Great Zhou Martial Immortal

Chapter 1 Past and Present Life
In the tenth month of the first year of the Tian Shou reign of the Wu Zhou dynasty, at night.

Luoyang, the capital of China.

The full moon hangs high in the sky, and countless stars adorn the heavens.

The blue tiles of Lirenfang gleamed with a faint blue light under the moonlight.

As Lu Chenyuan lightly touched the ground with his toes and leaped onto the rooftop, the lights of the palace in the distance were lighting up one after another, like a golden dragon coiled on the banks of the Luo River.

He steadied himself with the help of the chiwen (a mythical beast), and the first thing that caught his eye was the nine-story pagoda of heaven. The pagoda rose a hundred feet from the ground, its glazed eaves adorned with stars, and the copper bells under the eaves were stirred by the night wind, their clear sounds drifting along the Luo River.

The carved wooden window on the third floor was half-open, and one could vaguely see the eyebrows and eyes of the gilded Buddha statue inside—the Vairocana Buddha, sculpted with the face of the Empress. The pagoda's shadow was cast on the glazed tile roof of the main hall, where the four gilded characters "Wanxiang Shengong" (Palace of Myriad Images) could be faintly seen.

"The Vairocana Temple and the Vairocana Buddha were destroyed twice in history and can no longer be seen in later generations."

Lu Chenyuan sighed deeply, forced to accept reality: "It seems I really have transmigrated..."

More accurately, it is the awakening of innate wisdom.

During those three days, he thought about his past and present lives.

This is the Wu Zhou Dynasty. A month ago, on the ninth day of the ninth month, Wu Zetian ascended the Zetian Gate, granted a general amnesty, changed the Tang Dynasty to the Zhou Dynasty, changed the era name to Tianshou, established the capital at Shendu, and officially usurped the Tang Dynasty. But unlike history, this world has extraordinary powers. There are immortals on land who fly through the air on swords, there are invincible living Buddhas on earth, and there are evil demons who wreak havoc on the world.

Emperor Wu had just ascended the throne, and the situation was unstable. The Turks in the north were preparing for war, the Western Demonic Sect was waiting for an opportunity to expand eastward, the Khitans in the northeast were beginning to practice shamanism, and the Miao people in the southwest were diligently cultivating the Five Immortals.

The imperial court and the martial world are both filthy and corrupt.

Just recently, there was an incident where a Turkic shamanic sect plotted to assassinate the emperor, causing widespread panic throughout the capital.

These important matters are handled by important figures.

Lu Chenyuan had no time to worry about others; what truly troubled him was his identity in this life.

—The inner guards of Princess Taiping's residence.

With Empress Wu's ascension to the throne, the Li Tang royal family suffered a bloodbath. The two most honorable women in the world, besides Empress Wu, were Princess Taiping, Li Lingyue, who possessed the blood of both the Li and Wu families and was deeply loved.

Li Lingyue was born in the second year of the Linde era. When she was eight years old, her maternal grandmother, Lady Yang of Rongguo, passed away in Luoyang. Empress Wu Zetian asked her youngest daughter to become a nun to pray for blessings. She was given the Taoist name Taiping and entered Jinglong Temple. She began to cultivate under the guidance of the national teacher Ye Fashan. She showed exceptional talent and went into seclusion at the age of ten. Ten years later, she entered the Guizhen realm and became a Grandmaster, ranking alongside the ten most outstanding masters in the world.

Wu Zetian secretly plotted to ascend the throne and usurp the throne. She had two forces under her command. One was the Lijing Prison, led by Zhou Xing and Lai Junchen, who fabricated charges and claimed the moral high ground. The other was the Inner Guard, known as the "Yuan Guard," which was responsible for eliminating those "guilty" traitors. The commander of the Yuan Guard, known as the "Yuan Chief," was Li Lingyue!
Such a woman, showered with excessive favor and enjoying unparalleled wealth, naturally attracted the attention of men all over the world.

Every day, countless people flocked to the princess's residence to curry favor. Some even imitated Xue Huaiyi, Wu Zetian's male favorite, by showing off their "immense appearance" and "jade pillars reaching the sky" outside the residence, hoping to gain the princess's favor and rise to power in one step.

It should be noted that Li Lingyue was nominally married to a prince consort, a distant relative of the Wu family, Wu Youji.

To protect Li Lingyue from being bound by the bloodline of the Li Tang dynasty, Wu Zetian specially arranged for her to marry a member of the Wu family, thus binding her to the Wu family's cause. Unfortunately, Li Lingyue was arrogant and looked down on this nominal husband from a poor and remote area. Her shield was ineffective, which fueled the unhealthy trends outside, and the practice of flattery and currying favor became increasingly rampant.

at last.

Li Lingyue was so annoyed that she made a move.

On a certain day and night, she specifically sought out a handsome imperial guard to "serve her in bed."

Then, the whole God was in an uproar!

And this incredibly lucky, yet incredibly unlucky person is Lu Chenyuan in this life.

"Grass!!!!!"

Lu Chenyuan let out a long howl in his heart and helplessly clutched his head.

As a result, fewer people were annoyed by Li Lingyue—they all started thinking about killing Lu Chenyuan.

Of course, they didn't dare to go too far. What if this person really was the princess's true love? If they killed him, what would happen if Princess Taiping were to fly into a rage for her lover? Most people were watching and waiting. Only one person was so angry that he was practically cuckolded. Relying on his status as a member of the Wu family and a member of the royal family, he grabbed Lu Chenyuan and beat him up.

Wu Youji.

After the beating, he even threatened to beat him every time they met. This time he was just bruised and battered, but next time he would skin him alive!

Wu Youji's identity was truly special; he was both a member of the Wu family and her nominal husband. Li Lingyue couldn't do anything to him, so she could only send people to deliver medicine to Lu Chenyuan to show that she still "favored him," while ignoring the fact that he had been beaten. Lu Chenyuan gritted his teeth, determined to get revenge sooner or later!

First he was beaten, then he was frightened, and by chance, he remembered everything.

Faced with this situation, he was racking his brains trying to find a solution.

"This is just incredibly unlucky..."

Lu Chenyuan carefully recalled his previous memories. Nothing had happened that night. Li Lingyue hadn't even glanced at him, leaving him like a wooden stake, guarding the entrance to the bedchamber all night. He went out the next day in a daze, which to outsiders appeared as exhaustion and depletion after having his fun...

It's completely impossible to clear my name now. Lu Chenyuan looked up at the sky and sighed repeatedly.

How can this be done!

"elder brother!"

Suddenly a clear shout came from the courtyard: "Hiding on the roof won't help you, come down and drink your medicine."

Lu Chenyuan looked down and saw a beautiful little girl holding a bowl of medicine in both hands, tilting her head to look at him with a face full of sympathy.

She wore a pomegranate-red ruqun embroidered with silver flowers, three silver bracelets around her wrists, and most eye-catching were the two trembling gold butterflies on her earlobes, fluttering like wings, making the little girl look like a fairy maiden who had escaped from a New Year's painting.

It has to be said that, whether in the past life or this life, the Lu family's genes are impeccable.

His mother died early in his life, and he only had his father, Lu Yashan, and an eight-year-old sister, Lu Ke'er, both of whom were very outstanding in appearance.

No wonder Li Lingyue chose her to act in this play.

Once this standard is revealed, the vast majority of people will back down when faced with a challenge.

Lu Chenyuan composed himself and slowly descended from the roof. The little girl handed him a bowl of medicine and took the opportunity to hug his arm to support him: "The medicine Her Highness gave you is very good. Just three days ago you were covered in wounds, and now you can climb onto the roof..."

"She should."

Lu Chenyuan remained calm, picked up the bowl, and drank it all in one gulp, his face contorted with bitterness.

The little girl quickly took out a piece of candied fruit and stuffed it into his mouth, laughing, "Isn't it delicious? Aunt Xu gave it to me, it's so sweet!"

Lu Chenyuan smiled and reached out to rub her head: "Not as sweet as you."

During his recovery, this little girl took care of him, and Lu Chenyuan developed a strong liking for his younger sister in this life.

The little girl was taken aback, her face flushed, and she beamed with joy, saying, "Brother, your voice is nicer than before~, and even with your injury, you walk better than Dad..."

She glanced at Lu Chenyuan's legs, let go of his hands, and took two steps. When she took a step, her shoulder line was straight, and her neck and spine were stretched into a restrained arc. When she landed, her heel rolled on the ground first, but her knees were relaxed and precise. Even the sway of her clothes seemed to have been measured with a ruler.

In hindsight, this is like turning a bluestone pavement into a stage with spotlights.

This is muscle memory honed through acting classes.

Lu Chenyuan thought to himself, "You have no idea what your brother did in his past life."

Back in the day, I was a well-known handsome young man in the surrounding area, a top student who graduated from the Shanghai Theatre Academy, and an outstanding figure in physical education class. If I hadn't been greedy for enjoyment and accidentally entered the circle of rich women, I could have won TV King and movie King awards with ease...

Ok?
Suddenly, a thought flashed through Lu Chenyuan's mind: That's right! What's there to worry about?

Isn't Li Lingyue a rich woman?
If you use the skills you had for charming rich women in your past life on her, you can easily turn a fake relationship into a real one.
Even though the Wu family was so arrogant and Wu Youji was so angry, they only dared to injure them. He didn't even have the guts to cripple them!
why?
It's because "Lu Chenyuan" is already Li Lingyue's "male consort"!
He dared not push Li Lingyue too far.

Historically, Princess Taiping kept so many male lovers, yet Wu Youji didn't dare utter a sound. Although there are many differences now, the effect is the same: as long as you latch onto this powerful figure, what is there to fear from Wu Youji?

He rose through the ranks in no time!

He's incredibly good at portraying deep emotions.

Li Lingyue has taken advantage of him like this, so it's not unreasonable for him to charge some interest.

The only problem now is that being a male concubine is not easy, and even if you become one, it may not last long.

This world is full of mysterious skills and extraordinary techniques, and there are masters everywhere who can fly and escape into the earth.

Even if all the officials in the Wu Zhou court dared not oppose the princess, there was still the martial arts world besides the court, and foreign tribes besides the Central Plains. If they really wanted to kill her, one or two desperate criminals could kill her!

With a wave of their hand, the Wu family could summon hundreds or even thousands of these desperate criminals!

To survive, you have to rely on yourself.

But this body...

Lu Chenyuan was somewhat worried.

The old master of the Lu family was once a soldier in the Prince of Qin's mansion. The Lu family had served in the military for four generations. If they had any talent or higher level of skill, they would not have ended up as low-level guards.

Just as he thought of this, Lu Chenyuan's eyes, which had been aching slightly, suddenly emitted a faint light, as if his two souls had merged and something had awakened.

My eyes felt brighter than ever before, and in a daze, a line of text slowly appeared on my retina: [Divine Eyes of Wisdom Activating...]

(End of this chapter)