arms wrapped around his neck: "Do you want to do something now... something that ordinary people can't do?"

Lu Xingzhou hesitated slightly, just as the sound of a rooster crowing came from afar.

The two were stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing at the same time.

They actually stayed in the bathtub all night, until dawn.

“When I was with you, I did become a complete tyrant.” Long Qinghuang slowly stood up: “But this time, the safety of the Dragon Clan and even the Demon Realm was entirely due to your intervention. I really don’t know how to evaluate it.”

Lu Xingzhou asked, "What do your courtiers think?"

A hint of amusement flickered in Long Qinghuang's eyes: "You care?"

If one is determined to leave, one will not care what the Demon Court thinks of one.

Lu Xingzhou did not answer.

Long Qinghuang could see the complexity in Lu Xingzhou's heart, so she didn't say anything more. She got out of bed to do her hair and asked, "Qi transfer should require setting up an array?"

"Ah."

"You think about it first... Hmm, I'll also have Long Ao and the others come to see you for a checkup in the next few days."

Lu Xingzhou smiled and said, "Go to court."

Long Qinghuang gave him one last deep look before finally turning and leaving the bedchamber.

Lu Xingzhou let out a long breath, lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling, not knowing what he was thinking for a long time.

…………

In the following days, Long Qinghuang seemed to be busy and rarely came to the Rebellious Palace. When she did come, it was to serve him medicinal baths.

Lu Xingzhou had nothing else to do but practice his martial arts and research the formation for transferring Qi and meridians, as well as refine pills to regulate the bodies of dragons.

The pure-blooded dragons entered the palace in batches to receive medical treatment, and each of them had a hard time describing their expressions upon seeing Lu Xingzhou.

Well... a large part of this chaos is about manipulating the dragon bloodline, trying to make pure-blooded dragons extinct and turn the world into the domain of sub-dragons.

In the end, His Majesty still chose a foreigner, and they will still have a child of a different race. He still did not consider pure-blooded succession, which makes this whole affair seem somewhat ironic.

But this time, it was Lu Xingzhou who saw through everything. Whether it was the trickery of the Holy Mountain or Long Yun's rebellion hidden for ten years, without Lu Xingzhou, who knows how things would have turned out? All the dragons owe him a huge favor, and they couldn't voice any objections.

Not to mention that the other party now has the power to regulate their bodies and shift their energy channels, making them all feel resentful and frustrated.

"Why that expression?" Lu Xingzhou took Long Ao's pulse and said leisurely, "Your name is Long Ao? Commander of the Dragon Clan's Imperial Guard?"

"Hmm." Long Ao didn't know how to face this person, so he could only give a muffled "hmm."

"That's quite a high-ranking position," Lu Xingzhou said. "Why not add 'Heaven' to your name?"

Long Ao: "?"

"Your position must give you considerable influence and advisory power over His Majesty, right?"

Long Ao said sullenly, "I am grateful for His Majesty's trust."

"But I feel that you have not fulfilled your duties."

Long Ao's face showed anger, but he quickly sighed helplessly: "Yes, we have failed in our duty. We are very grateful for your help."

Lu Xingzhou shook his head: "That's not what I meant."

Long Ao was stunned: "What is that?"

"This incident is largely a matter of bloodline conflict. Shouldn't you be arguing and strongly urging His Majesty not to associate with a human?"

Long Ao raised an eyebrow, utterly astonished.

Behind Lu Xingzhou was a pill furnace. Anuo sat there with her hands tucked in, looking at the pills. At this moment, she said, "Master, the pills are ready."

Lu Xingzhou opened the furnace, took out three pills, and handed them to Long Ao: "One pill a day. With your foundation, you should be fine in three days."

Long Ao said happily, "I heard that Long Yun ate a lot before he recovered... Is three really enough?"

"Chen Yu is Chen Yu, and I am Lu Xingzhou."

Long Ao gave him a deep look and lowered his voice: "You really want us to advise His Majesty?"

“Yes.” Lu Xingzhou said calmly, “In fact… it’s for her own good… she and I… are not suitable.”

Seemingly calm, but his tone was actually hesitant. Long Ao could hear the complexity in his heart, and instead looked at him with higher regard: "You think differently from us."

Lu Xingzhou smiled and said, "I don't care what you think."

In the distance, in the imperial study, Long Qinghuang, who was discussing matters with the newly appointed prime minister, suddenly fell silent.

"His Majesty?"

"Oh, it's nothing. I'm just a little tired. Prime Minister, you should go back and rest too. We can discuss this another day."

"Yes."

Long Qinghuang leaned back in her chair, somewhat lost in thought.

Yes, we're not a good match, and I know that too.

If I were to insist on being with you, there would be many troubles, and I know that too.

But I can't bear to... Is it easy to fall in love?

You can't even bring yourself to negotiate with me, yet you incite my subordinates to offer advice—you're something else! With such a clever and resourceful mind, why don't you use it to quell your subordinates' discontent, but instead use it to deal with me?

Long Qinghuang's eyes showed some annoyance, but it gradually faded, and she sighed softly.

He has exceeded everything he promised "Dragon Girl," and can even be called the pillar of stability in this demon realm. He never owes anything; it is always himself who owes her, and the entire dragon race who owes him.

The more he refines elixirs and sets up formations there, the more he owes him.

Long Qinghuang closed her eyes with a heavy heart, listening to Lu Xingzhou calling out to A'nuo as he saw Long Ao off: "A'nuo..."

"Ah? Master."

"Are you alright?"

"never mind."

Lu Xingzhou was silent.

Anuo waved her hand in front of Lu Xingzhou's eyes: "What's wrong, Master? Something's on your mind."

Lu Xingzhou said, "Given your situation, it would be more advantageous for you to stay by your sister Long's side, you..."

Ah Nuo asked directly, "Aren't you staying?"

Lu Xingzhou said in a low voice, "I have done everything I was supposed to do, and I have a clear conscience."

"And they didn't take anyone's body, they kept their composure, and didn't leave any debts, right?"

"Hey, little kid..."

"But emotional debts are still debts, Master."

Lu Xingzhou fell completely silent.

Ah Nuo said, "I don't care. I'll be wherever Master is. If Master leaves, I'll leave too. I'll repay Sister Long for her guidance in the future."

But mine is still good, Master, what about yours?

Lu Xingzhou silently began to survey the earth's veins and set up the formation, without saying another word.

Long Qinghuang has been visiting less these past few days, perhaps not because she's busy, but simply because she doesn't want to face it.

…………

Sheng Yuanyao also has important things to do these days.

Previously, some legitimate exchanges between the two countries, which had been properly coordinated with the Honglu Temple, came to a standstill due to the chaos at Mount Kailash. The so-called special crop seeds and such were never even delivered to the delegation before they had already fled after their homes were ransacked.

As a result, the chief envoy failed to leave, the deputy envoy was dragged back, and the rest of the delegation dared not go back to face the consequences, so they all slunk back.

So this time, the mission finally began its tasks properly: loading various crop seeds onto trucks. In her spare time, Sheng Yuanyao practiced her martial arts and wrote her "Records of Encounters in the Demon Realm," and the days passed quickly.

The people from the Court of State Ceremonial are still keeping watch.

Once the mission's tasks were nearly completed, Sheng Yuanyao finished writing the update and looked up at the calendar; seven more days had passed.

I haven't seen Lu Xingzhou for seven days... Is he locked up in the palace again?
Sheng Yuanyao's mind conjured up the image of Lu Xingzhou tied to the bed, being squeezed for juice, his face sunken like a skeleton, and she couldn't sit still any longer.

He then went directly to Xiao Liang and said, "Go and inform your palace that Lu Xingzhou is our Great Qian's chief envoy. He is needed to oversee and make decisions on various matters during our recent diplomatic missions. What is the meaning of keeping the Great Qian's envoy locked up in the palace?"

Xiao Liang's face turned green: "You should just use my tail to make a pen instead."

Sheng Yuanyao said expressionlessly, "This is a very serious matter concerning the diplomatic relations between our two countries. If you can't even convey this, what kind of official are you? I'll write it in the book right now: the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies of the Demon Realm is a good-for-nothing who sells his ass."

Xiao Liang jumped up: "Stop writing! I'll go and spread the word right now!"

He returned shortly afterward: "Um... Vice Envoy Sheng, County Magistrate Lu said that you can go directly to the palace to find him. He has already spoken to the guards."

Sheng Yuanyao's mouth was slightly open. She knew that Lu Xingzhou wasn't tied up and being squeezed for juice, but could even order the palace guards around. Why was she more worried than relieved?

Judging from this situation, she might really stay here and become empress...

Sheng Yuanyao went to the palace with a worried expression. The guards glanced at her, but no one stopped her. Not long after she entered, she bumped into a round-faced little girl: "Are you Vice Envoy Sheng? My name is Xiao Kui. Her Majesty asked me to take you in, saying you don't know the way."

Sheng Yuanyao was stunned: "Your Majesty?"

"Although he wants me to call him 'Daddy,' I'm not stupid."

Sheng Yuanyao was even more worried. Why had they even put away her daughter...?

Why is your palace so deserted?

"Oh, there were originally more than a dozen people, but the Empress pointed out that a few of them had been given access through the Holy Mountain and were expelled by His Majesty. His Majesty was going to kill them, but the Empress stopped him, saying that they didn't know anything about it and their crime didn't warrant death."

Sheng Yuanyao: "...So how many people are there in the palace now?"

“Yes.” Xiao Kui puffed out her chest: “Her Majesty said I am now the Grand Eunuch.”

Sheng Yuanyao's lips twitched.

The Grand Steward, who oversees several people, is a very high-ranking official.

Is this still the imperial palace?

Besides being very large, is there a problem with saying that this is a young couple living in a mansion with a few maids?

Upon arriving at the Palace of Rebellion, he saw several dragons bidding farewell to Lu Xingzhou with profuse thanks, saying, "Thank you, Magistrate."

Lu Xingzhou laughed: "Thanking me so early? I'm not even sure if my pills will really work. I'll only know after I get pregnant, right?"

"Hey, if Chen Yu is useful, how could the county magistrate be inferior to him?"

The most crucial point is that Lu Xingzhou encouraged everyone to offer advice, which made everyone's impression of him better than ever before. He had no desire for this place at all, so what else is there to question?

Having already exposed the matter of the Holy Mountain and exposed the traitor, Lu Xingzhou was already a benefactor of the Dragon Clan. Now, with his healing and assistance in reproduction, his favor is doubled. Lu Xingzhou's reputation among the Dragon Clan is now ridiculously high.

Sheng Yuanyao felt that even if Lu Xingzhou wanted to rebel after returning, he could easily gather a dragon army to help him fight Qiandu.

Watching the dragons leave, Sheng Yuanyao swayed as she walked in: "Is Your Majesty well?"

Lu Xingzhou rolled his eyes and sat back down in front of the alchemy furnace: "What's wrong?"

Sheng Yuanyao laughed in exasperation: "You really think of me as a guest, don't you? Have you forgotten that you're supposed to be staying at the Court of State Ceremonial?"

"There's no other way, so we just have to set it up."

Sheng Yuanyao said, "I thought you were imprisoned. Since things are so lenient and you have such a high reputation, no one can restrict you. Why haven't you gone to the Court of State Ceremonial these past few days?"

Lu Xingzhou sighed, "Of course, I'm afraid you'll be tied up by the mother tyrant."

The atmosphere has been strange these past few days. You can imagine how frustrated the female Tyrannosaurus Rex is; her anger is almost at its peak. If you were to take it out on her, you'd be in deep trouble.

Sheng Yuanyao added, "Also, now that everyone has truly finished their business, when can you leave?"

Unable to answer that question, Lu Xingzhou had no choice but to change the subject: "How is your cultivation going?"

"It's alright, I'm very happy... Well, although it's a bit difficult to practice on my own, I can still practice, and the effect seems okay. I'm practicing all the martial arts techniques smoothly, but the Wind and Thunder Physique seems a bit useless, not as useful as I thought."

"Of course, you just touch a bird, what kind of leap do you expect?"

Sheng Yuanyao gritted her teeth: "Can you use a different word?"

"In short, that physique can only be considered to have been activated; it's still a long way from being fully developed. At the very least, you should take a medicinal bath, right? But you've come at the right time." Lu Xingzhou turned to Xiao Kui and instructed her, "Xiao Kui, go and fetch a tub of hot water."

Xiao Kui asked alertly, "Your Majesty, what are you going to do?"

"I want to stuff you into a bucket when you call me 'Your Majesty'."

Xiao Kui: “…”

"I'm getting my brother a medicinal bath, what are you being so suspicious of? Is there no room for people to take a bath in such a big palace? Go away, go away."

Xiao Kui went there suspiciously.

Sheng Yuanyao was very satisfied: "You prepared a medicinal bath for me?"

"Well, I haven't had much to do these past few days. I've been studying the demon race's medicinal bath body-tempering method, and it's not too difficult to learn. It's a pity that the thunderbird is just a skeleton, so it's not easy to make a perfect formula. However, if I combine it with some other medicines of similar properties, it can still be used for your basic body-tempering. It would be better if you took it back to soak in, but since this is my first time making this kind of medicinal bath, I'm not very confident. It would be best if you stayed close by so you can call me if anything goes wrong."

If I really yelled, would you barge in and check?
Sheng Yuanyao kept her吐槽 (tu cao, a Chinese internet slang term for sarcastic or critical remarks) to herself, but she was actually quite happy inside.

So he casually patted Lu Xingzhou on the shoulder: "Not bad, not bad, you didn't forget your brother just because you're getting close to the Dragon Emperor."

Long Qinghuang, who was discussing matters with others, shut her mouth, her divine sense focused on Sheng Yuanyao's hand on Lu Xingzhou's shoulder, and remained silent for a long time.

He rushed Lu Xingzhou to leave as soon as he arrived, which was bad enough, but then he started touching him inappropriately. I haven't even touched him these past few days.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty?"

"Hmm, it's okay, please continue."

"We all believe that it is really inappropriate for His Majesty to keep Lu Xingzhou imprisoned."

Long Qinghuang suppressed her anger and pretended to be indifferent: "Hmm, you've all been buzzing in my ear about the same thing lately, isn't that enough?"

"I will not discuss the issue of the subspecies with whom he mates. But Your Majesty, his heart is truly not here. Why continue to be so awkward? If word gets out, outsiders will not know but will instead think that our dragon clan is ungrateful and has imprisoned our benefactor."

Long Qinghuang fell silent, this time offering no rebuttal.

"Lu Xingzhou has recently been treating the bodies of our clansmen and reversing the energy flow of the sacred mountain. He has done us a great favor and acted with utmost kindness. He only had a small wish, but we cannot grant it. Your Majesty, a dragon should not act in this way."

Long Qinghuang's attention was once again drawn to Lu Xingzhou, who was carefully preparing a medicinal bath for Sheng Yuanyao, just like she had done for him that night.

The feeling of irritability grew stronger.

You use the same tenderness I show you on others.

Do I still need to help her prepare the herbal medicine?
Just imagining that scene made Long Qinghuang unable to bear it; her dragon claws gripped the armrest of the chair, making a cracking sound.

"His Majesty?"

"Shut up, don't you have anything else important to say?"

"This is the real... uh..." Old Dragon looked at Long Qinghuang's ashen face and finally changed his words: "It is said that Ye Tinglan has returned to Qiandu. I wonder if this is a sign of reconciliation with Gu Zhanting. Your Majesty, when Emperor Qian and Holy Lord Tianyao join hands again, it will be disadvantageous to us."

"Then what do you think?"

"I have heard that Lu Xingzhou has a grudge against the Huo family, and the Huo family is a close advisor to Gu Zhanting. This will inevitably cause conflict between Lu Xingzhou and Gu Zhanting. Ye Tinglan is Lu Xingzhou's teacher and will only side with him. It is possible that the Tianyao Holy Land will fall further behind the Qian Emperor and the matter will fall on Lu Xingzhou."

Long Qinghuang: "You he..."

He swallowed a curse word and didn't let it out.

While it's infuriating that these scoundrels always manage to steer a casual remark towards Lu Xingzhou, upon closer examination, their arguments aren't entirely without merit. Especially since detaining Lu Xingzhou could potentially incite Ye Tinglan's desire to attack the Demon Realm, and encourage the Tianyao Holy Land and Emperor Qian to join forces again.

Continuing to detain Lu Xingzhou will only bring harm and no benefit.

The Dragon Lady felt incredibly aggrieved. From the Demon Realm to the Great Qian Dynasty, the entire world didn't want her and Xingzhou to be together. The key was that Xingzhou himself had also backed down; otherwise, even if the whole world opposed them, what could they do?

The Dragon Emperor, who wielded his whip across the land, rarely failed to obtain what he desired. Yet, upon falling in love, he found it so difficult to win the heart of a man!
Sheng Yuanyao had already gone to soak in herbal medicine and entered a side hall. A'nuo was helping her inside. At least Lu Xingzhou didn't follow her in, which made Long Qinghuang feel slightly better.

But the feeling of irritability still wouldn't subside.

Seeing that His Majesty was on the verge of exploding, the old dragon dared not continue discussing Lu Xingzhou's matter and instead brought up some domestic affairs and personnel matters. Long Qinghuang forced herself to stay alert and continued the discussion, and before they knew it, dusk had fallen.

Sheng Yuanyao enjoyed a wonderful medicinal bath, and the effects were surprisingly good. While in the bathtub, she formed her palms into a knife and made a slashing motion in mid-air, and she could feel the wind and thunder rising up.

Sheng Yuanyao stroked her chin, wondering if she shouldn't have gone out so directly. If she ran for a while, he would worry. Then, the door creaked open and she rushed in, only to see...

He immediately snapped out of it and tapped his head.

It's really broken ever since I started practicing that lousy martial arts technique.

"Sister Yao?" A'nuo called from outside the door, "Master said you've been inside for a bit too long, could something have happened?"

"Oh, no, no." Sheng Yuanyao hurriedly got up to wipe herself and frantically put on her clothes.

She rushed out the door in a panic, only to see Lu Xingzhou and his apprentice standing there, looking at her with some surprise: "What's the rush?"

Sheng Yuanyao retorted, "No, who said I was panicking?"

Lu Xingzhou looked at her suspiciously: "This medicinal bath, no matter what, contains the wildness of demons. Based on my experience, it can cause a little... you know. You didn't just go in there by yourself..."

Sheng Yuanyao's eyes widened: "Lu Xingzhou, do you want to die?"

So it was just demonic energy affecting me, not that I'm broken. Sheng Yuanyao felt relieved, but still made a gesture to hit someone: "Am I that kind of lecherous person?"

Lu Xingzhou grabbed her wrist.

As a result, Sheng Yuanyao soaked in the water for too long, her legs became weak, and she stumbled and fell into his arms.

With a "bang," the armrest of the chair in the imperial study was crushed to pieces, and Long Qinghuang, who was discussing matters, had disappeared.

The old dragons were all dumbfounded: "Your Majesty? Your Majesty?"

Sheng Yuanyao swore she didn't do it on purpose, but she also swore she never imagined that she would miss such a small distance.

Suddenly, the back of my collar tightened for no apparent reason; I had been grabbed.

Lu Xingzhou's eyes widened, and Sheng Yuanyao stiffly turned her neck to look back, only to see Long Qinghuang's ashen face.

Who understands? It's just a short distance, yet someone can come from the Imperial Study to the Inner Palace to fetch people. What kind of speed is that?

"You tried to persuade Xingzhou to leave after only a couple of words!" Long Qinghuang pressed a pressure point on Lu Xingzhou with one finger, and then lifted Sheng Yuanyao up to the pillar.

"Then they started flirting and touching each other randomly." Long Qinghuang pulled out a rope; heaven knows where it came from.

"You're dawdling over a medicinal bath just to trick a man into coming in to see you!" The rope was wrapped around Sheng Yuanyao several times and tied to the pillar.

Sheng Yuanyao struggled desperately, but how could she possibly overcome the power of the Dragon Emperor? She was bound tightly, as if she were a shrimp.

"You're still not quiet after soaking, and the moment you step outside you're all rubbing against men!" Long Qinghuang tied a knot in the rope: "Female brother, oh female brother, I've tolerated you for too long!"

"No, let me explain..." Sheng Yuanyao felt that even a dog couldn't be more wronged than herself. She really didn't mean to bump into the man just now!
Why won't this tigress listen to explanations!

"I am an envoy of the Great Qian Dynasty, you can't treat me like this!"

"I don't care what kind of envoy you are, if Gu Zhanting comes, I'll kill him!" Long Qinghuang grabbed the dumbfounded Lu Xingzhou beside her and strode towards the bedchamber.

After taking a couple of steps, he remembered something, turned around, grabbed A'nuo, and quickly tied her to Sheng Yuanyao's side: "You little ingrate, you go wherever your master goes, all your kindness to you wasted. To prevent you from releasing your Yao-jie, you'll have to go with your Yao-jie to the bitter end!"

Ah Nuo: "???"

"I absolutely didn't mean that!" Ah Nuo struggled, "Sister Long, I was wrong, I'll help you hold Master down!"

Long Qinghuang ignored her and dragged Lu Xingzhou into the bedchamber: "Xiao Kui, and that pig too, whoever dares to release them, I'll roast you!"

"Bang!" The palace doors slammed shut, and only then did Lu Xingzhou utter a sound: "Holy crap~"

Sheng Yuanyao struggled fiercely: "Monster, let him go! What are you doing!"

Ah Nuo opened her mouth, then closed it again.

Incompetent brother, incompetent apprentice.

In fact, Ah Nuo knew that Sister Long's suppressed anger was about to burst. Who could withstand so many clansmen bombarding her with questions? Sister Yao, on the other hand, was caught in the crossfire and became the last straw that broke the Dragon Emperor's back, as well as the excuse.

Master, may you have good fortune.

"Thump!" Lu Xingzhou was thrown onto the bed, his acupoints sealed so he couldn't struggle: "Hey, hey, Your Majesty, you...no, listen to me, it was really an accident...Yuan Yao didn't do it on purpose, and I certainly didn't..."

"Does it matter?" Long Qinghuang interrupted.

Lu Xingzhou paused for a moment, looked at her slightly red eyes, and shut his mouth.

Long Qinghuang straddled him, her slender fingers gently stroking his cheek: "How much do you want to leave? You've colluded with so many of my officials to bombard me with attacks."

Lu Xingzhou pursed his lips and did not answer.

"I was wrong too... Why are you trying to warm my heart?" There was a hint of madness in Long Qinghuang's eyes: "This should have been the first day I brought you to the Demon Realm. Is this what I should have done for you? All I had to do was have you serve me in bed. Why say so much... Emperors are lonely and have never been worthy of talking about love."

“No…” Lu Xingzhou sighed, “I don’t… umm…”

Before she could speak, she was kissed fiercely, all her words stuck in her throat.

Long Qinghuang mumbled, "Don't speak... I know you have a silver tongue, but if you say a few words to me, I'll soften."

Lu Xingzhou: “…”

Long Qinghuang violently tore open his clothes and lowered her head to kiss him.

“I know you’ve always wanted my body, but you’ve been restraining yourself,” Long Qinghuang murmured. “You don’t want to start something and then abandon it, you don’t want to just walk away after taking your pants off… that’s your morality. But Lu Xingzhou, you have morality, but I don’t.”

With a "rip," the pants were torn.

Lu Xingzhou: “…”

"Do you still want to use the cultivation technique you just learned to make your heart as still as water? It's useless." Long Qinghuang gently stroked the small boat, raised her head and revealed a charming smile: "Although your cultivation technique has some merit, it's a pity that you are a beginner. No matter how hard you try, you can't withstand the blood of my dragon clan."

Lu Xingzhou's eyes widened as he saw Long Qinghuang bite her lip and kiss him again.

The dragon blood, with its slightly fishy and sweet taste, entered Lu Xingzhou's mouth.

If the blood of an ordinary dragon is incredibly aphrodisiac, what about the blood of the Dragon Emperor?
The desires that had been forcibly suppressed by the cultivation technique suddenly erupted and swept away, and in an instant, the deserted ferry was left adrift.

Long Qinghuang finally removed her clothes, her perfect body glowing like jade in the night. She kissed her gently again, her voice softening: "Am I not beautiful?"

Lu Xingzhou finally sighed: "It looks good, but you really didn't have to do that... um..."

They sensed her approaching by boat, and realized that the enemy was already at their gates.

Long Qinghuang paused, a complex look finally appearing in her eyes: "I know this will make you very angry... but I... I would rather you hate me."

她慢慢坐了下去.

Sheng Yuanyao wished she had never learned that supernatural ability to hear information from the wind. Heaven knows, the first thing she would do after learning it was to use it for this. She struggled fiercely and cried out, "Demon, stop!"

Unfortunately, things didn't go according to Gua Mei's wishes. After soaking in medicinal baths for so many days, Lu Xingzhou's fully developed Golden Dragon Body Tempering technique finally took effect for the first time.

The Dragon Emperor's defenses were breached in one fell swoop.

Long Qinghuang frowned slightly, and Lu Xingzhou also frowned at the same time.

Getting straight to the point in this kind of situation isn't a pleasant experience.

Fortunately, neither of them were delicate, and after overcoming the initial discomfort, they finally began to adapt.

Long Qinghuang breathed heavily, whispering in his ear, "It feels so much better than a kiss... It should have been like this a long time ago..."

Lu Xingzhou gritted his teeth: "Really? I don't think it's enough."

The Yin-Yang power generated by this event far surpasses that of any other method. With the Yin-Yang Ultimate Intent Technique and the Great Joyful Bliss Sutra fully activated, she used her own vast primordial Yin to break through the restrictions she had placed upon her.

Lu Xingzhou can move now.

Long Qinghuang was navigating her boat when she suddenly realized that the boat was out of control, as if it had encountered a stormy sea and was tossed about wildly.

This jolt was so powerful that it nearly shook Long Qinghuang out of her wits, leaving her completely drained of strength.

Lu Xingzhou flipped over, rising up against the chaos, and pinned Long Qinghuang beneath him.

His eyes also held the wildness that had been suppressed for so long. He roughly grabbed Long Qinghuang's wrist and pressed it against it: "Force me?"

Long Qinghuang knew something was wrong and tried to resist, but then she felt a surge of pleasure and weakness.

In this respect, the Great Joyful Bliss Sutra is simply suppressive; perhaps only the Mystic Maiden can withstand it. In short, the Dragon Girl, relying entirely on her physical strength, cannot withstand it.

He tried to resist, but his resistance almost made his eyes roll back.

"Do you dare to do it again?" After a series of attacks, Long Qinghuang was stunned and breathed weakly, "I...I dare, I dare..."

"You dare to do that, huh?" Lu Xingzhou flipped her over, grabbed the dragon horn, and started moving wildly.

Long Qinghuang was so disoriented that she almost lost her mind. She felt like a small boat tossed about in a raging sea, on the verge of capsizing at any moment.

"Do you still dare?"

"No...don't dare..."

"Who will be the one to sleep with you in bed?"

"It's...it's me..."

"What did you call me?"

“Master…” Long Qinghuang subconsciously uttered a word, but bit her lower lip tightly and refused to say it.

Even as Lu Xingzhou pushed his cultivation technique to its limit, to the point where the golden dragon emerging from the water was almost causing a disaster, he still refused to speak.

Sheng Yuanyao, who was listening to the poetry outside, no longer knew what she was listening to.

Lu Xingzhou remained silent for a moment, then slowly withdrew his strength, turned her back, lowered his head to kiss her, and whispered, "You... no matter what, you're the one who suffers in this kind of thing."

Long Qinghuang sensed that his anger had subsided and weakly replied, "I don't care."

Lu Xingzhou pursed his lips, but then heard Long Qinghuang say softly, "Xingzhou, I want to have a little dragon."

"It depends on luck."

“I am lucky.” Long Qinghuang reached out and put her arms around his neck, and said softly, “You want to tame a dragon… that’s very difficult. But if you really want to hear it, in bed, in the pleasures of lovers, I can grant your wish.”

Lu Xingzhou was stunned for a moment, then she whispered in his ear, "Master..."

Lu Xingzhou could no longer contain himself, and a flash flood erupted.

The two lay limply, neither of them speaking for a long time.

Lu Xingzhou's feelings were very complicated at this moment. If he really went ahead with it, it would be very awkward to leave... But this was stolen from him, does that count?

Well, I don't know who was forcing whom after that.

Long Qinghuang knew what he was thinking. She leaned on his shoulder and calmed herself for a long time before whispering, "You... stay with me for one last night."

Lu Xingzhou: “?”

Long Qinghuang smiled: "What I want is a complete person... Since you are not willing, what's the point of forcing you? They are all right. Keeping you here will only do more harm than good. I shouldn't be so selfish. I am satisfied with this one night of pleasure."

Lu Xingzhou then realized what she was saying: "You... are willing to let me go back?"

"Yes," Long Qinghuang said in a low voice, "Actually, Xingzhou, you've misunderstood some things..."

"what?"

"Demons, regardless of their race, do not value purity as much as you humans do. The so-called 'clothes and done' kind of thing is common among demons, and dragons are even more so. You don't need to feel any burden."

Lu Xingzhou's arms tightened slightly.

Long Qinghuang still knew what he was thinking, and chuckled lightly, "Afraid that I'll indulge in affairs with others?"

Lu Xingzhou said "hmm".

"I haven't felt love in a thousand years. Do you think I'm someone who's so easily indulged?" Long Qinghuang chuckled and said affectionately, "If you want me to stop indulging, then satisfy me."

Without saying a word, Lu Xingzhou flipped over and went back up, and a new round of battle began.

Sheng Yuanyao, her vision blurred, was tied up and forced to count.

I once heard a rumor that Lu Xingzhou was going to meet the Dragon Emperor seven times.

Who could do it seven times? Not even a true dragon could! LOL.

As a result, as I counted throughout the night, it seemed to have really happened seven times.

From after dark after dinner until the sky began to lighten.

Lu Xingzhou, are you even human? My brothers and apprentices are tied up here. You've come here countless times already, so release them first!

And that Dragon Emperor, how fierce and domineering he is! Yet he's as limp as a dead snake, and he calls himself "master"? Bah!

"Anuo, Anuo?" Sheng Yuanyao wanted to find someone to complain to, but she saw Anuo leaning against the pillar, fast asleep.

Sheng Yuanyao: “…”

Then I realized that the other person hadn't cultivated supernatural powers and couldn't hear anything.

The world where only Gua Mei gets hurt has been achieved.

Fortunately, Lu Xingzhou hadn't forgotten. When he turned Long Qinghuang into a puddle of mud inside, he still remembered to whisper in her ear, "Release the people outside."

Long Qinghuang was completely out of her mind: "I'll... I'll listen to you..."

Lu Xingzhou breathed a sigh of relief: "Xiao Kui, release them!"

Sheng Yuanyao was in tears.

Could this be considered a brother sacrificing his male virtue to save himself?

Pooh.

…………

When the sun was high in the sky, Lu Xingzhou woke up rubbing his back.

To be honest, the Great Joyful Bliss Sutra is truly a divine skill among divine skills. I didn't get tired even after seven repetitions, and it seemed like I could continue. What got tired was my old back; even my dragon body couldn't bear it.

Last night, even though Long Qinghuang fainted, he was still full of energy and seemed to have made a significant leap in his cultivation.

I just didn't have the mind to examine myself closely. Only now that I've regained consciousness do I realize that I seem to have reached the second rank.

The Dragon Emperor's Primordial Yin is no joke, and the dual cultivation effects of the Great Joy and Bliss Sutra are even more so.

This speed of progress is so incredible that even the old turtle can surpass the standard level; it's outrageous... It's also no wonder the old turtle needs to find so many. The value of this primordial yin is far beyond what we previously knew.

The thought flashed through his mind, but Lu Xingzhou had no time to study it further and got up to find Long Qinghuang.

She fainted last night; I wonder how well she's recovering today...

Just as I rounded the screen, I saw Long Qinghuang leaning against the windowsill, mending a piece of clothing in her hand.

The Dragon-Subduing Armor that had previously blocked her way and was shattered by Pudu's attack... now seemed to have become whole again.

I don't know when she took it...

The intellectual gentleness she exuded at this moment perfectly matched Ye Tinglan's demeanor when they parted, showing no trace of the proud and domineering Dragon Emperor.

"Awake?" Long Qinghuang didn't even look up, her voice gentle: "This broken armor is proof of your feelings... Actually, from that day on, I never intended to keep you locked up."

Lu Xingzhou sat down beside him: "So, these past few days..."

"I just can't bear to part with it." Long Qinghuang sighed softly, "I'm not convinced either. I'm so beautiful, how can you resist? You really don't want me."

The narcissistic little dragon pouted slightly, captivating Lu Xingzhou's attention.

"Alright." Long Qinghuang handed over the Dragon-Subduing Armor: "I used that golden dragon skin to repair it. Its protective power should be greater than before."

Lu Xingzhou took it, and then heard Long Qinghuang ask again, "Is this called the Dragon Subduing Armor?"

Lu Xingzhou was taken aback: "You recognize him?"

“That’s what A-Nuo said.” Long Qinghuang smiled: “Actually, at that moment, you had already subdued the dragon.”

Lu Xingzhou asked, "Have they really surrendered?"

Long Qinghuang stood up and whispered in his ear, "What do you think, Master?"

Lu Xingzhou almost wanted to have sex again.

Long Qinghuang chuckled and took a half step back, placing her hand on his chest: "Your female friend has already returned to the Court of State Ceremonial to prepare. You... you should leave too, leave now, or I'll regret it."

Lu Xingzhou gave her a deep look: "Wait for me."

Long Qinghuang was stunned, not understanding what he meant. Did he mean he would come back in the future?
However, he didn't dwell on it. Lu Xingzhou had a moral compass and didn't want it to be just a fleeting pleasure. That was one of his virtues, so why bother digging deeper and making things awkward? He simply smiled and said, "Okay, I'll wait for you."

"Your Majesty," Xiao Kui said from outside the door, "the Great Qian delegation is waiting at the foot of Dragon Cliff."

“Alright.” Long Qinghuang took Lu Xingzhou’s hand and slowly walked out of the palace, heading down to the bottom of Dragon Cliff.

The guards along the way, seeing the two holding hands, did not look at them sideways, and some even bowed, showing that they respected Lu Xingzhou very much, to the point that no one objected to his relationship with their emperor.

Long Qinghuang smiled and said, "As long as you come back, the position of Empress will still be yours."

Lu Xingzhou didn't respond to that.

When the two arrived at the foot of Dragon Cliff, Sheng Yuanyao, leading a fully loaded caravan, stared fiercely at Long Qinghuang's face with a look that seemed to want to devour dragons.

Long Qinghuang didn't care at all: "I heard that Vice Envoy Sheng has a good writing style and is writing a book... I hope Vice Envoy Sheng knows what he should and shouldn't write."

Sheng Yuanyao responded with only one word: "Pah."

Long Qinghuang smiled slightly: "Let's go, I won't see you off."

After saying that, she turned and left. Lu Xingzhou watched her trembling hands from behind and pursed his lips.

Sheng Yuanyao glanced at him sideways and sighed, "Let's go."

Ah Nuo rode a pig to his side and spoke for her master, saying, "I will come back~"

Lu Xingzhou finally smiled and rubbed A Nuo's cheek: "Let's go."

The mission finally left the city and headed south, and has been traveling north for a full month.

Long Qinghuang stood atop Dragon Cliff, watching the delegation gradually disappear into the distance, remaining silent for a long time.

Just as the delegation was about to disappear on the horizon, a voice suddenly carried for miles: "Lu Xingzhou."

Lu Xingzhou looked back and saw that the golden figure on the cliff had become just a small dot.

But the dragon's might was faintly visible, stretching across the sky.

"Within a few years, I will surely lead my army south and unify the world. At that time, no matter where you are, you will be under my rule, and you will no longer need to consider whether to leave or not."

The sound echoed through the heavens and earth.

End of Volume Four

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

P.S.: I forgot to set a timer at noon, but realized it in the afternoon. I figured I'd just combine it into one long chapter this evening, which is about four chapters' worth. It'll be perfect for finishing the book in one go, so I won't lose track of the flow.

That's all for today's update. Happy Qixi Festival to everyone!
(End of this chapter)